No buzz/reviews for the 9/30 Warner classics yet? (1 Viewer)

[george kaplan]

Almost certainly true just by virtue of the fact that the Hitchcocks and films like Meet Me in St. Louis are ones I want, and none of those oscar winners are .

 

[Alistair_M]

I found another review - video got 8/10 with the comment 'a bit soft'.

So I get the impression its not as impressive as Singin in the Rain - but still good.

Link here
http://www.dvdtown.com/review/Advent...he/11094/1766/

Still no reviews for Treasure of Sierra Madre or Yankee Doodle Dandy. Hopefully they will be done in the next couple of days - all 3 flicks are out on 30/9.

 

[Alistair_M]

Noticed the first review I've seen for Yankee Doodle Dandy

It looks like another winner - but the reviewer didn't mention how long the documentaries are.

http://www.dvdauthority.com/reviews.asp?reviewID=3473

 

[Paul_Scott]

So I get the impression its not as impressive as Singin in the Rain - but still good.

it may sound a bit spoiled, and actually it is- but that is very disappointing.
i was fully expecting this to set a new reference standard.

 

[Robert Crawford]

I think some members expectations are too high for some of these classic releases because we never know in what condition the film elements are that is being used for some of these dvd releases. Also, reading reviews is informative at times, but one thing I learned over the years about reviews/dvd releases is that you got to judge how good a dvd presentation is in your own home theater setting, before coming to an accurate opinion about the quality of any dvd presentation.




Crawdaddy

 

[oscar_merkx]

well I can't wait for my set to arrive

 

[Mark Bendiksen]

Me, too. My wife is the biggest Cagney fan on this planet, and thus far she has been understandably disappointed with how few of his movies are available on DVD. I think Yankee Doodle Dandy should impress her quite a bit. Of course, I'm buying the whole set because all three of these movies are phenomenal.

 

[John Hodson]

I think some members expectations are too high for some of these classic releases because we never know in what condition the film elements are that is being used for some of these dvd releases. Also, reading reviews is informative at times, but one thing I learned over the years about reviews/dvd releases is that you got to judge how good a dvd presentation is in your own home theater setting, before coming to an accurate opinion about the quality of any dvd presentation.

Hear, hear...and the dvdauthority reviewer is comparing films made nearly 14 years apart, with different lenses and equipment; they are bound to have a different look.

I'll content myself with John J. Puccio's comment: "Definition is a tad on the soft side, though, but I suspect that's how it looked originally. Of equal importance, there are zero age marks, scratches, lines, spots, or flecks whatever. Grain is noticeable only in the darkest scenes, and haloes and moiré effects are generally absent; a fairly high bit rate ensures the transfer is clean and free from digital artifacts."

If he's right, then that's good enough.

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So many films, so little time...

 

[DeeF]

What is the extra documentary in the "set"?

I couldn't wait. I saw Robin Hood yesterday, and I grabbed it. What a miracle that movie is!

 

[Conrad_SSS]

The boxed set will contain the feature-length documentary "Here's Looking at You, Warner Bros.". It has been released before on its own as a VHS and LD, but this is its first DVD release, and the only way to own it is by buying the Warner Legends boxed set.

It's actually cheaper to buy the boxed set (with the bonus disc) then to buy the three double-disc LEGENDS releases indivdually!

 

[DeeF]

I know that. It's always cheaper. But I couldn't wait.

 

[Paul_Scott]

can we get a quick 'review' Dee?

 

[DeeF]

Quick review for Robin Hood. Get it! It's smashing.

Quick review for Sierra Madre, which I watched tonight:

It's a great movie, but for the music score, which is absolute tripe. I wish I could turn that music off! It's by Max Steiner, but it isn't one of his better efforts.

There's a definite problem in the transfer, at Chapter 28 (admittedly, a dark scene). When the scene comes up, the picture seems to be divided into 3 horizontal sections, with different contrast levels. Yes, it looks like stripes. Later in the scene, there is some odd white specks that move rhythmically, vertically, through the picture.

I think these are digital problems, not problems of grain or contrast.

I looked at it on all my players, a Panasonic RP-82, a Bravo D1, and my Mac. The geometric problem appears on all three.

If somebody else see this, I'd like to know. Otherwise, I'll try to exchange the disk.

P.S. The movie doesn't really suffer because of this minor transfer problem. But the movie does suffer from that atrocious and dominating music.

 

[BruceKimmel]

Dear Paul Scott:

Here's a novel idea. Why don't you not be disappointed in advance of actually seeing the disc for yourself. These "reviewers" on these sites are all kids and they have NO idea what these films should look like and are probably comparing the transfer to newly shot films. I cannot count the times that I've read these "reviews" and then gotten the disc only to find that the transfer is gorgeous and replicates what the thing looked like originally.

 

[DeeF]

Dear Bruce Kimmel:

I suppose your last post was really directed at me.

I'm 45, and I know what I'm looking at, as well as you. I have seen The Treasure of the Sierra Madre in the theater (also Robin Hood). I think my review was careful to clarify a problem with the transfer, not with the film itself.

Of course, I know who you are, and you are not old enough to have seen either of these pictures in their original runs, so I guess that makes you a kid too, and your opinion should be taken with a grain of salt, just like the rest of us "kids."

 

[John Hodson]

It's a great movie, but for the music score, which is absolute tripe. I wish I could turn that music off! It's by Max Steiner, but it isn't one of his better efforts.

I honestly can't think of a Max Steiner score I would describe as 'tripe', and TTOTSM score is one of my favourites - to each his own

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So many films, so little time...

 

[Douglas R]

I honestly can't think of a Max Steiner score I would describe as 'tripe', and TTOTSM score is one of my favourites - to each his own

Hear, hear! Steiner's score for Treasure of Sierra Madre is one of the best things in the film.

 

[DeeF]

I listened to the score, and I made my opinion known. But I did feel bad about it, so I looked up Pauline Kael. She called the score "terrible."

I looked at www.rottentomatoes.com and some of those critics mentioned that the score is pedestrian.

Then, I watched the documentary on the disk about the film. In the documentary, it was mentioned that the only thing critics didn't like about the movie was the score.

So, I feel a little bit validated.

The score underlines every emotion, and in such a banal way. The "cowboy" melody was later used in Spencer's Mountain.

The movie is so good that it triumphs despite the deficits of the score.

 

[Paul_Scott]

I cannot count the times that I've read these "reviews" and then gotten the disc only to find that the transfer is gorgeous and replicates what the thing looked like originally.

that's a wonderful feeling.
the reverse isn't.

unfortunately, i'm going to have to live vicariously thru everyone elses reviews because i won't get a chance to spin any of these in my HT until late Oct.

my expectations were skyhigh before the first reviews started trickling out.
i really need some wet blankets to keep my expectations in check.


re: Steiner
his score for King Kong has always gotten on my nerves.
some of its quite beautiful, but a lot of it is very driving, aggressive, shrill, lacking in subtlety...at least to me.
i've always wanted to like it, 'cause i know how highly others have thought of it down thru the years, but i can't.
it really grates on me.
to each his own.

 

[John Hodson]

That's probably why I like it And the Sensational Alex Harvey Band cover of the main theme is, er, sensational (IMHO, of course)

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So many films, so little time...