The Fifth Element 4K UHD (1997) (20th Anniversary Edition)

[OutOfBoose]

UHD looks definitely better.

http://screenshotcomparison.com/comparison/121809

[worldchmps]

I got this at BB in June. It came with a mint slip. I paid $3 more than the current price. I'll chalk that up to the price of the slip. Shocking that the slips disappeared so quickly!

[Laserdisk]

Originally Posted by OutOfBoose

UHD looks definitely better.

http://screenshotcomparison.com/comparison/121809

Sure, but it's 4x the res and it adds surprisingly little there

[OutOfBoose]

Originally Posted by Laserdisk

Sure, but it's 4x the res and it adds surprisingly little there

I wouldn't say little. Much finer texturing and grain, depth. Subtle, but still increase in resolution. Perhaps it's the maximum of what you can extract from this Super 35 film, if the overall result isn't that impressive for you.

I'm not sure the film can look better than it does on UHD.

[KMFDMvsEnya]

Motion resolution improvements with a well encoded UHD BR can be worth the upgrade alone. Even with my current 1080P display, just need Oppo to fix the HDR-SDR conversion and I'll be even happier.

[OutOfBoose]

It's an improvement in every way except for sharpening.

[PeterTHX]

Originally Posted by OutOfBoose

It's an improvement in every way except for sharpening.

Which is baked into the negative.

[OutOfBoose]

Originally Posted by PeterTHX

Which is baked into the negative.

It is? Can't be helped, I guess. Either way, it's still the best the film ever looked.

Gaumont was my favorite master of TFE prior to UHD. It's bright and colorful. So I just increase brightness dramatically on UHD. It helps to reduce haloing. But mostly because I want the film to look similarly to Gaumont in terms of brightness and color.

[Pyoko]

Originally Posted by PeterTHX

Which is baked into the negative.

Only for the VFX shots, and (probably) the film element in Sony's possession (which kind of looks like it's gone through an unsharp mask process, shame they couldn't do the 4K scan off the OCN.)

[singhcr]

Originally Posted by Pyoko

Only for the VFX shots, and (probably) the film element in Sony's possession (which kind of looks like it's gone through an unsharp mask process, shame they couldn't do the 4K scan off the OCN.)

To my knowledge, this release is based of a recent scan of the OCN. I believe all of Sony's recent UHDs are from the camera negative.

[Laserdisk]

Originally Posted by singhcr

To my knowledge, this release is based of a recent scan of the OCN. I believe all of Sony's recent UHDs are from the camera negative.

I'm pretty sure it's not

[HeavyHitter]

So, the German UHD BD will be from a different master?

[Pyoko]

Originally Posted by Laserdisk

I'm pretty sure it's not

Yeah, this came up the first time The Fifth Element was re-released. Gaumont has the negative, Sony has an IP. I'm pretty sure all three of Sony's HD masters were from this same film element, which would explain why they all look similarly edgy even through a state-of-the-art 4K scan.

[JohnCarpenterFan]

Originally Posted by PeterTHX

Which is baked into the negative.

Considering the theatrical prints look completely natural, I doubt it. There's no reason that The Fifth Element can't look as good as Leon (outside of the VFX shots).

[JohnCarpenterFan]

Originally Posted by Pyoko

Yeah, this came up the first time The Fifth Element was re-released. Gaumont has the negative, Sony has an IP. I'm pretty sure all three of Sony's HD masters were from this same film element, which would explain why they all look similarly edgy even through a state-of-the-art 4K scan.

It being fron an IP should not introduce those types of sharpening artifacts, especially considering the theatrical prints don't have those issues. The prints looked very soft so maybe it's just a soft-looking film and Sony sharpened it to make it pop more?

I'm hoping that Gaumont do their own 4K remaster, their Blu-ray looked a lot more organic, it's just a shame about the contrast issues.

[Pyoko]

Originally Posted by JohnCarpenterFan

It being fron an IP should not introduce those types of sharpening artifacts, especially considering the theatrical prints don't have those issues. The prints looked very soft so maybe it's just a soft-looking film and Sony sharpened it to make it pop more?

I don't know what exactly would have happened in the film process to create the look, but I just find the digital tinkering alternative unlikely, since every other modern Sony scan has been immaculate, this is the only odd one out, and it has looked the same through all iterations.

Originally Posted by HeavyHitter

So, the German UHD BD will be from a different master?

I think it's more likely they'll have licensed Sony's 4K master, maybe once it's released in France...

[JohnCarpenterFan]

Originally Posted by Pyoko

I don't know what exactly would have happened in the film process to create the look, but I just find the digital tinkering alternative unlikely, since every other modern Sony scan has been immaculate, this is the only odd one out, and it has looked the same through all iterations.


I think it's more likely they'll have licensed Sony's 4K master, maybe once it's released in France...

Some of Sony's recent 4K remasters have signs of sharpening/EE. Vampires and Men in Black spring to mind and I believe theybwere from the negatives. Sony sharpening an IP scan to make it look less soft isn't impossible. It's actually likely because the theatrical prints looked as natural as Leon and if the IP had those sharpening artifacts then every other film element derived from them would have them too.

[StingingVelvet]

The obvious sharpening is only on effects shots IMO. There might be some mild sharpening elsewhere, I'm not the most picky about that but I did notice it recently in Spider-Man. Most of the "OMG sharpness" examples are from effects shots though IMO. I think those same effects shots show sharpening on the Gaumont, the lack of contrast soft look just makes it less obvious.

[Pyoko]

Originally Posted by JohnCarpenterFan

It's actually likely because the theatrical prints looked as natural as Leon and if the IP had those sharpening artifacts then every other film element derived from them would have them too.

Unless the generational loss was enough to hide it? Maybe that's even what they counted on? But can't really comment on the prints. You're right about Men in Black though, forgot about that one, it actually has a very similar edgy/rough look, and incidentally is of the same vintage. Haven't seen any mention of the source used for the 4K scan, could well be an IP that went through the same process.

[Laserdisk]

Not really, the prints would have upped the noise, some may have been hidden in the black crush of a 90s print tho.
But in saying that MiB always looked like shit, at the time I thought how crap it looked considering a cinematographer directed it