![8 1/2 (Criterion Collection) [Blu-ray]](http://cdn.hometheaterforum.com/a/a9/50x50px-ZC-B002U6DVQM-51CWz5hm4SL.jpg)
Strangely, and without plan, I viewed 9 and 8 1/2 within a day or so of one another. The disparity between the two could not be greater. There have been marvelous films about the process of filmmaking -- Day for Night is another giant that comes to mind. While Day for Night lives in reality, 8 1/2 is a two hour plus dreamlike vision.
A vision that comes off as an undeniable bona fide classic, that has stood the test of time.
I haven't screened 8 1/2 in more than a decade. This can probably be traced to repeated college screenings of worn, 16mm prints that (along with Antonioni's L'avventura) numbered in the dozens. I'd had my fill, as incredible as the film was.
Seeing Criterion's new Blu-ray of the Fellini classic after a long absence was like spending time with an old friend -- the kind that finishes your sentences.
Probably my greatest memory of the film in those old prints, caused by the extremely thin print exposures in opening scenes, was the constant plethora of dirt, scratches and wear that veiled the image.
Seeing it in this new presentation, derived from a 35mm fine grain master, is an awe-inspiring experience.
Sharp, with enough grain left in for comfort (surviving a light DVNR), and that multitude of burned out shots, now perfect and clean, as I'd never seen them before.
Those fortunate enough to have never been exposed to this penultimate Italian classic will be thrilled with Criterion's efforts. I'm a great believer that one can only see a film for the first time once, and that that first time should be something special. It is precisely for that reason that I dissuade friends who have never seen Lawrence or Spartacus from viewing them on any home format. While they cry out for quality 70mm projection on a huge screen, this particular 8 1/2 works beautifully in the home theater environment.
Highly Recommended.
RAH
A vision that comes off as an undeniable bona fide classic, that has stood the test of time.
I haven't screened 8 1/2 in more than a decade. This can probably be traced to repeated college screenings of worn, 16mm prints that (along with Antonioni's L'avventura) numbered in the dozens. I'd had my fill, as incredible as the film was.
Seeing Criterion's new Blu-ray of the Fellini classic after a long absence was like spending time with an old friend -- the kind that finishes your sentences.
Probably my greatest memory of the film in those old prints, caused by the extremely thin print exposures in opening scenes, was the constant plethora of dirt, scratches and wear that veiled the image.
Seeing it in this new presentation, derived from a 35mm fine grain master, is an awe-inspiring experience.
Sharp, with enough grain left in for comfort (surviving a light DVNR), and that multitude of burned out shots, now perfect and clean, as I'd never seen them before.
Those fortunate enough to have never been exposed to this penultimate Italian classic will be thrilled with Criterion's efforts. I'm a great believer that one can only see a film for the first time once, and that that first time should be something special. It is precisely for that reason that I dissuade friends who have never seen Lawrence or Spartacus from viewing them on any home format. While they cry out for quality 70mm projection on a huge screen, this particular 8 1/2 works beautifully in the home theater environment.
Highly Recommended.
RAH
