Gladiator (2000)

[persuazion]

Originally Posted by Gremal

Well, I finally sat down and watched it last night. Many of the opening fight screencaps that people are complaining about are from the battle sequence where there is a highly stylized blur effect that adversely and purposefully impacts the scene. Criticizing that is like criticizing Monet for not painting realistic landscapes.

Overall looking back on this thread, and referring to the many denizens who had the nerve to berate Paramount before they had even seen the BD, I am shocked at the level of malcontentedness, mean-spirited hypercriticism aimed at the studio, lack of appreciation over what is clearly the best version of this title, and general sense of entitlement that every single BD must have reference-quality video in every sequence for the duration of the film.

If I was a director of home video at Paramount and received a barrage of angry rants, I'd wonder why even bother releasing BDs. Downloads are very attractive to the studios. We ought to be very supportive of BD releases and stop whining like a bunch of little kids who didn't get the toy they wanted every time we see a frame that isn't reference quality.

Very well put........close thread.

[tvine2000]

Originally Posted by BluEggsandHam

Many people overreacted on this forum, and I would begrudgingly agree that this bluray is currently the best version of the film available (on a physical format).

However... having seen a comparison of both the unfiltered extended scenes and the filtered theatrical scenes, I believe this film did not get the release it deserves. Advertised as the Sapphire Series, Gladiator's overall picture quality should be admirable and mirror that of the unfiltered extended scenes. It doesn't have to be reference quality, but this film looks better than what's presented on the bluray.

All in all, more effort could have gone into this release...

i don't think people overreacted, not on a high profile title like this.your right about one thing.if they did the whole movie like the extended scenes this thread would have never happened.

[tvine2000]

Originally Posted by Gremal

I'll turn the question around. You guys are upset because Paramount marketed it as "Sapphire Series" but would have been ok with it otherwise?

Seriously?

no! it wouldn't have mattered what they called it,it still would have sucked in my book.

[borninusa]

Originally Posted by persuazion

Very well put........close thread.

+1

[PrivatePixel]

Originally Posted by Gremal

I'll turn the question around. You guys are upset because Paramount marketed it as "Sapphire Series" but would have been ok with it otherwise?

I can't speak for others, but the end result is unacceptable as both a Blu-ray release and as a representative of the Sapphire Series which, according to Rob Moore, vice chairman of Paramount Pictures, "will deliver the best pictures in the best picture".

[benricci]

Originally Posted by tvine2000

i don't think people overreacted

Are you freakin' kidding me?

[bandit29]

Originally Posted by Petri Teittinen

If the blurring is in the master, intentionally or not, and they used the same master for both... yes, the blur will be on the DVD as well.

True. Didn't think about that...I just don't remember those scenes being blurred

[MaCruz]

Before watching my copy, I read negative comments on the reviews, and I wanted to return my sealed copy back to BB, but instead. I sat and watched the ENTIRE movie, and I said to myself... WTH are these people smokin? PQ is VERY GOOD, but can use improvement. This is worth $17.99.

[SquidPuppet]

Originally Posted by Gremal

I'll turn the question around. You guys are upset because Paramount marketed it as "Sapphire Series" but would have been ok with it otherwise?

Seriously?

I would not have been OK with it, had it been marketed in a normal fashion. AT ALL. The special marketing only adds insult to injury.

And, IMHO, should cause embarrasment to the studio. I am serious.

BMW releases an all new series of cars, claiming the best of the best of everything, (which is what Paramount did) and they have failing AC units and loud wind noise and handle poorly etc..... The higher ups would be embarrassed.

I wouldnt want my name on a package for a product labeled as Supreme, only to have the contents be mediocre/poor.

[J.Cornelius]

Originally Posted by Gremal

I'll turn the question around. You guys are upset because Paramount marketed it as "Sapphire Series" but would have been ok with it otherwise?

Seriously?

Does it in the least bit annoy you that the transfer appears to be from an old master and if the studio would have used a new master we would not be having this conversation?

[Jimbo976]

Do you guys think that the marketing guy who came with the whole "Sapphire Series" idea has ever spoken to the code doing the Blu-ray encode?

On the I have for Evil Dead 2 Blu-ray it says "Beyond High Definition" but the movie looks like crap.

[Jimbo976]

Originally Posted by J.Cornelius

Does it in the least bit annoy you that the transfer appears to be from an old master and if the studio would have used a new master we would not be having this conversation?

Me for sure yes.

[SquidPuppet]

Its pretty simple....

Paramount said it would be stellar. It isnt.

[Jimbo976]

Originally Posted by SquidPuppet

Its pretty simple....

Paramount said it would be stellar. It isnt.

Does any studio ever say their release will not be stellar?

Announcing our new "Piece of Crap 2009 release of Gladiator on Blu-ray with fewer arrows and fireballs than ever seen before!"

[J.Cornelius]

Originally Posted by macruz19

Before watching my copy, I read negative comments on the reviews, and I wanted to return my sealed copy back to BB, but instead. I sat and watched the ENTIRE movie, and I said to myself... WTH are these people smokin? PQ is VERY GOOD, but can use improvement. This is worth $17.99.

Again I do not see why the price is relevant, if you are happy with the PQ well then good for you. The problem is without incompetence on the part of the studio who did the Master, the PQ could have been better. I think this has be established from numerous sources.

[DetroitSportsFan]

Originally Posted by Gremal

If I was a director of home video at Paramount and received a barrage of angry rants, I'd wonder why even bother releasing BDs.

They want to make money?

After all, it's been established that this release could be better, yet it appears to be selling very well. Releasing a half-assed product and still having it sell in big numbers with minimum customer complaints is every company's dream.

We ought to be very supportive of BD releases and stop whining like a bunch of little kids who didn't get the toy they wanted every time we see a frame that isn't reference quality.

Until the studios give us their movies for free, they should expect to hear complaints when their products aren't up to par. If people feel they didn't get their money's worth, they have a right to complain.

[Gremal]

Originally Posted by SquidPuppet

Its pretty simple....

Paramount said it would be stellar. It isnt.

Some scenes appear nearly reference quality to me. The audio is thoroughly enjoyable throughout, detailed, fast, realistic.

[sarcasm]Alls I can say is many of you missed your true calling as transfer engineers for Paramount as you can clearly do a much better job than all the pros they've hired.[/sarcasm]

[SquidPuppet]

Originally Posted by Jimbo976

Does any studio ever say their release will not be stellar?

LOL.

Some studios just release their films with no hoopla. They just announce the title and date and specs.

Paramount made MAJOR HOOPLA. They puffed up their chest and announced the arrival of something special. Something better than. It aint.

What if Disney announced a new line...better than their previous line, and then delivered Gangs of New York as it looks?

A well deserved shitstorm would have occurred.

[The Dragon]

I find it a bit odd the aq is a tad lower than most of the DTS-HD-MA releases I own... ??? what's with that? It still rocks, only at a few db's louder.

Anyone else notice this?

[surfdude12]

the way i see it: we all love Gladiator, its in most of our favorite lists. Throw in the "Sapphire" label, and this is a highly anticipated release. The notion that we must have the same expectations for each release is nonsense. Its just not reality. Why else do we have favorite movies?

although we all love gladiator, it seems the gladiator lovers have split off into one of 2 groups:

1. blu-ray idealists: the high anticipation of Gladiator (and Sapphire) increase our expectations of the transfer. hence, if it doesn't match up, we feel justifiably disappointed.

2. blu-ray guardians: we love gladiator, so much so that even if the transfer isn't great, that's okay, because we can't (subconciously) distinguish the transfer from the movie. any attack of the transfer is perceived by us as an attack of the movie, and that can't be tolerated.

IMHO we're not going to change each others mind: either we love the transfer or not.