Zulu (1964) - January 22, 2014 - Limited to 3,000 copies

[HD Goofnut]

Originally Posted by Dex Robinson

Adding a technical note...which I don't want to be seen as a defense of DNR.

Just remember that ZULU was shot in Super Technirama 70 and 70mm prints were made for projection (at the properly equipped theaters). This is not a film that would have displayed much grain. So it can't be judged by the same standard that we use for the vast majority of movies. ZULU should be much more free of grain.

Now, I've got the UK release and I'm quite pleased with it. Honestly, I really don't know how much of the "cleanliness" is the result of DNR and how much is the natural product of large format filming. My eye isn't that well trained and, again, I don't want to be seen as defending DNR. But I caution that many people will judge DNR mainly on how much grain they see...and ZULU shouldn't have much grain.

I agree with everything you said. Grain is still visible in the U.K. release, but it is extremely subdued in some sequences. I might by this TT release if it has the isolated score and/or has more extras and/or better PQ/AQ, but I will wait for some comparisons first. Unless it just blows the Paramount U.K. disc out the of water I will probably keep that disc no matter what.

[Geoff D]

Having no grain is one thing, but to my eyes the textures look very strange indeed. Faces look incredibly smooth, bizarrely so, like they've had some of the Son'a's skin-stretching treatments from Star Trek Insurrection.

The image does pop, boy does it pop, but once that superficial wow factor is overcome I just can't stop thinking about how off-kilter it looks.

Hopefully TT's transfer will retain the detail whilst also restoring a modicum of true filmic quality.

[Dubstar]

Originally Posted by Geoff D

Having no grain is one thing, but to my eyes the textures look very strange indeed. Faces look incredibly smooth, bizarrely so, like they've had some of the Son'a's skin-stretching treatments from Star Trek Insurrection.

The image does pop, boy does it pop, but once that superficial wow factor is overcome I just can't stop thinking about how off-kilter it looks.

Hopefully TT's transfer will retain the detail whilst also restoring a modicum of true filmic quality.

it's the red coloring that's eye searing

[Akijama]

A teaser cover for one of our all-time favorite films!

[MifuneFan]

That's awesome

[WJWS Channel 13:Amity]

Thanks but no thanks I will stick with my U.K. Import Steel that i picked for almost HALF the price of TT's overpriced Barebones disc

[BENNIE QUINCY SHAFT]

Originally Posted by Geoff D

Having no grain is one thing, but to my eyes the textures look very strange indeed. Faces look incredibly smooth, bizarrely so, like they've had some of the Son'a's skin-stretching treatments from Star Trek Insurrection.

The image does pop, boy does it pop, but once that superficial wow factor is overcome I just can't stop thinking about how off-kilter it looks.

Hopefully TT's transfer will retain the detail whilst also restoring a modicum of true filmic quality.

YOU ARE RIGHT! You have a great "eye."

Bertha Zelda and I were just looking at the 1080P screen prints, and we both commented that the actors look as if they were wearing latex masks. Our S-VHS copy of this movie shows grain. Regardless of whether it was 35mm or 70mm, as a professional photographer, I can assure you that film SHOULD have grain.

[Geoff D]

Anyhoo, Screen Archives has just dispatched my copy of the TT edition! Huzzah!

I fished out the Par Blu-ray just the other day, too. I watched a few scenes. The colour's there, and quite beautiful it is too, not as overbearing as I remember - but that's still not enough to overcome the incredibly weird look that it's got. It's almost paradoxical how it retains so much detail AND looks so smudgy and smeared at the same time. Spotted some mild ringing, too.

The fake stereo sound mix is fairly shitty, though. Can't wait to hear the true stereo mix on the TT!

[HD Goofnut]

Originally Posted by Geoff D

Anyhoo, Screen Archives has just dispatched my copy of the TT edition! Huzzah!

I fished out the Par Blu-ray just the other day, too. I watched a few scenes. The colour's there, and quite beautiful it is too, not as overbearing as I remember - but that's still not enough to overcome the incredibly weird look that it's got. It's almost paradoxical how it retains so much detail AND looks so smudgy and smeared at the same time. Spotted some mild ringing, too.

The fake stereo sound mix is fairly shitty, though. Can't wait to hear the true stereo mix on the TT!

Can you post some screen caps when it comes in? Maybe match these two I did below comparing the U.S. Amazon exclusive to the U.K. disc?

http://www.screenshotcomparison.com/...n.php?id=10782
http://www.screenshotcomparison.com/...n.php?id=10783

[Blades1370]

Since I am really lazy tonight and don't feel like reading the previous "x" pages, is this a new transfer that TT is using, or the same one with hopefully less digital manipulation.

[Geoff D]

Originally Posted by HD Goofnut

Can you post some screen caps when it comes in? Maybe match these two I did below comparing the U.S. Amazon exclusive to the U.K. disc?

http://www.screenshotcomparison.com/...n.php?id=10782
http://www.screenshotcomparison.com/...n.php?id=10783

Didn't even know that there was a US release (I *think* it's in the public domain, so any Joe Schmoe could produce a version) but it looks like they've simply tweaked the UK transfer. I don't really 'do' caps though. I've got the means to rip discs, but I'm not sure about all that colour space stuff and the last thing I'd want to do is put out incorrect caps.

Originally Posted by Blades1370

Since I am really lazy tonight and don't feel like reading the previous "x" pages, is this a new transfer that TT is using, or the same one with hopefully less digital manipulation.

I dunno about the 'new' part, but it's supposed to be a different transfer because it was supplied to TT by Metro, not Paramount.

[hansolo]

Originally Posted by HD Goofnut

Can you post some screen caps when it comes in? Maybe match these two I did below comparing the U.S. Amazon exclusive to the U.K. disc?

http://www.screenshotcomparison.com/...n.php?id=10782
http://www.screenshotcomparison.com/...n.php?id=10783

Oh man. Years ago I remember reading how crappy UK version was and even checking few screen captures myself. But this bad ?! These are just horrendous. Those screen captures look nothing like a film medium (in this case 65 mm) would capture during shooting. Digital manipulation all over. DNR, you name it. Shots look like some weird photographic aquarelles. I really hope that TT version looks more like a film shot on film. At least it will feature the true stereophonic audio but it does not matter a much if overall look is similar to UK version. There was somebody commenting a page or two back (quotes from another forum maybe) that for the most part TT looks like UK version but there is maybe slightly more grain. Indistinguishable is the word they used. Colors were also told to be different. That does not sound promising.

Please but TT screen captures here asap or at least comment how it looks.

EDIT: correction. It's not 65 mm. Zulu was shot on 8-perf 35mm.

[HD Goofnut]

Just to let everyone know SAE is down to 1405 of Zulu.

[Geoff D]

Originally Posted by hansolo

Oh man. Years ago I remember reading how crappy UK version was and even checking few screen captures myself. But this bad ?! These are just horrendous. Those screen captures look nothing like a film medium (in this case 65 mm) would capture during shooting. Digital manipulation all over. DNR, you name it. Shots look like some weird photographic aquarelles. I really hope that TT version looks more like a film shot on film. At least it will feature the true stereophonic audio but it does not matter a much if overall look is similar to UK version. There was somebody commenting a page or two back (quotes from another forum maybe) that for the most part TT looks like UK version but there is maybe slightly more grain. Indistinguishable is the word they used. Colors were also told to be different. That does not sound promising.

Please but TT screen captures here asap or at least comment how it looks.

Zulu was shot on 8-perf 35mm, not 65mm. But it's still large format, whichever way you slice it.

[Trekkie313]

Been waiting forever for a U.S. release, only to find TT got it's hands on it.

[Bucky]

It's too bad Zulu was not able to get a better release from Twilight Time. Looks like I will eventually be ordering the UK import instead.

[MifuneFan]

Originally Posted by lachinami

It's highly doubtful that any of the extra from the UK version will be on here though

The extras are different:

Special Features: Isolated Score Track / Audio Commentary with Film Historians Lem Dobbs and Nick Redman / Original Theatrical Trailer

The transfer will be different too. Based on what Redman said, I'd expect it to have no DNR, and plenty of grain.