"Club Penton" - Ask questions to Hollywood insider "Penton-Man"

[Jeff Kleist]

Xylon has been unable to post any screnshots for Avatar (as far as I know). Maybe that is due to the new encryption? I wonder what they are doing for fun now?

yeah, hopefully it takes those foxes employed by the Chinese Triads a good long time this time to break it

[Penton-Man]

Originally Posted by RobertKuhlmann

Addendum: We've changed our screenshot-policy without any contact or pressure by any film studio or other holders of rights.

Greetings
Robert

Well, as you can see, we did.

I wish I remembered the name of that 15 year-old that WB legal went after some years ago regarding Harry Potter, as the story made all the news outlets. It wasn’t for posting screenshots per se, but it demonstrates how serious some studios can get (and rightfully so, if justified) regarding consumer confusion.

I think that’s ^ how they termed their grievance in the warning letter to the internet person.

I have no problem with this screenshot policy really, as long as it is implemented across all forums/boards and not just for BIG name forums like Blu-ray.com which has a worldwide audience and a domain name which is priceless.

[Penton-Man]

Originally Posted by Blu Titan

Xylon has been unable to post any screnshots for Avatar (as far as I know).

As an aside, I noticed that Film producer Jon Landau couldn't make it to Paris for the AVATAR event, well, if anyone is interested, he will be here...

http://www.3dgamingsummit.com/id31.html

[MerrickG]

Penton,

Is there anyway the studios can put a stop to all the screenshot madness?

It seems like you are telling me that they can and perhaps they should.

[Dennis M]

Originally Posted by Jeff Kleist

The haloing isn't horrible, but definately noticeable. The whole presentation smacks of a lot if set it and forget it

That's a little disappointing to hear Jeff. Apollo 13 has always been one of my favorite titles to watch. I was hoping that attention would be paid to it. Maybe this is an indication that some studios are still adjusting their workflow and oversight. Guess we'll have to take a wait and see approach in regards to Universal and their Catalog releases. We know they can put out good product. All you have to do is look at any of their blu-rays for current films.

That being said, I'm going to love listening to the James Horner score in Lossless. Just gives me shivers. Right up there with the Glory score.

Penton, thank the troops for that one. Absolutely love that disc.

[captveg]

Originally Posted by Jeff Kleist

BTW Penton, my mother and all her future English classes thank you all for Jason and the Argonauts

Speaking of which - I hope the previous Harryhausen films sold well enough on Blu to get this one released sooner rather than later. Please make it happen Penton!

[sharkshark]

Originally Posted by Penton-Man

I know of no professor teaching an undergraduate course in Cinema 101 or Cinema Appreciation who would dissuade any of his students from watching a particular Blu-ray (or even HD DVD for that matter)based upon some real or perceived technical transfer flaws.

I think this not only is your post of the year, it's your post of forever. The film's the thing, and how often has that been overlooked.

I'd like to get T-shirt with that printed out and handed out to everyone who has ever posted on this (or any other) HD media forum.

[42041]

Originally Posted by merrick97

Penton,

Is there anyway the studios can put a stop to all the screenshot madness?

It seems like you are telling me that they can and perhaps they should.

That'd be very underhanded. If the issues being raised are introduced by the capture process then maybe intervention is merited, and some people invariably draw moronic, baseless conclusions from "comparison PIX", but even with the limitations of single frame grabs, I have found them more reliable than "professional" reviews (which are also often very negative and probably have a wider readership among the general public than enthusiast forums) in getting a general feel for the quality of a disc. The Tombstone review published here is very negative. The screen caps accompanying it look good to me. Without that resource, it'd be a lost sale.

[sharkshark]

Originally Posted by Dennis M

Unfortunately I have not had the opportunity to compare the two. Gotten swamped since we've finish principle shooting and gone into post. It's crunch time as we're facing the April 30th deadline for submitting the film to TIFF.

Show off...

And I can't believe you had it re-calibrated... That's just so delightfully neurotic. And ISF day/night? That's going to be super necessary in your blackened room. Just take care of the thing, cuz your upgrade next year means I'll be taking that thing off of your hands. I know you're really hard on your equipment...

As for Michael, I hope you bought him good food, and sat there and watched him eat it...

I could of course email you these snarky comments, but, hey, WTF.

I'd be curious how much better you the soundtrack really is. Plus, throw in whipping boy Dracula and see how it handles the new settings.

Not this weekend my friend, but soon... SOOOOoooooon....

[Dennis M]

Originally Posted by sharkshark

Show off...

And I can't believe you had it re-calibrated... That's just so delightfully neurotic. And ISF day/night? That's going to be super necessary in your blackened room. Just take care of the thing, cuz your upgrade next year means I'll be taking that thing off of your hands. I know you're really hard on your equipment...

As for Michael, I hope you bought him good food, and sat there and watched him eat it...

I could of course email you these snarky comments, but, hey, WTF.

I'd be curious how much better you the soundtrack really is. Plus, throw in whipping boy Dracula and see how it handles the new settings.

Not this weekend my friend, but soon... SOOOOoooooon....

Lol,

That's not showing off, more like a cry for help.
Dealing with some colour correcting and ADR issues has not been fun.
Never mind dealing with music selection and release agreements with artists.

Of course I had it recalibrated, it's lamp technology man, it drifts.

The Day and Night memories have been setup with different lens apertures so that I can choose between 2 levels of light output and black floor.
Is that neurotic enough?

Oh Dracula would be perfect to test the new settings. That title really does test the boundaries of your display system. Godfather II would be another good one.

So far I've been really impressed with the folks from JVC. They listen to constructive input from their customer base and try to improve their products as much as possible. This level of access to the inner workings of a CE based product would not have been possible, or even permitted, just a short time ago.

I think this is an exciting time for consumers. We are seeing the release of products that are of high quality and extremely flexible.

CEs has really upped their game.

As for the film, still trudging along. Will have a trailer with the new footage up after the 30th. Till then you'll have to live with the teaser that's already up there.

Everything was shot using the Red. Had an excellent steadicam operator for it. He was a vinyl nut as well. Was going crazy flipping through my Jap LP collection.

Added:

Opps, forgot the teaser trailer link.

http://www.acryinthedarkthemovie.com/trailer/

[Ken Brown]

Originally Posted by 42041

The Tombstone review published here is very negative. The screen caps accompanying it look good to me. Without that resource, it'd be a lost sale.

The screenshots we provide are used to provide a general feel for a transfer's appearance. The text of our reviews provide the context and, more importantly, describe how the film looks in motion. But aside from posting uncompressed video clips -- imagine the studios' reaction to that one -- there simply isn't a better solution.

Ultimately, if you love 'Tombstone,' you should buy 'Tombstone,' regardless of what some schlob like me says or what issues the transfer has. AV reviews are great for setting expectations, informing yourself as a consumer, or as a tool to help prioritize which titles you pick up first when strapped for cash. But a filmfan's decision to purchase a title should always be about the film! Can I get an amen?

[horseflesh]

Originally Posted by Ken Brown

The screenshots we provide are used to provide a general feel for a transfer's appearance. The text of our reviews provide the context and, more importantly, describe how the film looks in motion. But aside from posting uncompressed video clips -- imagine the studios' reaction to that one -- there simply isn't a better solution.

Ultimately, if you love 'Tombstone,' you should buy 'Tombstone,' regardless of what some schlob like me says or what issues the transfer has. AV reviews are great for setting expectations, informing yourself as a consumer, or as a tool to help prioritize which titles you pick up first when strapped for cash. But a filmfan's decision to purchase a title should always be about the film! Can I get an amen?

Amen indeed!!

[SquidPuppet]

Originally Posted by 42041

That'd be very underhanded. If the issues being raised are introduced by the capture process then maybe intervention is merited, and some people invariably draw moronic, baseless conclusions from "comparison PIX", but even with the limitations of single frame grabs, I have found them more reliable than "professional" reviews (which are also often very negative and probably have a wider readership among the general public than enthusiast forums) in getting a general feel for the quality of a disc. The Tombstone review published here is very negative. The screen caps accompanying it look good to me. Without that resource, it'd be a lost sale.

Really? I have not seen the Blu-ray in action, but the very first screenshot has horrific EE (I assume that's the cause). Look at the back of Russels coat to see a very pronounced, bold, bright white border. It looks like a crayon outline on a cartoon. I dont say that for humor or sarcasm, that's what it actually looks like. The front of his coat is so jagged it looks like a stairway.

I dont use screenshots to determine my purchasing habits, ever, (Netflix is my friend for that) but those shots look awful. I'll watch it in motion to decide if it's worth an upgrade.

[Dennis M]

Originally Posted by Ken Brown

Ultimately, if you love 'Tombstone,' you should buy 'Tombstone,' regardless of what some schlob like me says or what issues the transfer has. AV reviews are great for setting expectations, informing yourself as a consumer, or as a tool to help prioritize which titles you pick up first when strapped for cash. But a filmfan's decision to purchase a title should always be about the film! Can I get an amen?

Absolutely! I think in this age of HD people have forgotten that the important thing is the emotion one feels when watching a film. Not if it pops off the screen at you. Don't mean 3D by that comment, but the prevailing view that everything should look like the Discovery Channel.

[Vincent Pereira]

Originally Posted by Ken Brown

The screenshots we provide are used to provide a general feel for a transfer's appearance. The text of our reviews provide the context and, more importantly, describe how the film looks in motion. But aside from posting uncompressed video clips -- imagine the studios' reaction to that one -- there simply isn't a better solution.

Ultimately, if you love 'Tombstone,' you should buy 'Tombstone,' regardless of what some schlob like me says or what issues the transfer has. AV reviews are great for setting expectations, informing yourself as a consumer, or as a tool to help prioritize which titles you pick up first when strapped for cash. But a filmfan's decision to purchase a title should always be about the film! Can I get an amen?

No amen from me. If a Blu-ray looks lousy (like the original release of GANGS OF NEW YORK), then I won't buy it regardless of how much I love the film. If a studio does a bad job, they should not be rewarded for it. If one is a film student and needs to see a film with a lousy Blu-ray release, he or she can always rent it or watch it on DVD.

Vincent

[sharkshark]

Originally Posted by Ken Brown

Can I get an amen?

Yup, and you can get a link that provides an excellent education:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5SaFTm2bcac

[sharkshark]

Originally Posted by Vincent Pereira

No amen from me. If a Blu-ray looks lousy (like the original release of GANGS OF NEW YORK), then I won't buy it regardless of how much I love the film. If a studio does a bad job, they should not be rewarded for it. If one is a film student and needs to see a film with a lousy Blu-ray release, he or she can always rent it or watch it on DVD.

Vincent

As bad as Gangs was, it wasn't -worse- (and in fact was slightly better) than the DVD... But, of course, your point is taken.

Besides, if anyone is wasting their time in Filmschool watching Gangs instead of his, well, good films, they're wasting valuable time on the merits of Casino, Departed, Kundun, Taxi Driver, Raging Bull, Last Tempation of Jebus, et. al..

[Robert Harris]

Originally Posted by sharkshark

As bad as Gangs was, it wasn't -worse- (and in fact was slightly better) than the DVD... But, of course, your point is taken.

I must disagree with this point. As poor a DVD as the SD version of Gangs was, it was made even worse by the Blu-ray, which made the problems far more transparent.

[Penton-Man]

Originally Posted by Vincent Pereira

No amen from me. If a Blu-ray looks lousy (like the original release of GANGS OF NEW YORK), then I won't buy it regardless of how much I love the film. If a studio does a bad job, they should not be rewarded for it. If one is a film student and needs to see a film with a lousy Blu-ray release, he or she can always rent it or watch it on DVD.

Vincent

Vincent, I hardly think that “Gangs” is a typical *caliber* Blu-ray in terms of technical transfer merit. It’s like instead of addressing the subject of nuclear energy you went straight to the victims of the Hiroshima bomb.

Additionally, being a ‘principled’ wanabee consumer activist is a slippery slope, my friend . I suppose if one were a film archivist/movie reviewer, one could also indirectly “reward” a studio by avoiding to give a timely, in-depth, candid review that could reveal not a “bad job” by the studio but, as many believe (if you’re a screenshot comparison scientist) is certainly not a job worthy of the 50th best American movie of all time, at least according to the AFI –

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/AFI's_1...ersary_Edition)


I think theologists would term this "To deny others access to knowledge to which they are entitled". But we’re not theologists here on this forum … nor are we a power wielding sector significantly affecting consumer sales by public agendas leading to individual boycotts.

Most of us are just plain ole cinephiles that want to watch movies.

[Penton-Man]

Originally Posted by sharkshark

As bad as Gangs was, it wasn't -worse- (and in fact was slightly better) than the DVD... But, of course, your point is taken.

Besides, if anyone is wasting their time in Filmschool watching Gangs instead of his, well, good films, they're wasting valuable time on the merits of Casino, Departed, Kundun, Taxi Driver, Raging Bull, Last Tempation of Jebus, et. al..

I haven't actually checked but where exactly does "Gangs" place on the AFI list?