UHD Review A Few Words About A few words about...™ -The Godfather(s) 50th Anniversary Restoration -- in 4k UHD (1 Viewer)

[willyTass]

Look how they massacred my boy

J/K

4k vs 2008 blu

 

[OliverK]

Important points that should not be lost in this discussion.

My introduction to the films was in 1972 and 1974, via dye transfer prints projected on large screens.

Mr. Willis’ cinematographic design and intent, in concert with Mr. Coppola’s vision were intense, obvious and magnificent. The grain structure and amount of filtration, especially in the old New York sequences, created imagery among the most beautiful ever to hit the silver sheet.

50 years later, with different audiences attuned to different programming, that original look might have viewers wondering if something is wrong, as opposed to understanding the art of the cinema.

My objective in 2007, under the supervision of Mr. Willis, and with Mr. Daviau seated beside me, was to accurately translate the appearance of metal dyes into digital dyes.

We succeeded.

But it must also be understood that motion pictures (art aside) are a business, and business must be willing to bend to the current desires of the public if it to be financially successful.

Personally, while my preference (and heart) remain with the original look (color as well as grain structure), I also want new audiences to experience and appreciate these films - and if it takes a certain neutralization of the palette and digital adaptation of grain to bring in those audiences, then it is something against which we cannot argue.

Bottom line - a few digital anomalies aside - the new look and texture is not only easily accepted by many older viewers, but will go completely beneath the radar for new viewers.

And most important - it has been approved by Mr. Coppola.

You could join the diplomatic corps!

So the bottom line is that if one wants to watch the movies as intended then the Blu-rays are the better option.

My personal opinion is that nobody complained about the previous look so changing it sounds like a solution to a non-existent problem.

 

[Worth]

Interesting. All of this has made me decide to just stick with the blu-rays.

 

[YANG]

The jaded and pessimistic part of me thinks that studios make these slight changes to color, etc, so they can re-sell it to us for the 60th Anniversary with "Original Color Grading Restored"

err... Paramount could hold a little 6.6yrs later and use that “66.6th Anniversary Edition” to sell that product... probably better as there would be some folks might dislike the “SickO Edition”...

 

[ManW_TheUncool]

Interesting. All of this has made me decide to just stick with the blu-rays.

Certainly not making me want to jump to get it on release day/week anyway...

_Man_

 

[YANG]

Interesting. All of this has made me decide to just stick with the blu-rays.

I'm waiting for a comparative review between the 50th Anniversary Edition and the 2007 version to decide which to go to... to be frank i prefer colors that resonate the era of the story.

 

[Lord Dalek]

Maybe its darker if you have Dolby Vision? Maybe?!?

The jaded and pessimistic part of me thinks that studios make these slight changes to color, etc, so they can re-sell it to us for the 60th Anniversary with "Original Color Grading Restored"

They should totally get Dean Cundey to supervise the next transfer just for reaction sake.

 

[Wayne_j]

I’m trying to remember what relatively recent film this happened with - it was from the era when film prints were still being made but after most theaters had gone to the platter system. So maybe something within the last twenty years or so. One of the reels had a scene near the end that concluded with a fade or cut to black. Then, a new scene faded in, and then immediately after the start of the new scene, the reel change was meant to happen. But it wound up being problematic because many of the theaters assumed the fade to black was the end of the reel, and inadvertently cut out the very beginning of the next scene. I can’t remember which film it was but I remember seeing it a few times and depending on where I saw it, it was missing a portion of that scene.

I know something similar happened in Back To The Future 2.

 

[RICK BOND]

I Got my Godfather Trilogy Today ! 4K UHD & Bluray's with Slipcases. My Vinyl & CD Soundtrack Collection.

 

[JohnRice]

What a wild conversation.

The 4K set is on the way, and after Mr. Harris' comments, I'll probably keep my BR set, just for the sake of curiosity.

Oh yeah, the new release of Eastern Promises arriving as well. It'll be a great cinematic stroll this weekend.

 

[YANG]

I Got my Godfather Trilogy Today ! 4K UHD & Bluray's with Slipcases. My Vinyl & CD Soundtrack Collection...

wasn't the FHDBD and the UHDBD were sold as single format sets? and were packed in slim digipacks?
where are your set from?
doesn't seems to be the 5disc sets i saw in Amazon... as well as various unboxing vids in YouTube.

 

[JoshZ]

Interesting. All of this has made me decide to just stick with the blu-rays.

Yeah, it feels like some reading between the lines may be necessary here.

Though, if that video willyTass posted above is close to an accurate comparison, the color change does not seem offensively different to me. It's not like, for example, the way that Batman '89 was given a sickeningly heavy-handed teal makeover. This seems more like a subtle color temperature difference.

 

[Josh Dial]

This is an utterly fascinating thread. Something you can only get at the HTF.

 

[TonyD]

Has anyone mentioned that this now has a very slight uptick on red or pink?

The bloody horse bed and Diane Keaton’s red lipstick on the scene when they just finished Christmas shopping looks super bright.
I’m just referring to what I’ve watched so far, the first 60 minutes or so of G1

 

[YANG]

......Though, if that video willyTass posted above is close to an accurate comparison, the color change does not seem offensively different to me......

i just came across these 3 clips from the Trilogy that are uploaded to YouTube with HDR.
first thing first,
i couldn't tell if these were from streaming source or physical media source.

in GodFather...

...this scene certainly have some scenes darkend when i switch on HDR from my TV picture menu. Brando’s skin tone looks more natural, but the window blind behind him lost in details. the window blind details recovers when i switch the HDR off, skin tone seemed washed out and lack of life...

in GodFather 2...

...i see color gains in ballroom, but Gloomy ambience in the surrounding when HDR turned on. when HDR off, ballroom scene looks... filled with joy when lightened up, skin tones looked little washed off.

in GodFather 3...

...i don't notice significant gloominess in the dinner gathering attack scene, but blood splatters does seems little vibrant, and home kitchen scene does seemingly darkened when HDR engaged.​

 

[wright96d]

Important points that should not be lost in this discussion.

My introduction to the films was in 1972 and 1974, via dye transfer prints projected on large screens.

Mr. Willis’ cinematographic design and intent, in concert with Mr. Coppola’s vision were intense, obvious and magnificent. The grain structure and amount of filtration, especially in the old New York sequences, created imagery among the most beautiful ever to hit the silver sheet.

50 years later, with different audiences attuned to different programming, that original look might have viewers wondering if something is wrong, as opposed to understanding the art of the cinema.

My objective in 2007, under the supervision of Mr. Willis, and with Mr. Daviau seated beside me, was to accurately translate the appearance of metal dyes into digital dyes.

We succeeded.

But it must also be understood that motion pictures (art aside) are a business, and business must be willing to bend to the current desires of the public if it to be financially successful.

Personally, while my preference (and heart) remain with the original look (color as well as grain structure), I also want new audiences to experience and appreciate these films - and if it takes a certain neutralization of the palette and digital adaptation of grain to bring in those audiences, then it is something against which we cannot argue.

Bottom line - a few digital anomalies aside - the new look and texture is not only easily accepted by many older viewers, but will go completely beneath the radar for new viewers.

And most important - it has been approved by Mr. Coppola.

Is this in reference to, at least in part, to the complete removal of the chroma grain? I've made a stink about it elsewhere, but it's fallen mostly on deaf ears. I've noticed it becoming more and more of a trend since 4K BD hit the market, and to say it upsets me is a bit of an understatement.

 

[Robert Harris]

Is this in reference to, at least in part, to the complete removal of the chroma grain? I've made a stink about it elsewhere, but it's fallen mostly on deaf ears. I've noticed it becoming more and more of a trend since 4K BD hit the market, and to say it upsets me is a bit of an understatement.

Examples | Neat Video

examples of NeatVideo work

www.neatvideo.com

 

[Robert Harris]

Is this in reference to, at least in part, to the complete removal of the chroma grain? I've made a stink about it elsewhere, but it's fallen mostly on deaf ears. I've noticed it becoming more and more of a trend since 4K BD hit the market, and to say it upsets me is a bit of an understatement.

There are many who will agree with you.

 

[TonyD]

Welcome to HTF Devon.

 

[wright96d]

Examples | Neat Video

examples of NeatVideo work

www.neatvideo.com

Great plugin, I've used it for digital video and it works wonders. But obviously for film it belongs far far away. To be perfectly honest, I'm surprised to learn the film industry is using neatvideo. When I think of it, wedding videographers come to mind, not multimillion dollar productions.

There are many who will agree with you.

I suppose, but time after time, it seems 99% of reviewers and hobbyists only notice grain removal when it's of the entire grain field, including the luma grain. Anytime the chroma grain is completely eradicated, I hear nothing but crickets.