Zodiac

[gettodamoofies]

Today I'm starting what I hope to be a series of threads. I'll be starting them on releases I own in my collection and will attempt to do a comprehensive coverage of the release including a full review, a BDInfo scan and a few screenshots which may help to illustrate the general quality of the release. Screenshots are PNG format.

First up is one of my personal favourites: "Zodiac" (2007). Directed by David Fincher and starring Jake Gyllenhaal, Robert Downey Jr. and Mark Ruffalo, this title is released by Warner Bros here in Australia.



My review

Although films such as "Se7en" and "Fight Club" have often garnered more fanatical praise than "Zodiac" I find that this film of all of Fincher's work appears to be his most mature, most natural and above all seems to capture Fincher in his comfort zone. It certainly is a different type of film to Fincher's previous work and shows a more contemplative, factual and straight-by-the-numbers approach. Personally I find it to be incredible viewing with high replay value as the performances by each of the actors are some of the best of their careers. Every aspect of the production seems deliberate and yet very real and it is this documentary type approach to the subject matter which results in a far more compelling film. "Zodiac" represents exceptional film-making and is infinitely watchable. 5/5

Video
Shot digitally, "Zodiac" looks superb. It maintains a very clean look and considering the lengthy run time and the extensive features on the disc the picture quality is great. Although shot digitally the film does not have the often associated digital sheen due in part to the superb cinematography and post processing. The colour palette is somewhat muted at times but this is all part of the intended look used to set the tone of the era the film is set in. There are some instances of some extremely slight banding (the opening fireworks shot for instance) but for the most part the video quality is exceptional and represents a high point of the film's presentation. Fincher's eye for detail and his ability to surround himself with competent people around him pays dividends as the eras of the film are highly detailed and very "lived-in" and this helps to better transport the viewer through the years covered by the film. 4.5/5

Audio
Frustratingly this title has been cursed by Warner Bros with a lossy Dolby Digital track. One of a slew of earlier Warner titles, the film's basic but well designed audio fares about as well as one could expect. Due to the film being a dialogue heavy experience the lossy track is fortunately capable of recreating the experience quite well. It certainly lacks a little of the tightness and crispness of a lossless track but considering the film's minimalistic sound design the impact is lessened due to fewer demands being made of it. Surrounds are used sparingly and the film is not one to make heavy use of the subwoofer but it's certainly a competent, and more importantly, a fitting soundtrack to this type of film. In this case the 3.5/5 I am scoring represents the maximum I feel I can give a lossy track. 3.5/5

Extras
The release contains 2 audio commentaries and extensive features pertaining to both the production and the Zodiac himself. The special features include two lengthy documentaries as well as several shorter segments and together form one of the most impressive and informative special features collections assembled for Blu-ray due to not only the quantity but the high quality of them. 4.5/5

Overall
This film has and will continue to divide audiences. Some like myself find it to be an absolute masterpiece and one of Fincher's finest achievements (his greatest in my opinion). Others may find the pace to be a little slow and the open-ended conclusion disappointing. Regardless, for those who are fans of the genre and of the film it is impossible not to recommend this release. The only downside of this Australian version is the previously mentioned lack of a lossless audio track. Considering this title can be had for as little as 1/3 the cost of the US release it may be a matter of weighing up the pros and cons of the the various releases. As for the film itself, I firmly stand in the "must own" camp and this title is one of my more watched Blu-ray Discs. 4.5/5

Please note: Title is region free.

[gettodamoofies]

Screenshots: click spoiler tag to reveal.

[Show spoiler]

Disclaimer: These screenshots have been taken directly from the disc with no post processing other than the placement of a watermark. They are PNG format so the file size is larger however this retains the original image quality. They are of course only intended as an indication of the quality of the title. As always, a motion picture should be viewed in motion.

[gettodamoofies]

BDInfo scan:

                                                                                                                Total   Video                                             
Title                                                           Codec   Length  Movie Size      Disc Size       Bitrate Bitrate Main Audio Track                          Secondary Audio Track
-----                                                           ------  ------- --------------  --------------  ------- ------- ------------------                        ---------------------
00000.MPLS                                                      VC-1    2:42:36 24,161,562,624  46,735,965,030  19.81   14.18   DD AC3 5.1 640Kbps

DISC INFO:

Disc Title:     ZODIAC_DC_B5
Disc Size:      46,735,965,030 bytes
Protection:     AACS
BD-Java:        No
BDInfo:         0.5.6

PLAYLIST REPORT:

Name:                   00000.MPLS
Length:                 2:42:36 (h:m:s)
Size:                   24,161,562,624 bytes
Total Bitrate:          19.81 Mbps

VIDEO:

Codec                   Bitrate             Description     
-----                   -------             -----------     
VC-1 Video              14184 kbps          1080p / 23.976 fps / 16:9 / Advanced Profile 3

AUDIO:

Codec                           Language        Bitrate         Description     
-----                           --------        -------         -----------     
Dolby Digital Audio             English         640 kbps        5.1 / 48 kHz / 640 kbps / DN -4dB
Dolby Digital Audio             French          640 kbps        5.1 / 48 kHz / 640 kbps / DN -4dB
Dolby Digital Audio             German          640 kbps        5.1 / 48 kHz / 640 kbps / DN -4dB
Dolby Digital Audio             Italian         640 kbps        5.1 / 48 kHz / 640 kbps / DN -4dB
Dolby Digital Audio             Spanish         640 kbps        5.1 / 48 kHz / 640 kbps / DN -4dB
Dolby Digital Audio             English         192 kbps        2.0 / 48 kHz / 192 kbps / DN -4dB / Dolby Surround
Dolby Digital Audio             English         192 kbps        2.0 / 48 kHz / 192 kbps / DN -4dB / Dolby Surround

SUBTITLES:

Codec                           Language        Bitrate         Description     
-----                           --------        -------         -----------     
Presentation Graphics           English         45.819 kbps                     
Presentation Graphics           English         49.004 kbps                     
Presentation Graphics           Danish          38.805 kbps                     
Presentation Graphics           Dutch           36.258 kbps                     
Presentation Graphics           Finnish         39.615 kbps                     
Presentation Graphics           French          44.220 kbps                     
Presentation Graphics           French          1.959 kbps                      
Presentation Graphics           German          55.085 kbps                     
Presentation Graphics           German          58.456 kbps                     
Presentation Graphics           German          1.456 kbps                      
Presentation Graphics           Italian         44.863 kbps                     
Presentation Graphics           Italian         48.181 kbps                     
Presentation Graphics           Italian         2.090 kbps                      
Presentation Graphics           Japanese        34.301 kbps                     
Presentation Graphics           Japanese        43.617 kbps                     
Presentation Graphics           Japanese        47.654 kbps                     
Presentation Graphics           Norwegian       36.676 kbps                     
Presentation Graphics           Portuguese      50.565 kbps                     
Presentation Graphics           Spanish         48.298 kbps                     
Presentation Graphics           Spanish         2.283 kbps                      
Presentation Graphics           Swedish         36.582 kbps                     

FILES:

Name            Time In         Length          Size            Total Bitrate   
----            -------         ------          ----            -------------   
00000.M2TS      0:00:00.000     2:42:36.955     24,161,562,624  19,811

[LordCrumb]

Awesome stuff man, having a BD-Rom has its benefits for this kind of thing, scanning info, screenshots etc You rock! The only bugger about BDinfo scans is that they take a long time to do (if your generating Bitrate info).

[gettodamoofies]

Originally Posted by KaiGusto

Awesome stuff man, having a BD-Rom has its benefits for this kind of thing, scanning info, screenshots etc You rock!

Definitely is awesome. I'm willing to take requests for titles, time permitting of course so if there's an Australian title which hasn't been reviewed and spec'd which I own I will make sure I get around to it.

Just locating a host for the screencaps now as the regulars don't allow full 1920x1080 caps.

[LordCrumb]

Imageshack accepts 1080p PNG images, I used them for that Universal Soldier screenshot. But anyway, i wont change the topic. Back to the review!

[gettodamoofies]

Dumpt seems to do the trick and screenshots are up. I selected these to showcase the quality of the effects work (screenshot 1), the film-like nature of the digital cameras (screenshot 2) and the excellent fine detail (screenshot 3).

[gettodamoofies]

BDInfo scan results added.

[wheelydude13]

Nice review. I really enjoyed this, but have yet to watch more than the first 30mins on blu, i should really get around to that...

As for where it ranks in Finchers works, i still probably rate Se7en and Fight Club higher, i think i need to watch this one a few more times though.

One other thing, i noticed that the US release is two discs, where as ours is one, yet they appear to have the same list as features, despite the TrueHD track on the US one. Do you know if thats correct?

[gettodamoofies]

Originally Posted by wheelydude13

Nice review. I really enjoyed this, but have yet to watch more than the first 30mins on blu, i should really get around to that...

As for where it ranks in Finchers works, i still probably rate Se7en and Fight Club higher, i think i need to watch this one a few more times though.

One other thing, i noticed that the US release is two discs, where as ours is one, yet they appear to have the same list as features, despite the TrueHD track on the US one. Do you know if thats correct?

Yes, that's correct. The transfers have subtle differences from what I've seen around the net but surprisingly the local release holds up quite well in the picture department considering the extensive features and the lengthy film being squished onto one disc. I put it down to it being a digitally filmed movie as I'm fairly certain that the more controlled nature of the medium meant that the compression required didn't affect the picture quality quite so much as it could have had it been filmed conventionally.

I would definitely recommend re-watching it. It's not an easy film to watch if you don't get into it straight away as it's got a very unique style. Having said that if you can allow yourself to sink into it it's an extremely immersive film. That's what I love about it.

Fight Club is brash and in your face which is great as that's its style but it clearly comes across as a film because of it. This is a lot more matter of fact and for that reason it's got a sublime feeling of reality that creates a completely different experience to Fincher's other films and makes it more of a living documentary of sorts. That's why I like it so much. On the other hand, that's why some people don't like it because it comes across as a little plain. It's definitely an acquired taste but one well worth checking out as to whether you like it or not!

[kopkiwi]

Nice start man.

I picked this up a few weeks ago, got it home, looked at the back realized no HD audio and immediately returned it.

I refuse to own a BD that isn't HD audio, it makes the point of BD redundant.

[gettodamoofies]

Originally Posted by kopkiwi

Nice start man.

I picked this up a few weeks ago, got it home, looked at the back realized no HD audio and immediately returned it.

I refuse to own a BD that isn't HD audio, it makes the point of BD redundant.

Thanks.

I agree regarding the audio. I only purchased this due to my love of the film and the fact that the US release is so expensive to get. Normally I would never consider lossy soundtracks unless they cost the same or less than the DVD. That's my only consideration when buying those types of titles. As I mentioned in the review it's fortunate that this film isn't hugely busy in the audio department so it's a little less of an issue, though that doesn't mean it gets a free pass.

[wheelydude13]

Originally Posted by atexp80

Yes, that's correct. The transfers have subtle differences from what I've seen around the net but surprisingly the local release holds up quite well in the picture department considering the extensive features and the lengthy film being squished onto one disc. I put it down to it being a digitally filmed movie as I'm fairly certain that the more controlled nature of the medium meant that the compression required didn't affect the picture quality quite so much as it could have had it been filmed conventionally.

I would definitely recommend re-watching it. It's not an easy film to watch if you don't get into it straight away as it's got a very unique style. Having said that if you can allow yourself to sink into it it's an extremely immersive film. That's what I love about it.

Fight Club is brash and in your face which is great as that's its style but it clearly comes across as a film because of it. This is a lot more matter of fact and for that reason it's got a sublime feeling of reality that creates a completely different experience to Fincher's other films and makes it more of a living documentary of sorts. That's why I like it so much. On the other hand, that's why some people don't like it because it comes across as a little plain. It's definitely an acquired taste but one well worth checking out as to whether you like it or not!

Cool, i was going to import the US one but couldnt find it cheap and ended up grabbing it locally at a good price a while back, glad to see that ours doenst miss out on much (besides HD audio)

The only reason i havent really gotten around to rewatching it is because of its length, and whenever im in the mood, its usually getting a bit too late to watch a long flick.

I cant comment on the feel of the movie that much as it has been a while since ive seen it, i only recall bits and pieces and the fact that i enjoyed it, so i will definitely try get around to watching it on blu sometime soon. I do understand it being more realistic in feel to Fight Club though. FC worked well as that sort of assault, i thought it helped portray the sorta craziness that your not sure whether things are really happening.

[Pink Bits]

Awesome stuff atexp80.

Zodiac is a great film, although I haven't had the chance to see it on blu-ray yet, just on DVD. David Fincher is fast becoming one of my favourite film makers.

You said you'll take requests on Aussie films/releases? Could you do 'Two Hands' at all if you have time? Cheers.

[elsuave]

The only thing wrong with our release is i don't like the fact we've been short-changed again with the main awesome doco only in standard definition.

[gettodamoofies]

Originally Posted by Pink Bits

Awesome stuff atexp80.

Zodiac is a great film, although I haven't had the chance to see it on blu-ray yet, just on DVD. David Fincher is fast becoming one of my favourite film makers.

You said you'll take requests on Aussie films/releases? Could you do 'Two Hands' at all if you have time? Cheers.

The upgrade (even though the audio is still lossy) is significant in terms of picture quality. The DVD had all sorts of compression issues and was naturally a lot softer due to the decreased resolution. As you can see in the example screenshots there's oodles of fine detail everywhere. Take the subtle diamond shape patterning on the man's shirt in screenshot two - that was barely discernible on DVD.

Regarding Two Hands, I'll see what I can do. I don't own it currently but I'll see if I can get a hold of it. I've got a stack of watching of titles to do yet so I'd like to do them first but I'd be happy to see if I can get my hands on it for you.

Originally Posted by elsuave

The only thing wrong with our release is i don't like the fact we've been short-changed again with the main awesome doco only in standard definition.

Agreed. I'd prefer all content to be presented in the same resolution everywhere in the world. Warner Bros choice to shoehorn everything onto one disc would have ultimately been the deciding factor in this. Including it in HD would have severely compromised the PQ of the main title. Ultimately it's good that it's included, even if it is in SD as it's am amazing documentary.

[ANDYBALLINA]

Originally Posted by atexp80

Regarding Two Hands, I'll see what I can do. I don't own it currently but I'll see if I can get a hold of it. I've got a stack of watching of titles to do yet so I'd like to do them first but I'd be happy to see if I can get my hands on it for you.

What are some other titles you have to review? Maybe we could help you choose what to do next

In regards of Two Hands, I have it on Blu ray and could do alittle review on it (although it would suck, cause I don't know much about audio or reviews in general really), but I don't want to take this idea away from atexp80, so its probably a bad idea. But if you want about Two Hands, feel free to message me about the Blu ray, as I have seen it on both DVD and Blu ray.

[gettodamoofies]

Originally Posted by ANDYBALLINA

What are some other titles you have to review? Maybe we could help you choose what to do next

Have a browse through my collection.






<---------

I am more than happy to review any of the titles I own (starting with Aussie titles so they can be posted here in this sub-forum) and will attempt to review others which I don't (time permitting). Coming up - Dead Silence.

[LordCrumb]

I'd like to hear your take on American Psycho and Con Air.

[ANDYBALLINA]

I'd love reviews on Lost in Space, North by Northwest, Babylon A.D, D-Tox and Bran Stokers Dracula. Please