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A PEEK AT THE BLACK STALLION (1 Viewer)

haineshisway

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I don't see a review here, or any comments - sorry if I missed them. I'll keep it short and to the point. The film is amazing. The transfer is one of the best transfers I've ever seen - superb in every way, from the incredible detail and perfect color, and great sound. Caleb Deschenel's photography is breathtaking and he supervised this 4K transfer off the film negative. This is as perfect a representation of The Black Stallion as I've ever seen. And what I really love about it, and I don't believe I'm saying this, is that the opticals look exactly like the should and they're beautiful - more grain, but perfect optical grain of that era with no attempt to disguise it.


A thing of spectacular beauty, with a first half that is so magical that you just sit there with your mouth agape and a second half so different, but also so wonderful and so filled with heart and emotion, and great performances by Kelly Reno, Teri Garr and Mickey Rooney - not to mention the horse itself. Back at the time of release I found the score really peculiar and felt another composer would probably have done it better - although there were two really striking and pretty themes. But I've gotten used to it and quite like it now.


If you love this film, you will be beyond happy, you will be in Black Stallion heaven. If you have kids, gather 'em around the old screen and let them revel in this brilliant film. Carroll Ballard should have been a major director. Alas...
 

Dick

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haineshisway said:
I don't see a review here, or any comments - sorry if I missed them. I'll keep it short and to the point. The film is amazing. The transfer is one of the best transfers I've ever seen - superb in every way, from the incredible detail and perfect color, and great sound. Caleb Deschenel's photography is breathtaking and he supervised this 4K transfer off the film negative. This is as perfect a representation of The Black Stallion as I've ever seen. And what I really love about it, and I don't believe I'm saying this, is that the opticals look exactly like the should and they're beautiful - more grain, but perfect optical grain of that era with no attempt to disguise it.


A thing of spectacular beauty, with a first half that is so magical that you just sit there with your mouth agape and a second half so different, but also so wonderful and so filled with heart and emotion, and great performances by Kelly Reno, Teri Garr and Mickey Rooney - not to mention the horse itself. Back at the time of release I found the score really peculiar and felt another composer would probably have done it better - although there were two really striking and pretty themes. But I've gotten used to it and quite like it now.


If you love this film, you will be beyond happy, you will be in Black Stallion heaven. If you have kids, gather 'em around the old screen and let them revel in this brilliant film. Carroll Ballard should have been a major director. Alas...
This is a beauty of a transfer. Ever since seeing the film theatrically in 1979, I have being searching for a home video edition that could even remotely reflect what I had seen, and was always sorely disappointed, and that includes the DVD release, which had pale-ish color. The Fox Blu-ray was pretty decent, but I find this one to be simply definitive. I'd have loved a Carroll Ballard commentary, but the interview is good and the inclusion of his short films is a terrific bonus. I agree the Coppola score is odd, but also works. I was also off-put at first by his score for THE OUTSIDERS, but now prefer it to the rock score son Francis substituted for his director's cut release. Another Ballard film, FLY AWAY HOME (also photographed by Deschenel), is also outstanding and available on Blu. But for me, his masterwork was NEVER CRY WOLF, which Disney is stubbornly withholding from HD release.
 

dpippel

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Just ordered this as a blind buy and am looking forward to seeing it for the first time with such a great presentation.
 

JohnMor

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This will be a blind buy for me as well. I always avoided it as it seemed like it would be "treacly" and an oh so 70's-family film. But I'm really anxious to see it.
 

Powell&Pressburger

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Some pieces of the score I wish were just cut and we had natural sound only or a different piece of music in its place. But I love Teri Garr so I try to get any film I can find her in. hopefully the rumors of After Hours coming to BLU thru Criterion are true. awesome character in that film.
 

Charles Smith

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Okay, I'll confess to having never seen the film. I'll take this thread as a correction, and pick it up next week at B&N.
 

dpippel

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My perception of The Black Stallion has always been that it's a "family film", and not in a good way. I'm happy to stand corrected on that point. The other thing that's held me back from seeking it out is that I'm not much of a Mickey Rooney fan, but I'm sure I'll manage to work through that when I watch it. ;)
 

Jim*Tod

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One of the truly great movies.... and it would not have gotten made except for the clout that Coppola had at the time. I have the new disc and am saving it for the weekend. And yes... Disney---- please get NEVER CRY WOLF on blu ray in similar form.
 

haineshisway

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It's one of Rooney's best films - he's very subtle and wonderfully warm in this film and his interaction with Kelly Reno is lovely. He couldn't be better and I don't think anyone else would have been as good. I don't know why anyone would think this was a family film in a bad way - it was never that. I must say, the scenes on the boat at the beginning are also wonderful - I'd forgotten about them - all from the kid's point of view, really.
 

Robert Crawford

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haineshisway said:
It's one of Rooney's best films - he's very subtle and wonderfully warm in this film and his interaction with Kelly Reno is lovely. He couldn't be better and I don't think anyone else would have been as good. I don't know why anyone would think this was a family film in a bad way - it was never that. I must say, the scenes on the boat at the beginning are also wonderful - I'd forgotten about them - all from the kid's point of view, really.
Yup, gave a great performance. Also, told a great story about "The Iceman".:)
 

dpippel

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Wow! What a magical, wonderful, artful film!!! I loved it! The actors were just wonderful and the cinematography was simply breathtaking. I can't believe I've waited this long to see The Black Stallion but am SO glad that I have.
 

Robert Crawford

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dpippel said:
Wow! What a magical, wonderful, artful film!!! I loved it! The actors were just wonderful and the cinematography was simply breathtaking. I can't believe I've waited this long to see The Black Stallion but am SO glad that I have.
I expected you would enjoy this fine film! How about Rooney? IMO, one of his best acting performances.
 

dpippel

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He was amazingly good in this role. I had developed such a negative image of Rooney, mostly from his pretty bad film and TV work in the 70's and 80's, that I was very pleasantly surprised by his performance here. He was great!
 

Radioman970

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I haven't even opened my dvd... :( one of my favorite films and it just sits there. Maybe I should sell it and put the money towards a new 4K TV! lol
 

haineshisway

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I've been reading reviews - well, "reviews" of this title - they're all positive but not AS positive as they should be, especially this rather inane one from something called the Criterion Forum. Here is a textbook example of someone who has picked up jargon from Mr. Harris, other reviewers, and posters - the lingo some of us know and hate. Here is the germane portion.


"Film grain isn’t rendered as perfectly as I would probably like, with some compression noticeable, particularly in low lit sequences, but on the whole we get a fairly filmic image. The sequences on the beach are all spectacularly beautiful, the best I’ve ever seen them on video, the colours being the most spectacular aspect. The sandy browns of the beaches still manage to look rich and vibrant, as do the greens of the vegetation. But it’s the water and its striking blues that impress. The level of detail in the landscapes during these sequences is also striking, even in long shots, where you can almost make out every detail in the rock ledges.
The rest of the film, which takes place in urban areas and on Mickey Rooney’s former jockey’s farm, maybe aren’t as pretty but the level of detail, delivery of textures, and sense of depth are still just as impressive. Black levels are also strong, and balance is nice. The print is also in terrific shape and other than maybe some mild fluctuations in a few places and some noticeable scratches on the edge of the frame during some of the beach sequences I didn’t notice anything especially glaring. Despite the some issues with compression that is only noticeable here and there, I was quite pleased with the image on the whole."

a) there are NO compression problems. b) I saw no "scratches" on the side of the film or anywhere else. c) what is a "fairly filmic image"? d) What does "balance is nice" mean? e) there are no mild fluctuations other than those that are part of principal photography, and if they are part of principal photography they may not be called out as a transfer problem - then again, you'd have to have actually seen the film in a theater on FILM. f) I can't even go into the chutzpah of "I was quite pleased with the image on the whole."

Take it from me - one of the best transfers in the history of Blu-ray. Thank you, Mr. Deschanel, and thank you Criterion for obviously paying for this new scan and work.
 

Winston T. Boogie

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I have not read a lot about The Black Stallion blu-ray (I have it but have not yet watched it) but what I have read has been glowing. The two most praised recent blu-ray releases seem to be this and the new The Third Man release. I would say both are must buys but I can't really do that until I actually watch them because I would feel like a clown recommending them without seeing them.
 

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