Flash Gordon UK BD

[beadelf]

the us version has better PQ so went with that one, and kept my dvd for brian blessed commentary

[Braktastic]

Originally Posted by beadelf

the us version has better PQ so went with that one, and kept my dvd for brian blessed commentary

If the UK BD has the same PQ as the DE, then, yes, I agree. But it's really the faintest praise imaginable considering the DNR waxfest that is the US release.

[Teddy Westside]

Originally Posted by Indiana Jones

Did they fix the audio on the UK BD or is it still the wrong pitch/speed?

Just finished watching it and to be honest I didn't notice anything that bothered me. It's possible that there is a bit of speed-up but I only started imagining it during the War Rocket Ajax scene when the captain and pilot seemed to maybe be talking a little fast and the music was quite frantic. But then it's been years since I saw it on the big screen and I haven't even watched my DVD for several years either. Checking the DVD though, the running time is 107 minutes, compared to the BD's 111, so perhaps that shows there isn't a speed issue. (edit: I compared that scene on the DVD and the speech is fast too so that suggests to me that the speed has been fixed).

Picture quality for me (on a 42in LG) wasn't hugely better than the DVD on the quick one scene comparison I did, and I did feel the image could be sharper but a lot of the movie did seem to be filmed with a degree of soft focus in the first place. Hard to sharpen up what is originally soft. (edit: watching the Ajax scene on the DVD I can see a lot more noticeable noise, so the BD is definitely an improvement).

A bigger gripe was that the (thankfully only occasional) tramlines down the frame haven't been removed and of course that the optical effects still clearly have the matte boxes round spaceships etc as well as exhibiting background showing through foregrounds in blue-screen shots. It was famously cleaned up for the Snowspeeder scene in The Empire Strikes Back. A pity it wasn't done here.

I haven't been blessed by hearing the commentary by the one and only BB so I'll need to see if I can source that somewhere to play in time with the movie. And oddly, the trailer is missing from this release. And no subtitles either. Even the 80 shot photo gallery from my 2002 Momentum/Kinowelt DVD, which includes some interesting production stills and concept art, is absent, as of course are the other language options

Finally, a huge spoiler exists for first-time viewers.

If you don't want to know virtually the whole plot of the movie including the climax, hit play immediately as the video playing on the menu will ruin everything! Whoever dreamt that up for the menu is an idiot!

[franzsanchez]

The flash gordon situation is where forums like this come into their own. The uk version looks very washed out. The us version is a little dark but the picture is far superior

Through amazon, you can import the us version for only a couple of quid more than the uk. Then pick up the dvd anniversary steelbook cheap second hand for the commentaries

[beadelf]

Originally Posted by franzsanchez

The flash gordon situation is where forums like this come into their own. The uk version looks very washed out. The us version is a little dark but the picture is far superior

Through amazon, you can import the us version for only a couple of quid more than the uk. Then pick up the dvd anniversary steelbook cheap second hand for the commentaries

exactly ! thats what I did, US has far better PQ

[Dylstar]

Originally Posted by Teddy Westside

Finally, a huge spoiler exists for first-time viewers.

If you don't want to know virtually the whole plot of the movie including the climax, hit play immediately as the video playing on the menu will ruin everything! Whoever dreamt that up for the menu is an idiot!

Ummm wow ya what moron did this menu? oh we'll just watched for the first time ever and holy poopballz it was awesome!