First Blood / Rambo: First Blood Part II / Rambo III 4K UHDs (1982-1988)

[infiniteCR]

^wow no. Relating any of Stallone’s acting to military reality is pretty much bs.

[Noremac Mij]

Originally Posted by infiniteCR

^wow no. Relating any of Stallone’s acting to military reality is pretty much bs.

[Lantz]

Finally got thru the remastered BD of First Blood. Significant upgrade but true that blacks are never very deep, a kind of colourful and detailed but still washed-out feel. All is subjective of course, but the colour palette and reduced dynamic range on this BD made the film look older to me, a vintage vibe. Another thing was strange, I noticed the black shadows behind the white opening credit texts show a deeper black on my screen, deeper black than anything else on those opening shots, suggesting to me the raised blacks are not a blanket phenomenon. The black bars seemed deep and nice throughout to me. But overall the transfer didn’t nail it for me and some gamma adjustment was needed to keep me happy.

I am sure this was asked a million times and I don’t wanna rehash anything but those of you who have watched and compared both the UHD and BDs in this new release, are they very different? Thinking especially about the black levels. That is, are the blacks deeper / more satisfying on the UHDs?

[JohnCarpenterFan]

Black levels are garbage on both UHD and Blu-ray. This is clearly either a Ritrovata or Eclair job, nobody else in the industry is as bad as them when it comes to grading.

[rocknblues81]

Originally Posted by Markgway

Agree on Stallone. But with the exception of Brian Dennehy no one is up to his level and a promising opening half hour is squandered (Richard Crenna's terrible performance really kills it for me).

Although I dislike the Trautman character in the original, I think he ends up balancing thinks out. He helps keep me from siding with Rambo too much. Trautman is only out to protect his boy.The arrogance, smugness just annoys me. He doesn't really care that Rambo has went overboard.He just wants to protect his big project.Ultimately Teasle is right about him (Trautman).

Having someone like Trautman as a father figure is probably part of the reason that Rambo is unable to understand that he has went too far. The ending is probably the only time Trautman has put his foot down and even then it isn't for all the right reasons.

[Geoff D]

Originally Posted by Lantz

Finally got thru the remastered BD of First Blood. Significant upgrade but true that blacks are never very deep, a kind of colourful and detailed but still washed-out feel. All is subjective of course, but the colour palette and reduced dynamic range on this BD made the film look older to me, a vintage vibe. Another thing was strange, I noticed the black shadows behind the white opening credit texts show a deeper black on my screen, deeper black than anything else on those opening shots, suggesting to me the raised blacks are not a blanket phenomenon. The black bars seemed deep and nice throughout to me. But overall the transfer didn’t nail it for me and some gamma adjustment was needed to keep me happy.

I am sure this was asked a million times and I don’t wanna rehash anything but those of you who have watched and compared both the UHD and BDs in this new release, are they very different? Thinking especially about the black levels. That is, are the blacks deeper / more satisfying on the UHDs?

The new BDs are very similar to the UHDs in terms of colour and black level, only with more blown out highlights. One curious thing is that they can look a lot grainier than the UHDs and not in a bad way, they've got the sort of all-action grain that I'd expect to see from movies of this vintage whereas the UHDs have a much 'finer' look to them. Not overtly "DNR'ed" as such, in case that's where people think I'm going with this, but definitely a lot less 'busy' looking.

[ROSS.T.G.]

Originally Posted by Noremac Mij

One of the greatest actors and filmmakers of all time.

I’m a huge Stallone fan and consider him to be the best action star of all time but putting him up with the best actors and directors made me chuckle. He has been excellent in a few things like Copland for example.

[Geoff D]

Originally Posted by rocknblues81

Although I dislike the Trautman character in the original, I think he ends up balancing thinks out. He helps keep me from siding with Rambo too much. Trautman is only out to protect his boy.The arrogance, smugness just annoys me. He doesn't really care that Rambo has went overboard.He just wants to protect his big project.Ultimately Teasle is right about him (Trautman).

Having someone like Trautman as a father figure is probably part of the reason that Rambo is unable to understand that he has went too far. The ending is probably the only time Trautman has put his foot down and even then it isn't for all the right reasons.

Yeah, it shouldn't work in any way but it just does, it's like he's the complete opposite to the cops, in a good way. Richard Crenna was brought in so late that he had to be fed his lines and I think that's where the stiffness comes from, he's still trying to figure out the character and it's all he can do to read his lines like he's reciting the phone book. It makes him feel so detached and so aloof from the whole situation and that's what makes it stand out and become interesting, in some ways it reminds me of a Kubrick-type performance, maybe not for any specifics but for how it's so conspicuously different from what everyone else is doing around him.

[Geoff D]

Originally Posted by ROSS.T.G.

I’m a huge Stallone fan and consider him to be the best action star of all time but putting him up with the best actors and directors made me chuckle. He has been excellent in a few things like Copland for example.

You know reverse jim, something's not worth saying unless the hyperbole is being pushed to the limit and beyond (we're all guilty of this on occasion, but for him it's a full time job), but I've got MAD respect for Stallone nonetheless, not just for all the iconic action sloblock but, yeah, as a filmmaker.

[ROSS.T.G.]

Originally Posted by Geoff D

You know reverse jim, something's not worth saying unless the hyperbole is being pushed to the limit and beyond (we're all guilty of this on occasion, but for him it's a full time job), but I've got MAD respect for Stallone nonetheless, not just for all the iconic action sloblock but, yeah, as a filmmaker.

I like to throw him something to munch on now and then. He gives his movies his all for sure. He’s also the only actor to defeat communism in Rocky 4.

[LexInHD]

We need a proper cut of Cobra, in 4K.

[johnnyringo7]

Cobra and Over the Top in 4K!

[Petey Parker]

Ugggh I guess Amazon isn't lowering the price on Part 2 at this point.

[Cards_Fan_15]

I'm going to pick up all 3 of these to upgrade from the original Blu-ray set, but is there any info when we might get Rambo (2008) in 4K?

[Dailyan]

Originally Posted by Cards_Fan_15

I'm going to pick up all 3 of these to upgrade from the original Blu-ray set, but is there any info when we might get Rambo (2008) in 4K?

Nothing at the moment but I wouldn't be surprised if LG do a release in 2019 to cash in on Last Blood.

[Cards_Fan_15]

Originally Posted by Dailyan

Nothing at the moment but I wouldn't be surprised if LG do a release in 2019 to cash in on Last Blood.

Fingers crossed. I can't imagine LG wouldn't release it.

[callahan09]

Originally Posted by Saucerful

It's starting too look like Amazon isn't going to cave on Part II. When does the BF sale usually end?

I ordered the first on Amazon when I saw $7.99 immediately, then yesterday afternoon I went to Best Buy and they had plenty of all three films for $7.99 so I bought 2 & 3 there. Best Buy seems like they had good supply of all the sale movies yesterday.

[HeavyHitter]

I went to two Best Buys yesterday and I didn't even see a slot for them in those Cardboard cases. I just checked online and it says no store carries these within 250 miles of me. Target has them, but I was told they won't price match anyone during Black Friday to Cyber Monday. Oh well, there's always next year. lol

[LoSouL]

First Blood is one of my favorite movies of all time. Rambo did nothing wrong.

[Member-167298]

Originally Posted by LoSouL

First Blood is one of my favorite movies of all time. Rambo did nothing wrong.

THEY drew first blood!