The Adventures of Robin Hood (1938)

[captainsolo]

This would have to be a fresh approach like what GWTW will require. We've seen WAC be able to do it with the re-registration on Elizabeth and Essex and the studio label did it for Dodge City with a crummy bitrate.

My guess would be it will turn up at some point as one of these studio UHDs with middling bitrate at best, HDR grading that is ok but pushes some things too far, the exact same audio track recycled as hdma, and if there is a second disc it'll be the BD with the DVD extras. Oh and add on a generic new photoshop cover with slip and possibly a steelbook somewhere.

[matbezlima]

Originally Posted by captainsolo

This would have to be a fresh approach like what GWTW will require. We've seen WAC be able to do it with the re-registration on Elizabeth and Essex and the studio label did it for Dodge City with a crummy bitrate.

My guess would be it will turn up at some point as one of these studio UHDs with middling bitrate at best, HDR grading that is ok but pushes some things too far, the exact same audio track recycled as hdma, and if there is a second disc it'll be the BD with the DVD extras. Oh and add on a generic new photoshop cover with slip and possibly a steelbook somewhere.

Don't you think you are being a bit too harsh? Warner's record with UHDs is usually of far more good than bad ones, and they have some truly 10/10 UHDs, such as Casablanca, Singin' In The Rain, The Wizard Of Oz, 2001 A Space Odyssey, The Matrix, The Maltese Falcon, The Fugitive, and more. I expect good UHDs from Warner, or at least great transfers, 90% of the time at the very least. But with Paramount, it's a coin toss at best.

I dislike how bare-bones Warner releases are (no extras, no Dolby Vision, not even a regular blu-ray disc sometimes), but their transfers and encoding are usually at the very least good, even when not perfect. But it doesn't need to be perfect to still be good.

What you described still qualifies at the very least as a decent to good UHD disc to me. Competent.

[captainsolo]

Originally Posted by matbezlima

Don't you think you are being a bit too harsh? Warner's record with UHDs is usually of far more good than bad ones, and they have some truly 10/10 UHDs, such as Casablanca, Singin' In The Rain, The Wizard Of Oz, 2001 A Space Odyssey, The Matrix, The Maltese Falcon, The Fugitive, and more. I expect good UHDs from Warner, or at least great transfers, 90% of the time at the very least. But with Paramount, it's a coin toss at best.

I dislike how bare-bones Warner releases are (no extras, no Dolby Vision, not even a regular blu-ray disc sometimes), but their transfers and encoding are usually at the very least good, even when not perfect. But it doesn't need to be perfect to still be good.

What you described still qualifies at the very least as a decent to good UHD disc to me. Competent.

Overly generous actually. Sure they do OK to perhaps solid upgrades at times and fall short on putting in new effort, then coding or original audio presentation. Some of the titles you mention have major issues, and among them are lacking original audio or having deficient original audio. Also, some of their HDR grades on catalog titles are not what they should be. Of these The Maltese Falcon is the most problematic in picture and sound, and I have major issues with it. Especially the encoding, HDR grade and sound presentation.

[matbezlima]

Originally Posted by captainsolo

Overly generous actually. Sure they do OK to perhaps solid upgrades at times and fall short on putting in new effort, then coding or original audio presentation. Some of the titles you mention have major issues, and among them are lacking original audio or having deficient original audio. Also, some of their HDR grades on catalog titles are not what they should be. Of these The Maltese Falcon is the most problematic in picture and sound, and I have major issues with it. Especially the encoding, HDR grade and sound presentation.

At least regarding picture quality, I think all these UHDs look good to great, with 2001 A Space Odyssey being one of the very best UHDs ever. And UHDs such as Casablanca are damn near flawless. Singin' In The Rain looks beautiful, though I can see complaints about pinkish skin tones. The Matrix was personally supervised by the film's cinematographer, who helped remove the excessive green tint of previous transfers, the blu-ray.

I don't agree with the idea that you are too generous at all. Maybe you would consider my standards too low.

The picture in The Maltese Falcon looks great overall, with incredible detail, aside from perhaps some moments where the encoding falters, but generally not too bad. It's very far from an encoding disaster. Definitely not perfect, but still good, far better than Paramount's average. I exaggerated with the 10/10 though, because it is indeed definitely not perfect. But it is still a transfer with incredible detail.

About audio, I really can't talk about. Audio is just not something I pay anywhere near as much attention to. Maybe someday I will. But for me right now, an UHD having good to great picture automatically makes it good to great for me, even when the audio is far from the best.

[Farerb]

I wanted to check Disney's The Story of Robin Hood on Disney+ but I've been told that this is the best adaptation of the story. Is this true?

[GrouchoFan]

Depends on what you want. If you want "gritty realism" and "historical accuracy," then no.

If you want, IMHO, the most entertaining swashbuckling adventure movie ever made, with lots of action, laughs, not-too-scary scares, old-fashioned romance, and not a drop of post-modern cynicism, wrapped around one of the all-time greatest film scores, then emphatically YES!

I might be biased; it's one of my favorite movies, if you couldn't guess.

[Rzzzz]

Originally Posted by GrouchoFan

Depends on what you want. If you want "gritty realism" and "historical accuracy," then no.

If you want, IMHO, the most entertaining swashbuckling adventure movie ever made, with lots of action, laughs, not-too-scary scares, old-fashioned romance, and not a drop of post-modern cynicism, wrapped around one of the all-time greatest film scores, then emphatically YES!

I might be biased; it's one if my favorite movies, if you couldn't guess.

I second this! I couldn't have stated it better myself. A "perfect" film in my opinion and a film that created millions of Errol Flynn fans, including myself...

[captainsolo]

There are only two truly great legendary Robin Hood films in terms of being so perfect and larger than life that they forever altered the public's imagination of the character and it's impossible to think of any of the iconography without them. Those are the 1922 Douglas Fairbanks silent epic and the 1938 film.
The 1938 film is lightning in a bottle, arguably the best Technicolor film ever shot, arguably THE Warner Bros film and is literally perfect in every facet. The only things it doesn't have are two big elements from the 1922 film: the Crusades opening and the magic of Fairbanks but instead we get Errol at his most iconic.

There are many very good, interesting or underrated Robin Hoods over the decades since. I really like almost all of them such as the Disney 1952 live action (good grief does this need a 4K transfer, the photography is fantastic) and later animated film to even Ridley Scott's 2010 take. I champion certain ones like the super underrated Hammer Robin Hood films. (The Indicator boxset is a MUST!) But they all live in the shadow of the 1938 film and the 1922 film. (at least to us silent fans)

[ravenus]

Originally Posted by captainsolo

There are many very good, interesting or underrated Robin Hoods over the decades since. I really like almost all of them such as the Disney 1952 live action (good grief does this need a 4K transfer, the photography is fantastic) and later animated film to even Ridley Scott's 2010 take. I champion certain ones like the super underrated Hammer Robin Hood films. (The Indicator boxset is a MUST!) But they all live in the shadow of the 1938 film and the 1922 film. (at least to us silent fans)

There's also this interesting detour:




But yeah, Errol Flynn's Robin Hood film and Tyrone Power's Mark of Zorro are two of the best classic swashbucklers I have enjoyed.

[jess1581]

If this ever gets a 4K I hope they keep the special feature Warner Night At The Movies. It's the only way I view this.

[matbezlima]

Originally Posted by captainsolo

There are only two truly great legendary Robin Hood films in terms of being so perfect and larger than life that they forever altered the public's imagination of the character and it's impossible to think of any of the iconography without them. Those are the 1922 Douglas Fairbanks silent epic and the 1938 film.
The 1938 film is lightning in a bottle, arguably the best Technicolor film ever shot, arguably THE Warner Bros film and is literally perfect in every facet. The only things it doesn't have are two big elements from the 1922 film: the Crusades opening and the magic of Fairbanks but instead we get Errol at his most iconic.

There are many very good, interesting or underrated Robin Hoods over the decades since. I really like almost all of them such as the Disney 1952 live action (good grief does this need a 4K transfer, the photography is fantastic) and later animated film to even Ridley Scott's 2010 take. I champion certain ones like the super underrated Hammer Robin Hood films. (The Indicator boxset is a MUST!) But they all live in the shadow of the 1938 film and the 1922 film. (at least to us silent fans)

Interesting that you mention Disney's live-action Robin Hood. Disney's live-action catalogue has been so badly neglected for decades, unless it's Mary Poppins and Who Framed Roger Rabbit. The latter has gotten an UHD, and I hope Mary Poppins gets one this year. Twenty Thousand Leagues Under The Sea and Bedknobs And Broomsticks are examples that I think of regarding Disney's live-action films that really should get better treatment, but there are far more.

[matbezlima]

Originally Posted by jess1581

If this ever gets a 4K I hope they keep the special feature Warner Night At The Movies. It's the only way I view this.

I would be shocked if this major movie doesn't get an UHD before 2029. And I wouldn't be too surprised if this gets an UHD exactly in its 90th anniversary, in 2028. Warner loves to hold things back for anniversary. And their slow pace, at least before last year, means very long waits. When they skip a special anniversary, be ready for the good possibility you will have to wait for the next one, or the one after the next one, and so on.

Patience and never giving hope are crucial.

[DMRI2006]

Plaion, which has been licensing a number of titles from Warner, is releasing a Mediabook in Germany:

https://shop.plaionpictures.com/robi...-bonus-blu-ray

While it's likely just the same master, modern AVC encoding and DTS MA audio would probably yield some obvious benefits over the old Blu-Ray's ancient VC-1/Dolby Digital presentation.

[KootiePie]

Originally Posted by matbezlima

Interesting that you mention Disney's live-action Robin Hood. Disney's live-action catalogue has been so badly neglected for decades, unless it's Mary Poppins and Who Framed Roger Rabbit. The latter has gotten an UHD, and I hope Mary Poppins gets one this year. Twenty Thousand Leagues Under The Sea and Bedknobs And Broomsticks are examples that I think of regarding Disney's live-action films that really should get better treatment, but there are far more.

Like the delightful The Sword and the Rose (1953) which afaik only exists as VHS (I have a horrid looking rip of it). Given it's Disney it's never seeing the light of day again. My hope only goes so far.

Originally Posted by DMRI2006

Plaion, which has been licensing a number of titles from Warner, is releasing a Mediabook in Germany:

https://shop.plaionpictures.com/robi...-bonus-blu-ray

While it's likely just the same master, modern AVC encoding and DTS MA audio would probably yield some obvious benefits over the old Blu-Ray's ancient VC-1/Dolby Digital presentation.

From a few caps I've seen floating around it looks the exact same as the old BD, heck, it even has less bitrate, as if to compensate for H264 being better than the old VC1. I still might give it a shot.

Disc Size: 37,404,817,985 bytes
Protection: AACS
Playlist: 00002.MPLS
Size: 20,223,858,240 bytes
Length: 1:41:55.484
Total Bitrate: 26.46 Mbps
Video: MPEG-4 AVC Video / 18031 kbps / 1080p / 23.976 fps / 16:9 / Main Profile 4.1
Audio: German / DTS-HD Master Audio / 2.0 / 48 kHz / 1557 kbps / 16-bit (DTS Core: 2.0 / 48 kHz / 1509 kbps / 16-bit)
Audio: English / DTS-HD Master Audio / 2.0 / 48 kHz / 1565 kbps / 16-bit (DTS Core: 2.0 / 48 kHz / 1509 kbps / 16-bit)
Audio: English / DTS-HD Master Audio / 2.0 / 48 kHz / 1572 kbps / 16-bit (DTS Core: 2.0 / 48 kHz / 1509 kbps / 16-bit)
Audio: Undetermined / DTS-HD Master Audio / 2.0 / 48 kHz /  1565 kbps / 16-bit (DTS Core: 2.0 / 48 kHz /  1509 kbps / 16-bit)
Subtitle: German / 27.118 kbps
Subtitle: English / 26.315 kbps

Originally Posted by wanderingfins44

it has been 16 years since this blu ray came out and 85 years since the film came out and we have not gotten a 4k release.

absolutely criminal.

And not some obscure crap, an iconic film from an iconic character, as captainsolo put it above. At least the old disc is pretty watchable. The Longest Day on the other hand....

[gpn]

Originally Posted by KootiePie

Like the delightful The Sword and the Rose (1953) which afaik only exists as VHS (I have a horrid looking rip of it). Given it's Disney it's never seeing the light of day again. My hope only goes so far.

It was released on DVD through the Disney Movie Club, but that was a while ago.