First Blood / Rambo: First Blood Part II / Rambo III 4K UHDs (1982-1988)

[Dailyan]

I’m still going to get at least “First Blood” because the old LG release is starting to show its age.

[DR Herbert West]

Originally Posted by Guydowood

I wonder if the 4th Rambo will be held up until Rambo V comes out next year.....

I hope not, but that seems to be the case.

[ROSS.T.G.]

People just want to believe LG is crap.

[ltb2.0]

Originally Posted by Cliff

Guys... keep in mind that the 1st three Rambo films are all being done by Studio Canal. Lionsgate is merely the distributor in the US. And while many are going to have T2 nightmares, T2 was a very specific circumstance where the restored, degrained master used for the 3D conversion was also used for the UHD (and shouldn't have been).

The Rambo films won't have that issue. I remember when Lionsgate released Rambo III on Blu-ray, they did a brand new transfer and it was great. I expect these UHDs to look fantastic.

In Cliff I trust.

[Mobe1969]

Argh, no listing for #4 yet!

[StingingVelvet]

Originally Posted by Geoff D

The only other one I'm aware of is Kick-Ass. Four is hardly "a ton" and I'm with Mr Motel on this one, Lionsgate have picked up this terribad rep on UHD but only for a literal handful of errors while they've routinely been putting extras on UHD discs, providing Dolbys Vision and Atmos on a regular basis and have used more 100GB discs than Fox, Disney and Paramount put together. Yes, they've gone a bit DNR crazy on recent releases like Source Code and Transporter 3 but then they go and produce a nicely filmic representation of the timeless cinematic classic that is Van Wilder. Heh.

I'm more saying people worrying is a natural reaction when they've released 6 or so troubled discs. I don't think these will be, and as said above Studio Canal is a different animal (as was T2 thanks to Cameraon). I'll also pre-order the hell out of them. However I don't agree with blowing people off as crazy for being worried about Lionsgate releases, since their release history is a bit dodgy. I think it's a natural reaction.

[Geoff D]

The occasional doubting Thomas I don't have an issue with but the way people speak about their discs it's like it's 99% guaranteed to be ****ed up and that's simply not the case.

[Agent Kay]

I have some faith with them, but would wait on the last one for Sony

[Geoff D]

The ironical thing is that the UK Sony Blu-ray appears to have been done by Lionsgate anyway. I'm not kidding, pop it in and you'll see their usual menu structure. So if the US UHD has all the stuff I mentioned above e.g. the Dolbys, 100GB disc etc (I'm praying it's the extended cut too) then I'm good with that. Any word on Lionsgate actually releasing #4 on 4K, Cliff? Say nothing if you know.

[Agent Kay]

Originally Posted by Geoff D

The ironical thing is that the UK Sony Blu-ray appears to have been done by Lionsgate anyway. I'm not kidding, pop it in and you'll see their usual menu structure. So if the US UHD has all the stuff I mentioned above e.g. the Dolbys, 100GB disc etc (I'm praying it's the extended cut too) then I'm good with that. Any word on Lionsgate actually releasing #4 on 4K, Cliff? Say nothing if you know.

Really?
Maybe Warner in Germany then

[Geoff D]

Ah yes, John Rambo

[Agent Kay]

Originally Posted by Geoff D

Ah yes, John Rambo

Good ole Johnney McWarner Rambho

[Member-222782]

Yes, but doesn't StudioCanal have a spotty record with 4K? I always see mixed reviews about their stuff.

[OutOfBoose]

Originally Posted by ROSS.T.G.

People just want to believe LG is crap.

Output speaks for itself. If this release isn't crap, then by all means they can have my money. But blind pre-order?

[Geoff D]

Originally Posted by Cinema84

Yes, but doesn't StudioCanal have a spotty record with 4K? I always see mixed reviews about their stuff.

Their restorations are usually pretty dang good. Their BD encodes are usually pretty dang crap. But FWIW their 4K of Deer Hunter looks excellent in Dolby Vision.

[DR Herbert West]

Originally Posted by Geoff D

Their restorations are usually pretty dang good. Their BD encodes are usually pretty dang crap.

The HIGHLANDER 30th Anniversary disc is a perfect example of this.

[Geoff D]

Yeah, that encode's pretty bad and yet I didn't pick up on it too much in motion, to be fair. Fingers crossed that we get a UHD of that one real soon from SC, if these carpenters sell well then hopefully it'll open the floodgates.

[DR Herbert West]

Originally Posted by Geoff D

Fingers crossed that we get a UHD of that one real soon from SC

I hope they don't hold it back for the 35th Anniversary.

[ROSS.T.G.]

Originally Posted by OutOfBoose

Output speaks for itself. If this release isn't crap, then by all means they can have my money. But blind pre-order?

As someone who owns the remastered SC Blu-rays I can tell you they look very solid and filmic and I can’t see SC going back and messing with them. That wouldn’t make much sense if they have already put in the work for these. Most of the catalogue titles that are being released quickly on the format are ones that have already received a remaster over the last few years. The only studios I can think that are doing fresh ones is Paramount and WB.

I am curious to see how American Psycho and Punisher turns out though since the BD’s are so ugly.

[OutOfBoose]

Originally Posted by ROSS.T.G.

As someone who owns the remastered SC Blu-rays I can tell you they look very solid and filmic and I can’t see SC going back and messing with them. That wouldn’t make much sense if they have already put in the work for these. Most of the catalogue titles that are being released quickly on the format are ones that have already received a remaster over the last few years. The only studios I can think that are doing fresh ones is Paramount and WB.

I am curious to see how American Psycho and Punisher turns out though since the BD’s are so ugly.

New remasters on BD look very nice indeed, based on screens (I don't own the discs). It's a safer bet with these for sure, but even Sony had losses on UHD in comparison to the BD version (see Dracula's intro sequence). For whatever reason. Even if it was rather minor stuff. Overall, you just never know.