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

[micks_address]

Its from Gladiator... delivered by Proximo to Maximus... really a terrific performance by Oliver Reed...

sorry if i am answering out of context

Originally Posted by Jeff Kleist

I recognize the quote, but not recalling where it's from

[horseflesh]

Originally Posted by Robert Harris

Yes, for those who understand what the word "beautiful" means in terms of a film photographed on Eastman 5250. It will not look like a new film, nor should it.

The goal is to harvest every grain of information on the restored / reconstructed 65mm element, preserve it, clean it and create new film elements as well as digital masters. All 350,000 frames or so.

Ah, sweet music.....

Can you believe there was a 70mm screening of LoA in Dublin a couple of months ago........and I missed it
I nearly cried.

[Esox50]

Originally Posted by Penton-Man

Just kiddin, you know I luv ya.

[SquidPuppet]

Originally Posted by Penton-Man

lol, well, at least I make a feeble attempt to somehow tie it in with Blu-ray…..
http://www.blu-ray.sony-europe.com/p...er.php?lang=en

or………..
https://forum.blu-ray.com/showpost.p...postcount=5772or, did you hear about the BIG Trek NEWS today?
Paidgeek and I have been talking about it all morning……….
http://www.guardian.co.uk/sport/2009...fornia-cycling

Hubba-Bubba-Blu-Babes

[SquidPuppet]

Originally Posted by Robert Harris

Blu-ray will NOT be the way to see LoA for the first time.

Think 70mm!

As in................an IMAX release?

[Doctorossi]

Originally Posted by SquidPuppet

As in................an IMAX release?

Don't hold your breath.

[Penton-Man]

So, I open up my PM box today and it sounds like this………..
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nA5B-F6QMC8
with links a plenty to HTFolks -

lol , Robert, you do realize that your candid words will rile up some of the online community……
http://www.hometheaterforum.com/htf/3509848-post1.html

as well as, I’m sure, making *others* feel stupid regarding their observations and *analysis* of video processing artifacts prompting them to run to their computers for spin control, deletion, or *selective* editing ……….
http://www.hometheaterforum.com/htf/3510250-post39.html

So, dobyblue or Jeff Keist, what sayeth the folks at WB home media about this?
Make a phone call will ya, because if memory serves, one or both of you guys were in the loop on this title since the beginning. Amadeus got a brand spankin new encode and WB easily has the capability as well as the inhouse skill to do its own masters……….so, whaz up?

I would doubt that in this case, they were hamstrung by a non-domestic HDCAM SR or D5 tape delivered by an outside content owner as was SPE with the deliverable for House of the Flying Daggers (and others) but, it would be interesting to know for sure. I’m a little curious about it.

In the meantime, does anyone know the answer to a question I posed back here several months ago……………
https://forum.blu-ray.com/showthread...us#post1209500

Have any online reviewers alluded to or talked about the above ^ music in their descriptions?

[Penton-Man]

Originally Posted by SquidPuppet

Hubba-Bubba-Blu-Babes

https://forum.blu-ray.com/showpost.p...postcount=5774

^
The pics were from the 2007 Halloween party at the Bunny House, which I attended……again, purely for ‘research’ purposes.

[SquidPuppet]

Originally Posted by Penton-Man

https://forum.blu-ray.com/showpost.p...postcount=5774

^
The pics were from the 2007 Halloween party at the Bunny House, which I attended……again, purely for ‘research’ purposes.

Thank you

[Doctorossi]

Originally Posted by Penton-Man

In the meantime, does anyone know the answer to a question I posed back here several months ago……………
https://forum.blu-ray.com/showthread...us#post1209500

Have any online reviewers alluded to or talked about the above ^ music in their descriptions?

I don't know the answer to your question, but it reminds me of something...

I'm a little stunned at the apparent lack of backlash this title has received in light of it's "director's cut only" condition. Especially considering it's a shmancy book-style release, I'd think some folks would be calling for WB heads on the incompleteness factor alone. Isn't this supposed to be a definitive release (IMO, any release ought to be definitive, but they put this one in a special package and everything!)? Wasn't it the theatrical cut which won the Best Picture Academy Award (not that it matters to me, but... it does make for good marketing)? Robert Harris did mention this fact in passing in his review, before moving on to bigger and badder bad guys, but...

Where's the outrage?

[Slec]

Originally Posted by Penton-Man

In the meantime, does anyone know the answer to a question I posed back here several months ago……………
https://forum.blu-ray.com/showthread...us#post1209500

Have any online reviewers alluded to or talked about the above ^ music in their descriptions?

from blu-ray.com review:

Special Compilation CD (57 minutes): An 8-track audio CD with music from Sir Neville Marriner and the Academy of St. Martin-in-the-fields Orchestra. The disc features an arrangement of The Abduction from the Seraglio, Chorus of the Janissaries, and Ein Deutsches Kriegslied; the third movement of Concerto for Two Pianos; Act IV of Le nozze di Figaro; The Magic Flute, Aria No. 14, Queen of the Night; the second movement of Piano Concerto in D minor; the first movement of Symphonie Concertante; Six German Dances Nos. 1-3; and Act II of Don Giovanni. The set also includes a loose insert detailing each track and notes about its significance.

[Robert Harris]

Originally Posted by Penton-Man

Robert, you do realize that your candid words will rile up some of the online community……
http://www.hometheaterforum.com/htf/3509848-post1.html

as well as, I’m sure, making *others* feel stupid regarding their observations and *analysis* of video processing artifacts prompting them to run to their computers for spin control, deletion, or *selective* editing ……….
http://www.hometheaterforum.com/htf/3510250-post39.html

Penton,

Everyone is entitled to their own opinion, however there are anomalies in the general reviewing environment which makes things difficult.

My perception is that Blu-ray is a stellar product, fully capable of recreating the look of cinema for home theater.

Problems arise when some post their perceptions based not upon a projected image or high end flat screen, which makes Blu-ray shine, but on LCD monitors, some as small as 30+ inches, on which virtually anything will look quite acceptable.

Take a short spin around the web, and see what reviewers are using for review, and you may be surprised. Much of this is less personal perception and more of a question of "at what size does the image begin to fall apart?"

Once one gets to a reasonable size image, the next question becomes "what should one's expectations be for a 2009 Blu-ray product?" While things have gotten far better than they were a year ago, there may be some problems, or the use of older masters, which are not yet behind us.

RAH

[Nathan P]

Originally Posted by Robert Harris

Blu-ray will NOT be the way to see LoA for the first time.

Think 70mm!

I wish but where i live we only have a crappy multiplex, when i'm next in the uk i'll see if i can find a movie theatre showing it

[horseflesh]

Originally Posted by Nathan P

I wish but where i live we only have a crappy multiplex, when i'm next in the uk i'll see if i can find a movie theatre showing it

I don't think it will be as easy as just finding a cinema showing Lawrence of Arabia, because you simply won't.
I believe the print that was shown in Dublin recently belonged to the BFI, so I think they "tour" it occasionally and maybe have some screenings at Southbank in London (I'm just making assumptions here though).
Try http://www.bfi.org.uk/ if you're keen, it might be worth contacting them about it.

[Doctorossi]

Originally Posted by Robert Harris

Problems arise when some post their perceptions based not upon a projected image which makes Blu-ray shine, but on LCD monitors, some as small as 30+ inches, on which virtually anything will look quite acceptable.

Robert, I have to agree with your mission, but disagree with your devil. It is not an insufficient image size which prevents the perception of substandard image quality; it is inappropriate viewing distance per image size. I would put to you that with (well-selected) modern home equipment, a very revealing HD image can be produced at well below 30 inches diagonal screen size. The problem is that people with these smaller screen-sizes tend to view from further away from them than do many with projection set-ups.

It may seem a pedantic distinction to you, as for most practical purposes, these "devils" are interchangeable. I do think it's important, though, to frame our enemy accurately and make sure we really understand (and correctly communicate) the nature of the problem.

[Penton-Man]

Originally Posted by Robert Harris

Penton,
Everyone is entitled to their own opinion, however there are anomalies in the general reviewing environment which makes things difficult.
My perception is that Blu-ray is a stellar product, fully capable of recreating the look of cinema for home theater.

Problems arise when some post their perceptions based not upon a projected image which makes Blu-ray shine, but on LCD monitors, some as small as 30+ inches, on which virtually anything will look quite acceptable.

Robert, I think you’re being too kind to someone who regularly throws pasta up against the wall to see if that particular weekly brand (title) will stick for some *perceived* picture abnormality and then let others do the *analysis*………and when in the blu moon he does make a definitive statement, it is often plain wrong.

For instance, given the last sentence of your above observation, he should enter politics with nonsense *scientific* information like this…………..
http://www.avsforum.com/avs-vb/showp...4&postcount=46

[Penton-Man]

Originally Posted by Slec

from blu-ray.com review:

Thanks.
I think between our inhouse Blu-ray.com reviewers and RAH, we’ve got all bases covered with online movie reviews.

[Penton-Man]

Originally Posted by Doctorossi

Robert, I have to agree with your mission, but disagree with your devil. It is not an insufficient image size which prevents the perception of substandard image quality; it is inappropriate viewing distance per image size. I would put to you that with (well-selected) modern home equipment, a very revealing HD image can be produced at well below 30 inches diagonal screen size. The problem is that people with these smaller screen-sizes tend to view from further away from them than do many with projection set-ups.

It may seem a pedantic distinction to you, as for most practical purposes, these "devils" are interchangeable. I do think it's important, though, to frame our enemy accurately and make sure we really understand (and correctly communicate) the nature of the problem.

Doctor, yup, that’s the theory but, I don’t believe it is as cut and dried as people make it out to be. Don’t be so quick to discount Robert’s observations.

In practice, often times in the DI suite, I find that sitting say for instance, 2PH away from an ~ 24 inch display, is not the same as sitting 2PH away from the identical 1080p material projected on an ~ 110 inch screen for critiquing aspects of picture quality other than ‘color’.

There may be other members here that actually have two displays (at least ISF calibrated) which are of grossly different sizes who can chime in as to their own personal anecdotal experiences of viewing the same content on each sized display (Kris Deering?). I think Robert may even have a “big” and “small” display in his own home and could (if he hasn’t already) view Amadeus on both sized displays at the appropriately coordinated seating distance and give his thoughts.

For instance, this LCD is of probably higher quality (and cost) than will be found in most peoples’ homes……….
http://pro.sony.com/bbsc/ssr/product-BVML230/

However, no matter how close one sits to this screen ^, we’ve found that it is just too darn small to use for Blu-ray mastering/encoding jobs.

[GabrielB]

Wow... OK.

I just want to thank RAH for his most honest comments on HTF. Things like this - in my view - can only help the issue.


In light of this discussion concerning Amadeus, can we finally ask the question now??

--> What the hell is going on at WB and why is it taking them so long to finally get their acts together?!?


It's not just Amadeus. I look at their recent releases and all of them are processed with DNR and EE (Pelican Brief, A Time to Kill, Being There, History of Violence, etc.)

I know a lot of you guys (Penton, Jeff K, Bill H, etc.) are working with them to make things change and understand that this may be delicate. Comment as you wish...

[GabrielB]

Oh yes -- indeed the theatrical cut of Amadeus is the Oscar winning film and should have been included on the disc.