The Cooler (101 Films) Black Label 006 - 2003 - William H. Macy, Maria Bello - Blu-ray Forum

Fat Phil · 12-28-2018, 01:05 AM

Holy hell. From a technical standpoint, this is a very poor release. I'm almost certain it runs at the wrong speed. The movie should be approximately 1:41 but the blu-ray clocks in at just under 1:38 which is practically identical to the running time of the old UK Tartan DVD which of course would have had the PAL speed-up. Oh, and just for giggles, 101 films have listed the running time on the cover as 138mins

The master even looks like the one used for that DVD back in 2004. Just manky all around - flat, sapped of any meaningful textural detail and with poor colours. There's also some minor print damage and slight telecine wobble but unlike those the other issues I mentioned, those two things weren't detrimental to my experience.

Comparing the blu-ray with the Tartan DVD - Even using what looks like the same master, the blu-ray obviously gets a bump from the new encode. That's not to say it's good, cause it's not, but it does away with the blockiness that plagued the DVD and some minor additional detail is allowed to resolve as a result. I've included a quick comparison so you can see what i'm talking about (photos, not screengrabs so don't read too much into colour/contrast etc).
http://www.screenshotcomparison.com/comparison/126671
See Bill Macy's crow's feet or the line of his lower lip for example.

Positives then - It's not a total waste of money because, IMO the new feature length making of doc (clocking in at nearly two hours) that 101 have gone to the trouble of producing is worth the asking price alone. Nearly everyone of note (including William H Macy, Baldwin, Kramer etc) have sat down to share their recollections. It's a testament to their fondness for the movie. The included booklet also looks nicely put together though I've yet to read it.

And the movie itself, oh baby, it still packs a real punch. Phenomenal performances all around (The "It's a boy!" scene remains a gut wrenching slice of cinema) and Wayne Kramer's always had a sensibility as a director that i've enjoyed. It was a real blast revisiting it again after all these years.

Don't get me wrong, this will be my go-to presentation of the movie until something better comes along. The included extras (both legacy and new) plus the fact that it offers a better presentation than my DVD means that it stays on my shelf but wait for a sale or even wait for a new release anywhere else in the world that utilises a new scan if you've got patience.

12-28-2018, 01:05 AM	#11
Fat Phil Blu-ray Ninja Member since:Dec 2014 4K collection:830 Blu-ray collection:830 Trading Score:1	Holy hell. From a technical standpoint, this is a very poor release. I'm almost certain it runs at the wrong speed. The movie should be approximately 1:41 but the blu-ray clocks in at just under 1:38 which is practically identical to the running time of the old UK Tartan DVD which of course would have had the PAL speed-up. Oh, and just for giggles, 101 films have listed the running time on the cover as 138mins The master even looks like the one used for that DVD back in 2004. Just manky all around - flat, sapped of any meaningful textural detail and with poor colours. There's also some minor print damage and slight telecine wobble but unlike those the other issues I mentioned, those two things weren't detrimental to my experience. Comparing the blu-ray with the Tartan DVD - Even using what looks like the same master, the blu-ray obviously gets a bump from the new encode. That's not to say it's good, cause it's not, but it does away with the blockiness that plagued the DVD and some minor additional detail is allowed to resolve as a result. I've included a quick comparison so you can see what i'm talking about (photos, not screengrabs so don't read too much into colour/contrast etc). http://www.screenshotcomparison.com/comparison/126671 See Bill Macy's crow's feet or the line of his lower lip for example. Positives then - It's not a total waste of money because, IMO the new feature length making of doc (clocking in at nearly two hours) that 101 have gone to the trouble of producing is worth the asking price alone. Nearly everyone of note (including William H Macy, Baldwin, Kramer etc) have sat down to share their recollections. It's a testament to their fondness for the movie. The included booklet also looks nicely put together though I've yet to read it. And the movie itself, oh baby, it still packs a real punch. Phenomenal performances all around (The "It's a boy!" scene remains a gut wrenching slice of cinema) and Wayne Kramer's always had a sensibility as a director that i've enjoyed. It was a real blast revisiting it again after all these years. Don't get me wrong, this will be my go-to presentation of the movie until something better comes along. The included extras (both legacy and new) plus the fact that it offers a better presentation than my DVD means that it stays on my shelf but wait for a sale or even wait for a new release anywhere else in the world that utilises a new scan if you've got patience.

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