Received my copy today as well. Looks really good again. Haven`t played the dvd yet, but I did start reading the booklet. So far I like it. Gonna be interesting to see how much better the transfer is to the Dutch release I already owned.cdnchris wrote:I just received a copy of this and I'll say I've never had an issue with the original release but there is a noticeable improvement with the image, despite the picture boxing. There's less debris and the image does look slightly sharper. I also feel the audio is better, much cleaner, sharper, less noise (the music sounds great.) I haven't looked at the supplements yet but will be going through them over the next little while.
64 The Third Man
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TheGodfather
- Joined: Sun Sep 17, 2006 4:39 pm
- Location: The Netherlands
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cdnchris
- Site Admin
- Joined: Tue Nov 02, 2004 2:45 pm
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Well, I've gone through the DVD and am quite impressed. Looking at the disc now, yes, I still feel the picture is better on this one. I'm not a fan of the window boxing, but the image has less debris, and is sharper, plus isn't (what's the term?) as compressed, which I mean by it doesn't contain as many noticeable digital issues. And the audio has also been improved. I always thought the original sounded pretty decent, but they seemed to have cleaned it up just a bit more presenting a much cleaner mono track. They've also carried over most (not all) of the supplements, and added a few hours worth of goodies. The original DVD was actually one of my favourites in the my DVD collection, but Criterion has most definitely topped it with this new two-disc release.
The first disc presents a few supplements. Carried over from the original release is the four-and-half minute intro by Peter Bogdanovich. Also carried over from the original edition is "The Third Man Treatment", an audio track with actor Richard Clarke reading Graham Greene's treatment for the film (abridged for the DVD release, as stated at the beginning.) It's interesting to listen to, most notably for a few differences. The track has also mostly been synched up to what is going on during the film (and has been abridged to accomplish this, as it mentions at the beginning.). Also carried over is a text segment for Greene's preface, touching on why he ended up writing a publication (despite the fact it was only meant to be a film) and even touches on his initial disagreement with Reed on the ending.
New for the release are two commentary tracks, both recorded exclusively for this release.
The first audio commentary has director Steven Soderbergh and writer/director Tony Gilroy (director of the upcoming Michael Clayton, and screen writer for the Bourne films, The Cutting Edge 1 and 2, and, yes, Armageddon, amongst others) participating. I've only listened to a few of Soderbergh's commentaries (not including the ones for his own films) but have always enjoyed them (Without him the one for Point Blank would have been incredibly dry) and also liked this one. The two mostly sit back in awe of the film, expressing how the film has influenced them in writing and/or directing, and pointing out and explaining why they love certain sequences, or how the film was shot (they both express how they admire the angle shots). Soderbergh has control over the track, though, offering lots of tid bits he's picked up from books or people he has met who have worked on the film, including clashes between Selznick and Reed. Soderbergh also, on occasion, likes to point out little bits here and there that were cut from the American release. Gilroy only offers influences really, but does make an observation about Winkle and Kurtz I actually never considered (nor Soderbergh apparently.) Quite informative and actually fairly amusing in places, anybody who has enjoyed Soderbergh's other commentaries, whether for his own films or for other films, will definitely want to check this one out.
The second commentary is a solo track featuring film scholar Dana Polan. While this one does have some interesting facts about the making of the film, this track looks more at the themes brought up in the film, and he begins by mentioning the film is a "hybrid film", caught between "different values, different identites, and different moralities." He touches on the American/Old World themes in the film, and offers a few anecdotes to the production, but only to offer up as backing to the themes he presents. I don't believe I've heard a commentary by Dana Polan before, but based on this one I would most surely listen to any other ones he has done.
On the second dual-layered disc you'll find a wealth of supplements. The category "The Third Man File" presents more features carried over from the original release involving some information on the film and some publicity materials. "Insider Information" is more-or-less carried over from the original DVD. On the original it was called "Production History" which was a stills gallery with text information that you could manually navigate through. Criterion has modified it a bit. Now it's an automated slide show and the text has been replaced with a voice over by Robb Webb. The photos from the previous release appear to be here along with other photos (including advertising material), though presented in a different order than what was on the original release. The voice over pretty much replicates the text notes, not exactly, but catches all the information presented in those notes and adds more. While all the information presented by the narration is also presented elsewhere on the disc this is a good 9-minute crash course on the film.
"U.S. vs. UK Version" has also been carried over and is the same feature, presenting a text intro explaining the differences and then the option to watch intros to both versions of the film, the American one with a voice-over by Joseph Cotten, and the UK version (the version presented as the main feature on the DVD) with voice-over by Carol Reed.
"Kind to Foreigners" is a new feature. The scenes in the film spoken in languages other than English weren't translated to add confusion, what Cotten's character was probably feeling. Here Criterion presents three scenes with English subtitle translations, the scenes being the sequence where Holly questions the porter about what he saw, the sequence where the old land lady is complaining about how the police are tearing up the place, and the scene where the police come to pick up Anna. While the scenes still conveyed what they had to without the translations I have to say it's great finally knowing what the old woman and porter are saying, and also what was being said when Anna is taken away.
Also found here is the original American theatrical trailer. And another new feature is the UK press book, which is presented like a stills gallery, allowing you to flip through the contents (though still nowhere as cool as a similar presentation on The 39 Steps DVD where you could highlight sections to zoom in on.)
The biggest supplement on the set, other than the commentaries, is the 2005 documentary "Shadowing The Third Man". This 92-minute feature is presented in a widescreen aspect ratio of approximately 1.78:1 and has actually been enhanced for widescreen televisions (the only feature that is presented in widescreen). Narrated by John Hurt, the film goes over not only the production history of the film, but also touches briefly on the atmosphere after the war and Vienna itself, getting present day shots of the locations used in the film. It contains some newer interviews, Guy Hamilton taking up most of these, and also includes archival footage of Graham Greene and Orson Welles (Carol Reed is heard on audio segments.) The documentary covers its subject rather well, including some amusing anecdotes (Welles initially refused to leave his hotel room until Hamilton promised a magic show for him) and bits about Selznick and Reed going heads on with one another about how the film should work. My only complaint is that the documentary uses a lot of footage from the film. I wouldn't be surprised if 30-minutes of the documentary is clips from the film, sometimes stylistically projected onto the wall of a building or another setting from the film. This is probably just a personal thing, as I've seen the movie numerous times so know the sequences inside and out, but I was more concerned about the making of the film and felt these moments brought the documentary to a stand-still. Other than that one peeve, it's an excellent doc and worth checking out.
We then get another documentary, not on the original DVD release, entitled "Who Was the Third Man?" running about 29-minutes. It was made for Austrian and German TV in 2000 and marked the 50th anniversary. In German with English subtitles it's a nice little add on to the longer documentary. While it covers some of the same material as that documentary and the commentaries it gives a more Austrian perspective, limiting the interviews to the Austrian cast and crew. It also gives some back information about what was going on in Vienna after the war, and even shows the film's affect today (there are apparently guided tours through the sewers where scenes were shot, something I wasn't aware of.) Kudos to Criterion for digging this one up.
Next is "The Third Man on the Radio", which presents two radio presentations that were also on the previous release. Presented here are "A Ticket to Tangiers" from "The Lives of Harry Lime", and the Lux Radio Theatre adaptation of "The Third Man". While the feature is the same the presentation is different. The previous release displayed a graphic of a radio on screen while the program played. Lame I guess, but creative. This release simply displays the menu with text. I didn't listen to the programs again, though recall neither being great (I recall Lime, played by Welles, in the "Ticket" episode was very different from the one in the film) but are still nice additions for historical reasons and just a general curiosity. One note, on the original release, the radio program for "The Third Man" was indexed. While this release still seems to have the same chapter stops (by clicking the "Next/Skip" button on your remote) there is no on-screen index. "Ticket..." runs about a half hour and "The Third Man" runs over an hour.
Next up, "Graham Green: The Hunted Man" is nice new addition to the set. This hour long program features an audio recorded interview with Greene, that plays over footage, mixed in with a few other interviews. The segment goes over his work, his life, and does touch on The Third Man. I don't think I've ever seen or heard any footage involving Greene himself so I was quite pleased with this and it's worth a look.
Another section called "From the Archives" presents 3 supplements. "Anton Karas at London's Empress Club" is archive footage of Karas performing segments from his soundtrack from the film at the Empress Club in London (just what the title says) running shy of 3-minutes. "In the Underworld of Vienna" is a segment covering the sewer police (Canal Brigade) in Vienna as they patrol the sewers looking for smugglers and thieves. This segment lasts a minute and 45 seconds. Those two were also found on the previous Criterion release. "The Third Man's Vienna" is a new addition. This is a slide show, presenting notes and photographs covering Vienna after the war, as well as its influence on Greene and the film. There's some decent photos and some great copies of propaganda posters in here. It's a small but a worthwhile bit to look at.
Lastly there is a 28-page booklet. Half of it is photos but there's three decent essays on the film and Greene by Luc Sante, Charles Drazin (who helped Criterion put together the "Production History/Insider Information" supplement on both versions of the DVD), and Philip Kerr. Surprisingly Criterion did not move over the essay by Michael Wilmington found in the insert of the original release.
And along with that essay some other things didn't make it from the original release, though some may not be too concerned. The "Production History" segent was changed as I mentioned, but probably for the better. The Restoration Demonstration on the original is missing, but since this is a whole new transfer that one was probably obsolete (though still fascinating to watch.) And the Rialto re-release trailer is missing as well. I also could not find the Easter Egg that was on the original DVD, involving the paintings influenced by the film. Though they could be on here and I just didn't come across them.
I never had complaints about the original release, but Criterion has definitely topped it with some solid supplements and an improved transfer in both the picture (though window boxed) and sound department. If you're not too concerned about the supplements and own the original I can say you're probably fine with the original Criterion release. But for fans of this film interested in the history of the film, this set is definitely worth the upgrade. It delves deeper into the making of it and gives a great amount of information on those involved, especially Greene, and also gives a decent history lesson about Vienna after the war. A very solid effort by Criterion.
The first disc presents a few supplements. Carried over from the original release is the four-and-half minute intro by Peter Bogdanovich. Also carried over from the original edition is "The Third Man Treatment", an audio track with actor Richard Clarke reading Graham Greene's treatment for the film (abridged for the DVD release, as stated at the beginning.) It's interesting to listen to, most notably for a few differences. The track has also mostly been synched up to what is going on during the film (and has been abridged to accomplish this, as it mentions at the beginning.). Also carried over is a text segment for Greene's preface, touching on why he ended up writing a publication (despite the fact it was only meant to be a film) and even touches on his initial disagreement with Reed on the ending.
New for the release are two commentary tracks, both recorded exclusively for this release.
The first audio commentary has director Steven Soderbergh and writer/director Tony Gilroy (director of the upcoming Michael Clayton, and screen writer for the Bourne films, The Cutting Edge 1 and 2, and, yes, Armageddon, amongst others) participating. I've only listened to a few of Soderbergh's commentaries (not including the ones for his own films) but have always enjoyed them (Without him the one for Point Blank would have been incredibly dry) and also liked this one. The two mostly sit back in awe of the film, expressing how the film has influenced them in writing and/or directing, and pointing out and explaining why they love certain sequences, or how the film was shot (they both express how they admire the angle shots). Soderbergh has control over the track, though, offering lots of tid bits he's picked up from books or people he has met who have worked on the film, including clashes between Selznick and Reed. Soderbergh also, on occasion, likes to point out little bits here and there that were cut from the American release. Gilroy only offers influences really, but does make an observation about Winkle and Kurtz I actually never considered (nor Soderbergh apparently.) Quite informative and actually fairly amusing in places, anybody who has enjoyed Soderbergh's other commentaries, whether for his own films or for other films, will definitely want to check this one out.
The second commentary is a solo track featuring film scholar Dana Polan. While this one does have some interesting facts about the making of the film, this track looks more at the themes brought up in the film, and he begins by mentioning the film is a "hybrid film", caught between "different values, different identites, and different moralities." He touches on the American/Old World themes in the film, and offers a few anecdotes to the production, but only to offer up as backing to the themes he presents. I don't believe I've heard a commentary by Dana Polan before, but based on this one I would most surely listen to any other ones he has done.
On the second dual-layered disc you'll find a wealth of supplements. The category "The Third Man File" presents more features carried over from the original release involving some information on the film and some publicity materials. "Insider Information" is more-or-less carried over from the original DVD. On the original it was called "Production History" which was a stills gallery with text information that you could manually navigate through. Criterion has modified it a bit. Now it's an automated slide show and the text has been replaced with a voice over by Robb Webb. The photos from the previous release appear to be here along with other photos (including advertising material), though presented in a different order than what was on the original release. The voice over pretty much replicates the text notes, not exactly, but catches all the information presented in those notes and adds more. While all the information presented by the narration is also presented elsewhere on the disc this is a good 9-minute crash course on the film.
"U.S. vs. UK Version" has also been carried over and is the same feature, presenting a text intro explaining the differences and then the option to watch intros to both versions of the film, the American one with a voice-over by Joseph Cotten, and the UK version (the version presented as the main feature on the DVD) with voice-over by Carol Reed.
"Kind to Foreigners" is a new feature. The scenes in the film spoken in languages other than English weren't translated to add confusion, what Cotten's character was probably feeling. Here Criterion presents three scenes with English subtitle translations, the scenes being the sequence where Holly questions the porter about what he saw, the sequence where the old land lady is complaining about how the police are tearing up the place, and the scene where the police come to pick up Anna. While the scenes still conveyed what they had to without the translations I have to say it's great finally knowing what the old woman and porter are saying, and also what was being said when Anna is taken away.
Also found here is the original American theatrical trailer. And another new feature is the UK press book, which is presented like a stills gallery, allowing you to flip through the contents (though still nowhere as cool as a similar presentation on The 39 Steps DVD where you could highlight sections to zoom in on.)
The biggest supplement on the set, other than the commentaries, is the 2005 documentary "Shadowing The Third Man". This 92-minute feature is presented in a widescreen aspect ratio of approximately 1.78:1 and has actually been enhanced for widescreen televisions (the only feature that is presented in widescreen). Narrated by John Hurt, the film goes over not only the production history of the film, but also touches briefly on the atmosphere after the war and Vienna itself, getting present day shots of the locations used in the film. It contains some newer interviews, Guy Hamilton taking up most of these, and also includes archival footage of Graham Greene and Orson Welles (Carol Reed is heard on audio segments.) The documentary covers its subject rather well, including some amusing anecdotes (Welles initially refused to leave his hotel room until Hamilton promised a magic show for him) and bits about Selznick and Reed going heads on with one another about how the film should work. My only complaint is that the documentary uses a lot of footage from the film. I wouldn't be surprised if 30-minutes of the documentary is clips from the film, sometimes stylistically projected onto the wall of a building or another setting from the film. This is probably just a personal thing, as I've seen the movie numerous times so know the sequences inside and out, but I was more concerned about the making of the film and felt these moments brought the documentary to a stand-still. Other than that one peeve, it's an excellent doc and worth checking out.
We then get another documentary, not on the original DVD release, entitled "Who Was the Third Man?" running about 29-minutes. It was made for Austrian and German TV in 2000 and marked the 50th anniversary. In German with English subtitles it's a nice little add on to the longer documentary. While it covers some of the same material as that documentary and the commentaries it gives a more Austrian perspective, limiting the interviews to the Austrian cast and crew. It also gives some back information about what was going on in Vienna after the war, and even shows the film's affect today (there are apparently guided tours through the sewers where scenes were shot, something I wasn't aware of.) Kudos to Criterion for digging this one up.
Next is "The Third Man on the Radio", which presents two radio presentations that were also on the previous release. Presented here are "A Ticket to Tangiers" from "The Lives of Harry Lime", and the Lux Radio Theatre adaptation of "The Third Man". While the feature is the same the presentation is different. The previous release displayed a graphic of a radio on screen while the program played. Lame I guess, but creative. This release simply displays the menu with text. I didn't listen to the programs again, though recall neither being great (I recall Lime, played by Welles, in the "Ticket" episode was very different from the one in the film) but are still nice additions for historical reasons and just a general curiosity. One note, on the original release, the radio program for "The Third Man" was indexed. While this release still seems to have the same chapter stops (by clicking the "Next/Skip" button on your remote) there is no on-screen index. "Ticket..." runs about a half hour and "The Third Man" runs over an hour.
Next up, "Graham Green: The Hunted Man" is nice new addition to the set. This hour long program features an audio recorded interview with Greene, that plays over footage, mixed in with a few other interviews. The segment goes over his work, his life, and does touch on The Third Man. I don't think I've ever seen or heard any footage involving Greene himself so I was quite pleased with this and it's worth a look.
Another section called "From the Archives" presents 3 supplements. "Anton Karas at London's Empress Club" is archive footage of Karas performing segments from his soundtrack from the film at the Empress Club in London (just what the title says) running shy of 3-minutes. "In the Underworld of Vienna" is a segment covering the sewer police (Canal Brigade) in Vienna as they patrol the sewers looking for smugglers and thieves. This segment lasts a minute and 45 seconds. Those two were also found on the previous Criterion release. "The Third Man's Vienna" is a new addition. This is a slide show, presenting notes and photographs covering Vienna after the war, as well as its influence on Greene and the film. There's some decent photos and some great copies of propaganda posters in here. It's a small but a worthwhile bit to look at.
Lastly there is a 28-page booklet. Half of it is photos but there's three decent essays on the film and Greene by Luc Sante, Charles Drazin (who helped Criterion put together the "Production History/Insider Information" supplement on both versions of the DVD), and Philip Kerr. Surprisingly Criterion did not move over the essay by Michael Wilmington found in the insert of the original release.
And along with that essay some other things didn't make it from the original release, though some may not be too concerned. The "Production History" segent was changed as I mentioned, but probably for the better. The Restoration Demonstration on the original is missing, but since this is a whole new transfer that one was probably obsolete (though still fascinating to watch.) And the Rialto re-release trailer is missing as well. I also could not find the Easter Egg that was on the original DVD, involving the paintings influenced by the film. Though they could be on here and I just didn't come across them.
I never had complaints about the original release, but Criterion has definitely topped it with some solid supplements and an improved transfer in both the picture (though window boxed) and sound department. If you're not too concerned about the supplements and own the original I can say you're probably fine with the original Criterion release. But for fans of this film interested in the history of the film, this set is definitely worth the upgrade. It delves deeper into the making of it and gives a great amount of information on those involved, especially Greene, and also gives a decent history lesson about Vienna after the war. A very solid effort by Criterion.
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THX1378
- Joined: Thu Dec 02, 2004 5:35 am
- Location: Fresno, CA
Just picked mine up at Rasputin today. Since the March releases, Rasputin has been selling all their new Criterion's for $19.99 to $29.99. So the price point is better than it is at Best Buy, which doesn't get many Criterion dvds that much anymore. I've been watching the doc on the second disc and I feel the same way as Chris. While it's a very informative, it does have the feel that there is too much footage from the film shown at times. Not that it's a bad thing, but when your a fan of the film and have seen it many times, you want to see and know more about the important stuff. All in all so far I'm glad I upgraded it.
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colinr0380
- Joined: Mon Nov 08, 2004 4:30 pm
- Location: Chapel-en-le-Frith, Derbyshire, UK
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Belmondo
- Joined: Thu Feb 08, 2007 9:19 am
- Location: Cape Cod
Thanks to Chris for his comprehensive analysis (above) of the new two disc set.
It did not bother me that the "Shadowing the Third Man" doc used extensive scenes from the film, but the artsy device of projecting them against walls, distorted windows etc., really became irritating for me and disrupted the flow of information. On the other hand, I always enjoy hearing about the "small" details involved in filmmaking, such as the fact that the local residents were outraged that the bright lights used by the crew were causing electricity to be in short supply until they were assured that the crew had their own generator.
The one hour interview with Graham Greene is also an excellent addition and it may be time for those in the book world to put him in the first tier of modern authors. He is already considered "important" and his first editions are getting very expensive, but few put him in the same league as Hemingway, Steinbeck, or F. Scott Fitzgerald. Perhaps this is because Greene himself describes some of his novels as mere "entertainments", but his more important works such as The Power and the Glory and others, suggest that his themes involve a hell of a lot more than mere entertainment.
It did not bother me that the "Shadowing the Third Man" doc used extensive scenes from the film, but the artsy device of projecting them against walls, distorted windows etc., really became irritating for me and disrupted the flow of information. On the other hand, I always enjoy hearing about the "small" details involved in filmmaking, such as the fact that the local residents were outraged that the bright lights used by the crew were causing electricity to be in short supply until they were assured that the crew had their own generator.
The one hour interview with Graham Greene is also an excellent addition and it may be time for those in the book world to put him in the first tier of modern authors. He is already considered "important" and his first editions are getting very expensive, but few put him in the same league as Hemingway, Steinbeck, or F. Scott Fitzgerald. Perhaps this is because Greene himself describes some of his novels as mere "entertainments", but his more important works such as The Power and the Glory and others, suggest that his themes involve a hell of a lot more than mere entertainment.
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ezmbmh
- Joined: Tue Nov 02, 2004 4:05 pm
I agree, Belmondo. In his best books, The P & G, Heart of the Matter, Burnt Out Case, etc., he manages to somehow portray a modern sense of existential drift with a genuine, if sorrowful, yearning for the spiritual. His prose is first-rate. I put him up there with the authors you mentioned, and the fact that Greene could write "entertainments" that translate so well into movies, is only a plus.
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Antoine Doinel
- Joined: Sat Mar 04, 2006 1:22 pm
- Location: Montreal, Quebec
- Contact:
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Belmondo
- Joined: Thu Feb 08, 2007 9:19 am
- Location: Cape Cod
Finally got around to the enjoyable commentary track with Steven Soderbergh and screenwriter Tony Gilroy, and got a nice tip on another movie. As they discuss the scenes of war torn Vienna, Gilroy tells Soderbergh that he has to see a movie called "Decision Before Dawn".
It is the (more or less) true story of a German POW played by Oscar Werner who returns to Germany as a spy for the Americans. It was filmed entirely on location in what was left of the German cities in 1950, and is quite good. It was released on DVD a year ago and should be easy to find. No, it's not in the same league as "The Third Man", but it did receive an Oscar nomination for Best Picture in 1951, and it puts you in the ruins of Germany every bit as well as this one puts you in the ruins of Vienna.
It is the (more or less) true story of a German POW played by Oscar Werner who returns to Germany as a spy for the Americans. It was filmed entirely on location in what was left of the German cities in 1950, and is quite good. It was released on DVD a year ago and should be easy to find. No, it's not in the same league as "The Third Man", but it did receive an Oscar nomination for Best Picture in 1951, and it puts you in the ruins of Germany every bit as well as this one puts you in the ruins of Vienna.
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Narshty
- Joined: Tue Nov 02, 2004 2:27 pm
- Location: London, UK
Coming to Blu-ray, but two essays from the previous booklet have been unaccountably dropped. Not major losses, but I don't like the decrease of emphasis on literary materials on these back-catalogue Blu-ray versions.
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Antoine Doinel
- Joined: Sat Mar 04, 2006 1:22 pm
- Location: Montreal, Quebec
- Contact:
The BBC documentary on the film can be viewed online here.
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Scharphedin2
- Joined: Fri May 19, 2006 7:37 am
- Location: Denmark/Sweden
Great recommendation... I was very pleased with this film, when it came out on DVD. I did not know anything about it, and picked it up on the strength of Oscar Werner's presence. The comment concerning actual battle locations being used in the film is interesting; I am not sure that i was aware of this fact, when I viewed the film, but I do remember feeling that the film had a stronger sense of authenticity than several other '50s war films I viewed around the same time.Belmondo wrote: "Decision Before Dawn"... It is the (more or less) true story of a German POW played by Oscar Werner who returns to Germany as a spy for the Americans. It was filmed entirely on location in what was left of the German cities in 1950, and is quite good. It was released on DVD a year ago and should be easy to find. No, it's not in the same league as "The Third Man", but it did receive an Oscar nomination for Best Picture in 1951, and it puts you in the ruins of Germany every bit as well as this one puts you in the ruins of Vienna.
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Rififi
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HerrSchreck
- Joined: Sun Sep 04, 2005 11:46 am
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Dr. Mabuse
- Joined: Wed Nov 03, 2004 3:37 pm
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Person
- Joined: Sat May 19, 2007 3:00 pm
Re: 64 The Third Man
No picture-boxing! Good.. fucking... times.
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Telstar
- Joined: Mon Apr 10, 2006 12:35 pm
Re: 64 The Third Man
I've asked this same question regarding The Man Who Fell to Earth, but I'd appreciate hearing some more comments from those who have directly compared The Third Man blu-ray's picture quality with that of the standard dvd edition. I'm annoyed that the blu-ray has a condensed booklet, so I'm not likely to upgrade unless the BD appears to be a truly astonishing improvement over the DVD. It would be nice to have both the BD and DVD, of course, but times like these call for tough choices.
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HerrSchreck
- Joined: Sun Sep 04, 2005 11:46 am
Re: 64 The Third Man
Is it me or is the contrast different between the SD and BD? Look in the beev caps at the lighting effects/highlights on the actor's faces in the DVD caps, then look at the BD caps of the same: the highlights are completely gone and covered over with grey.
Odd. Especially owing to the high contrast photography that the film is known for. You don't see the lights bouncing off of foreheads anymore.
hmmmmm....
Odd. Especially owing to the high contrast photography that the film is known for. You don't see the lights bouncing off of foreheads anymore.
hmmmmm....
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GringoTex
- Joined: Wed Nov 03, 2004 5:57 am
Re: 64 The Third Man
By "condensed," do you mean less content or smaller font?Telstar wrote:I'm annoyed that the blu-ray has a condensed booklet
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Telstar
- Joined: Mon Apr 10, 2006 12:35 pm
Re: 64 The Third Man
Haven't seen the new blu so I can't speak for the font, but the new booklet is apparently only 13 pages (as opposed to the older booklet's 28 pages), and only one of the original three essays has been carried over.GringoTex wrote:By "condensed," do you mean less content or smaller font?Telstar wrote:I'm annoyed that the blu-ray has a condensed booklet
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aox
- Joined: Fri Jun 20, 2008 12:02 pm
- Location: nYc
Re: 64 The Third Man
I am honestly starting to feel like a blu-ray edition of any film pre-1970 in B&W isn't worth an upgrade if you have a remastered SD DVD. The only one I have seen that made a difference was Casablanca, and even that was minimal IMO.
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Telstar
- Joined: Mon Apr 10, 2006 12:35 pm
Re: 64 The Third Man
Not sure I agree about what blu-ray can do with older B&W films. I haven't seen the blu-ray of Casablanca yet, but I thought the old HD-DVD was a marked improvement over the DVD. If the blu-ray of The Third Man is that noticeable an upgrade over the SD DVD, it's going to be hard to resist.aox wrote:I am honestly starting to feel like a blu-ray edition of any film pre-1970 in B&W isn't worth an upgrade if you have a remastered SD DVD. The only one I have seen that made a difference was Casablanca, and even that was minimal IMO.
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swo17
- Bloodthirsty Butcher
- Joined: Tue Apr 15, 2008 10:25 am
- Location: SLC, UT
Re: 64 The Third Man
I think a lot of it depends on the size of your TV screen. If you're under, say, 40" and you already have the SD reissue of The Third Man, you may not notice a sizable improvement. (They're both based off the same HD transfer.) But as you start to get bigger than that, the improvement in quality with Blu-ray becomes more and more apparent. I think there is a common misconception that B&W/grainy/old movies can't look good on Blu-ray. The benefit of HD isn't that it makes everything look more new, sleek, and flashy. It's the fact that much less compression is used. It's not going to make The Third Man look like Sin City* but it should be a much more accurate presentation of how it looks on film. Anyway, depending on your screen size/level of pixel OCD, it may be worth the upgrade. Or if you have a BD player and you have never owned the title, the Blu-ray is a no brainer.
*I realize this very idea just made some of you throw up a little in your mouths. For that I apologize.
*I realize this very idea just made some of you throw up a little in your mouths. For that I apologize.