Older films - Blu-ray Forum

Tarl · 12-21-2008, 01:36 PM

Helo Folks......I'm new to this forum and Blu Ray Discs but not to HT and the love for movies. Currently I own 143 VHS tapes and 604 DVDs. Just starting out with the BD format and so far I have my collection up to 19. I realised that newer films would look and sound great on this format and I'm loving it! What really is blowing me away are some of the older films I have viewed. 2001, Full Metal Jacket and A Clockwork Orange are the best transers I have ever seen of these movies (and I saw them all at theaters back when they were first originally released). I also hear that Casablanca is a real treat. I swore that I would not replace every DVD in my collection with it's BD counterpart.....this may turn out to be a hard promise to keep. So what do you folks recommend as far as older (pre 1990) movies go on Blu Ray?

P@t_Mtl · 12-21-2008, 01:38 PM

Wait it won't be very long for suggestions. I don't have that many older movies in my collection yet but so of the reviews I saw I would say

2001
Casablanca

MAPdead · 12-21-2008, 01:41 PM

A Clockwork Orange
The Godfather

reginaroadie · 12-21-2008, 02:03 PM

Welcome to the team, man. I'm an avid collector myself, and I find myself getting more excited for older films being released on Blu-Ray rather than more recent films, since the restoration that goes into it more often than not reveals incredible results. You go over to DVDBeaver.com, and in their Blu-Ray reviews, they do screen shot comparisons between previous releases and their Blu-Ray counterparts, and the results are sometimes jaw dropping.

As for older releases, I remember BONNIE AND CLYDE blowing my mind. 40 year old movie and it looks like it hasn't aged a day. I also recently got the original DAY THE EARTH STOOD STILL and for an almost 60 year old movie, it looked and sounded incredible. Some people complained about the transfer for LIFE OF BRIAN, but I thought it looked pretty good. I may be biased since it's one of my top 5 favorite comedies of all time. YOUNG FRANKENSTEIN also looks incredible, as does THE THING, POLTERGEIST and CLOSE ENCOUNTERS OF THE THIRD KIND, although with the last one, it sometimes looks too good for it's own good. You can tell which shots are FX shots, which kinda ruins the suspension of disbelief.

And of the officially announced Blu's coming in 09 so far, two of the three titles so far are vintage titles. AMADEUS and RAGING BULL, two of the most visually dynamic and emotionally powerful films to come out of the 80's, which I consider to be a wash decade.

Dotpattern · 12-21-2008, 02:07 PM

The Searchers looks fantastic...and it's an awesome movie. The Road Warrior also looks excellent.

Joe Cain · 12-21-2008, 02:08 PM

The Adventures of Robin Hood (1938).

peter008 · 12-21-2008, 02:09 PM

bonnie and clyde
cool hand luke
butch cassidy and the sundance kid
the omega man
the day the earth stood still (1951)
battle of britain
patton
battle of the bulge
the dirty dozen
the longest day
a bridge too far
the sand pebbles
casablanca
bullitt
batman (the movie 1966)

rev.and.ride · 12-21-2008, 02:14 PM

2001
The Godfather
The Omen
The Shining
The Third Man

I'm also really looking forward to the following releases:

Being There (Feb 3)
The French Connection (Feb 24)
Dr. Strangelove (Delayed; unknown)
Taxi Driver (Feb 3)

Red Hood · 12-21-2008, 02:19 PM

2001
Any of the bonds, dr. no looks great.

Gone2HiDef · 12-21-2008, 03:09 PM

Of the pre-1990 films in my collection that I would recommend:

How the West Was Won - This was a blind buy for me. The gimmick of including the SmileBox version and my being a fan of WB's digibook format hooked me in. Never seen the film before, but it's a hoot in a good way. A great cast of big stars of the era; clear, colorful vistas and scenes; and an entertaining story (except maybe the final story, which veered sorta cliqué for me). The documentary on Cinerama completed this BD perfectly, which (as a Disney fan) reminded me of watching CircleVision at Disneyland.

Bonnie and Clyde - I loved this movie as a kid, but wow, the PQ of Faye Dunaway's face in close-up in the opening of the film is incredible for its clarity, considering the age of the film. After that, you're just naturally caught up as the story unfolds.

Young Frankenstein - Great film that is enhanced for us BD & HDTV owners that much more by the PQ of the new BD. This one you must buy!

Sleeping Beauty - Not my favorite Disney animated classic, but for a film distinguished for its high concept for the time art design, the artwork, especially the background, are abso-frickin-incredibly stunning in hi def! I swear I saw the brush strokes in the painted backgrounds of the castle throne room.

Batman: The Movie - A nostalgic favorite, watching the colors in this film pop off the my HDTV screen puts a smile on my face every time I play it. The subtle color and design details of Adam West's cowl are fun to scrutinize!

Dr. No - Of all the older Bond films I own, this one is the oldest film and incredibly the one that looks the best.

After watching the remake and after reading positive reviews of the BD, I'm now looking forward to adding the original The Day the Earth Stood Still BD to my collection.

Tarl · 12-21-2008, 07:21 PM

Thanks for all the quick responses. I own, 2001, A Clockwork Orange, Full Metal jacket and The Thing (Carpenters). Sounds like Casablanca, Young Frankenstein (or is it Fraankenstine ??? lol) Bonnie and Clyde and The Omega Man will be must haves. I also hear some good things about the original Planet of The Apes films.

Sloan78 · 12-21-2008, 07:28 PM

Bonnie and Clyde looks very good, I highly reccommend it for your collection.

Gremal · 12-21-2008, 09:24 PM

Don't forget about Dog Day Afternoon!

waltie · 12-21-2008, 10:02 PM

Hi people:

I'm from Brazil and just entered the new world of Blue Ray. Got five of them, but I am too interested in a blue ray version of the sound of music. Is there any talk about its release?

Nice to meet you all.

Waltie

dmb70 · 12-23-2008, 05:55 PM

Planet Of The Apes
Halloween
Blade Runner

dvcmember · 12-23-2008, 06:21 PM

Blade Runner
The Adventures of Robin Hood
Rio Bravo
The Searchers
The Dirty Dozen

Gremal · 12-23-2008, 07:59 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by waltie

I'm from Brazil and just entered the new world of Blue Ray. Got five of them, but I am too interested in a blue ray version of the sound of music. Is there any talk about its release?

Welcome! There is no announcement yet, but it's one of the most loved musicals of all time, so you can be sure it will be announced sooner than later.

Chrysagon · 12-26-2008, 03:29 PM

Adventures of Robin Hood -- great transfer -- how could a 1938 movie look so good?!!
Blade Runner -- one of the greatest sci-fi movies -- another acclaimed BD transfer
Patton -- some have complained about too much DNR -- but I, like many others, think it looks great.

Others I have not seen on BD but have received impressive reviews: How the West was Won, The Searchers.

I'm looking forward to Ben Hur in 2009!

rman · 12-26-2008, 03:55 PM

What i would like to see is Danny Kaye's movies on blu. As in the Secret Life of Walter Mitty and Wonderman to name a few.

GGX · 12-26-2008, 03:57 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by spa

Patton -- some have complained about too much DNR -- but I, like many others, think it looks great.

Most people haven't even argued against that. The issue is that it would look a lot better and more natural if so much DNR wasn't applied to it.

12-21-2008, 01:36 PM	#1
Tarl Member Member since:Dec 2008 Location:Harrowsmith On Blu-ray collection:127	Older films Helo Folks......I'm new to this forum and Blu Ray Discs but not to HT and the love for movies. Currently I own 143 VHS tapes and 604 DVDs. Just starting out with the BD format and so far I have my collection up to 19. I realised that newer films would look and sound great on this format and I'm loving it! What really is blowing me away are some of the older films I have viewed. 2001, Full Metal Jacket and A Clockwork Orange are the best transers I have ever seen of these movies (and I saw them all at theaters back when they were first originally released). I also hear that Casablanca is a real treat. I swore that I would not replace every DVD in my collection with it's BD counterpart.....this may turn out to be a hard promise to keep. So what do you folks recommend as far as older (pre 1990) movies go on Blu Ray?

12-21-2008, 02:03 PM	#4
reginaroadie Senior Member Member since:Dec 2007 4K collection:171 Blu-ray collection:600 DVD collection:75	Welcome to the team, man. I'm an avid collector myself, and I find myself getting more excited for older films being released on Blu-Ray rather than more recent films, since the restoration that goes into it more often than not reveals incredible results. You go over to DVDBeaver.com, and in their Blu-Ray reviews, they do screen shot comparisons between previous releases and their Blu-Ray counterparts, and the results are sometimes jaw dropping. As for older releases, I remember BONNIE AND CLYDE blowing my mind. 40 year old movie and it looks like it hasn't aged a day. I also recently got the original DAY THE EARTH STOOD STILL and for an almost 60 year old movie, it looked and sounded incredible. Some people complained about the transfer for LIFE OF BRIAN, but I thought it looked pretty good. I may be biased since it's one of my top 5 favorite comedies of all time. YOUNG FRANKENSTEIN also looks incredible, as does THE THING, POLTERGEIST and CLOSE ENCOUNTERS OF THE THIRD KIND, although with the last one, it sometimes looks too good for it's own good. You can tell which shots are FX shots, which kinda ruins the suspension of disbelief. And of the officially announced Blu's coming in 09 so far, two of the three titles so far are vintage titles. AMADEUS and RAGING BULL, two of the most visually dynamic and emotionally powerful films to come out of the 80's, which I consider to be a wash decade. Last edited by reginaroadie; 12-21-2008 at 02:10 PM.

12-21-2008, 10:02 PM	#14
waltie New Member Member since:Dec 2008	the sound of music in blue ray Hi people: I'm from Brazil and just entered the new world of Blue Ray. Got five of them, but I am too interested in a blue ray version of the sound of music. Is there any talk about its release? Nice to meet you all. Waltie

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12-21-2008, 01:38 PM	#2
P@t_Mtl Blu-ray Duke Member since:Sep 2008 Location:Montreal Home Theater Gallery:4 Blu-ray collection:452 DVD collection:513 Trading Score:3	Wait it won't be very long for suggestions. I don't have that many older movies in my collection yet but so of the reviews I saw I would say 2001 Casablanca

12-21-2008, 01:41 PM	#3
MAPdead Power Member Member since:Jun 2008 Location:North Carolina 4K collection:918 Blu-ray collection:2683 Blu-ray reviews:23	A Clockwork Orange The Godfather

12-21-2008, 02:07 PM	#5
Dotpattern Blu-ray Guru Member since:Aug 2007 Location:Southern California 4K collection:407 Blu-ray collection:1512	The Searchers looks fantastic...and it's an awesome movie. The Road Warrior also looks excellent.

12-21-2008, 02:08 PM	#6
Joe Cain Power Member Member since:Sep 2007 Location:The Tragic City Blu-ray collection:79	The Adventures of Robin Hood (1938).

12-21-2008, 02:09 PM	#7
peter008 Senior Member Member since:Nov 2008 4K collection:1 Blu-ray collection:1305	bonnie and clyde cool hand luke butch cassidy and the sundance kid the omega man the day the earth stood still (1951) battle of britain patton battle of the bulge the dirty dozen the longest day a bridge too far the sand pebbles casablanca bullitt batman (the movie 1966)

12-21-2008, 02:14 PM	#8
rev.and.ride Active Member Member since:Jul 2008 Location:Washington, DC Home Theater Gallery:6 4K collection:103 Blu-ray collection:410 DVD collection:104 iTunes collection:189 Blu-ray reviews: 5	2001 The Godfather The Omen The Shining The Third Man I'm also really looking forward to the following releases: Being There (Feb 3) The French Connection (Feb 24) Dr. Strangelove (Delayed; unknown) Taxi Driver (Feb 3)

12-21-2008, 02:19 PM	#9
Red Hood Blu-ray Samurai Member since:Jul 2008 Blu-ray collection:33	2001 Any of the bonds, dr. no looks great.

12-21-2008, 03:09 PM	#10
Gone2HiDef Power Member Member since:Oct 2008 4K collection:123 Blu-ray collection:759 DVD collection:169 Blu-ray reviews:1 Trading Score:4	Of the pre-1990 films in my collection that I would recommend: How the West Was Won - This was a blind buy for me. The gimmick of including the SmileBox version and my being a fan of WB's digibook format hooked me in. Never seen the film before, but it's a hoot in a good way. A great cast of big stars of the era; clear, colorful vistas and scenes; and an entertaining story (except maybe the final story, which veered sorta cliqué for me). The documentary on Cinerama completed this BD perfectly, which (as a Disney fan) reminded me of watching CircleVision at Disneyland. Bonnie and Clyde - I loved this movie as a kid, but wow, the PQ of Faye Dunaway's face in close-up in the opening of the film is incredible for its clarity, considering the age of the film. After that, you're just naturally caught up as the story unfolds. Young Frankenstein - Great film that is enhanced for us BD & HDTV owners that much more by the PQ of the new BD. This one you must buy! Sleeping Beauty - Not my favorite Disney animated classic, but for a film distinguished for its high concept for the time art design, the artwork, especially the background, are abso-frickin-incredibly stunning in hi def! I swear I saw the brush strokes in the painted backgrounds of the castle throne room. Batman: The Movie - A nostalgic favorite, watching the colors in this film pop off the my HDTV screen puts a smile on my face every time I play it. The subtle color and design details of Adam West's cowl are fun to scrutinize! Dr. No - Of all the older Bond films I own, this one is the oldest film and incredibly the one that looks the best. After watching the remake and after reading positive reviews of the BD, I'm now looking forward to adding the original The Day the Earth Stood Still BD to my collection.

12-21-2008, 07:21 PM	#11
Tarl Member Member since:Dec 2008 Location:Harrowsmith On Blu-ray collection:127	Thanks for all the quick responses. I own, 2001, A Clockwork Orange, Full Metal jacket and The Thing (Carpenters). Sounds like Casablanca, Young Frankenstein (or is it Fraankenstine ??? lol) Bonnie and Clyde and The Omega Man will be must haves. I also hear some good things about the original Planet of The Apes films.

12-21-2008, 07:28 PM	#12
Sloan78 Senior Member Member since:May 2007 Location:Orlando,Fl Blu-ray collection:31 Blu-ray reviews:1	Bonnie and Clyde looks very good, I highly reccommend it for your collection.

12-21-2008, 09:24 PM	#13
Gremal Blu-ray Samurai Top ranked HT gallery Member since:Feb 2007 Location:Daddyland Home Theater Gallery:49 Blu-ray collection:184	Don't forget about Dog Day Afternoon!

12-23-2008, 05:55 PM	#15
dmb70 Active Member Member since:Dec 2008 Blu-ray collection:43	Planet Of The Apes Halloween Blade Runner

12-23-2008, 06:21 PM	#16
dvcmember Member Member since:Oct 2007 Location:Western suburbs, Illinois Blu-ray collection:63	Blade Runner The Adventures of Robin Hood Rio Bravo The Searchers The Dirty Dozen

12-26-2008, 03:29 PM	#18
Chrysagon Senior Member Member since:Aug 2008 Location:Tucson, AZ 4K collection:90 Blu-ray collection:510 DVD collection:40 Blu-ray reviews:46	Adventures of Robin Hood -- great transfer -- how could a 1938 movie look so good?!! Blade Runner -- one of the greatest sci-fi movies -- another acclaimed BD transfer Patton -- some have complained about too much DNR -- but I, like many others, think it looks great. Others I have not seen on BD but have received impressive reviews: How the West was Won, The Searchers. I'm looking forward to Ben Hur in 2009!

12-26-2008, 03:55 PM	#19
rman Senior Member Member since:Oct 2008 Location:SoCal 4K collection:31 Blu-ray collection:598 DVD collection:6	What i would like to see is Danny Kaye's movies on blu. As in the Secret Life of Walter Mitty and Wonderman to name a few.

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