A Few Words About A few words about...™ Bram Stoker's Dracula -- in BD (1 Viewer)

[Robert Harris]

This is one of those cases for which screen shots are very misleading. Very little to be learned here without viewing the film in a proper environment.

 

[PaulDA]

I recently watched this on BD (finally got around to opening my copy) and it was fantastic. I've seen it at the cinema, on broadcast TV, VHS and DVD--it has never looked as good as it does on the BD (in my dedicated, light controlled "man-cave").

 

This was fantastic on blu! This is how I remembered it at the theatre-dark and sickly. But very beautiful.

 

[Flemming.K]

I haven't watched a blu-ray disc in my library as many times as this one. This is one of the largest improvements from DVD to BD I've seen. This is now such a different movie to watch than before. Dark, hauntingly beautiful compositions, colors and use of old-school effects.

Watching this on a projector with huge native contrast, really makes the difference. I can understand people that don't like it, compared to the DVD Superbit release. I bet their equipment can not portray the inherent pixels as they should be seen.

I've always liked the movie, but I consider it a masterpiece from Coppola, in this release.

 

[Konstantinos]

Sorry to bump this old thread but I was thinking:

First of all Dracula is one of my favourite films, it's the first film I saw twice at the cinema and I haven't bought the bluray due to the "issues" (or not) that have been more or less described.

So.. 8 years now after its release, that we're looking at Blurays with a new eye (I mean some early Blurays that were consideded exceptional back then, seem bad now with today's standards ), do you think this film would need a 4K restoration which will bring out its stunning cinematography?


A restoration that will bring clarity, detail and grain depiction on this level?

http://caps-a-holic.com/hd_vergleiche/multi_comparison.php?disc1=3622&disc2=3624&cap1=33545&cap2=33541&art=full&image=2&hd_multiID=1505&action=1&lossless=#vergleich

http://caps-a-holic.com/hd_vergleiche/multi_comparison.php?disc1=3622&disc2=3624&cap1=33529&cap2=33519&art=full&image=4&hd_multiID=1505&action=1&lossless=#vergleich


(I usually use the Arrow release of Cinema Paradiso as a reference, because I find it exceptional, although it's a 2K restoration and not 4K like I mentioned above)

 

[Ronald Epstein]

Konstantinos,


You bring up two interesting questions by bumping this post -- one of which I know you can answer....


Firstly, for everyone, I would love that question answered. I don't think I have watched my BD of BSD in years. It is such a great film. Would love to revisit it at some point.


Secondly, for Konstantinos...


I am a huge fan of Cinema Paradiso -- particularly the longer cut.


I don't think the longer cut is available here in the United States on Blu-ray.


Is the Arrow release (which would be an import for U.S.) the longer, Directors cut? Seems like you are very impressed with it.

 

[Konstantinos]

Hello Ronald.

The Arrow release includes BOTH cuts, in 2 discs!

I personally haven't seen the director's cut yet (wherever I read, people say to avoid it), but both of them have the same quality.

From what I understand you like it better than the theatrical one.

But, take into account that it is Region B.

 

[Robert Harris]

Sorry to bump this old thread but I was thinking:

First of all Dracula is one of my favourite films, it's the first film I saw twice at the cinema and I haven't bought the bluray due to the "issues" (or not) that have been more or less described.

So.. 8 years now after its release, that we're looking at Blurays with a new eye (I mean some early Blurays that were consideded exceptional back then, seem bad now with today's standards ), do you think this film would need a 4K restoration which will bring out its stunning cinematography?


A restoration that will bring clarity, detail and grain depiction on this level?

http://caps-a-holic.com/hd_vergleiche/multi_comparison.php?disc1=3622&disc2=3624&cap1=33545&cap2=33541&art=full&image=2&hd_multiID=1505&action=1&lossless=#vergleich

http://caps-a-holic.com/hd_vergleiche/multi_comparison.php?disc1=3622&disc2=3624&cap1=33529&cap2=33519&art=full&image=4&hd_multiID=1505&action=1&lossless=#vergleich


(I usually use the Arrow release of Cinema Paradiso as a reference, because I find it exceptional, although it's a 2K restoration and not 4K like I mentioned above)

Sorry, but I find great humor in the fact that people use the term 4k "restoration" regarding modern films.


No one seems to simply make a new copy from an extant perfect negative.


RAH

 

[Michel_Hafner]

Copies are out, scans/transfers/DCPs are in.

The Criterion discs regularly mention new 2K/4K scans of films less old than "Dracula". It's not a restoration, of course, but "clean up" is part of the package. "Dracula" needs no restoration, I guess, but the current BD could be topped with a new scan.

 

[Konstantinos]

Ok, then, I'm sorry. I should have used the word "scan" from what I understood?

And what scan is the one from which that Bluray was released?

Because I see there are Blurays that have much better depiction of grain, as I tried to show with my example.

So, is this a "scan" issue or an "encoding" issue?

 

[Dr Griffin]

I know it's an earlier format release, with less of a bit-rate than the BD 50 could have easily handled, but it is MPEG-4 AVC. I'd like to see a DTS HD audio track, but I wonder how much the image could be improved considering the first release was already matched and approved.

 

[Josh Steinberg]

Still looks pretty good to me!

I had a roommate at the time this came out who was a big fan of the movie, but SD all the way. When I saw how the disc looked on my (then new) HDTV, I told the roommate, "you need to drop whatever you're doing and come up and see this - this movie has never looked this good!" - on the face of it, it might seem an odd demo disc, but compare the BD to the original DVD version and it's mindblowing.

 

[Konstantinos]

considering the first release was already matched and approved.

...in 2007.

 

[davidmatychuk]

I wish that the special features exclusive to Criterion's CAV laserdisc had found their way to Columbia's Blu-Ray. There was a very interesting music-and-effects track as you can imagine (in mono on an analog track, but the Blu-Ray could have been stereo or even 5.1, of course), a nice still frame section, and best of all, a "hands on editing workshop", with multiple takes of an early scene between Keanu and Winona, that the viewer could put together however they saw fit. Everyone who came over in the mid-90's to watch movies gave it a shot, let me tell you. Hours of fun! And now, as per the euphoniously-named Keanu Reeves, "I must dash!".

 

[Dr Griffin]

Mr. Harris' post (#85) from page 5 should go down as an all time classic in the annals of HTF lore.


"This thread has become confusing enough, with viewers referring to past incarnations of the subject on home video, theatrical screenings by memory, strips of film, and some who have not yet even viewed the disc in question. Taking the proverbial cake, however, is the use of digital photographs of color litho plates from a book as evidence of color propriety for a film. In short, I believe that this entire thread is now going off the deep end and reading much like a Christopher Guest production. Since this is a High Definition forum, might we at least eliminate postings based upon those who are now chiming in after viewing on stardard definition? SD and an HD images are quite dissimilar. The point should also be made that this disc was meant to be viewed on HD monitors, and will appear different at each level of resolution. Those viewing at 1920 will perceive a far different image than those viewing at 720." RAH

 

[Michel_Hafner]

Anything scanned 10 years ago can now be scanned with the latest hardware and will look more accurate than before. Not a huge difference but visible. 20 years ago? Big difference! And what can be done digitally to fix issues is far beyond what could be done when Blu Ray arrived. So basically anything released in the early days of Blu Ray can now look visibly better (e.g. closer to the original intended look) than back then, except maybe very high bit rate direct digital material (Pixar etc.).

 

[Dr Griffin]

I know there have been a lot of advances and refinements since this transfer was done, but I viewed it again and don't see it being a top priority. The scenes mentioned where the color seems to be washed out do not look to me as extreme, and were probably a choice during filming. There may be a chance for a new 4K scan and transfer for UHD Blu-ray.

 

[Oblivion138]

I believe the desaturated colors are a very deliberate artistic choice when and where they are employed. Through many years of SD home video iterations and television broadcasts, the film did gain a reputation for extremely vivid (in some instances, one could even say "over-the-top") color and saturation. In bygone days of home video, many a film was brightened and color-boosted specifically for viewing on CRT displays. And so, it is certainly reasonable for people who are used to that look for the film to be somewhat taken aback when they see a much darker, more desturated look in the remaster. But I have to say, personally (and I lay no claim to any knowledge regarding the fidelity of either look to an original answer print), that when I look at both versions, without applying any preconceived notions of how the film is "supposed to look," I find that the darker, selectively desaturated look feels more appropriate to the tone and content of the film. And especially with regard to the complexions of undead characters, where all of the warmth has been (appropriately, I think) leached out. On past transfers, the pink of Lucy's skin still shone through the make-up. On the BD, she almost looks as if she's carved from white stone.

 

[Konstantinos]

Dracula is coming again in October in a limited and regular release!!


http://dvdlist.kazart.com/queryDVDList2.php3?id=8219926

http://dvdlist.kazart.com/queryDVDList2.php3?id=8219927

(thanks for the heads up to Mifunefan at bluray.com)


Those of us that weren't happy with the original Bluray colors with the green fires, moon and darkness that obscured visual effects, let's hope for a remaster that will "correct" these!!

 

[Konstantinos]

http://www.amazon.ca/Stokers-Dracula-4K-Mastered-Bilingual-Blu-ray/dp/B012O1GA0G


"4K Mastered"


Really looking forward to see how this will compare to the previous Bluray.