Blu-ray Review Heat: Director's Definitive Edition Blu-ray Review (1 Viewer)

[JohnRice]

Wow. All this is kind of freaky. I've been an HT and audio enthusiast for a long, long time... because I love movies and music. If you're drawn here out of a love of movies and you're a fan of this one in particular, you should be quite pleased with this release.

 

[Carabimero]

Wow. All this is kind of freaky. I've been an HT and audio enthusiast for a long, long time... because I love movies and music. If you're drawn here out of a love of movies and you're a fan of this one in particular, you should be quite pleased with this release.

If I hadn't bought the earlier release, I'd probably be over the moon. But I was specifically led to believe this was from a 4K source, "superior in every way" to the release I already paid money for. Compared side by side, it just isn't, in my opinion. It's not the clarity as much as the expanded dynamic range, which to my eyes simply isn't there.

And really, whether I am right or wrong, if it was a great transfer, worthy of a double BD dip, wouldn't some of us be "oohing" and "ahhing"? I like to think I would. I still "ooh" and "ahh" over my BD of GLORY sourced from 4K. The transfer's expanded dynamic range leaves no doubt from the first shot.

Whereas from the first shot of HEAT all I had was doubt. And watching the rest of the movie didn't alleviate my doubt but only deepened it.

 

[Richard V]

Well, I haven't ordered it yet, but Carabinero's opinion so far, is the only one I've seen that says the new transfer isn't an "improvement in every way".soooooooo, I'm going for it, even though it will be my 3rd purchase (DVD, BLURAY)

 

[Carabimero]

It's a perfectly lovely Blu-ray (as long as I don't compare it to the earlier release and expect a marked improvement). And I enjoyed the bonus disc. Truth be told, I'd pay $8 for the bonus disc, so that's how I'm looking at it.

 

[Carabimero]

I got a response from Fox to my email asking if the transfer was sourced from 4K: "The transfer is all new."

I replied: "What I specifically want to know is if the transfer on the new BD was mastered from a 4K source. May I have a yes or no response, please?"

 

[Richard Gallagher]

I am a little afraid for the future of physical media when something as special as a director-approved restoration of a classic film with an hour of new extras is sold for less than $8.

I also don't think disc cost has anything to do with anything. Discs are an afterthought now. They no longer sell enough copies to be the sole funding of a major studio restoration. Universal's gorgeous new Spartacus restoration is under $10. All this says to me is that Fox is going for volume. The previous Heat disc has been about $6-8 for years. I'm sure the studio is aware of how many copies it has sold and at what price point and made the calculation that they'd make more selling more copies for a smaller fee than fewer copies for a higher fee.

It's $16.99 at Amazon now, and it's currently Amazon's #9 best-selling Blu-ray, so it looks like somebody knew what they were doing.

 

[atfree]

It's $16.99 at Amazon now, and it's currently Amazon's #9 best-selling Blu-ray, so it looks like somebody knew what they were doing.

Wow...I preordered it fir $7.88!

 

[Dave H]

I got a response from Fox to my email asking if the transfer was sourced from 4K: "The transfer is all new."

I replied: "What I specifically want to know is if the transfer on the new BD was mastered from a 4K source. May I have a yes or no response, please?"

Yes, the BD stemmed from a new 4K transfer.

http://ew.com/movies/2017/05/12/michael-mann-heat-4k-bluray/

 

[Dave H]

If I hadn't bought the earlier release, I'd probably be over the moon. But I was specifically led to believe this was from a 4K source, "superior in every way" to the release I already paid money for. Compared side by side, it just isn't, in my opinion. It's not the clarity as much as the expanded dynamic range, which to my eyes simply isn't there.

And really, whether I am right or wrong, if it was a great transfer, worthy of a double BD dip, wouldn't some of us be "oohing" and "ahhing"? I like to think I would. I still "ooh" and "ahh" over my BD of GLORY sourced from 4K. The transfer's expanded dynamic range leaves no doubt from the first shot.

Whereas from the first shot of HEAT all I had was doubt. And watching the rest of the movie didn't alleviate my doubt but only deepened it.

The problem is the encoding of the disc is poor and a lot of detail is being lost as a result on the new BD. The encoding process is just as important as the transfer itself when it comes to the final product. You can take a perfect 4K transfer and ruin it on the disc (as we've seen before). The older release had better encoding actually. The film grain should have a consistent, velvety texture and it doesn't. There's a swarmy, digital look and it's not well resolved. Good encoding and compression goes a long way.

Once this is released on UHD BD and done in H.265 I think there will be a marked improvement (unless they drop the ball again). However, H.265 gives more leeway for goofups.

 

[Carabimero]

(unless they drop the ball again).

Yes, the older release is definitely better (I put the old release in the new box and the new release in the old box and gave it to a friend). Thanks for confirming that I hadn't lost my mind (and my eyesight).

Even so, I would expect telltale signs of improved dynamic range to be present in this new release if it was 4K, even if encoding was botched.

Either way, what a colossal disappointment.

 

[DaveF]

I watched Heat on HBO about 20 years ago. My recollection is that I thought it was a two hour story crammed into a three hour run time. Does the DE lengthen or tighten the film?

 

[Dave H]

Yes, the older release is definitely better. Thanks for confirming that I hadn't lost my mind (and my eyesight).

Even so, I would expect some of the telltale signs of improved dynamic range to be present in this new release if it was 4K, even if encoding is botched.

Yes, the range does seem more limited. It almost looks like the gamma has been raised giving way to blacks that are not quite as deep. The color for better or worse is warmer too where as the Warner disc had a more cool tone.

From reading that Mann interview, he at least admits to making changes to his movies over time. At least the Warner disc is available still.

 

[Carabimero]

Yes, the range does seem more limited. It almost looks like the gamma has been raised giving way to blacks that are not quite as deep. The color for better or worse is warmer too where as the Warner disc had a more cool tone.

I agree. And you are almost certainly right about the encoding.

But I remain curious. While I have no doubt Mann supervised a 4K master, is there an official press release from FOX stating the source from which the BD was mastered was 4K? In the official statements I saw, 4K was never mentioned. It's only mentioned, as far as I have been able to determine, by outsiders writing articles.

Certainly it's mentioned in an official release somewhere...?

The absence of expanded dynamic range is hard for me to reconcile.

 

[Allansfirebird]

I watched Heat on HBO about 20 years ago. My recollection is that I thought it was a two hour story crammed into a three hour run time. Does the DE lengthen or tighten the film?

It's a new scan of the theatrical version, overseen by Michael Mann. No content changes have been done, apart from the deletion of one line in a scene between Hanna and his wife at dinner, which was the most awkward use of the word detritus in cinema history.

 

[gadgtfreek]

Forgot how good this movie was since its been over a decade prob since I've seen it, and that was DVD. You don't see a lot of movies like this right now, especially at 170 mins keeping you entertained.

When they are running across the runway and the plane is taxiing by, my freaking chairs shook. Bank shootout was pretty good, some of the gunshots were a little harsh and lacked punch at other times.

 

[Robert Crawford]

Amazon now selling this terrific disc for $6.99!

https://www.amazon.com/Heat-Blu-ray...65953&creativeASIN=B06XS9TPYR&m=ATVPDKIKX0DER

 

[Sam Favate]

Amazon now selling this terrific disc for $6.99!

As said above, I fear for the future of physical media when something as special as a director-approved restoration of a classic film with an hour of new extras is sold for less than $8. And now less than $7!

 

[Brent Reid]

The cropping is minimal and isn't a factor when watching the film. The sound re-encode is significantly better on the new release.

Re your first sentence: are you sure you're in the right forum? Besides which, it's hardly minimal. If this remaster showed more image info, it would be praised as an improvement. Less, and it's simply overlooked. As for your second point, please define "better".

My eyes glaze over when I read criticism of a Blu-ray from someone who hasn't seen it. Just sayin'.

I didn't criticise the new release; I simply pointed out some valid concerns, as noted by many who had seen it. Further, I provided links that irrefutably prove said concerns.

Here's what we know about this release: it's been tealed, cropped and has no more resolution than the old one. Not my opinion, but fact. Very disappointing for a hotly anticipated, supposedly 4K remaster. Any perceived improvements are incremental at best. Overall, it seems the only real reason to buy the latest BD is for the two new Q&A extras.

 

[Dave H]

I was talking about the importance of encoding earlier...here is a good example.

This is the movie Thief which came from a 4K transfer. Note how much more detail and rendered film grain is visible on the Arrow disc vs the Criterion which has less superior encoding.

https://www.caps-a-holic.com/c.php?a=1&x=397&y=156&d1=5422&d2=3605&s1=50608&s2=33369&l=0&i=7&go=1

 

[Brent Reid]

Thief has probably the most egregious example of revisionist tealing I've seen yet. Check out the theatrical vs (tealed) director's cut on the UK Arrow and German OFDb Filmworks BDs. There are no whites left in sight; each capture is worse than the last. If this is really Mann's doing, what the hell is he thinking? Absolutely appalling.