Blu-ray Review A Few Words About A few words about…™ The HD to Blu-ray upgrade saga: Part 3 - The Untouchables – in Blu-ray (1 Viewer)

[Robert Harris]

I saw this once on TV and while it is a very good film, I couldn’t revisit it because it was so intense in some of the murders. I think I have the laserdisc so must have seen it uncut on that, but never got the later releases. i seem to recall especially the death of the Charles Martin Smith character and of course Sean Connery’s character. I’ve seen plenty of action films with lots of violence. But this one was tougher.

This thread does have me curious to revisit the film. The recall the climatic shoot-out at the train station is the source is very well done and was spoofed.

Eisenstein borrowed it.

 

[Rob W]

Love this film - but why are we only hoping for a new blu-ray?

How about giving it a 4K release and really give it an upgrade ? (They can use the new transfer on the enclosed blu-ray as well and make everyone happy.)

 

[Robert Crawford]

Love this film - but why are we only hoping for a new blu-ray?

How about giving it a 4K release and really give it an upgrade ? (They can use the new transfer on the enclosed blu-ray as well and make everyone happy.)

Be careful with the use of "we" as some of us have already expressed our desire for a 4K release with Dolby Vision and Atmos.

 

[Rob W]

Be careful with the use of "we" as some of us have already expressed our desire for a 4K release with Dolby Vision and Atmos.

You're right - I somehow missed that in Neil's post.

 

[Robert Crawford]

You're right - I somehow missed that in Neil's post.

Don't forget Josh, Sam and myself.

 

[Nelson Au]

Eisenstein borrowed it.

To quote Clint Eastwood, I had to look it up.

So the Eisenstein reference refers to a film he did according to this article below. It refers to Battleship Potemkin, I’ve not seen this.

Iconic movie scene: The Untouchables’ Union Station shoot-out

Brian De Palma directed one of the finest sequences of his career in The Untouchables. Ryan takes a look at its Union Station shoot-out…

www.denofgeek.com

 

[Neil S. Bulk]

Be careful with the use of "we" as some of us have already expressed our desire for a 4K release with Dolby Vision and Atmos.

Paramount doesn't always do the Atmos thing, and I'm fine with that.

 

[Robert Crawford]

Paramount doesn't always do the Atmos thing, and I'm fine with that.

TBH, I'm fine with that too as long as it's 4K with some kind of HDR.

 

[Robert Harris]

To quote Clint Eastwood, I had to look it up.

So the Eisenstein reference refers to a film he did according to this article below. It refers to Battleship Potemkin, I’ve not seen this.

Iconic movie scene: The Untouchables’ Union Station shoot-out

Brian De Palma directed one of the finest sequences of his career in The Untouchables. Ryan takes a look at its Union Station shoot-out…

www.denofgeek.com

Probably before your time...

 

[Neil S. Bulk]

To quote Clint Eastwood, I had to look it up.

So the Eisenstein reference refers to a film he did according to this article below. It refers to Battleship Potemkin, I’ve not seen this.

Iconic movie scene: The Untouchables’ Union Station shoot-out

Brian De Palma directed one of the finest sequences of his career in The Untouchables. Ryan takes a look at its Union Station shoot-out…

www.denofgeek.com

This sequence came about when the original train shoot out was found to be too costly to film. As Nicholas Meyer says, "Art thrives on restrictions."

 

[An Elvis Fan]

This will be nice, but I'd much rather see the old Untouchables series with Robert Stack get a Blu Ray release

 

[ManW_TheUncool]

One example, and a rare time we disagreed:

The Untouchables movie review (1987) | Roger Ebert

There is a moment in "The Untouchables" when a mobster doesn't want to talk to the law. He has just been captured by federal agents at the Canadian border while trying to run some booze down to Chicago for Al Capone. One of the guy's pals has been shot dead, out on the porch. He doesn't know his...

www.rogerebert.com

To be fair, I'm not sure Ebert actually hated it though -- he did give it 2.5 (out of 4) stars afterall...

I think he's right about much of it... and yet, I do also find the movie (as an entertainment) greater than the sum of all those parts that he found deficient.

IF I were to rate it, I suppose I might rate it 3 (or maybe 3-1/4 out 4) stars instead of 2.5 stars -- something similar to looking at it as half full instead of half empty I suppose... and that might also vary a bit depending on my mood perhaps. It offers good, popcorn-ish entertainment value (and often, that's all we want/need in a movie), but isn't exactly a great film critically speaking...

_Man_

 

[Nelson Au]

Thanks Robert, definitely before my time. thanks for that video, I may give it a watch. I just didn’t want to spoil it if I ever see that movie. Which is not likely.

Neil, you really know this film! I don’t know the production history so the ending at the Union station was done because the originally planned shoot-out was too expensive. I have to agree with Nicolas Meyer, sometimes you find better solutions under the gun, so to speak.

I have not seen DePalma’s Dressed to Kill in a while, and I found it’s use of violence pretty bad too, but I wasn’t as put off by it that I didn’t want to own the disc and re-see it. So maybe my earlier reactions to The Untouchables needs to be revisited. Or as I get older, I just don’t find that kind of violence as watchable.

 

[JoshZ]

I have not seen DePalma’s Dressed to Kill in a while, and I found it’s use of violence pretty bad too, but I wasn’t as put off by it that I didn’t want to own the disc and re-see it. So maybe my earlier reactions to The Untouchables needs to be revisited. Or as I get older, I just don’t find that kind of violence as watchable.

The violence in The Untouchables is pretty tame by modern standards. There's a lot more grisly and gruesome stuff on TV on a weekly basis now.

 

[ManW_TheUncool]

To be fair, I'm not sure Ebert actually hated it though -- he did give it 2.5 (out of 4) stars afterall...

I think he's right about much of it... and yet, I do also find the movie (as an entertainment) greater than the sum of all those parts that he found deficient.

IF I were to rate it, I suppose I might rate it 3 (or maybe 3-1/4 out 4) stars instead of 2.5 stars -- something similar to looking at it as half full instead of half empty I suppose... and that might also vary a bit depending on my mood perhaps. It offers good, popcorn-ish entertainment value (and often, that's all we want/need in a movie), but isn't exactly a great film critically speaking...

_Man_

In a sense, The Untouchables seems to exemplify DePalma's general approach and output and might be criticized accordingly... for being too (often) cliched and/or derivative... And the amount/degree that's true to each viewer for each of his films would likely influence how it's received/perceived/appreciated (or not)...

_Man_

 

[Sega]

I will stick with the one I have had for years. The Everyday DVD.

 

[JoeDoakes]

Most Americans are non-cognizant of accents. There were many people who thought Deliverance took place outside of Philly. Some were further confused by the foliage along the Schuylkill.

So, Irish vs Scottish?

No brainer.

Just don‘t confuse the libation with the people.

I read an essay on The Searchers once where the author spent much of the time complaining that the artifacts shown did not belong to the correct Tribe. Realism and the accuracy of details is overemphasized in film imo.

 

[Nelson Au]

The violence in The Untouchables is pretty tame by modern standards. There's a lot more grisly and gruesome stuff on TV on a weekly basis now.

Thanks Josh. I have no doubt you are right!

 

[bobclampett]

Be aware that this series of words reviews older discs (but not that old) replacing original HD product. They're being compared to newly produced discs, and rated accordingly.

The Untouchables seems to be one of those love it or hate it films.

I've always liked it.

Great cast. Beautifully shot by Stephen Burum. A terrific score by Ennio Morricone. Written by David Mamet.

I saw it in 35mm in 1987, and it was a class act.

The HD disc was a bit less than that.

Updating from the HD to the latest and greatest Blu-ray hasn't helped a great deal. The 2017 variant seems to have proper color and densities, and seated at a reasonable distance, it appears fine.

The problem comes around when you get a bit closer, and the image falls apart.

Swirling magnetic digital grain create an unpleasant experience. I was hopeful that the 2017 release would be a bit better, but no luck.

This is a quality film from Brian De Palma that deserves a new scan and an upgrade.

Image – 2.5

Audio – 4 (Dolby stereo)

Pass / Fail – Fail

Upgrade from DVD – Yes

RAH

Hoping for 4K Blu Ray. Saw it in 70mm at the Stanley Theatre Vancouver Canada when it came out. I really miss all those beautiful fluid camera moves that DePalma brought to all his films. Vancouver was a great town to see 70mm in the 80’s, including those Hitchcock films, thanks again RAH.

 

[Bobby Henderson]

I have an old DVD of The Untouchables, but never bought the Blu-ray version. Complaints about the transfer steered me away from buying that disc. Considering as many times I had watched the movie on VHS and DVD thru the years I had grown a little tired of it. Maybe if they do a proper 4K update I'll buy a copy. Oh, yeah. They gotta fix that awful P.C. cover art. That's about as bad as CGI walkie talkies replacing handguns in E.T.

I really wish it was possible to watch a 70mm print of The Untouchables again. I saw it for the first time, in 70mm, at the Loews New York Twin in Manhattan during the movie's original release. Pretty incredible. Within the next day or two I was visiting Tower Records to buy the soundtrack CD.