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A Few Words About A few words about...™ Destry Rides Again - in Blu-ray (1 Viewer)

Robert Harris

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Here's a bona fide classic Universal title from Criterion.

The wonderful classic from 1939, Destry Rides Again.

James Stewart taking second billing to Marlene Dietrich, as directed by George Marshall, who'd been working in film since 1915.

One for the ages, so just grab a copy.

It's a new 4k restoration from best surviving elements, the way it should be done.

Image is nicely resolved, with appropriate grain structure, good blacks, and a pleasant gray scale. No problems.

Image - 4.25

Audio - 5

Pass / Fail - Pass

Upgrade from DVD - Absolutely!

Highly Recommended

RAH
 

Robert Crawford

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Some people criticized this Criterion Blu-ray as being too soft or smeary. However, I thought it looked fantastic and is a distinct improvement over the Koch German Blu-ray.
 

Robert Harris

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Another criticism was too much DNR which seems to be a common complaint.

possibly I’m overtired. Been writing quite a bit. But I didn’t anything unpleasant. You‘ll always get a tiny bit of smoothing if automated tools are used. It actually appeared better than expected.
 

Daniel Melius

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Thanks for your views of this film. It convinced me to pick it up at barnes and noble in july.

Considering it is now an imposibility to get any koch media title mailed to the states, criterions version is the only game in town. I am very glad now that i already have koch's double disc (uncut and cut versions of for whom the bell tolls. Its really the only prints worth anything but impossible to get now with the crisis and now that i think its out of print. I am really going to miss koch's western releases but alas they are no more to people living in the states.

Thank God that masters of cinema and indicator titles can be bought directly on their sites and mailed to the states.
 
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Robert Crawford

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possibly I’m overtired. Been writing quite a bit. But I didn’t anything unpleasant. You‘ll always get a tiny bit of smoothing if automated tools are used. It actually appeared better than expected.
That's what I thought after watching the Criterion disc in its entirety, I thought it looked outstanding. I then did a comparison of a few sequences between the Koch Blu-ray and this release. IMO, the Criterion disc clearly outshined the Koch disc.
 

obscurelabel

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I know that screenshots may not represent what a disc looks like in motion and all the caveats about how the images might have been captured. I also stipulate that I am no expert on what a film should look like. But boy do the DVDBeaver caps of the Criterion blu ray look like the image has been overly processed (or maybe poorly processed). Looks like all the original grain has been smoothed over and replaced with (a little) fake grain. I was immediately reminded of the Criterion Children of Paradise blu ray which sticks in my mind as the most over (poorly) processed disc that the company has released; they look quite similar. (I am aware that Criterion are limited by the master they receive from the studio). To me the DVDBeaver Koch caps show what may be some sharpening and/or brightening but to my eye they look much more natural than the Criterions.

Just my opinions.
 

Tino

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I know that screenshots may not represent what a disc looks like in motion and all the caveats about how the images might have been captured. I also stipulate that I am no expert on what a film should look like. But boy do the DVDBeaver caps of the Criterion blu ray look like the image has been overly processed (or maybe poorly processed). Looks like all the original grain has been smoothed over and replaced with (a little) fake grain. I was immediately reminded of the Criterion Children of Paradise blu ray which sticks in my mind as the most over (poorly) processed disc that the company has released; they look quite similar. (I am aware that Criterion are limited by the master they receive from the studio). To me the DVDBeaver Koch caps show what may be some sharpening and/or brightening but to my eye they look much more natural than the Criterions.

Just my opinions.
So you’re basing your opinions on screen caps of a film you haven’t seen while those above who have actually seen it say it looks fine. I’ll go with the opinions of the latter for among other reasons the primary ones being in your first sentence. ;)
 

Michel_Hafner

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To me the DVDBeaver Koch caps show what may be some sharpening and/or brightening but to my eye they look much more natural than the Criterions.
Just my opinions.
I agree. The Criterion is oversmoothed and I prefer the Koch concerning grain. If it only had the higher bitrate of the Criterion and less sharpening.
 

ArnoldLayne

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So you’re basing your opinions on screen caps of a film you haven’t seen while those above who have actually seen it say it looks fine. I’ll go with the opinions of the latter for among other reasons the primary ones being in your first sentence. ;)
You're entitled to your opinion and so is the OP. No reason to be snarky, his comments were well-measured. And BTW screen caps are a useful tool in analyzing the digital video on a BD.
 

Tino

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And BTW screen caps are a useful tool in analyzing the digital video on a BD.
I disagree as they are often misrepresentative of the film in motion as has been proven many times( and actually referenced in said post).

And thanks for telling me I’m entitled to my opinion (now that was snark ;)).
 

Garysb

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I liked how the film looked on Peacock. I assume it was the same source as the Criterion.
 

jim_falconer

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I just purchased both this disc and criterion’s 1936 Showboat. To me, Showboat is somewhat inferior in the visual department. I’ve never seen Destry look so good, as it does on this release. This is all subjective of course, and my opinion alone. But looking at RAH’s scores for image, I would have reversed them for Destry and Showboat.

As I say, I know I’m most likely in the minority on this.
 

Daniel Melius

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I only have the criterion blu ray but am happy with the presentation. With the naked spur release i will now have all of the mann stewart westerns on blu ray since i own the german release of wincester 73. I am happy with that one as well until criterion decides to release it eventually.
 

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