Was Chasing Amy ever fix? (1 Viewer)

[Tony Kwong]

Looking throught my collection I was sort of confused why I bought the LaserDisc instead of the DVD. Then I remembered hearing 5 or so years ago that Chasing Amy Criterion DVD had an "improperly" matted transfer due to Beuna Vista not contacting the DP during mastering. Was this issue ever fixed?

 

[Vince Maskeeper]

Nope. Although on the bright side, it affects one scene for about 30 seconds, and it was the same way in theaters (it was just that they FIXED it for the LD transfer).

The irony is the commentary is from the LD so they talk about how much better it looks with the framing fixed, oops...

-Vince

 

[Michael St. Clair]

The rest of the LD also seems better framed, just not so much as during those 30 seconds.

 

[Kevin M]

I recently revisited this disc and while it is a fine DVD here is a title that I wish Criterion would revisit with a better transfer, the film is great & deserves it (although I still think Smith's personal character dialog is rather erudite, stiff and unrealistic in many instances...but that's Smith.).

 

[Damin J Toell]

FWIW, it's not really Criterion's choice to revisit. It's Disney that will have to make the decision to revisit it.

DJ

 

[Kevin M]

Have they had a falling out with Miramax?

 

[Damin J Toell]

Disney works with Criterion (or, probably more accuarely, Buena Vista Home Video). Miramax isn't really an issue. Anyway, no, Criterion hasn't had had a falling out with Disney. The reason I said that it's Disney's choice is because of the structure of their licensing relationship with Criterion. Criterion doesn't decide on their own that they want to revisit a Disney title. When Criterion appears to release a Disney title, Criterion just produces the extras. Disney provides the audio and video content for the feature and distributes the disc themselves through BHVE. In reality, it's a Disney release. If Disney wants a new transfer, they'll give Criterion one. And given how long the non-anamorphic Armageddon release has lingered, its unlikely that Disney will choose to have Criterion do a new release of Chasing Amy any time soon.

DJ

 

[Kevin M]

Well, Miramax, Buena Vista..whatever, Criterion seems to have this same "take it or leave it" deal with other studios as well such as the 5.1 audio for Fear & Loathing being supplied by Universal in it's incorrect form and Criterion not being able to do a thing about it after it was discovered. TOHO is another studio who isn't very giving when it comes to supplying Criterion with proper material.

In the end I don't care if it is a Criterion release or not, I would just like a better transfer (s-16mm or not it could look a hell of a lot better these days) no matter who it comes from. Besides I have the Cri-disc for when I want the extras.

 

[TravisR]

They're doing a Chasing Amy tenth anniversary disc so maybe then

EDIT: For the record, the "they're" I'm referring to is Kevin Smith and View Askew- not necessarily Criterion.

 

[Jeff Adkins]

Can someone explain to me this framing issue? If it's filmed at 1.37 and composed for 1.85, shouldn't a 1.85 be accurate as to what was composed? Are you saying they zoomed up or down the frame?

 

[Damin J Toell]

Yes, the framing is imcorrectly off-center.

DJ

 

[Kevin M]

Really? I didn't know they were doing a tenth anni, cool.

If they do a new commentary I hope they are able to get Jason Lee & Joey Lauren Adams to participate (since she appeared in JASBSB I assume the hatchet is buried between her & Smith).

 

[M]

I didn't want to start a new thread, so I've found this one.

I've just received Criterion "Chasing Amy" DVD, 2000 R1 NTSC. Picture quality is bad, VERY GRAINY!
Is that because there's a problem with this particular release - or could this be related in any way with the fact that I live in Europe (R2 PAL)? But I watch my DVD's on PC... and I don't know anything about how is that format/region thing arranged on computers/monitors.

Sorry if question is stupid...

 

[Travis Brashear]

CHASING AMY was a low-budget film shot on 16mm film (typical motion pictures are shot on 35mm or 70mm film); other than that one short misframing fuck-up in the train station, the Criterion Collection R1 DVD looks about as correct as it needs to.

 

[Vincent_P]

The Criterion transfer* was taken from the 35mm blow-up InterPositive. Hopefully, for any "10th Anniversary Edition", they'll go back to the Super-16 originals which should result in better image quality, without any added optical grain.

That being said, it will never look like, say, BATMAN BEGINS, but a new HD transfer from the Super-16 originals as opposed to the 35mm blow-up will look better than what has been released before...

Oh, as for the framing comments during the commentary- remember, that commentary was recorded for the Criterion LASERDISC, wherein the scene in question was correctly framed. For the DVD, they simply ported over the commentary and laid it over their new 16:9 transfer, which didn't bother to correct the misframed sequence.

Vincent

* And all video transfers to date of CHASING AMY.

 

[TravisR]

Oddly enough, I just rewatched this DVD last night for the first time in quite awhile and I had to chuckle (for lack of a better word) when you were saying how that scene was misframed in alot of theaters but it's right here.

Chasing Amy is still one of the few laserdiscs that I enjoy breaking out and watching every now and then for LD nostalgia. Come to think of it, I've watched the LD more than the DVD.

 

[Jon Martin]

Same here. I used to watch the Criterion laserdisc quite a bit. It was probably one of my most watched LDs. I have the DVD as well, but haven't watched that as often.

 

[ScottJH]

http://www.homemediaretailing.com/ne...ticle_ID=10961
After reading the article, looks like they are just going to rehash the same movie disc for the 2 disc SE and give people who have already have it the chance to purchase just the bonus disc.

 

[TravisR]

I'd like to see the framing problem corrected but a big thumbs up to Kevin Smith and Criterion for selling the bonus disc solo.

 

[Geoff_D]

I'd gladly buy the whole shebang again for a new transfer, but it isn't to be. Still, kudos to Criterion for their novel approach.