The HD/Blu-ray Thread, For all your high-definition talk... Options

[JohnC]

I see the new Paramount US release of Braveheart and Gladiators are both region locked. Hadn't intended to buy them, but I do hope it isn't a sign of things to come. They weren't known for locking movies before.

[SeanR]

HMV only has 10 hd-dvd titles left on their website... (IMG:style_emoticons/default/sad.gif)

[sky_captain]

Have just bought the following:
Sons Of Anarchy:Season One
Starman
Labyrinth

My movie collection is starting to look like an '80s tribute recently.

[Wickedkitten]

Got Zulu through the post today and it looks fantastic, might get round to watching it sometime soon.

[Kinketsu]

Have just bought the following:
Sons Of Anarchy:Season One
Starman
Labyrinth

My movie collection is starting to look like an '80s tribute recently.

How is the Labyrinth disc? What's the picture / sound like on it?

I recently picked up American Psycho on bluray and the picture quality is fucking shocking. Basically the whole first real looks like it was sourced from a print that was rolling around a monkey cage. I've no idea why a film so recent is so ugly, but it's pretty hard to watch. It gets better as it goes on, the quality of the print I mean, but it is generally pretty bad. If, like me, you already have a copy of the film and were thinking of replacing it with the bluray, don't bother.

There are great deals going on the American Amazon for The Third Man, the Critereon edition. Obviously this is a classic film, a great noir and some top class British cinema with a great British cast. It's also never looked as good! One thing I love about BluRay are the black levels. You get such great contrast because the black is really black. There are few better films to see this on than The Third Man, and the fact the whole thing is going (again, Crit edition) for about nine quid is incredible. I have this disc myself, to replace my DVD version and unlike American Psycho, it's a huge step up. The movie looks fantastic in HD, not in a "count the freckles on Joseph Cotten's face" kind of way (although you can) but it just makes that great art direction really pop. If only their other discs weren't so fucking expensive! Let's get a reasonably priced Life and Death of Colonel Blimp please!

I bought the Watchmen bluray although I wasn't as fond of the final film as I had been when I saw the first footage. However there was all this talk of the maximum movie mode or whatever it's called, the directors commentary. I couldn't believe people are in for this, it's so self-indulgent. Basically, it's a hideously expensive directors commentary, with Zack Snyder getting his face on camera a lot. introing a series of special feature segments which would otherwise be on the disc (or hte second one) anyway. However, the picture quality of the Watchmen bluray is fantastic, I didnt notice any edge enhancement tricks or anything, and with another 20 minutes or so added on (although I couldn't tell specifically what was added on, outside of one scene) it feels more epic than the original release. Nothing, however, can beat miscasting Ozymandias and telegraphing him from word go.

Just to mention a few BluRays which barely look any better than the DVD thanks to sourcing ugly prints, The Usual Suspects and Kiss Kiss Bang Bang are also pretty bad, or not great, The Usual Suspects being the worst of the two. There is a bluray of The Battle of Britain looming at me in the shop and I really want to get it because I like the movie and love WWII but I'm sure already it's an ugly transfer, it's just hanging out of it.

Anyway, my last BluRay purchase was a film made in the pre BluRay era and definitely shot on film, and it has a rich texture to it which is lovely to watch, Unforgiven. Looking now for an Outlaw Josey Wales bluray. It's such a great technology, I get so much fun out of watching a film I've seen a million times before on bluray and just being able to enjoy it as good as, in some cases better than, I saw it in the threatre.

But it needn't be like Watchmen, it doesn't need any kind of hook. All I need is a bluray like Redbelt. A good film, fantastic picture / sound , and a dry commentary. I don't need swishy menus, I wished in Watchmen there was some option to only listen to a directors commentary but there isn't. You have to go through the whole horse and pony show. It smacks of the early days of DVD where animated menus where such a big thing as to why it was better than VHS.

[11 Herbs 'n...]

There are great deals going on the American Amazon for The Third Man, the Critereon edition.

Ooh, I didn't know this was region free. (I'm assuming you have a UK player Kinketsu?)

If so, (IMG:style_emoticons/default/biggrin.gif)

[JohnC]

Ooh, I didn't know this was region free. (I'm assuming you have a UK player Kinketsu?)

If so, (IMG:style_emoticons/default/biggrin.gif)

It isn't region free. No Criterion releases are.

[sky_captain]

How is the Labyrinth disc? What's the picture / sound like on it?

I recently picked up American Psycho on bluray and the picture quality is fucking shocking...

Labyrinth isn't out until 31st August, just a pre-order at the moment.

As for American Psycho, is the US disc you picked up? That's infamously shit, but the Australian Sony release is supposed to be miles better.

And finally, regarding Kiss Kiss Bang Bang, it's a lazy early MPEG-2 Warner release, while the HD DVD,(which I'm holding onto), has a lovely VC-1 transfer.

[lordcookie]

Labyrinth got a good write-up on DVD Times.

http://www.dvdtimes.co.uk/content/id/71329/labyrinth.html

[staplehead]

The Prisoner on bluray in September!

(IMG:style_emoticons/default/OMG.gif)

Plus over on the criterion forum, one of the guys in the know mentioned the bfi are starting work on a bluray of Institute Benjamenta!

(IMG:style_emoticons/default/OMG.gif) (IMG:style_emoticons/default/OMG.gif)

[aidey6]

'Up: Limited Edition Luxo Jr. Collectible Lamp Pack' Blu-ray

This is due out in November (Region One of course). It looks awesome, I doubt that will ever be released in Europe..... (IMG:style_emoticons/default/sad.gif)

[Kinketsu]

Ah yeah sorry, I've got a North American bluray player, wasn't even thinking about regions. So yeah, my Criterion Third Man is Region....A is it? Sorry. Looks fantastic though.

Thanks for the Labyrinth info, I'll definitely be picking that up at the end of the month. Yeah, American Psycho is the American disc, really fucking horrible at the beginning, there's even like old VHS ghosting on the opening titles like the whole thing has been dubbed off a rental video of the original film. I don't have an HD-DVD player at the minute (though I have a few HD-DVDs) but I'll have to pick up that version of Kiss Kiss Bang Bang, because this one is pretty dire.

Yay for The Prisoner!

[sofasurfer]

'Up: Limited Edition Luxo Jr. Collectible Lamp Pack' Blu-ray

This is due out in November (Region One of course). It looks awesome, I doubt that will ever be released in Europe..... (IMG:style_emoticons/default/sad.gif)

Suggested list price for the limited set is $199.99.

How much? (IMG:style_emoticons/default/ohmy.gif)

[JohnC]

The Prisoner on bluray in September!

(IMG:style_emoticons/default/OMG.gif)

I've already got the DVD set this is based on, but it's harder than I expected to resist. Must resist.

[sky_captain]

I'm in, as long as they don't do a Thunderbirds and crop it for 16x9.

[DC07]

I'm ashamed to say I only just found out about this Herzog box set that's out at the end of the month, but at least it makes the wait easier.

http://www.amazon.co.uk/gp/redirect.html?ie=UTF8&tag=rllmukforumco-21&linkCode=ur2&camp=1634&creative=6738&location=http://www.amazon.co.uk/gp/product/B00288W...=A3P5ROKL5A1OLE

[sky_captain]

WOOHOO!! Managed to source a Blade Runner suitcase edition for a reasonable price, just over £40 on ebay. I already have the US 5 disc set on its own, but I had to have this.

[JohnC]

After someone thought a BD player with VHS deck included was hilarious a few days ago, they'll probably die when they see one of Mitsubishi's latest offerings, a DVR with 320GB HD, BD recorder and VHS.

[sky_captain]

(IMG:http://i235.photobucket.com/albums/ee112/rebel_scum78/6052_243466060471_787930471_8357613.jpg)

[Campfire_Burning]

Strange Days

Nice. I was worried I might have to go the Doom route for a Blu ray first person sequence. What's the picture like?