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A few words about...™ Deliverance -- in BD & HD

post #1 of 28
8/23/07 at 9:25pm
Thread Starter 
I love re-visiting a favored film on HD or BD DVD and finding a winner.

The playing field has become so intense, and reviewers and bloggers so picky, that even the most beautifully sourced digital master sometimes can't make it to home plate.

John Boorman's brilliant 1972 film about four buddies trying their luck at white water canoeing down a southern river has been brought to high definition DVD so perfectly, that Mr. Boorman and his cinematographer Vilmos Zsigmond must be thrilled.

When you've seen a film in a proper 35mm dye transfer print from the original release, and the DVD so beautifully reproduces that experience, the image on screen can be viscerally thrilling.

So it is with Warner's Deliverance.

A great early 1970s production, given a perfect treatment in every way.

This is as good as it gets for the look of cinema in a home theater environment.

Deliverance comes Extremely Highly Recommended.

Having viewed Deliverance in it's Blu-Ray form, I can only call it Perfect.

Just perfect!

RAH
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Gear mentioned in this thread:

Deliverance [Blu-ray]
$4.95 at
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Deliverance [HD DVD]
$10.62 at
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post #2 of 28
8/23/07 at 9:41pm

Re: A few words about...™ Deliverance -- in BD & HD

This is one film I've been "meaning to get" for years, now.

I'll definately be picking this up now that it has the RAH seal of approval.
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post #3 of 28
8/24/07 at 12:28am

Re: A few words about...™ Deliverance -- in BD & HD

Thanks, Mr. Harris. I was very much looking forward to this new high-definition release, and I'm very happy to hear that it comes highly recommended from such an authoritative source. One copy on HD DVD sold!
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post #4 of 28
8/24/07 at 10:35am

Re: A few words about...™ Deliverance -- in BD & HD

I've been in high hopes ever since the title announcement. The RAH seal of approval is enough for me.

Now we can wait for so many online reviewers to trash it, because it doesn't replicate the look of 'Serenity'.
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post #5 of 28
8/24/07 at 2:43pm

Re: A few words about...™ Deliverance -- in BD & HD

Funny, I had never seen this film before this past Sunday night. I was house sitting for my sister, and I noticed that she had it. I popped it in around 1:45 am on a stormy night alone, and got more than bargained for! What a great flick! Can't wait to finally pick this up.
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post #6 of 28
8/24/07 at 7:45pm

Re: A few words about...™ Deliverance -- in BD & HD

Quote:
Originally Posted by ScottR
Funny, I had never seen this film before this past Sunday night. I was house sitting for my sister, and I noticed that she had it. I popped it in around 1:45 am on a stormy night alone, and got more than bargained for! What a great flick! Can't wait to finally pick this up.

I had never seen the film uncut (only local TV broadcasts) until i bought the first DVD release many years ago. Imagine my shock, seeing things no man should ever see. Scary in many ways.

Check out Southern Comfort too, very similar, but also a good movie.
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post #7 of 28
8/24/07 at 8:12pm

Re: A few words about...™ Deliverance -- in BD & HD

Rick....I am familiar with Southern Comfort, as I'm Cajun! My father loved it, but viewing it today, I have mixed feelings about how we're portrayed.
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post #8 of 28
8/24/07 at 10:03pm

Re: A few words about...™ Deliverance -- in BD & HD

Quote:
Originally Posted by ScottR
Rick....I am familiar with Southern Comfort, as I'm Cajun! My father loved it, but viewing it today, I have mixed feelings about how we're portrayed.

Probably kind of how I felt about Raising Arizona. I've never heard anyone in Arizona talk like that. I still think the movie is a riot though.

Doug
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post #9 of 28
8/25/07 at 12:12am

Re: A few words about...™ Deliverance -- in BD & HD

excellent!

Sounds great!

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post #10 of 28
8/25/07 at 8:41am

Re: A few words about...™ Deliverance -- in BD & HD

Hd-Dvd on order # 2 ! already got , Casablanca , Forbidden Planet , Mutiny on the Bounty and Grand Prix , Warner's keep em coming

~M~
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post #11 of 28
8/25/07 at 11:16am

Re: A few words about...™ Deliverance -- in BD & HD

Really looking forward to the BD. I have the old R2 release (with a very strange 2.55:1 aspect ratio - similar to the original The Great Escape release...), so the HD version will be a revelation!
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post #12 of 28
8/29/07 at 8:26pm

Re: A few words about...™ Deliverance -- in BD & HD

Quote:
Imagine my shock, seeing things no man should ever see.
LOL....well said. Definitely one of Burt Reynolds' better performances as well, IMHO.
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post #13 of 28
8/29/07 at 9:24pm

Re: A few words about...™ Deliverance -- in BD & HD

Burt reminded my of Marlon Brando when he was younger. He had that raw, masculine, brooding sense about him.
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post #14 of 28
8/30/07 at 4:54am

Re: A few words about...™ Deliverance -- in BD & HD

Gotta grab this, the SD I rented recently had what was possibly the worst PQ I've yet seen in my HT.
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post #15 of 28
8/31/07 at 2:37pm

Re: A few words about...™ Deliverance -- in BD & HD

There are only 2 movies that forever changed my opinion of adventuring in the woods and this was one of them! Blair Witch Project was the other.

Note to self: Always pack a 9mm

Jeff
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post #16 of 28
9/1/07 at 11:25am

Re: A few words about...™ Deliverance -- in BD & HD

Quote:
Originally Posted by Mark Bendiksen
LOL....well said. Definitely one of Burt Reynolds' better performances as well, IMHO.
And a film that supports Roger Ebert's moustache theory regarding Burt.
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post #17 of 28
9/12/07 at 3:12pm

Re: A few words about...™ Deliverance -- in BD & HD

Robert Harris, do you have any thoughts on the vast differences in the colour timing and contrast of the new transfer to the previous transfer? Here's the DVD Beaver comparison. Any idea why the title on the opening credits is different, ie. in all CAPITALS?
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post #18 of 28
9/12/07 at 7:35pm

Re: A few words about...™ Deliverance -- in BD & HD

Did anyone see DELIVERANCE in its original release? As I recall the first run prints were in desaturated color... almost black and white. This was a short lived trend in the early 70's. Two other examples were FAT CITY and THE THREE MUSKETEERS. Does anyone else remember this? I doubt we'd see the color timed this way for dvd, but as I recall, that was the intent for some films of that period. (Lester had reportedly wanted to shot MUSKETEERS in black and white and the muted prints were the compromise.)
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post #19 of 28
9/12/07 at 7:55pm

Re: A few words about...™ Deliverance -- in BD & HD

Quote:
Originally Posted by Jim*Tod
Did anyone see DELIVERANCE in its original release? As I recall the first run prints were in desaturated color... almost black and white. This was a short lived trend in the early 70's. Two other examples were FAT CITY and THE THREE MUSKETEERS. Does anyone else remember this? I doubt we'd see the color timed this way for dvd, but as I recall, that was the intent for some films of that period. (Lester had reportedly wanted to shot MUSKETEERS in black and white and the muted prints were the compromise.)

I don't remember the Three Musketeers being desaturated. In fact it had deeply saturated reds and blues. I probably saw that thing 20 times in the theater.

Doug
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post #20 of 28
9/12/07 at 9:25pm

Re: A few words about...™ Deliverance -- in BD & HD

Quote:
Originally Posted by LDfan
There are only 2 movies that forever changed my opinion of adventuring in the woods and this was one of them! Blair Witch Project was the other.

Note to self: Always pack a 9mm

Jeff

I've been fishing in that river for Smallmouth bass and Brown Trout. We took a gun but didn't get to shoot anybody, damn!

I have the BD preordered.
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post #21 of 28
9/13/07 at 11:34am

Re: A few words about...™ Deliverance -- in BD & HD

Quote:
Originally Posted by Gordon McMurphy
Robert Harris, do you have any thoughts on the vast differences in the colour timing and contrast of the new transfer to the previous transfer? Here's the DVD Beaver comparison. Any idea why the title on the opening credits is different, ie. in all CAPITALS?
I'd like to know about this too, since there's an indication in this thread that Deliverance is a "flashed" film.
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post #22 of 28
9/13/07 at 6:28pm

Re: A few words about...™ Deliverance -- in BD & HD

Quote:
We took a gun but didn't get to shoot anybody, damn!
C'mon Rach, shoulda took a bow 'n arrow like Lewis.
This is a bona fide classic and I pre-ordered no matter what.
But hearing from RAF only makes it that much better.
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post #23 of 28
9/13/07 at 6:42pm

Re: A few words about...™ Deliverance -- in BD & HD

Quote:
Originally Posted by Stephen_J_H
I'd like to know about this too, since there's an indication in this thread that Deliverance is a "flashed" film.

This might very well be true as this film was shot by Vilmos Zsigmond who used flashing on McCabe & Mrs. Miller the same year. However the flashing would effect the original negative I believe so the effect should be visible in any version of the film.

Doug
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post #24 of 28
9/14/07 at 3:05pm

Re: A few words about...™ Deliverance -- in BD & HD

Quote:
Jim Beau: The long-awaited DVD of McCabe & Mrs. Miller comes out tomorrow (ie. June 2002). Were you involved in the transfer?

Vilmos Zsigmond: I definitely was involved with the transfer. I would like to be involved in the transfer of any of my old movies. I want studios to call me because we can help with the DVD.

From this site



Quote:
ICG: Many classic films are being restored and re-mastered for release as DVDs. Are you normally asked to supervise timing when one of your films is restored or re-mastered?

 ZSIGMOND: I wish that would happen all the time, but quite often they forget to call me. The other day I was interviewed for the DVD of The Long Goodbye, and I told them that I don’t remember being called to supervise the transfer. They said they would see what they could do because the DVD was coming out pretty soon. They showed me the transfer, and it was absolutely terrible. They didn’t know that The Long Goodbye was flashed, so they took all the flashing out of the movie, and made it very contrasty and dark like some movies are today. I volunteered to supervise a new transfer. I must say the people involved did everything necessary to produce the best possible transfer. This is a very important issue for all of us.

From this site


I won't say that Vilmos supervised the new Deliverance transfer, but it is likely, seeing as he had worked with Warner before.
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post #25 of 28
9/14/07 at 3:20pm

Re: A few words about...™ Deliverance -- in BD & HD

Quote:
Originally Posted by Gordon McMurphy
I won't say that Vilmos supervised the new Deliverance transfer, but it is likely, seeing as he had worked with Warner before.


Its possible that they used digital grading to "correct" the flashing. They may have thought that the original film was fading or something. But if they used their brains at all they should be able to tell that the film was flashed.

By the way the negative is flashed before the film is run through the camera.

Doug
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post #26 of 28
9/14/07 at 6:25pm
Thread Starter 

Re: A few words about...™ Deliverance -- in BD & HD

From Camera Guild:

Zsigmond: "One day, John Boorman accidentally wandered into the projection room at the lab, and he was intrigued by the look [of McCabe...]. He contacted me about working with him on a film called Deliverance. It was a totally different kind of a movie. But we did desaturate the film. We decided this film needed more contrast and a little bit of a black and whitish look. Since we were working with Technicolor, we used the dye transfer technique. They made three color matrices and then a fourth black-and-white one. That gave us more control over the blacks and whites. We decided certain scenes would have 10, 15 or 20 percent more black and white, and we were able to manipulate the look and mood of the movie that way."
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post #27 of 28
9/15/07 at 9:17am

Re: A few words about...™ Deliverance -- in BD & HD

Never mind, answered my own question.
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post #28 of 28
9/15/07 at 3:35pm

Re: A few words about...™ Deliverance -- in BD & HD

Thanks Mr. Harris---I was beginning to think my memories were getting desaturated! I knew I was right about the prints I saw first run.
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Gear mentioned in this thread:

Deliverance [Blu-ray]
$4.95 at
See it »
Deliverance [HD DVD]
$10.62 at
See it »