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Caught a mastering error on a bunch of Warner Archive Blu-rays of legacy bonus features being horizontally stretched. I’m not suggesting they recall and fix discs; just correct how they upscale standard def sources for future releases. I mean, do you see how one of these is correct and one looks...

I just received and viewed Who Done It? The Clue Documentary from ETR Media/Vinegar Syndrome. While I enjoyed the film, I’m perplexed at the combing artifacts throughout the film. I would blame it on encoding, but there is no setting (1080i, 720p, 480i, 1080p with various video source settings...

Wow, just wow. I bought Warner Archive’s Blu-ray of Rancho Notorious (1952) having never seen the film before but am glad that I did. George Feltenstein discussed the restoration on The Extras podcast as being from the 3-strip elements for Blu-ray, and I know how gorgeous past presentations have...

Hey y’all! I made this comparison video to point out the differences between the newly restored PSYCHO on Ultra HD and Blu-ray. Odd that such a feature wasn’t produced for the discs themselves... For this comparison I cut to the “uncut” source only when necessary, unlike the actual disc where...

I was fortunate to have met and worked on a project with Marni Nixon just a few months ago at Symphony Space in New York. I created three videos for the event, but I also recorded the audio and took a few pictures and videos. Now with her passing, I thought some of her fans here might enjoy me...

I live in Columbus, Ohio, and last Thursday the Wexner Center for the Arts presented ZULU as part of their summer series. It was introduced with the caveat that they had planned to show a 4k DCP but technical issues prevented it from being shown; they tracked down an original 35mm Technicolor...

A friend recently sent me a VHS tape of the 1941 film MAJOR BARBARA. He wanted me to put it on DVD for him as he said it was longer than the version Criterion released on DVD through their Eclipse line in a set titled "George Bernard Shaw on Film" (paired with CAESAR AND CLEOPATRA and ANDROCLES...

I was at THE REEL THING event in LA this weekend where some before and after restoration comparisons were shown of a new 4K MY FAIR LADY - and it all looked and sounded glorious. :-) They presenter said that CBS was not quite ready to announce anything related to the title yet (theatrical...

I have been working on HD video comparisons of transfers from Fox to best illustrate the problem with many of their vintage film releases on Blu-ray for a disc I am compiling to send to Cineric (the company behind the film restorations of THE KING AND I and CAROUSEL in 2006 and featured in the...

I got in my copies of these two releases from Flicker Alley over the weekend - and wow! Unlike the troubled (but still impressive, considering the elements and budget constraints) releases of THIS IS CINERAMA and WINDJAMMER from last fall sourced from 70mm composites, these two discs used the...

I just got this disc for under $10 at Wal-Mart (score!), and I just finished watching it. There is something about it that doesn't look natural to me. The image is brighter with more detail in it, and it is far more stable than before, but there doesn't appear to be any fine grain visible at...

So I got my EVITA Blu-ray at the amazing price of $12.99 from Amazon.com. I can now retire my anamorphic Japanese DVD from long ago (the only US release was non-anamorphic widescreen from 1999). All I expected was a new HD transfer and DTS-MA 5.1 audio, but the disc also has a teaser trailer...

I first saw PILLOW TALK cropped and scanned on AMC back in 1992 when I was in 7th grade. I loved it. I went on to get the widescreen Laserdisc, which was a revelation at the time. I've had at least 3 different DVD releases, each (save for the cropped and misframed one) an improvement over the...

I took some time and compared the General Release DVD to the Roadshow Version Laserdisc to isolate the differences between the two. Often there were entire scenes that were cut for the General Release version, but there were times when only a line or a shot here and there was cut. I compiled the...

Hey all! I couldn't wait to get home to post about seeing a new 70mm print of WEST SIDE STORY tonight at the Wexner Center in Columbus, Ohio! They are showing it again tomorrow night. I want to tell how the opening graphic transition was handled (not like either Blu discs), as well as the...

Hey all! In my never-ending quest to waste time, I finished a little analysis I thought might interest some other people. I have been wanting to view HAWAII (1966) again for a while, as I had only seen the longer Laserdisc version before obtaining the DVD of the general release cut. Even from...

I just got the Twilight Time PAL JOEY Blu-ray, and it really looks terrific. The isolated score track sounds a bit hollow, but I haven't really listened to much of it. I was skipping around to view the musical numbers when I noticed that "The Lady is a Tramp" appears to be out-of-sync. The sound...

Rarely is there a release I just HAVE TO HAVE as soon as possible, but from the moment that Sony announced LOST HORIZON (1973) was coming to DVD in its original version, I knew I would probably be ordering it with One Day delivery. Well, I did order it with One Day delivery. It hasn't arrived or...

I just got THE FOX AND THE HOUND on Blu-ray as an early exclusive from the Disney Movie Club, two months before it hits retail! I haven't watched it yet, but I skimmed through it and took some screen captures using VLC. I then took screen captures from the last DVD release as a comparison. I...

I'm so glad that an anamorphic widescreen HURRY SUNDOWN has been released so that I could retire my awful pan/scan copy recorded off of Encore from 15 years ago. However, it sure seems someone dropped the ball on the mastering. The print used has some problems, including some color fringing...

Hey guys! I recently attended a screening of MATINEE in 35mm and a Q&A session with the director, Joe Dante, after the movie. I didn't get to ask my question, but I was able to contact him through a website he mentioned - trailersfromhell.com. I thought you guys might enjoy the question and...

Hey all! I thought you guys might find this interesting. While viewing the new PINOCCHIO release on Blu-Ray, I noticed both the remix and restored mono mixes are missing dialog when compared to all the previous video releases of the film. How this happened is anyone's guess, though my...

Has anyone checked out THE BOYS IN THE BAND DVD? I was curious - it being an independent film and nearing 40 years of age - what kind of quality the DVD would bring to the table. Well, I checked it out and immediately noticed some very strange things going on with the color. I compared it to the...

Hey guys! Well, I got around to comparing the 1997 and 2008 DVD releases of GIGI. I certainly hope the delay with the Blu-Ray is because they are doing additional work, because as it stands this new edition corrects as many problems as it introduces. :-( The Good: This new release shows more...

TEA FOR TWO (1950) was on TCM last night, but it appears that a screen credit has been obscured! Robert Osbourne introduced it as being "inspired by the old 1920's musical NO, NO NANETTE", but there isn't a credit to be found on the film. Was it originally in the place where now there is just a...

I watched DU BARRY WAS A LADY last night and noticed that almost the entire film is out of registration! There are green or red halos around EVERYTHING! If the film didn't warrant Ultra-Rez, couldn't they have readjusted it manually? It looks like the misalignment is fairly consistent on how...

Does anyone have the A LITTLE NIGHT MUSIC (1977) DVD from Hen's Tooth and have any comments on the quality? I read one negative review online, but that reviewer was not familiar with the previous video releases and just how wretched those were. I'm sure the DVD is an improvement, even if only...

Hey everyone! This post has to do with a region 2 DVD release, but I wanted to post it here because (A) it might be coming out in region 1 with this same faulty master, and (B) to get some opinions/diagnosis on what the problem is from Robert Harris, film restorationist extraordinaire. :-) I...

Hey all! I just got MANDINGO as a R2 PAL import and it runs 1:57:54, which equates to 1:22:37 without the PAL speed-up. According to what I've read, about 5 minutes are missing. Anyone know where the cuts are, or why? I can't imagine this EVER reappearing on US video again. But what do I...

Hey guys, I started threads over at UltimateDisney.com I thought some of you might be interested in. Rather than duplicate it here, you might wanna check out these links with screep capture comparisons between all the video releases of: THE LITTLE MERMAID...