What's new

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

Robert Harris

Archivist
Reviewer
Senior HTF Member
Joined
Feb 8, 1999
Messages
18,311
Real Name
Robert Harris
Jim Henson's, now three decade old, Labyrinth, has been given the 4k UHD / HDR treatment by Columbia.

I'm not a fan of running catalog titles through HDR, as most, at best, weren't designed for it, and others can be damaged by it.

With Labyrinth, it seems to work nicely, especially in the rich blacks and highlights. Also as a result, the film's lovely velvety grain structure comes to the fore, looking quite beautiful. Grain haters need not apply.

In addition, probably because few features were being shot with Alexas or Reds in 1986, a new film scan has brought detail to the fore, allowing a more highly resolved image. When you view the film in 4k, look at the eyes.

Labyrinth is a technical marvel, and can hold one's interest on that level alone. As a story, I never found it particularly compelling. Possibly I wan't in the requisite age group.

70mm blow-ups were produced for the film's original release, along with a 6-track mag mix, which is beautifully reproduced on the new 4k disc.


Image - 5

Audio - 5 (Dolby Atmos)

4k - 5

Pass / Fail - Pass

Worth the double-dip - 5

Recommended

RAH
 

Wayne_j

Senior HTF Member
Joined
Nov 7, 2006
Messages
4,898
Real Name
Wayne
Looked good when I saw this (Non-HDR) at a fathom event last week.
 

Ray0414

Auditioning
Joined
May 12, 2016
Messages
14
Real Name
Ray
Robert, im noticing simething here.

You say you aren't a fan of running older movies through hdr treatment, but I believe you have personally approved all the catalog HDR moves you've seen so far, so it sounds like from the consumer standpoint HDR is the best way to restore a movie and bring out detail and improve the image, would that be correct on the sample of catalog HDR movies?

Which older movies do you believe we're ruined or made worse by hdr, in case I missed those reviews.
 

Robert Harris

Archivist
Reviewer
Senior HTF Member
Joined
Feb 8, 1999
Messages
18,311
Real Name
Robert Harris
Robert, im noticing simething here.

You say you aren't a fan of running older movies through hdr treatment, but I believe you have personally approved all the catalog HDR moves you've seen so far, so it sounds like from the consumer standpoint HDR is the best way to restore a movie and bring out detail and improve the image, would that be correct on the sample of catalog HDR movies?

Which older movies do you believe we're ruined or made worse by hdr, in case I missed those reviews.

It all depends upon what one considers "HDR." There really is no HDR, on/off switch. It's all about what the colorist does with
it, and how it's used on an artistic level.

My personal opinion is that HDR has been improperly used in many cases, in support of marketing to make a film appear very different from the non HDR version.

HDR has been around for quite awhile, and need not be in one's face.

Handled properly, some catalog titles may appear more film-like, while it won't work for others, especially those that have been restored and preserved using secondary elements, as at great deal must to done simply to make it look "correct." A perfect example would be My Fair Lady, a film with an extremely compromised, and incomplete negative, that is literarily, a patchwork quilt.

Same situation with The Godfather(s). You don't mess with Mr. Willis' darkness and light.

HDR does not improve detail. It merely raises levels, and as most of you are aware, contrast creates apparent sharpness.

I don't really care for most of the HDR I've seen thus far. Possibly because of the interrelationship between player and projector. It happened to work for Labyrinth.

I'll be reviewing The Shallows shortly, and for that one, even though a 2k DI, it shines in UHD.
 

Konstantinos

Senior HTF Member
Joined
Jan 26, 2014
Messages
2,748
Real Name
Konstantinos
I have a question in case anyone knows:

has this been revised in any way, meaning digitally erasing ropes/wires of the puppets here and there?
I remember reading a post in a forum to hold our old blurays too but I don't remember if the person said that it was revised or that probably it would be revised.
 

sbjork

Supporting Actor
Joined
Aug 1, 2020
Messages
720
Real Name
Stephen
I have a question in case anyone knows:

has this been revised in any way, meaning digitally erasing ropes/wires of the puppets here and there?
I remember reading a post in a forum to hold our old blurays too but I don't remember if the person said that it was revised or that probably it would be revised.

I don't know if you will see this more than two years down the road, but I just looked up RAH's review after watching the UHD this weekend, and the answer is: not in the slightest. I saw wires that I have never noticed before -- I don't even remember seeing them theatrically. The transfer is that sharp and detailed, and there is no sign of tinkering. The only thing that surprised me a bit was that the compositing of the Fireys actually looked better than it ever has before. The fine fur on them was always problematic for the optical compositing of the day, and in many shots they look like they were cut out with dull scissors. But not so much on the UHD. They certainly were not recomposited, and they don't look like they have been digitally manipulated, but maybe the extra detail from the scan helped to smooth some of their rough edges.
 

Users who are viewing this thread

Latest Articles

Forum statistics

Threads
356,814
Messages
5,123,656
Members
144,184
Latest member
H-508
Recent bookmarks
0
Top