Blu-ray Review A Few Words About A few words about…™ Ordinary People – in Blu-ray (1 Viewer)

[Robert Harris]

When the boxed set of "Paramount" Best Pictures was released a year ago on Blu-ray, it was called the Essential set, and I'm not certain why as it might have been easier to drop a couple add some, and give the world all of the Best Pictures from the studio.

Could be wrong, but I come up with twelve. Two are now owned by Universal (Going My Way and Lost Weekend), so that would leave ten.

I'm presuming that Ordinary People wasn't included because a re-scan was going to occur. Ditto for Greatest Show on Earth.

Two were included, which aren't Paramount productions.

So...

Ten films could have been included (possibly all twelve via a deal with Universal), but this didn't occur.

Therefore we have the Essential Collection.

In any case, we now have a Blu release of Ordinary People, the 1980 Best Picture, directed by Robert Redford.

Great film - no news there.

But it's also a lovely disc, with all tech item seemingly in place, although I always look at the grain, and wonder. Looks fine here, regardless.

Image – 5

Audio – 5

Pass / Fail – Pass

Upgrade from DVD – Yes

Works up-rezzed to 4k - Yes

Very Highly Recommended

RAH

 

[compson]

Loved the movie. It would be a Day 1 purchase for me on UHD, but Paramount’s approach makes a Blu-ray a tough choice. I felt like a sap paying for Love Story on BD and then watching the superior 4K download instead. What’s more, if I wait, Paramount may offer the movie on UHD. For now, I’ll wait for price drops on the 4K downloads of this and Reds, but I’ll buy UHDs if they come out.

 

[RMajidi]

Whilst appreciated by many, it’s a shame that the award of a major accolade served to actually diminish this great work in the estimation of many others.

Perhaps if another worthy candidate had been awarded instead, this film might be seen in a more benevolent light.

Awards don’t add or detract from a film. The quality of the film itself is the thing.

Some excellent offerings that year. This one helped a junior member of our family decades after its release - evidence of its lasting impact and brilliance.

Very pleased that we’re finally getting a fitting release, as the local Oz Blu-ray wasn’t much better than the prior drab-quality DVD.

 

[ManW_TheUncool]

Loved the movie. It would be a Day 1 purchase for me on UHD, but Paramount’s approach makes a Blu-ray a tough choice. I felt like a sap paying for Love Story on BD and then watching the superior 4K download instead. What’s more, if I wait, Paramount may offer the movie on UHD. For now, I’ll wait for price drops on the 4K downloads of this and Reds, but I’ll buy UHDs if they come out.

Yeah, I've been feeling a bit that way as well... though this definitely isn't just a Paramount thing... but I'm still glad to be able to get the 4K digital essentially for just $5 (easily enough) or even just have it upgraded for free if I do get a BD w/ iTunes DC (though not all of Paramount's BDs include iTunes DCs)...

_Man_

 

[PMF]

As long as guilt, regret, remorse and isolation still plays a part within the human race, films like Ordinary People will survive and play to the ages. This film is every bit as important and impactful as are the other four often debated nominees for Best Picture from 1980; whereas Ordinary People shone its light upon topics that remain more accessible to the daily life experiences of its audience. With that said, I still wouldn’t want to part with any of the films from that year.

And the alphabetical winners are:
Coal Miners Daughter
The Elephant Man
Ordinary People
Raging Bull
Tess

 

[Thomas T]

Well, unlike Compson and ManW, I'm quite happy to have this on blu ray. Looking forward to the much needed upgrade from the DVD.

 

[PMF]

Well, unlike Compson and ManW, I'm quite happy to have this on blu ray. Looking forward to the much needed upgrade from the DVD.

And might I add, short of the quizzical transfer of To Catch a Thief, that I’m quite happy with the entire program of BD releases that have been derived from the Paramount Presents collection..

 

[Winston T. Boogie]

When the boxed set of "Paramount" Best Pictures was released a year ago on Blu-ray, it was called the Essential set, and I'm not certain why as it might have been easier to drop a couple add some, and give the world all of the Best Pictures from the studio.

Could be wrong, but I come up with twelve. Two are now owned by Universal (Going My Way and Lost Weekend), so that would leave ten.

I'm presuming that Ordinary People wasn't included because a re-scan was going to occur. Ditto for Greatest Show on Earth.

Two were included, which aren't Paramount productions.

So...

Ten films could have been included (possibly all twelve via a deal with Universal), but this didn't occur.

Therefore we have the Essential Collection.

In any case, we now have a Blu release of Ordinary People, the 1980 Best Picture, directed by Robert Redford.

Great film - no news there.

But it's also a lovely disc, with all tech item seemingly in place, although I always look at the grain, and wonder. Looks fine here, regardless.

Image – 5

Audio – 5

Pass / Fail – Pass

Upgrade from DVD – Yes

Works up-rezzed to 4k - Yes

Very Highly Recommended

RAH

Fantastic news, I am excited to pick this up. I have not seen this picture in many years now.

 

[Dick]

Gotta be better than the Shock label Blu-ray I bought a couple of years ago. Pretty awful, that one.

 

[maxfabien]

Great news! Now it's down to just six more Best Picture Oscar winners that need Blu-ray release. "Broadway Melody", "Cimarron", "The Great Ziegfeld", "The Life of Emile Zola", "Hamlet" (1948), and "Around the World in 80 Days".

 

[ahollis]

Great news! Now it's down to just six more Best Picture Oscar winners that need Blu-ray release. "Broadway Melody", "Cimarron", "The Great Ziegfeld", "The Life of Emile Zola", "Hamlet" (1948), and "Around the World in 80 Days".

You may see Around The World In 80 Days sooner than you think.

 

[Noel Aguirre]

You may see Around The World In 80 Days sooner than you think.

And a must for a 4K disc otherwise why bothuh?.

 

[Bryan^H]

I haven't watched this in over 20 years since the DVD was released in 2001. Time flies.

The new BD is beautiful. Very happy with this purchase.

 

[PaulaJ]

You may see Around The World In 80 Days sooner than you think.

!!!!! Just had to express my excitement at this mention. And yes, fingers crossed for 4K.

 

[trajan007]

Just finished ORDINARY PEOPLE . This is a beautiful transfer worthy of its Best Picture status. Bravo to Paramount!

 

[battlebeast]

You may see Around The World In 80 Days sooner than you think.

Oh? Do you know something we don’t?

 

[ahollis]

Oh? Do you know something we don’t?

Maybe.

 

[trajan007]

Maybe.

Does Robert Harris know something we don't?

 

[Malcolm R]

Does Robert Harris know something we don't?

RH knows an infinite number of things that we don't.

 

[Kyle_D]

Whilst appreciated by many, it’s a shame that the award of a major accolade served to actually diminish this great work in the estimation of many others.

Perhaps if another worthy candidate had been awarded instead, this film might be seen in a more benevolent light.

Awards don’t add or detract from a film. The quality of the film itself is the thing.

Agreed. Audiences give way too much weight to the Academy as an authority and arbiter of quality, and it leads to the over-criticism of so-called "undeserving" winners. The best thing about the Oscars was that that they incentivized studios to finance films that they might not have otherwise financed if there weren't awards potential to bolster box office (and producers' egos). Unfortunately, the Academy's influence in that arena seems to be fading.