E Unit

Click the spoiler tag in my previous post. Details there.

OldBoy

Guess so. Thanks tres.

bluetoast

For film nerds (film stock, restoration), Robert Harris discusses the background of his restoration in 2007 as well as this new one which he was not directly involved in, but saw tests, provided his previous notes, and understood the process. I’m sure he’ll have thoughts on the finished product too.

https://www.hometheaterforum.com/whi...ers-in-4k-uhd/

Josh Z

Harris has posted some very carefully worded, exceedingly diplomatic notes about the new transfers here:

https://www.hometheaterforum.com/com...8#post-5098352

Reading between the lines, it sounds like his restoration in 2007 made painstaking efforts to stay strictly faithful to Gordon Willis' intended color palette, while the new restoration... doesn't. Thankfully, a comparison video posted later in the thread suggests that the difference is actually pretty small, enough so that most viewers would probably not notice it without a direct side-by-side comparison.

rocket1312

I'd have to go back and read through all of it again, but doesn't Harris also say that something went wrong when mastering the 2008 blu-ray and that it is too red compared to the DCP (which has correct color)?

So in other words, both the 2008 and 2022 bds are slightly compromised as far as matching the original intention.

Josh Z

Yes, I believe the old Blu-ray supposedly had one point of red too much. But the new one was apparently "modernized" (not his word) to look more appealing to modern viewers, by deliberate intent.

Anyway, Gordon Willis is dead, so he obviously can't weigh in, but Coppola did sign off on the new transfer.

Shannon Nutt

Got my copy today. Amazon shipped it in a cardboard holder that they would use for a similar-sized coffee table book. Great job, because I got a mint copy.

The Collector's Edition box measures about 12.5" x 10.5" for those curious.

asianxcore

Picked up a copy on the way home from work today.

Sadly, my Sony UBPX700 crapped out last weekend, so I have to buy a new 4K player (with Dolby Vision) soon

DJariya

My copy arrived today in one of those bubble envelopes. But no harm to the set. I sold the digital copies to offset the cost.

rexinnih

Same for mine. Going to be a great watching weekend.

Josh Z

Harris is starting to take out his knives:

https://www.hometheaterforum.com/com...375209/page-11

"As noted previously, many people who don’t speak 'film' will be thrilled with these new editions, as with the exception of the first shot in GF 1, nothing (in 1 & 2) looks like any sort of actual color film."

stvn1974

I don't which has the "correct" colors but I prefer the 2008 BD set to this new 4K UHD.

ViewAskewbian

As do I now that I am doing some side by sides. I remember the Godfather being very Sepia in many places but there are some instances in this new one that really alters the palate.

This close up cap, for example. How I've always viewed the film it made Kay cast in a warm (or sepia) light. That's kind of gone now:

The Godfather • US Ultra HD Blu-ray vs. UK Blu-ray (caps-a-holic.com)

ViewAskewbian

Another example of the tint shift from how I've always remembered the film. The warm/sepia is stripped back in this shot:

The Godfather • US Ultra HD Blu-ray vs. UK Blu-ray (caps-a-holic.com)

milo bloom

I've only watched these films a few times, but that warm sepia tint is the thing I remember most. I'll be sticking with older versions for now.

E Unit

I don’t care really. UHD picture looks damn good to me.

ViewAskewbian

Personally, I feel the cinematrographers ntent should be preserved over the high res but that's my two. The first Coppala restorations looked great, too, and are closer to that intent.

E Unit

Yeah, I felt that in the 90’s. I don’t really care anymore. My eyes aren’t what they are anymore, so stuff like this doesn’t get to me now.

DJariya

There's a feature on the bonus disc that talks about the new restoration for 2022. I suggest you watch that to understand their thinking behind it.

bluetoast

And with that, I’ll stick with my 2008 BD. Still interested to hear thoughts on the new version here.

ViewAskewbian

This part is spot on:

"There is nothing wrong with liking the final product, but as it is accepted by the majority, it may well be tolling the death knell of any further or continuous movement to properly represent the true look of cinema, as opposed to digital productions - which are totally different - although some fully digital productions go 180 degrees, adding the attributes of film grain.

The ability to replicate the look of film was supposed to be a major advantage of Blu-ray and HD - marketed as the look and sound of cinema, and made further possible via 4k UHD, which can absolutely create the look and textures of film in the digital world - but with a release of this importance taking on fully digital attributes, one must wonder where the industry will move next."

ViewAskewbian

A good representation of the shift from the sepia/orange tint. (Bluray left / 4k right)


Just another example between the two restorations. The above is the 2007 Bluray


This is from the 4k

ViewAskewbian

In the long run, I do enjoy the fact that we love cinema so much that when these things come up (be they additions to films [ie: Star Wars], tinting changes [ie: Fellowship of the Ring] or films not including mono tracks etc.) it fuels these debates.

milo bloom

That sepia is so much of the mood and atmosphere of these films, I can't understand taking out something so iconic.

ViewAskewbian

I guess the only argument one, especially Coppolla, is that the sepia/orange was never supposed to be there and somewhere in the translation to home media it was there in a bad transfer and has been ever since and the 4k being the way it was seen originally in theatres and how he wanted it to look. Alas, I wasn't alive to make that comparison.