Scanners (1981)

[Roy Batty]

Once again, I say this with all the necessary cautions and fully aware that it's pure speculation on my part (or an educated guess, at most) without any solid proof, but judging from the Criterion screencaps on blu-ray.com's review, and as long as they are an accurate representation of the actual release, I wouldn't be surprised if Criterion were to come forth in acknowledging some technical glitch in the process and offering a reissue.

That dullness doesn't look like "artistic intention", at all.

[tama]

Criterion needs to start doing what Universal does. Just release old ass incorrect masters and be done with it. Why spend the extra money bringing in Directors or Cinematographes creating new masters? It clear the Simpson comic book guys of the world on Blu-ray.com don't appreciate it.

[Roy Batty]

Originally Posted by tama

Criterion needs to start doing what Universal does. Just release old ass incorrect masters and be done with it. Why spend the extra money bringing in Directors or Cinematographes creating new masters? It clear the Simpson comic book guys of the world on Blu-ray.com don't appreciate it.

Your carefully constructed and solidly reasoned condescendence is much appreciated and, most of all, very useful for the current debate.

Thanks.

[tama]

Originally Posted by Roy Batty

Your carefully constructed and solidly reasoned condescendence is much appreciated and, most of all, very useful for the current debate.

Thanks.

You're welcome

[mar3o]

Originally Posted by charnier

Although his films are not in the Collection, you can add George Lucas to this list with the changes he made to Episodes 1-3.

You mean episodes 4-6. And I agree entirely.

[mar3o]

Originally Posted by The Film Expert

To anyone reading this thread, do not pay attention to these people claiming it doesn't look right, these people just enjoy threadcrapping and making abig scene out of something they have no idea about. The Criterion Collection Blu-ray is the edition to get, despite what some armchair experts will try and tell you.

-The Film Expert

Sorry, but others have the right to give their opinion on this transfer. That's what the forums are for - discussion. I don't like it when anybody comes in and tells "everybody" not to listen to a particular poster - especially when that poster is not the only one making those comments. It's obvious some in here question the new transfer, and there's nothing wrong with that - it's certainly a huge difference. Some will like it and some won't. It may be "correct' or it may be "wrong". But people can make their own decisions without you telling others to ignore a particular poster.

No offense meant here - I just wish people could be more tolerant of others' opinions. Some people seem to get really bent out of shape when others say something in contrast to their own opinions.

[mar3o]

Originally Posted by KowalskiVideo

Here are some matching screenshots (for the front-page review) from the German BD (Subkultur's release, there two other discs in Germany with different masters from "Black Hill" (Upsacle) and "Explosive" Scanners Trilogy (uses the same master as the UK release):

I cannot fathom how anybody can compare these shots side-by-side to the blu-ray.com Criterion shots and not think somthing is wrong with the Criterion release. Seriously. These Criterion shots look seriously bad.


Look at the suspended lights in the Criterion release - they're dim and dull.


This shot is just ridiculous on the Criterion. It's completely green and dull.


This shot has far more visible detail in the German release compered to the Criterion.


This looks like a cloudy dark day on the Criterion.

The shot of the sunrise on the Criterion looks like it was shot in current-day China with all the smog.

[CastrosfriendChe]

Originally Posted by surfinhank

This is probably the main issue here: even though this version is "director approved", the real question is... is it the director's "original intent"? Was is shown this way in the theaters when it was released? (If not, was it because of technical limitations of the time or maybe studio interference?)

Or is it "director's intent: 2014"... an afterthought thanks to all the new technology and software available today.

I wonder which it is...

[Show spoiler]ah stuff it, I'll watch the Criterion/SS/Umbrella releases in unison to get my fix

[Oblivion138]

I swear, every f*cking catalog title that's released on BD, people piss and moan and cry that the colors are "wrong." This hardly ever happened in the DVD days...and that certainly isn't because they were getting the grading more accurate back then. It's because there are far too many armchair experts nowadays.

[JimDiGriz]

Originally Posted by Oblivion138

I swear, every f*cking catalog title that's released on BD, people piss and moan and cry that the colors are "wrong." This hardly ever happened in the DVD days...and that certainly isn't because they were getting the grading more accurate back then. It's because there are far too many armchair experts nowadays.

Yep, its the internet! No matter how great something is, there will always be at least one person on the net whinging about it.

Mind you - it is quite funny an overpriced Criterion release being not as good as an existing transfer (if this is true)

[HansEpp]

@mar3o: Nothing more to say from my side. I can only agree with you.

[Spire]

Originally Posted by mar3o

Look at the suspended lights in the Criterion release - they're dim and dull.

I've noticed this in multiple Criterion releases, with light sources. It's always bothered me. I dont understand what it is theyre doing with that. (along with many movies having a slightly pink push)

[Mentasm]

Originally Posted by Roy Batty

I disagree.

I copy & paste a comment from caps-a-holic:

Given that Lyris authors BDs for a living he probably has a pretty good understanding of the difference between encoding problems and other anomalies.

A lot of Second Sight's releases are similar. I like that they put out titles that would otherwise go unreleased in the UK, but if you compare their discs to the US (or even German) equivalents they are almost always brighter and exhibit minor compression issues.

Putting director-intent aside, the Criterion release looks too flat for my liking. The German release, which isn't quite as bright as the Second Sight disc, is more to my tastes. Just an opinion though (it's not always necessary to agree with or like the intended look of a picture).

[The Film Expert]

Originally Posted by mar3o

Sorry, but others have the right to give their opinion on this transfer. That's what the forums are for - discussion. I don't like it when anybody comes in and tells "everybody" not to listen to a particular poster - especially when that poster is not the only one making those comments. It's obvious some in here question the new transfer, and there's nothing wrong with that - it's certainly a huge difference. Some will like it and some won't. It may be "correct' or it may be "wrong". But people can make their own decisions without you telling others to ignore a particular poster.

No offense meant here - I just wish people could be more tolerant of others' opinions. Some people seem to get really bent out of shape when others say something in contrast to their own opinions.

I'm just saying that people should trust the word of the director over a group of armchair experts that somehow know how everything looked when it originally came out, and will constantly moan when something looks different from their old DVDs and Cronenberg unapproved Blu-ray transfers.

-The Film Expert

[Pecker]

Okay, this is just me.

I quite like Scanners, and I have the SS UK Blu-ray Disc. It looks fine.

If the Criterion had been a major bump I'd have imported that. But there doesn't actually apperar to be a lot of difference between the versions.

As someone has noted, this was a 'B Movie', and most of us probably saw it for the first time on VHS.

I thoroughly respect directoral intent, and I'm sure that, if DC approved the Criterion, then that's how it should look, more or less. But it just doesn't look different enough for me to warrant the expenditure.

Steve W

[Eny-]

...and who knows if the version they watched when it was released had the correct grading? Maybe the projectionist tweaked with it. Who knows?

[rickah88]

Originally Posted by Oblivion138

I swear, every f*cking catalog title that's released on BD, people piss and moan and cry that the colors are "wrong." This hardly ever happened in the DVD days...and that certainly isn't because they were getting the grading more accurate back then. It's because there are far too many armchair experts nowadays.

You can please some of the people, all of the time.
You can please all of the people, some of the time.
Never both!

I long thought the site should open a new sub-forum: The Controversial Release forum.

Off the top of my head, some participating threads:

Predator
Star Wars
Fellowship of the Ring
The Good, The Bad, The Ugly
Scanners

Enter at your own risk!

[Eny-]

Originally Posted by rickah88

You can please some of the people, all of the time.
You can please all of the people, some of the time.
Never both!

I long thought the site should open a new sub-forum: The Controversial Release forum.

Off the top of my head, some participating threads:

Predator
Star Wars
Fellowship of the Ring
The Good, The Bad, The Ugly
Scanners

Enter at your own risk!

That thread would also be too green (or yellow)!!!11

[slimdude]

Originally Posted by Oblivion138

I swear, every f*cking catalog title that's released on BD, people piss and moan and cry that the colors are "wrong." This hardly ever happened in the DVD days...and that certainly isn't because they were getting the grading more accurate back then. It's because there are far too many armchair experts nowadays.

Exactly! Certain people love to complain about everything, regardless what any blu-ray look, and sound like, not just Scanners. It's pathetic! My motto is: If you don't like it, then don't don't buy it. The problem is not the A/V quality of the blu-ray, the real problem is the individual being anal retentive.

[The Film Expert]

Originally Posted by slimdude

Exactly! Certain people love to complain about everything, regardless what any blu-ray look, and sound like, not just Scanners, and It's really pathetic. My motto is: If you don't like it, then don't don't buy it. The problem is not the A/V quality of the blu-ray, the real problem is the individual being anal-retentive.

And if it isn't these armchair experts complaining about how some Blu-rays don't represent how the films were shown theatrically, it's them spreading lies about how every disc they buy that comes in sleeves turn up scratched.

It's truly sad, and these types of people need to get outside more instead of trolling these boards.

-The Film Expert