Richard Lester's THREE MUSKETEERS and FOUR MUSKETEERS now on Blu in the U.K. (1 Viewer)

[Dick]

Go to Amazon U.K. You can buy each movie singly or both in a set (for only two pounds more than each single disc). I have these on order and will report back after I view them. I can't wait - like a kid at Christmas time!

 

[Matt Hough]

Originally Posted by Dick

Go to Amazon U.K. You can buy each movie singly or both in a set (for only two pounds more than each single disc). I have these on order and will report back after I view them. I can't wait - like a kid at Christmas time!

I love these movies and am anxious to know about their quality.

 

[JoHud]

Thankfully, I put off buying the Anchor Bay release (somehow). I have high expectations for this release, ad will likely buy them soon. I've never seen these movies, but they definitely look worthwhile.

 

[John Hodson]

Both films appear to have been quite heavily digitally processed; still frames have a really odd posterized look (not as bad in motion), something very similar to Optimum's Don't Look Now. I don't quite know that the story is, but I don't waste any angst over it. Just FYI.

 

[Bob Cashill]

Agreed, but I can't say it bothered me too much, either (the smaller the monitor, the smaller the problems/issues appear, it seems). Much refreshed over the Anchor Bay discs--but, the DVDs have a few extras (these are barebones) and are better packaged, so you may want to hang onto them.

 

[RickardL]

Any screen caps available somewhere?

Originally Posted by John Hodson

Both films appear to have been quite heavily digitally processed; still frames have a really odd posterized look (not as bad in motion), something very similar to Optimum's Don't Look Now. I don't quite know that the story is, but I don't waste any angst over it. Just FYI.

/t/315836/richard-lesters-three-musketeers-and-four-musketeers-now-on-blu-in-the-u-k#post_3865495

 

[John Hodson]

I haven't seen any yet, and I can't do them. It's *not* a disaster by any means, folks seem generally happy - YMMV; just don't expect a cutting edge transfer...

 

[RickardL]

Any official or inofficial reviews/comments anywhere else?

I got Anchor Bay's 2003 double-disc set of "The Complete Musketeers" and I am wondering if

the picture quality is a step up or down from that.

Originally Posted by John Hodson

I haven't seen any yet, and I can't do them. It's *not* a disaster by any means, folks seem generally happy - YMMV; just don't expect a cutting edge transfer...

/t/315836/richard-lesters-three-musketeers-and-four-musketeers-now-on-blu-in-the-u-k#post_3865573

 

[John Hodson]

No reviews as yet; I have that Anchor Bay set - IMHO the BD is a step up and one worth taking at the price. Depending on your screen size, you probably won't notice too much amiss.

 

[JoHud]

Thanks for the heads up. Also, just noticed that the Anchor Bay set was ported to a Lions Gate release last year. I'll be getting that one since it is cheaper.

 

[bugsy-pal]

I recently bought the Lionsgate 2-disc set, only to learn that the films had been released on Bluray in the UK. Then I saw the blurays in a store here in Australia - a separate Australian release with different cover art - and they were dirt cheap, so I grabbed them. I have done some close side-by-side comparisons. The DVD are darker and duller than the blurays. The blus have a very bright look to them and skin tones seem to been more towards the orange. I'm not sure what the film originally looked like, but I think I prefer the more laid back skin tones of the DVD. Some scenes are a bit blown out in the whites. I'm sure there is noise reduction there. However, there's no doubt that there is a lot more detail on the blus, and some scenes I compared really look so much better on the blurays. I'll be going to the blurays for my next screening of these films - despite the niggles I mention, I don't think they'll get in the way of enjoying these films. They are a hoot.

 

[David Weicker]

Any news/rumors on a potential U.S. release? How about a true Complete set that would also include The Return Of The Musketeers? David

 

[David_B_K]

I recently bought the Lionsgate 2-disc set, only to learn that the films had been released on Bluray in the UK. Then I saw the blurays in a store here in Australia - a separate Australian release with different cover art - and they were dirt cheap, so I grabbed them. I have done some close side-by-side comparisons. The DVD are darker and duller than the blurays. The blus have a very bright look to them and skin tones seem to been more towards the orange. I'm not sure what the film originally looked like, but I think I prefer the more laid back skin tones of the DVD. Some scenes are a bit blown out in the whites. I'm sure there is noise reduction there. However, there's no doubt that there is a lot more detail on the blus, and some scenes I compared really look so much better on the blurays. I'll be going to the blurays for my next screening of these films - despite the niggles I mention, I don't think they'll get in the way of enjoying these films. They are a hoot.

I watched the Blus last weekend. Today, I compared the Anchor Bay DVD of the first film with the Blu-ray. My main problem with the Blu-ray is the brightness you referred to. It's like some filtering has been removed. In the chess scene, the Blu-ray is so bright I felt like I needed sunglasses. When the Cardinal is standing with the palace behind him, the palace and sky all just look overly bright and white. On the DVD, the scene looks as if a shade cloth is over the set, casting a shadow on the King and his hangers-on; and the palace and sky are clear and properly delineated. In the scene where d'Artagnan follows Constance as she is on her way to meet with the Duke of Buckingham, I have always assumed that the scene is set at night, or at least dawn. When I saw the film on broadcast TV, the scenes were extremely dark. On the DVD, they are still fairly dark. However, on the Blu, it almost looks like the scenes are set in the afternoon. So, it appears to me that some day for night type of filtering is absent on the Blu-ray. Over all, I like the Blus. Very detailed, with all the brocaded fabrics, lace, etc.

 

[Dee Zee]

Bringing this thread alive to ask, will these blu-rays play in US players? Appreciate your response. Loved these films upon release and have not seen either in a very long time.

 

[Bob Cashill]

Yes, they're Region A- and B-capable. After six years I doubt we'll see another issue soon. (RETURN is available as a Universal Vault Series MOD disc.)

 

[David Norman]

100% Region A compatible

 

[RickardL]

FWIW, I got the German 2-disc bundle http://www.blu-ray.com/movies/The-Three-Musketeers-and-The-Four-Musketeers-Blu-ray/34235/
which seems identical to the UK http://www.blu-ray.com/movies/The-Three-Musketeers-and-The-Four-Musketeers-Blu-ray/29688/
and it is a bit cheaper (12.99 EUR vs 13.24 POUNDS)

 

[Alan Tully]

I've had these Blu-rays for years & I don't think they look very good, lacking colour & downright greenish at times, not good. Done right, they could look stunning.

 

[Matt Hough]

Both have played on TCM during the past month, and I watched them and thought they looked fine. (I don't know if they were HD masters or not.) I don't own any versions of the two films, however. For some reason, they don't seem to have come my way during the years of home video. Odd for films that were so popular in their era.

 

[Alan Tully]

Yeah, they were on TCM in the UK. I thought the first one had more colour than the Blu-ray, but the dark areas looked a bit clogged up, the second one looked okay, nothing special, they could well have been uprezzes (I hope that's a word).

There's a few films photographed by David Watkin that I'd love to be given the royal HD treatment:

The Charge Of The Light Brigade '68
Catch-22 '70
The Devils '71
The Three Musketeers '73
The Four Musketeers '74.