Casablanca (1942) (70th Anniversary Edition)

[Mr. Thomsen]

Originally Posted by MrHT

Why can't the WB release a Bogart set similar to this on BD?

Because things has changed drastically since Universal released that set in the heyday of the DVD in 2005.

Sales has plummeted and catalogue titles are faring poorly. Most studios appear to focus on DVD-R and VOD for archive material and primarily release new titles on BD.

As long as the economy is as it is, things are probably not going to change. Even though you might see a few major titles with Bogart getting released on BD, chances are that the big archive sets centered around classics stars or directors which we saw on DVD is a thing of the past.

[Campcuse]

Sorry if this was covered, but is this the same transfer (video encode) as the previous BD's?

[anthonyls]

Originally Posted by Campcuse

Sorry if this was covered, but is this the same transfer (video encode) as the previous BD's?

We don't know yet. We are waiting for the final specs to be announced. It looks like WB is gong to do a new 4k remaster for this release... but we'll have to wait and see what happens.

[Donat96]

Originally Posted by Campcuse

Sorry if this was covered, but is this the same transfer (video encode) as the previous BD's?

It's not. It is an "all-new 4K restoration."

[Crimson King]

Originally Posted by anthonyls

We don't know yet. We are waiting for the final specs to be announced. It looks like WB is gong to do a new 4k remaster for this release... but we'll have to wait and see what happens.

the current version looks great to my eyes.

[italy12]

Originally Posted by Donat96

It's not. It is an "all-new 4K restoration."

Any word on lossless mono? I know WB has been using a DTS-HD MA 1.0 track for their older films, a la Citizen Kane, The Bad Seed, etc...

I haven't seen this announced anywhere yet.

[Donat96]

Originally Posted by italy12

Any word on lossless mono? I know WB has been using a DTS-HD MA 1.0 track for their older films, a la Citizen Kane, The Bad Seed, etc...

I haven't seen this announced anywhere yet.

Unfortunately, the press release didn't mention lossless. Still have my fingers crossed for it.

[italy12]

Originally Posted by Donat96

Unfortunately, the press release didn't mention lossless. Still have my fingers crossed for it.

Thanks!

[MrHT]

Originally Posted by Crimson King

the current version looks great to my eyes.

Doesn't surprise me. All the reviews out there are excellent. Which is why I wonder why the WB feels the need to re-release this.

[Crimson King]

Originally Posted by MrHT

Doesn't surprise me. All the reviews out there are excellent. Which is why I wonder why the WB feels the need to re-release this.

they are also doing it for The Wizard Of Oz in a few years

[retablo]

Originally Posted by MrHT

Here is Universal's DVD set on Alfred Hitchcock.
http://www.amazon.com/Alfred-Hitchco...0092210&sr=1-1

A nice 14 movie set, most of which is his best work. They are not all of his movies, but it's enough to satisfy my hunger.

Why can't the WB release a Bogart set similar to this on BD?

I'd rather have a set of 14 of Bogart's best movies instead of just a measly 2 or 3. It looks better on the shelf. Having only a few Bogart films on the shelf belittles me as a fan. It gives the impression that I'm only a casual fan rather than a big fan. I don't want people to get that impression when they look at my collection. I feel degraded that way.

Because, like ALL catalog BDs done right, the films take time to remaster for hi def.

I'd rather have the BEST presentations of 3 films rather than mediocre presentations of 14, no matter what my friends might think. The films are more important than my friends' assumptions.

Originally Posted by MrHT

Doesn't surprise me. All the reviews out there are excellent. Which is why I wonder why the WB feels the need to re-release this.

Except for the lossy audio and egregious DNR (which, like Patton, at the time wasn't looked at negatively due to ignorance of how films SHOULD be restored). "Excellent" reviews don't mean it's actually an excellent product.

[MrHT]

Originally Posted by retablo

Except for the lossy audio and egregious DNR (which, like Patton, at the time wasn't looked at negatively due to ignorance of how films SHOULD be restored). "Excellent" reviews don't mean it's actually an excellent product.

I've heard about the DNR, but the reviewers all gave it high ratings despite that because it still looks amazing. So, from the impression I got, the DNR was done properly. And lossless audio is not needed for classic films.

[retablo]

Originally Posted by MrHT

I've heard about the DNR, but the reviewers all gave it high ratings despite that because it still looks amazing. So, from the impression I got, the DNR was done properly. And lossless audio is not needed for classic films.

It wasn't done properly. Look at it. Better yet, compare it to the new box set when ti comes out and you'll see.

I don't care what reviewers said. They also said Patton looked great. And to repeat myself yet again, they didn't know much about DNR when the first disc came out, so people didn't know any batter back then. We do now, which is why this is getting re-done properly.

And lossless is needed for ALL films.

All the amount of forum posting isn't going to stop this from coming out. It's a much needed NEW 4K scan of one of the great films of all time.

The original disc was also only a BD-25, with a small-ish feature size. The new disc will improve on that (and hopefully the next Wizard of Oz release does so as well), which will also help the image.

Feature: 15.49 Gig
Disc size: 24,274,306,884 bytes
Single-layered Blu-ray
VC-1 encode
Average Bitrate: 20.15 Mbps

So there are many reasons why this release is not only justified, but warranted. And gladly so.

[MrHT]

Originally Posted by retablo

And lossless is needed for ALL films.

Ok...if you say so....

[tama]

From Greg Maltz, the reviewer who reviewed Casablanca on Dec. 6th 2008:

"This Blu-ray is not meant to make viewers feel like they are watching film from 65 years ago--that was not Warner's intention. Rather, it is intended as more of a museum piece that has been carefully excavated, cleaned up and restored to a relatively asceptic state. In some cases, film is DNR'ed to death, but Warner seems to have taken great pains to remove the noise, grunge and grain without losing too much detail in the process."

This review was done in the same Month Criterion hit the blu-ray format with it's first releases and 2 weeks before Criterion released The Third Man, There first of several B&W films to hit the format. I bring this up because at this time in the format there wasn't a lot of films that had been properly restored for comparison to what this format was and is capable of. Even in the initial review it is made mention that this version does not have a film like image.

This is a warrented and welcomed re-release.

[Zen_Amako]

I'm pretty sure the original BD was a port of the HD DVD. It looks pretty good, but I'm glad it is getting a new transfer.

[MrHT]

Originally Posted by tama

...but Warner seems to have taken great pains to remove the noise, grunge and grain without losing too much detail in the process."

I rest my case. No re-release is needed....

[octagon]

Originally Posted by MrHT

I rest my case.

Excellent.

[Deviation]

Originally Posted by MrHT

I've heard about the DNR, but the reviewers all gave it high ratings despite that because it still looks amazing. So, from the impression I got, the DNR was done properly. And lossless audio is not needed for classic films.

DNR wasn't done "properly", it's just that the filtering done wasn't taken to the same extremes we've seen in some Universal and New Line wax-fests. There was still too much filtering, it's just that it was comparatively less than some of the monstrosities that were coming out at the time so it didn't garner as much attention, even on a catalog release as large as Casablanca.

Originally Posted by MrHT

I rest my case. No re-release is needed....

One reviewer's opinion of the original release doesn't decide this.

No one will actually be able to say whether or not a new release is worthwhile until the disc is out and proper comparisions can be made.

[retablo]

Originally Posted by MrHT

Ok...if you say so....

Of course I say so... and there's no reason for lossy audio that's just "good enough"... same as video. Just like there's no need to rush out other classics before they are properly restored just to have them so your friends think you're a fan. I assume a huge fan would have them on DVD, so that would elevate your fan status, I imagine.