UHD Review A Few Words About While we wait for a few words about...™ The Godfather(s) -- in 4k UHD (1 Viewer)

[Rob W]

I wasn't debating this. Why do you think I'm confused?

Because you argued that studios wanted to shoot the film brighter and not alter the prints after the fact, as if it was an extra unnecessary step rather than a common accommodation for drive-in conditions.

 

[mskaye]

Carlo beating up Connie- I don’t think there are any flubs or poor shots in that scene. I do agree with madfloyd’s point, if the Sonny beating up Carlo scene is his beef, that it could have been shot better. The Godfather is one of my top 2 favorite films
(Pulp Fiction is the other), but the one punch Sonny throws that doesn’t even come close to landing is a flub, and the kicks Sonny delivers are obvious that he was bending his knee, in an attempt to lessen the impact. My take.

and the obvious Carlo stunt double. It's a minor minor quibble with a scene that is still bad ass.

 

[Jeffrey D]

and the obvious Carlo stunt double. It's a minor minor quibble with a scene that is still bad ass.

No argument here- it’s a bad ass scene. As close to perfect as a film can be, if you overlook a few cheats in the film (the second unit shots with obvious doubles for Hagen and Woltz before the famous horse head scene). The reason I love Coppola’s commentary track is he points out stuff like this while the film is playing.

 

[Josh Steinberg]

The reason I love Coppola’s commentary track is he points out stuff like this while the film is playing.

The GF1 track is my favorite commentary ever and the ones on the other films aren’t far behind. Plus, he gives the recipes for all the food you see on screen!

 

[ManW_TheUncool]

and the obvious Carlo stunt double. It's a minor minor quibble with a scene that is still bad ass.

No argument here- it’s a bad ass scene. As close to perfect as a film can be, if you overlook a few cheats in the film (the second unit shots with obvious doubles for Hagen and Woltz before the famous horse head scene). The reason I love Coppola’s commentary track is he points out stuff like this while the film is playing.

That's why it'd be rather silly to allow such "minor minor quibble" to completely ruin one's enjoyment/appreciation of an otherwise masterpiece epic such as this... as if any movie (even 1/2 this length) could actually stand up to that degree of scrutiny afterall...

Better to just give up the hobby entirely and find something else to love me thinks...

_Man_

 

[Jeffrey D]

The GF1 track is my favorite commentary ever and the ones on the other films aren’t far behind. Plus, he gives the recipes for all the food you see on screen!

He also talks about the actors the studio wanted to play Michael (Robert Redford, and Ryan O’Neal). Most directors or producers don’t go into who turned down parts, or who didn’t get parts on the commentaries. The few who give these details are good sports.

 

[ManW_TheUncool]

The reason I love Coppola’s commentary track is he points out stuff like this while the film is playing.

The GF1 track is my favorite commentary ever and the ones on the other films aren’t far behind. Plus, he gives the recipes for all the food you see on screen!

He also talks about the actors the studio wanted to play Michael (Robert Redford, and Ryan O’Neal). Most directors or producers don’t go into who turned down parts, or who didn’t get parts on the commentaries. The few who give these details are good sports.

Ok. You guys sold me on checking it out the next time I find enough time to revisit this 3-hour epic -- I very rarely sit down for more than just a short snippet of audio commentary (just to find out if there's something to know about the sporadic specific scene or subplot or resolution/conclusion I don't quite get or the like)...

_Man_

 

[mikerob]

There is a new book by Mark Seal called "Take The Gun, Leave The Cannoli" which is outstanding, and I've read many of the Godfather books. It contains stories and info that were new to me, and not in the commentary, such as how producer Al Ruddy had to make a deal with the Columbo crime family to shoot the movie in NYC. It of course goes into all of the casting issues, and it details who Paramount's spy in the company was when they were itching to get Coppola fired. 50 years later, we forget what a huge deal the novel was, but this book paints a great picture. So while you're waiting for the new edition of the movie, I highly recommend this book. It will make you appreciate this masterpiece even more.

 

[PMBen]

Reading here that the "Coppola Restorations" blu-rays were a little too red drives me crazy. I paid good money for them, and they were supposed to be the definitive edition, representative of a very careful restoration... Why the hell were they too red??? Do we have to buy the movie once again to get an accurately graded image? How many times more will it take? Will it be wrong again this time?

 

[Robert Crawford]

Reading here that the "Coppola Restorations" blu-rays were a little too red drives me crazy. I paid good money for them, and they were supposed to be the definitive edition, representative of a very careful restoration... Why the hell were they too red??? Do we have to buy the movie once again to get an accurately graded image? How many times more will it take? Will it be wrong again this time?

If you're happy with those "Coppola Restorations" Blu-rays then why spend money on these new releases? Don't worry about what other people are saying, let your eyes be the judge on whether those Blu-rays look good on whatever display you're viewing them on.

 

[Konstantinos]

edit: Oh, I see this review has been posted in previous pages of this thread. I apologise.

I have not followed this thread and sorry if this has been posted before but here's a German review of the UHD with screenshot comparisons of the blurays vs UHD.

UHD Blu-ray Kritik | Der Pate (4K Review, Rezension)

Der Pate: Lest hier das 4K UHD Blu-ray Review zum Kultfilm von Francis Ford Coppola. Inkl. Bildvergleich Blu-ray vs. UHD Blu-ray.

blu-ray-rezensionen.net

You can see in the screenshot comparisons with the slider near the bottom of the article that the original blurays were too (I wouldn't say red) yellow.
Now, I don't know what is the original color, but I wouldn't like to buy these movies again.

 

[Robert Crawford]

I have not followed this thread and sorry if this has been posted before but here's a German review of the UHD with screenshot comparisons of the blurays vs UHD.

UHD Blu-ray Kritik | Der Pate (4K Review, Rezension)

Der Pate: Lest hier das 4K UHD Blu-ray Review zum Kultfilm von Francis Ford Coppola. Inkl. Bildvergleich Blu-ray vs. UHD Blu-ray.

blu-ray-rezensionen.net

You can see in the screenshot comparisons with the slider near the bottom of the article that the original blurays were too (I wouldn't say red) yellow.
Now, I don't know what is the original color, but I wouldn't like to buy these movies again.

Again, if those original blu-rays look fine to you on your display then why buy them again? When all is said and done, it's about how your discs look to you, not what some reviewer is saying or some site posting screenshots.

 

[Konstantinos]

When all is said and done, it's about how your discs look to you, not what some reviewer is saying or some site posting screenshots.

Well, I like to have the films I buy in their original color timing. It's not a matter of how they look to me or not.
If it's established that the more yellow is the original color then I'm fine. But if it's not, then I'll feel bad about having the blurays.

 

[Robert Crawford]

Well, I like to have the films I buy in their original color timing. It's not a matter of how they look to me or not.
If it's established that the more yellow is the original color then I'm fine. But if it's not, then I'll feel bad about having the blurays.

Well, it's your money! To me, my viewing pleasure is what matters to me.

 

[Robert Harris]

Reading here that the "Coppola Restorations" blu-rays were a little too red drives me crazy. I paid good money for them, and they were supposed to be the definitive edition, representative of a very careful restoration... Why the hell were they too red??? Do we have to buy the movie once again to get an accurately graded image? How many times more will it take? Will it be wrong again this time?

One point of red is something hardly noticeable to anyone without a colorist’s eye. We sometimes speak in terms of a half point of density - which is almost non-perceptible.

The Blu-rays are fine. It’s a matter of conversion of data files and color space.

And even with a point here or there, it will go unnoticed unless one is comparing frames of different versions. The eye adapts.

 

[Patrick McCart]

Reading here that the "Coppola Restorations" blu-rays were a little too red drives me crazy. I paid good money for them, and they were supposed to be the definitive edition, representative of a very careful restoration... Why the hell were they too red??? Do we have to buy the movie once again to get an accurately graded image? How many times more will it take? Will it be wrong again this time?

It’s been almost 15 years since they were first released on Blu-ray, though. I own the same set and it looks great to me, but I probably wouldn’t be rebuying if it wasn’t for the 4K aspect.

 

[Kyle_D]

edit: Oh, I see this review has been posted in previous pages of this thread. I apologise.

I have not followed this thread and sorry if this has been posted before but here's a German review of the UHD with screenshot comparisons of the blurays vs UHD.

UHD Blu-ray Kritik | Der Pate (4K Review, Rezension)

Der Pate: Lest hier das 4K UHD Blu-ray Review zum Kultfilm von Francis Ford Coppola. Inkl. Bildvergleich Blu-ray vs. UHD Blu-ray.

blu-ray-rezensionen.net

You can see in the screenshot comparisons with the slider near the bottom of the article that the original blurays were too (I wouldn't say red) yellow.
Now, I don't know what is the original color, but I wouldn't like to buy these movies again.

Those screenshots are worthless. The reviewer admitted earlier in the thread that they are photographs of his display taken with a Nikon DSLR. They are not directly sourced from the discs. I would not put any stock in them.

 

[Robert Crawford]

It’s been almost 15 years since they were first released on Blu-ray, though. I own the same set and it looks great to me, but I probably wouldn’t be rebuying if it wasn’t for the 4K aspect.

The same with me!

 

[OliverK]

Reading here that the "Coppola Restorations" blu-rays were a little too red drives me crazy. I paid good money for them, and they were supposed to be the definitive edition, representative of a very careful restoration... Why the hell were they too red??? Do we have to buy the movie once again to get an accurately graded image? How many times more will it take? Will it be wrong again this time?

Better to get over your frustration - one thing that seems to stay a constant is that color timing changes even for big titles seem to be more of the norm than the exception when transitioning to a new format or even within the same format.

LIke Il Gattopardo for example, supposedly both version were approved by the DOP:

The Leopard • FR Blu-ray vs. US Blu-ray

caps-a-holic.com

The King and I:

The King and I • US Rodgers & Hammerstein Collection Blu-ray vs. US 50th Anniversary Edition DVD

caps-a-holic.com

To Catch a Thief:

To Catch a Thief • US Paramount Presents Blu-ray vs. US Blu-ray

caps-a-holic.com

Spartacus:

Spartacus • US 50th Anniversary Edition Blu-ray vs. US Restored Edition Blu-ray

caps-a-holic.com

Cleopatra:

Cleopatra • DE 50th Anniversary Edition Blu-ray vs. DE Special Edition DVD

caps-a-holic.com

Regarding the Godfather there seems to be significant additional detail according to that German reviewer so if that turns out to be true and the colors do not look off I will be happy to upgrade. As for the color differences he shows they seem to be extreme and I would think they are due to different presets being used for the Blu-ray and the UHD version and I would not think that on a properly calibrated display they will be that big.

 

[Paul Penna]

Regarding the Godfather there seems to be significant additional detail according to that German reviewer so if that turns out to be true and the colors do not look off I will be happy to upgrade. As for the color differences he shows they seem to be extreme and I would think they are due to different presets being used for the Blu-ray and the UHD version and I would not think that on a properly calibrated display they will be that big.

His images are digital photos of his display which, as Robert Harris pointed out, are therefore worthless.