Erin Brockovich - 6/5 Review

[James Luckard]

Originally Posted by bookcase

Some extras I can live without, but many of these deleted scenes were phenomenal. I don't want to have to buy a DVD just so I can see them again. Let's hope they'll make it to the BD.

Exactly, there was a whole subplot where Julia started getting sick from having drunk the water at the contaminated town, that involved like 4 or 5 major scenes that were deleted, and there were a number of other great deleted scenes. These were not filler, and Soderbergh's commentary was great about why they were removed.

[Deciazulado]

Erin Brockovich Blu-ray

[PowellPressburger]

Has anyone seen Erin Brockovich at Best Buy or Target? the Blu Ray Not the person

[jayturner514]

Originally Posted by PowellPressburger

Has anyone seen Erin Brockovich at Best Buy or Target? the Blu Ray Not the person

My Best Buy didn't have EB or Smokie...

[PowellPressburger]

Originally Posted by jayturner514

My Best Buy didn't have EB or Smokie...

Yeah I think that is strange. I was at a Walmart and they didn't have Smokey either and that film is like a staple WalMart title. I want that one too.

[MichaelR]

We lost the discussion that followed the review of this release, including links to comparison of the European Blu-ray by Sony. However, the review has now been updated to reflect the information, provided by Robert A. Harris, that the transfer on the U.S. Blu-ray is a new one and not the same transfer used for the HD DVD.

Given the results, I'll leave it to the individual to decide whether that's good news or bad news.

[Brian81]

Originally Posted by MichaelR

We lost the discussion that followed the review of this release, including links to comparison of the European Blu-ray by Sony. However, the review has now been updated to reflect the information, provided by Robert A. Harris, that the transfer on the U.S. Blu-ray is a new one and not the same transfer used for the HD DVD.

Given the results, I'll leave it to the individual to decide whether that's good news or bad news.

Surprising. I'm curious to know which is better (HD DVD vs US BD vs EU BD). If the US BD is not the same transfer as used on the US HD DVD, and considering the same was so for The Sting, it makes me wonder if Universal is done reusing the same old masters and is now striking new ones. That would be good news, as long as they don't DNR the heck out of them.

[IndyMLVC]

Originally Posted by Brian81

Surprising. I'm curious to know which is better (HD DVD vs US BD vs EU BD). If the US BD is not the same transfer as used on the US HD DVD, and considering the same was so for The Sting, it makes me wonder if Universal is done reusing the same old masters and is now striking new ones. That would be good news, as long as they don't DNR the heck out of them.

Scent of A Woman is definitely not the HD DVD version. It almost completely fills up the BD-50

[freedomland]

I will make a more suitable comparison between Sony and Universal, will post it maybe during next week.

[PowellPressburger]

Originally Posted by freedomland

I will make a more suitable comparison between Sony and Universal, will post it maybe during next week.

Thank you ... I really want to know which edition looks the best. I don't mind importing the SONY edition at all.

[freedomland]

I now both and Universal is not the better one. It must be the same transfer, they look quite identical, except for the DNR and EE in the Universal-Release.

[James Luckard]

The difference between the UK and US discs, which I think was lost in the great info purge, is that the UK version omits Steven Soderbergh's commentary over the 30 mins of deleted scenes.

Since he didn't record a commentary for the feature, this is the only commentary he has done related to the film, and it's only on the US disc.

Unless the video difference is enormous, this is a KEY factor for me in choosing which disc to buy.

[Veronica Mars]

Originally Posted by James Luckard

The difference between the UK and US discs, which I think was lost in the great info purge, is that the UK version omits Steven Soderbergh's commentary over the 30 mins of deleted scenes.

Since he didn't record a commentary for the feature, this is the only commentary he has done related to the film, and it's only on the US disc.

Unless the video difference is enormous, this is a KEY factor for me in choosing which disc to buy.

I get your point and if it were close and it was commentary for the film, I'd get the Universal one or make a RARE exception and get both. But commentary for deleted scenes is just not more important to me the pq.

I am probably one of the least of the complainers here about DNR. I think the only time I really freaked out about it was in Reindeer Games and that release was garbage for a lot of reasons.

But I really prefer the Sony, natural release. I certainly wouldn't call the EB release ruined by DNR, but I also wouldn't call it minor, in that you can only notice it in a few scenes. It's pretty constant.

I guess I'm more impressed with the Sony transfer in general. It just looks more like film. Again, if the Universal release was the only release, I wouldn't be in here going nuts about it. I'd just state my opinion and leave it be. It's not a bad release.

For those really on the fence, wait until EB hits black Friday prices and make a combo pack of both releases if you need to hear the commentary of the deleted scenes. I will definitely consider that.

[MichaelR]

Originally Posted by freedomland

It must be the same transfer, they look quite identical, except for the DNR and EE in the Universal-Release.

Except that they can't be the same transfer. The Sony disc was released in 2008. The Universal disc was released in 2012, based on a newly done transfer.

I'm not offering an opinion on which one is better, but we now know that the Universal Blu-ray contains a brand-new transfer that is unique to Universal.

[freedomland]

Originally Posted by MichaelR

but we now know that the Universal Blu-ray contains a brand-new transfer that is unique to Universal.

Have you seen any last real new masters of Universal? They are indeed capable of doing great transers, but they are thrifty, too. This is definetly not a new master, maybe it is made for the DVD-Release and "digitally remastered" for the Bluray.

[GOMEZFAN69]

According to Universal it IS a new master, supervised by Steven Soderbergh.

[MichaelR]

Originally Posted by freedomland

This is definetly not a new master, maybe it is made for the DVD-Release and "digitally remastered" for the Bluray.

I can only post the information; I can't force people to read it. From post #26 above:

Originally Posted by MichaelR

[T]he review has now been updated to reflect the information, provided by Robert A. Harris, that the transfer on the U.S. Blu-ray is a new one and not the same transfer used for the HD DVD.

RAH contacted me directly to provide this information, but here's the version he published in his thread at HTF:

I have been informed by an exec that I trust from Universal that my assumption re: Erin not being a new transfer is incorrect. This is a new 2k transfer, with updated audio from the stems, and with the look approved by filmmaker Steven Soderbergh.

RAH

[Veronica Mars]

I'm so not picking a fight and I so don't get involved in the back and forth about DNR and EE, in fact I'm go more lightly on it than most, which probably annoys those who expect more/better.

But do we really think Soderbergh sat through this and paid attention to the entire process and like seeing what most reviewers have pointed out as bad? Couldn't he have seen it somewhere in the process before they used it? Does it make it ok even if he happens to be ok with it?

Again, hell, I'm ok with many titles that have gotten panned worse than I thought they deserved, but in those cases, I don't think the director's approval thing came up which usually changes how a release is accepted.

I only read and contribute at one other site like this and, if anything, I hear people complaining, here and elsewhere, that the reviewers are too easy on the DNR. But every review I've read of this release points it out as being not terrible, but definitely not light/modest either.

I wish there was a general consensus on this by now. Not that everyone agrees on what is too much or acceptable, but at least on whether or not DNR is a good thing when used enough to make it annoying to pretty much every reviewer out there. I definitely tend to annoy a lot of opinions when it comes to reviewing how good something is. We all have different tastes, but when I read a ton of reviews saying DNR is not a minor issue with this release, I can't help but think these people can't all be wrong and I'm more skeptical of comments about a director approving of the "look" of a film. I don't really know what that means.

If Cameron or Speilberg spoke at length about a transfer and addresses specific issues about the look and any changes made, then I listen. But I'm more skeptical of a sticker on the front of a blu-ray that states "director approved" transfer.

That's just me and I'm in no way suggesting the UK version is better. I've not seen comparisons of both or heard anything at length comparing them both, with all the positives and negatives to choose from.

[zarquon]

Does anyone know how this transfer compares to the old HD DVD release? I have the HD DVD, and I'm trying to decide if its worth replacing with this.

[Iamspartacus]

Why is this one so hard to find? Can't find it in any stores and not even amazon sells it. Is is out of print?