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The consolidated "I want to see HEAT get a special edition" thread

post #1 of 186
2/9/02 at 12:25pm
Thread Starter 
I just saw Heat for the first time last night. Maybe the best crime drama I've ever seen. I've got two gripes though. First, the video received pretty high marks, with an 8 from IGN who called it "impeccable." That may be true in the lighter scenes, but when things got dark, it was just plain fugly. Compression all over the place. Second thing is, where's the beef? Any word on an SE or should I just buy the one that's already out?
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post #2 of 186
2/9/02 at 12:40pm
I've heard nothing of a re-release. This was a top-notch transfer when it came out, but I agree about the excessive artifacts for today's standards. However, there aren't many 5.1 tracks, even today, that sound as good as the bank robbery scene!

I do have find memories of this disc. It was the first DVD I ever bought. I remember hooking up my DVD player and putting this movie in and being blown away. I became hooked on DVDs ever since.
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post #3 of 186
2/9/02 at 12:48pm
This movie wasn't the hit at the box-office so it looks when they put it out on VHS,laserdisc and then dvd it was a movie only. I remember SCARFACE in 1983 wasn't the hit also and then came to VHS in 1984 and people started buzz on it.
Then it came on laserdisc as Pan&Scan in the 1990's but now it had built up a following so it was released again in widescreen and then one more time in a Box-set Spec. Ed.
So I'm sure with HEAT the same thing will happen. Now that Micheal Mann has had a bomb with ALI a few more and he will have time to work on a Spec. Ed. dvd the way Brian DePalma did with SCARFACE.
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post #4 of 186
2/9/02 at 1:58pm
Andrew, don't forget that Heat is an older DVD release--maybe first generation. The comments you read were probably accurate at that time. Using todays standards, I would tend to agree that it could use a re-issue.

Prior to it's TV broadcast premiere, Michael Mann offered to re-edit the film and add footage, but the network declined. With extra footage available and Mann's eagerness to re-edit would seem to indicate that maybe will get a special edition. I would purchase it in a heartbeat. Heat is one of my favorites. I've probably seen it about 10-15 times.
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post #5 of 186
2/9/02 at 2:54pm
Mann is not a big one for special editions. The most you could realistically hope for would be a director's cut.
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post #6 of 186
2/9/02 at 7:22pm
Dave H is right... The bank robbery scene has to be one of the best sounding sequences ever.

Those gun shots just sound awesome!
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post #7 of 186
2/9/02 at 7:42pm
I bought Heat over X-Mas after some recommendations and I was impressed, great film. Unfortunate that the DVD is barebones though.As for extra scenes I don't think I want a longer cut because the film's length already pushes it for me and I would have a hard time sitting through a three hour movie. Just my opinion though.
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post #8 of 186
2/9/02 at 8:24pm
Heat wasn't an early transfer: it came out in late '99. Even by the standards of the time it was of poor quality, with excessive grain, poor black level and obvious compression artefacts.

I remember puzzling over why it received so many good reviews back when it was released. Remember, at the time this was nearly two years after the release of Warners' own excellent Contact and nearly a year since their release of The Negotiator. Many titles that are still considered reference quality had also long been available (Blade, Lost in Space, Dragonheart, The Fifth Element etc.).

Adam
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post #9 of 186
2/9/02 at 10:35pm
Quote:
The most you could realistically hope for would be a director's cut.

Oh God, No director's cut please! Mann seems to be the only director that removes stuff as much as he adds back in...don't forget what he did to 'Last Of The Mohicans'
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post #10 of 186
2/10/02 at 8:19am
Fine then, using seamless branching,give us both cuts using impeccable source material, excellent video and full bitrate DTS..

Given the compression logistics, maybe that's a bad idea. I would be happy with a remastered reissue at the right price. I love this film!
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post #11 of 186
2/10/02 at 12:08pm
Scott, I'm with you. I'm not concerned so much with extras but I would love to see a re-issue--even if it's bare-bones--just give us a dts track! I have the laserdisc and the Dolby Digital soundtrack on there is a step above the Dolby Digital track on the DVD.
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post #12 of 186
2/19/02 at 4:46am
[size=]I think the currenmt transfer is perfectly representative of the way Heat looked in the theaters. I saw it 3 times in 95' on a really big screen, and I seem to remember noticeable grain in the image... Adds to the charm IMO. [/size]
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post #13 of 186
2/19/02 at 5:14am
Would buy it again for a DTS soundtrack.

 Warning: Spoiler! (Click to show)
The finale sounds amazing with the planes flying around!
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post #14 of 186
2/19/02 at 5:25am
There are many scenes in Heat that look like bad cable TV reception, particularly in the later half of the movie. I do not remember it looking like that in the theater.



Jeff
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post #15 of 186
2/19/02 at 8:55am
Be advised that this thing is 174 minutes (IIRC, perhaps it's more?) - and VERY FEW non-DVD related sites know a good transfer from their butthole...

And updated transfer and sound would be great. Both the DVD and laserdisc have mediocre picture.

T.
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post #16 of 186
2/19/02 at 8:59am
Im very happy with the current disc. When I got my Surround Sound unit, that was the first disc I put in and I was blown away!
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post #17 of 186
2/19/02 at 9:37am
It's funny...I hadn't watched Heat in a while, but had the soundtrack playing while dinking around the apartment, and ended up watching the movie before I went to bed.

Was rather surprised as I watched it though, that some parts of it looked so bad - grainy and washed out. I just chalked it up to having better equipent than I did when I watched it last (went from a 10+ year old 46" rear projection to a brand new 27" WEGA...smaller picture, but much better quality), and I've been noticing that along with increased resolution sometimes comes the increased ability to see defects.

Ah, well. That bank heist is still one hell of a rush.
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post #18 of 186
2/19/02 at 11:13am
I just watched this film the other day and thought the grain in the darker scenes was probably intentional. Then I watched the trailers that are on the disc and they looked much cleaner. I guess we will find out if and when we get a special edition how the film is really supposed to look.

Brandon Smith
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post #19 of 186
2/19/02 at 11:52am
Quote:
Andrew, don't forget that Heat is an older DVD release--maybe first generation

Heat on DVD is definitely not an older DVD release. I remember waiting two years after I bought my player in '97 before the film was released on DVD...

8^B
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post #20 of 186
2/19/02 at 3:31pm

Richard is correct. Heat wasn't released until the summer of 1999. It's not first-generation (at least not in the Blade Runner sense of the phrase).


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post #21 of 186
2/19/02 at 4:59pm
This thread motivated me to A/B the dvd and laser disc. After 30 minutes back-and-forth I gave my dvd to my dad. Every dark scene had compression artifacts, and the laser despite being grainy (intentional) was much cleaner in that regard. The laser was a tad softer in some scenes but that was worth the trade-off of not having compression artifacts. The laser was a very clear winner in sound also. During the bank heist there was more LFE and "presence" for lack of a better word. If you have an LD player pick up Heat, I found it for $5 shipped on Ebay.
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post #22 of 186
2/19/02 at 7:45pm
I have always thought that this movie was great, and that the DVD was great. I have a 27" sony, and I thought it looked great, but that's just me.
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post #23 of 186
2/20/02 at 12:49am
The transfer is still very watchable, don't hesitate to pick this up if you are a fan!
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post #24 of 186
2/20/02 at 2:46am
I think a new transfer and a DTS audio track will sell very
well!!! So Warner start release it NOW!!!
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post #25 of 186
7/16/02 at 2:47pm

I think "Heat" deserves a Special Edition

Would anyone else like to see a special edition of this movie? A dts track would be great. Maybe some commentary tracks from deniro and pacino would be cool.

thanks
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post #26 of 186
7/16/02 at 2:54pm
Brent,

I agree. Heat is one of the best films of the last ten years. I've got in on LD, and the DVD release gave me absolutely no reason to upgrade. Unfortunately, you might be hard pressed to get a DTS track for a 3 hr. film on one disc (I know that movies split over two discs bothers some poeple). Commentary from the cast would be awesome though...
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post #27 of 186
7/16/02 at 2:56pm
I dunno about a DeNiro commentary. I've only heard one of his (Analyze This) and, frankly, he was quite boring to listen to. Perhaps if they put Pacino, him, Kilmer, etc. together, that might be something.

I wouldn't mind a commentary by the cinematographer, though, unless Mann would do one.
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post #28 of 186
7/16/02 at 3:01pm
I'll second this idea. The original disc could be improved upon.
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post #29 of 186
7/16/02 at 3:19pm
It'll probably never happen. Michael Mann doesn't like dvd. That's why there were no special features on Ali. I too think that Heat deserves a SE but it'll never happen.
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post #30 of 186
7/16/02 at 3:45pm
When NBC showed Heat Michael Mann offered too add 20 minutes for it suit there TV time but instead was cut down too 2 hours. I would like to see what these scenes where plus a commentary would be great!
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