yeah we really need a proper restoration of this film… there are way less deserving SWs that got a much better treatment.
Considering how good the film is, it really needs a new blu-ray. The current one has a LOT of scanner noise and shabby audio. Perhaps we`ve been spoiled by the great blu-rays for films like Big Gundown, Run Man Run, Day of Anger, Il grande silenzio, Le specialiste, etc. Hell, if D-grade trash horror films can get outstanding releases, surely one of the best spaghs can. Hey, at least it is available!
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I would love to have a nice Blu ray of this one, It’s very much due for a revisit aswell since it’s been years since I saw it last time.
Decided to go ahead and get the Blu-ray. While I don’t regret it, since it is the best version of this fantastic film atm, im really hoping for a new restoration of it… since it can be distractingly lacking in detail at times, the faces can be really bad especially…
For example:
For this reason, i would only recommend the Blu-ray to superfans of the film.
which one did you end up getting and which version did you watch? I remember slightly that there were differences in authoring depending on which version, even if ever so slightly
Blue underground
̶E̶x̶t̶e̶n̶d̶e̶d̶ ̶c̶u̶t̶ ̶h̶a̶s̶ ̶s̶l̶i̶g̶h̶t̶l̶y̶ ̶b̶e̶t̶t̶e̶r̶ ̶i̶m̶a̶g̶e̶ ̶q̶u̶a̶l̶i̶t̶y̶ ̶t̶h̶a̶n̶ ̶t̶h̶e̶ ̶U̶S̶ ̶c̶u̶t̶.̶ Edit: Never mind, both cuts have image quality that is better, worse or practically the same as the other version depending on the scene for some weird reason… but they are different.
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The example you’ve chosen shows that the background hills and trees are in focus, but the moving Volante on horseback is out … that’s nothing unusual for a camera operator then or now to have difficulty ‘pulling focus’ on an advancing subject.
There are loads of examples of this throughout cinema, old and new … GBU for instance, LVC sitting down to lunch at the Steven’s farm … Van Cleef’s close up is mainly out of focus because the depth of field ratio is so tiny … move forward an inch and you’re in focus, and back an inch you’re out … That’s show business, and it’s up to the director in editing to decide if he can live with the imperfection.
mhm perhaps, but its hard to tell whether that is the case with such heavy DNR.
Would that also be the case here? Regardless it would be much better without DNR, and ironically its a movie with a lot of digital noise. Seems like poor scans to me and bad DNR on top of it. End result is still watchable though.
Ahem … no it’s not … in focus is ‘in focus’, de-noised or not.
In the example you have here, the foreground with the 3 soldiers is the focal point, check the detail of the wicker chair - the background with the carriage is still sharp, because the scene is photographed in very strong natural light and therefore it’s a deep focus set up.
This film worked very well on TV in the early 90s in glorious pan scan, then later on widescreen VHS … (you wanna talk about picture noise!) DVD and now Blu ray … this is about as good as it will get.
PS: I’m assuming your screen shots aren’t from the actual BD … as they look like Youtube captures ?
I’m assuming your screen shots aren’t from the actual BD … as they look like Youtube captures ?
Haha, nope, those are from the bluray. It is not a clear image. The one up on youtube is even worse despite being 1080p since this movie looks really bad when compressed.
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I was just gonna say, no, the bluray really is that bad, the German disc is a wee bit better I thought, but overall this needs a new treatment by some label… hopefully
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Just had a quick look at the Youtube rip … it is much softer. Oh well, another one for Santa’s wish list.
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This is just a camera pic so not worth using to compare quality, but the JP Blu of Quien Sabe seems to be using a cooler/bluer palette for the film. It also seems to have slightly more info in the picture (check the chair’s pattern) both at the top/bottom and sides.
JP trailer for a better comparison of colour 
:
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wow… that looks much sharper too. Very interesting.
I wonder what the 2021 french version is like too. Perhaps that one is better too?
still looks like plastic all this. They screened the movie at the Cinema Ritrovata festival last year, there must be a fresh set of negatives/prints out there to be scanned. Damnit, I wish I was Bezos rich, I’d fund all this
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I don’t think its impossible that some company like arrow videos will pick this up sometime in the future for a proper remaster but i think it hasn’t been done yet for the simple reason that a blu-ray for this film has already been done, albeit poorly.
Carlotta’s website states it’s a “new restoration” whatever that means. Gonna assume it refers to someone touching up the materials rather than a new scan. Someone will have to buy it and see! 
French Trailer: https://youtu.be/ICdeM3HRs3M?t=58
At this point it just feels like a case of take what you can get really. 
forgot they usually release trailers with these releases… from the trailer it seems to be the same digital grain + DNR crap… new restoration my ass
Niño has a GOLDEN bullet for the General in his pocket, SWs are obsessed with GOLD. 
