Bram Stoker's Dracula 4K UHD (1992) (25th Anniversary Edition)

[gates70]

Originally Posted by madfloyd

OK, so I opened up mine and compared both versions (up until Jonathan's dinner in Dracula's castle).

THIS IS MY NEW DEMO DISC! This will be what I use to show UHD's superiority to Blu-ray for all my visitors. I feel so fortunate that the best UHD is also my favorite movie (with Keanu and Winona - two of the best actors of the 90's).

OK, so I'm having a bit of fun here. I was not very impressed with the opening 'history' scene - which looked sort of drab - but it got more impressive afterwards. The Blu-ray does hold up pretty good but it feels a tad muted in several scenes. I had to watch the UHD again to make sure I wasn't imagining it (and I wasn't).

There is definitely more detail in the UHD and while some of that is grain, it's a very film-like look. Keep in mind I'm watching on a projected screen (larger than flat panels) and that helps. I appreciated the UHD more after watching the Blu-ray.

So I see where some of you are coming from - the color grading is more subtle than other titles. I'm OK with how it looks though - and I will enjoy this UHD very much (I do love the film) and continue to think that Sony does a great job.

Agree with all of this. This movie is mostly at night in the dark and you could see detail way better than the BD.

[s2mikey]

Originally Posted by madfloyd

OK, so I opened up mine and compared both versions (up until Jonathan's dinner in Dracula's castle).

THIS IS MY NEW DEMO DISC! This will be what I use to show UHD's superiority to Blu-ray for all my visitors. I feel so fortunate that the best UHD is also my favorite movie (with Keanu and Winona - two of the best actors of the 90's).

OK, so I'm having a bit of fun here. I was not very impressed with the opening 'history' scene - which looked sort of drab - but it got more impressive afterwards. The Blu-ray does hold up pretty good but it feels a tad muted in several scenes. I had to watch the UHD again to make sure I wasn't imagining it (and I wasn't).

There is definitely more detail in the UHD and while some of that is grain, it's a very film-like look. Keep in mind I'm watching on a projected screen (larger than flat panels) and that helps. I appreciated the UHD more after watching the Blu-ray.

So I see where some of you are coming from - the color grading is more subtle than other titles. I'm OK with how it looks though - and I will enjoy this UHD very much (I do love the film) and continue to think that Sony does a great job.

I understand that everyone has their own opinions and such but with all of the incredible looking titles out there and demo files, you’re going to use this movie as 4K demo material? Yikes. Why not planet earth 2 or any of the several reference quality titles? If UHD had to use this film as it’s only demo material, I don’t think it fare too well at all.

[Pgcmoore]

certainly my new favorite catalog hdr film

[Geoff D]

Originally Posted by madfloyd

OK, so I opened up mine and compared both versions (up until Jonathan's dinner in Dracula's castle).

THIS IS MY NEW DEMO DISC! This will be what I use to show UHD's superiority to Blu-ray for all my visitors. I feel so fortunate that the best UHD is also my favorite movie (with Keanu and Winona - two of the best actors of the 90's).

OK, so I'm having a bit of fun here. I was not very impressed with the opening 'history' scene - which looked sort of drab - but it got more impressive afterwards. The Blu-ray does hold up pretty good but it feels a tad muted in several scenes. I had to watch the UHD again to make sure I wasn't imagining it (and I wasn't).

There is definitely more detail in the UHD and while some of that is grain, it's a very film-like look. Keep in mind I'm watching on a projected screen (larger than flat panels) and that helps. I appreciated the UHD more after watching the Blu-ray.

So I see where some of you are coming from - the color grading is more subtle than other titles. I'm OK with how it looks though - and I will enjoy this UHD very much (I do love the film) and continue to think that Sony does a great job.

I may only have a puny 65" display but HeavyHitter's watching on a projection setup too, just FYI.

[TheSweetieMan]

The UHD disc of this film, is the first time I ever watched it.

Honestly can't believe I've gone this long without ever watching it, considering the amount of sexuality, violence, and incredible effects work in the film.

I've watched it three times since purchasing it last week. So, if nothing else, I'm getting making up for time wasted.

Great looking catalogue release.

[Pgcmoore]

i saw it in theater at original release and on cable a few times, not sure why i never picked up the bd, have not watched the bonus material yet though so looking forward to that, i do remember something about a lot of the more intensive bloodworks being removed after the test audience reactions

[madfloyd]

Originally Posted by s2mikey

I understand that everyone has their own opinions and such but with all of the incredible looking titles out there and demo files, you’re going to use this movie as 4K demo material? Yikes. Why not planet earth 2 or any of the several reference quality titles? If UHD had to use this film as it’s only demo material, I don’t think it fare too well at all.

I was joking.

[LoSouL]

Originally Posted by madfloyd

Anthony Hopkins?

Yeah. He plays one of the priests in the beginning, and then plays Ven Helsing for the rest of the movie.

[StingingVelvet]

Originally Posted by Geoff D

Look, no-one's saying it's not a really nice, filmic presentation in and of itself, they're just saying it's not as big of a comparative upgrade as has been seen on other Sony UHDs recently. Sony have still "knocked it out of the park" and whathaveyou in terms of their part of the process, it's the source itself that's apparently not capable of having much more juice squeezed from it.

I hear you, and I look forward to comparing them back and forth, which I'll do eventually. I was surprised how much some of these 4k masters were improved on UHD though. Fifth Element for example I expected to be a small refinement but I'd call it a major improvement instead. So Dracula will stand alone among Sony's film transfers if it does appear more subtle.

[s2mikey]

Originally Posted by madfloyd

I was joking.

Sorry - I should have probably picked up on that. My bad

[rroeder]

I didn't compare to bluray but thought the UHD had plenty of detail for a dark and somewhat grainy picture, part of the cinematography tho and I like it for this movie.

I bought ET, Van Helsing, CE3K and this movie in the past month and have enjoyed them all, still need to pu Blade Runner but CE3K has been my favorite so far.

[madfloyd]

Originally Posted by LoSouL

Yeah. He plays one of the priests in the beginning, and then plays Ven Helsing for the rest of the movie.

I watched the beginning again and now I recognize him. I think he's also doing the narration as well, no?

[madfloyd]

Watched the entire movie tonight. It had been a while. I think I've played the first few chapters on many formats and remasters many times throughout the years (going back to laserdisc I think...) but apparently hadn't watched the full movie for some time.

I was very entertained - beautiful and artistic film and I can't imagine it looking any better than this. Grain was never intrusive - well balanced and perfect. Colors were exquisite and rich without being overdone. Lots of eye candy in a subdued manner. Soundtrack is enveloping and tasteful.

Great story, great production, great disc. I'm happy.

p.s. anyone notice that Monica Bellucci was in this?

[gates70]

Originally Posted by madfloyd

Watched the entire movie tonight. It had been a while. I think I've played the first few chapters on many formats and remasters many times throughout the years (going back to laserdisc I think...) but apparently hadn't watched the full movie for some time.

I was very entertained - beautiful and artistic film and I can't imagine it looking any better than this. Grain was never intrusive - well balanced and perfect. Colors were exquisite and rich without being overdone. Lots of eye candy in a subdued manner. Soundtrack is enveloping and tasteful.

Great story, great production, great disc. I'm happy.

p.s. anyone notice that Monica Bellucci was in this?

How can one miss her, especially naked

[Pgcmoore]

made the other matrix films watchable

[JohnCarpenterFan]

Flicked through the UHD and the remastered Blu-ray, and the UHD looks a lot better to me, especially when it comes to colors. I looked at a few scenes on the UHD which had a strong red hue, then looked at the same scenes on the Blu-ray and by comparison it looked kind of pinkish and washed out.

I took some images of both on my TV, I took them in landscape but they look to have been cropped when I uploaded them to my computer. Of course the colors in these pictures do not look exactly like how they look on my TV, but it gives a good idea of the differences between the two discs.

Blu-ray:


UHD:


Blu-ray:


UHD:


Blu-ray:


UHD:


Looks really nice and I hop to sit down and watch it all soon. I prefer what I've seen on this to the other Sony UHDs I've seen so far. It seems Sony are pushing some of their UHD masters to their limit which results in eyeball-melting brightness levels and obtrusive grain, I guess Coppola was very strict with what could be done for the UHD presentation.

[cynatnite]

The detail and color both look a little better on the UHD. Thanks for sharing those!

[RudyC]

after the great review i sat down and watched it last week. i wasn't that impressed. the whole movie is dark and in nighttime. this was never going to shine on UHD imo.

as a side note, i played it for my mom who is a horror buff. she didn't like it. i do though

[Pgcmoore]

i really need to come up with a good excuse for why i need a 100+ inch uhd hdr projector so i can enjoy catalog titles like these as they should be viewed.

[JohnCarpenterLives]

Originally Posted by Pgcmoore

i saw it in theater at original release and on cable a few times, not sure why i never picked up the bd, have not watched the bonus material yet though so looking forward to that, i do remember something about a lot of the more intensive bloodworks being removed after the test audience reactions

I wonder how it would play with more blood.