A Few Words About A few words about...™ The Thing (1982) -- in Blu-ray (1 Viewer)

[Johnny Angell]

Johnny,

I think you're 4K capable, I would wait as I think this is coming out on 4K disc in the near future.

I am, and that’s a good idea. I can just see myself with a face palm saying “I coulda had a V8 er, I mean a 4K.”

 

[Jeffrey D]

I’ve read other threads that someone claims the Scream Factory edition of the film isn’t as good as foreign releases. If this gets a US release, I think I’d buy it- maybe my favorite horror film.

 

[Sam Favate]

I was recently rewatching Stranger Things Season 3, which owes a huge debt to The Thing, and it made me really want to see it again. I think I’ll wait for the 4K though.

 

[Worth]

I’ve read other threads that someone claims the Scream Factory edition of the film isn’t as good as foreign releases. If this gets a US release, I think I’d buy it- maybe my favorite horror film.

They look different, but it's hard to say difinitively that one looks better than the other. For what it's worth, both transfers were supervised and approved by director of photography Dean Cundey.

 

[Johnny Angell]

They look different, but it's hard to say difinitively that one looks better than the other. For what it's worth, both transfers were supervised and approved by director of photography Dean Cundey.

I was thinking primarily of the extras on the UK disk, but realizing how many times I’m bought this, knowing I have a good blu ray, I can easily wait for the 4K.

 

[Lord Dalek]

The 4k transfer on the Region-A steelbook of The Thing looks the best of the bunch apparently.

 

[JoshZ]

The initial Shout! Factory disc was mastered in 2K from an IP. A year later, Arrow Video remastered the film in 4K from the OCN. Both transfers were supervised by Dean Cundey and look nothing alike, because Cundey changes his mind about how his movies should look every time he watches them.

The Shout! transfer is sharper and has more vibrant colors. Detractors claim it was edge enhanced. Maybe it was a little, but I think most of those complaints were overblown. In my personal opinion, the Arrow transfer is too soft. It looks like the entire movie is slightly out of focus, with some scenes downright blurry. The contrast range is also flatter with milky blacks during dark scenes, and some of the color tints look more artificial and less natural than Shout!'s. Both discs are perfectly watchable, but I tend to prefer the Scream disc.

For voicing this opinion, I got screamed at by a horde of trolls from the b-d(dot)com forum who invaded my blog and ranted that, "IT SAYS 4K ON THE CASE 4K IS ALWAYS BETTER THEN 2K U F*KKIN MORON!!! CANT U DO MATH 4 IS BIGGER THEN 2 DUHHHHHHHNHNHJHHHHHHHHH!!!!1!!!!!11!!!!!"

Whatever. I don't think either disc looks bad. They both have their merits and their problems.

Shout! Factory later licensed Arrow's transfer and included both copies in the SteelBook reissue, so fans could choose whichever they prefer.

 

[Malcolm R]

Both transfers were supervised by Dean Cundey and look nothing alike, because Cundey changes his mind about how his movies should look every time he watches them.

That's why I always take it with a grain of salt, if not roll my eyes outright, when someone proclaims that a transfer was "supervised/approved by the director/cinematographer." It's mostly become meaningless over the years as repeated releases on different formats with redone transfers that are all "supervised" end up looking different.

 

[JoshZ]

That's why I always take it with a grain of salt, if not roll my eyes outright, when someone proclaims that a transfer was "supervised/approved by the director/cinematographer." It's mostly become meaningless over the years as repeated releases on different formats with redone transfers that are all "supervised" end up looking different.

Cundey is especially bad about this. He radically revised the color scheme on Halloween for both the THX DVD and the 35th Anniversary Blu-ray, which look wildly different than each other, and neither looks anything like the original theatrical release. His two "approved" transfers for The Thing were done less than a year apart and again look nothing alike.

Each time he sits down to work on a movie, he grades it however he feels it should look in that moment, seemingly with no concern for the original intent during production.

 

[Jeffrey D]

I think Cundey is featured on one of the three commentary tracks for the Scream Factory release. I’ll have to give that one a listen.