Go Back  DVD Talk Forum > DVD Discussions > DVD Reviews and Recommendations
Reload this Page >

DVD Talk review of 'Bram Stoker's Dracula - Collector's Edition'

DVD Reviews and Recommendations Read, Post and Request DVD Reviews.

DVD Talk review of 'Bram Stoker's Dracula - Collector's Edition'

Old 09-28-07, 11:44 AM
  #1  
DVD Talk Legend
Thread Starter
 
Shannon Nutt's Avatar
 
Join Date: Jun 2003
Location: Pittsburgh, PA
Posts: 18,347
Received 321 Likes on 239 Posts
DVD Talk review of 'Bram Stoker's Dracula - Collector's Edition'

I read Jamie S. Rich's DVD review of Bram Stoker's Dracula - Collector's Edition at http://www.dvdtalk.com/reviews/read.php?ID=30709 and...

So the video here doesn't suffer the same fate as the Blu-ray version (which was horrible)? I'd love to find out more about the DVD video quality and how it compares to previous releases we've seen of this movie. The Blu-ray was grainy, muddy and dark...doesn't sound like the DVD is the same, but I've heard the same new transfer was used for both DVD and Blu-ray.
Old 09-28-07, 12:16 PM
  #2  
Emeritus Reviewer
 
jamieoni's Avatar
 
Join Date: Nov 2001
Location: Portland, OR
Posts: 1,062
Likes: 0
Received 0 Likes on 0 Posts
Well, I noticed some night scene graininess in a few spots, but it looked to me more like how the film was shot than any problem with authoring. I checked out one Blu-Ray review after you posted this, and honestly, did not see the flatness or the dirt that reviewer spoke of. I find the overall picture to be appropriately dark.

I look forward to hearing what others think, though. I try to listen to alternate points of views to better help me evaluate what I am looking at in the future.

Thanks for starting the thread.
Old 09-30-07, 12:45 PM
  #3  
Banned by request
 
Supermallet's Avatar
 
Join Date: Jun 2000
Location: Termite Terrace
Posts: 54,150
Likes: 0
Received 8 Likes on 8 Posts
Jamie, the big issue with the Blu-ray transfer (and I do believe the DVD is indeed taken from the same master) is that the colors are different from the Sony Superbit DVD that was released a few years back. The colors in that edition were much brighter and stylized. However, according to Josh Zyber, the colors in the new edition are closer to the colors of the Criterion Collection laserdisc, so there's a bit of controversy going on about which color scheme is "correct," so to speak.

As for the Blu-ray, I think the reason it's getting such a bad rap is because it doesn't look very good compared to other recent HD releases like Underworld and such. I highly doubt anyone who dislikes the BD will love the DVD version. The only thing I can think of is that the BD will more than likely have more grain than the DVD version, because less grain will have been filtered out in the transfer. But that's actually preserving more of the original master, as opposed to obscuring it.

I am in the process of doing my BD review of Dracula, which should be up in the next few days.
Old 10-01-07, 09:22 AM
  #4  
DVD Talk Legend
 
Josh Z's Avatar
 
Join Date: Dec 2001
Location: Boston
Posts: 11,755
Received 252 Likes on 179 Posts
Originally Posted by Suprmallet
The colors in that edition were much brighter and stylized. However, according to Josh Zyber, the colors in the new edition are closer to the colors of the Criterion Collection laserdisc, so there's a bit of controversy going on about which color scheme is "correct," so to speak.
I actually haven't done that comparison yet, because I don't have the Blu-ray. I was just pointing out that the colors on the laserdisc were different than the colors on the DVD.

I think what worries me more than the color changes are the reported black crush issues. But again, I haven't seen the Blu-ray myself yet.
Old 10-01-07, 10:07 AM
  #5  
Banned by request
 
Supermallet's Avatar
 
Join Date: Jun 2000
Location: Termite Terrace
Posts: 54,150
Likes: 0
Received 8 Likes on 8 Posts
Thanks for the correction, Josh. I was going off memory there.
Old 10-03-07, 07:15 AM
  #6  
Banned by request
 
Supermallet's Avatar
 
Join Date: Jun 2000
Location: Termite Terrace
Posts: 54,150
Likes: 0
Received 8 Likes on 8 Posts
For comparison, here is my Blu-ray review:
http://www.dvdtalk.com/reviews/read.php?ID=30820
Old 10-03-07, 09:43 AM
  #7  
DVD Talk Special Edition
 
Join Date: Nov 2003
Location: Bend, Oregon
Posts: 1,827
Likes: 0
Received 0 Likes on 0 Posts
Originally Posted by Suprmallet
For comparison, here is my Blu-ray review:
http://www.dvdtalk.com/reviews/read.php?ID=30820
Suprmallet, your review affirms my hesitancy on why I will probably pass on both the new Dracula CE and this Blu Ray release (when I go HD format neutral). I simply like the color scheme in the Superbit transfer more.

Last edited by tofferman; 10-03-07 at 09:49 AM.
Old 10-03-07, 02:19 PM
  #8  
Banned by request
 
Supermallet's Avatar
 
Join Date: Jun 2000
Location: Termite Terrace
Posts: 54,150
Likes: 0
Received 8 Likes on 8 Posts
As I mentioned in the review, I actually like a lot of the color changes, but I can definitely see how it would divide audiences. Unfortunately, this may be all we get on high definition.
Old 10-03-07, 03:08 PM
  #9  
DVD Talk Reviewer
 
Randy Miller III's Avatar
 
Join Date: Sep 2003
Location: Harrisburg, PA
Posts: 4,717
Received 1 Like on 1 Post
Damn, that's longer than most of my reviews.
Old 10-03-07, 03:38 PM
  #10  
DVD Talk Platinum Edition
 
Join Date: Oct 2000
Location: Fort Collins, CO
Posts: 3,479
Likes: 0
Received 1 Like on 1 Post
Whether you like or dislike the BD transfer, that was very informative! As for the movie itself, I've only seen what I've read about in these forums, and I admit it didn't look good to me and my untrained eye- or maybe conditioned eye-expecting to see sharp detail and hues similar to or better than previous releases. That excerpt mentions how soft detail, darkness etc may have actually been intentional for artistic reasons. It will be interesting to see if the studio bows to the pressure and creates another version, or stands firms with the current finished product.
Old 10-03-07, 05:34 PM
  #11  
Banned by request
 
Supermallet's Avatar
 
Join Date: Jun 2000
Location: Termite Terrace
Posts: 54,150
Likes: 0
Received 8 Likes on 8 Posts
There is no doubt that Francis Ford Coppola shot Dracula soft, both as a stylistic choice and to better meld many of the in-camera effects that he used. But what troubles me is that even a very soft 35mm image should hold more detail than a 480p NTSC image, and that HD should be able to resolve those details.
Old 10-04-07, 12:35 AM
  #12  
Emeritus Reviewer
 
jamieoni's Avatar
 
Join Date: Nov 2001
Location: Portland, OR
Posts: 1,062
Likes: 0
Received 0 Likes on 0 Posts
I've added an update to my review to include a mention of the controversy and my link to the Blu-Ray review on the site. I still don't see the same level in problems on my disc, but we wouldn't be reviewing both formats if they were the same experience, now would we?
Old 10-04-07, 04:09 AM
  #13  
Banned by request
 
Supermallet's Avatar
 
Join Date: Jun 2000
Location: Termite Terrace
Posts: 54,150
Likes: 0
Received 8 Likes on 8 Posts
Oh, I agree. DVD and HD DVD/Blu-ray are different, and should be judged differently.
Old 10-05-07, 01:44 AM
  #14  
New Member
 
Join Date: Oct 2007
Posts: 2
Likes: 0
Received 0 Likes on 0 Posts
I'm surprised no one has mentioned how the subtitles are now horrible "chryoned" in yellow text instead of the original white victorian typeset from the original theatrical release. You can still see the original subtitles in the Blood is the Life doc on Disc 2 (just look at 3'10" into the doc and you see an excerpt from the theatrical version...compare it to the same scene at 2'30 on Disc one). The new yellow text jobs are horrible, much more of a problem than the color issues.

As for the color debate, the original Columbia-Tristar Laserdisc (from 1993) was supervised by Director of Photography Michael Ballhaus and is probably the best reference for the original color scheme. Comparing the two, the new 2007 DVD is not bad for authenticity...maybe a little darker, but nothing is really shrouded by it. Just my 2 cents...
Old 10-05-07, 09:26 AM
  #15  
DVD Talk Legend
 
Josh Z's Avatar
 
Join Date: Dec 2001
Location: Boston
Posts: 11,755
Received 252 Likes on 179 Posts
Originally Posted by Cinema-Sandman
As for the color debate, the original Columbia-Tristar Laserdisc (from 1993) was supervised by Director of Photography Michael Ballhaus and is probably the best reference for the original color scheme.
It was the Criterion laserdisc that was supervised by Ballhaus and Coppola, not the TriStar disc, IIRC.
Old 10-05-07, 12:10 PM
  #16  
New Member
 
Join Date: Oct 2007
Posts: 2
Likes: 0
Received 0 Likes on 0 Posts
Josh Z, if you check the inside flap of the Columbia-Tristar Laserdisc, it clearly reads "Transfer supervised by Director of Photography Michael Ballhaus". Not to be contrary, but it is right here in front of me. The Criterion was also supervised by Coppola, but having seen the original 35MM film in 1992, I feel the Columbia Tristar disc was the closer copy to the theatrical version.
Old 10-05-07, 02:04 PM
  #17  
Banned
 
Join Date: Feb 2002
Posts: 7,982
Likes: 0
Received 0 Likes on 0 Posts
Originally Posted by woofman
Whether you like or dislike the BD transfer, that was very informative! As for the movie itself, I've only seen what I've read about in these forums, and I admit it didn't look good to me and my untrained eye- or maybe conditioned eye-expecting to see sharp detail and hues similar to or better than previous releases. That excerpt mentions how soft detail, darkness etc may have actually been intentional for artistic reasons. It will be interesting to see if the studio bows to the pressure and creates another version, or stands firms with the current finished product.
They will bow to pressure just like they did with CLOSE ENCOUNTERS,
Old 10-05-07, 02:18 PM
  #18  
Banned by request
 
Supermallet's Avatar
 
Join Date: Jun 2000
Location: Termite Terrace
Posts: 54,150
Likes: 0
Received 8 Likes on 8 Posts
I have amended my review to take into account both sides of the debate. Feel free to give it another read.
Old 10-11-07, 01:06 PM
  #19  
Member
 
Join Date: Jun 2005
Posts: 107
Likes: 0
Received 0 Likes on 0 Posts
Pixelation issue at chapter stops...?

Hi,

I was hoping people here could take a close look at your disc of the movie and see if you also notice the issue that is described in the posts below. Please note, this has nothing to do with the debate over color/contrast/etc. -- but an actual defect with pixelation at the start of most chapters:

http://forum.dvdtalk.com/showpost.ph...&postcount=164

More details here:

http://forum.dvdtalk.com/showpost.ph...&postcount=201

And a summary of other people having the same issue here:

http://forum.dvdtalk.com/showpost.ph...&postcount=214

I'm trying to find out if this is on all discs of the movie for the new standard edition, or just a certain batch.

Thanks for the help!

Posting Rules
You may not post new threads
You may not post replies
You may not post attachments
You may not edit your posts

BB code is On
Smilies are On
[IMG] code is On
HTML code is On
Trackbacks are Off
Pingbacks are Off
Refbacks are Off


Thread Tools
Search this Thread

Archive - Advertising - Cookie Policy - Privacy Statement - Terms of Service -

Copyright © 2024 MH Sub I, LLC dba Internet Brands. All rights reserved. Use of this site indicates your consent to the Terms of Use.