Bram Stoker's Dracula 4K UHD (1992) (25th Anniversary Edition)

[Pgcmoore]

Originally Posted by film11

Reeves: "Is the castle faaah?"

i get the feeling he got his accent from watching logans run and doing his best at yorks savoir faire

its even better in the alternate prologue on the bd

[cgpublic]

Yes, Coppola's take on Dracula is easy to criticize, from the casting of Reeves, and to a lesser extent, everyone other than Oldham and newcomer Sadie Frost, hand in hand with placing an emphasis of set pieces over substance.

Yet, there's something special in the way that the film combines gothic, romance and horror with a genuine love for the genre, some really terrific non-digital, classic cinema effects, all with the result of eminently re-watchable film if only to say what might of been had Coppola made this film 15 years earlier when he was in his prime. But then, of course, we wouldn't have Oldham.

The UHD disc is a gem, and well worth the double dip, especially if you do not have the 4K restoration with Atmos on Blu. Even if you do, a steal at $15, just in time for Halloween.

[Rory]

Forget Reeves, how about Winona and her S'sssss? Drives a stake into me.

[OutOfBoose]

Who's Oldham?

[Sky_Captain]

Dunno, but he must stink...

[birdztudio]

really would like to see how all those GRAIN HATERS would react to this one lol

[Dubstar]

Originally Posted by Chaotic

Down to $14.99 at Best Buy this week.

no slip case though

[Doctorossi]

Originally Posted by Dubstar

no slip case though

It has one at the store near me.

[raybestos]

This is still way, way too dark. The color-grading needs to be brightened up a bit. So much detail is obscured in almost absolute shadow. Yes, 4k does a great job at resolving what detail there is, but the whole is still almost unwatchable it is so dark.

I love the film, but Sony's Superbit DVD is still the most watchable version of it to me.

Much like the tweaking and draining of all of the color out of the 1979 DRACULA, when originally as shown in theatres, it had a beautiful and saturated color-pallete. It was John Badham changing his tune, and revising the film based on his modern whims, draining it of all its wonderful color.

[FilmFreakosaurus]

Originally Posted by raybestos

This is still way, way too dark. The color-grading needs to be brightened up a bit. So much detail is obscured in almost absolute shadow. Yes, 4k does a great job at resolving what detail there is, but the whole is still almost unwatchable it is so dark.

I love the film, but Sony's Superbit DVD is still the most watchable version of it to me.

Much like the tweaking and draining of all of the color out of the 1979 DRACULA, when originally as shown in theatres, it had a beautiful and saturated color-pallete. It was John Badham changing his tune, and revising the film based on his modern whims, draining it of all its wonderful color.

You need a very high nit display with excellent black and near black reproduction, which is still out of the reach of most consumer units. These HDR discs are mastered on high nit pro monitors and so very dark scenes to you would look correct on their end.

[cynatnite]

Originally Posted by raybestos

Much like the tweaking and draining of all of the color out of the 1979 DRACULA, when originally as shown in theatres, it had a beautiful and saturated color-pallete. It was John Badham changing his tune, and revising the film based on his modern whims, draining it of all its wonderful color.

That's why I didn't buy the BD release. Hopefully someone will make this right.

[Geoff D]

Originally Posted by FilmFreakosaurus

You need a very high nit display with excellent black and near black reproduction, which is still out of the reach of most consumer units. These HDR discs are mastered on high nit pro monitors and so very dark scenes to you would look correct on their end.

I'm not sure he's talking about that but the grading in general, the look of this movie has been pissing people off for a full 10 years already.

[Doctorossi]

Originally Posted by Geoff D

I'm not sure he's talking about that but the grading in general, the look of this movie has been pissing people off for a full 10 years already.

10? Try 25, bruv.

[Geoff D]

Originally Posted by Doctorossi

10? Try 25, bruv.

lol, it's more the shitstorm that surrounded the 2007 Blu-ray release which drastically changed the image from raybestos' aforementioned Superbit DVD.

[Doctorossi]

Originally Posted by Geoff D

lol, it's more the shitstorm that surrounded the 2007 Blu-ray release which drastically changed the image from raybestos' aforementioned Superbit DVD.

I'm on board for that plot twist, but I also remember the first LD creating controversy upon its release.

[cynatnite]

Originally Posted by Doctorossi

I'm on board for that plot twist, but I also remember the first LD creating controversy upon its release.

I drank heavily through most of the laserdisc age. Will you enlighten me?

[Doctorossi]

Originally Posted by cynatnite

I drank heavily through most of the laserdisc age. Will you enlighten me?

IIRC, it was principally the same issue- black levels, gamma, APL. Aside from the overall look, there were a couple of optical composite shots in particular that people thought didn't survive the video transfer well, despite appearing more or less seamless on theatrical prints. There was a shot with a handwritten letter imposed over a background plate and the text was too dark to be legible for many.

[Geoff D]

Originally Posted by Doctorossi

I'm on board for that plot twist, but I also remember the first LD creating controversy upon its release.

But most people aren't so hardcore that they will default to that 12" disc version in the face of a 4K UHD (mike, you stay quiet) so I used the nearest 5" disc shitstorm as my point of reference.

[cynatnite]

Originally Posted by Doctorossi

IIRC, it was principally the same issue- black levels, gamma, APL. Aside from the overall look, there were a couple of optical composite shots in particular that people thought didn't survive the video transfer well, despite appearing more or less seamless on theatrical prints. There was a shot with a handwritten letter imposed over a background plate and the text was too dark to be legible for many.

Sounds like few would've been pleased anyway. I wasn't happy with the framing from the latest BD release and was flummoxed to see it again with the UHD. I figure we're stuck with it and I'll still enjoy the movie.

[Doctorossi]

Originally Posted by cynatnite

Sounds like few would've been pleased anyway. I wasn't happy with the framing from the latest BD release and was flummoxed to see it again with the UHD. I figure we're stuck with it and I'll still enjoy the movie.

I know there was a kerfuffle about the framing of this transfer, but I don't know if this one is actually less correct than prior releases or just different. Do you?