September New to Blu-ray

THX-1138

Wow, this HD transfer looks amazing. All the white of George Lucas’s stark corridors is so pure. Considering all the empty space, it’s amazing you don’t see grain. It’s not unnaturally digital either, it just looks stark, as intended. There’s a golden shine to the robot building scenes too, and the silver cops.

All the detail in the actors faces and bald heads is clear too. There’s a little bit of grit in some of the sets, the factory floor in the beginning and the , but it’s more about looking at the people in this society. The bald stubble is palpable and the freckles and skin texture represent all the character they’re not allowed to show. The naked bodies are really striking against the white backdrop, and you can also distinctly see the white jumpsuits even against the white room.

Forbidden Planet

This big daddy of science fiction already got a fabulous restoration for that old HD-DVD format. Remember that? I saw that one on the big screen and it was a flawless, brightly colored print. That was a few years ago so maybe I’m not remembering right, but the Blu Ray kind of has a few more flaws. Maybe it’s the conversion to the winning format, or just sitting closer to the screen.

I definitely see a lot more grain and a few specks. It’s very much high definition so you’re seeing the authentic remnants of old film. There seems to be a pattern to it. Any set with a painted backdrop really grains up on the background. Deep in the science lab it really hazes up.

The foreground remains in clearer HD with just the minimal grain of the film’s age. The animation looks the clearest and brightest. Deep space is pretty good too, but it’s not quite the high definition marvel I remember. Maybe I saw a restored film print and not the HD-DVD.

Mars Attacks

Considering Hollywood still jokes about this post-ID4 Tim Burton movie, it’s nice to see Warner Brothers gave it a fabulous transfer like any of their more successful blockbusters. It’s totally clear so all the bright weird colors of the Martians and their blasters shine out, and the detail of their CGI has real texture, especially the condensation and reflections on their glass helmets.

The alien mayhem is awesome, but also all the colorful costumes the characters wear. The hippie chick in her pseudo-Indian garb and bright red hair, the hotshot reporter in her silver, the Vegas pharaoh and bedazzled developer, the suits and prim first lady. Even the aliens get different jet packs and capes and brain goo. Looks great.

Lost in Space

This brings back memories for me. Lost in Space was one of the five DVDs you’d get for free if you bought a DVD player around 1998/1999. Now it’s being sent with the other sci-fi classics on this page. I was never that hard on it. I mean, it’s just a generic special effects action movie. Worse movies today get a pass.

The Blu Ray looks great. The CGI still doesn’t but the Blu Ray of them does. It’s amazing how much the bad CGI of 12 years ago looks the same as the bad CGI of today. I mean, it’s pretty, but it doesn’t look real.

It’s very shiny though and the Blu Ray preserves the sheen of it. There’s one scene with a CG element that fuzzes up in the background, because it’s probably the third or fourth layer in the scene. The spider monster is ridiculous and that really stands out in this clarity.

A Scanner Darkly

This rotosope animated Phillip K. Dick adaptation looks great if you’re a fan of that style. The picture is clear with no trace of grain, so maybe they went straight to the drawn source. But you don’t see artifacts of paint or pencil either, so it’s just sharp lines, bright colors and realistic shading.

The perspective of 2D characters moving in three dimensions is kind of a marvel. The clarity of Blu Ray makes it look like a really close approximation of reality, but still stylized this way. The scanner suit effect blends really smoothly too.

Matrix Reloaded

If you’ve already got the Matrix trilogy, you’ve seen this transfer, but maybe if you only bought the single disc Matrix Blu Ray, you should give the sequel some love. I mean, it’s not like we’re asking you to watch The Matrix Revolutions.

Like the original, Reloaded maintains perfect clarity in that green cyber-tint. You see gritty detail and shiny black leather. Zion has more bluish grit with the oily, crust pipes, and the pure white of Zion control is sharp and distinct. That dance orgy is lit well to make it all those thrusting bodies look shiny.

More than the first, you see grain is many shots of Reloaded. Some of the CGI elements stand out a bit more as artificial enhancements or green screen backgrounds. The multiple Smiths still hold up, at least the ones that were digitally added. You can notice the background doubles who aren’t quite exact matches. The digital Neo looks pretty good still.

I think grain is just a construct of the matrix to fool us, but it makes us think the sequel wasn’t restored as carefully, or possibly not shot as sharply.  It’s still a Matrix movie though, high caliber studio spectacle with texture, color, clarity and grit.