What's new

titch

Senior HTF Member
Joined
Nov 7, 2012
Messages
2,277
Real Name
Kevin Oppegaard
I've still got the set waiting on my inbox pile, and I'm really looking forward to watching it, but at this point, I'm not looking forward to reviewing it. I'd pour myself a stiff drink before I sit down in front of the computer, but since I don't drink, I'm just going to have to soldier through.
Well, I, for one, am really looking forward to your review! I just enjoyed your very thorough review of The Texas Chainsaw Massacre on The Digital Bits. Just shows that when Second Sight hires the best in the business for restoration (Silver Salt Restoration) and the best in the business for compression (Fidelity in Motion), you really can make a silk purse out of a sow's ear ;) I need to hear from you about Picnic At Hanging Rock!
 

jayembee

Senior HTF Member
Joined
Mar 29, 2020
Messages
6,652
Location
Hamster Shire
Real Name
Jerry
It's time to move on to the next anxiety-inducing release. Apparently, StudioCanal is planning a UHD release of all three cuts of The Wicker Man (1973). Nothing said (yet) about what elements are being used.

This is no joke.

Wicker Man.jpg
 

sbjork

Supporting Actor
Joined
Aug 1, 2020
Messages
720
Real Name
Stephen
Well, I, for one, am really looking forward to your review! I just enjoyed your very thorough review of The Texas Chainsaw Massacre on The Digital Bits. Just shows that when Second Sight hires the best in the business for restoration (Silver Salt Restoration) and the best in the business for compression (Fidelity in Motion), you really can make a silk purse out of a sow's ear ;) I need to hear from you about Picnic At Hanging Rock!
Thank you. I'll get it done. The issue for me with things like that is that I'm OCD enough that once I start writing, it's going to become all-consuming before I'm finished. I lucked out with TCM in that Tim had already reviewed most of the extras, so I just added the stuff about the new commentary and rearranged what he wrote about the other extras. I went to town too much on the video/audio as it was. If it had been me doing the whole thing, it would have taken twice as long, and been twice as detailed. I'm prone to overdoing things.

Between the details about the video, the different cuts, the wealth of extras, and the packaging, Picnic will keep me busy for quite some time! At least it won't bore everyone, from the sounds of it!
 

Jonno F

Auditioning
Joined
Apr 13, 2023
Messages
3
Real Name
Jon Fisher
There is at least one tangible scene difference between the TC on the UHD and that on the SS DVD.

The sequence of Appleyard chasing the press away from the school, present in the DC, wasn't in the UK theatrical according to that older master. It's now back in, however - perhaps it was always part of the Aus release but snipped for international distribution.
 

titch

Senior HTF Member
Joined
Nov 7, 2012
Messages
2,277
Real Name
Kevin Oppegaard
DVDBeaver's review is up. He describes DNR and the absence of film grain . My copy should arrive during this week.
 

Konstantinos

Senior HTF Member
Joined
Jan 26, 2014
Messages
2,751
Real Name
Konstantinos
Funny, I'm usually sensitive to DNR, but I can't see it in those screenshots.
On the other hand, I don't like the new sepia color timing although it may suit the film.
 

titch

Senior HTF Member
Joined
Nov 7, 2012
Messages
2,277
Real Name
Kevin Oppegaard
Funny, I'm usually sensitive to DNR, but I can't see it in those screenshots.
On the other hand, I don't like the new sepia color timing although it may suit the film.
Screen captures are not the same as watching a film in motion, projected onto a large screen. I compared the old Second Sight blu-ray with the Criterion blu-ray in projection onto a 130 inch screen and there is (very light) film grain visible throughout the film. Both releases were obviously done from the same master, back in the day. It's been a while since I revisited the film and I noticed how soft the image was. I therefore wouldn't expect it to be razor sharp after a new 4K scan, as the softness of the image is inherent in the production - but there shouldn't be a total absence of film grain, unless the people in charge of the remastering decided to remove it.

I recently purchased the folk horror classic Blood On Satan's Claw on 4K UHD, released in Germany. I compared it to the US Severin blu-ray and all absolutely all film grain has been removed on the German 4K UHD. Fine details have been removed as well. It is one of the very worst examples of DNR I have seen on a 4K UHD disc.
 

tenia

Stunt Coordinator
Joined
Oct 24, 2012
Messages
186
Location
France
Real Name
Rémy
Funny, I'm usually sensitive to DNR, but I can't see it in those screenshots.
That's probably because fake grain has also been used on the picture (possibly to counter act the effects of DNR). That's why it's not a "wax disaster" but it does give faces in particular a plastic aspect, while the fake grain very often looks like noise (giving away it's fake).

Actually, it might very well be that pretty much none of the "grain field" on this 4k restoration is original.
 

Peter Neski

Screenwriter
Joined
Mar 14, 2005
Messages
1,191
While This Box set is super, The Commentary makes you wish Billy Friedkin did it, that should tell you how bad it is
 

titch

Senior HTF Member
Joined
Nov 7, 2012
Messages
2,277
Real Name
Kevin Oppegaard
Finally, I was able to watch the 4K Second Sight disc and I have to say I am disappointed. On a large screen, watching the projected image, I disagree with Mr Harris that this is far more highly resolved, than on the old Second Sight and Criterion blu-ray discs - actually, I see hardly any difference at all. For example, when looking at the opening scenes, in Mrs Appleyard's office, there seems to be less detail on the 4K image, than on the blu-rays. And wouldn't you expect to see more detail, say in the straw hats, and on the cotton dresses, which the girls are wearing? It can't all be down to soft focus and diffusion filters. All my recent 4K UHD purchases, based on scans from the original camera negatives, reveal more detail than this. And almost any remastered/rescanned video image released nowadays, compared to something made 10-12 years ago, invariably looks much cleaner and crisper. Just not on this title. I also found the colour grading odd - the flesh tones on the older master looked more authentic.
 

Josh Dial

Senior HTF Member
Joined
Jan 2, 2000
Messages
4,504
Real Name
Josh Dial
Finally, I was able to watch the 4K Second Sight disc and I have to say I am disappointed. On a large screen, watching the projected image, I disagree with Mr Harris that this is far more highly resolved, than on the old Second Sight and Criterion blu-ray discs - actually, I see hardly any difference at all. For example, when looking at the opening scenes, in Mrs Appleyard's office, there seems to be less detail on the 4K image, than on the blu-rays. And wouldn't you expect to see more detail, say in the straw hats, and on the cotton dresses, which the girls are wearing? It can't all be down to soft focus and diffusion filters. All my recent 4K UHD purchases, based on scans from the original camera negatives, reveal more detail than this. And almost any remastered/rescanned video image released nowadays, compared to something made 10-12 years ago, invariably looks much cleaner and crisper. Just not on this title. I also found the colour grading odd - the flesh tones on the older master looked more authentic.
I also watched my copy tonight.

I've noticed that our opinions (yours and mine) tend to overlap on a lot of things recently. Interestingly, for this release we part ways slightly. I watched on a 4k projected image and to my eyes I found the image quite highly resolved, but without a trace of grain (or noise). I squinted and couldn't find any. I didn't find the image to be waxy at all, and the skin, hair, and clothing looked properly textured. But I missed the grain.

I didn't mind the colour timing, though (again, to my eyes) I think it skewed just a smidge too much to the warm edge. And yet whites and off-whites looked good. My spouse (who does women's couture sewing and knows a lot about period clothing) said the colours looking "right" for 1975 trying to be 1900 Australia.

Interesting release. I'm glad I bought it as I enjoy the film and always support physical media. A bit off, though, compared to previous Second Sight releases like Drive, The VVitch, The Babadook, and The Guest.
 

titch

Senior HTF Member
Joined
Nov 7, 2012
Messages
2,277
Real Name
Kevin Oppegaard
Interesting release. I'm glad I bought it as I enjoy the film and always support physical media. A bit off, though, compared to previous Second Sight releases like Drive, The VVitch, The Babadook, and The Guest.
I think it's particularly telling, when comparing this new 4K scan of Picnic At Hanging Rock with another Australian film, from the same period: Second Sight's restoration of Walkabout on blu-ray in 2020. Walkabout was restored and scanned in 4K and the blu-ray image looks like it's derived from film. It's beautiful. I have the limited edition box set and there is no information about who was responsible for the scan and mastering of Walkabout, but it's obvious that this has been done properly.

In 2020, it was too expensive to make a 4K UHD.

 
Last edited:

dpippel

Yoyodyne Propulsion Systems
Supporter
Senior HTF Member
Joined
Feb 24, 2000
Messages
12,293
Location
Sonora Norte
Real Name
Doug
I think it's particularly telling, when comparing this new 4K scan of Picnic At Hanging Rock with another Australian film, from the same period: Second Sight's restoration of Walkabout on blu-ray in 2020. Walkabout was restored and scanned in 4K and the blu-ray image looks like it's derived from film. It's beautiful. I have the limited edition box set and there is no information about who was responsible for the scan and mastering of Walkabout, but it's obvious that this has been done properly.

In 2020, it was too expensive to make a 4K UHD.


Not to derail the thread, but this release of Walkabout is Region B locked, is it not?
 

titch

Senior HTF Member
Joined
Nov 7, 2012
Messages
2,277
Real Name
Kevin Oppegaard
Not to derail the thread, but this release of Walkabout is Region B locked, is it not?
Yes. All blu-rays from Second Sight are region 'B'-locked, including the new blu-ray of Picnic At Hanging Rock.
 

Wayne Klein

Second Unit
Joined
Mar 9, 2005
Messages
434
It's time to move on to the next anxiety-inducing release. Apparently, StudioCanal is planning a UHD release of all three cuts of The Wicker Man (1973). Nothing said (yet) about what elements are being used.

This is no joke.

View attachment 182960
I'm a bit worried about this one as StudioCanal has had a mixed bag when it comes to restorations (kind of like Paramount to me). Some look great, others, not so great. Here's hoping that the source for these are all the original negatives and that they look good. I'm waiting for a pared down edition as I don't need all the swag.
 

uncledougie

Premium
Joined
Jun 17, 2022
Messages
634
Real Name
Doug
Evidently Diabolik has sold out of this title, so my foot dragging has forced me to order from Second Sight. Their order site unfortunately had a glitch and charged the card I had on file and wouldn’t allow me to complete the change of card number, which is no big deal. Luckily both cards do not have foreign transaction fees. Shipping is steep, but I’m looking forward to finally seeing the film. I did watch The Last Wave recorded from TCM a couple of weeks ago, and it wasn’t a great print, but it was passable. I hadn’t seen it since it’s theatrical release. I just bought the two disc set here, thinking that will suffice.
 

madfloyd

Stunt Coordinator
Joined
May 18, 2017
Messages
200
Real Name
Ian
Can someone recommend which version of the film to watch - for someone who has never seen any version?
 

jayembee

Senior HTF Member
Joined
Mar 29, 2020
Messages
6,652
Location
Hamster Shire
Real Name
Jerry
Can someone recommend which version of the film to watch - for someone who has never seen any version?

Either one will do. Weir considers the "Director's Cut" to be tighter (it's shorter than the original theatrical cut). There's nothing of significance cut from the theatrical version for the DC that makes any difference between the two.

It's worth noting that until this release, the theatrical cut hasn't been in circulation for decades. The only previous release of that version that has been on home video (that I'm aware of) is a Japanese laserdisc.
 

Users who are viewing this thread

Latest Articles

Forum statistics

Threads
356,814
Messages
5,123,736
Members
144,184
Latest member
H-508
Recent bookmarks
0
Top