Joseph and the Amazing Technicolor Dreamcoat (1999)

[KingSimba]

Release Date: 29th/October/2012
Distributor: Universal Pictures

[DaveSimonH]

I was in the choir a couple of years in primary school, we did this one of the years. Great fun, but learning the sequence of the "coat of many colours" song was a bit of a b***h though lol

I'll probably pick this up for nostalgic reasons

[Villiam Hayes]

I have seen this more times than I care to remember at the theatre and I owned the VHS years's ago and watched it once so I think I will forget about this one.

[ChrisDilke]

Pre-order up, £10.49 at Amazon

http://www.amazon.co.uk/Joseph-Amazi...5174174&sr=8-2

[The-Dude]

So did anyone get this then? How does it look?

[MattDean]

The DVD on my 52inch always looked bad, the blu is only marginally better - there are clearly issues with the master. Gave up watching after 15mins...

Matt

[malcy30]

Wasn't this filmed as direct to video on a pretty sparse studio stage ?

Not expecting miracles as presume not filmed in 35mm.

Is there a lossless soundtrack, and if so is it any good ?

[MattDean]

DTS HD 5.1

Matt

[Salem874]

Just so you're aware, ive submitted an update to the Blu-ray.com database for this film to include Audio and subtitle details.

[Villiam Hayes]

Originally Posted by ryandk

Is this disc region-free?

It's a Universal release which generally means region free.

[Salem874]

Originally Posted by ryandk

Can anyone confirm it's region free?

I'll try and check when i get home

[DMRI2006]

It is region free, but the transfer lacks HD detail. Looks like it was shot with standard def equipment -- which would be possible in 1999. Either way it has the look of an upscale. Better color reproduction than the DVD but not any more detail sadly.

The soundtrack is great at least. If you like the musical it's still recommended though -- a really well staged, and fun, adaptation of the show.

[Edgar_in_Indy]

I have this on DVD in the US, and it has some very strange kind of aspect ratio. Anybody know if they've corrected this on blu-ray? I was hoping for a 16:9 edit, or at least a proper 4:3 ratio.

[Eastvillage06]

This BD plays successfully on my Region A US player. However, I recall from the dvd that this was (I presumed) filmed in a ratio that was slimmer than 16x9 but wider than 4x3, so naturally I was curious how they BD would handle it. I suppressed a fear that they would stretch the image into a full 16x9 1:78ish output. It looks like they did and I noticed it from the opening production fanfare. I find it apalling. I hate fake widescreen so much, but would take a cropped picture before a stretched one. Can anyone verify what I'm seeing?

[Edgar_in_Indy]

Surely they would not have stretched the picture??? Can anybody else comment on this?

[OneWayFilms]

Just ordered my copy, will report when mine comes in. BUt....if they just made a blu from a DVD copy, then it wouyld have teh same exact ratio, wouldn't it?

Most of us had full-screen TV's when it was first released, and now most of us have wide-screen Tv's. That means the image WILL be stretched. I'm not happy about this either and fear for the upcoming CATS bluray.

[DaveSimonH]

Originally Posted by Eastvillage06

This BD plays successfully on my Region A US player. However, I recall from the dvd that this was (I presumed) filmed in a ratio that was slimmer than 16x9 but wider than 4x3, so naturally I was curious how they BD would handle it. I suppressed a fear that they would stretch the image into a full 16x9 1:78ish output. It looks like they did and I noticed it from the opening production fanfare. I find it apalling. I hate fake widescreen so much, but would take a cropped picture before a stretched one. Can anyone verify what I'm seeing?

1.66:1 stretched to 16:9? If so, that is ridiculous.

[Show spoiler]

[Eastvillage06]

Yes, based on your example I really think Cats and Joseph were both filmed (or at least presented on the DVD) in 1.66 letterbox obviously within a 4:3 output for the DVD because on the DVD you could see that little sliver of horizontal black on the top and bottom, (but of course not as much as a 1:85 movie.) Joseph, while anamorphic, seems to be stretched to compensate for that tiny margin although that's no excuse. It's very subtle to see that small stretch which is why I need someone else's eye to confirm.

[iVivian]

Originally Posted by Eastvillage06

Yes, based on your example I really think Cats and Joseph were both filmed (or at least presented on the DVD) in 1.66 letterbox obviously within a 4:3 output for the DVD because on the DVD you could see that little sliver of horizontal black on the top and bottom, (but of course not as much as a 1:85 movie.) Joseph, while anamorphic, seems to be stretched to compensate for that tiny margin although that's no excuse. It's very subtle to see that small stretch which is why I need someone else's eye to confirm.

Hi, do you have any idea of Jesus Christ Superstar bluray? Was the image also stretched? I ordered Joseph, JCS and Cats yesterday but now I fear the possible aspect ratio problem. And was Joseph really HD?

[MattDean]

Originally Posted by iVivian

Hi, do you have any idea of Jesus Christ Superstar bluray? Was the image also stretched? I ordered Joseph, JCS and Cats yesterday but now I fear the possible aspect ratio problem. And was Joseph really HD?

The image isn't stretched - I have Joseph on Blu. I also have JCS and that isn't stretched either! Both Joseph and JCS were originally released on UK DVD with anamorphic transfers - maybe they weren't in other territories and that may have caused this confusion? Either way the anamorphic transfers are present on the Blu-rays. Unfortunately, it doesn't appear that Universal have done any remastering - Joseph in particular looks like an up-convert, JCS is better but not perfect. Audio on both is good though. Cats wasn't released here on DVD 16x9 enhanced but I'm pretty sure it will be on Blu! I'll be getting Cats early next week, I'll let you know what it's like unless someone beats me to it!

Matt