UHD Review A Few Words About A few words about...™ - Panic Room -- in 4k UHD (1 Viewer)

[Robert Harris]

Reported to be "coming soon" for decades, David Fincher's beautifully crafted Panic Room has finally arrived on 4k UHD courtesy of Sony.

I've always felt that anything with Jodie Foster was worthwhile, but this film places her at another level, with a young teen at her side. The kid gives a fine performance. Not certain if she ever went further.

Fine screenplay from David Koepp.

Shot on film (35/3) and finished in 2002 as a 2k DI, this is a brand new scan from the original negative elements, in 4k.

Huge kudos to Columbia / Sony!

The new 4k looks terrific in all regards.

My comparisons, which are to the original Edison cylinder release, glow vs the original.

Audio, now in Dolby Atmos is also an upgrade, especially when compared to the original Edison audio.

Only downside here is the packaging, which is poorly designed. I'm not referring to the Steelbook, which will be beloved by many, but to what might be considered "printing" on the discs.

Someone had decided to use black ink against a dark smoke background for the title of the film, which is readable unless you're in dim lighting.

The problem is that there is virtually no means of distinguishing 4k from 2k from extras, as that portion of the typography is in translucent smoke, and basically unreadable. Brail might have helped.

Image (Dolby Vision)

Forensic - 10
NSD - 10

Audio – 10 (Dolby Atmos)

Pass / Fail – Pass

Plays nicely with projectors - Yes

Upgrade from Edison cylinder - Absolutely

Makes use of and works well in 4k - 10

Worth your attention - 10

Slipcover rating - 10 (Steelbook) / minus 10 disc labeling

Looks like Film - 5

Very Highly Recommended


RAH



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[FincherFan]

to the great Robert Harris, thank you for thinking the same as i have for the past 22+ years "David Fincher's beautifully crafted Panic Room"

 

[Robert Harris]

I should make the point outside of the review, that this is NOT an uprez of the old 2k DI.

This is a brand new scan of the original negatives.

 

[Jeffrey D]

Haven’t watched the film in a while, so looking forward to watching the UHD.

 

[JoshZ]

I should make the point outside of the review, that this is NOT an uprez of the old 2k DI.

This is a brand new scan of the original negatives.

Oh good, more opportunity for Fincher to completely trash all the original color grading, delete footage, and use A.I. to "fix" things that in no way ever needed fixing.

 

[Robert Harris]

Oh good, more opportunity for Fincher to completely trash all the original color grading, delete footage, and use A.I. to "fix" things that in no way ever needed fixing.

You’re being very negative, Josh. Try a nice Merlot.

 

[mskaye]

Oh good, more opportunity for Fincher to completely trash all the original color grading, delete footage, and use A.I. to "fix" things that in no way ever needed fixing.

Artists have been revising works forever. DaVinci. Stravinsky. Bruckner. Matisse. Picasso. Chaplin. Countless authors. Countless others. Sometimes money is the reason. Sometimes creative decisions. Sometimes both. As the authors, they are entitled to do what they want with their creations whether we like it or not. Can you imagine the uproar if the HTF was around in 1968 when Kubrick cut out 17minutes from 2001 A Space Odyssey a few days after its premiere?

 

[Scott Merryfield]

I never owned the original Edison cylinder release. Can you comment on how this compares to the more recent IBM punch card transfer?

 

[Dave H]

Oh good, more opportunity for Fincher to completely trash all the original color grading, delete footage, and use A.I. to "fix" things that in no way ever needed fixing.

Or it could have been a Kill Bill situation (which is a mess on UHD, in my opinion).

 

[Robert Harris]

Artists have been revising works forever. DaVinci. Stravinsky. Bruckner. Matisse. Picasso. Chaplin. Countless authors. Countless others. Sometimes money is the reason. Sometimes creative decisions. Sometimes both. As the authors, they are entitled to do what they want with their creations whether we like it or not. Can you imagine the uproar if the HTF was around in 1968 when Kubrick cut out 17minutes from 2001 A Space Odyssey a few days after its premiere?

And made it a far superior film.

 

[Robert Harris]

I never owned the original Edison cylinder release. Can you comment on how this compares to the more recent IBM punch card transfer?

Punch cards were better, but the weight, especially in trays, was not a positive attribute.

 

[dpippel]

You’re being very negative, Josh. Try a nice Merlot.

 

[Wayne Klein]

Artists have been revising works forever. DaVinci. Stravinsky. Bruckner. Matisse. Picasso. Chaplin. Countless authors. Countless others. Sometimes money is the reason. Sometimes creative decisions. Sometimes both. As the authors, they are entitled to do what they want with their creations whether we like it or not. Can you imagine the uproar if the HTF was around in 1968 when Kubrick cut out 17minutes from 2001 A Space Odyssey a few days after its premiere?

Slightly different situation with 2001. If Kubrick had continued to change his films, say, up to the 4K release (which obviously came a long t8me after his death), replacing shots, etc. different story. I disagree myself. Once an author puts his work out there, it also becomes part of the world. If he or she wants to alter it but keep the original version available, different story.

It’s not like most of the artists mentioned altered their work twenty years after they put it out there. Kubrick WAS a perfectionist but moved on and regarded the work as complete as he could achieve. We aren’t talking JUST about revisionist color timing either for “seven”

 

[FincherFan]

why is anyone bringing up this revisonist BS?

i know Mr. Fincher made changes to Se7en, but have any changes been confirmed that were made to this film? if so. please send me a link because i’d love to know before i start complaining about something i haven’t yet seen either.

 

[JoshZ]

why is anyone bringing up this revisonist BS?

i know Mr. Fincher made changes to Se7en, but have any changes been confirmed that were made to this film? if so. please send me a link because i’d love to know before i start complaining about something i haven’t yet seen either.

The changes haven't been catalogued yet, but that doesn't mean they won't be. Due to its long unavailability on Blu-ray, most fans aren't as intimately familiar with Panic Room as they are with Se7en.

The extent of the ridiculous alterations he made to Se7en demonstrate that Fincher has a pretty intense level of Obsessive Compulsion. That sort of thing can't be sated until he's gone back and "fixed" every single shot of every single movie he's ever made. Even then, of course, he'll need to start over and fix them again afterwards in a never-ending cycle.

 

[Lord Dalek]

I should make the point outside of the review, that this is NOT an uprez of the old 2k DI.

This is a brand new scan of the original negatives.

Oh good. That DI is so old, even uprezzing wouldn't help it that much.

 

[Lord Dalek]

The changes haven't been catalogued yet, but that doesn't mean they won't be. Due to its long unavailability on Blu-ray, most fans aren't as intimately familiar with Panic Room as they are with Se7en.

The extent of the ridiculous alterations he made to Se7en demonstrate that Fincher has a pretty intense level of Obsessive Compulsion. That sort of thing can't be sated until he's gone back and "fixed" every single shot of every single movie he's ever made. Even then, of course, he'll need to start over and fix them again afterwards in a never-ending cycle.

And even then, there's one movie of his he'll NEVER fix.

 

[SD_Brian]

Seems to me there are two kinds of obsessive-compulsive here: Those who obsessively tinker with their own work toward some unattainable goal of perfection, and those who obsessively catalog said changes in nostalgic lament of the "original theatrical experience."

 

[Robert Crawford]

Seems to me there are two kinds of obsessive-compulsive here: Those who obsessively tinker with their own work toward some unattainable goal of perfection, and those who obsessively catalog said changes in nostalgic lament of the "original theatrical experience."

Thank you!

 

[mskaye]

Slightly different situation with 2001.

Of course I know that. I was simply making a joke about what might have occurred in 1968 with the people who take the decision of a filmmaker to revise his/her work as an existential threat.

Seems to me there are two kinds of obsessive-compulsive here: Those who obsessively tinker with their own work toward some unattainable goal of perfection, and those who obsessively catalog said changes in nostalgic lament of the "original theatrical experience."

Well said!