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A Few Words About A few words about...™ The Wild Bunch -- in BD & HD (1 Viewer)

Fair enough. I found it incredibly disappointing, viewing in HD for the first time in 2009. It looks to me like they were afraid of how grainy it looked and threw it out of focus and then sharpened (or, as they say, DNR'd and EE'd.) As much as I like the film, I found it difficult to watch; but that's just another perspective to add to this thread.
 

Brian Borst

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I thought it looked pretty good. It was on the Blu-ray that I really loved the movie for the first time. The previous times I watched it (panned and scanned on television and the SE dvd) it never really did anything for me, for some reason. The bigger screen may also have something to do with it.
 

Winston T. Boogie

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I seem to recall that there was a new upgraded version of The Wild Bunch coming to blu-ray, in I think a new 4K scan...is that happening? Or am I confused?
 

Alan Tully

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Reggie W said:
I seem to recall that there was a new upgraded version of The Wild Bunch coming to blu-ray, in I think a new 4K scan...is that happening? Or am I confused?
I think the news about a new 4K transfer was broken by Twilght Time the year before last. So I was hoping last year, now I'm hoping for this year...along with the three other Peckinpah westerns. There's always hope.
 

Twilight Time

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Just wanted to clarify that no-one at Twilight Time has said anything about a new 4k transfer of The Wild Bunch - we wish it were so but highly unlikely!
 

Alan Tully

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Twilight Time said:
Just wanted to clarify that no-one at Twilight Time has said anything about a new 4k transfer of The Wild Bunch - we wish it were so but highly unlikely!
Sorry, I (sort of) remember someone mentioning it as part of a long answer about something else, & I thought I remembered it was Nick Redmond, but am obviously wrong. I'll see if I can find the quote, not too hopeful as it was a couple of years ago. Whatever, nothing's turned up yet.


Edit. Bloody well found it. A T.T. post from August 13 2013:


Hi Richard--we will most likely consider a release of STAGECOACH on blu-ray down the line...it is a very nice transfer. As for PG & BTK, we'd love it of course but no chance...hopefully WB will revisit it as they are with The Wild Bunch for 2014...


& you're right, you say nothing about 4K. Sorry. See what slender straws we grab at.
 

Twilight Time

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Yes, and actually nothing about a new transfer at all...it might just be revisited as straight reissue if WB even ever gets around to that...
 

haineshisway

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Warners really needs to step up and do The Searchers and The Wild Bunch - both deserve the best and neither have it. The Searchers would even be easier in a way, because with a little color correction that one could be great even using the same transfer - but it's been quite a while since that transfer was done and I think we know there have been advances all the way down the line.
 

PaulDA

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Robert Harris said:
A 4k image harvest of Mr. Peckinpah's magnum opus would make a wonderful DCP for theatrical. My roadshow print is at the Academy.


RAH
Seems like I started buying HD DVDs (I have The Wild Bunch in that format) not so long ago, but it's coming on 8 years for me. I bought it in large part owing to your glowing recommendation then. I suspect it would be less glowing today (though it still looks quite good on my current setup--it too, regarding display tech, goes back about 8 years, so not all that surprising). Certainly would buy it again if significantly improved (I won't have the same display forever) but I won't bother if it's just a re-issue, unless my HD DVD disc or player gives up the ghost.
 

OliverK

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Robert Harris said:
A 4k image harvest of Mr. Peckinpah's magnum opus would make a wonderful DCP for theatrical. My roadshow print is at the Academy.


RAH

I had the pleasure to see a roll of a 70mm roadshow print of the Wild Bunch and I was pleasantly surprised about the level of detail present in well lit outdoor scenes. Certainly worthy to be revisited and rediscovered with a 4k DCP. Not sure though if at first I'd want the other Peckinpah westerns that Warner still hasn't released to Blu-ray...
 

JoHud

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With a title as high profile as this, it's only a matter of time until we see a remaster. I'm guessing they're planning on waiting X number of years after the first release before planning a second (not including repackaged sets).
 

Robert Harris

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We're right on the cusp between BD and UHD.

I'd bet that many of the titles that would be worthwhile in 3.8k, will show up on that format.

RAH
 

Dr Griffin

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One of my favorites also. I saw the theatrical reissue about 20 years ago, and enjoy the present Blu-ray. Add me to the list for a new scan and release.
 

Robert Crawford

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Robert Harris said:
We're right on the cusp between BD and UHD.

I'd bet that many of the titles that would be worthwhile in 3.8k, will show up on that format.

RAH
It's too bad that market will be a niche one as I don't see many people upgrading to it.
 

Dr Griffin

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Robert Crawford said:
It's too bad that market will be a niche one as I don't see many people upgrading to it.

I wonder how long we'll see a period of new releases on all three disc formats?
 

Mike Boone

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Robert Crawford said:
It's too bad that market will be a niche one as I don't see many people upgrading to it.

Robert, I believe you are exactly right because the difference between 1080p Blu-rays upconverted on an UHD display and native UHD is very small on all but the very largest screens, unless unusually close seating distances are used. UHD Blu-rays that would have HDR added to the mix would be a different story, but the problem there is that when UHD Blu-ray is launched only a very tiny proportion of the UHD TVs in use will be HDR capable.


We are now more than 2 years into the UHD era, yet, only a couple models of HDR capable UHD TVs are just beginning to be offered, but at the kind of high end prices that most buyers of new UHD TVs simply won't pay. (most buyers of UHD TVs are not videophiles, but are just folks who are looking for a new TV)


When UHD Blu-ray hits the market around Christmas, I'd be surprised if more than 1 or 2% of the UHD TVs in peoples homes will be HDR capable. So when most UHD TV owners decide to try out the new Blu-ray format by buying a favorite movie released on UHD Blu-ray, IMO, many of these people will be quite unimpressed by the amount of improvement they can see compared to the upconversion of the 1080p Blu-ray that was already in their collection. That is when the rubber will meet the road, with many folks deciding that triple or quadruple dipping (if not worse) to have their film favorites in still another format, has finally gone too far past the point of diminishing returns to make even more expensive discs worth spending money on.


In some of his 1080p Blu-ray reviews, film authority Robert Harris has used the phrase "replicates to perfection" to describe how a high quality Blu-ray compares to a quality print of the same film. Films like A Man For All Seasons, 1966's The Professionals, and Lawrence of Arabia are simply stunning on our 80 inch screen with the Blu-rays we have now. When the 50th Anniversary My Fair Lady Blu-ray and the Blu-ray of the newly restored Spartacus are finally available, we will basically have 99% of our film favorites in a Blu-ray collection which will exceed 600 movies, by then. I'm just not willing to start the whole process all over again. People can accuse me of having low standards, but a Blu-ray that already looks as good as a quality film print, is good enough for me. (I would concede that UHD versions of digitally shot movies might present a more worthwhile difference. Problem is, not too many of the movies that I'm a big fan of were shot with digital cameras)
 

Alan Tully

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I was in the mood for a western last night, so I looked at the Blu-ray of The Wild Bunch, a true classic that's more than stood the test of time, I love it. The Blu-ray is showing its age a bit. I can't put my finger on it, I dunno, too much of both noise reduction & sharpening, & some if it looks a bit brown. I just think it wouldn't get the same great reviews now that it got in 2007, that must be a good thing, it shows how far on standards have come in eight years.
 

DP 70

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I saw this in 70mm at the Astoria in London and I remember it looked excellent for a blow up.
 

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