Ghostbusters 4K UHD (1984)

[-JKR-]

Originally Posted by CreasyBear

Oh no, a fresh 4K scan of the negative doesn't look like a 480i laserdisc?!?!?

Which were sourced from dated (often magenta heavy and washed out) telecine masters, adjusted for playback on old tube-based TV sets.

I swear, I'm pretty much on board when people wanna discuss the look of a Blu-ray/UHD transfer compared to the 35mm copies. Especially when it's backed up by photographic evidence and not based on some distant memory of what they think they saw in theaters 30 years ago.

But once people mention laserdisc, VHS and DVD it all becomes ****ing pointless.

Yeah, this is definitely how the movie looked in theaters and is supposed to look:





Can you feel the film texture already?

[Samu_]

Originally Posted by Geoff D

If you haven’t bought it yet then I’d wait as you’re just going to get a betterer disc all-round with the updated version. Improved compression, greater control over the Light Cannon™️ HDR if you’re DV-capable, and the original 2.0 and 5.1 audio tracks to go with the Atmos.

Thanking you! Just the response I was hoping for. I’ll wait impatiently!

[Matt89]

Originally Posted by -JKR-

Which were sourced from dated (often magenta heavy and washed out) telecine masters, adjusted for playback on old tube-based TV sets.

I swear, I'm pretty much on board when people wanna discuss the look of a Blu-ray/UHD transfer compared to the 35mm copies. Especially when it's backed up by photographic evidence and not based on some distant memory of what they think they saw in theaters 30 years ago.

But once people mention laserdisc, VHS and DVD it all becomes ****ing pointless.

Not only that, but whenever a film is released on blu-ray or UHD and someone claims that said film "didn't look like that at the theater or drive-in", it is possibly the most bullshit statement that gets repeated on these boards. There's no possible way you can remember how the movie looked so many years ago. Hell, I couldn't tell you the exact colour grading on a film I saw in theaters 2 weeks ago, let alone a movie that came out in theaters 35 or 40 years ago. And who's to say the film looked exactly the same from one theatrical print to another? There are so many variables. Such a nonsense claim.

~Matt

[CreasyBear]

dat macroblocking get me moist

[DR Herbert West]

Originally Posted by -JKR-

[Show spoiler]

[Show spoiler]

[Matt89]

Where's Reverse Jim? That's the way he likes his movies to look. You know, "like 35mm".

~Matt

[CreasyBear]

Silly studios sending 35mm prints to theaters back in the day. Should have just sent a VHS tape. Same thing.

[kannibaliztik]

Originally Posted by zepol

I remember seeing it at movie theater in 1984 and on VHS in 1985 and the cable tv. In the 90s' I saw it on Criterion laserdisc. Up to that point the laserdisc looked the best because of sharpness. I had no issues about color. Then I got dvd and it looked good. Then I rent 4k and it's whaaat? All of a sudden I notice it doesn't look like I have seen it before and I mean that in a bad way.

"I remember"

Well, regardless of your memory of 37 years ago, the 4K for this looks good, grain and all. You're welcome to stick to your old dvds or laserdisc if thats what you feel looks best to you, but leave your nonsense at the door.

[Krynoid-Man]

Originally Posted by -JKR-

Look at that video noise. The tasteful thickness of it. Oh my god, it even has blue chroma dots!

[CreasyBear]

Originally Posted by Krynoid-Man

Look at that video noise. The tasteful thickness of it. Oh my god, it even has blue chroma dots!

And those prime washed out black levels!

[-JKR-]

[Menteith]

Will there also be a re-issue of Ghostbusters II?

[DR Herbert West]

Originally Posted by Menteith

Will there also be a re-issue of Ghostbusters II?

Yes.

Originally Posted by SB0780

Similar to what Sony did with Labyrinth this year, Sony is re releasing this movie along with Ghostbusters II in a Deluxe UHD release which has Dolby Vision, new extras and the sequel will have a heap of deleted scenes. Will be released early 2022.

[CreasyBear]

Originally Posted by DR Herbert West

Yes.

Hmmm...I'm gonna put those in my 4K steelbook set.

[BluBonnet]

Originally Posted by Matt89

Not only that, but whenever a film is released on blu-ray or UHD and someone claims that said film "didn't look like that at the theater or drive-in", it is possibly the most bullshit statement that gets repeated on these boards. There's no possible way you can remember how the movie looked so many years ago. Hell, I couldn't tell you the exact colour grading on a film I saw in theaters 2 weeks ago, let alone a movie that came out in theaters 35 or 40 years ago. And who's to say the film looked exactly the same from one theatrical print to another? There are so many variables. Such a nonsense claim.

~Matt

Guess I got lucky to watch a 35mm print in mint condition at a revival theater less than 5 years ago. At least when I think back on how Ghostbusters is supposed to look theatrically it's a pretty fresh memory.

[Brian81]

Originally Posted by BluBonnet

Guess I got lucky to watch a 35mm print in mint condition at a revival theater less than 5 years ago. At least when I think back on how Ghostbusters is supposed to look theatrically it's a pretty fresh memory.

People like to pretend these don’t exist. Or that prints that aren’t faded make their rounds in them. Or that in the age of controversial color timings, a viewer might actually take general mental notes about the color timing as they watch.

[BluBonnet]

Originally Posted by Brian81

People like to pretend these don’t exist. Or that prints that aren’t faded make their rounds in them. Or that in the age of controversial color timings, a viewer might actually take general mental notes about the color timing as they watch.

Oh, believe me, I took a lot of mental notes from that 35mm screening, I had been dissatisfied with the look of the movie on home video from the days of VHS.

[RBBrittain]

Originally Posted by steve_dave

That does not mean they have them now.

Criterion also once had the LaserDisc rights to Citizen Kane & Menace II Society; didn't keep them from having to go back to WB for the 4K rights.

[Brian81]

Originally Posted by BluBonnet

Oh, believe me, I took a lot of mental notes from that 35mm screening, I had been dissatisfied with the look of the movie on home video from the days of VHS.

I totally understand when people comment about "30 years ago" screenings. Likely, in the days before availability of high quality home video, this was a non issue as far as being concerned about. Home video releases were all over the place. In my case, I did not start paying a ton of attention until HD/BD came about. That is when I started take note of the overall appearance of films when I see them. General color timing/saturation/fine detail/grain/etc. Granted it is not going to be perfect, and there is going to be a difference given generational loss and grain appearance, contrast, but if you go see a print and its colors are (for example) natural and you get a BD a year later and it looks wildly different, one has a right to complain. Likewise, if while looking for fine details, you see them on a print yet HD taken from the negative, there's a problem there as well.


That said, I no longer go to the rep theaters. I made a mistake going on a holiday at midnight to see The Terminator and what they showed had badly faded but looking to be identical colors to the original BD, and it didn’t even look like it was playing at the proper speed. I don't know what was the reason for this. I was upset for making the trip (the theater was not close). Were they playing a…PAL DVD? Clearly was not film. Playing fast. I didn’t read the fine print. The theater removed the 35mm text from their schedule, and a search online found the theater got rid of film and went all digital that month. Had gone on a reg basis, never again after that.

[SpazeBlue]

Originally Posted by BluBonnet

Oh, believe me, I took a lot of mental notes from that 35mm screening, I had been dissatisfied with the look of the movie on home video from the days of VHS.

It definitely has had an interesting history: https://theraffon.net/spookcentral/g...id_compare.htm