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Classic Movies That Look Better on Blu Ray Than Iron Man

post #1 of 27
8/17/09 at 8:57am
Thread Starter 

A current myth is that blu ray is better suited to big budget movies of the last few years (originally I stipulated Digital Video, but have since been corrected that these were shot on film), like Dark Knight, Iron Man and Hellboy; which many of us may have enjoyed. I've seen and loved the first two; but I've just got Bonnie and Clyde on Blu and been blown away by how good it looks,

I hear that the antidote to this myth is that if the source elements are good enough, and/or the restoration good enough, a classic can dazzle on blu ray. I've found this with:

Casablanca
Bonnie and Clyde
The Getaway

And I'm crossing my fingers and wishing and hoping that Gone with the Wind, Wizard of Oz, North by Northwest, and a slew of lower budget classics I've ordered, will live up to my expectations.

What have others found exceeded their expectations?
Edited by Ben Parker - 8/22/09 at 7:54pm
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post #2 of 27
8/17/09 at 9:15am
Quote:
Originally Posted by Ben Cheshire View Post


A current myth is that blu ray is better suited to big budget movies shot on DV, like Dark Knight, Iron Man and Hellboy
 

If by "DV" you mean "digital video", then the premise is false. All those movies were shot on film.

And while I sympathize with the inspiration for your question, I don't agree with the notion that the test of a Blu-ray transfer, whether of a contemporary or of a classic film, is to "dazzle" or "blow away" the viewer. Not every film has that kind of image, nor should it. Some films are intended to look ordinary and everyday. There are still directors who believe, with Billy Wilder, that if the viewer is ooh-ing and ah-ing over a shot, then the shot should come out, because it's a distraction from the story.

Now, I'm not saying that I object to beautiful transfers. The Professionals is one of the finest transfers of a classic film that I can imagine. But I also appreciate transfers like that of The Visitor (which I reviewed on Blu-ray for HTF), where the principal effect of the image is to give you a detailed sense of the characters' surroundings, without distracting you from the story by making you think, "Wow! That's really gorgeous."
Edited by Michael Reuben - 8/26/09 at 9:11am
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post #3 of 27
8/17/09 at 10:17am
I also disagree with the "DV" assumption, as the film sources (IMAX in particular) for the mentioned films are widely known, and the myth the OP states doesn't really exist in the HT community.  In fact, classics almost always end up looking very good due to extra effort being put in.  Contrary to what it may seem like based on other threads and boards, screw-ups like Patton are by far the exception rather than the rule when it comes to PQ of classics.
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post #4 of 27
8/17/09 at 2:48pm
 35mm film, even if the film was produced 80 years ago, is still superior to HD. So there's no reason an older film can't still "dazzle" on Blu-Ray. In fact, some of the most anticipated movies of the Home Theater crowd are classics like "Lawrence of Arabia".
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post #5 of 27
8/17/09 at 4:40pm
The Adventures of Robin Hood (1938) Technicolor looks amazing. I wholeheartedly recommend you pick it up. The main feature is great and you'll get a kick out of the Bugs Bunny cartoon on it as well.
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post #6 of 27
8/19/09 at 10:21am
Thread Starter 
Thanks for thoughtful comments. Original post was the ignoramus in me just stating my worst fears; and hoping to basically just produce a bunch of recommendations for classic films, which I love, that look great in blu ray. Count me as one of the crowd eagerly anticipating Lawrence, its one of my favourites. The reviews of Patton and the like had me worried.
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post #7 of 27
8/19/09 at 10:24am
Thread Starter 
Also, I take your point about my examples being wrong, and take heart in how good those films look, because the film must be a product of that. David Lynch's last feature, for example, shot on DV, I found just too horrible to look at, on a second smaller-screen viewing; though I'd found it intriguing on the big screen. I hope he goes back to the stylish image of Mulholland Dr. and Blue Velvet next.
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post #8 of 27
8/22/09 at 9:42am
I also recommend The Third Man on BD, beautiful in B/W. I just watched the British BD of Black Narcissus in glorious color which I thought looked amazing. The Seventh Seal (if you are into Bergman) is beautifully done in B/W. The British release of Zulu has amazing color, though some suggest too much DNR. As EricF says, Robin Hood is remarkable in technicolor on BD. Disney's Pinocchio looks like a new film release (if they still did animation that way).

All the early Bond films are stunning in Blu-ray. If WB ever ports over the HD DVDs of Grand Prix and Mutiny on the Bounty, they will be must-haves.

I daresay I am on the whole more interested in BD for revealing the beauty of classic films than for the latest blockbusters. I'm looking forward to Lawrence and Ben-Hur.
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post #9 of 27
8/22/09 at 7:51pm
Thread Starter 
Unfortunately I can't enjoy Third Man unless I get a region-free player. I can't understand why Criterion would region-lock their Blu rays, when they seemed to so politely keep their DVDs region free.

The rest of your post i'll be able to enjoy, including the eventual release of Lawrence and Ben Hur (god willing). I've got Black Narcissus, haven't watched yet. Robin Hood I have on order; and agreed the early Bond films look amazing. I was less impressed by Thunderball, and even Goldfinger a bit less impressive, but From Russia With Love I thought looked the best. Dr. No I haven't checked out yet.

Quote:
Originally Posted by David_B_K View Post

I also recommend The Third Man on BD, beautiful in B/W etc.
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post #10 of 27
8/23/09 at 7:28am
I think Criterion region locks the Blu-rays because they are only authorized to sell these (often) foreign films in Region A. Their black and white series of Blu-ray releases (The Third Man, The 400 Blows, The Wages of Fear, The Seventh Seal) have all been outstanding with the latter three sheer perfection.
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post #11 of 27
8/23/09 at 7:29am
I really enjoyed The Sand Pebbles on Blu-ray as well as The Searchers along with many previously named in this thread.
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post #12 of 27
8/23/09 at 11:51am
I'd have to add:

The Day The Earth Stood Still (1951) with beautiful B&W photography.

The Pink Panther (1963) Photographed in Technirama

The Robe (1953) The first CinemaScope film released.

Doug
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post #13 of 27
8/23/09 at 3:36pm
Never forget How The West Was Won!
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post #14 of 27
8/23/09 at 6:10pm

+1 on HTWWW

Check out some of the Smilebox screenshots for a sneak peek:
http://www.dvdbeaver.com/film2/DVDReviews40/how_the_west_was_won_blu-ray.htm

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post #15 of 27
8/23/09 at 9:12pm
Play Time is absolutely miraculous on Blu-Ray.
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post #16 of 27
8/24/09 at 5:52am
Thread Starter 
Interesting thought about Criterion only being authorised to sell films such as Playtime in region A, however, why make it so for American movies too, maybe because American films are in the minority on Criterion, and its easier to have a blanket region-A policy.

Whatever the reason, I don't dislike Criterion for it, I still have love for them, but its just a shame I don't live in America and have a region A ps3. I have to console myself with region B ports of Criterion releases such as by Optimum Home Entertainment/Releasing or whatever.

Edited by Ben Parker - 8/26/09 at 10:12am
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post #17 of 27
8/25/09 at 12:54pm
Only the earlier Criterion dvd titles were region free, the ones coming out now aren't. 
It always struck me as odd as why people compare titles to each other. Every older movie is compared with either How The West Was Won, Dr. No or Blade Runner. Yes, Bonnie and Clyde, Bullitt and Ghostbusters look different from those titles but they're very different movies. In my opinion all these movies look good, but sometimes I feel I'm in the minority (although not here).
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post #18 of 27
8/26/09 at 10:15am
Thread Starter 
Jeez, I wouldn't pair Bonnie and Clyde with Ghostbusters; I've only seen a trailer for it, but it looked terrible. No offense to Ghostbusters fans.
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post #19 of 27
8/26/09 at 10:36am

Quote:
Originally Posted by Ben Cheshire View Post

Jeez, I wouldn't pair Bonnie and Clyde with Ghostbusters; I've only seen a trailer for it, but it looked terrible. No offense to Ghostbusters fans.

I'm not sure what trailer you saw, but you're just confirming how messed up your standards are. Ghostbusters on Blu-ray looks like Ghostbusters -- which means it's a great Blu-ray. Of course, you have to know what Ghostbusters looks like.

As I said at the outset, not every film is meant to "dazzle".

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post #20 of 27
8/26/09 at 6:06pm
One that gets short shrift because it's an MPEG-2 encode, but looks stunning nonetheless, is A Bridge Too Far. It perfectly captures Geoffrey Unsworth's soft focus, hazy and naturally grainy photography.
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post #21 of 27
10/4/09 at 11:58pm
Thread Starter 
I've since got Ghostbusters and think it looks marvellous.
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post #22 of 27
10/6/09 at 2:37pm
1927's Sunrise =). but then again, no1 watches silent films, lol. most peepz i know hardly watches anything in black&white (complete discrimination).
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post #23 of 27
10/6/09 at 9:59pm
Thread Starter 
1939's Wizard of Oz!!! Best transfer I've ever seen!
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post #24 of 27
10/12/09 at 7:00am
Home Media Magazine has an article about Black & White Classic films on Blu-ray.  The link is below:

http://www.homemediamagazine.com/blu-ray-disc/black-white-blu-17280

There is a quote from George Feltenstein that gives a lot of hope.

"Next, Warner hopes to bring some of the Marx Brothers black-and-white comedies to Blu-ray, as well as films starring Errol Flynn, Betty Davis and Humphrey Bogart. Look for the 1941 The Maltese Falcon on Blu-ray from Warner in 2010, Feltenstein said."
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post #25 of 27
10/12/09 at 7:28am
I'll look forward to The Maltese Falcon next year as long as they don't go the Box-O-Junk exclusive route. 

The possibility of getting The Sea Hawk, Captain Blood, Treasure of the Sierra Madre, The Big Sleep, etc would have had have me doing cartwheels in the past, but...........with this format there's too many changed plans with titles that leads to nothing but disappointment.

I'll get excited after they become available or at least officially announced.
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post #26 of 27
10/12/09 at 8:06am
Thread Starter 
True. Plus, this is such a cheeky "announcement," leaving us free to guess which films of the mentions stars it could be... Humphrey could be nothing more than Maltese Falcon, but Sierra Madre would be fabulous... The special edition DVD of four years ago or so is just horrid. I've seen Treasure in a theatrical screening, then gone and bought the DVD, and it nearly burnt my eyes out from digital noise and flatness. Gosh, this one so badly needs an upgrade I can't believe it.

Bette Davis, if they're going with flagship classics, has to be All About Eve? Or perhaps Whatever Happened To Baby Jane, if Warner own that.
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post #27 of 27
10/12/09 at 4:02pm


Quote:
Originally Posted by Jim_K View Post

I'll look forward to The Maltese Falcon next year as long as they don't go the Box-O-Junk exclusive route. 

The possibility of getting The Sea Hawk, Captain Blood, Treasure of the Sierra Madre, The Big Sleep, etc would have had have me doing cartwheels in the past, but...........with this format there's too many changed plans with titles that leads to nothing but disappointment.

I'll get excited after they become available or at least officially announced.

The Falcon is one that I would gladly buy the box-o-junk for!

Doug


Edited by Douglas Monce - 10/12/09 at 8:20pm
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