Alien Anthology - Oct. 26th
#501
DVD Talk Limited Edition
Re: Alien Anthology - Oct. 26th
I look at a few of the initial caps and thought it looked great, but a few of the caps- all the predominantly darker scenes including the helmet lit by console lights, and the closeup shots of Kane in the alien craft and the egg chamber- looked 'off' to me.
Just too damn dark.
After now seeing comparisons with the D-VHS master, I'm now officially depressed about this release. Just what I did not want to see- they went and fucked around with the black/white levels and colors- and pushed everything to a more contemporary look with crushed blacks, blown highlights and a new blue tint. The new caps look flat and dead compared to the D-VHS ones.
Every single one. Very depressing to see oodles of shadow detail lost (in a very dark film) irrevocably lost.
While not as extreme, as well as lacking the abundant EE, I still couldn't help but see parallels to the UK disc for Escape From New York. Look how bright and shiny and new it looks when you crush the blacks and blow out the highlights and introduce a blue cast to everything.
UGH.
Aliens looks like a win/win- but my favorite film is the first and it looks like yet another revisionist experiment by the creator that will push/pull me in and out of the film.
Just too damn dark.
After now seeing comparisons with the D-VHS master, I'm now officially depressed about this release. Just what I did not want to see- they went and fucked around with the black/white levels and colors- and pushed everything to a more contemporary look with crushed blacks, blown highlights and a new blue tint. The new caps look flat and dead compared to the D-VHS ones.
Every single one. Very depressing to see oodles of shadow detail lost (in a very dark film) irrevocably lost.
While not as extreme, as well as lacking the abundant EE, I still couldn't help but see parallels to the UK disc for Escape From New York. Look how bright and shiny and new it looks when you crush the blacks and blow out the highlights and introduce a blue cast to everything.
UGH.
Aliens looks like a win/win- but my favorite film is the first and it looks like yet another revisionist experiment by the creator that will push/pull me in and out of the film.
#502
DVD Talk Hall of Fame
Re: Alien Anthology - Oct. 26th
here are the mouseover comparisons with the D-VHS so people can see for themselves.
In none of the three instances do I prefer the look of the Blu-ray. The caps span both low key (the helmet/console shot) and high key (the pods) shots, so this appears to me to give a good indication of the extent of the 'damage' done by the changes Scott made. Even with the pods, the highlights are blown out. We are losing detail on both ends here.
I guess a lot of people won't see what the fuss is about because they have been weaned on this overmanipulated, processed look for most of their (young adult) life, but doggoneit it makes me more depressed the more I look at it. And unfortunately since it's now Scotts whim that it look like this, there is no chance whatsoever it will be remedied anytime soon.
This is a dark movie. totally crushing shadow detail, flattens it considerably. That helmet has no sense of volume anymore. It's just a sheen of shiny highlights.
In none of the three instances do I prefer the look of the Blu-ray. The caps span both low key (the helmet/console shot) and high key (the pods) shots, so this appears to me to give a good indication of the extent of the 'damage' done by the changes Scott made. Even with the pods, the highlights are blown out. We are losing detail on both ends here.
I guess a lot of people won't see what the fuss is about because they have been weaned on this overmanipulated, processed look for most of their (young adult) life, but doggoneit it makes me more depressed the more I look at it. And unfortunately since it's now Scotts whim that it look like this, there is no chance whatsoever it will be remedied anytime soon.
This is a dark movie. totally crushing shadow detail, flattens it considerably. That helmet has no sense of volume anymore. It's just a sheen of shiny highlights.
Last edited by Paul_SD; 09-11-10 at 08:22 PM.
#504
DVD Talk Legend
#505
DVD Talk Hall of Fame
Re: Alien Anthology - Oct. 26th
Crushing the blacks and blowing out the highlights is an affectation that has come into vogue in the last 15 years or so with the cheap accessibility of digital tools. Films from the 70's and 80s generally looked more natural.
The Bd here looks extremely processed. it looks 'tarted up'.
The lack of apparent DNR and EE is wonderful, but the overall look is still compromised and unnatural to me because of the color and contrast changes.
This is the antithesis of the recent MGM Escape From New York disc. That may have been incorrect (though I think it was more closer than not), but it erred on the side of natural and all the information is still there.
It is also a predominantly dark movie, but there is scads of information left in the shadows.
Here it's gone forever. No amount of display adjustment will ever get it back.
The image 'pops' more due to the extreme contrast, but it's also an overall flatter one because there is no longer subtle gradation and shading to be seen. That helmet loses a subtle but perceptible sense of volume and mass on the Bd because nothing is left but extreme shadow and the highlights. Above and to the right of it the controls flatten out into nothing but shadow and highlight. there is some sense of depth to them in the D-VHS master- none on the Bd.
Don't even get me started on the chestburster shot and how much that loses in translation.
the only saving grace here is that the majority of people won't be able to a/b these directly so they won't know what they are actually missing or whats been compromised with the Bd.
Last edited by Paul_SD; 09-12-10 at 02:50 PM.
#506
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Re: Alien Anthology - Oct. 26th
I think the 3rd one is better than Aliens but no way is it better than Alien. Alien is perfect in every way. I'd have a hard time thinking of a movie that creates suspense better.
#508
Re: Alien Anthology - Oct. 26th
Yeah, the extended cut of 3 is interesting, but I cannot imagine someone seriously saying it's on par with the first 2. The first is a masterpiece, the second a stone cold classic, the third a minor classic, and the fourth is an odd Jeunet film that happens to feature Xenomorphs.
#509
Re: Alien Anthology - Oct. 26th
This new Aliens color grading looks much better IMO.
#510
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Re: Alien Anthology - Oct. 26th
Guess I need to pull it out and see it. It's been a while. *sigh* I fucking hate opening that Quadrilogy...thankfully 3 is close to the middle than Alien. Felt like forever just getting to Alien.
#511
DVD Talk Special Edition
#512
Senior Member
Re: Alien Anthology - Oct. 26th
For some reason i wasn't able to order the EGG packaging off the US sites and i pre-ordered it off HMV UK.
Will it be region free? Will it play here in Canada?
Should i cancel my pre-order...? :P
Will it be region free? Will it play here in Canada?
Should i cancel my pre-order...? :P
#515
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Re: Alien Anthology - Oct. 26th
This is the only place I know to order it from: http://www.foxconnect.com/alien-anth...idescreen.html
#516
Senior Member
Re: Alien Anthology - Oct. 26th
I'm already paying about 30-40$ bucks more for the £/$ exchange rate and the shipping, i want to at least be able to watch the movies!
So no one knows yet but what's the track record for FOX UK releases? They always region B or it depends?
Stupid American site(the Foxconnect one)! why can't they ship to Canada! we're so close to you guys dangit!
#518
Re: Alien Anthology - Oct. 26th
I had this pre-ordered via a gold box deal for $93 on Amazon, but I cancelled. Part 4 is such a crapfest that I can't spend that much on it. I'm just going to try and wait until this hits $80. Hopefully it'll be part of some holiday sales.
#519
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Re: Alien Anthology - Oct. 26th
This is getting me a little worried, I did preorder it from Amazon UK, but I'm hoping we can have some positive confirmation that it will be region-free before Amazon ships it.
#520
Re: Alien Anthology - Oct. 26th
It's not great, but Amazon has lowered the set down to $94.99. Still too much for me, but it's going to be tough to wait for a lower price since I love the first 2. $10 less and they may have me.
#521
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Re: Alien Anthology - Oct. 26th
I thought that it's always been at a $94.99 price. Perhaps it was a few dollars higher. They still aren't going to get me till this set is somewhere in the area of $60-70. I can totally see this being a gold box deal for about that price sometime over the holiday shopping season.
#523
Re: Alien Anthology - Oct. 26th
I thought that it's always been at a $94.99 price. Perhaps it was a few dollars higher. They still aren't going to get me till this set is somewhere in the area of $60-70. I can totally see this being a gold box deal for about that price sometime over the holiday shopping season.
#524
DVD Talk Hero
Re: Alien Anthology - Oct. 26th
I doubt I'll bite on this either until I can get a better deal.
$100 is just too much for one excellent movie, one good movie, and two shitty movies. I'll wait until I can get it for under $50.
$100 is just too much for one excellent movie, one good movie, and two shitty movies. I'll wait until I can get it for under $50.
#525
DVD Talk Legend
Re: Alien Anthology - Oct. 26th
This is the path I'm following also. Had pre-ordered the egg from Fox in the initial excitement but cancelled. $150 for 4 movies was just a bit too much.