Universal Catalog Titles on Blu

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The Narrator Returns
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Re: Universal Catalog Titles

#101 Post by The Narrator Returns » Mon Mar 12, 2012 4:21 pm

Universal's tampering isn't just limited to classics:

American Pie Blu-Ray.com Review

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Drucker
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Re: Universal Catalog Titles

#102 Post by Drucker » Mon Mar 12, 2012 7:21 pm

Has any release yet as part of the 100th year anniversary had satisfying results?!

Emilio
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Re: Universal Catalog Titles

#103 Post by Emilio » Tue Mar 13, 2012 6:02 am

Drucker wrote:Has any release yet as part of the 100th year anniversary had satisfying results?!
'Out of Africa' remastered?

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manicsounds
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Re: Universal Catalog Titles

#104 Post by manicsounds » Tue Mar 13, 2012 8:33 am

"All Quiet On The Western Front"

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mfunk9786
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Re: Universal Catalog Titles

#105 Post by mfunk9786 » Tue Mar 13, 2012 9:19 am

Much like the Apatow films under the Universal banner, American Pie has always been DNRed to death on home video. It's a shame because it's actually a pretty damn sweet Hughes-ian film from my youth that I'll ultimately buy regardless.

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Re: Universal Catalog Titles

#106 Post by flyonthewall2983 » Fri Mar 23, 2012 10:05 am

The Sting. Awesome.

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The Narrator Returns
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Re: Universal Catalog Titles

#107 Post by The Narrator Returns » Fri Mar 23, 2012 10:18 am

It's Universal doing the transfer. Not awesome.

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aox
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Re: Universal Catalog Titles

#108 Post by aox » Fri Mar 23, 2012 10:32 am

The Narrator Returns wrote:It's Universal doing the transfer. Not awesome.
Sadly, this is true.

Why did the Psycho transfer come out so well? Did a third company involve themselves in the process? It says Universal distributed the BD, but the film was made at Paramount.

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Brian C
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Re: Universal Catalog Titles

#109 Post by Brian C » Fri Mar 23, 2012 10:48 am

I thought there were complaints about Psycho, too.

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med
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Re: Universal Catalog Titles

#110 Post by med » Fri Mar 23, 2012 11:08 am

The Carlito's Way BD also looked really good. Maybe there was a change in staff or management in the last year or so?

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Brian C
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Re: Universal Catalog Titles

#111 Post by Brian C » Fri Mar 23, 2012 11:15 am

I've been slow to pick up their releases, given their reputation (and my perpetual brokeness), but in all seriousness I had actually thought they had gotten better. They'd gone from simply re-using ugly, outdated DVD-era HD masters to creating new masters that were nonetheless still moderately problematic. IOW, in terms of letter grades, they'd gone from a solid 'D' to somewhere closer to a 'B'.

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aox
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Re: Universal Catalog Titles

#112 Post by aox » Fri Mar 23, 2012 11:47 am

Oh, I thought Psycho was universally loved. Except that Jeffrey Wells guy bitching about AR.

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Brian C
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Re: Universal Catalog Titles

#113 Post by Brian C » Fri Mar 23, 2012 12:19 pm

Ha ha ha, Wells. Maybe the fact that he loved the Psycho Blu is the reason that I thought it had problems. I'm being serious.

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Roger Ryan
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Re: Universal Catalog Titles

#114 Post by Roger Ryan » Tue Mar 27, 2012 12:23 pm

aox wrote:Why did the Psycho transfer come out so well? Did a third company involve themselves in the process? It says Universal distributed the BD, but the film was made at Paramount.
Actually, Paramount originally distributed PSYCHO, but it was made at Universal (Paramount's reluctance to allow the film to be shot on their property is reportedly one of the reasons Hitchcock moved his operations to Universal). By 1970, all rights had been transferred to Universal so all home video versions have been controlled by them.

Isn't PSYCHO one of the first archive releases on Blu-ray by Universal? Perhaps a management change after that release resulted in their recent standard.

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Jeff
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Re: Universal Catalog Titles on Blu

#115 Post by Jeff » Sat Mar 31, 2012 1:01 pm

Sixteen Candles available June 5 and now up for pre-order at Amazon!

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The Narrator Returns
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Re: Universal Catalog Titles on Blu

#116 Post by The Narrator Returns » Tue Apr 03, 2012 6:12 pm

Jeffrey Kauffman has changed his tune about the DNR use. Buck Privates Blu-Ray.com Review

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eerik
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Re: Universal Catalog Titles on Blu

#117 Post by eerik » Wed Apr 04, 2012 1:01 pm

The Narrator Returns wrote:Jeffrey Kauffman has changed his tune about the DNR use. Buck Privates Blu-Ray.com Review
Gee, those screenshots look good to me. Mostly well detailed with a healthy amount of film grain. Looks miles better than most of the other Universal catalog titles that Kauffman praises.

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Jeff
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Re: Universal Catalog Titles on Blu

#118 Post by Jeff » Sun Apr 08, 2012 10:29 pm

eerik wrote:
The Narrator Returns wrote:Jeffrey Kauffman has changed his tune about the DNR use. Buck Privates Blu-Ray.com Review
Gee, those screenshots look good to me. Mostly well detailed with a healthy amount of film grain. Looks miles better than most of the other Universal catalog titles that Kauffman praises.
Overscrubbed, says Robert Harris.


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Cash Flagg
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Re: Universal Catalog Titles on Blu

#120 Post by Cash Flagg » Wed Apr 25, 2012 5:40 pm

Can't they get anyone other than this Kaufman clown to review Universal releases? He consistently not only gives top marks to DNR'd discs, but mocks and minimizes the concerns of those who despise such treatment:
Pillow Talk review wrote:some will decry Universal's standard use of DNR
no doubt be derided for some apparent DNR
Jurassic Park review wrote:I'm the first person to admit that DNR, at least when applied judiciously, does not bother me in the slightest, though it evidently drives other videophiles to froth-mouthed fury
Deer Hunter review wrote:Universal catalog releases always come in for brickbats, though I personally seldom feel they're as hideous as some insist they are. Let's address the biggest issue that most people have with Universal catalog releases, the often misunderstood or misattributed DNR. Is there DNR applied to this release? Probably, though certainly not to any problematic degree.
Spartacus review wrote:I found the DNR to be relatively minimal by modern (often hyperbolic) standards, perhaps a backhanded compliment.
To Kill a Mockingbird review wrote:Now, I have never believed that at least some of Universal's catalog Blu- ray releases were as outright terrible as some claimed, but I seem to have a much higher tolerance for DNR than some.
Universal releases are regularly pilloried for over aggressive DNR, and there's a very interesting segment on this featurette addressing that issue that all DNR-phobes really should watch.
I'm sure every other Universal review includes similar statements. Is he secretly on their payroll or something?

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whaleallright
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Re: Universal Catalog Titles on Blu

#121 Post by whaleallright » Sat May 05, 2012 10:02 am

Does anyone know if _any_ of the DVD versions of CAR WASH are uncut? The earlier versions cut out several scenes that were in the original theatrical release. Unfortunately Amazon has simply moved the reviews of the older editions over to the new version, so it's impossible to tell if they've "fixed" this problem.

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eerik
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Re: Universal Catalog Titles on Blu

#122 Post by eerik » Fri May 11, 2012 7:55 am

Hitchcock box-set will include 14 films, according to ze Germans.
  • Rope
  • Rear Window
  • The Man Who Knew Too Much
  • Torn Curtain
  • The Birds
  • Family Plot
  • Frenzy
  • Shadow of a Doubt
  • The Trouble with Harry
  • Marnie
  • Psycho
  • Saboteur
  • Topaz
  • Vertigo

via Blu-ray.com forums

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TMDaines
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Re: Universal Catalog Titles on Blu

#123 Post by TMDaines » Fri May 11, 2012 9:08 am

My decision - having only got into Hitchock films late - to only buy the ones available on Blu-ray and wait for the others looks like it has paid off.

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CSM126
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Re: Universal Catalog Titles on Blu

#124 Post by CSM126 » Fri May 11, 2012 9:28 am

Cash Flagg wrote:Can't they get anyone other than this Kaufman clown to review Universal releases? He consistently not only gives top marks to DNR'd discs, but mocks and minimizes the concerns of those who despise such treatment
I'm sure every other Universal review includes similar statements. Is he secretly on their payroll or something?
I can only imagine the praise he would have lavished on something like that DNR-blasted Predator blu.

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eerik
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Re: Universal Catalog Titles on Blu

#125 Post by eerik » Fri May 11, 2012 11:53 am


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