Superbit super-order July 28, 2006
Posted by Michael Mackenzie in : Technobabble, Movie Watching , add a commentIt recently occurred to me, when looking through my DVD collection, that I don’t actually own any Superbit DVDs. Well, I own two that use the Superbit logo - Panic Room and Léon: The Professional, but they aren’t “true” Superbits, at least by my understanding of the term. The former is simply a “normal” DVD that had the Superbit tag slapped on it when none of the extras were ready in time for its release date, while the latter comes from the same grotty old master that’s been used to mint every single other release.
Superbit, as Columbia Tristar would have you believe it, is a series of DVDs that “utilize a special high bit rate digital transfer process that optimizes video quality”. In reality, this is just marketing spin. There is nothing “special” about the process used to create these DVDs - it’s just that, in theory, by removing all the bonus features, more space is available for the film itself, resulting in a higher possible bit rate and, theoretically, at least, better overall quality. It also means that, if those carrying out the encoding are smart enough, the higher bit rate will mean that they can get away with less filtering while avoiding compression artefacts. This is not rocket science: anyone can create a high bit rate transfer by simply not including any (or many) extras on the first disc, and instead putting them (if there are any) on a separate disc.
Anyway, I want to see if these DVDs are all they’re cracked up to be, so I’ve ordered The Fifth Element (R1 USA) - apparently one of the best-looking titles - and Hannibal (R2 UK). The latter is exclusive to PAL territories, and is now out of print because Columbia Tristar’s deal to distribute select Universal titles in certain territories, including Europe and Australia, expired some time ago. As a result, it, and the Superbit releases of other Universal titles that were covered by the deal, such as Gladiator, are now out of print, but I managed to snag myself an “as new” copy from the Amazon.co.uk Marketplace, for only £7.72 including shipping. Because I own the standard 2-disc release (Disc 1 of which is extras-free anyway, apart from an audio commentary), I’ll be able to do one of my usual DVD image comparisons so we can see whether or not the Superbit line is all just fluff.
Oh yeah, and apparently, when upscaled in the Toshiba HD-A1 HD DVD player, The Fifth Element Superbit looks about the same as the Blu-ray release. Sheesh.
I also ordered Baz Luhrmann’s Strictly Ballroom (R1 USA) alongside The Fifth Element, since it was cheap and I was under the customs limit anyway.
DVD debacle
Posted by Michael Mackenzie in : Technobabble, Movie Watching , add a commentA bunch of standard definition review DVDs popped through my letterbox this morning. From DVD Pacific: Lucio Fulci’s much-maligned Murder Rock and Colt 38 Special Squad, a 2-disc package featuring both that film and the never-released Luciano Ercoli film La Bidonata (both R1 USA). From CD-WOW: Final Destination 3 (R1 USA).
Murder Rock first, and I must say that I am impressed… by Media Blasters, that is. Given how bad the transfers for many of the titles I’ve bought from them have been, they’ve pulled out the stops for this one and delivered an extremely watchable presentation. No, it’s not perfect, but it’s the best I’ve seen come out of that company, and it certainly shows that, while other studios now seem to be getting worse and worse at transfers, Media Blasters are committed to improving. It’s too bad the same can’t be said about the film, which is a laughable cross between a giallo and one of those 80s dance movies like Flashdance or Dirty Dancing. I swear, never before has the sight of sweaty, leotard-clad women girating and thrusting their crotches in the air proved so unappealing.
Final Destination 3 served as afternoon viewing, and, ironically, it turned out to be the exact reverse of the Murder Rock situation: crap transfer, decent movie. It doesn’t hit the heights of Final Destination 2, which is arguably the best of the trilogy from the perspective of sheer fun, but as a black comedy it works extremely well, with some great exchanges and extremely twisted deaths. The sunbed sequence, in particular, had me cackling my head off. This is one horror movie series that doesn’t take itself at all seriously - and I mean in a good way, not in a “nudge-nudge, wink-wink” Scream way.
The Collected Adventures of Asterix July 27, 2006
Posted by Michael Mackenzie in : Reviews, Movie Watching , add a commentSo, for the £29.99 asking price, what do you get? Six rather fetching coasters is the answer. Optimum have really dropped the ball with this release, which is a hodge-podge of different sources, only around half of which come even close to being watchable. By putting this release out and charging a premium price for it, they are showing utter contempt for their customers. Their thinking, I would assume, is that children will be happy enough with them, but quite honestly, when these shoddy presentations (or ones similar to them) were served up to me when I was a child, I was far from satisfied. In any event, I’d hazzard a guess that most Asterix fans these days are adults who, rightfully so, have come to expect better from Optimum.
I’ve reviewed The Collected Adventures of Asterix, a 6-disc box set featuring the first six animated adventures of the wily Gaul. Optimum’s R2 UK standard definition release leaves something to be desired, to say the very least…
If, after reading my rant, you feel so inclined, you can pre-order your own copy of this title from Play.com.
The Bourne Identity July 23, 2006
Posted by Michael Mackenzie in : Reviews, Technobabble, Movie Watching , add a commentUSA/Germany/Czech Republic: Doug Liman, 2002
I rented it. I watched it. I can’t, after all, very well write a review of The Bourne Supremacy without first seeing its predecessor. And, ultimately, I am of the opinion that The Bourne Identity is the better film - significantly better. Part of it, I think, is that it has a human element running throughout it, in the form of Marie, Franka Potente’s character, which, beyond the first act, isn’t present in The Bourne Supremacy (I’m trying hard to avoid spoilers here).
I mean, let’s face it - Jason Bourne is a blank slate played by an incredibly wooden actor. True, he’s a more realistic spy than James Bond, but most Bond actors are capable of more than one facial expression and can be relied on to actually exhibit the odd human emotion. Bourne is, by the very nature of his character, pretty much a robot, and, because of the way he’s played, I have trouble believing he even remotely cares about anything. As such, I don’t care about him. I do, however, find myself caring about Marie, because she’s a human being rather than a superhero.
As a result, The Bourne Identity is actually quite exciting. Yes, it has the same air of detachment to it that annoyed me about its sequel, but it’s fast-paced, reasonably intelligent, and has that globe-trotting aspect that makes films of this type so appealing. The direction is also considerably better, with Doug Liman (Go) keeping the shakyvision camera in check in a way that Paul Greengrass utterly failed to do with the sequel. There’s also a really good car chase through the streets of Paris that puts to shame anything in The Bourne Supremacy.
That said, I’m going to watch The Bourne Supremacy again before I review it. Maybe, now that I’ve absorbed with relevant back-story, I’ll be less critical of it.
But good god, man! After watching The Bourne Supremacy in shiny HD, going back to standard definition was just horrible. The Bourne Identity doesn’t exactly have a particularly good transfer anyway, but even so, I was shocked by the drop in definition. I hope this comes out on HD DVD soon (it makes no sense that the sequel is available but not the original), because I’d definitely consider picking it up.
8/10
Buy The Bourne Identity on R2 UK standard definition DVD at Play.com.
The Collected Adventures of Asterix - collect this review, Optimum July 20, 2006
Posted by Michael Mackenzie in : Reviews, Technobabble, Movie Watching , add a commentThis morning, I received check discs of the much-delayed UK SD DVD release of The Collected Adventures of Asterix from Optimum. Given the poor treatment of the Asterix series on video in this country, I wasn’t exactly expecting any great shakes from these DVDs, but I must say that they’ve turned out to be even worse than I’d previously imagined. Basically, it goes like this:
Asterix the Gaul
Original aspect ratio: 1.33:1. 1.33:1 master used, blown up and zoomed in to anamorphic 1.78:1. Opening credits are a combination of windowboxing and horizontal stretching. Opening credits are in English.
Asterix and Cleopatra
Original aspect ratio: 1.33:1. 1.33:1 master used, blown up and zoomed in to anamorphic 1.78:1. Opening credits are slightly windowboxed and slightly cropped. There are also numerous frame rate problems, as if the computer being used to capture the film wasn’t powerful enough for the task. During the opening introduction, you can actually see the image tracking up and down in an attempt to get the relevant information (speech bubbles, character animation) in the frame. Opening credits are in English.
The Twelve Tasks of Asterix
Original aspect ratio: 1.66:1. Slightly over-matted at 1.78:1 but still watchable. This is actually a cleaner print than the one used for the French DVD from Citel Video, but its colours seem too dark and with a noticeable yellow cast. The only transfer that is, overall, anything of an improvement on what was already available. Opening credits are in English and are extremely cheap-looking, with a granite slab motif presumably being used to cover up the original French titles. End credits are in French.
Asterix vs. Caesar
Original aspect ratio: 1.66:1. Uses the same transfer as the French Gaumont Video DVD from 2005, and is thus presented in its correct aspect ratio but suffers from noticeable DVNR artefacts. Opening and closing credits are in French.
Asterix in Britain
Original aspect ratio: 1.66:1. Uses the same transfer as the French Gaumont Video DVD from 2005, and is thus presented in its correct aspect ratio but suffers from noticeable DVNR artefacts. Opening and closing credits are in French.
Asterix and the Big Fight
Original aspect ratio: 1.85:1. Bafflingly, this transfer is taken from an analogue pan and scan master, and is thus cropped to 1.33:1. This is the same master that was used for the Australian Release from Video Unlimited. Opening credits are in English, closing credits are in German.
Oh, and all of the films are dubbed into English. The original French audio is nowhere to be found. There are no extras of any kind either, although, to be honest, this is the least of this set’s problems.
Optimum have really dropped the ball here and have clearly invested the least possible effort. This set is a complete hodge-podge of different sources, only three of which (the three that are presented in, or reasonably close to, their original aspect ratios) can even be considered watchable. By putting this release out and charging a premium price for it, they are showing utter contempt for their customers. Their thinking, I would assume, is that the kiddies will be happy enough with them, but quite honestly, when these shoddy presentations (or ones similar to them) were served up to me when I was a kid, I was far from satisfied. In any event, I’d hazzard a guess that most Asterix fans these days are adults who, rightfully so, have come to expect better from Optimum. Maybe, if they’d spent more time sourcing better masters instead of hacking up the ones they had, we wouldn’t be in this situation now.
To make matters worse, at the end of last year, when we first became aware of the DVNR artefacts present on the French DVDs, Lyris sent Optimum an email warning them of the problem, in the event that the French releases were used as a source. Not only was his email not replied to, his advice has clearly been ignored point-blank, and, to add insult to injury, the ironically-named Optimum have committed far greater crimes against these films than the French distributors ever did. Third-rate service from a third-rate distributor.
Expect a scathing review soon.
If, after reading my rant, you feel so inclined, you can pre-order your own copy of this title from Play.com.
HD DVD: 24p in Europe for Studio Canal titles July 19, 2006
Posted by Michael Mackenzie in : Technobabble , add a commentSource: AV Forums
Excellent news in AV-land! It has been confirmed, by Microsoft, that the HD DVD titles announced for release in Europe by Studio Canal, including heavyweights such as Mullholland Dr. and Terminator 2: Judgment Day, will be presented in 24p. This means that not only will we not have to put up with the dreaded 25 fps 4% PAL speed-up that has plagued video and DVD releases of films in PAL territories since the inceptions of the formats, but that we will be able to play them on our shiny American HD-A1 HD DVD players (which, annoyingly, can’t output a 50 Hz signal).
Mother of Tears update
Posted by Michael Mackenzie in : Movie Watching , 2 commentsThose of you who know me as a big Dario Argento fan will not be surprised to learn that I am greatly looking forward to his upcoming final chapter in the Three Mothers trilogy, currently titled Mother of Tears with a release date of some time in 2007. (The first in the trilogy, Suspiria, was, after all, very likely the film that turned me into a film fan in the first place.) This project has been delayed, stopped and started so many times that I’ve lost count, but the announcement at the Cannes Film Festival this year that Argento not only had a complete script (co-written by Tobe Hooper acolytes Jace Anderson and Adam Gierasch) but also the backing of a US studio, Myriad Pictures, filled me with fresh hope. Finally, it looks like the film will be coming to fruition.
Previously, it was expected that shooting would begin in Rome in September. A recent update at the Profondo Rosso Store web site, however, states that it has now been delayed until what translates as “next November or later”. I sincerely hope that “next November” is a mistranslation and that it means this November, not November 2007 (after all, the previous announcement, which stated “next September”, turned out in fact to mean “this September”).
The good news, however, is that Argento’s daughter, Asia Argento, who played the lead roles in Trauma, The Stendhal Syndrome and The Phantom of the Opera, will be starring in it.
Serenity July 17, 2006
Posted by Michael Mackenzie in : Reviews, Movie Watching , add a commentShoddy cover art aside, Serenity on HD DVD is a magnificent package, and indeed is a strong contender for the best release I’ve seen on this format so far. Fans of the film who are capable of playing HD DVDs are well advised to throw their grotty old DVD copies on the scrap heap and invest in this absolutely magnificent presentation of a fun, highly engaging sci-fi romp.
Joss Whedon’s resurrection of his short-lived sci-fi series Firefly arrives in high definition! I’ve reviewed the R0 US HD DVD release of Serenity, which features all the bonus materials from the standard definition release in addition to an eye-popping 1080p transfer and explosive Dolby Digital-Plus audio.
Powerpuff Girls Z July 16, 2006
Posted by Michael Mackenzie in : Telly Tat , 3 commentsDear god, I think I want to gouge my eyes out.
Ultraviolet
Posted by Michael Mackenzie in : Reviews, Technobabble, Movie Watching , add a commentJust one more of the many great titles that you, yourself, can own on Blu-ray, today.
Don’t buy Blu-ray - it’s rubbish
Posted by Michael Mackenzie in : Technobabble , add a commentProjector Central has posted a great article that explains, in very clear terms, why HD DVD is the only viable option for high definition home entertainment, and why Blu-ray, if not doomed to outright failure, can never hope to conquer the market.
So we must ask ourselves as consumers: How big of a deal is this fuss over studio support anyway? What if I invest in HD-DVD today and Disney decides not to support it after all? Our answer is an emphatic so what? Not being able to see a Disney film in HD is not the end of the world. Disney films will always be available on regular DVD. You can pop those DVDs into your HD-DVD player anytime you want, upsample them to 1080i, and see them in very close to the same quality as Blu-ray is delivering today. Problem solved.
Brilliance. Sheer brilliance.