By David Poland poland@moviecitynews.com
The Deep New Blu
Both No Country For Old Men and Michael Clayton landed on my doorstep today in Blu-Ray… and all I can say is, “Wow.”
Neither is exactly a feast of extras. But the images…
We have seen many of these scene over and over and over again. But the image on Blu-ray is profoundly more beautiful, even on shots like The Coen’s simply doing a POV of a car zooming down a road.
Also racing into Blu are Ratatouille, 3:10 To Yuma, Pirates of the Caribbean: At World’s End, In The Valley Of Elah, Gone Baby Gone, and La Vie En Rose, but only in France. (Persepolis and Enchanted are soon due in the format from their studios and I’m wondering whether Sweeney Todd will delay for Blu-ray to be a Par/DW option.)
(Transformers, The Bourne Ultimatum, and I think, American Gangster are now available in HD only)
For the first time, The Academy membership could have the opportunity to see the films in contention is a format that is close to the quality of going to the movies. It is still not the same and will never replace it for me. But I think, even as HD died, Sony lost the oportunity this season of creating a block of “super delegates” who would spread the gospel of Blu-ray (the same was true of HD when the season started). The people who get screeners are a group in which a high percentage could afford to buy the hardware… but mostly have not, though I would get a significantly larger group than “overall American TV owners” have bought hi-def sets. With a few of the top titles in their mailbox in this remarkable format, not only could Sony have moved a bunch of Blu-ray players, but they had the chance to inspire bland loyalty and a lot of press around the format in the media… especially in a year with little Oscar news to report.
Would The Diving Bell & The Butterfly have gotten further with Blu-rays to watch? With all the problems I have with the third act of There WIll Be Blood, the Blu-ray will be an absolute must-buy, years beyond the 2-dvds it was sent out on by Paramount Vantage. Same with Michael Clayton‘s 2-disc send out, which was not very well done, even by straight DVD standards.
Me… I’m just thrilled to be looking at these terrific movies, as I once was just getting tapes and then getting DVDs, in such a wonderful way… while the season is still happening. And I am excited that hi-definition has created a greater interest in my life and work again for home entertainment. The ability to experience the work of our greatest filmmakers is this form, especially the catalog stuff – Kubrick is killin’ me – is like going back to the revival houses of my college years. Sensational.
DP, while it’s certainly better that voters will be watching Blu-ray instead of regular DVDs, it’s still a bit of a stretch to say that it’s close to the “quality” of going to a theatre. It’s not so much about the clarity of the image, but having that image tower over you and demand your full attention, without the comforts and distractions at home. Especially for films that need to cast a spell on you or suck you in to fully perform their magic.
Filmmakers like Kubrick may have compromised their images with home viewing in mind, knowing that it would be the way of the future, but I doubt any director would prefer you watch their films at home. The only fair playing field is if they are ALL seen in the theatre. And if you can’t make it, you shouldn’t get a vote. Tough shit. If you’re geriatric or too busy then not being able to participate in the Oscars is probably the least of your worries.
Dave’s working for 4 Blu-ray players…
i cant see myself a Blu Ray player until the prices come way down.
It looks great, comes highly recommended from friends who have it, but the prices are stuck in the early adopter phase, and probably will until Christmas.
I sense we’ll be seeing another one of those gamer posts raving over the magic of the Playstation 3…
Sometime in the future, like a year from now, I’ll get an HD TV.
The Playstation 3 has had problems since launch, but to say that Sony has righted themselves is an understatement.
Putting the Blu Ray player in the PS3 was a decision many questioned and when the system didn’t sell at a high price point the Blu Ray player was often blamed for how much they were losing per unit.
Then over the last year you find out the majority of Blu Ray players bought are actually PS3’s. Sony cuts the price, launches in Europe and has a huge turnaround. Current projections see the PS3 passing the XBOX 360 in sales in the next two years.
There are still hurdles for the format and for the PS3 (still no force feedback in the controller which is a huge deal to people who dump that kind of money into a console). But this time last year, people were dancing on the PS3’s grave. One year later, the picture doesn’t look even look bleak.
“Force feedback”??
That couldn’t sound any geekier if it was a Star Wars reference.
I’ll throw in a geeky PS3 observation. As a gaming machine, it has underwhelmed and hasn’t kept pace with the Xbox 360. The Blu-ray is about the only thing I use mine for at this point. Sony was smart to go for Blu-ray and Wi-Fi standard out of the box. Its gaming future does looks a little brighter, but it started awfully slow. The Xbox 360 launched too early to include HD-DVD as standard. That certainly didn’t help HD-DVD in the format war.
“…that is close to the quality of going to the movies.”
So speaketh somebody who is used to private, pristine critic screenings.
Take in an matinee some time, or God forbid, a Saturday night showing. The HD experience, provided you’ve got a half-decent setup, decidedly trumps the average trip to the movies these days.
“The only fair playing field is if they are ALL seen in the theatre. And if you can’t make it, you shouldn’t get a vote. Tough shit. If you’re geriatric or too busy then not being able to participate in the Oscars is probably the least of your worries.”
Even for nominations?
“The HD experience, provided you’ve got a half-decent setup, decidedly trumps the average trip to the movies these days.”
So speaketh somebody who can afford a home theater system and lives somewhere with subpar exhibition.
Yeah, why not? There’s not even a guarantee that these people even watch the DVDs all the way through. At least it takes a little more effort to walk out of a theatre.
Massey: spoken like a true elitist who hates the masses (your name must be a terrible burden). Also, aren’t the films more likely to be nominated for Oscars the kind that don’t have people causing disturbances?
And I still say that you can’t get the full effect without that cavernous space and giant screen in front of you. It will never be the same.
I play video games off and on and never for more than like, 2 hours at a stretch. I like Madden and such…guitar hero. But the PS3 games are frigging DIFFICULT to play. Like, you really need to invest time in them to get them at all. I rented Spiderman 3 for the PS3 and after 2 hours I was still in practice mode with Bruce Campbells voice humiliating…err…”helping” me learn the game.
lazarus, force feedback is the rumble feature most controllers had come with since the advent of the technology ten years back. The patent holders sued a few years back over use of the tech. Nintendo and Microsoft have deals, so their controllers vibrate during certain parts of games.
Sony didn’t have a deal, so the PS3 was released with “non rumble” controllers.
It sounds odd, but over a decade, gamers got used to the added feature. After years of playing Madden and having the controller shake when you get hit, you play the PS3 version and there’s no feedback. A lot of people bitch about it, though eventually Sony will pay out the cash, settle the suit, and release a controller with the feature.
Im a gamer (obviously), and i think the video game community catches a lot of flack. Didn’t Ebert just say something about video games not being art?
When i hear comments like that, it sounds like Grandpa holding up his cane and shaking it at the kids “listening to that damn rock and roll”.
Depends on what your definition of art is.
Oh Lazarus,
You sound like such a Luddite.
Next I’m sure you’ll be jumping on the idiot bandwagon and telling us how videogames are the cause of all school shootings and homicides for the last twenty years. Even though that perspective is rooted in the exact same naiveness and lack of emotional intelligence, as displayed in the fifties when they said Rock & Roll was the music of the devil and brought all kinds of evil onto mankind…
Even though studies show gaming improves eyesight, eye-hand coordination (although it could be argued , so does masterbation š
Studies have also shown that Gaming exponentially increases logic, puzzle, and problem solving skills.
As much as I love television and feel we’re in a TV Golden Age (strike not withstanding), can you say the same about TV?
Besides, Any real gamer knows the XBox 360 has the better Library.
Anghus said it best about the PS3, it is the best Blu_Ray player on the market because it lacks any firmware issues of the other players.
Although I don’t necessarily agree that it’s going to overtake Microsoft’s lead this generation.
And yes, the Force feedback is a big issue. Immersion is crucial to a proper gaming experience as much as color correction is to a movie.
Not to mention the fact it came standard in the PS2 and the previous generation of consoles and Sony not only took it out, but was charging $599 for their console, which was essentially a lesser gaming experience.
For those in Los Angeles, and interested, Gameplay on Venice Blvd. sells import Dualshock 3 controllers. I picked up a couple, and they work with all my games, old and new and make a VERY big difference.
Uncharted:Drake’s Fortune is infinitely better with the rumble as each weapon in the game has it’s own distinct feel.
Lazarus, you sound like a theater fag who goes around shouting that the art of acting can only be appreciated live on a stage, and a performance from Cinema will never compare. (No disrespect to my beloved Theatre, or Fags)
Or that rock or electronica or rap can never be “music”
In other words, an ignorant hater.
Videogames is an exciting medium and artform for storytelling. And the way the studios are back to developing games in house, they know gaming brings more profits annually than film.
Not to mention that the technology that is being developed for gaming is migrating over to film and can only benefit Cinema (Something Lucas is already on top of, and why he practically merged ILM with LucasArts)
Why the hate? Are you a member of the AARP?
And if you have no problems with games at all, and simply don’t like PS3 fanboys…
Well then; please accept my apology now, and here’s a tip of the hat to you sir in agreement that PS3 fanboys are douches.
The PS3 is not the best gaming system. But it is the best Blu-Ray player.
I think Ebert’s contention was that there hasn’t been a great movie based on a video game, that until there was a classic movie that was based on the storyline of a video game, it would hard for him to consider video games art. And when asked if he played games, he said he had too many great movies and great books to read.
I myself have a PS3 and I love playing NBA Live on it and Madden, mostly sports games, but has there been a video game that you could say is truly a work of art? Just curious for a gamer’s opinion about that.
JeffMCM, are you trying to imply that games are not art?
Or are you just taking your usual contrary perspective; no matter the topic, because it’s in your nature and you cannot help it any more than the scorpion with the turtle? (Kidding!!)
I absolutely hate the masses, especially when they’re congregated in a movie theater. Without a doubt, damn straight.
And speaking of Ebert, has he given any non-4 star reviews in the past six months? The guy, God love him, is starting to resemble Earl Dittman.
Some games that could qualify as Art:
BioShock – XBox 360
Shadow of the Colossus – PS2
Portal – Multiplatform (Part of The Orange Box package)
System Shock – PC
Day of The Tentacle – PC
Ratchet & Clank Tools of Destruction – PS3
Legend of Zelda: Ocarnia of Time – N64
Mass Effect – XBox 360
Honorable mention to both:
1. Uncharted: Drake’s Fortune – PS3
2. Heavenly Sword – PS3
Whether these games are Art of not, is debatable. But both gave me the most “cinematic” experience I’ve had in a game.
Especially Drake’s. Amazing story, narrative, writing, and performances (they use motion capture) and the Gameplay rocks.
Heavenly Sword didn’t have life changing gameplay, but the writing and the performances are amazing. Andy Serkis gives another excellent mo-cap turn as the big bad in the game.
I’m sure there are others, but those are off the top of my head.
The most fun I’m having right now though is Call of Duty 4 multiplayer.
THX, thanks for giving me a few ideas for gaming rentals that will surely waste a few hours, but would you say the best of those games stack up against the best movies you’ve seen or the best books you’ve read? Again, I’m not trying to provoke an argument, I’m just genuinely curious if something like BioShock is on the same level for you as something like Citizen Kane or the Godfather (or whatever your favorite movies are) or Catcher in the Rye or Ulysses, etc.?
THX, while I’ll admit I’m not nearly into gaming as much as I was 10, 15 years ago, I don’t really think it has a place on this blog. There’s probably like 2 other people who want to read your long posts about the subject, regardless of how much it improves hand-eye coordination, problem solving, or your love life.
For the record, I hate theatre people, enjoy rap (just got Lupe Fiasco and Ghostface Killah’s latest, a month or two late, I know).
And while I don’t think videogames are the cause of youth violence, I do think the creators of games like Grand Theft Auto should be dragged out into the street and beaten within inches of their lives.
thx — ‘theater fags’!?!?….really?…and then you complain about haters?…what a tool…..
Josh – It is NOT the same as going to the movies. For me, that experience is still about the communal experience and that size and the consistent dark, the choice to go.
But I have seen No Country on a screen 4 times. I am a fan. But there is a different kind of intimacy that comes from the home experience… no equal… different. And after seeing most films older than 2 months on VHS or DVD or TV for a long time now, Blu-ray is a spectacular improvement.
There surely can be the same kind of arguments that were made about CD vs vinyl. The viewing could be TOO clear in a way.
But as someone who has only ever seen one Kubrick film in a screening – and watched it a second time sitting on the stairs in Loew’s Lincoln Center in NY (I think that’s the right name) and then paid to see the film another six or so times, I am thrilled to see the work in this format. I paid to see Full Metal Jacket on Broadway and 68th, before the big theater was built there, 3 times… and dozens of times on TV… and Blu-ray has given it new shades for me. Same for 2001, which I have seen in 70mm at EbertFest and on a shitty AMC multi screen in a 80s re-release and over and over on TV, but have never quite experienced it like this.
Now… as I just suggested in this entry and have written before… I think Blu-ray may be the new LaserDisc. Even after killing HD, mainstreaming this thing, especially with $400 players and dozens of HD channels on cable (100 on DirecTV), is still a big challenge.
I don’t think that people will watch HD on TV instead of going to movies… at least not the people who really want to go to the movies.
But unless Michael Clayton wins Best Picture, you won’t be able to see it on a screen in America after next week. And if you do, the print may be scratched and the bulb too dim, etc. The day it is out of theaters, there will be no better way to experience that film than a good sized HDTV and a Blu-ray. Upscaling will be better than a straight DVD view. And DVD will be better than cable/satellite. And all of it will be better than watching a download on your computer.
I have fought the short window and the death of second run and the short-sightedness of pushing the first weekend mania for a decade now… but if I am going to watch a movie that isn’t in theaters and that I really want to experience, there is no doubt about how to do that. I am only lucky that I can afford a $2000 TV and a $400 DVD player. Beyond that, you can NetFlix Blu-ray as easily as regular DVDs.
Finally, as someone who goes to free screenings and who is usually afforded open seats surrounding me, you wouldn’t be happy with some of the shite screening rooms I see movies in. Even the nice ones can have projection issues, sound issues, etc. Even the super ones are often too small for big films and I will go see the films again in a big theater so I can really experience it.
I will watch them on a plane, I will watch them in the rain. I will watch them in a car, I will watch them in a bar. I will watch them at Arclight, I will watch at 3 at night. I do love films, format be damned, I do love film, Mass Josh you am.
There are no bigger douchebags than Halo playing Xbox owners.
You mean Lincoln Square?…
Noah,
That’s a very good question. And one I’m still pondering. It’s also hard to answer as some of the games, namely Bioshock, I haven’t finished yet so I can’t give a fair assessment. I know Bioshock has created a sensation with it’s take on Ayn Rand and themes of Objectivism.
Scooterz,
It was just a figure of speech.
I’m an actor and have been on the stage many many times. I was referring to the people I went to high school and college with; whom I would perform in plays or musicals with, and there were always a clique that would diss cinema in regards to theater. Saying that movies could never give an actor or audience the artistic fulfillment that theater does. That’s who I was thinking of…
I guess you missed the part where I said theater for me was Beloved?
I do agree it was a poor analogy and do apologize if it offended. The girlfriend was pushing me out the door and I was typing in a hurry.
And if you’re offended because I used the word “fag”.. Than I’m truly sorry for that.
But it does also mean, I will have to send my posse of Tranny-Queen-Ninjas over there to smack you around for being too PC…
And if you don’t believe that Tranny-Queen-Ninja’s do exist…Well than sir, we can meet up and I will take you to the underground West Hollywood Kumute
(The secret entrance is in the back of Hamburger Mary’s on Santa Monica)
There you will see violence and debauchery only known in the darkest corners of Thailand, Japan and Rancho Cucomonga.
After; we can put on some dresses, smoke the peace pipe and sing “Under the Sea” or “Oklahoma!” and any other show tune you desire until our hearts content.
Oh, wait. This is a cinema blog! Better just make it the soundtrack to Moulin Rouge…
Until then, I’ll happily put on the tool cap and go sit in the corner for fifteen to twenty minutes and think about how I hurt you.
Seriously, a thousand pardons. I did not mean to offend.
Laz,
I enjoyed your response. While I agree that this is a movie blog and not many are as interested in gaming, is it not fair to comment on mediums that do relate to film?
I’m not trying to steer the discussion away from film. The only PS3 pushing from me, is due to the fact that it is the most superior Blu-Ray player on the market for the price, and it offers a lot of multimedia options besides gaming, that every other Blu-Ray player does not.
It’s so popular in the culture right now to bash gaming for a multitude of reasons. I expect my cinema brethren to be more open minded about the medium and do tend to react in a knee-jerk way when I see intelligent people on this blog comment with such harsh and obtuse judgement over such a creative medium.
And yes, I tend to write long posts…
But that’s because it’s so much fun and easier to write here than finish the sequence in my script that I’m stuck on at the moment.
Just as it’s easy for you to use the scroll wheel on the mouse to roll past me if I’m too long for you…(Oh man, I opened myself up for that one)
What can I say? Even though I’ve got all the major film sites as my Mozilla Homepage, this is the only blog I like to participate in.
Mainly because I know this is where many of the online film journalists and bloggers that I enjoy reading, come to, take their hats off and discuss among the “experts”.
As well as the personalities that’s been established here over the years.
For all the snark I throw, I do respect and enjoy the company in this red and white environment.
And Monco, you are right, Halo players are some of the biggest douchebags known to all of mankind.
THX, I was literally just posing the question. If the definition of ‘art’ is something made with precision and craft, which surely a complicated video game is, then that’s one thing. But then, so is an aircraft carrier. I personally think that art should require additional elements, like a complex narrative, rich characterization, sophisticated visuals, moral complexity, etc. Personally, I don’t know of any games that have those elements. I’m not saying they don’t exist, just that I am out of that loop. As far as I know in my limited experience, most games fall into the paradigm of ‘beat a bad guy, win a prize’.
thx — if you think that ‘being an actor’ and knowing that there’s a hamberger marys in weho (oh, and don’t forget a ‘girlfriend pushing me out the door’) forgives a ‘fag’ ref by some straight thug, you’re as nuts as most of your posts…..
and btw, i DARE you to name something you’ve acted in within the past year……or written…. sorry if i’m not charmed by your cavalier response but times is tough, sport…and i’m not willing to hear the word ‘fag’ used casually by some hollywood wannabe dillatante….jus’ fuckin’ sayin’…..
that might have been just a tad more strident than i intended but, well…
Wow scooterzz, man.
I tried to apologize, I tried to be cool. But you really got your freak out on.
Your reaction to that word as a representation of Gays is as analogous and exemplary as a Louis Farakan brother is to blacks. Extreme and with prejudice.
And just because I have a girlfriend, how do you know I’m not Gay or Bi-Sexual? If you really do live in LA, you should know better.
As for my acting credits, I don’t have to relay them to you or anyone else. That’s what makes anonymity on the web so much fun when you may or may not be famous…
As for your extreme reaction…I’ve forwarded this thread to all the Queen’s in my circle and my 85 year old great uncle and his partner of 55 years, two men who really knew what it was like to be in the closet, when it could mean the end of your life.
As for your extreme sensitivity, they all say you’re pretty much acting like a fag..
Now go play with the Fallwell’s and the Farakan’s the Bin Laden’s and the other extreme freaks. You’re taking away the nice progressive attitude that social class has worked hard to build.
And while you’re at it, grow a sense of humor and learn to accept an apology.
As a onetime obsessive gamer who still enjoys firing up Half-Life 2 or Zelda: Ocarina of Time (beaten it about five times now) every now and then, I can absolutely say that I believe there is an art to creating an immersive, transporting gaming experience.
But as a film lover who has more or less outgrown his gaming obsession, you will never convince me that games are art. Ever.
I’m glad to hear DP, that you’re getting more firmly on the HD bandwagon. It makes a big difference in quality even on smaller screens with no home theatre sound setup, and if you have a good home theatre with all the trappings it makes ALL the difference.
Although I know what you’re saying with the LaserDisc analogy (niche product for enthusiasts), I have to point out that only 2 years in HD is already bigger than LaserDisc ever was. And that was with a format war going on and a lot of willing buyers sitting it out on the sidelines just waiting for it to end. Personally I don’t think Blu-Ray will ever be as big as DVD is/was, but I have reasonable hopes that it will become a household name and get fair market penetration. I’m guessing that we’ll know by the end of next christmas.
laz — so, between 1 am and 3:25 am you forwarded my post to all your gay friends and an 85-year-old uncle and they ALL got back to you!?!…i can only assume they must all live in some west hollywood all-night internet cafe or something….
that said, you sure used a lotta wods to come up with, ‘but, some of my best friends are…..’…
laz — sorry, that was directed to my dear close friend thx…apology…
Yes Dave, American Gangster is only available on HD-DVD, but, bizarrely, it doesn’t contain the extended version (no wonder the format has headed South so quickly). On which topic though, (spoilers ahead), i honestly thought that the extended 3-hour version of AG has helped to transform a good film into a near-great one. The theatrical cut seemed to end rather too abruptly for me. The new cut, which ends with Richie meeting Lucas upon his release and touring around Harlem, rounds out the film in a much more complete and satisfying way (and stresses the unlikely friendship that grew between the two men). And the scene of Trupo shooting the guard dog is given added poignancy, by a flashback scene that reveals that the dog belonged to Bumpy and was being cared for by Lucas. Too bad that this wasn’t the theatrical cut, but i guess 3 hours is a long sit for such an expensive movie in the drama genre.
“so, between 1 am and 3:25 am you forwarded my post to all your gay friends and an 85-year-old uncle and they ALL got back to you!?!…i can only assume they must all live in some west hollywood all-night internet cafe or something….
that said, you sure used a lotta wods to come up with, ‘but, some of my best friends are…..’…”
Considering that my Great Uncle and his partner live in France
And most of my Queen friends work as bartenders, servers, dancers and doormen at most of the clubs in this town and don’t get out of work until 3am and are still up winding down…
Yes, I did forward this thread to all of them.
And yes, they all pretty much feel you’re an embarrassment to Gays with your extremely sensitive political correctness.
Oh, and it’s not ‘just some of my best friends are’; but FAMILY. Very out, and very old FAMILY.
But I still love you Scooterzz as another expression of God, even if you are one of the extreme freaks of the world…
THX, I’m glad to see that you and I have so much in common. Next time you complain about me for being stubborn…
Jeff,
It’s not about being stubborn. It’s the subtextual implication by Scooterz that I’m some kind of homophobe over a joke.
It’s Political Correctness at it’s worst, and I’ll be damned if I’m not going to defend myself, and my integrity in such a situation.
The difference between us is, no matter the topic, you always take the contrary POV just to incite an argument for the sake of argument.
Even when it seems that you agree with the other side, you argue just to argue.
While it used to be maddening, I’ve come to find that that’s just who you are and often times you do keep the discussion’s interesting, even if we disagree at times.
The irony is, with only text and anonymity, the internet has seemed to affect everyone’s social skills online to just dumbing down to raging ID’s and SuperEgos. And miscommunication runs rampant, as evidenced in this thread.
I think about a lot of the personalities around here that I’ve got into heated exchanges with, And I’m sure in the real world I’d probably enjoy and respect their company. As we do all seem to share a common passion.
But whatever. It is what it is.
At least this place doesn’t have the creepy vibe of HE. I used to only go there to follow the posters from here, but I couldn’t take Wells anymore.
look,t, i was going to drop this whole thing but because of your answer to mcmahon have to give it one more try….
first of all, i followed my original post with an immediate disclaimer that i may have been ‘a bit strident’…i meant that….but my response was to a word that (despite, what your circle of friends may say) provokes a reaction from people of a certain age that is not at all just ‘political correctness’…it’s a word that gets laughed off by the likes of ann coulter…it’s a word very often used at the delivery end of a baseball bat….believe me, i’m not unfamiliar with the term ‘theater fag’ (and it didn’t usually come from someone as articulate as you)….
i’ve only had a couple of major dust-ups on these sites (one of which was with mcmahon but i’ve since become a fan of his blog and have said so subsequently) and i tend to let go pretty easily but i just can’t let this go with you writing it off as just another ‘political correctness’ zealot…
before my present career, i worked for twelve years as a bartender in a couple of the biggest clubs in hollywood and palm springs…and it was in the ps club that i almost died as a result of a pipe bomb that took out an entire wall…’death to fags’ was spray painted on the side of the building….i swear to god, i’m not making this up…..(the club, btw, was called ‘the gaf’…there might be something on line…i’ve never looked)…..
anyway, my point is that when confronted with the cavalier usage of the word ‘fag’, i tend to shoot first and ask questions later…..
hope this puts an end to this whole thing….
THX, I completely agree with you re: HE. The difference is, you left voluntarily and I got banned.
Scooter: thanks! And glad you weren’t more seriously injured by a terrorist attack.