Frenzy 4K UHD (1972)

[asmodeux21]

Dvdbeaver review( Looks like a solid upgrade!)-

http://www.dvdbeaver.com/film11/4K_U...nzy_4K_UHD.htm

[jjhlh]

I just finished watching this film. It looks stunning in 4K. I’ve seen it half a dozen times before on dvd and Blu-ray but watching it in 4K with HDR gives me a deeper appreciation of how good it is. This is top-shelf Hitchcock. His last great film.

[RCRochester]

Originally Posted by James Luckard

Another element of the film I have a huge problem with is the iconic potato truck scene.

SPOILERS AHEAD, OBVIOUSLY

I get what Hitchcock was going for. He wanted to recreate the vibe of The Trouble with Harry in a single scene.

However, there's a MASSIVE difference between Frenzy and The Trouble with Harry.

In TTWH, we don't get to know the corpse as a character for 90 minutes before the comedic elements with the cadaver begin. In addition, we soon learn that he was a nasty, abusive husband, so we have no sympathy for him.

In Frenzy, Babs is a sweet, naive, likable person, who is then brutally raped and murdered. It's truly appalling to see the body of that sympathetic character subjected to the potato truck scene, and I can never enjoy the intended humor in it, because it's just so repellent.

I kind of think Hitchcock realized this, because he cast an actress with exaggerated, somewhat comical features, and a grating voice, and directed her to act in a fairly broad way. I think he was trying not to make Babs TOO sympathetic.

Even just having her be killed, as the second woman we've gotten to know well in the film to suffer such a horrific fate, is profoundly unpleasant, and makes the protagonist feel totally helpless, because both of the women he cares about are made to suffer so much.

[Show spoiler]At least Babs's death is not right in front of our eyes, like Brenda's, and I do think the shot pulling out of Rusk's apartment onto the street as Babs dies offscreen is absolutely masterful, the work of a generational genius at the top of his game.

Why wouldn't you just spoiler tag that whole section instead of just the final paragraph?

[Show spoiler]Anyway, I like the potato truck scene, not just for the darkly humorous elements, but also because of the way Hitchcock manipulates us into actually feeling the tension that Rusk does during that moment, even though for the rest of the film we are supposed to dislike him.

[SpacemanDoug]

Originally Posted by James Luckard

I thought it looked like a stunning revelation, like pretty much all of these UHDs.

Overall, I'm not as big a fan of the film as some, but I definitely enjoy certain scenes and certain shots. It's Hitchcock, so there's greatness throughout that makes it worth studying.

This movie has had an embarrassing HD history, I'm one who remembers how years ago an HD broadcast had digitally recreated opening credits but with a different font and numerous spelling errors

Then on the US BD release they used that same master but in order to restore the original titles they spliced in what appeared to be a straight up upscale of the DVD transfer

Can you confirm for me if the 4K titles are the originals and not sloppy digital recreations?

[James Luckard]

Originally Posted by SpacemanDoug

This movie has had an embarrassing HD history, I'm one who remembers how years ago an HD broadcast had digitally recreated opening credits but with a different font and numerous spelling errors

Then on the US BD release they used that same master but in order to restore the original titles they spliced in what appeared to be a straight up upscale of the DVD transfer

Can you confirm for me if the 4K titles are the originals and not sloppy digital recreations?

Yep, the UHD uses the original optical opening titles.

[James Luckard]

Originally Posted by RCRochester

Why wouldn't you just spoiler tag that whole section instead of just the final paragraph?

[Show spoiler]Anyway, I like the potato truck scene, not just for the darkly humorous elements, but also because of the way Hitchcock manipulates us into actually feeling the tension that Rusk does during that moment, even though for the rest of the film we are supposed to dislike him.

I tried to find a balance between spoiler tagging the most spoilery bits and putting a spoiler tag for my entire comment, which would mean nobody would even read it. I'd hoped the giant bold text saying SPOILERS at the beginning would help.

Apologies if I revealed anything anyone didn't know, but it does sound like pretty much everyone in the thread has seen the film, which is a relief.

[SpacemanDoug]

Originally Posted by James Luckard

Yep, the UHD uses the original optical opening titles.

that's very good, but I'm sure Universal did their trademark DNR nuking since they love to do that to optical shots

[RCRochester]

Originally Posted by James Luckard

I tried to find a balance between spoiler tagging the most spoilery bits and putting a spoiler tag for my entire comment, which would mean nobody would even read it. I'd hoped the giant bold text saying SPOILERS at the beginning would help.

Apologies if I revealed anything anyone didn't know, but it does sound like pretty much everyone in the thread has seen the film, which is a relief.

It's all good, just seemed kind of weird to spoiler tag one part and then warn about other spoilers with big bold letters.

[Hammerlover]

Too bad Universal didn't include Henry Mancini's rejected score on an isolated track. Now THAT would've been my kind of extra!

[RCRochester]

Got my copy from Best Buy. Well, copies actually because I bought two in case of damage and I was right to do so because the first one I opened was covered in scratches. But I was disappointed that the Canadian release does not come with a digital copy; all of the previous Hitchcock releases from Universal did. So annoying, I'd rather have that than another copy of the crappy old blu-ray which I already owned.

[James Luckard]

Originally Posted by Hammerlover

Too bad Universal didn't include Henry Mancini's rejected score on an isolated track. Now THAT would've been my kind of extra!

At least it finally came out on CD.

I have to admit, having only heard that STUNNING opening titles cue all these years, on the DVD and the old Universal Hitchcock CD, I found the rest of the score kind of bland and moody and backgroundy, not nearly as melodic as I was hoping for, that melody from the opening titles barely ever reappears.

[Hindustani]

Sound is NOT upgraded to DTS-HD 5.1.

Instead, they have the original mono coming out of 2 channels.

Thats really lazy.

What's the point of 4K UHD when the sound is stuck in 1950s decade.

[BobSimms]

Kyle is back? ^^

[dallywhitty]

Originally Posted by BobSimms

Kyle is back? ^^

I wish.

[SpacemanDoug]

Originally Posted by Hindustani

Sound is NOT upgraded to DTS-HD 5.1.

Instead, they have the original mono coming out of 2 channels.

Thats really lazy.

What's the point of 4K UHD when the sound is stuck in 1950s decade.

ah yes the 1950s movie that was released in 1972

[Scholer]

Anyone know what was up with the blu-ray transfer for this being a complete disaster? I got a bit curious today, and played an ancient UK DVD release of this with 4K upscaling, and even that looks so much better than the blu-ray! The colours are very close to the stunning 4K remaster, and some faint grain is visible after the 4K upscaling despite lack of too much fine detail (owing to the master probably being a laserdisc era one). The blu-ray is not just a digitised mess, but the colours look abysmal.

[SpacemanDoug]

Originally Posted by Scholer

Anyone know what was up with the blu-ray transfer for this being a complete disaster? I got a bit curious today, and played an ancient UK DVD release of this with 4K upscaling, and even that looks so much better than the blu-ray! The colours are very close to the stunning 4K remaster, and some faint grain is visible after the 4K upscaling despite lack of too much fine detail (owing to the master probably being a laserdisc era one). The blu-ray is not just a digitised mess, but the colours look abysmal.

It was likely a master created for HD broadcasts initially, which are notorious for not looking the best (see Star Trek VI: The Undiscovered Country)

[Markgway]

Originally Posted by Hindustani

Sound is NOT upgraded to DTS-HD 5.1.

Instead, they have the original mono coming out of 2 channels.

Thats really lazy.

What's the point of 4K UHD when the sound is stuck in 1950s decade.

[RiFiFi1955]

Originally Posted by Scholer

Anyone know what was up with the blu-ray transfer for this being a complete disaster? I got a bit curious today, and played an ancient UK DVD release of this with 4K upscaling, and even that looks so much better than the blu-ray! The colours are very close to the stunning 4K remaster, and some faint grain is visible after the 4K upscaling despite lack of too much fine detail (owing to the master probably being a laserdisc era one). The blu-ray is not just a digitised mess, but the colours look abysmal.

Wait so the Blu-ray that comes in this package is what you are referring too? These 4K hitch upgrades aren't coming with the same transfer on blu-ray as the 4K disc?

[Hammerlover]

Originally Posted by RiFiFi1955

Wait so the Blu-ray that comes in this package is what you are referring too? These 4K hitch upgrades aren't coming with the same transfer on blu-ray as the 4K disc?

Sadly, no.