A case for the classics - Blu-ray Forum

cravnsn · 10-10-2008, 05:28 PM

A while ago, my wife & I were watching the A.F.I. top movies special on TV. We have always been interested in movie “classics” and actually made note of films we wanted to see. One of the films was “12 Angry Men”, a 1957 courtroom drama about a 12 man jury faced with deciding if a young man had murdered his father. The film takes place almost entirely in the jury room as one man (played by Henry Fonda) finds himself as the only member who has doubts about the mans guilt. Watching the movie, I got the impression that many of the modern crime dramas on TV took a page from the script of this move, in how the characters break down a case to get to the truth.

As I peruse the boards on this site, I often see posts that seem to lead to a “It’s got to be on BD” way of thinking. There is even a pole about whether or not a movie should be bought if it’s not available on BD. The results are a bit disheartening. It seems like many here would rather miss out on a good movie for the sake of picture and audio quality. Indeed, some of the personal reviews are about PQ & AQ and not so much about the elements true to all films regardless of format – plot, writing, directing, acting, costuming, …etc. Don’t get me wrong, I thoroughly enjoy reaping the benefits that BD has to offer, but I certainly wouldn’t pass up the chance to see a good film just because it was only offered on standard DVD. I have seen & really enjoyed movies like The Bucket List & No Country For Old Men on BD, but I feel I would have been just as impressed with the standard DVD offering because movies like these are much more about the story and the acting than picture quality or sound effects.

12 Angry Men is black & white, mono recording and offers NO special effects what so ever, but remains as one of the best movies I’ve seen. I would hope the absence of the BD format does not preclude someone from enjoying what else a movie has to offer.

Craig

Beta Man · 10-10-2008, 05:39 PM

You're preaching to the converted man.......

I'll add a few things for people to chew on....

DVD quality is actually "Good" Nobody is saying it has more potential than Blu-ray, but it's still "good" and I've been very impressed with many transfers I've seen....

Audio to me is more important than picture quality, but Plot, Character Development etc... are all first and foremost.... Bullitt is a great Blu-ray, but it's 2-channel audio.... and I knew that going in, and I have it on DVD and Blu-ray now.... and I have no regrets.

I'm glad blu-ray is bringing newer fans of cinema from the woodwork, but I agree entirely about the numerous reviews that solely judge a movie on its PQ/AQ..... Just try to start a thread discussing the characters/plot of Reds, or the Sand Pebbles etc. and see how long it takes for someone to criticize the AQ/PQ of it.... (or for Reds they'll attack it for being on 2 25's rather than a 50

)

Sorry... I'm ranting... I'm with you brother!!!! MOVIES FIRST!

Johnny Vinyl · 10-10-2008, 06:23 PM

+1 to both of you!

It irks me to no end to read some of posts on here saying how "I can only watch BD's now!". Obviously they are only interested in the AQ/PQ of a film. All I can say is, they are missing a lot more than they realize. I'll sit down and watch a Peter Sellers classic anytime and I could care less that it is only on DVD!

Riff Magnum · 10-10-2008, 06:39 PM

You're absolutely right. If the movie is well crafted from the get go, DVD's can look amazing and give you a fine representation of the movie. I recently watched David Lynch's "A Straight Story" on DVD and it has a fantastic picture to go along with a heart breaking story, great acting, writing, and directing. That being said, I'd love to see 12 Angry Men and A Straight Story on blu.

This is a bluray forum so it makes sense that people on here are more geared towards PQ and AQ, but there are alot of film buffs here too.

SquidPuppet · 10-10-2008, 07:03 PM

For me.....

1. Story
2. Acting
3. Directing/editing
4. Cinematography
5. Costumes/sets
6. PQ
7. AQ
8. Special effects

Metropolis is coming to Blu in 2009...I hope it has DTS 7.1 HD MA...it needs it

benzgrl · 10-10-2008, 07:08 PM

Yep, I agree w/ all of you! I'm always waiting and waiting for them to release more classics on blu and my hopes are always dashed when I read the latest announcements from the studios of their releases. Don't get me wrong, I love the new films too -- Iron Man and Transformers, etc., but would love for more of the older films: like 'My Fair Lady' or 'Van Ryan's Express' and it would be more awesome if the quality of the older films on blu were as good as 'The Godfather' and 'Enter the Dragon'!

Johnny Vinyl · 10-10-2008, 07:09 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by SquidPuppet

For me.....

1. Story
2. Acting
3. Directing/editing
4. Cinematography
5. Costumes/sets
6. PQ
7. AQ
8. Special effects

I'll bet for those who ONLY watch BD's that list would start in reverse!

SquidPuppet · 10-10-2008, 07:28 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by John72953

I'll bet for those who ONLY watch BD's that list would start in reverse!

TRANSF

RMERS

Beta Man · 10-10-2008, 09:28 PM

If the story is captivating, you stop noticing all of the fine detail..... It's kinda like watching a football game on T.V. that is in a heavy rain/snow..... before long you don't notice the washed out picture, becaue you adjust to it.....

10-10-2008, 05:28 PM	#1
cravnsn Banned Member since:Aug 2008	A case for the classics A while ago, my wife & I were watching the A.F.I. top movies special on TV. We have always been interested in movie “classics” and actually made note of films we wanted to see. One of the films was “12 Angry Men”, a 1957 courtroom drama about a 12 man jury faced with deciding if a young man had murdered his father. The film takes place almost entirely in the jury room as one man (played by Henry Fonda) finds himself as the only member who has doubts about the mans guilt. Watching the movie, I got the impression that many of the modern crime dramas on TV took a page from the script of this move, in how the characters break down a case to get to the truth. As I peruse the boards on this site, I often see posts that seem to lead to a “It’s got to be on BD” way of thinking. There is even a pole about whether or not a movie should be bought if it’s not available on BD. The results are a bit disheartening. It seems like many here would rather miss out on a good movie for the sake of picture and audio quality. Indeed, some of the personal reviews are about PQ & AQ and not so much about the elements true to all films regardless of format – plot, writing, directing, acting, costuming, …etc. Don’t get me wrong, I thoroughly enjoy reaping the benefits that BD has to offer, but I certainly wouldn’t pass up the chance to see a good film just because it was only offered on standard DVD. I have seen & really enjoyed movies like The Bucket List & No Country For Old Men on BD, but I feel I would have been just as impressed with the standard DVD offering because movies like these are much more about the story and the acting than picture quality or sound effects. 12 Angry Men is black & white, mono recording and offers NO special effects what so ever, but remains as one of the best movies I’ve seen. I would hope the absence of the BD format does not preclude someone from enjoying what else a movie has to offer. Craig Last edited by cravnsn; 10-10-2008 at 07:42 PM.

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10-10-2008, 05:39 PM	#2
Beta Man Moderator Top contributor Member since:Jan 2008 Location:Juuuuuuuust A Bit Outside.... Home Theater Gallery:4 Blu-ray collection:268 Blu-ray reviews: 18 Trading Score:25	You're preaching to the converted man....... I'll add a few things for people to chew on.... DVD quality is actually "Good" Nobody is saying it has more potential than Blu-ray, but it's still "good" and I've been very impressed with many transfers I've seen.... Audio to me is more important than picture quality, but Plot, Character Development etc... are all first and foremost.... Bullitt is a great Blu-ray, but it's 2-channel audio.... and I knew that going in, and I have it on DVD and Blu-ray now.... and I have no regrets. I'm glad blu-ray is bringing newer fans of cinema from the woodwork, but I agree entirely about the numerous reviews that solely judge a movie on its PQ/AQ..... Just try to start a thread discussing the characters/plot of Reds, or the Sand Pebbles etc. and see how long it takes for someone to criticize the AQ/PQ of it.... (or for Reds they'll attack it for being on 2 25's rather than a 50 ) Sorry... I'm ranting... I'm with you brother!!!! MOVIES FIRST!

10-10-2008, 06:23 PM	#3
Johnny Vinyl Moderator Top ranked HT gallery Top contributor Member since:Jul 2007 Location:At the crossroad of Analogue Dr & 2CH Ave Home Theater Gallery:19 Blu-ray collection:205 DVD collection:7 Blu-ray reviews:3 Trading Score:8	+1 to both of you! It irks me to no end to read some of posts on here saying how "I can only watch BD's now!". Obviously they are only interested in the AQ/PQ of a film. All I can say is, they are missing a lot more than they realize. I'll sit down and watch a Peter Sellers classic anytime and I could care less that it is only on DVD!

10-10-2008, 06:39 PM	#4
Riff Magnum Blu-ray Samurai Member since:Apr 2008 Location:The Island Blu-ray collection:149	You're absolutely right. If the movie is well crafted from the get go, DVD's can look amazing and give you a fine representation of the movie. I recently watched David Lynch's "A Straight Story" on DVD and it has a fantastic picture to go along with a heart breaking story, great acting, writing, and directing. That being said, I'd love to see 12 Angry Men and A Straight Story on blu. This is a bluray forum so it makes sense that people on here are more geared towards PQ and AQ, but there are alot of film buffs here too.

10-10-2008, 07:03 PM	#5
SquidPuppet Blu-ray Duke Top contributor Member since:Dec 2007 Location:Club Loop Blu-ray collection:277 Blu-ray reviews:27	For me..... 1. Story 2. Acting 3. Directing/editing 4. Cinematography 5. Costumes/sets 6. PQ 7. AQ 8. Special effects Metropolis is coming to Blu in 2009...I hope it has DTS 7.1 HD MA...it needs it

10-10-2008, 07:08 PM	#6
benzgrl Blu-ray Guru Member since:Jun 2008 Location:Las Vegas, NV, USA Blu-ray collection:235 Blu-ray reviews: 2 Trading Score:101	Yep, I agree w/ all of you! I'm always waiting and waiting for them to release more classics on blu and my hopes are always dashed when I read the latest announcements from the studios of their releases. Don't get me wrong, I love the new films too -- Iron Man and Transformers, etc., but would love for more of the older films: like 'My Fair Lady' or 'Van Ryan's Express' and it would be more awesome if the quality of the older films on blu were as good as 'The Godfather' and 'Enter the Dragon'!

10-10-2008, 09:28 PM	#9
Beta Man Moderator Top contributor Member since:Jan 2008 Location:Juuuuuuuust A Bit Outside.... Home Theater Gallery:4 Blu-ray collection:268 Blu-ray reviews: 18 Trading Score:25	If the story is captivating, you stop noticing all of the fine detail..... It's kinda like watching a football game on T.V. that is in a heavy rain/snow..... before long you don't notice the washed out picture, becaue you adjust to it.....

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