A Few Words About A few words about...™ La La Land -- in 4k UHD Blu-ray & LaLaVision (1 Viewer)

[Will Krupp]

Yeah. I don't want to beat this to death...but your impressions pretty much mirror mine after that first viewing...

I had the SAME reaction as the two of you! I wanted to love this film when we saw it in the theater and, while I didn't dislike it, it never seemed to completely click for me. People would ask if I liked it and I had to say that I honestly didn't know how I felt about it. I wasn't sure if it was the lousy, too close to the screen seats we had or what, but I WANTED to see the film everybody else saw and fell in love with! A friend of mine (who hadn't seen it) turned to me on Oscar night and said "how are you the only two people on earth who didn't love this movie?" LOL

I had a comp day yesterday so I was home when the mailman dropped off the blu-ray. I bough tit in hopes that a second (or third) viewing would bring me around. I watched it last night and found a sudden emotional connection to the characters this time that wasn't there before and I was crazy for the musical numbers that I found unmemorable the first time around. In fact I watched it (almost) twice. I get that Ryan Gosling is good looking but (and please don't take my gay card away over this) I can take him or leave him. Miss Stone, on the other hand, is the bee's knees in my book (since EASY A) so the second viewing last night was primarily focused on her contribution. What's more, I plan to watch it again over the next day or two so I think the signs point to me "coming around" on this one, so to speak.

I'm wondering if this, like CASABLANCA, is a movie that resonates more once you know what's going to happen to the characters. In other words, a movie that gets better with repeated viewing because the choices the characters make have real impact that's only apparent once you know what that impact will be. I have no idea, but I was wiping away tears this time at the "what could have been" montage (TWICE!!) and I didn't on the first go-round.

 

[Mike Frezon]

The force is in you, young Will...

 

[Will Krupp]

young Will...

BLESS you!

By the way, I bought the Target exclusive for the third disc which turns out to be a Q&A session with Gosling, Stone, and Chazelle. I can't imagine watching it more than once so if there's a member who feels this is something they'd like to have, they're welcome to it.

 

[Mark Booth]

I had the SAME reaction as the two of you! I wanted to love this film when we saw it in the theater and, while I didn't dislike it, it never seemed to completely click for me. People would ask if I liked it and I had to say that I honestly didn't know how I felt about it. I wasn't sure if it was the lousy, too close to the screen seats we had or what, but I WANTED to see the film everybody else saw and fell in love with! A friend of mine (who hadn't seen it) turned to me on Oscar night and said "how are you the only two people on earth who didn't love this movie?" LOL

I had a comp day yesterday so I was home when the mailman dropped off the blu-ray. I bough tit in hopes that a second (or third) viewing would bring me around. I watched it last night and found a sudden emotional connection to the characters this time that wasn't there before and I was crazy for the musical numbers that I found unmemorable the first time around. In fact I watched it (almost) twice. I get that Ryan Gosling is good looking but (and please don't take my gay card away over this) I can take him or leave him. Miss Stone, on the other hand, is the bee's knees in my book (since EASY A) so the second viewing last night was primarily focused on her contribution. What's more, I plan to watch it again over the next day or two so I think the signs point to me "coming around" on this one, so to speak.

I'm wondering if this, like CASABLANCA, is a movie that resonates more once you know what's going to happen to the characters. In other words, a movie that gets better with repeated viewing because the choices the characters make have real impact that's only apparent once you know what that impact will be. I have no idea, but I was wiping away tears this time at the "what could have been" montage (TWICE!!) and I didn't on the first go-round.

Told you so!

Mark

 

[Mark Booth]

Reportedly, the Target-exclusive version of the La La Land Blu-ray includes a DVD containing 30 minutes of additional special features. I believe that it is a 30-minute interview with cast and crew. I have a funny feeling this is the same interview:



If that's the case (same interview), I don't see the point in opting for the Target-exclusive version because the interview would be on DVD in standard def. The YouTube version is 1080p.

Can someone verify if it's the same interview?

Edit: Someone on another forum has made it clear the Target bonus disc contains a completely different interview.

Mark

 

[Will Krupp]

Told you so!

I never doubted it!!

 

[Hollywoodaholic]

I loved it first viewing on a free screener I got as WGA member voter so much I immediately went to the theater and paid to see it on the big screen. I'm a huge fan of musicals, and while I get the criticisms that Gosling and Stone aren't natural singers or dancers... that's entirely the point. This film is deliberately done from a more organic, naturalistic, off-the-street approach to performances and you must appreciate they are sung LIVE on film as you see them, not canned later or singing to a pre-recorded track. That's a seismic difference from most musicals, but it's what gives this a more grounded and everyman appeal.

Plus the fact that as a working writer in Hollywood married to a struggling actress going on auditions for umpteen years, we LIVED this story (but with a different ending - we sacrificed the unblinking eye for the big lights to move out and stay together... now 28 years).

 

[Mike Frezon]

Can someone verify if it's the same interview?

I have the disc but haven't watched the disc yet, Mark.

The packaging indicates it's an interview but doesn't mention Gosling or Legend (see red banner on the image of the back cover below):

 

[Mark Booth]

In the interview I linked above, the thing I found most interesting was the changes in wardrobe. Costume designer Mary Zophres points out that the use of colorful clothing reaches a peak at the Griffith Observatory planetarium scene. After that, costumes are toned down for the majority of the remainder of the film (the it-could-have-been daydream sequence being an exception). To be honest, I don't remember outwardly noticing the loss of colorful costumes during my 8 viewings of the film. But I'll sure notice it on the next viewing.

It was an intentional choice to influence the audience's mood as the film changes tone. Very interesting!

Mark

 

[Malcolm R]

As noted in other threads, there's also a Walmart exclusive bonus disc with a 30-min Q&A with Damien Chazelle.

 

[Robert Crawford]

When this film first came out, I made a 75 mile round trip to see it at the nearest theater to me. I couldn't wait until it opened in my city so I made that trip like I've done with countless other films that are slow to open in my city. Anyhow, during the first 15-20 minutes of the film, I wasn't feeling this film. It was after the party scene with Stone's lip-syncing sequence that I started to warm towards the film. As I was walking out of the theater, I thought the film was pretty good, but I didn't love it. I thought the music and dancing wasn't all that. I was more into the story line between the two main characters and how their lives played out.

Today, I viewed this film again on 4K/UHD disc. This time my enjoyment level with this film was much higher as watching and listening to this film in my home theater improved my viewing experience, the music came more alive to me. The dancing was still just alright, but I liked the music a lot more. Again, I loved the story line between the two characters and I really liked the ending of this film. The shared faint smile between those two characters at the end and the nod of the head that Gosling gives to Stone was something that really registered to me.

My initial film grade for this film was 3.0 out of 5.0. Today, my grade is up to 4.0 with a chance that I'll give it a higher grade once I watch it again with the film commentary. It's a fine film in which my appreciation of it might grow with additional viewings. I hope to get into the bonus material over the next week or so.

 

[Robert Harris]

It's all in the eye of the beholder. Some of my best friends didn't find it at all appearing, others found it okay. About half loved it.

To get around preconceptions, I try to not discuss films in advance, and generally don't ready reviews. I much prefer to go in cold.

 

[Chris Will]

Anyone else still watching regular old 1080p BDs on a regular, many years old BD player, like me? If so, is the disc taking forever to load? I thought something was wrong with my disc because only a blank screen was showing but, it actually took the disc about 5 minutes to load. I haven't experienced that long of a load time since the very first Samsung BD player was released back during the format wars. Just wondering if I'm alone. My BD player is a Panasonic DMP BDT500 (oh, it loads much, much faster on my PS4 but, still slightly slower then other BDs).

 

[KMR]

Interesting to see how many people found that it took subsequent viewings to really appreciate the film. I'm glad I went a second time. My first screening, I felt there was a real disconnect between the opening number and the rest of the film. But that screening had horrid sound, and it wasn't until I saw an IMAX presentation with much improved sound that I could actually hear the lyrics to that opening number! (That song sort of encapsulates the whole story.) And, like some others have noted, my initial expectations were at odds with what the film really was. Familiarity with the film made the second screening a much richer experience.

 

[Will Krupp]

Anyone else still watching regular old 1080p BDs on a regular, many years old BD player, like me? If so, is the disc taking forever to load? I thought something was wrong with my disc because only a blank screen was showing but, it actually took the disc about 5 minutes to load.

Do you have BD-Live engaged? Try turning it off.

 

[davidmatychuk]

I'm guessing that a lot of Academy voters only watched "La La Land" once.

 

[TJPC]

How about this? I am Canadian and we no longer have Target. On Tuesday morning I called the Target in Cheektowaga New York (about an hour away from me) and asked them if they could put one of their special edition Blu Ray sets aside for me to pick up today as we happen to be in the area. The clerk was very nice, and took my name and said it would be waiting for me at the front of the store.

Today we went to the Target store, went up to a young man at the counter and asked for the copy of "La La Land" that was put aside for me. He looked completely blank and asked "Is That a Toy?" He absolutely had never heard of the movie! (I began to doubt that he had ever heard of home video!)
That kind of thing really irritates me and I am afraid that despite my shins getting black and blue from my wife's kicks I got rather nasty.
I told him it was one of the top movies of the year and asked if he had spent the last 6 months with a paper bag over his head!

We went to the electronics section told our story and the clerk back there immediately got one for us. He also could not believe that the guy at the front did not know what we were talking about.

There are a lot of things in this world that hold no interest for me, but there are things like TV news, the radio, the internet and we still get the paper. At least I have usually heard of most things, especially if they mistakenly get called to pick up the best picture oscar!

 

[Robert Harris]

How about this? I am Canadian and we no longer have Target. On Tuesday morning I called the Target in Cheektowaga New York (about an hour away from me) and asked them if they could put one of their special edition Blu Ray sets aside for me to pick up today as we happen to be in the area. The clerk was very nice, and took my name and said it would be waiting for me at the front of the store.

Today we went to the Target store, went up to a young man at the counter and asked for the copy of "La La Land" that was put aside for me. He looked completely blank and asked "Is That a Toy?" He absolutely had never heard of the movie! (I began to doubt that he had ever heard of home video!)
That kind of thing really irritates me and I am afraid that despite my shins getting black and blue from my wife's kicks I got rather nasty.
I told him it was one of the top movies of the year and asked if he had spent the last 6 months with a paper bag over his head!

We went to the electronics section told our story and the clerk back there immediately got one for us. He also could not believe that the guy at the front did not know what we were talking about.

There are a lot of things in this world that hold no interest for me, but there are things like TV news, the radio, the internet and we still get the paper. At least I have usually heard of most things, especially if they mistakenly get called to pick up the best picture oscar!

Happens quite a bit here in the Colonies. Canada's a much nicer place.

And you can have penguins as pets...

 

[TJPC]

Happens quite a bit here in the Colonies. Canada's a much nicer place.

And you can have penguins as pets...

Please! That's Antarctica here we only have Moose, Beaver, and Polar Bears for pets.

Seriously, I grew up in Windsor, which is actually further south than the northern border of California, and notoriously hot in summer and flat as a pan cake. I had friends who were border guards and at least once a summer a carload of Americans would cross the border with skis on their car and want to know how far to the nearest ski hill.

 

[Robert Harris]

Please! That's Antarctica here we only have Moose, Beaver, and Polar Bears for pets.

Seriously, I grew up in Windsor, which is actually further south than the northern border of California, and notoriously hot in summer and flat as a pan cake. I had friends who were border guards and at least once a summer a carload of Americans would cross the border with skis on their car and want to know how far to the nearest ski hill.

My farthest north friend was born and bred in South Porcupine, Timmons. Tons of friends in Toronto, Gatineau and all points south.

Love Canada!