A Few Words About A few words about...™ Inherit the Wind -- in Blu-ray (1 Viewer)

Robert Harris · Dec 27, 2014

Although I'm aware that Twilight Time vets the masters provided to them, and does their best to give us quality, I felt as though I may have entered an alternate universe upon popping the new Blu-ray of Stanley Kramer's great Inherit the Wind into my Oppo.

Make no mistake, this is classic cinema, pitting two acting greats in a battle of legal wits during the 1925 Scopes "Monkey" trial. If you only know Spencer Tracy from Mad World, or Fredric March from Dr. Jekyll, you're in for a treat.

MGM, even though they have some terrific people handling elements, seldom provides a truly great element. This one, presumably a recently minted HDCAMSR, has all the technical fingerprints of a new Warner Archive or Columbia title that has been massaged toward perfection.

May it please the Court, we have here a 55 year-old black and white production, as photographed by the great Ernest Lazlo, that literally jumps off the screen with a beautifully resolved high resolution image. Main Titles are so sharp and perfect, they could be used to thinly cut smoked salmon.

Black levels are perfect, along with a gorgeous, full grayscale.

Imagery does not wander around the screen, but seems nicely locked in place.

Grain levels appear perfect for the era.

This is a digital element that has gone through proper cleansing, with only the rarest bits of wear and processing detritus apparent.

If there is a alternate universe invading MGM, I'm all for it, as this is beautiful work.

A truly great motion picture, and a brilliantly produced Blu-ray.

Image - 5

Audio - 5

Pass / Fail - Pass

Very Highly Recommended!

RAH

Robert Crawford · Dec 27, 2014

I couldn't agree with you more about this BD release.

cb1 · Dec 27, 2014

excellent words for an excellent film!

Patrick Donahue · Dec 27, 2014

Robert Harris said:
Main Titles are so sharp and perfect, they could be used to thinly cut smoked salmon.

ahollis · Dec 27, 2014

I could not take my eyes off this thing of beauty when I watched the Twilight release. It's amazing that MGM can do such a wonderful job when they seem to miss the mark so many times.

Mike Boone · Jan 4, 2015

Robert Harris said:
Although I'm aware that Twilight Time vets the masters provided to them, and does their best to give us quality, I felt as though I may have entered an alternate universe upon popping the new Blu-ray of Stanley Kramer's great Inherit the Wind into my Oppo.

Make no mistake, this is classic cinema, pitting two acting greats in a battle of legal wits during the 1925 Scopes "Monkey" trial. If you only know Spencer Tracy from Mad World, or Fredric March from Dr. Jekyll, you're in for a treat.

MGM, even though they have some terrific people handling elements, seldom provides a truly great element. This one, presumably a recently minted HDCAMSR, has all the technical fingerprints of a new Warner Archive or Columbia title that has been massaged toward perfection.

May it please the Court, we have here a 55 year-old black and white production, as photographed by the great Ernest Lazlo, that literally jumps off the screen with a beautifully resolved high resolution image. Main Titles are so sharp and perfect, they could be used to thinly cut smoked salmon.

Black levels are perfect, along with a gorgeous, full grayscale.

Imagery does not wander around the screen, but seems nicely locked in place.

Grain levels appear perfect for the era.

This is a digital element that has gone through proper cleansing, with only the rarest bits of wear and processing detritus apparent.

If there is a alternate universe invading MGM, I'm all for it, as this is beautiful work.

A truly great motion picture, and a brilliantly produced Blu-ray.

Image - 5

Audio - 5

Pass / Fail - Pass

Very Highly Recommended!

RAH

Thank you very much for your review, Mr Harris. Your glowing praise of its Blu-ray incarnation, has made me even more eager, now, to view Inherit The Wind with my wife, who has never seen the film.

Got the Blu-ray a couple weeks ago, along with a half dozen other Blu-rays from Amazon.

Your comments, sir, about the terrific appearance of this classic film, really made my day. (or actually, night, to be more accurate)

Mike Boone · Jan 6, 2015

^ My enthusiasm due to RAH's high praise for the Blu-ray of Inherit The Wind, may have been premature, as the Blu-ray I bought from Amazon is not on the Twilight Time label, illustrating that I just might be one of those that P T Barnum was referring to, when he famously said: "There's a sucker born every minute".

In the month of Dec. I ordered several dozen Blu-rays from Amazon. Well, as they say, haste makes waste. The Blu-rays I received of both Inherit The Wind and Judgment at Nuremberg, turned out to be on the Shock Entertainment label, basically resulting from the same sort of lack of attention, on my part, that was often the bane of my limited scholastic career.

The covers for both Blu-rays proclaim that they are in the "Hollywood- Gold- Series".

Furthermore, the credits on the back of both Blu-rays include the following: 2014 Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer Studios INC.ALL RIGHTS RESERVED DISTRIBUTED BY HOLLYWOOD CLASSICS LTD. ON BEHALF OF TWENTIETH CENTURY FOX HOME ENTERTAINMENT LLC AND MADE AVAILABLE IN AUSTRALIA EXCLUSIVELY THROUGH SHOCK ENTERTAINMENT. (well, at least 2014 indicated some pretty recent work having

taken place.)

Then, further below the rest of the credits is stated: MANUFACTURED AND DISTRIBUTED BY SHOCK DVD, A DIVISION OF SHOCK ENTERTAINMENT, UNDER EXCLUSIVE LICENSE FROM HOLLYWOOD CLASSICS.

Now, of course I realize, that I should have carefully noted the recommended source for buying these movies, even while being in a hurry to get orders for films in.

My question is, has anyone seen the versions of these films that I have, and compared them with their Twilight Time edititions?

Have only looked at Inherit The Wind, so far, but have to say that it looks pretty damned good. It is a generally very clean print with a little speak here and there, maybe every few minutes or so. Contrast and black level seems very good, but after reading RAH's statement about the image jumping off the

screen, I'm curious if there is any possibility that "Shock Entertainment" worked from the same elements that were provided to Twilight Time. And, just noticed that the audio is stated as being PCM 2.0, and since even the older catalog titles are usually redone in DTS HD-Master audio, these days, that gives me even less hope that this outfit handled things with the kind of care that I understand is Twilight Time's usual approach.

Anyhow, hope a fellow member might have experience with the label I saddled myself with, and can offer his or her evaluation. Probably, before a week goes by, I'll end up ordering at least Inherit The Wind on the Twilight Time label, because it's terrific B&W photography should be appreciated in the most vivid way possible.

But, thanks in advance, for any comments that folks might offer.

Mark-P · Jan 6, 2015

Those are the Australian imports. I've got both of them. Reports are that they are the same video transfers as the Twilight Time discs, however Judgment at Nuremberg is missing the overture/exit music, the 5.1 stereo remixed soundtrack, and the isolated score.

Mike Boone · Jan 7, 2015

Mark-P, I very much appreciate your rapid reply, very cool!

Am curious, though. Does Twilight Time not do some of their own clean up and remastering of elements provided to them by a creative property's owner?

(or sub-contract an outside entity to perform those processes for them)

And if my understanding about that is correct, with the Australian releases having the same video transfers as those from Twilight Time, would it mean that Twilight Time passed along the results of their work on these transfers to the Australian distributor? Or, could it be that in the case of these 2 films, Twilight Time did not need to do any clean up or remastering, but merely had to handle which special features to include on its own releases?

Whatever is the case, I'm also grateful, Mark-P, that you provided the info concerning the Australian version of Judgment At Nuremberg lacking the overture/exit music, remixed soundtrack, and especially of interest to me, the isolated score. Being a big fan of orchestral film scores, the info you provided is motivating me to order Twilight's Blu-ray of that film.

Thanks again Mark-P. You have restored me to the ranks of the happy camper class. (regardless of not having gone camping in 20 years)

schan1269 · Jan 7, 2015

While not the case on every TT release, but it is on these two...

The video is the same(so far) on every BD release in every country. The differences, like said, with TT are isolated scores, more audio options(if available) and write ups by Kirgo(and others).

TT works with what they are given.

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