The Five Scenes You Use to Demonstrate Surround Sound (1 Viewer)

[Jeff Whitford]

The opening scene in Twister also has some great Surround.

 

[DougFND]

I almost always use the AC-3/THX remaster laserdisc of "Top Gun", the opening sequence with the carrier takeoffs. Nearly every person who's seen that at my house (who didn't already have some kind of system) has started one within weeks after.

Lately I've also used the DTS laserdisc of "Dante's Peak" a few times.

For DVD, "Jurassic Park".

 

[Chris Will]

Star Wars Ep.I - Pod Race

Toy Story 2 - Opening and when they cross the street

The Two Towers (DTS) - Ents flooding Isengard

THX Ultimate Demo DVD (DTS) - all the THX Trailers and music demos

Jurassic Park (DTS) - T-Rex attack

DTS Demo DVD #7 - all of it

Eagles: Hell Freezes Over (DTS) - Hotel California

Could go on as T3, Priates of the Carib. and X2 have great sound.

 

[Jefe Noche]

Requiem for a Dream has terrific surround effects.

 

[SteveW]

When I used to sell a/v back in 1989, the Top Gun LD is what we used as a reference for selling big screens and surround sound systems. Even though the choices back then were limited and there was no DD/DTS/ES/THX we still sold alot based on that demo. Mostly *cough cough* Bose.

 

[Daniel Lawhon]

Die Another Day (DTS)-Pre title sequence

Blade II (DTS)-Rave Sequence

Fellowship Of The Ring (DTS)-Opening Battle

Independence Day Five Star Collection-Aliens destroy major cities sequence, airforce having dogfight with aliens (great rear speaker usage in this scene you can hear the jets whooshing past your head.)

Two Towers (DTS)-Helms deep sequence

 

[Jonathan Dagmar]

Everytime A thread like this comes up I releaize that I own surprisingly few "reference blow your socks off" dvds. I guess I tastes in film tend for the most part to lean towards dramas. However...

Fellowship OTR Prologue

Temple of Doom min car chase (no this is not as good as a contemporary movie, but it's fun because so many people I know have only ever seen this movie in pan and scan through tv speakers)

Little Shop of Horrors, again it doesn't fit the classic description of a "show off" dvd, but the soundtrack is just so great.

 

[doug zdanivsky]

The 5th Element - Z-F1 demonstration. Hits all the bases, surrounds, sub.. Awesome...

 

[larry mac]

A good scene to test your sub or speakers.

During the Training scene in The Matrix, when Morpheus is teaching Neo to kung fu fight. About in the middle of that, the bass really kicks in, and it's a quickly repeating rhythm that will either sound fantastic, or horrible if your setup and/or equipment is not up to par. I've heard it both ways in my house so I know.

 

[Kevin Grey]

1) The drag race in The Fast and The Furious. Works great because its innocuous enough to play to all genders and ages.

2) The Pod Race

3) The Battle of Carthage from Gladiator

4) Prologue from Fellowship of the Ring

5) D-Day Sequence from Saving Private Ryan (DTS). Depends on the audience. A bit overpowering for some.

 

[Paul_Stachniak]

-The Fifth Element - The Leeloo escape scene, including the cab chase.

- Pearl Harbor - The attack scene.

- Gone in 60 Seconds - The final Shelby chase.

- Foo Fighters: Everywhere But Home - either Have it All, or Stacked Actors.

an old favorite was:

- The BMW escape from Tomorrow Never Dies.

 

[John Swarce]

Paul:

I think that line could have been re-worded. Not a great movie, but a major event in American history!

That is a good surround scene from the movie, though!

 

[Paul_Stachniak]

^Fair enough.

 

[Chris Rein]

Scratch "To Live and Die in LA" off the list. For an 80's movie, the sound is great. The sound was so harsh and unbalanced it's ridiculous. The sound effects are so dated, and when the music kicks in you'll duck for cover or get up and start dancing like Molly Ringwald in The Breakfast Club. It might be a demo for some, but definitely not what you're looking for.

Anyway, here's what I've been enjoying:

1. Daredevil - Without giving anything away...the scene where he gets his powers, excellent use of EVERYTHING

2. Terminator 3 - Again, someone recommended the crane chase, and so do I

3. Bad Boys II - Hell, take your pick. I'll say the freeway chase scene since it's intense, has good surround usage, and it lights up the entire room

4. The Haunting - (DTS Version) This soundtrack is all over the place...and so is the movie! Good usasge of surrounds and sub

5. X2 - The chase in the sky with the two jets - if your setup is correct, you're INSIDE of the X-Men jet. If you don't know what I'm talking about, your setup is incorrect.

Out of the never-ending library I have, I could go on and on.

 

[SteveKNJ]

Mine are:

The Fifth Element - Opera scene (great video too)

Black Hawk Down - Feels like you are part of the battle (actually most modern war movies are good, Behind Enemy Lines, Saving Private Ryan)

The Lion King - Home Theater Edition

Monsters Inc. - For nice crisp clear sound effects

Springsteen Live in NYC - pretty much any song, but I am partial to Ramrod, because you can really pick up the seperation. Live in Barcelona, his latest is not as good, sound seems a bit far away.

Moulin Rougue - I hated the movie, but for pure sound, it was awesome.

 

[Chuck Mayer]

Dragonheart - Chapter 12 I believe. I always use it to test. This is the scene where Draco flys around Quaid talking about the old code. His voice is heard in each of the different speakers in turn, depending on where Draco is compared to the on-screen view. It's very delineated.

Take care,
Chuck

 

[NatL]

I have always used the extended car chase in "Ronin."

N

 

[Ryan_TD]

1. U-571 - Chapter 15 'Depth-Charged!' (dts)
2. GLADIATOR - Chapter 19 'Maximus The Merciful' (dts)
3. SAVING PRIVATE RYAN - Chapter 2 'Omaha Beach' (DD)(i don't have the dts version, yet still very impressive)
4. X2 - Chapter 14 'The Invaders' (dts)
5. TOY STORY 2 - Chapter 2 'Buzz's Mission' (DD) (probably my favorite demo to use)

 

[ty_diaz]

DTS:
Saving Private Ryan (DTS edition). The sound is terrific. I have wowed friends when they check out my system.
Jurassic Park (DTS edition): T-Rex Scene
Gladiator (DTS ES): Opening Scene

THX:
Mostly the stuff from the Demo DVD. That classic intro is always fantastic.

Dolby EX:
Attack of the Clones, asteroid field. Those field mines explosions are dang good.

 

[Matt Butler]

Unless Im blind no one has mentioned the shootout in Heat.

Im ashamed of you guys!