Fifth Element (Best Version?)

[Kryptonic]

Originally Posted by HD Goofnut

Go for the Gaumont transfer if you want clipped whites, sunburned actors, and plenty of DNR. That's all there is to it.

You have the disc and have seen it?

[HD Goofnut]

Originally Posted by Kryptonic

You have the disc and have seen it?

I'm not walking into your argument. I'm simply stating the facts. If you want the the release that looks like video instead of film with oversaturated colors, plenty of DNR, and blown out whites then that's your choice, albeit the wrong one.

[Kryptonic]

Originally Posted by HD Goofnut

I'm not walking into your argument. I'm simply stating the facts. If you want the the release that looks like video instead of film with oversaturated colors, plenty of DNR, and blown out whites then that's your choice, albeit the wrong one.

So you haven't seen it on a properly calibrated HDTV? You won't walk into my argument because you know you have no room to talk.

The UK disc looks like the film ought to look - warm, colorful, and bright. The Sony disc looks drab, digital, and bleak. No comparison at all. The Gaumont transfer is also director approved.

[HD Goofnut]

Originally Posted by Kryptonic

So you haven't seen it on a properly calibrated HDTV? You won't walk into my argument because you know you have no room to talk.

[Kryptonic]

Originally Posted by HD Goofnut

No, just the facts. You haven't seen the Gaumont disc, I have seen both it and the U.S. disc. Screenshots are useful a lot of the time, but in this case seeing the disc in action makes you appreciate how great this director approved transfer really looks. It's quite eye-popping in fact.

[JimDiGriz]

Originally Posted by HD Goofnut

I'm not walking into your argument. I'm simply stating the facts. If you want the the release that looks like video instead of film with oversaturated colors, plenty of DNR, and blown out whites then that's your choice, albeit the wrong one.

I usually agree with you Goof but I cant here. Ive watched the Gaumont and it looked like it was intended to look that way to me - isnt it approved by the director in fact?

Anyway - it looked like it should. Im tempted to have another look on my GT60 later after reading all this!

I hope this isnt a case of the USA one must be better than the Europe one etc...

I must also admit that I havent watched the Sony one and when I looked at the caps, the Sony did look a bit better on the whole but I went for the Gaumont anyway.

[blu-ray_girl_fan]

The first French Connection BD was also approved by the director.

[HD Goofnut]

Originally Posted by blu-ray_girl_fan

The first French Connection BD was also approved by the director.

As well as the atrocious AR changes for The Last Indian and Voyage of the Dawn Treader.

[Kryptonic]

Originally Posted by blu-ray_girl_fan

The first French Connection BD was also approved by the director.

Which has nothing to do with The Fifth Element.

[blu-ray_girl_fan]

Originally Posted by Kryptonic

Which has nothing to do with The Fifth Element.

Sure, it does. "Director's approval" and/or "cinematographer's approval" (as with Vittorio Storaro) gets thrown around a lot, but they can be wrong, too -- even about their own movies.

[JimDiGriz]

Originally Posted by Kryptonic

Which has nothing to do with The Fifth Element.

+1. I'm sensing a lot of USA! USA! here...

I've seen it before - the US disc must be the best right?

[blu-ray_girl_fan]

Originally Posted by JimDiGriz

+1. I'm sensing a lot of USA! USA! here...

I've seen it before - the US disc must be the best right?

Right...that explains why HD Goofnut created this thread https://forum.blu-ray.com/showthread.php?t=179724 and why I linked to it.

[Sherlock_Jr]

Originally Posted by Prof. Utonium

The Gaumont transfer looks like a digitally color graded, teal and orange-fest, DNRed, constrast boosted, etc. Movies didn't look like that in 1997.

Yeah, they did. Before color grading, it was called using filters.

[blu-ray_girl_fan]

[MifuneFan]

Wheeeeeee

[Kryptonic]

Originally Posted by blu-ray_girl_fan

Sure, it does. "Director's approval" and/or "cinematographer's approval" (as with Vittorio Storaro) gets thrown around a lot, but they can be wrong, too -- even about their own movies.

Considering French Connection is pretty much the only example you have, it means nothing. The Gaumont transfer simply looks better and suits the film perfectly. The U.S. transfer is not approved by anyone who worked on the film and mostly looks like an upscaled DVD, complete with halos, EE, and a general "digital" appearance.

[MifuneFan]

The Gaumont transfer is what I imagine the film would look like if I were on shrooms.

[HD Goofnut]

Originally Posted by MifuneFan

The Gaumont transfer is what I imagine the film would look like if I were on shrooms.

[blu-ray_girl_fan]

Originally Posted by Kryptonic

Considering French Connection is pretty much the only example you have, it means nothing. The Gaumont transfer simply looks better and suits the film perfectly. The U.S. transfer is not approved by anyone who worked on the film and mostly looks like an upscaled DVD, complete with halos, EE, and a general "digital" appearance.

It's the only movie that I mentioned, but it's not the only movie sold with a bad master approved by the director or cinematographer.

(In your case, that shield logo doesn't stand for hope...it stands for something else.)

[Kryptonic]

Everyone in this thread who has seen the Gaumont transfer in motion is very pleased and prefers it to the U.S. version, while those who have only seen screencaps claim it does not look good and prefer the harsh digital appearance of the U.S. version despite having no basis to form an opinion on the transfer. Ignorance is bliss, I guess.