Reviews Glad You Didn't Listen To - Blu-ray Forum

Travis · 11-15-2009, 10:26 AM

After getting Gladiator, Pale Rider and reading the reviews on Butch Cassidy here, which were 2.5 for PQ, and here, Robert Harris on Butch Cassidy, which is a positive review I wonder what movies you almost didn't buy because of reviews and forum chatter.

I almost didn't buy Pale Rider or Gladiator because of what "they" said. Glad I didn't listen to "them." Gladiator and Pale Rider are way better than the DVDs, definitely worth buying. Maybe I'm not that picky, or I'm too easily impressed. I don't know.

I am mostly concerned with a Blu-ray's PQ and AQ ratings, and in the past they have kept me from buying some films.

I haven't bought Butch Cassidy and the Sundance Kid because of reviews. Now I'm thinking I will.

What movies are you glad you bought, despite bad reviews?

aramis109 · 11-15-2009, 01:26 PM

I don't really see anything inherently negative in RAH's perspective on Butch Cassidy. He notes the duped elements due to unavoidable print damage and praises the grain structure that the film stock has. If I had a particular love for this movie (I like it a lot but don't know that I'd re-watch it all that often) I'd not hesitate to buy it based on his recommendations, but I'd be aware of the limitations of the disc.

Meathead · 11-15-2009, 01:27 PM

https://www.blu-ray.com/movies/The-G...y-Review/1046/
the movie is way better than the reviewer says and the Blu ray blows away the DVD

OhDamaso · 11-15-2009, 01:28 PM

Gladiator
Ronin
Miami Vice
Army of Darkness

Honestly, pretty much anything. People on these forums can be such blu-ray snobs, and the fact of the matter is aside from maybe a handful of discs, they're all a nice step up over the DVDs.

Travis · 11-15-2009, 01:29 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by aramis109

I don't really see anything inherently negative in RAH's perspective on Butch Cassidy. He notes the duped elements due to unavoidable print damage and praises the grain structure that the film stock has. If I had a particular love for this movie (I like it a lot but don't know that I'd re-watch it all that often) I'd not hesitate to buy it based on his recommendations, but I'd be aware of the limitations of the disc.

RAH's review is positive for the most part. The review here is not. Just after reading both and getting my movies, I've started reading reviews with 2 grains of salt instead of one.

I edited OP to make it less confusing.

aramis109 · 11-15-2009, 01:40 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Travis

RAH's review is positive for the most part. The review here is not. Just after reading both and getting my movies, I've started reading reviews with 2 grains of salt instead of one.

I edited OP to make it less confusing.

You're right- it is pretty negative. I can't comment as I've not seen the disc, but it IS one of the site's older reviews. I tend to be very careful with them as they didn't have as many titles to base comparisons on. It's one of Gremal's reviews though, and I usually agree with him on technical merits. Tough call on that one. Sounds like you got it and enjoy it, so I guess that's all that matters.

For me, while the reviews have mostly been something I agree with (technically speaking- I don't worry about what they say on the plot) I know that there are a couple titles that folks here have just shredded: Gremlins and Ghostbusters. I have both those titles and am really glad I purchased them both. Gremlins doesn't look sharp and is very grainy, but the audio and the overall presentation is vastly superior than even the bad theaters I saw it in back in the day. Ghostbusters to me looks fabulous and I'm very glad it didn't get hit with the DNR-stick.

Basic rule of thumb for me is the movie itself. If it's one I already love, I'm probably going to buy it anyway and enjoy it despite the flaws. That's a moving yardstick for everyone, so I'm sure that's what most of the variation is about.

Elvis · 11-15-2009, 01:41 PM

Glad I bought Gladiator. Not the best Blu for sure but well worth the money for an upgrade. And contrary to what a few are saying about the quality being no better than an upconvert they are flat out wrong.

Fightertown · 11-15-2009, 04:03 PM

The reviews done on this site is helpful to a point. Some are on point. Some have reservations of the people involved in front or behind the camera.

Use the reviews to guide you into making decisions and should be taken with a grain of salt.

Chaotic · 11-15-2009, 04:11 PM

Kiss of the Dragon got a 1/5 for video from hidefdigest. i thought the video deserved atleast a 3.

Blu Titan · 11-15-2009, 04:29 PM

As far as the opinion of the reviewer concerning the movie, I really don't pay attention to that since I know what type of movie I would enjoy. However, for foreign film reviews the reviewer's actual opinion of the movie is important to me. As far as the reviews here, the original review of "The Shawshank Redemption" by G.M. was off the chain. If you check now, all you see is the one by Casey Broadwater and that one is fine.

assydingo · 11-15-2009, 04:31 PM

The reviewers here have to be critical on the video and audio for users with high end set ups. Some movies they give an average score might look fine to me on my 42" but for someone with a bigger TV any flaws will be much more noticeable.

hal9000 · 11-15-2009, 04:35 PM

Whatever Works. It made the movie seem uninteresting, but I loved every minute of it. But, in the end, a review is about whether the reviewer thought it was or wasn't good, and that is extremely subjective.

KilloWertz · 11-15-2009, 04:49 PM

There's nothing wrong with buying movies you love even though they get bad reviews in regards to the PQ and/or AQ. I bought Wedding Crashers the day it came out even though it's DNR'd because I love the movie and it's still an upgrade. I respect the reviews here and think they do a good job most of the time, but the only thing that will keep me from buying a movie that I love is if the BD is not much of an upgrade at all (The Italian Job). I would have still bought Gladiator despite the issues, but I don't love the movie as much as some.

To actually answer the question though, I would have to go with Chuck: The Complete First Season. The PQ is average at best, but I love the show and don't care that the PQ and AQ aren't anything special.

Gremal · 11-15-2009, 04:51 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by aramis109

You're right- it is pretty negative. I can't comment as I've not seen the disc, but it IS one of the site's older reviews. I tend to be very careful with them as they didn't have as many titles to base comparisons on. It's one of Gremal's reviews though, and I usually agree with him on technical merits. Tough call on that one. Sounds like you got it and enjoy it, so I guess that's all that matters.

Basic rule of thumb for me is the movie itself. If it's one I already love, I'm probably going to buy it anyway and enjoy it despite the flaws. That's a moving yardstick for everyone, so I'm sure that's what most of the variation is about.

That's exactly right, Aramis. It's the reviewer's job to focus on PQ and AQ problems so readers don't make a purchase they might regret. A positive review of BC's picture would have been more misleading than the negative one, especially if you compare How the West Was Won to BCatSK. But the overriding factor is one's appreciation of the movie itself.

On a related note, I just watched Heat and believe Ken's assessment of the picture and sound was too generous. The technical merits of the BD were average at best. I enjoy the movie so much that I don't regret the purchase and don't think anyone will fault the review. Bottom line--it's always a judgment call.

Gremal · 11-15-2009, 05:11 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Blu Titan

As far as the reviews here, the original review of "The Shawshank Redemption" by G.M. was off the chain. If you check now, all you see is the one by Casey Broadwater and that one is fine.

It wasn't off the chain at all. I find it to be an average movie and said so. It was a controversial review, but controversy isn't necessarily a bad thing.

blu_sharpy · 11-15-2009, 05:16 PM

For me its 28 Days Later. HDD gave the Video Quality 1.5/5. On the other hand, i agree with the review on this site and think that it looks as close to the source material as you're going to get.

Darkhawk9587 · 11-15-2009, 05:29 PM

Gladiator and Gangs of New York for me. Love both blu-ray versions.

SquidPuppet · 11-15-2009, 05:30 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Blu Titan

As far as the opinion of the reviewer concerning the movie, I really don't pay attention to that since I know what type of movie I would enjoy. However, for foreign film reviews the reviewer's actual opinion of the movie is important to me. As far as the reviews here, the original review of "The Shawshank Redemption" by G.M. was off the chain. If you check now, all you see is the one by Casey Broadwater and that one is fine.

charlieray1 · 11-15-2009, 09:24 PM

Army Of Darkness.

The review called the PQ disapointing. I picked it up when Amazon had that insane "buy more save more" sale. I figured at under $5, how could I lose. Watched it the other night -- it looks great! A little inconsistent in some scenes, but MILES better than the DVD

Blu-Malibu2009 · 11-15-2009, 09:37 PM

Assassination of Jesse James. Yes it's crammed onto a 25 gig disc and has quite a bit of processing (EE/DNR), but that is still a hell of a lot better than being crammed onto a 8 gig DVD with crappy MPEG2 compression and still having the EE/DNR as well. 25 gigs of VC-1 at 1080p destroys 8 gigs of MPEG2 at 480p especially in the area of color reproduction, which is very important for this film because it was gorgeously shot by Roger Deakins.

11-15-2009, 10:26 AM	#1
Travis Blu-ray King Top contributor Member since:Nov 2008 Location:Recliner Home Theater Gallery:71 4K collection:126 Blu-ray collection:2055 DVD collection:241 iTunes collection:40 Blu-ray reviews:4 Trading Score:14	Reviews Glad You Didn't Listen To After getting Gladiator, Pale Rider and reading the reviews on Butch Cassidy here, which were 2.5 for PQ, and here, Robert Harris on Butch Cassidy, which is a positive review I wonder what movies you almost didn't buy because of reviews and forum chatter. I almost didn't buy Pale Rider or Gladiator because of what "they" said. Glad I didn't listen to "them." Gladiator and Pale Rider are way better than the DVDs, definitely worth buying. Maybe I'm not that picky, or I'm too easily impressed. I don't know. I am mostly concerned with a Blu-ray's PQ and AQ ratings, and in the past they have kept me from buying some films. I haven't bought Butch Cassidy and the Sundance Kid because of reviews. Now I'm thinking I will. What movies are you glad you bought, despite bad reviews? Last edited by Travis; 11-15-2009 at 01:33 PM.

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11-15-2009, 01:26 PM	#2
aramis109 Blu-ray Ninja Member since:Mar 2008 Location:Milwaukee, WI Home Theater Gallery:10 4K collection:4 Blu-ray collection:360 Trading Score:18	I don't really see anything inherently negative in RAH's perspective on Butch Cassidy. He notes the duped elements due to unavoidable print damage and praises the grain structure that the film stock has. If I had a particular love for this movie (I like it a lot but don't know that I'd re-watch it all that often) I'd not hesitate to buy it based on his recommendations, but I'd be aware of the limitations of the disc.

11-15-2009, 01:27 PM	#3
Meathead Senior Member Member since:Jul 2007 4K collection:- Blu-ray collection:- DVD collection:- Digital collection:- Blu-ray reviews:26	https://www.blu-ray.com/movies/The-G...y-Review/1046/ the movie is way better than the reviewer says and the Blu ray blows away the DVD

11-15-2009, 01:28 PM	#4
OhDamaso Expert Member Top ranked HT gallery Member since:Feb 2009 Home Theater Gallery:29 Blu-ray collection:12 Blu-ray reviews:2 Trading Score:50	Gladiator Ronin Miami Vice Army of Darkness Honestly, pretty much anything. People on these forums can be such blu-ray snobs, and the fact of the matter is aside from maybe a handful of discs, they're all a nice step up over the DVDs.

11-15-2009, 01:41 PM	#7
Elvis Banned Member since:May 2009 Location:The Jungle Room Home Theater Gallery:1 Blu-ray collection:327 DVD collection:45 Blu-ray reviews:10 Trading Score:18	Glad I bought Gladiator. Not the best Blu for sure but well worth the money for an upgrade. And contrary to what a few are saying about the quality being no better than an upconvert they are flat out wrong.

11-15-2009, 04:03 PM	#8
Fightertown Active Member Member since:Feb 2009 4K collection:12 Blu-ray collection:476 Trading Score:3	The reviews done on this site is helpful to a point. Some are on point. Some have reservations of the people involved in front or behind the camera. Use the reviews to guide you into making decisions and should be taken with a grain of salt.

11-15-2009, 04:11 PM	#9
Chaotic Blu-ray Grand Duke Member since:Mar 2009 Location:Denver, CO	Kiss of the Dragon got a 1/5 for video from hidefdigest. i thought the video deserved atleast a 3.

11-15-2009, 04:29 PM	#10
Blu Titan Super Moderator Top ranked HT gallery Top contributor Member since:Jul 2007 Location:Edo, Land of the Samurai Home Theater Gallery:42 4K collection:41 Blu-ray collection:2864 Blu-ray reviews: 2 Trading Score:92	As far as the opinion of the reviewer concerning the movie, I really don't pay attention to that since I know what type of movie I would enjoy. However, for foreign film reviews the reviewer's actual opinion of the movie is important to me. As far as the reviews here, the original review of "The Shawshank Redemption" by G.M. was off the chain. If you check now, all you see is the one by Casey Broadwater and that one is fine.

11-15-2009, 04:31 PM	#11
assydingo Blu-ray Ninja Member since:Oct 2008 Blu-ray collection:483 DVD collection:12 Trading Score:3	The reviewers here have to be critical on the video and audio for users with high end set ups. Some movies they give an average score might look fine to me on my 42" but for someone with a bigger TV any flaws will be much more noticeable.

11-15-2009, 04:35 PM	#12
hal9000 Junior Member Member since:Oct 2008 Blu-ray collection:138 Blu-ray reviews:16	Whatever Works. It made the movie seem uninteresting, but I loved every minute of it. But, in the end, a review is about whether the reviewer thought it was or wasn't good, and that is extremely subjective.

11-15-2009, 04:49 PM	#13
KilloWertz Blu-ray Archduke Top contributor Member since:Dec 2008 Location:Columbiana, OH 4K collection:61 Blu-ray collection:1042 DVD collection:65 Blu-ray reviews:3 Trading Score:82	There's nothing wrong with buying movies you love even though they get bad reviews in regards to the PQ and/or AQ. I bought Wedding Crashers the day it came out even though it's DNR'd because I love the movie and it's still an upgrade. I respect the reviews here and think they do a good job most of the time, but the only thing that will keep me from buying a movie that I love is if the BD is not much of an upgrade at all (The Italian Job). I would have still bought Gladiator despite the issues, but I don't love the movie as much as some. To actually answer the question though, I would have to go with Chuck: The Complete First Season. The PQ is average at best, but I love the show and don't care that the PQ and AQ aren't anything special.

11-15-2009, 05:16 PM	#16
blu_sharpy Blu-ray Samurai Top contributor Member since:Nov 2009 Location:United Kingdom Blu-ray collection:743 DVD collection:11 Blu-ray reviews: 4 Trading Score:1	For me its 28 Days Later. HDD gave the Video Quality 1.5/5. On the other hand, i agree with the review on this site and think that it looks as close to the source material as you're going to get.

11-15-2009, 05:29 PM	#17
Darkhawk9587 Blu-ray Ninja Member since:Nov 2008 Location:Wisconsin 4K collection:66 Blu-ray collection:487 Trading Score:30	Gladiator and Gangs of New York for me. Love both blu-ray versions.

11-15-2009, 09:24 PM	#19
charlieray1 Blu-ray Guru Member since:Nov 2008 Location:Victorville, CA Blu-ray reviews: 1	Army Of Darkness. The review called the PQ disapointing. I picked it up when Amazon had that insane "buy more save more" sale. I figured at under $5, how could I lose. Watched it the other night -- it looks great! A little inconsistent in some scenes, but MILES better than the DVD

11-15-2009, 09:37 PM	#20
Blu-Malibu2009 Blu-ray Guru Member since:Apr 2008 Location:Texas Blu-ray collection:207	Assassination of Jesse James. Yes it's crammed onto a 25 gig disc and has quite a bit of processing (EE/DNR), but that is still a hell of a lot better than being crammed onto a 8 gig DVD with crappy MPEG2 compression and still having the EE/DNR as well. 25 gigs of VC-1 at 1080p destroys 8 gigs of MPEG2 at 480p especially in the area of color reproduction, which is very important for this film because it was gorgeously shot by Roger Deakins.

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