Mad Max: High Octane Collection (1979-2015) / Mad Max: Fury Road in B&W (2015)

[Geoff D]

Some hope, yes. It depends on how lazy the studios want to be.

[Dragun]

Originally Posted by Geoff D

Uh, you know The Martian was rebuilt in 4K when they did the HDR pass, right?

So they finished the movie at 2K originally, then re-built it in 4K? Why didn't they finish it in 4K in the first place, and then downscale that master for the 2K version? Would that have taken longer, causing issues with the theatrical deadline?

Ergo, if a 2K movie gets a 4K rebuild with 'native' 4K live action and upscaled 2K VFX it would be no different from the vast majority of actual 4K finishes that are already out there. Yeah, Mad Max wasn't lensed at 4K to begin with but I'd still take a 2.8K -> 4K upscale from the source original than just 2K -> 4K. If it's good enough for Roger Deakins, it's good enough for me.

When a film shot on the Alexa gets a 4K finish, is the 2.8K footage upscaled to 4K or is it simply placed in the larger 4K "bucket" so as not to downrez to 2K?

[Geoff D]

Originally Posted by Dragun

So they finished the movie at 2K originally, then re-built it in 4K? Why didn't they finish it in 4K in the first place, and then downscale that master for the 2K version? Would that have taken longer, causing issues with the theatrical deadline?

That is the question, sir. It's cheaper to finish a film once than twice! But if some studios are willing to go that extra mile, then more power to them.

When a film shot on the Alexa gets a 4K finish, is the 2.8K footage upscaled to 4K or is it simply placed in the larger 4K "bucket" so as not to downrez to 2K?

I'm not sure I understand the question. AFAIK the 2.8K or 3.4K if shot Open Gate is upscaled to 4K, either at source (ARRI provide it as an option to do it in-camera) or during the post process.

[Dragun]

Originally Posted by Geoff D

I'm not sure I understand the question. AFAIK the 2.8K or 3.4K if shot Open Gate is upscaled to 4K, either at source (ARRI provide it as an option to do it in-camera) or during the post process.

I'm realizing that my question is fundamentally flawed to start with. Of course the footage is upscaled. If they don't upscale, would have to be windowboxed.

[Doctorossi]

Originally Posted by Dragun

I'm realizing that my question is fundamentally flawed to start with. Of course the footage is upscaled. If they don't upscale, would have to be windowboxed.

I would expect the footage is upscaled from 2K, as the production was finished at 2K. Being that the post work was all completed at 2K (and it's an FX-heavy movie), I would be very surprised if they went back to the 2.8K camera files to extract more spatial resolution for the UHD release.

[Geoff D]

^ Aye, there's the rub. If something is majorly VFX intensive then it'll mostly be locked to 2K anyway, though there are different levels of tweakery that apply i.e. not every digital effect is strictly VFX (it's amazing what they can do in just the DI suite these days). And as long as things like CDLs and raw camera data are archived then a rebuild with some native 4K (or >2K, anyway) stuff is pretty straightforward. Costly, but straightforward.

As I said, depends on whether the studios can be bothered and I'm dying to hear what Warners have to say, given that Fox have thrown down the gauntlet with The Martian.

[Doctorossi]

Originally Posted by Geoff D

As I said, depends on whether the studios can be bothered and I'm dying to hear what Warners have to say, given that Fox have thrown down the gauntlet with The Martian.

Indeed. Since one studio could be bothered (at least once), I'm curious if professional competition will see anyone else step up as well. I'm doubtful about it, though, especially when we're talking about sub-4K sources to begin with.

[Geoff D]

Sub-4K doesn't mean it's not worth bothering with though. Roger Deakins said he saw a "substantial improvement" when doing tests on 2.8K Alexa stuff finished in 4K versus 2K.

[Mr. Chaverria]

Originally Posted by worldchmps

Still don't know what the excitement was for this movie. Little backstory given on the characters and the entire plot basically consists of a bunch of really white guys chasing down Max and what's her name with just one full arm that was never explained why or how she lost it. The movie felt like a two hour car chase. And where was this great acting people have mentioned? Forrest Gump was great acting. In The Heat Of The Night was great acting. Heck, even Star Wars: The Force Awakens was great acting! This, not so much! I was bored after a half hour, maybe less. It's sad if a movie like this is what people consider great now. The only amazing aspect is the stunt people. Those folks should win an Oscar for what they had to do in the movie! I bet I'm not the only one who felt like this. They walk around wondering why everyone says it's great but figure they must have missed something so they stay silent. You didn't miss anything! It was bad!

Still have no clue why that guy was playing a guitar on a truck that looked like a scene out of an 80's movie. Oh right, it was! Have we run out of new movie ideas already?

Excuse me as I have to go dump more chum in to the water. Red meat gets everyone excited. Now to see what I can reel in.

Film analysis and criticism.

Word it better for all of us.

Why does there need to be backstory on any of them? The film's narrative isn't to point out what made these people but what they're doing now. Max has the most out of it, which is little, and it's there to show us what his motivations are. Joe and his world is explained through actions and visual. Along w/ some tidbits of dialogue here and there to give us information.

Furiosa? Why is it important we know why she lost an arm? I'm guessing it would be an interesting thing to know considering the environment but it'd be pointless history considering how much her character tells the audience by what happens in the film.

I'm sure a good number of the lot here would be interested to know what the exact makeup of the world is for that region but it's not needed. It's a needless want for narrative that doesn't benefit to be part of the film.

The film's objective is to throw you into this story and for you to see it unfold. IE the characters existed before you met them here and this is a point in their lives that you're witnessing.

The film also tells a lot of story by actions. We get their culture, mindset, motivations from these people's actions and what little words they have for their personal tales. Throwing words at the viewer isn't the only way to tell a story. Actions are just as important. And this film relied on that for the audience to read from it. It's also pretty unique considering how telling a story by action over words is kind of rare at that size of a movie ie mainstream. What words are there are for a purpose and not to pad it.

For this film and dialogue.... Less is more. The more you want is told by the characters' actions.

Also... The Doof Warrior (flaming guitar bloke) is just an extreme version of a bugler (is that what they're called?) during battle. Simple.

Originally Posted by cine74

I might be interested in a B&W version of Mad Max 4 if the regular color version is included. It helps that I never picked up the first BD back in September. Still waiting for the HDZeta steelbook

I would be very surprised if they allowed that to happen. I HEAVILY doubt they would JUST put in this B&W version on there. That would ostracize the consumer pretty much ie bad business on a very basic level.

I also think this could on that Diamond Luxe format that WB has. Never got the Gravity one... I should just get it cuz the price tag on that never really went down to some awesome degree.

[Arawn]

Fury Road won a "pre-show" SAG award for "action performance by a stunt ensemble in a motion picture"

[Will.]

Originally Posted by Arawn

Fury Road won a "pre-show" SAG award for "action performance by a stunt ensemble in a motion picture"

Well deserved!

[explorer6]

I have no interesting in anything black and white in the modern world. Color is everything. Color is progression from a once lifeless black and white era. Let the hipsters have it who think they're unique for watching a black and white film because all of the wondrous color isn't good enough for them but i'm not rooting for it's success as i don't want to see black and white releases anytime soon. As long as they don't get in the way of color it's fine but next thing you know some directors will start losing their minds and only doing something in black and white.

[LuckyDragon]

Originally Posted by explorer6

I have no interesting in anything black and white in the modern world. Color is everything. Color is progression from a once lifeless black and white era. Let the hipsters have it who think they're unique for watching a black and white film because all of the wondrous color isn't good enough for them but i'm not rooting for it's success as i don't want to see black and white releases anytime soon. As long as they don't get in the way of color it's fine but next thing you know some directors will start losing their minds and only doing something in black and white.

[ThatOneGuy]

Originally Posted by explorer6

I have no interesting in anything black and white in the modern world. Color is everything. Color is progression from a once lifeless black and white era. Let the hipsters have it who think they're unique for watching a black and white film because all of the wondrous color isn't good enough for them but i'm not rooting for it's success as i don't want to see black and white releases anytime soon. As long as they don't get in the way of color it's fine but next thing you know some directors will start losing their minds and only doing something in black and white.

So I'm a hipster because I'm interested in seeing the film in a different style? Okay, I think I'm fine being called a hipster for that reason since that sounds more like a compliment then anything else.

[Will.]

Originally Posted by explorer6

I have no interesting in anything black and white in the modern world. Color is everything. Color is progression from a once lifeless black and white era. Let the hipsters have it who think they're unique for watching a black and white film because all of the wondrous color isn't good enough for them but i'm not rooting for it's success as i don't want to see black and white releases anytime soon. As long as they don't get in the way of color it's fine but next thing you know some directors will start losing their minds and only doing something in black and white.

I don't think you have to be worried about directors losing their minds and only filming in B&W. Now, Scorsese hinting that he wanted to film all his movies in 3D, that's something to be worried about.
It all comes down to the story that is being told. Schindler's List, Raging Bull, and Goodnight and Good Luck are all examples of movies made in the color era that benefited greatly from B&W; it created a specific aesthetic and helped tell the story visually. Saying "color is everything" ignores the fact that black and white are both colors, as are all the shades in between them. In the case of Mad Max, I assume I'll prefer the color version since it's the one I saw first. But I'm open to seeing it in a new light (it'll give me a good excuse to watch it again ).

[MechaGodzilla]

Originally Posted by explorer6

I have no interesting in anything black and white in the modern world. Color is everything. Color is progression from a once lifeless black and white era. Let the hipsters have it who think they're unique for watching a black and white film because all of the wondrous color isn't good enough for them but i'm not rooting for it's success as i don't want to see black and white releases anytime soon. As long as they don't get in the way of color it's fine but next thing you know some directors will start losing their minds and only doing something in black and white.

Oh my god.

[explorer6]

Originally Posted by John Klein

So I'm a hipster because I'm interested in seeing the film in a different style? Okay, I think I'm fine being called a hipster for that reason since that sounds more like a compliment then anything else.

You're either a hipster or a self centered egotist or both.

Conclusion 1: Hipster.

Subject has too much of everything due to the efforts of others, as a result of this they develop a certain boredom because they lack the perspective that enables one in this situation that allows for appreciation and humility... in response they put effort into being unique and edgy in defying all that's available to them but in the end simply mock the concepts because of never having perspective to begin with.

Conclusion 2: Egotist

Subject thinks everything is about them and revolves around them. They read/hear things that obviously doesn't include every single person but their ego overrides logic and so they take it personal despite this obvious logic.

If subject is not a hipster in relation to the black and white and my comments about hipsters that would mean it doesn't apply to them and so hence if they take it personally despite this obvious logic it probably points to conclusion number two.

[explorer6]

Originally Posted by Will.

I don't think you have to be worried about directors losing their minds and only filming in B&W. Now, Scorsese hinting that he wanted to film all his movies in 3D, that's something to be worried about.
It all comes down to the story that is being told. Schindler's List, Raging Bull, and Goodnight and Good Luck are all examples of movies made in the color era that benefited greatly from B&W; it created a specific aesthetic and helped tell the story visually. Saying "color is everything" ignores the fact that black and white are both colors, as are all the shades in between them. In the case of Mad Max, I assume I'll prefer the color version since it's the one I saw first. But I'm open to seeing it in a new light (it'll give me a good excuse to watch it again ).

You underestimate the insanity of people and how sheepish they truly are in my opinion. Black and white could easily become the new fad to where it's seen as artistic, edgy and cool among the crowds and the new hip thing to do. It wouldn't take much to push this into being. After all [said from the hipster's point of view] there's been too much color of recent times. Everything is color. Color is boring. It's all the hipsters need to push them over the edge to defying color and proclaiming black and white the new cool until that gets boring.

Disagree that anything benefits from lifeless devolved black and white. Any movie or picture would be much, much better in color including those you mentioned but that's pointless to argue as that comes down to preference/vision in the end. If it's a director's vision to film something in black and white am i going to waste energy attempting to convince them otherwise and to explain all the wonders and importance of color to picture as i see it... what's the point, they see what they see and i see what i see. Your whole semantics definition of color is also pointless. What's being discussed is color in relation to black and white film not what technically defines colors.

[Will.]

Originally Posted by explorer6

You underestimate the insanity of people and how sheepish they truly are in my opinion. Black and white could easily become the new fad to where it's seen as artistic and cool among the crowds and the new hip thing to do. It wouldn't take much to push this into being.

Disagree that anything benefits from black and white. Any movie or picture would be much, much better in color including those you mentioned but that's pointless to argue as that comes down to preference/vision in the end. If it's a director's vision to film something in black and white am i going to waste energy attempting to convince them otherwise and to explain all the wonders and importance of color to picture as i see it... what's the point, they see what they see and i see what i see. Your whole semantics definition of color is also pointless. What's being discussed is color in relation to black and white film not what technically defines colors.

Fair points, although I still don't think you need be too concerned. It also occurred to me how nostalgia and color go together in the movies. Black and White has a classic look that is a "throwback" to a different time, and I suppose many people find that comforting and exciting. One reason I'm intrigued by this version of Fury Road is the fusion of that old, BW look and the modern effects/narrative of the movie.

[ThatOneGuy]

Originally Posted by explorer6

You're either a hipster or a self centered egotist or both.

Conclusion 1: Hipster.

Subject has too much of everything due to the efforts of others, as a result of this they develop a certain boredom because they lack the perspective that enables one in this situation that allows for appreciation and humility... in response they put effort into being unique and edgy in defying all that's available to them but in the end simply mock the concepts because of never having perspective to begin with.

Conclusion 2: Egotist

Subject thinks everything is about them and revolves around them. They read/hear things that obviously doesn't include every single person but their ego overrides logic and so they take it personal despite this obvious logic.

If subject is not a hipster in relation to the black and white and my comments about hipsters that would mean it doesn't apply to them and so hence if they take it personally despite this obvious logic it probably points to conclusion number two.

Self-centered, for the most part but egotistical? Na. Sounds more like you're an egotist since you have to speak ill about a different version that is completely optional and those who are interested in it because you don't like it, I'll give you that at the very least you are not complaining like it is the only version of the film.