Prophecy 4K UHD (1979) (Kino Studio Classics)

[defwarrior4000]

Originally Posted by Rockercub

I tried to watch it with headphones on and had to turn it off about 20 minutes in. It looked better than I was expecting, but the dialogue sounded really tinny. Both tracks. Anyone else hear anything like that?

Getting this today. The 5.1 is a good chance of being a 2.0 upmix. Even the Shout release only has 2.0 on it. This was an early Dolby Stereo film and those weren't always the most punchy. Think the Dolby Stereo track on Superman the Movie.

[LeDroitDeTuer]

All these KL releases that have some 5.1 track pulled out of the ether should be assumed to be upmixes, most likely the 2.0 or mono run through though some processor to create an LFE track and do some vague spatialization effects.

Now the tricky part is whether the Dolby Stereo track is the same as the Shout Factory one or not, since that's unfortunately not even a given with KL.

[StingingVelvet]

This is one of the rare Kinos with alternate cover art, making the slip actually useful, for those who care about such things.

[Rockercub]

Originally Posted by defwarrior4000

Getting this today. The 5.1 is a good chance of being a 2.0 upmix. Even the Shout release only has 2.0 on it. This was an early Dolby Stereo film and those weren't always the most punchy. Think the Dolby Stereo track on Superman the Movie.

Originally Posted by LeDroitDeTuer

All these KL releases that have some 5.1 track pulled out of the ether should be assumed to be upmixes, most likely the 2.0 or mono run through though some processor to create an LFE track and do some vague spatialization effects.

Now the tricky part is whether the Dolby Stereo track is the same as the Shout Factory one or not, since that's unfortunately not even a given with KL.

All I can say is that I popped the SF in and it sounded a lot better. I only noticed it on the dialogue though. I'd be thinking, is there something wrong with the audio? Then, some music would sweep in, and I'd think, no, that sounds okay. Then, dialogue, and yeah, that sounds awful. Bad enough that I didn't want to finish it.

[Bugg]

I wouldn't be surprised if they made a 5.1 upmix from the OG 2.0 track, and then downmixed the upmix for the 2.0 track on the disc.

[StingingVelvet]

Originally Posted by Bugg

I wouldn't be surprised if they made a 5.1 upmix from the OG 2.0 track, and then downmixed the upmix for the 2.0 track on the disc.

'Round here we call that the Kino Special, son.

[DaylightsEnd]

The question is, what boutique would even bother to chase this title overseas? You'd hope to see it get another uhd release with og audio having better fidelity, and a much better encode, but I'm not sure it's a title that is exactly setting things on fire for licensing opportunities. There's historically not much licensing activity at all, really, outside of Shout's 1080p blu ray which is already 6+ years old. I wonder if the Kino uhd will be the end of the line for this title on physical home media.....

[James Luckard]

Watched it last night. The compression is meh, but the transfer is still miles better than the Shout BD.

The movie remains a campy hoot.

[Show spoiler]Sleeping bag boy being whammed against the rocks in a nuclear explosion of feathers

remains one of the great unintentional laughs in all of cinema.

[Show spoiler]

Frankenheimer was one of the greatest directors who ever lived when it came to staging, I refuse to believe it's an accident that shot is covered from a specifically chosen angle that makes it funny, and not scary.

I still wonder why the storyline of Talia Shire

[Show spoiler]being pregnant with what she fears will be a monster mutant baby of her own

is suddenly dropped in the final portion, after being the focus of so much of the film. Smells like reshoots or last-minute studio recutting. The weirdly happy ending just avoids mentioning

[Show spoiler]her pregnancy

entirely. Does anyone know about the history of the film, and why this happens?

[Rockercub]

Originally Posted by DaylightsEnd

The question is, what boutique would even bother to chase this title overseas? You'd hope to see it get another uhd release with og audio having better fidelity, and a much better encode, but I'm not sure it's a title that is exactly setting things on fire for licensing opportunities. There's historically not much licensing activity at all, really, outside of Shout's 1080p blu ray which is already 6+ years old. I wonder if the Kino uhd will be the end of the line for this title on physical home media.....

Part of me wants to return it (I got it from Amazon, so I have no qualms about that), and part of me wants to hold onto it with the hope that I can set myself up for remuxing UHDs one day.

[DaylightsEnd]

Originally Posted by Rockercub

Part of me wants to return it (I got it from Amazon, so I have no qualms about that), and part of me wants to hold onto it with the hope that I can set myself up for remuxing UHDs one day.

Plus, if you return it, we'll never get a different uhd. If you keep it, the chances are much better. It's the natural dharmakaya, the free cosmic energy of the 4k platform.

[Rockercub]

Originally Posted by DaylightsEnd

Plus, if you return it, we'll never get a different uhd. If you keep it, the chances are much better. It's the natural dharmakaya, the free cosmic energy of the 4k platform.

I already kept Can't Stop the Music with it's crappy audio though. Would I be karmically even if I returned this one?

[DaylightsEnd]

Originally Posted by James Luckard

Watched it last night. The compression is meh, but the transfer is still miles better than the Shout BD.

It's pretty much unavoidable when you jump from what looks like a 2k scan of an ip all the way up to a fresh new 4k scan of the ocn. Unfortunately it could've looked quite a bit better than it does with better mastering, but there's no avoiding the fact that the underlying new 4k transfer itself is quite good. Kino also dropped the ball here as usual on some of the routine cleanup of flecks n specks and hairs n small scratches that most boutiques would've automatically spent the time and money to remedy, and would have done with excellent results. Kino...nope. Fortunately, the underlying elements are in very good condition so it's never really distracting in this case. In the end, it's an ok but flawed uhd disc that could've been excellent. It meekly edges out the blu ray, when it should have soundly trounced it.

[Bugg]

I didn't have much of an issue with the audio, but it's also the first time I've seen this film since watching it on a 19 inch B&W television during the network broadcast premier over 40 years ago, thus have no idea how good or bad any other mix sounded.

[jess1581]

I think the PQ is just fine. I can't speak for the AQ though since I'm no expert. It sounds like typical mono to me. I don't bother with 5.1 of old movies if I could help it.

[James Luckard]

Originally Posted by jess1581

I think the PQ is just fine. I can't speak for the AQ though since I'm no expert. It sounds like typical mono to me. I don't bother with 5.1 of old movies if I could help it.

The UHD has a stereo track and a 5.1 track, no mono track.

It was one of the early movies released theatrically in stereo. It was a big summer movie for the studio.

[Dingus1539]

Picked up my copy on hold at Barnes & Noble, nice to get it during the current Kino half off sale, and am happy to have a nice 4K copy. Only previously owned it on DVD. For anybody that’s interested in the film, buy with confidence, it’s a nice looking 4K. Scan from the original camera negative, wonderful cinematography up in Canada in the late 70s. Colors are really rich, feel accurate. Contrast is nice, and the nighttime scenes looked great to my eyes.

It’s fascinating watching these ‘70s eco-horror films now, everything they caution against, and all the monstrous outcomes that are thrown at the protagonists do seem quaint compared to the open season on the natural world today. No warnings were heeded, of course, nor were they during the big bug scare caused by radiation during the 50s, but they make for fun, if not bitter sweet, creature features today.

[zombeaner]

I don't know why I subject myself to reading the doctor's reviews. He's so insufferably smug and this review is no different.

[Monterey Jack]

Originally Posted by zombeaner

I don't know why I subject myself to reading the doctor's reviews. He's so insufferably smug and this review is no different.

Prophecy is a dumb movie, but if you can't wring some entertainment value out of it, you're not even trying.

[StingingVelvet]

Originally Posted by Dingus1539

.No warnings were heeded, of course

Doing the same thing with AI now. Humans gonna human.

[exzachary]

Originally Posted by zombeaner

I don't know why I subject myself to reading the doctor's reviews. He's so insufferably smug and this review is no different.

What exactly is your issue with the review?