A Few Words About A few words about...™ To Kill a Mockingbird -- in Blu-ray (1 Viewer)

[Matt Hough]

I watched this last night. The presentation is clear and smooth, but I have to admit to liking the transfer of the last DVD release a little more than this version.

It's personal preference; I have friends who despised the look of the last DVD, so you pays your money and you takes your choice.

I'll keep both and likely alternate them when I'm in the mood to see the movie, one of the finest ever made.

 

[ManW_TheUncool]

Thanks much, RAH, for the helpful details on this transfer.

Haven't picked up the BD just yet, but should likely do so soon-ish. Can't wait to see this one for the first(!) time (as I never did get around to picking up either DVD version before).

_Man_

 

[Techman707]

 
Actually there is some truth to that. Studios will not release the master version - basically for that very reason. They always take it down a step (for Copy protection/illegal bootlegs)
and, well you know -  you never give the original away
Although I do not believe titles are windowboxed for that reason. Windowboxing is done to please all the screaming Walmart Shoppers who complain their sets cut off the words - basically these people do not know how to calibrate their sets (or that they even have the ability to do it)
Yet the end titles are usually Not window Boxed???
The biggest irony - when the studios do not cut off the picture image the Walmart shoppers also scream! And so Pan and Scan versions are released
As the Hayes Code Believed:   People need to be protected from themselves
Maybe we should have a Hayes Code for Home Video with regulations required for properly presenting films and limiting the amount of advertising when a disc starts up 

After watching this Blu-ray a few weeks ago, I see that they've done it again and screwed up the titles. Nobody will ever make me believe that there isn't a sinister motive behind this somehow. Now a few days ago when I watched the grainless version of "Lady and the Tramp". They actually shrunk the 2.55 AR titles. You can't tell me that the titles would have been cropped or weren't in the SMPTE safe area. While "Lady and the Tramp" is "perfect" looking, it's too perfect for me. I'm beginning to miss REAL film already. There's nothing like the smell of vinegar in the morning.

 

[Mark-P]

Whatever are you talking about? The titles on Lady and the Tramp are not shruken. That is exactly how they appeared in 1955. They designed the titles to appear in the center of the screen against the panoramic backgrounds. I've seen this film projected in theaters decades ago and that is exactly the way the titles have always been.

Now a few days ago when I watched the grainless version of "Lady and the Tramp". They actually shrunk the 2.55 AR titles. You can't tell me that the titles would have been cropped or weren't in the SMPTE safe area. While "Lady and the Tramp" is "perfect" looking, it's too perfect for me. I'm beginning to miss REAL film already. There's nothing like the smell of vinegar in the morning.

 

[Rick Thompson]

Maybe we should have a Hayes Code for Home Video with regulations required for properly presenting films and limiting the amount of advertising when a disc starts up 

ABSOLUTELY! Just about the only one who gives you a choice between "Main Menu" and "Previews" is CBS/Paramount, at least on their TV shows.
Count me in as voting for that idea.
We could call it the Pasqua Code!

 

[Techman707]

Whatever are you talking about? The titles on Lady and the Tramp are not shruken. That is exactly how they appeared in 1955. They designed the titles to appear in the center of the screen against the panoramic backgrounds. I've seen this film projected in theaters decades ago and that is exactly the way the titles have always been.

You apparently don't have a clue what's been discussed with regard to "shrinking titles" (or optically zooming out), in supposed attempt to show titles that "might have" been cropped if this was not done. I'm NOT referring to whether all the information from the original negative is displayed.
You say that "I've seen this film projected in theaters decades ago and that is exactly the way the titles have always been." As a projectionist, I can assure you that I ran the film MANY more times then you've seen it, however, the issue isn't whether the titles look "exactly the way the titles "look like" they did in 1955, but, whether they fill THE SAME SCREEN AREA as the rest of the film.
Look at the film again. If you were running it on a screen masked for 2.55:1 projection, you will see that the ENTIRE IMAGE has been shrunken down and doesn't fill the entire screen UNTIL the titles are finished, it then fills the full screen. This has been done to more and more features lately. Yet, there's absolutely no reason in 99.9% of the time.
The same holds true for the titles on "To Kill A Mockingbird", as well as a number of other titles mentioned by others in the thread.

 

[Mark-P]

Indeed I have been following the conversation and there is no windowboxing of the titles on Lady and the Tramp. What Blu-ray are you looking at because this isn't occurring on mine.

You apparently don't have a clue what's been discussed with regard to "shrinking titles" (or optically zooming out), in supposed attempt to show titles that "might have" been cropped if this was not done. I'm NOT referring to whether all the information from the original negative is displayed.
You say that "I've seen this film projected in theaters decades ago and that is exactly the way the titles have always been." As a projectionist, I can assure you that I ran the film MANY more times then you've seen it, however, the issue isn't whether the titles look "exactly the way the titles "look like" they did in 1955, but, whether they fill THE SAME SCREEN AREA as the rest of the film.
Look at the film again. If you were running it on a screen masked for 2.55:1 projection, you will see that the ENTIRE IMAGE has been shrunken down and doesn't fill the entire screen UNTIL the titles are finished, it then fills the full screen. This has been done to more and more features lately. Yet, there's absolutely no reason in 99.9% of the time.
The same holds true for the titles on "To Kill A Mockingbird", as well as a number of other titles mentioned by others in the thread.

 

Mark, is your tv set to no overscan? I haven't looked at my copy yet, but I was just wondering.

 

[Mark-P]

All of my displays (LCD Projector and Plasma) are set to zero overscan and I assure you that Lady and the Tramp has no black bars on the sides during the opening credits. You can check it out for yourself.

Mark, is your tv set to no overscan? I haven't looked at my copy yet, but I was just wondering.

 

[Techman707]

All of my displays (LCD Projector and Plasma) are set to zero overscan and I assure you that Lady and the Tramp has no black bars on the sides during the opening credits. You can check it out for yourself.

My apologies, you're correct it's not "Lady and the Tramp", it was "Bambi" that they shrunk the titles (in width) on for no good reason. What bothered me with "Lady and the Tramp" was that they removed ALL the grain to the point that it doesn't even look like "film" anymore. Between the fact that I'm loosing my short term memory and watch so many movies that have problems with some of the transfers, I can't remember all the details anymore. However, one thing that I'm certain of with regards to this thread and "To Kill A Mockingbird" is that, once again, they ruined the titles by shrinking them.

 

[Adam Lenhardt]

President Obama will be introducing a broadcast of the remaster used for the Blu-Ray on USA Network at 8 p.m. Eastern/Pacific on Saturday, April 7. Harper Lee released a rare public statement about the broadcast: “I’m deeply honored that President Obama will be celebrating the 50th anniversary of ‘To Kill A Mockingbird’ by introducing it to a national audience,” Ms. Lee said. “I believe it remains the best translation of a book to film ever made, and I’m proud to know that Gregory Peck’s portrayal of Atticus Finch lives on — in a world that needs him now more than ever.”
It's part of a series of broadcasts celebrating Universal's centennial. The article I read was a little confusing but I believe there will also be broadcasts of All Quiet on the Western Front, The Birds, Buck Privates, Dracula (1931), Frankenstein, Jaws, Schindler’s List, Out of Africa, Pillow Talk, Bride of Frankenstein, and The Sting coming down the pike as well.

 

[benbess]

Saw To Kill a Mockingbird in a local theater with my teenage son last night. Fairly big audience for this kind of revival—maybe 150 or more. The audience really enjoyed it, as did we. The image quality was good, but did look a bit scrubbed and not quite convincingly like film.

 

[Matt Hough]

Originally Posted by benbess /t/318055/a-few-words-about-to-kill-a-mockingbird-in-blu-ray/30#post_4002199
Saw To Kill a Mockingbird in a local theater with my teenage son last night. Fairly big audience for this kind of revival—maybe 150 or more. The audience really enjoyed it, as did we. The image quality was good, but did look a bit scrubbed and not quite convincingly like film.

That's kind of the way I felt about the Blu-ray release. I know a lot of people disagreed with me.

 

[Robert Crawford]

Originally Posted by benbess /t/318055/a-few-words-about-to-kill-a-mockingbird-in-blu-ray/30#post_4002199
Saw To Kill a Mockingbird in a local theater with my teenage son last night. Fairly big audience for this kind of revival—maybe 150 or more. The audience really enjoyed it, as did we. The image quality was good, but did look a bit scrubbed and not quite convincingly like film.

I thought it looked fine with the only issues being the same problematic scenes that's always been there. My theater audience was much larger than those I experienced with West Side Story, LOA and Singin the Rain.







Crawdaddy

 

[bjwmovies]

near end of film, ...(... hey Boo)... makes me cry like a baby every viewing, EVERY VIEWING and this blu ray is the best. I have seen this great dozens of times, from horrrible 16mm dupes in high school to retropective theaters touting a new print and charging $10. This blu ray is as if i have never seen it before. Still no matter how horrible the quality of my viewings over the years (film or video, watching on TV) before blu-ray, the performances and messages overide any screeening, viweing issues - until now. Thanks Univeral for this phenominal blu-ray, without getting too technical, I have never seen this GREAT movie look/sound as great as it is presented here. So, hey Boo! Hey Universal!

 

[Johnny Angell]

I agree with every point you made. However, I don't think I truly appreciated how good Duvall is at the end, until later in life.

 

[Matt Hough]

I agree with every point you made. However, I don't think I truly appreciated how good Duvall is at the end, until later in life.

I find his love and concern for those children heartbreaking and beautiful. One of the highlights of a film with many highlights.