Casablanca and The Frighteners - Blu-ray Forum

Brad1107 · 10-19-2012, 04:45 AM

Hey guys, went to JB today and picked up these titles for cheap, just had some questions..

I could have sworn the blu-ray of the Frighteners had both the directors and theatrical cuts but it seems the copy I picked up only includes the theatrical. Was there another edition that went out of print?

Also, Casablanca, did we ever get the new edition that had the 4K scan? I picked up the older edition and was wondering whether its really worth the upgrade? I only paid $10 for it so was wondering whether I should return it and order from the US or if it's not worth it.

LordCrumb · 10-19-2012, 04:53 AM

On the 15th Anniversary Special Edition (banner on top of cover) of The Frighterners should have the Directors Cut option on the main menu, under the first option (Play)... 'Go To Directors Cut'. When you go to the Directors Cut menu, it has 'Go To Theatrical Version' in its place..

Supernaut · 10-19-2012, 05:17 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Brad1107

Hey guys, went to JB today and picked up these titles for cheap, just had some questions..

I could have sworn the blu-ray of the Frighteners had both the directors and theatrical cuts but it seems the copy I picked up only includes the theatrical. Was there another edition that went out of print?

Also, Casablanca, did we ever get the new edition that had the 4K scan? I picked up the older edition and was wondering whether its really worth the upgrade? I only paid $10 for it so was wondering whether I should return it and order from the US or if it's not worth it.

Nope.

Brad1107 · 10-19-2012, 05:37 AM

Thanks for the replies guys. Will just keep my Casablanca as the review for the older version is still very good. Nice to know about the two cuts on The Frighteners too. Thanks!

retablo · 10-19-2012, 06:04 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Brad1107

Thanks for the replies guys. Will just keep my Casablanca as the review for the older version is still very good. Nice to know about the two cuts on The Frighteners too. Thanks!

The US Casablanca is region free and a worthy upgrade over the boosted, DNR'd previous version.

nitin · 10-19-2012, 11:23 AM

yeah I second that, the newer Casablanca is noticeably better, not just in terms of no DNR but also better compression and grayscale.

MacEachaidh · 10-19-2012, 10:28 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Brad1107

Also, Casablanca, did we ever get the new edition that had the 4K scan?

It was a bit shonky of WB to repackage the older version with a new slick, but word the back of the slick as if it was the new scan we were getting. A bit of marketing opportunism there ...

nitin · 10-21-2012, 12:44 AM

or just blatant lies?

Blu-21 · 10-21-2012, 05:19 AM

Some scenes on the 2008 release of Casablanca look quite good,, but at the end of the day it is not a faithful reproduction of how the film is SUPPOSE to look. It uses an outdated master that was recycled from the DVD with contrast boosting and lots of DNR.

The new version was a multi-million dollar restoration project scanned from the original film negatives. It maintains a proper grain structure with sold blacks and much more detail that accurately reflect the film source.

Newer is better in this case.

MacEachaidh · 10-21-2012, 05:40 AM

The newer version also comes with a restored audio track as lossless mono. Reviews I've read suggest it's a worthwhile improvement over the Dolby mono on our current version.

Quote:

Originally Posted by nitin

or just blatant lies?

One has to wonder, eh? I'm thinking either it's that, and they're hoping to catch people by getting them to (re)buy this one, thinking they're getting the new master ... or perhaps at some point WB actually was intending to release the new version here and prepared the artwork for it, and then either changed their minds or the master became unavailable. Is it possible they thought they *were* releasing the new master, and something got screwed up in production?

(I get the impression they're a pretty tiny outfit here in OZ, and their quality control is definitely not always up to scratch.)

I did try to speak to WB recently, intending to ask if they were going to release the new master here; but I've left my contact details with them three times now and never heard back, so I guess they're not very interested.

Brad1107 · 10-21-2012, 07:42 AM

It is sneaky of them. I picked this up because of the new cover thinking it was the new restoration until I got home and checked out the specs.

I'll keep it for now but I'm close to getting my projector and sound system setup and will probably rebuy it one day for my big screen.

insomniac · 10-21-2012, 07:47 AM

I blind purchased this because of what it said about the 4K transfer on the cover, but at least it was only around $6.75.

Supernaut · 10-21-2012, 07:51 AM

Doesn't the cover actally allege it's: "from a brand new 4k transfer..."?

Edit: Beaten to the punch by the one who doesn't sleep...

nitin · 10-21-2012, 11:18 AM

if the cover didnt state new restoration I would have just put it down to ot luck with Warner re-releases (ie 99% same old disc, 1% chance not). But by having that on there, its just misleading.

And another reason to import.

10-19-2012, 04:45 AM	#1
Brad1107 Active Member Top contributor Member since:Dec 2011 Blu-ray collection:429	Casablanca and The Frighteners Hey guys, went to JB today and picked up these titles for cheap, just had some questions.. I could have sworn the blu-ray of the Frighteners had both the directors and theatrical cuts but it seems the copy I picked up only includes the theatrical. Was there another edition that went out of print? Also, Casablanca, did we ever get the new edition that had the 4K scan? I picked up the older edition and was wondering whether its really worth the upgrade? I only paid $10 for it so was wondering whether I should return it and order from the US or if it's not worth it.

10-21-2012, 05:19 AM	#9
Blu-21 Blu-ray Samurai Member since:Jun 2012 Location:Australia Blu-ray collection:67 Blu-ray reviews:1	Some scenes on the 2008 release of Casablanca look quite good,, but at the end of the day it is not a faithful reproduction of how the film is SUPPOSE to look. It uses an outdated master that was recycled from the DVD with contrast boosting and lots of DNR. The new version was a multi-million dollar restoration project scanned from the original film negatives. It maintains a proper grain structure with sold blacks and much more detail that accurately reflect the film source. Newer is better in this case. Last edited by Blu-21; 10-21-2012 at 05:21 AM.

10-19-2012, 04:53 AM	#2
LordCrumb Moderator Top contributor Member since:May 2009 Location:New Zealand Home Theater Gallery:4 4K collection:405 Blu-ray collection:2924 DVD collection:109 Blu-ray reviews: 12 Trading Score:67	On the 15th Anniversary Special Edition (banner on top of cover) of The Frighterners should have the Directors Cut option on the main menu, under the first option (Play)... 'Go To Directors Cut'. When you go to the Directors Cut menu, it has 'Go To Theatrical Version' in its place..

10-19-2012, 05:37 AM	#4
Brad1107 Active Member Top contributor Member since:Dec 2011 Blu-ray collection:429	Thanks for the replies guys. Will just keep my Casablanca as the review for the older version is still very good. Nice to know about the two cuts on The Frighteners too. Thanks!

10-19-2012, 11:23 AM	#6
nitin Blu-ray Knight Top contributor Member since:Feb 2010 Trading Score:9	yeah I second that, the newer Casablanca is noticeably better, not just in terms of no DNR but also better compression and grayscale.

10-21-2012, 12:44 AM	#8
nitin Blu-ray Knight Top contributor Member since:Feb 2010 Trading Score:9	or just blatant lies?

10-21-2012, 07:42 AM	#11
Brad1107 Active Member Top contributor Member since:Dec 2011 Blu-ray collection:429	It is sneaky of them. I picked this up because of the new cover thinking it was the new restoration until I got home and checked out the specs. I'll keep it for now but I'm close to getting my projector and sound system setup and will probably rebuy it one day for my big screen.

10-21-2012, 07:47 AM	#12
insomniac Special Member Top contributor Member since:Jun 2012 Location:Australia 4K collection:59 Blu-ray collection:627 DVD collection:3	I blind purchased this because of what it said about the 4K transfer on the cover, but at least it was only around $6.75.

10-21-2012, 07:51 AM	#13
Supernaut Blu-ray Guru Top contributor Member since:Jan 2010 Home Theater Gallery:15 Blu-ray collection:3270 Trading Score:42	Doesn't the cover actally allege it's: "from a brand new 4k transfer..."? Edit: Beaten to the punch by the one who doesn't sleep...

10-21-2012, 11:18 AM	#14
nitin Blu-ray Knight Top contributor Member since:Feb 2010 Trading Score:9	if the cover didnt state new restoration I would have just put it down to ot luck with Warner re-releases (ie 99% same old disc, 1% chance not). But by having that on there, its just misleading. And another reason to import.

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