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HTF REVIEW: "Back To The Future Trilogy" (HIGHLY RECOMMENDED) (with screenshots) (1 Viewer)

Declan

Second Unit
Joined
Aug 22, 2002
Messages
410
Jesus it's not that bad a quality for a film from 85. (This is from watching the Pal r4), it's actually pretty solid and film like.
 

Rich Romero

Supporting Actor
Joined
Jun 6, 2002
Messages
731
As long as it looks better than my crappy VHS copy, I'll be happy. I'm not that picky in terms of DVD transfers, because hey, we could still be watching VHS.
 

StevenJ

Stunt Coordinator
Joined
Oct 4, 2002
Messages
106
Wow!
What a set. I've been waiting about three to four years for this set and it looks like I will be greatly impressed.
WAY TO GO UNIVERSAL! :D
It's gonna be worth the wait!
 

Kurt N

Stunt Coordinator
Joined
Feb 2, 2001
Messages
210
Much as I despise shopping between Thanksgiving and Xmas, I will have to venture out for this one.
Great review AGAIN, Ron. We do appreciate the effort. And thanks to Universal for sending a screener.
 

Steve Phillips

Screenwriter
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Jan 18, 2002
Messages
1,521
OKAY...is there someone who can put this framing issue to rest once and for all?

1. Are the movies misframed throughout or is it just a scene or two in the R4 versions?

2. Are the R1 versions the same?

I can't find answer to these two questions in this thread. I want to buy these, and will if just a scene or two are affected. However, if an entire film in the set is that misframed; I won't.

Thanks
 

Doug_B

Screenwriter
Joined
Feb 11, 2001
Messages
1,081
Ron,

Great review. I was originally thinking of passing on this set, but your review reminded me of just how much fun these movies are, a nice change from the dramas for which I typically opt. You should get a commission from the studio!

Doug
 

Brenton

Screenwriter
Joined
Jun 25, 2002
Messages
1,169
I can't find answer to these two questions in this thread. I want to buy these, and will if just a scene or two are affected. However, if an entire film in the set is that misframed; I won't.
As far as I can understand, there are two shots in Part II that are misframed in both the International and Region 1 versions, and all the other shots in all three movies are kosher.
 

PeterB

Agent
Joined
Feb 18, 1999
Messages
45
hey there

Peter Bracke from DVDFILE here. The Region 1 BTTF DVD has the exact same framing as the Region 4 releases. Universal claims the transfers were filmmaker-approved, so there will be no "fixing" or repressing of the set.

: (
 

Steve Phillips

Screenwriter
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Jan 18, 2002
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Brenton and Peter G, thanks for the info. However, one of you states that just a couple of shots in Part II is misframed; while the other seems to indicate that it might be worse than that?

Peter, are you confirming that we just have two scenes in Part II misframed (I can live with that) or are you saying that all three flicks are this way?

I'm not gonna buy this if the whole thing is that way. I'll just stick with the laser versions....
 

Steve Tack

Agent
Joined
Feb 15, 1999
Messages
37
Ron's review was great! He obviously put a huge amount of effort into it. I found it very informative.

Having just read Peter Bracke's review at dvdfile.com (also quite informative), I did find some amusing differences between the two reviews. It just goes to show how subjective some of these things are.

Some of their comments on the Part I DVD:

Ron: "Flesh tones are a little overly red in some areas"
Peter: "fleshtones are dead on"

Ron: "I was quite happy to hear so much effect noise thrown to the rears..."
Peter: "The majority of the score and the effects are direct to the front three channels, with only minimal bleed to the rears"

Ron: "The soundtrack doesn't sound compressed"
Peter: "...but still sounds slightly dated with a compressed quality"

Ron: "Now this is a gag reel! The outtakes presented here will have you on the floor laughing in no time."
Peter: "This footage is in pretty poor shape and not all that funny."

On Part III:

Ron: "The perfect end to a fantastic adventure"
Peter: "a necessary yet inconsequential capper"
 

Jeffrey Gray

Second Unit
Joined
Aug 11, 2001
Messages
488
Steve Phillips: Stick with the LDs? Are you insane? IMO, if I had an movie on LD, and a DVD release came along that blew my LD out of the water, but it had one or two little problems that weren't on the LD, I'd junk the LD and buy the DVD anyway. And that's what I think you should do. It all comes down to this: What's more important? A little framing problem, or a disc that blows your inferior-but-properly-framed LD out of the water? (And besides, what if Zemeckis and/or Gale prefer the DVD's framing? Did you ever think of that?)

In short: Get the DVD, and junk your LD.
 

Brenton

Screenwriter
Joined
Jun 25, 2002
Messages
1,169
And besides, what if Zemeckis and/or Gale prefer the DVD's framing?
Fair point, but I can't imagine why they would prefer a framing that ruins a joke in the movie that took a lot of technical engineering. You know, there were like fifteen people underneath Michael J. Fox pulling the cords to shrink up those sleeves.

Truly unfortunate, but no way could two measly shots prevent me from buying this DVD, or even so much as make me feel disappointed.
 

Ronald Epstein

Founder
Owner
Moderator
Senior HTF Member
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Real Name
Ronald Epstein
Steve,

I read Peter Bracke's review and caught those
differences as well.

I am very confident that he called the shots as
he saw and heard the film, the same way I did.

Perhaps the difference in our systems produced
varying results. I do agree that the deleted
scenes are poor quality, and I have noted such
in the review several times.

You guys will be able to decide for yourself
in about a week or two.
 

AdamZ

Stunt Coordinator
Joined
Jun 27, 2002
Messages
54
Can you answer my question about which trailers are on the disc. I remeber seeing one where Michael J Fox is in the Delorean and talking to a hitchiker and she asks "How Far you goin?" and he says "About twenty years." It was so cool is it on the DVD
 

Steve Phillips

Screenwriter
Joined
Jan 18, 2002
Messages
1,521
As I said, if we are only talking about a shot ot two in one of the movies, it isn't a big deal.

However, if the movies are not framed the same way as they were theatrically or on laser, I wouldn't call it a little problem, and yes, I'd keep the lasers, especially if it ruins the flick.. I'd rather have the movie correctly presented with less picture quality than have a DVD transfer that is screwed up. That's the reason lots of us would rather watch lasers or VHS tapes of SLEEPAWAY CAMP, MANHUNTER, VAMPYRES, IT, etc, because the DVDs are edited or incorrectly presented in some way. I'm not going to justify someone lazyness, mistakes, or outright deception just to see a DVD picture.

Since no one has as yet been able to confirm if there is anything wrong beyond the two scenes, it is too early to make a decision. I hope that all these reports are blowing it out of proportion; but I did see the screen shots comapring the laser and the DVD from R4, and the DVD was definately odd in some of them.

Bottom line, I can always rent these first to check them out.
 

Travis Hedger

Supporting Actor
Joined
Mar 24, 1998
Messages
695
WOW, Just got through reading the review for Part 1 and am about to dive into Part 2 and 3.

I CANT WAIT.

BTTF used to be a weekly retreat for me when I used to spend a night over at my good friends house, He had an old Showtime VHS recording of BTTF that was so crappy by todays standards of any VHS, but I would religiously watch it, AND Star Wars episode IV as much as I could.

Being on DVD finally is going to make me very happy. Now we just need IJ and the SW OT and Ill be set!
 

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