Studio Canal / Kinowelt / Optimum

[broadwayrock]

The screen caps at Beaver don't appear to reflect that. Mind you, they are different caps.

Fifth set of caps down on the beaver page look at the 'G' and brick wall behind Belmondo's head.

[Murdoch]

Shame about the cropped image though (even if it is slight)

[4LOM]

My screenshot comparison for Jean-Luc Godard's "Pierrot le fou" is online. It's a comparison of the German "StudioCanal Collection"-Blu-ray, the Criterion Blu-ray and the Swedish Universal/StudioCanal-DVD.

Here's the subtitle translation of the French-speaking infos about the restoration at the beginning of the movie on the "StudioCanal Collection" Blu-ray:

This film was restored by StudioCanal and the Cinémathèque Francaise with the support of the Franco-American Cultural Fund.

Pierrot le fou was shot in Techniscope, on Eastmancolor emulsion. Techniscope was often used at the time, notably for reasons of economy, because the image only took up two perforations per photogramme. The dupe-positive, also printed Techniscope, is lost. As for the internegative, it had become unusable and was destroyed in 1990. A new internegative element was made on reversible film stock, with an anamorphic image on four frames, which is still used to make prints today. However, this element doesn't reflect the qualities of the original work, particularly in terms of the colormetrics. The restoration resides entirely in the making of a new negative from the digitisation in 2K of the camera negative, which has the original colors of Eastmancolor. As for the sound, the original magnetic elements disappeared, a new negative was made from a positive of the period, respecting the original mono format.

[4LOM]

My screenshot comparison for Jean-Luc Godard's "Pierrot le fou" is online. It's a comparison of the German "StudioCanal Collection"-Blu-ray, the Criterion Blu-ray and the Swedish Universal/StudioCanal-DVD.

Here's the subtitle translation of the French-speaking infos about the restoration at the beginning of the movie on the "StudioCanal Collection" Blu-ray:

This film was restored by StudioCanal and the Cinémathèque Francaise with the support of the Franco-American Cultural Fund.

Pierrot le fou was shot in Techniscope, on Eastmancolor emulsion. Techniscope was often used at the time, notably for reasons of economy, because the image only took up two perforations per photogramme. The dupe-positive, also printed Techniscope, is lost. As for the internegative, it had become unusable and was destroyed in 1990. A new internegative element was made on reversible film stock, with an anamorphic image on four frames, which is still used to make prints today. However, this element doesn't reflect the qualities of the original work, particularly in terms of the colormetrics. The restoration resides entirely in the making of a new negative from the digitisation in 2K of the camera negative, which has the original colors of Eastmancolor. As for the sound, the original magnetic elements disappeared, a new negative was made from a positive of the period, respecting the original mono format.

[ellipsis7]

Have the Studio Canal SENSO Blu - is the most recent resto screened @ Cannes last year* - option of Italian, French & German soundtracks, optional French & German subtitles... Initial impression is pleasing, although the image strikes as not quite as sharp as the BFI LEOPARD Blu, but I'll have to give it a full run through to form a definite conclusion...

*That resto -

SENSO (1954, d. Luchino Visconti) – Restored by StudioCanal, Centro Sperimentale di Cinematografia/Cineteca Nazionale, Cineteca di Bologna L’Immagine Ritrovata. Funding provided by GUCCI, The Film Foundation, and Comitato Italia 150. In Italian with English subtitles, 123 min.

[DanV]

Anyone knows how do the Optimum's Melvilles compare to Criterion's? The transfers, I mean. I'm especially interested in Le Doulos and Bob Le Flambeur.

[tojoed]

I prefer the colour balance on the Optimum "Le Doulos" to the Criterion, I don't have the Crit "Bob". I have the Optimum Melville box and all the transfers are fine. Plenty of extras too.

[DanV]

Thanks, tojoed, much appreciated.

[perkizitore]

Any reviews on 'Queen Of Spades' except for this one?

[MichaelB]

What's wrong with that review? It seems to cover all the obvious bases.

[atcolomb]

Just received Contempt and Ran....a little disappointed...could have been a little sharper but maybe beacause of the original print of the film? The Ladykillers did look very good but sometimes the colors on the faces looked alittle red to me. All three had the same music when you were at the menu section?....

[perkizitore]

Nothing, i just like variety.

[skuhn8]

Nothing, i just like variety.

well, certainly a bright review without any glaring omissions. This emoticon is well-fitted:

[gyorgys]

Inland Empire and Vengeance (Johnnie To) will appear on blu-ray in April and May respectively.

[Matt]

Inland Empire

Now here's where you raise the hackles of Blu-ray skeptics everywhere. What can Blu-ray possibly do for a movie shot in consumer-grade DV? I expect in this case, it's the uncompressed soundtrack that would make the upgrade worth doing.

[peerpee]

Consumer grade DV that was then blown up to 35mm. So if the HD telecine was made from 35mm elements, then we'll see something altogether more interesting than a simple SD > HD uprez.

[Matt]

From what I can gather, the DVD used HDCam tapes as the master, the same master used to create the 35mm distribution prints (which is the only point at which film was used). But I'd be interested in seeing an HD version of the film. I like intentional DV noise about as much as I like film grain, and I'm curious to see if HD offers anything beyond magnifications of the limitations of DV.

[peerpee]

Very interesting. I remember reading this at the time (2007).

So it was SD DV > Alchemist > HDCAM-SR > lots of colour correction and post production > back to HDCAM-SR and this HDCAM-SR (kept completely in the digital domain) is regarded as "the master" from which everything else was 'struck' -- the 35mm, the DVD, and now the Blu-ray.

I think this is going to look really quite interesting on Blu-ray. It won't just be a magnification of DV's 'deficiencies' - it will be a magnification of what the Alchemist did, and what post-production work they did in the HD domain. Should be lovely.

I'm involved with something very similar to this at the moment, so thanks for posting that link again!

[Nothing]

It won't just be a magnification of DV's deficiencies

Have removed the quotations marks for you

[tojoed]

Alexander MacKendrick's Sammy Going South in June.

[perkizitore]

The Railway Children on blu-ray in May. Thanks for the birtday present, Optimum! \:D/

[evillights]

So, regarding Contempt... Unless I missed it, no-one else (including DVDBeaver) has noticed that on this StudioCanal BD release, something between half and one-third of the feature is in up-rezzed SD? Leaping from HD and up-rezzed SD from one shot to the next, often within the same scene? In the sequence that takes place within the couple's flat, the couches, flowers, and Bardot's towel will shift from primary red (in the gorgeous HD shots) to a reddish orange (in all the SD shots).

And yet, DVDBeaver reports: "I think it looks and sounds great but some who are more discerning may, possibly, be expecting more. This is probably how good the best source can supply [sic] at the present time."

Not sure how this slipped by, to tell the truth. The difference between high-def, and (up-rezzed) standard-def, is night and day.

I can't even imagine (or rather, I can very well imagine) what was being said in the Criterion offices when the first copy of this StudioCanal version came along.

ck.

[ellipsis7]

That's truly extraordinary - so glad I didn't pick this one up!...

[subliminac]

So, regarding Contempt... Unless I missed it, no-one else (including DVDBeaver) has noticed that on this StudioCanal BD release, something between half and one-third of the feature is in up-rezzed SD? Leaping from HD and up-rezzed SD from one shot to the next, often within the same scene? In the sequence that takes place within the couple's flat, the couches, flowers, and Bardot's towel will shift from primary red (in the gorgeous HD shots) to a reddish orange (in all the SD shots).

You're absolutely right. I was suprised no one else mentioned this as well. About a third of the movie looks no better than the Criterion DVD, and the way it leaps about in quality (even within the same scene!) makes me wish I would have kept it instead of "upgrading." At least then I could watch and enjoy the film without distraction.

[aox]

until they clean up their act (releases), I am not giving this company a penny.