Equilibrium (2002)

[melodicenmity]

Originally Posted by Filmmaker

Hmm, I posted a link to an official review at DVDFile and it was removed...is there a policy against linking to outside reviews? I honestly didn't know that, if so. In any case, the review confirms the worst--1.78:1 transfer and 2.0 audio. Thank God I own the Japanese BD at any cost (heck, I used to regularly buy LaserDiscs for $125-$150 a pop, so what's $55 for a great movie with a great transfer???)...

Amen. It is a great movie with a great transfer. The Japanese Blu-ray/HDDVD is the best looking/sounding transfer hands down. And, I hate to say it, but, whether you could find the Japanese blu on sale or not...at this point, it is worth the price for fans of this movie, as it is now likely there will never be a truly worthwhile release of it locally.

Originally Posted by DetroitSportsFan

I'm curious if this really is cropped or if it's open matte like H20 (which people originally said was cropped).

Equilibrium is open matte. BUT, there is a big but...Wimmer designed the movie to be in 2.35. If you compare, and there are websites that compare screenshots for the 1.78 and 2.35 releases (but we can't post them here apparently), that in some scenes how there's just too much space and head room, especially in pretty much all of the action sequences. In my opinion, watching Equilibrium open matted actually makes these scenes feel more empty and less effective overall. I've watched/compared both the Alliance blu and my Japanese blu...and again, in my opinion, watching the movie in 2.35 does make a difference.

P.S. If you want a website with screenshot comparisons of the 1.78 vs 2.35, PM me and I'll be glad to send you one of the links I found while doing my research before purchasing the Equilibrium Japanese blu. I wouldn't want to violate any rules here. :-)

[Clark Kent]

Originally Posted by Filmmaker

Hmm, I posted a link to an official review at DVDFile and it was removed...is there a policy against linking to outside reviews? I honestly didn't know that, if so. In any case, the review confirms the worst--1.78:1 transfer and 2.0 audio.

Originally Posted by kemcha

Actually, there is. I run and operate a website on Japanese anime and manga and I can tell you that if someone was posting website addresses of other websites (on my forums) that directly competed with articles, reviews or web content that I offered on my site, then I would be offended at the member or members who posted it, as well. While I don't restrict content links on my site, even if my site offers the same, Blu-ray.com Administrators and Moderators might not look too kind on someone posting 'said' links.

Blu-ray.com offers their own reviews on Blu-ray releases. By posting a link to another site offering the same, you indirectly tried steering the members of this community to another similar competing website.

First, this must be a relatively recent change. Links to valuable sources of information, even reviews from other Blu-ray sites, were tolerated for years on the forum. Blu-ray.com can run their website any way they choose, but it hurts the site's credibility if revelant, pertinent links can't be made to other sites. It even calls into question other aspects of the site, such as the official reviews. If the site is willing to nuke posted links that provide relevant content, why should I believe the reviews here are honest and unbiased? Are they nothing more than attempts to get people to click the Amazon links and generate affiliate fees?

Just an observation from a member that has been lurking or posting to this site since 2006.

[melodicenmity]

Originally Posted by Clark Kent

First, this must be a relatively recent change. Links to valuable sources of information, even reviews from other Blu-ray sites, were tolerated for years on the forum. Blu-ray.com can run their website any way they choose, but it hurts the site's credibility if revelant, pertinent links can't be made to other sites. It even calls into question other aspects of the site, such as the official reviews. If the site is willing to nuke posted links that provide relevant content, why should I believe the reviews here are honest and unbiased? Are they nothing more than attempts to get people to click the Amazon links and generate affiliate fees?

Just an observation from a member that has been lurking or posting to this site since 2006.

Yeah, I agree we should be able to post links to compare and contrast...but, oh well...That's why I just put, for anyone interested to PM me.

[n8boss87]

Originally Posted by Clark Kent

First, this must be a relatively recent change. Links to valuable sources of information, even reviews from other Blu-ray sites, were tolerated for years on the forum. Blu-ray.com can run their website any way they choose, but it hurts the site's credibility if revelant, pertinent links can't be made to other sites. It even calls into question other aspects of the site, such as the official reviews. If the site is willing to nuke posted links that provide relevant content, why should I believe the reviews here are honest and unbiased? Are they nothing more than attempts to get people to click the Amazon links and generate affiliate fees?

Just an observation from a member that has been lurking or posting to this site since 2006.

sometimes rules, written or not, can be frustrating, and users don't always agree with their enforcement, particularly when something is a hot topic, and by forcing someone to search for it they generate 2 to 3 pageviews, rather than one.

however, it is their site, and for free service that it is, their enforcement of the rules, written or no, is at their discretion. i can tell you nothing irritated me more than having a review published (elsewhere), and then seeing someone link to somewhere else in the thread for said review (especially when we had release threads then review threads).

agree or disagree, it is their site, and i respect that, as it's not my (or most anyone's) intent to come here to break rules. this is not one that really interferes with our "freedoms," as it were, and by enforcing it, it only causes people to post about it, and get the word out anyways. considering how much of a hot topic these releases are (generating more talk than standard catalog releases!!!), they're protecting their assets.

/not being sarcastic, stop looking at me like that.

[SleeperAgent]

So then, this is a flop.

Where's the best site to get the Polish edition? (Or the Japanese for under 35 bucks.)

[n8boss87]

Originally Posted by SleeperAgent

So then, this is a flop.

Where's the best site to get the Polish edition? (Or the Japanese for under 35 bucks.)

Japanese for under 35?!?!

you funny man! jump in on the .jp group buy, and even at that price, which will be low due to the shared shipping, it'll be probably 50 or so.

[jlaavenger]

Are the Japan a Dutch releases equal in quality or is the Japan release still better and why?

[jude5683]

I don't know if Blu-ray.com admins were planning on reviewing this disc. But I would love to hear what they have to say about it. Based on their recommendations and ratings, I can know whether or not to send my disc back and save up for the Dutch release. Sorry folks, even though this is one of my favorite movies, I cannot spend $50+ on a jp BR of it.

[Sky_Captain]

Originally Posted by jlaavenger

Are the Japan a Dutch releases equal in quality or is the Japan release still better and why?

The Japanese release is on a BD-50, encoded in AVC and contains two commentaries and other extras. It looks beautiful.

The Dutch release on the other hand, has been slapped barebones onto a BD-25, low bitrate VC-1 encoding and has had edge enhancement applied. It also has PAL content before the movie.

If you just want the movie in its OAR, then the Dutch is fine. If it's quality, then the Sony Japanese release is the way to go.

[Arkadin]

the Japanese Equilibrium just became one of the most sought after imports in the world.
People need to seriously stop fantasizing about getting it for anything less than between $50 and $70.
I mean my sides are starting to hurt from laughing so hard at some of these posts.
between 50 and 70--that's what it will cost, and if it goes OOP WATCH OUT!

[HD Goofnut]

Originally Posted by Arkadin

the Japanese Equilibrium just became one of the most sought after imports in the world.
People need to stop fantasizing about getting it for anything less than between $50 and $70.
that's what it will cost, and if it goes OOP WATCH OUT!

$70? Looks like I'll be keeping the HD DVD.

[Arkadin]

I honestly don't see a problem paying that;
when it inevitably goes OOP down the road it's going to be like Criterion Third Man.
It will skyrocket, and you will be able to make a small profit any time you choose to sell it.
I honestly think that the Japanese Equilibrium just joined Third Man and Man Who Fell To Earth as the most wanted collector's bds in the US no doubt.
(I plan to buy the bd and then sell my HD DVD to help recoup the costs)

[Dave_6]

Well I just said heck with it and ordered the JP version.

[G:Box]

I doubt it will go OOP, maybe OOS from yesasia, but not out of print.

[Blu-Benny]

i may have to cave and pick up the japanese version.....can anyone give me an idea on what shipping rates are??

[DetroitSportsFan]

Originally Posted by Blu-Benny

i may have to cave and pick up the japanese version.....can anyone give me an idea on what shipping rates are??

You're looking at about $20 at Amazon.jp, because they only use 2-day shipping.

[Dave_6]

Standard shipping is free from Yesasia but it will take atleast a couple weeks or more to get it. I'm in no hurry so that's fine with me.

[DetroitSportsFan]

I just checked and went through the checkout process at Amazon.jp, and they quoted me a price of $71.55 shipped.

By the way, it says they only have 14 copies left in stock....

[Blu-Benny]

Originally Posted by Dave_6

Standard shipping is free from Yesasia but it will take atleast a couple weeks or more to get it. I'm in no hurry so that's fine with me.

so u ended up paying $59 for it from yesasia.com then i'm guessing??

[Dave_6]

Yep.

If I would have hung onto all my HD-DVD's I had the JP version of it. IIRC I paid about the same for it at the time.