PILLOW TALK problems: Framing, freezing, etc. (MERGED THREAD) (1 Viewer)

[MatthewA]

Good. I'll have to pick this up at long last now that it's safe.

 

[Chuck Pennington]

Whoa, I have been comparing PILLOW TALK and LOVER COME BACK and have noted some major differences. These are indeed new transfers (well, these two anyway), but LOVER COME BACK is only marginally different. Framing is slightly different on both transfers, and fleshtones are redder on both as well. PILLOW TALK reveals a LOT of additional picture info on the bottom and to the right, and it is SO MUCH sharper than the last release! The sound is MUCH cleaner as well, though the audio level is MUCH higher on the previous anamorphic release.

I'm going to get some screencaps ready and post them later tonight.

 

[Chuck Pennington]

Here are some screen captures comparing the 2004/2005 and 2007 DVD releases of PILLOW TALK. I got as close to the exact frames as I could using VLC to capture frames. Worth noting is that the 2007 release is dual-layer and encoded at a much higher bit rate.

The 2004/5 capture is followed by a 2007 capture below.

 

[Chuck Pennington]

The differences I noted with LOVER COME BACK must've been due to the players and output differences (had the old release on my Blu-Ray connected via HDMI - the new on my Pioneer connected via component). I now think they are the same transfer or very much alike. Again, I got as close to the same frame as I could.

The 2004/05 release is followed by the 2007 release.

 

[Mark-P]

If anybody is wondering why Doris Day's closeups look fuzzy, it's because she had the "soft focus contract" that stipulated that all of her close-ups had to be soft-focus. This was commonplace for actresses in the 1960s who wanted to disguise their true age.

 

[Chuck Pennington]

Or disguise their freckles...

 

[William Miller]

Yes, Chuck is correct. It was her freckles and not her age.

There are some candid photos of Doris floating around that were taken of her without makeup and they are quite shocking when you see the degree of her freckles especially around her eyes.

I sympathize with her and do not blame her for wanting the soft focus.

 

[JR864]

Hey, I was there on Friday night! Looked to me like the worst sections were at the beginnings of each reel (a couple times it looked like they must have dragged the film up to the projection room). I hadn't seen the movie before, and I was surprised/pleased at how much the audience responded. Now I've got to go find the DVD.

 

[Mark Zimmer]

Thanks for the info. I'll have to pick this revised version up. It's certainly cheap enough ($14.99 at my local BB).