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

Robert Harris · Apr 25, 2015

Richard Donner's Ladyhawke is a unique piece of filmmaking, that holds up well thirty years down the line.

While it's odd in any number of respects, that oddity is part of its charm.

Ladyhawke is another quality addition to Warner Archive collection, and while it is available from foreign sellers, I'd not recommend going there for one major reason.

The rights are shared between WB and Fox, with Fox holding foreign and WB, domestic.

I'm betting that the scan prepared by Fox was originally produced for foreign TV, as the main title sequence is window-boxed for protection.

While the base imagery is the same between foreign and domestic releases, Warner Archive added huge resources to make everything correct for their own release. Color and densities, which are extremely important, have been thoroughly upgraded. Dirt and detritus, which is very obvious in the foreign release has been resolved, along with hair, which on foreign hangs around a number of shots.

The extra work performed by Warner Archive adds to the pleasure of being able to view the work of Vittorio Storaro on Blu-ray, not only in the film's original aspect ratio, but without distraction.

Image - 4.5

Audio - 5

Pass / Fail - Pass

Recommended

RAH

Dick · Apr 25, 2015

"Odd" only begins to describe this film. I sort of like it, and will be picking up the Blu-ray, but damn, it's a frustrating experience. I really like Matthew Broderick (who I thought should have at least been nominated for GLORY). Rutger Hauer and Michelle Pfeiffer are, typically, excellent. The photography is wonderful. But, whoa! The dialog in this supposedly medieval tale is clearly contemporary, and is completely wrong. On top of that, Andrew Powell's (and Alan Parson's) music score is all (and I mean ALL) wrong. Had the movie featured an orchestral score by someone like James Horner or Jerry Goldsmith, many of the film's other missteps might have been forgiven. But a rock/synth score here did not work for me in 1985 and does not work for me now. How could Richard Donner have allowed this travesty? Studio pressure, probably.

Blimpoy06 · Apr 25, 2015

Richard Donner was listening to the music of Alan Parsons Project while thinking about the film and scouting locations according to liner notes on the recent CD release of the soundtrack. He sought them out. No studio pressure involved.

Mark-W · Apr 25, 2015

I do really enjoy this film, but I also cringe when the score first starts... and now it dates the film for me more than any other part of it.

FanboyZ · Apr 27, 2015

So I am to understand that the WB disc has different color timing than the Fox disc?

Randy Korstick · Apr 27, 2015

I really like this movie a lot. The only thing that holds it back is the music score. It is without a doubt the most out of place music score of any movie I have seen. It completely destroys the time setting and mood of the movie.

octobercountry · Apr 28, 2015

I haven't seen Ladyhawke for many, many years. I do remember I was intrigued by the story, but count me among those who disliked the modern music used as the background score. Well, "disliked" is actually too mild a term---I despised the music in this film; it pretty much totally destroyed the picture for me. I wish that an alternate version would have been released for home viewing, with a more traditional score.

RMajidi · Apr 28, 2015

Dick said:
"Odd" only begins to describe this film. I sort of like it, and will be picking up the Blu-ray, but damn, it's a frustrating experience. I really like Matthew Broderick (who I thought should have at least been nominated for GLORY). Rutger Hauer and Michelle Pfeiffer are, typically, excellent. The photography is wonderful. But, whoa! The dialog in this supposedly medieval tale is clearly contemporary, and is completely wrong. On top of that, Andrew Powell's (and Alan Parson's) music score is all (and I mean ALL) wrong. Had the movie featured an orchestral score by someone like James Horner or Jerry Goldsmith, many of the film's other missteps might have been forgiven. But a rock/synth score here did not work for me in 1985 and does not work for me now. How could Richard Donner have allowed this travesty? Studio pressure, probably.

Agreed with most of your observations Rick, including re Broderick's turn in the sublime Glory! However, while the music seriously impaired my enjoyment of Ladyhawke, I liked the contemporary dialog, especially Mouse's continual bargaining with God.

Michel_Hafner · Jun 11, 2015

Well, I have the UK and US disc and they seem to have the same transfer, just different encoding. I might be missing details since I can't switch without a 10 second blackout but it looks the same to me. Two things are especially worth mentioning. Both versions look digitally sharpened and have often unsightly haloes. And both versions have weird colours in some darker material. Namely an excess of magenta in skin and even snow. I'm not talking about Storaros colour filters (if he used any, as I think he did), or am I?

Hollywoodaholic · Jun 11, 2015

I was writing a screenplay for Donner at WB when he was posting this film and remember being at a screening with the cast before final effects or music were added. I don't remember why he went with the synth score, but that was all the rage at the time, particularly on time and money saving an entire orchestra in favor of one trendy composer alone with his synthesizer. But I don't think it was a budget decision.

Ferdinand Hudson · Jun 12, 2015

Hollywoodaholic said:
I was writing a screenplay for Donner at WB when he was posting this film and remember being at a screening with the cast before final effects or music were added. I don't remember why he went with the synth score, but that was all the rage at the time, particularly on time and money saving an entire orchestra in favor of one trendy composer alone with his synthesizer. But I don't think it was a budget decision.

Hardly, since LadyHawke does have an orchestra. It is not *just* built on synthesizers.

Stephen_J_H · Jun 12, 2015

The score of the film is very much in keeping with the work of Alan Parsons and Andrew Powell, who worked on orchestral arrangements for the Alan Parsons Project albums. I don't have as much of a problem with it as most. It certainly dates the film, but much of the film itself is anachronistic, including acting styles and dialogue, so while the score instantly screams, "mid-80s!!!!", it's not the only thing about the film that does.

As RAH says, it's an odd film, and that's part of it's charm. It was one of the first titles I bought on DVD; a flipper with P/S and widescreen versions. I'll have to watch it again to see if I want to upgrade.

Mark-W · Jun 14, 2015

They seem the same to me, too, all the way down to the windowboxing on the opening credits.

Michel_Hafner said:
Well, I have the UK and US disc and they seem to have the same transfer, just different encoding. I might be missing details since I can't switch without a 10 second blackout but it looks the same to me. Two things are especially worth mentioning. Both versions look digitally sharpened and have often unsightly haloes. And both versions have weird colours in some darker material. Namely an excess of magenta in skin and even snow. I'm not talking about Storaros colour filters (if he used any, as I think he did), or am I?

Mark_TS · Jun 14, 2015

Blimpoy06 said:
Richard Donner was listening to the music of Alan Parsons Project while thinking about the film and scouting locations according to liner notes on the recent CD release of the soundtrack. He sought them out. No studio pressure involved.

By the time Donner used Parsons muzak in LADYHAWKE, Alan Parson was already on elevator muzik and "smooth 96" radio stations-he was never really had street red-he just produced MUZAK

Keith Cobby · Sep 9, 2015

Hadn't seen this film for many years but today watched the blu-ray. Image quality very good but for me the film seemed very dated. Hard to get past the horrible, unsuitable score. Doubt I will watch it again.

andySu · Sep 9, 2015

Dick said:
"Odd" only begins to describe this film. I sort of like it, and will be picking up the Blu-ray, but damn, it's a frustrating experience. I really like Matthew Broderick (who I thought should have at least been nominated for GLORY). Rutger Hauer and Michelle Pfeiffer are, typically, excellent. The photography is wonderful. But, whoa! The dialog in this supposedly medieval tale is clearly contemporary, and is completely wrong. On top of that, Andrew Powell's (and Alan Parson's) music score is all (and I mean ALL) wrong. Had the movie featured an orchestral score by someone like James Horner or Jerry Goldsmith, many of the film's other missteps might have been forgiven. But a rock/synth score here did not work for me in 1985 and does not work for me now. How could Richard Donner have allowed this travesty? Studio pressure, probably.

Rock music? I think I'd take a pass on this. I'd sooner watch/listen to GLORY with James Horner, in Dolby Stereo TrueHD or maybe the DVD R2 or thinking of getting the later letterbox Laserdisc pressing ntsc.

Randy Korstick said:
I really like this movie a lot. The only thing that holds it back is the music score. It is without a doubt the most out of place music score of any movie I have seen. It completely destroys the time setting and mood of the movie.

Blimey I not even seen the film only the trailer a few times. I wouldn't be surprised with your blood-shot avatar eyes the score must be painful, get the earplugs out! :lol:

Doesn't the film A Knights Tail have rock music? I saw a little bit of it on ITV maybe a year ago and I heard the music and thought this sucks. Switched it off and I and think it was one of the scenes on houses with those stick things, jousting?

FoxyMulder · Sep 9, 2015

Randy Korstick said:
I really like this movie a lot. The only thing that holds it back is the music score. It is without a doubt the most out of place music score of any movie I have seen. It completely destroys the time setting and mood of the movie.

Family Business could give it a run for it's money with regards to the music score affecting the finished product.

andySu said:
Doesn't the film A Knights Tail have rock music? I saw a little bit of it on ITV maybe a year ago and I heard the music and thought this sucks. Switched it off and I and think it was one of the scenes on houses with those stick things, jousting?

The music in A Knight's Tale works, i seriously suggest everyone watch Family Business, the music score ruins it, not the plot, not the acting, the music score is very bad, music can affect films in a good or bad way, an appropriate score pulls you in, a bad score can pull you out of the film. Sean Connery was superb in Family Business, replace the music score and it would have been rated a better film.

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