4K - 8K Resolution and/or Dolby Atmos/DTSX Content Reviews

[AcuDefTechGuy]

There are only a handful of Directors where I would trust them writing, directing and making all the decisions. But that list is very small. PJ is not even close. And it's getting worse now in the age of streaming. Studios are pumping stuff out so fast that they try to mask bad writing with CGI special effects. Or they bring in top billed actors by paying them buttloads of money.

To me, I put Director and writer on same level. A great director is going to bring in a great writer. That's why you always see the biggest names in Hollywood (Directors) always using the same writers for their movies. They trust them.

I agree that both directors and writers are salient. And ideally directors like Kosinski and Cameron will also have great writers.

But I’m just saying that bad directors (P-Jenkins, M-Bay, M-Night) can still make good movies (WW1, 6th Sense, etc.) if the writing is very good.

But if you give these sorry directors bad writings, then what we get are movies like Wonder Woman 2.

 

[Movie2099]

I agree that both directors and writers are salient. And ideally directors like Kosinski and Cameron will also have great writers.

But I’m just saying that bad directors (P-Jenkins, M-Bay, M-Night) can still make good movies (WW1, 6th Sense, etc.) if the writing is very good.

But if you give these sorry directors bad writings, then what we get are movies like Wonder Woman 2.

I remember back in the day after the Sixth Sense came out and blew up, Entertainment Weekly (I believe) dubbed M. Night the next Steven Spielberg.

 

[AcuDefTechGuy]

I remember back in the day after the Sixth Sense came out and blew up, Entertainment Weekly (I believe) dubbed M. Night the next Steven Spielberg.

Because they didn’t know that someone probably wrote it for him and he just took credit.

 

[j_garcia]

Because they didn’t know that someone probably wrote it for him and he just took credit.

One hit wonder? Just because you put out one really good movie does not mean you can repeat it. So far, he hasn't. He has made some OK movies, but none as good as Sixth Sense, and some were downright bad.

 

[panteragstk]

One hit wonder? Just because you put out one really good movie does not mean you can repeat it. So far, he hasn't. He has made some OK movies, but none as good as Sixth Sense, and some were downright bad.

Split was pretty good. Glass wasn't. Horrible movie. I didn't hate Unbreakable either.

 

[snakeeyes]

Split was pretty good. Glass wasn't. Horrible movie. I didn't hate Unbreakable either.

I loved the 6th Sense and Village and Split and thought Signs and Unbreakable were decent.

Lady in the water and Glass and the Happening were less successful

The Last Airbender was really lame.

Looking forward to the conclusion of Servant on AppleTV plus. I’ve really liked that show.

 

[j_garcia]

Old was similar to most of his movies - good for much of it, then the reveal kills it. Village was the same, pretty interesting up until the reveal. He knows how to direct, but the writing seems to let it down. Split I liked. Glass was decent in that it tied the whole Unbreakable - Split - Glass story up, but it wasn't as good as the others. Lady in the Water was pretty good. SIgns is easily his worst film, it had a great cast and was a total turd.

 

[AcuDefTechGuy]

One hit wonder? Just because you put out one really good movie does not mean you can repeat it. So far, he hasn't. He has made some OK movies, but none as good as Sixth Sense, and some were downright bad.

So far every time I’ve given his works (movies, TV) another chance, I’ve come away very disappointed. So I didn’t even watch “Old” or had any desire to. I QUIT M-Night just like I quit Cable.

I usually hate Michael Bay’s works, but I will still give his works a chance.

 

[Movie2099]

Moonfall 4k

Well, I finally got around to Moonfall on 4k. Wow! what an amazing movie! I can't believe this didn't win Oscars! The A-list casting and Roland Emmerich combined, should've made for the biggest blockbuster since Independence Day!

PQ-picture quality was top notch. Being shot with (8K?) I think, everything looks really good. The one major problem with shooting in such high resolution is that you can easily tell in some scenes that they're in front of a green screen. Graphics were pretty good. Nothing was jaw dropping, but still high budget.

AQ-This is the real winner here. The audio mix for this movie is some of the best I've heard. Very "Demo worthy". I left my processor at my normal setting (-30) and it was still very loud. I can't imagine turning this up to reference level. The foundation might crack....

Overall, I'm giving the movie 5/10. Yes, the story is absolutely atrocious and has so many plot holes, but the picture quality and audio mix are enough to give it a very generous 5. If those two things didn't exist on this 4k release, I'd give this movie a 2/10.

Grab some popcorn, turn the brain off and get prepared to be BLOWN away (by the sound) of Moonfall!

 

[AcuDefTechGuy]

Moonfall 4k

Well, I finally got around to Moonfall on 4k. Wow! what an amazing movie! I can't believe this didn't win Oscars! The A-list casting and Roland Emmerich combined, should've made for the biggest blockbuster since Independence Day!

PQ-picture quality was top notch. Being shot with (8K?) I think, everything looks really good. The one major problem with shooting in such high resolution is that you can easily tell in some scenes that they're in front of a green screen. Graphics were pretty good. Nothing was jaw dropping, but still high budget.

AQ-This is the real winner here. The audio mix for this movie is some of the best I've heard. Very "Demo worthy". I left my processor at my normal setting (-30) and it was still very loud. I can't imagine turning this up to reference level. The foundation might crack....

Overall, I'm giving the movie 5/10. Yes, the story is absolutely atrocious and has so many plot holes, but the picture quality and audio mix are enough to give it a very generous 5. If those two things didn't exist on this 4k release, I'd give this movie a 2/10.

Grab some popcorn, turn the brain off and get prepared to be BLOWN away (by the sound) of Moonfall!

My default Master Volume is also -30 on my CX-A5100. Copycat!

Yeah, I told you PQ and ATMOS SQ are top notch.

Overall, I would put this movie in the "Entertaining" category - might win Oscars for Special Visual and Sound effects, but nothing else.

People can make fun of movies like this, but at the end of the day, a lot of times it's about having fun and being entertained, not being moved to tears with Oscar performances.

There are many good and excellent drama pieces that I would watch just ONCE and never watch again. But I can watch fun/entertaining movies like "Moonfall" over and over again. It's just a fun and entertaining movie.

 

[Movie2099]

My default Master Volume is also -30 on my CX-A5100. Copycat!

Yeah, I told you PQ and ATMOS SQ are top notch.

Overall, I would put this movie in the "Entertaining" category - might win Oscars for Special Visual and Sound effects, but nothing else.

People can make fun of movies like this, but at the end of the day, a lot of times it's about having fun and being entertained, not being moved to tears with Oscar performances.

There are many good and excellent drama pieces that I would watch just ONCE and never watch again. But I can watch fun/entertaining movies like "Moonfall" over and over again. It's just a fun and entertaining movie.

Very true. I think nowadays the quality in writing in Hollywood is just not there. With CGI blowing up in pretty much every movie the writing has taken a hit. So for me there are only a handful of movies that come out every year that are actually good, the rest is just pure entertainment.

With waiting to watch Moonfall until now and knowing the story was garbage, I knew going in so I didn't have any expectations. I was mostly just watching for the PQ/SQ. Knowing it was a Roland Emmerich movie you kind of know what you're going to get.

 

[Pandaman617]

Not sure if Lone Survivor is on this list but in terms of war movies from the GWOT campaigns, in my opinion it’s the most realistic depiction of textbook modern small unit tactics. During my 8 years in the 82nd 1st/504th we deployed plenty of times during OIF and OEF as well as a handful of times to Afghanistan with Triple Canopy and G4S. While I was not by any means a Tier 1 shooter or even a Tier 2, we did work with such units consistently; often providing QRF for their elements or at times being a force multiplier in smaller groups (a platoon at most). While the native soundtrack is DTS:X running it on a 7.2.4 Atmos setup it certainly has an immersive soundstage. I’m going to try it in Auro 3D just to see what all the hub-bub is about.


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[AcuDefTechGuy]

Not sure if Lone Survivor is on this list but in terms of war movies from the GWOT campaigns, in my opinion it’s the most realistic depiction of textbook modern small unit tactics. During my 8 years in the 82nd 1st/504th we deployed plenty of times during OIF and OEF as well as a handful of times to Afghanistan with Triple Canopy and G4S. While I was not by any means a Tier 1 shooter or even a Tier 2, we did work with such units consistently; often providing QRF for their elements or at times being a force multiplier in smaller groups (a platoon at most). While the native soundtrack is DTS:X running it on a 7.2.4 Atmos setup it certainly has an immersive soundstage. I’m going to try it in Auro 3D just to see what all the hub-bub is about.


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“Lone Survivor” was shot using the 5K-resolution Red Epic digital camera and mixed for ATMOS and DTS:X, so it’s definitely on the list.

I don’t think I ever saw this movie in 4K. So will have to watch this movie again in 4K/DTSX.

 

[William Lemmerhirt]

Not sure if Lone Survivor is on this list but in terms of war movies from the GWOT campaigns, in my opinion it’s the most realistic depiction of textbook modern small unit tactics. During my 8 years in the 82nd 1st/504th we deployed plenty of times during OIF and OEF as well as a handful of times to Afghanistan with Triple Canopy and G4S. While I was not by any means a Tier 1 shooter or even a Tier 2, we did work with such units consistently; often providing QRF for their elements or at times being a force multiplier in smaller groups (a platoon at most). While the native soundtrack is DTS:X running it on a 7.2.4 Atmos setup it certainly has an immersive soundstage. I’m going to try it in Auro 3D just to see what all the hub-bub is about.


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First, thank you for your service. I wish I had a more creative way to say that lol, but the thought is true.
Second, though I only have this on BD with a DTSHDMA track, it’s one of my absolute favorites. My running joke is every time I’m done watching it, I have to check my room for bullet holes. Very well done.

 

[panteragstk]

First, thank you for your service. I wish I had a more creative way to say that lol, but the thought is true.
Second, though I only have this on BD with a DTSHDMA track, it’s one of my absolute favorites. My running joke is every time I’m done watching it, I have to check my room for bullet holes. Very well done.

Well I guess I'm going to have to stop putting this one off.

 

[Pandaman617]

First, thank you for your service. I wish I had a more creative way to say that lol, but the thought is true.
Second, though I only have this on BD with a DTSHDMA track, it’s one of my absolute favorites. My running joke is every time I’m done watching it, I have to check my room for bullet holes. Very well done.

Hahaha that’s amazing man. It’s one of the few films that I’ve seen that I can honestly say reproduces the sensory overload experience that the two way firing range can produce at times. The report of the various AK-M’s, 74’s and their Chinese variants as well as PKM/PKP’s are extremely distinct sounds and they captured them quite well. One thing I always criticize in a majority of movies is the sound effects for suppressed weapons. Although there are sub-sonic rounds for use with suppressors made for just about every caliber, there is often still an audible report especially from
The shooters point of view. In Lone Survivor they had the full support of the Naval Special Warfare command and from what I can see and hear the M110, M4A1/M203 and M9’s are spot on with their sound effects. There’s so much I can praise this movie for so I won’t babble for too long, the only somewhat negative is the end of the film when Marcus is extracted by ISAF Special Forces and a detachment of Rangers. The actual extraction and rescue process was exponentially longer with units from JSOC, the 7th SF Group and one of their ODA’s, a platoon of Rangers from the 75th Regiment as well as one or two SEAL fire teams from what I understand. Marcus is one of the most humble human beings on the planet, I had the honor of meeting him while working for Triple Canopy as a designated defensive marksman. It’s not mentioned but after Operation Red Wings and Red Wings II and his obvious medical recovery, he immediately went back into the teams and started training for a pre deployment work up. He rotated back into numerous hot AO’s many times before retiring.


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[AcuDefTechGuy]

Hahaha that’s amazing man. It’s one of the few films that I’ve seen that I can honestly say reproduces the sensory overload experience that the two way firing range can produce at times. The report of the various AK-M’s, 74’s and their Chinese variants as well as PKM/PKP’s are extremely distinct sounds and they captured them quite well. One thing I always criticize in a majority of movies is the sound effects for suppressed weapons. Although there are sub-sonic rounds for use with suppressors made for just about every caliber, there is often still an audible report especially from
The shooters point of view. In Lone Survivor they had the full support of the Naval Special Warfare command and from what I can see and hear the M110, M4A1/M203 and M9’s are spot on with their sound effects. There’s so much I can praise this movie for so I won’t babble for too long, the only somewhat negative is the end of the film when Marcus is extracted by ISAF Special Forces and a detachment of Rangers. The actual extraction and rescue process was exponentially longer with units from JSOC, the 7th SF Group and one of their ODA’s, a platoon of Rangers from the 75th Regiment as well as one or two SEAL fire teams from what I understand. Marcus is one of the most humble human beings on the planet, I had the honor of meeting him while working for Triple Canopy as a designated defensive marksman. It’s not mentioned but after Operation Red Wings and Red Wings II and his obvious medical recovery, he immediately went back into the teams and started training for a pre deployment work up. He rotated back into numerous hot AO’s many times before retiring.


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Wow, that is super cool that you met the real Marcus.

Now I really must rewatch Lone Survivor in 4K/DTSX and pay attention to those gun sounds.

 

[AcuDefTechGuy]

I just saw “Lone Survivor” again and this time in 4K-DTSX. The first time I saw it was in 1080p and probably DTS or DD. And I am sure I intended to re-watch this movie in 4K.

So here is my impression on the 4K-DTSX version.

PQ: Excellent as expected since it was shot with the 5K Resolution Red Epic digital camera.

DTSX: Excellent. Plenty of overhead sound effects. Excellent bass sound. I would say reference SQ.

But after watching this movie again, I now realize why I didn’t want to re-watch this movie in 4K-DTSX - seeing how all those SEALS got killed is too PAINFUL and completely pisses me off!

So while the PQ and SQ are reference quality, the story makes me so mad. I only want to see the SEALS kicking ass, not getting killed!

 

[William Lemmerhirt]

I just saw “Lone Survivor” again and this time in 4K-DTSX. The first time I saw it was in 1080p and probably DTS or DD. And I am sure I intended to re-watch this movie in 4K.

So here is my impression on the 4K-DTSX version.

PQ: Excellent as expected since it was shot with the 5K Resolution Red Epic digital camera.

DTSX: Excellent. Plenty of overhead sound effects. Excellent bass sound. I would say reference SQ.

But after watching this movie again, I now realize why I didn’t want to re-watch this movie in 4K-DTSX - seeing how all those SEALS got killed is too PAINFUL and completely pisses me off!

So while the PQ and SQ are reference quality, the story makes me so mad. I only want to see the SEALS kicking ass, not getting killed!

Well at least they did kick some ass while they could!!!

 

[William Lemmerhirt]

Hahaha that’s amazing man. It’s one of the few films that I’ve seen that I can honestly say reproduces the sensory overload experience that the two way firing range can produce at times. The report of the various AK-M’s, 74’s and their Chinese variants as well as PKM/PKP’s are extremely distinct sounds and they captured them quite well. One thing I always criticize in a majority of movies is the sound effects for suppressed weapons. Although there are sub-sonic rounds for use with suppressors made for just about every caliber, there is often still an audible report especially from
The shooters point of view. In Lone Survivor they had the full support of the Naval Special Warfare command and from what I can see and hear the M110, M4A1/M203 and M9’s are spot on with their sound effects. There’s so much I can praise this movie for so I won’t babble for too long, the only somewhat negative is the end of the film when Marcus is extracted by ISAF Special Forces and a detachment of Rangers. The actual extraction and rescue process was exponentially longer with units from JSOC, the 7th SF Group and one of their ODA’s, a platoon of Rangers from the 75th Regiment as well as one or two SEAL fire teams from what I understand. Marcus is one of the most humble human beings on the planet, I had the honor of meeting him while working for Triple Canopy as a designated defensive marksman. It’s not mentioned but after Operation Red Wings and Red Wings II and his obvious medical recovery, he immediately went back into the teams and started training for a pre deployment work up. He rotated back into numerous hot AO’s many times before retiring.


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Great great post!
It’s interesting you mention the different reports of the rifles. That’s also one of my favorite thing about it. Peter berg has a way about his work. I hate watching a film and a .38 special has the same sound(folly?) as a 30-06, or whatever, and sounds the same behind or in front. I have no doubt meeting Marcus was very special.