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The Quality Of These Various Movie Transfers? All Opinions Welcome! (1 Viewer)

Deepak Shenoy

Supporting Actor
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Jul 3, 1998
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More to critique? OK......

On Golden Pond
Five Easy Pieces
Stalag 17
Dominick & Eugene
Now And Then
Disclosure
Midnight Cowboy
Oh, God!
Body Heat
Some Like It Hot (SE)
Naked Gun 1
I am afraid that this second batch of titles you picked features some less than stellar transfers (at least the ones I own or have rented). I am going from memory here because I haven't watched some of these in years.

Five Easy Pieces has a mediocre transfer from what I can remember, but maybe the source material is to blame.

Stalag 17 doesn't look as pristine as it could have. I
remember it having lots of blemishes and scratches.

Midnight Cowboy has a sub-par non-anamorphic transfer with some visible film damage. This is a title that could really use a SE rerelease (are you listening MGM ?).

Some Like it Hot looks quite good, but not as good as some of the black-and-white transfers from Warner and Criterion. Besides, it is 1.66:1 and non-anamorphic.

Probably the safest buy of the bunch is Body Heat which can often be found in the bargain bins of major stores (going for under $10). The transfer is not spectacular, but does justice to this fine film-noir.

-D
 

Patrick McCart

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Some Like It Hot looks very nice, even though it's not anamorphic. There isn't a lot of film damage (the first reel has a few isolated places) and the sound is very crisp.
 

Herb Kane

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David... I have 3 of those;

Breaking Away - From what I recall slightly soft, slightly grainy and the colors are muted, but OK. Great movie.

Now Voyager - In a word, WOW.

Sudden Fear - It sits among 125 not yet watched... hopefully soon.


Herb.
 

Jean-Michel

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The Alpha version of Nosferatu is a ripoff even at $8. An awful transfer from public domain sources with a lot of missing footage, plus it looks like it was mastered at the wrong speed. If you really want the movie get the Kino or Image version.
 

David Von Pein

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The Alpha version of Nosferatu is a ripoff even at $8. An awful transfer from public domain sources with a lot of missing footage, plus it looks like it was mastered at the wrong speed. If you really want the movie get the Kino or Image version.
Thanks for that tip, JM. :)

I was curious as to which version to buy (there's an ample number it seems; much like Sinatra's "Suddenly").

I noted a 64-minute running time on the Alpha "Nosferatu" disc. What's the "official", complete runtime, if anyone knows?


 

Patrick McCart

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For Nosferatu, I'd get the red cover Image edition and the Kino edition...for now. Milestone Video will be releasing Photoplay Productions' edition of Nosferatu in 2004 with an orchestral score.

Image's version is great mostly for the organ score, commentary and the then-and-now location featurette.

Kino's version is great for the picture and the clips of other Murnou films.

Milestone's edition would likely have great picture and a great score, but the supplements are in question.
 

Nicholas Vargo

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David VP,
I want to go back to the last list and critique Disclosure. The transfer is pretty good, but since it is from 1997, the transfer is not as strong as it should be, thanks to moments of pixelation. But the movie is just fine in the widescreen format, where in full frame versions, Barry Levinson's vision is destroyed

A inexpensive title that is worth owning for the movie itself. :emoji_thumbsup:
 

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