Godfather on BD

[aberkowitz]

Came across this while randomly searching on Amazon...

http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B000NTPDSW/ref=br_nf_5_1?pf_rd_p=325297301&pf_rd_s=center-11&pf_rd_t=101&pf_rd_i=193640011&pf_rd_m=ATVPDKIKX0DER&pf_rd_r=1XCQM1MAQ03XEVE303RM

I will be curious to read reviews before buying to see if the transfer is good enough to even make it worthwhile to replace the SD version that I already own.

September looks to be a good month for BD releases- Godfather, Transformers, Kill Bill, Pale Rider, Madagascar (not that great of a film but the PQ should be awesome!), and Cool Hand Luke.

 

[dobyblue]

The SD version is absolute rubbish. The new DVD's will best the current versions handily, but the new Blu-ray will blow them both away.

The new Godfather Trilogy has been restored one frame at a time by Robert Harris (Digital Bits and Blu-ray.com contributor, motion picture archivist) under the direction of Francis Ford Coppola and cinematographer Gordon Willis.
This is what Robert Harris had to say about the project in his insider thread at the Blu-ray.com forums:

I'm now able to speak a bit on the subject of The Godfather(s).

All restoration work was performed at 4k and 6k.

The data path through the entire system of WB's MPI facility never fell below 4k.

The HD master was created from the fully restored 4k data files.

The direction given from day one by both Mr. Coppola as well as Mr. Willis was that grain structure remain inviolable.

We did not tamper with or change the grain structure in any way, with the exception of bringing dupes into line with the look of the originals. This is transparent to the restoration.

Paramount Pictures, from post-production to the technical arena of home video, has been totally on board and exceptionally cooperative to this end. They have worked extremely hard with us toward the creation of what we all hope will be a perfect product.

The final result should be one of the most dynamic presentations of film yet seen in the video realm.

It has been our unified goal, especially in terms of overall resolution, grain structure and black levels which are, as designed, extremely deep, that the Blu-ray release be as close as humanly and technologically possible, to a virtual reproduction of the cinema experience.

The high definition master has been approved by everyone involved, and the resultant Blu-ray discs may well be the new gold standard by which home theater viewing systems will be judged, especially in the reproduction of Mr. Willis' shadows and blacks.

Hope this is helpful.

RAH

Well if that doesn't turn you on........



This will also feature a lossless audio track for each movie, with each movie being presented on its own 50GB Blu-ray Disc.

All extras are contained on the fourth disc and there are numerous new extras:

Disc 4:

• Godfather World (HD)
• The Masterpiece That Almost Wasn't (HD)
• ... when the shooting stopped (HD)
• Emulsional Rescue-Revealing The Godfather (HD)
• The Godfather on the Red Carpet (HD)
• Four Short Films on The Godfather
  • The Godfather vs. The Godfather, Part II (HD)
  • Cannoli (HD)
  • Riffing on the Riffing (HD)
  • Clemenza (HD)

• The Family Tree
• Crime Organization Chart
• Connie and Carlo's Wedding Album
• Behind the Scenes
  • The Godfather Family: A Look Inside
  • On Location
  • Francis Coppola's Notebook
  • The Music of the Godfather
  • Coppola & Puzo on Screenwriting
  • Gordon Willis on Cinematography
  • Storyboards from The Godfather, Part II
  • Storyboards from The Godfather, Part III
  • The Godfather Behind the Scenes 1971

• The Filmmakers
  • Francis Ford Coppola
  • Mario Puzo
  • Gordon Willis
  • Dean Tavoularis
  • Nino Rota
  • Carmine Coppola

• Additional Scenes
• Acclaim & Response
• Trailers (HD)
• Photo Gallery
• Rogues' Gallery

 

[AcuDefTechGuy]

The original was mono-audio, right?

1080p PQ and 5.1 TrueHD sound pretty promising.

Can't wait.

 

[aberkowitz]

Btw- I wasn't advocating that the SD versions were good, but if they didn't put the appropriate amount of time into transfering the audio and video to BD (e.g. 1080p, TrueHD, HD extras) then I'd probably wait a few months for the price to drop. They're not exactly movies that I pull out more than once a year (normally for a movie marathon when I'm home sick ), so it wouldn't be a priority. However, knowing more details I definitely will be placing a pre-order!

 

[jostenmeat]

Yep, I've been following the thread at AVS. I've always wanted to own the collection, never have, and this would make it a perfect opportunity. A bit pricey, but OTOH you get a lot of film (longer movies).

Another temptation, I believe with a release date pretty close to Godfather, would be Band of Brothers. However, the HD-DVD version was still not top tier stuff, it is at least discernably better than SD. I have yet to run into comparisons of BD vs HD that were dramatically different in any way.. so if that holds true, it would be a more difficult decision for me...

Then... there's also the Criterion stuff to come out. Last Emperor will easily be my first purchase.

Will I have any money left for X-mas?!?

anyways, back to thread topic, I think many, many people, including myself, are demanding no less than pristine transfer for the Godfather trilogy. I have high hopes.

 

[aberkowitz]

Another temptation, I believe with a release date pretty close to Godfather, would be Band of Brothers. However, the HD-DVD version was still not top tier stuff, it is at least discernably better than SD. I have yet to run into comparisons of BD vs HD that were dramatically different in any way.. so if that holds true, it would be a more difficult decision for me...

Then... there's also the Criterion stuff to come out. Last Emperor will easily be my first purchase.

QUOTE]

I love Band of Brothers- I thought the SD releases were outstanding (particularly for AQ), I cannot imagine how amazing they'd be on BD!

I'm kinda pissed about Last Emperor b/c I bought the 4 disc remastered edition when it came out at the end of January, only to see the BD announcement come out 6 weeks later .

 

[johnnybon]

Price drop on Amazon to $61.95

 

[jostenmeat]

I watched Godfather last night. I was holding off until a select few friends and I could all get together, since for two of them its the greatest series ever, and the other has never seen it before.

Its a huge upgrade!!! Wow. The older master might be a bit unforgiving to some, and is also in 16:9, but I heartily recommend it if you are a fan of this series.

While I do usually pick something up "for the first time" after a repeat viewing, this time I did so thanks to the video.

Spoiler

I never knew that the guy eyeing the wedding gifts to Connie was also the "bodyguard" who called in sick to help facilitate the hit on Vito. (same guy who's shot in the car when Clemenza was taking his canolli).

The cleaned up video gives the horse's decapitated head a lot more detail! (but looks more fake in process).

And if I had a PS3, I'd be curious on the peaking video bitrate on Apollonia's mammary glands!