Chinatown 4K UHD (1974) (50th Anniversary Edition)

[Rayjg]

Surprised no new Polanski interview.

[dtyndall]

"The result is a sparkling 4K Ultra HD presentation that uses more of the best possible source than previous masters and faithfully captures the film’s distinctively dreamy and simultaneously realistic look".

Uh oh.

[MovieBuff647]

Originally Posted by dtyndall

"The result is a sparkling 4K Ultra HD presentation that uses more of the best possible source than previous masters and faithfully captures the film’s distinctively dreamy and simultaneously realistic look".

Uh oh.

“latest technology…sparkling…dreamy”

Oh so that's why they're sugarcoating it with a TWO JAKES Blu-Ray inclusion instead of just using, you know, a remastered 2K disc.

[Jawaburger]

Originally Posted by MifuneFan

Are you confusing it with The French Connection?

Yes, yes I am. I apologize, will edit my post.

[Kyle15]

Such a restoration description coming from Paramount is potential horror.

[tylergfoster]

Damn it. So close to perfect...and yet they couldn't port the one 2007 extra from The Two Jakes SCE DVD.

[seagal]

The blu-ray (Chinatown) is already quite excellent. I´m not sure how big of an update a 4k disc of a Paramount catalog title will be.

[gregcolica]

Originally Posted by MifuneFan

Surprised no one said the new cover art looks AI-generated yet



It looks like they used this image as the basis, and scrubbed and digitalized the hell out of it. Hopefully not a bad omen for the disc itself

I cannot stand the cover art.

[Comicfan]

Originally Posted by seagal

The blu-ray (Chinatown) is already quite excellent. I´m not sure how big of an update a 4k disc of a Paramount catalog title will be.

Yes, I'm very happy with my Blu Ray copy. I guess if you wanted the three new special features created for this release, there is that but for me personally, I very rarely double dip on a release if I already have it on DVD or Blu Ray unless it's a very special case, as a part of a larger set where i don't have the majority of the films (the Star Trek films. I already had one of them on DVD but got both 50th Anniversary sets to get the other nine films on Blu Ray and got the standalone director's cut Blu Ray releases of Wrath of Khan & Motion Picture in 2021 and 2022) or damage to a previous release.

So I wouldn't be getting this release anyway even if it had a BD of Chinatown included but I'm glad 4K users are getting this one on that format now. I know this was a wish list release for many.

[Geoff D]

Originally Posted by seagal

The blu-ray (Chinatown) is already quite excellent. I´m not sure how big of an update a 4k disc of a Paramount catalog title will be.

The Blu is okay but it's a frozen-grain laden Lowry remaster and nowhere near what I'd describe as "excellent". Trouble is, will a Paramount 4K remaster just be the modern equivalent of it?

[SpacemanDoug]

Originally Posted by Geoff D

The Blu is okay but it's a frozen-grain laden Lowry remaster and nowhere near what I'd describe as "excellent". Trouble is, will a Paramount 4K remaster just be the modern equivalent of it?

modern equivalent without the mono track potentially, which I hope that doesn't happen

[The Rider]

I will never understand why Paramount and other majors use such bad artwork so often.
Why not just use the original poster artwork? And why no 4K remastered Blu-ray Disc, after all the Paramount Presents series started with Blu-rays?

[MovieBuff647]

Originally Posted by The Rider

Why no 4K remastered Blu-ray Disc, after all the Paramount Presents series started with Blu-rays?

Given the description, it's a reasonable assumption this is not a very good 4K transfer and Paramount thought including another film instead of a remastered 2K disc might help sell more copies.

[The Rider]

Originally Posted by MifuneFan

It is interesting that it includes Two Jakes there instead of a BD copy of Chinatown. I think the only time Paramount did something like that was for War of the Worlds, and that's because Criterion had BD rights. Would be funny if Criterion had BD rights to Chinatown this whole time (as has been rumored) and never released it.

Perhaps, which raises the question of whether Paramount will create a remastered Blu-ray Disc for Europe.

[Dr. T]

It wouldn't surprise me if the original poster by Jim Pearsall wasn't used on the front cover because it depicts smoking.

LINK

[kristoffer]

Screenshots of the digital Kaleidoscope version. I see grain!
https://mastodonapp.uk/@the4kCollect...97323006504235

[SpacemanDoug]

Originally Posted by Pieter V

were you able to find out if the mono track will be included?

[Dailyan]

I saw the 4K resto a few years ago in theaters. I could of swore I some some weird "blur"-like artifacts early on (maybe some form of DNR/grain management? It reminded me a bit of something that happened on the Aussie cut of "The Chant of Jimmie Blacksmith") but I thought it looked very good on the whole.

[cgpublic]

My Dad was bushed from work so my Mom asked me if I would like to come with her instead to see this on a Friday night, summer of 1974 at a single screen theater in Brooklyn NY. I was 12 years old, and although they had taken me to see plenty of adult fare, this was a special memory, as are the memories of re-watching this film over the years, first at revival theaters here in NYC, followed by the various incarnations on home media, including the latest 4K digital.

There are a few perfect films in the history of cinema, and this is one of them.

Pre-ordered, with fingers crossed this is a brand new restoration handled with care and inline with the reputation of the film.

[BluProofie]

Originally Posted by kristoffer

Screenshots of the digital Kaleidoscope version. I see grain!
https://mastodonapp.uk/@the4kCollect...97323006504235

Looks really good.