Review Wanted: Shoot To Kill
04-08-04, 02:34 PM
#2
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One of my all-time favorite flicks. I'll review this for DVD Talk in the next couple weeks if no one else does it before then.
Last edited by Shannon Nutt; 04-08-04 at 02:37 PM.
04-08-04, 06:53 PM
#3
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Please.
After the horrible European release (incorrect aspect ratio and inferior picture and sound quality) I really hope this one is worth it. But knowing Buena Vista I won't buy it until I have read at least one review of it.
After the horrible European release (incorrect aspect ratio and inferior picture and sound quality) I really hope this one is worth it. But knowing Buena Vista I won't buy it until I have read at least one review of it.
04-09-04, 04:42 PM
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Originally posted by Shannon Nutt
Well, the box cover says it is 2.35:1
Is this the correct ratio?
Well, the box cover says it is 2.35:1
Is this the correct ratio?
Yes, it is. AFAIK it's the first home video release ever in the correct ratio.
04-12-04, 11:34 AM
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I picked this up at Tower Records last week and watched it last night.
I only have a "normal" tv, so I'm not the best reviewer of picture quality, but I was quite pleased. I didn't get the impression there'd been any significant restoration to speak of, but the print seemed to be in pretty nice shape. No distracting grain in the opening night sequence, and all the daylight mountain scenes looked great in widescreen.
I was hoping for a little more agressive ambient surround sound in the woods, but the 5.1 was nice for some gunshots here and there and the dialogue was all clear to me.
Deep Discount has this for under $10. If you like the movie it's absolutely worth picking up as far as I'm concerned.
(BTW: It sure looked like 2:35:1 to me, but I couldn't help noticing that someone had a letter cut off his name in the opening credits, so I don't know...)
I only have a "normal" tv, so I'm not the best reviewer of picture quality, but I was quite pleased. I didn't get the impression there'd been any significant restoration to speak of, but the print seemed to be in pretty nice shape. No distracting grain in the opening night sequence, and all the daylight mountain scenes looked great in widescreen.
I was hoping for a little more agressive ambient surround sound in the woods, but the 5.1 was nice for some gunshots here and there and the dialogue was all clear to me.
Deep Discount has this for under $10. If you like the movie it's absolutely worth picking up as far as I'm concerned.
(BTW: It sure looked like 2:35:1 to me, but I couldn't help noticing that someone had a letter cut off his name in the opening credits, so I don't know...)
Last edited by Jnuke; 04-12-04 at 11:38 AM.
04-13-04, 04:49 AM
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Originally posted by Jnuke
(BTW: It sure looked like 2:35:1 to me, but I couldn't help noticing that someone had a letter cut off his name in the opening credits, so I don't know...)
(BTW: It sure looked like 2:35:1 to me, but I couldn't help noticing that someone had a letter cut off his name in the opening credits, so I don't know...)
That's probably just normal overscan and can happen if the credits are placed too close to the edge of the frame. Anyway, this sounds to be much better than the awful European release (which looked like a 13 year old transfer) so it seems I can finally close one of the last gaps in my collection.
04-13-04, 04:25 PM
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I just got my copy and am pretty happy with it. The picture is 2.35:1 Anamorphic and 5.1. There are no extras at all on this dvd, not even the trailer. I wish I had a widescreen TV to view this on, but all I have is a standard 25-inch set to judge it on. I'm just happy to finally have this movie after years of waiting.
04-13-04, 08:17 PM
#11
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Too bad there's no trailer...since the theatrical trailer had some moments not found in the final cut of the film (including Tom Beringer's great line "I've never seen frostbite on a black man before")
04-14-04, 01:45 AM
#12
Well, I could finally retire my crappy P&S laser of this. I was so worried it would be cancelled like Hardware was when it got delayed. The DVD transfer isn't reference quality of course, but it's definitely the best the movie's ever looked. The DD5.1 track doesn't have a lot of kick, but the effort and addition was nice. Great flick for a great price.
04-14-04, 08:09 AM
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Originally posted by Shannon Nutt
(including Tom Beringer's great line "I've never seen frostbite on a black man before")
(including Tom Beringer's great line "I've never seen frostbite on a black man before")
So that's where this quote is coming from! I can remember hearing it once but it never was in the movie itself...
04-14-04, 11:10 AM
#14
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Originally posted by Graf Zahl
So that's where this quote is coming from! I can remember hearing it once but it never was in the movie itself...
So that's where this quote is coming from! I can remember hearing it once but it never was in the movie itself...
I believe this was supposed to take place in the same scene (still in the movie) where Tom says that his uncle looked better three days dead than Sidney looked (after a night in a snowstorm).
I'm guessing they cut out the "frostbite" dialogue because they feared it might come off as racist in some way.
04-20-04, 10:54 AM
#15
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I'm going to try and get a review up of this in the next few days...but there's something wrong with the aspect ratio - just trying to figure out what happened.
As noted above, the right and left edges appear to have been cut off, but it's not matted from a full frame version, either. I'm suspecting this may be a MATTED version of a 1.85:1 transfer to make it 2.35:1! I only have a VHS pan & scan version to compare it with, unfortunately.
But when the "E" on the Touchstone logo is partially cut off, and half of the actors names are cut off during the opening credits - you know something is screwed up. I mean actor Andrew Robinson had the last three letters of his name cut off in the credits...so there's a chunk of screen missing! In many scenes you can see the actors on the right or left edges of the screen and a good quarter of the sides of their heads are cut off...I'm sure the director meant for them to be entirely in frame. In one scene, Berringer and Poitier are walking down the side of the mountain, and you can't even see Poitier's character in the frame (and you can in the VHS pan and scan version).
As noted above, the right and left edges appear to have been cut off, but it's not matted from a full frame version, either. I'm suspecting this may be a MATTED version of a 1.85:1 transfer to make it 2.35:1! I only have a VHS pan & scan version to compare it with, unfortunately.
But when the "E" on the Touchstone logo is partially cut off, and half of the actors names are cut off during the opening credits - you know something is screwed up. I mean actor Andrew Robinson had the last three letters of his name cut off in the credits...so there's a chunk of screen missing! In many scenes you can see the actors on the right or left edges of the screen and a good quarter of the sides of their heads are cut off...I'm sure the director meant for them to be entirely in frame. In one scene, Berringer and Poitier are walking down the side of the mountain, and you can't even see Poitier's character in the frame (and you can in the VHS pan and scan version).
Last edited by Shannon Nutt; 04-20-04 at 10:59 AM.
04-20-04, 03:16 PM
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Originally posted by Shannon Nutt
But when the "E" on the Touchstone logo is partially cut off, and half of the actors names are cut off during the opening credits - you know something is screwed up. I mean actor Andrew Robinson had the last three letters of his name cut off in the credits...so there's a chunk of screen missing! In many scenes you can see the actors on the right or left edges of the screen and a good quarter of the sides of their heads are cut off...I'm sure the director meant for them to be entirely in frame. In one scene, Berringer and Poitier are walking down the side of the mountain, and you can't even see Poitier's character in the frame (and you can in the VHS pan and scan version).
But when the "E" on the Touchstone logo is partially cut off, and half of the actors names are cut off during the opening credits - you know something is screwed up. I mean actor Andrew Robinson had the last three letters of his name cut off in the credits...so there's a chunk of screen missing! In many scenes you can see the actors on the right or left edges of the screen and a good quarter of the sides of their heads are cut off...I'm sure the director meant for them to be entirely in frame. In one scene, Berringer and Poitier are walking down the side of the mountain, and you can't even see Poitier's character in the frame (and you can in the VHS pan and scan version).
04-21-04, 04:39 AM
#17
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Originally posted by HoNuts
It looks like overscan on your TV. Here's some screen caps of the scenes you mentioned.
It looks like overscan on your TV. Here's some screen caps of the scenes you mentioned.
Both my TV and DVD players are set correctly. Is this something widescreen TVs just do automatically? This is the first DVD I've had this problem with...although I suppose there could be others and I'm just not noticing.
Last edited by Shannon Nutt; 04-21-04 at 04:53 AM.
04-21-04, 10:29 AM
#18
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All consumer televisions have some degree of overscan. Around 5% is normal. It sounds like yours has more than that. Calibration discs like Avia or Digital Video Essentials have test patterns where you can determine exactly how much overscan you have.
The only way to correct overscan is to use the TV's service menu and manually adjust the picture geometry. This is not something to be attempted lightly. The service menu is meant for only qualified repair technicians to have access to. If you really want to try it yourself, do a web search for your TV's model number and the term "service menu" and see what you come up with. Be aware that doing this voids your warranty, and that if you don't know what you're doing you can seriously screw up your TV to the point where you won't get any picture at all. Be careful, and do research before trying anything yourself. And always write down every default setting in the service menu (even those you don't plan to adjust) before changing anything.
The only way to correct overscan is to use the TV's service menu and manually adjust the picture geometry. This is not something to be attempted lightly. The service menu is meant for only qualified repair technicians to have access to. If you really want to try it yourself, do a web search for your TV's model number and the term "service menu" and see what you come up with. Be aware that doing this voids your warranty, and that if you don't know what you're doing you can seriously screw up your TV to the point where you won't get any picture at all. Be careful, and do research before trying anything yourself. And always write down every default setting in the service menu (even those you don't plan to adjust) before changing anything.
04-21-04, 12:21 PM
#19
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Thanks Josh...well, I have a Mitsubishi WS-55513, and while I'd like to fix the overscan, I'm not looking to drop another $400 or $500 to get someone to do it. This is the first DVD I've actually NOTICED the problem on a DVD, so I guess I can live with it.
Makes me wonder though how many other people have this problem and aren't even aware of it...guess this is a good "test" disc for the problem (I've never seen credits cut off on any of my other movies).
Thanks again.
Makes me wonder though how many other people have this problem and aren't even aware of it...guess this is a good "test" disc for the problem (I've never seen credits cut off on any of my other movies).
Thanks again.
04-25-04, 01:24 PM
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Hey Shannon, good job on the review. This movie is one of my all time favorites also. The overscan is a bit of a problem for me and my crappy 25-inch Sears TV as well. It's pretty sad that this will probably be the only treatment that this movie will get on DVD, so we'll all have to live without any extras whatsoever for the forseeable future. Oh well, at least we have it now.
http://www.dvdtalk.com/reviews/read.php?ID=10462
http://www.dvdtalk.com/reviews/read.php?ID=10462
