Anyone get the new Black Christmas SE today? (1 Viewer)

[Dave Mack]

Curious to see how it looks/sounds..

 

[Chuck Pennington]

I got it - NO PORTED EXTRAS from the old release :-(

Margot Kidder is off the wall in her interview. VERY funny!

 

[Chuck Pennington]

Viewing the film now.

The + = new anamorphic transfer and new interviews
The - = black levels are TOO low, making the grain all the more apparent. :-( The film is playing in hi-def on HDNET on Friday and I wonder what it will look like there.... It appears to have been encoded interlaced and looks far grainier than either of the previous editions. The encoding appears to be subpar too. :-(

 

[Dave Mack]

Hi Chuck. If it's the same transfer I saw on INHD a few months back it was horrible. Had cigarette burns from reel change markers on the print, was filthy and the first phone call was beeped out!!!! Hopefully HDnet will have the new transfer!

 

[Chuck Pennington]

I don't think this is from the same HD master at all. In fact, I'm not so sure the new HD master is to blame - it is the downconversion to DVD where problems seem to have been introduced.

The soundtrack sounds as if it were rebuilt from scratch. The dialog is still hollow, but the music score fills the surrounds. However, some of the sound effects sound incredibly crisp and ADR-like, making me wonder if these are newly recorded or from the original stems... The scene where Olivia locks herself in the basement is particularly noteworthy as the sounds of the killer going mad and banging on the door are quite exaggerated.

I can't get over how grainy and poor the contrast is on this new DVD! :-( It IS sharper than the other releases, but blacks waver from being steady and accurate (the last part of the film) to being tinted navy blue or green! :-(

 

[Gordon McMurphy]

DVD Beaver comparison

I'm sorry, but the new transfer looks like crap.

This film actually has great cinematography by the brother of Ossie Morris (DP on many John Huston films, Lolita, The Spy Who Came in from the Cold, Fiddler on the Roof) Reg Morris, who also shot Murder by Decree and A Christmas Story for Bob Clark. Another brilliant DP who didn't get enough breaks and worked on some mediocre films for mediocre filmmmakers.

There's a classic deep-focus shot in Black Christmas at the 0:03:35 mark that's easy to miss and the hand-held work is superb throughout. Or maybe it's a diopter shot as there's definitely one at 0:24:35. Yeah, very well-shot for a low-budget Canadian horror movie from 1974 and it has Olivia Hussey and Margot Kidder in fine form. It's something of a movie miracle, in its own way.

 

[Dave Mack]

Wow! In this day and age, not progressively transferred?!?!?!? wtf..?!?!?
I have a Faroudja based player, (oppo) so doesn't really affect me but on my older JVC flag based player this would be quite disappointing.
Definitive edition my Irish heinie....

Just saved some dough....

 

[Chuck Pennington]

I wonder why DVDBeaver didn't compare the 2002 matted special edition - which has two commentary tracks and a bunch of other bonus features. I sold it long ago, but I'm trying to track it down now as it may look better than this new "hi-def anamorphic" version.

I just don't understand how this could happen. DVDBeaver doesn't even mention how off the brightness is and how there is no black to speak of - just fluctuating grays often tinted blue or green - You can see that in the captures even.

:-(