Best Looking Catalog DVDs (2 Viewers)

[Dr Griffin]

With Wes Craven's passing, may he rest in peace, I finally got to see Red Eye - a decent action thriller/popcorn muncher with Rachel McAdams and Cillian Murphy. The movie is fairly short and doesn't waste much time. There are elements and secondary characters that look to be a nod to disaster films, such as The Poseidon Adventure and Airport, so if you enjoyed those movies you should enjoy this. The DVD is a standout with bit-rates in the 8 range, which is super-bit territory. Soundtrack is explosive with very effective bass. It's from 2005 in anamorphic 2.35.

 

[John Sparks]

Had some friends over last weekend and I showed them in my HT how some SDs are just great looking upscaled and how some are just rotten.


"The Alligator People" from Fox was really a beautiful print and "The Abominable Snowman" from Anchor was a disaster. I'm into sci-fi/horror, hence the selected movies. Both are anamorphic and 2.35:1.


Then I showed them the SD of "Demolition Man" and how bad some mastering can be. Of course, I showed them the BD and it's almost flawless and looks like it was filmed yesterday.

 

[Dr Griffin]

Had some friends over last weekend and I showed them in my HT how some SDs are just great looking upscaled and how some are just rotten.


"The Alligator People" from Fox was really a beautiful print and "The Abominable Snowman" from Anchor was a disaster. I'm into sci-fi/horror, hence the selected movies. Both are anamorphic and 2.35:1.


Then I showed them the SD of "Demolition Man" and how bad some mastering can be. Of course, I showed them the BD and it's almost flawless and looks like it was filmed yesterday.

The Abominable Snowman needs a decent release.

 

[skylark68]

My wife and I recently rewatched our old copy of Foul Play with Chevy Chase and Goldie Hawn on DVD. When Hollywood Video shut down, our location had a lot of titles that I picked up for cheap. This was one of them. This DVD looks absolutely wonderful upscaled in my older Oppo BDP-83. For a 1978 release the video and audio are great. I didn't notice any defects in the transfer. Funny and suspenseful film too.

 

[Robin9]

I've just watched the Warner Archive DVD-R of Sol Madrid. This has very good picture quality which holds up well on a ten foot wide screen.

I'd never seen this film before. It's essentially a "thick-ear" crime story with a high powered cast. There was one moment which made me sit up with a jolt because it so blatently borrows from Touch of Evil. One of the key scenes in Touch of Evil is where Janet Leigh is terrorised by a gang of young thugs invading her motel room . . . and Mercedes McCambridge comes into the room. In Sol Madrid, Stella Stevens is seized in her room by a gang of thugs . . . one of whom is a Mercedes McCambridge clone!

This is a DVD I'll watch again and again over the years.

 

[Robin9]

The new DVD of Saint Jack from Scorpion Releasing is very good indeed. Coming off a "brand new 2014 Hd Master from the original negative" - which immediately begs the question: why no Blu-ray disc? - this DVD accurately captures the look of the film when it first came out. The film was shot quickly using what light was available, and there was no attempt to make the film look glamorous. Much of the film takes place indoors in settings with murky light and I guess some people who don't know how the film should look will criticize this DVD.

The DVD has really good interviews with both Roger Corman and Peter Bogdanovitch and there is also a commentary track from Peter Bogdanovitch which I haven't sampled yet. There is also a trailer plus trailers for other Scorpion DVDs.

 

[Dr Griffin]

Thanks, I've added it to my Netflix queue. I've been working my way through the CinemaScope titles on DVD, and none of them have been worth adding here. A close one was Caprice (1967) but it didn't quite make it IMHO. Glad to get a new recommendation!

 

[John Hermes]

Thanks, I've added it to my Netflix queue. I've been working my way through the CinemaScope titles on DVD, and none of them have been worth adding here. A close one was Caprice (1967) but it didn't quite make it IMHO. Glad to get a new recommendation!

The German Caprice Blu-ray looks pretty nice too.

 

[Worth]

The Frisco Kid, with Harrison Ford and Gene Wilder. It was almost hard to believe I wasn't watching HD.

 

[Dr Griffin]

The new DVD of Saint Jack from Scorpion Releasing is very good indeed. Coming off a "brand new 2014 Hd Master from the original negative" - which immediately begs the question: why no Blu-ray disc? - this DVD accurately captures the look of the film when it first came out. The film was shot quickly using what light was available, and there was no attempt to make the film look glamorous. Much of the film takes place indoors in settings with murky light and I guess some people who don't know how the film should look will criticize this DVD.

Saint Jack 1.jpg


The DVD has really good interviews with both Roger Corman and Peter Bogdanovitch and there is also a commentary track from Peter Bogdanovitch which I haven't sampled yet. There is also a trailer plus trailers for other Scorpion DVDs.

I watched this today, and there is stellar detail on this DVD. Amazing at this late date how DVD images keep improving. Compare this one to the garbage that is The Aviator DVD.

 

[Robin9]

Post deleted because of duplication. Don't blame me; blame the new system!

 

[Robin9]

The Warner Archive DVD-R of Slightly Dangerous is very good except for numerous speckles which could and should have been removed digitally at no great expense. Apart from that the picture quality is superb with very clear and clean images. I can't post screen captures because VLC insists on capturing at 1.85:1 even though showing the film at 1.33:1, so all images are stretched. (I've never had this problem before with the VLC Media Player)

Slightly Dangerous is an enjoyable film starring the young Lana Turner who, in the kind of role normally associated with Jean Arthur or Claudette Colbert, gives an excellent comedy performance with just the right amount of gravitas. The supporting cast is awesome: Robert Young, Walter Brennan, Dame May Whitty, Ward Bond, Eugene Pallette, Ray Collins, Alan Mowbray, Millard Mitchell, Howard Freeman . . . the list goes on and on, and they're all good.

 

[skylark68]

Dr. Griffin:

Just curious if you are referring to the old Christopher Reeve Aviator or the Leonardo DiCaprio film of the same name.

 

[Tony Bensley]

Dr. Griffin:

Just curious if you are referring to the old Christopher Reeve Aviator or the Leonardo DiCaprio film of the same name.

Hi Timothy!

Based on some of the 1 Star Amazon Reviews that complain about such technical issues as the colors being off, my guess is the Leonardo DiCaprio film is what Stanley was referencing.

Most of the negative reviews regarding the 1985 Christopher Reeve version seem to be variations of "It's just another run of the mill survival in the wilderness tale", rather than any technical issues with the DVD, or prior VHS release.

CHEERS!

Tony

 

[skylark68]

Thanks for the response Mr. Bensley. I figured as much, just curious. I had the DiCaprio DVD at release but only watched it once and promptly sold it. Decent film, but not one I would re-watch.

I've never seen the Reeve Aviator film but it looked interesting.

 

[Darby67]

The Abominable Snowman needs a decent release.

Amen to that, Stanley. I'm hoping that with a remake of the film in the works from Hammer that they will rerelease the original on DVD in Region 1. The Anchor Bay release is OOP and fetching hefty prices.

Darby

 

[davidmatychuk]

View media item 2942I just watched all four Matt Helm movies on DVD, in the "Matt Helm Lounge" box set. Only "The Silencers" DVD was available separately, before the box came out, so it's the only way to see the next three movies in the series. They're all 1.85:1, and they all looked great (typical for Columbia even in 2005). I enjoyed all of them, but "Murderer's Row" isn't as good as "The Silencers", and the third in the series, "The Ambushers", is fairly incoherent. But "The Wrecking Crew", which ended the series ("The Ravagers" never did get made despite the promise in the end credits), was a real return-to-form. It, like "The Silencers", was directed by Phil Karlson, which probably made the difference. In fact, "The Wrecking Crew" may be the best Matt Helm of all, especially given the fact that it's a great showcase for Sharon Tate's talents (and I mean all of them) in what was the last film of hers released in her lifetime. I saw all four Matt Helms in the theatre back in the 60's, and it was great watching them all again while not totally crazed by hormones. The Matt Helm series, I can clearly see now, were catnip, manna from heaven, or pick your poison for budding young men-about-town like yours truly. And the fantastic women co-stars in all four movies still appeal to this old pretend ladykiller. Next up for me, P.C. police permitting - the Flint movies!
View media item 2943

 

[John Hermes]

I like the Matt Helm films too (pretty much anything with Dino BTW) and have the DVD set. I enjoy The Silencers the most and think Stella Stevens does a great job in that one. Back in 1999, a theater here in town showed The Silencers and Austin Powers on the same bill! The Silencers was a brand new 35mm print.

 

[Robin9]

I like the Matt Helm films too (pretty much anything with Dino BTW) and have the DVD set. I enjoy The Silencers the most and think Stella Stevens does a great job in that one. Back in 1999, a theater here in town showed The Silencers and Austin Powers on the same bill! The Silencers was a brand new 35mm print.

I have always liked The Silencers the most, and it's the only one I've watched again since first seeing the films in a theater when they originally came out. I suppose one day I'll buy that box-set and give the other three films a second viewing.

 

[John Hermes]

A very fine looking DVD is Paramount's Detective Story with Kirk Douglas. Beautiful contrast and super sharp - almost looks like a Blu-ray.