With the DB Crash here are the details again.

After many delays it is finally coming-

http://www.blu-ray.com/news/?id=1614

well i will be getting it.

How bad will this look?

How bad will this look?

Why would it look bad?

I'm planning to purchase this one for sure - a classic movie.

And with Crystal Skull getting the same 10/14 date, could the rumors of Warner releasing Gremlins and Goonies that day also be true (a bit of a Spielberg collection)?

Why would it look bad?

I'm planning to purchase this one for sure - a classic movie.

I guess I just remembered the old time piece of crap VHS tape.
I will buy it if the PQ worth the bucks, but for some reson I doubt it, I guess my cup half empty.

Your right it is a classic.:)

IJ, Goonies, Gremlins, Poltergeist on same date?! I'd go broke!

October is going to break me! This is a classic and even if the PQ is only a slight upgrade perhaps hearing all the sounds in that house w/ lossless audio will make up for it.

awesome. I love this movie.

The BD should look excellent since the film has just be recently remastered last year for the anniversary DVD.


http://img215.imageshack.us/img215/8840/poltergeist28wz6.jpg

http://img404.imageshack.us/img404/7504/poltergeist30le0.jpg

http://img120.imageshack.us/img120/9118/poltergeist31qb2.jpg

http://img403.imageshack.us/img403/2913/poltergeist35yl4.jpg

http://www.bulletsnbabesdvd.com/forums/upload/captainjoe/POLTERGEIST-36.jpg

http://www.bulletsnbabesdvd.com/forums/upload/captainjoe/POLTERGEIST-37.jpg

http://www.bulletsnbabesdvd.com/forums/upload/captainjoe/POLTERGEIST-38.jpg

http://img115.imageshack.us/img115/5261/poltergeist42eq0.jpg

I was fortunate enough to be on a business trip last summer in the LA area the same time that geek monthly magazine was hosting a weekend mini film festival at the Aero theater in Santa Monica. The theme was the 25'th anniversay of 1982 which many believe was the year that produced the highest number of sci-fi/fantasy/horror "geek" films that have stood the test of time. That year saw the release of classics blade runner, e.t., the thing, star trek II, tron, conan, road warrior, and of course poltergeist. The double feature of Tron (in 70mm!) and star trk II: the wrath of khan were probably the highlight of the weekend due to the guest speakers they got to attend the screening. Trek II had a pretty beat up looking print but Tron looked great in 70mm. The poltergeist screening was also very impressive. They mentioned it was a brand new print and it did look very good. After the movie they also had a QA with the actors Zelda Rubinstein and James Karen and one of the screenwriters. It was a thrill to see it on the big screen for the second time (I had find memories if seeing it as an early teen during its initial run in 1982). If the blu-ray looks as good as the print they showed i'll be very happy. Too bad they couldn't get some more deserving extra features on it.

Nothing will ever top the summer of movies of 1982.

:)

I envy you, docquest, for being able to attend that screening! I was only able to watch the panel discussion online after the fact, someone else who attended had recorded it thank goodness. I get regular mailings from The Egyptian/Aero theater with monthly film schedules and can't believe I missed it.

I was able to catch the one-night-only screening last October and thought the new print looked great! I was also happy with the picture on the new DVD as well but was disappointed, to say the least, with the sorry lack of extra's. One of these days I'll have to hook up the old LaserDisc player and transfer the extras from the CAV boxset onto DVD ;)

Very very excited to finally see this on Blu-Ray after being crushed with its cancellation last year! Personally, I like the look of the digibook and am glad the disc is given at least a tiny bit of recognition in some way, it'll stand out for sure.

Nothing will ever top the summer of movies of 1982.

:)

Yeah, if they only knew the terror of summer blockbusters of the 21 century back then ;)

NOTHING today can compare to those days. "Mummy 3"?....kill me!! ;)

....except for The Dark Knight I guess ;)

or actually...not even THAT movie can touch them ;)

I was fortunate enough to be on a business trip last summer in the LA area the same time that geek monthly magazine was hosting a weekend mini film festival at the Aero theater in Santa Monica. The theme was the 25'th anniversay of 1982 which many believe was the year that produced the highest number of sci-fi/fantasy/horror "geek" films that have stood the test of time. That year saw the release of classics blade runner, e.t., the thing, star trek II, tron, conan, road warrior, and of course poltergeist. The double feature of Tron (in 70mm!) and star trk II: the wrath of khan were probably the highlight of the weekend due to the guest speakers they got to attend the screening. Trek II had a pretty beat up looking print but Tron looked great in 70mm. The poltergeist screening was also very impressive. They mentioned it was a brand new print and it did look very good. After the movie they also had a QA with the actors Zelda Rubinstein and James Karen and one of the screenwriters. It was a thrill to see it on the big screen for the second time (I had find memories if seeing it as an early teen during its initial run in 1982). If the blu-ray looks as good as the print they showed i'll be very happy. Too bad they couldn't get some more deserving extra features on it.

I was there each of those days as well. Did you stay for Creepshow after Poltergeist? I agree that Poltergeist looked exceptional and really made me jones for an HD release. I actually got a kick out of hearing the original optical Dolby Stereo track complete with little pops at the reel changes. I hadn't heard a film that way in years. This weekend... Predator and Predator 2 (and Alien/Aliens over at the Egyptian next Thursday)!!

http://img404.imageshack.us/img404/7504/poltergeist30le0.jpg



Don´t freak out when you see the opening titles folks.
Those shots have ALWAYS been soft and fuzzy on ALL versions.
Probably someone screwed it up when they optically added the titles ;)

I'm looking forward to this film....I'm a big horror fan and this one has so much atmosphere...Real surprising about the PG rating in America at the time of it's release as i think it got an AA here ( you needed to be fourteen to see it ) - I think it's now re-classified 15' certificate here as AA disappeared in the eighties.

Real surprising about the PG rating in America at the time of it's release

Yeah the face ripping scene would probably get an R-rating today ;)

Those where the days when a PG rated movie got gory headshots and melting/exploding heads and bodies mutilated by a shark. Spielberg sure knew how to traumatise the **** out of kids back then :D

Too bad Spielberg didn´t bring on the same violence in the new Indy movie ;)

Too bad Spielberg didn´t bring on the same violence in the new Indy movie ;)

ah hell, first the Indy Blu ray thread goes off the rails now here we go again...

ah hell, first the Indy Blu ray thread goes off the rails now here we go again...

Nope we´re still on track. It was only a thing about how PG violence have changed since the Poltergeist days ;)

Sorry for the OT

I was there each of those days as well. Did you stay for Creepshow after Poltergeist? I agree that Poltergeist looked exceptional and really made me jones for an HD release. I actually got a kick out of hearing the original optical Dolby Stereo track complete with little pops at the reel changes. I hadn't heard a film that way in years. This weekend... Predator and Predator 2 (and Alien/Aliens over at the Egyptian next Thursday)!!

I did see creepshow as well. Not as big a fan as that as with plotergeist but still alot of fun. I was also there on that friday for the thing and cat people. I envy you guys out on the west coast that have screenings like that. whenever i need to go out there for business i always check what screenings are going on at the aero/egyptian/academy/etc and there always seems to be something of interest. also last spring i was able to attend a star wars 30'th anniversay screening by the academy that had a QA panel with lucas, hamill, carrie fisher, and about a dozen or more other crew.

i'm glad poltergiest will be packaged with the digibook. I like the extras pics and info in the booklet. I would also be just as happy to have a regular case with a booklet inside the case as well. I miss that most blurays/HDDVDs don't have inserts or booklets like DVD's have used in the past.

I can't wait to pick this one up. This movie terrified me as a kid (I can't believe my parents let me watch it!), especially the part with the clown! :eek::eek::eek:

Hell. I still get chills watching this movie.

I can't wait to pick this one up. This movie terrified me as a kid (I can't believe my parents let me watch it!), especially the part with the clown! :eek::eek::eek:

I agree that clown scared the **** out of me when I was a kid also.I can't wait.

I can't wait to pick this one up. This movie terrified me as a kid (I can't believe my parents let me watch it!), especially the part with the clown! :eek::eek::eek:

Yah the clown was good....They did a funny take on that in one of the Scary Movie films.

I like the fact they used opticals back then and not CGI and think the effects hold up well to this day. Good musical score too.

i'll have to pick this up as well

i never saw clowns the same after this and IT, the cat clock always scared the hell out of me too as kid

I just drove by the Poltergeist house today.. (Its in my town). The owners really tried to mask it :lol:

Nope we´re still on track. It was only a thing about how PG violence have changed since the Poltergeist days ;)

Sorry for the OT

no worries. Just saw how the Indy thread devolved into bickering and sniping.

yeah, Poltegeist was pretty hardcore. Scared the crap out of me and my pals back then. We were only 14-15 years old!

I just drove by the Poltergeist house today.. (Its in my town). The owners really tried to mask it :lol:

Does it look very diffrent today?
Take a pic of it next time and put it up here if you can ;)

I just drove by the Poltergeist house today.. (Its in my town). The owners really tried to mask it :lol:

I agree take a photo :)

I just drove by the Poltergeist house today.. (Its in my town). The owners really tried to mask it :lol:
Isn't that in Simi Valley?

I just drove by the Poltergeist house today.. (Its in my town). The owners really tried to mask it :lol:

Why is that?
This place is famous.

Was the jumpcut fixed in the remastered dvd last year?

I'm talking about the jarring cut, when they go to visit the neighbors to ask them if they have seen anything strange.

Was the jumpcut fixed in the remastered dvd last year?

I'm talking about the jarring cut, when they go to visit the neighbors to ask them if they have seen anything strange.


Yes, it was fixed finally! Before, if I remember correctly, it cut to the bathroom scene right after Diane slapped herself.

Now, the shot goes back to the neighbor, Ben, for a moment after Diane slaps herself before cutting to the Freelings in their bathroom. The change is very slight but it's not jarring at all now.

Weird. For years they said that jumpcut was intentional!

:)

I think the jump cut dahl77 was referring to is the transition from the kitchen when Diane is describing the feeling of sliding across the floor, then to the neighbours. Yes that one is still there and it is intentional as far as I know. But the other one the kiko mentions is fixed.

gotcha

Why would they make it intentional?

As part of the film. Just a purposefully jarring edit.

I thought the rough edit had to do with a line about Pizza Hut or something like that and they had to take it out, hence the jump cut, which was not intentional.

Why is that?
This place is famous.

Because they don't want people stopping by and taking pictures in front of it. I'll snap one next time I drive by.

The BD should look excellent since the film has just be recently remastered last year for the anniversary DVD.




Sweet, lets hope they have not been to exsessive with DNR :rolleyes:

How can you take pictures of the house, it got sucked up in the end of the movie. :)

How can you take pictures of the house, it got sucked up in the end of the movie. :)

The beast gave it back, he wasn't happy with it.

I thought the rough edit had to do with a line about Pizza Hut or something like that and they had to take it out

Rumor has it that Craig T. Nelson said "I hate Pizza Hut!" in the original theatrical release and the line was cut before any home video releases were made.

How can you take pictures of the house, it got sucked up in the end of the movie. :)

I will next time I drive by.

My order is showing this is ready to ship. My order is combined with others so some of you will be able to get this disc first. It will be intresting to read members impressions of the film. Im looking forward to this film.

Can't wait to get my hands on this disc. I was happy to see a review, the first that I've seen for it anyways, over at High Def Digest. The reviewer admits a bias for the film but that's ok by me, I love this film!

Can't wait to get my hands on this disc. I was happy to see a review, the first that I've seen for it anyways, over at High Def Digest. The reviewer admits a bias for the film but that's ok by me, I love this film!

They have a done a review for it already,excellent. I will have a read. cheers for that.:)

Isn't that in Simi Valley?


http://www.bigwaste.com/photos/ca/poltergeist/

I kick myself now for selling my laserdisc boxset when the DVD was first released, because I thought it would include the featurette (which it didn't).

Do the extras on the Bluray include the featurette, which provided a brief behind the scenes view of how they filmed some of the special effects?

nope. :(

What is it with the studios refusing to port over some of the extras from laserdisc to DVD and now HD?

Terminator 2 boxset laserdisc had the Guns-n-Roses music video, but that has never been released to DVD or HD AFAIK. There was a rumour that the German T2 HD-DVD steelbook had it, but that proved to be unfounded.

Now we have the Poltergeist laserdisc featurette missing in action yet again. It was an interesting featurette too IIRC.

Sigh. I guess we should have seen it coming when the studios didn't even port over all the DVD extras to the new HD media in many cases.

Now we have the Poltergeist laserdisc featurette missing in action yet again. It was an interesting featurette too IIRC.

Wasn't it only a few minutes? I do have the laserdisc box, and I remember being a little disappointed at it for being as short as it was.

What is it with the studios refusing to port over some of the extras from laserdisc to DVD and now HD?

Terminator 2 boxset laserdisc had the Guns-n-Roses music video, but that has never been released to DVD or HD AFAIK. There was a rumour that the German T2 HD-DVD steelbook had it, but that proved to be unfounded.

Now we have the Poltergeist laserdisc featurette missing in action yet again. It was an interesting featurette too IIRC.

Sigh. I guess we should have seen it coming when the studios didn't even port over all the DVD extras to the new HD media in many cases.

Have to admit i was never big on these special features, but to see behind the scenes of the cast back in those days actually doing interviews back when the movie was promoted I would have to watch.

Terminator 2 boxset laserdisc had the Guns-n-Roses music video, but that has never been released to DVD or HD AFAIK. There was a rumour that the German T2 HD-DVD steelbook had it, but that proved to be unfounded.

The Guns 'N Roses video is tied up in legal red tape regarding the rights to use the song. You can blame the music industry for that one.

That house does remind me of how scary Poltergeist was when I first saw it. Movie is still frightening to watch now. I will definatly consider getting it for bluray.

http://www.bigwaste.com/photos/ca/poltergeist/

Looks a bit different now. That picture appaerars to be 8 years old now...I may drive by in the next few days and snap some pictures.

Looks a bit different now. That picture appaerars to be 8 years old now...I may drive by in the next few days and snap some pictures.

Quite impressive.

Has anyone posted any reviews yet? I'm getting excited about this release. Last year's edition looked pretty good, and the sound was adequate. I'm apprehensive that they might try to DNR it to a paste, but I've preordered anyway.

Doug

Never mind my question. I just found a review at HTF. It's fairly favorable. I'm sure there will be more reviews in days to come.

Doug

Specs + shots;



DISC INFO:

Disc Title: POLTERGEIST_DE_BD03_DIM1
Disc Size: 22,118,207,888 bytes
Protection: AACS
BD-Java: No

PLAYLIST REPORT:

Name: 00123.mpls
Size: 19,944,413,184 bytes
Length: 1:54:28 (h:m:s)
Total Bitrate: 23.23 Mbps
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00154.M2TS 4615 (0x1207) 0x90 PGS nld Dutch 6868.36 15,179,301 86,913 18
00154.M2TS 4616 (0x1208) 0x90 PGS zho Chinese 6868.36 18,832,312 109,430 22
00154.M2TS 4617 (0x1209) 0x90 PGS kor Korean 6868.36 15,166,682 89,404 18
00154.M2TS 4618 (0x120A) 0x90 PGS spa Spanish 6868.36 21,241,541 122,536 25
00154.M2TS 4619 (0x120B) 0x90 PGS por Portuguese 6868.36 20,487,422 118,414 24
00154.M2TS 4620 (0x120C) 0x90 PGS dan Danish 6868.36 19,256,734 111,320 22
00154.M2TS 4621 (0x120D) 0x90 PGS fin Finnish 6868.36 19,625,892 113,778 23
00154.M2TS 4622 (0x120E) 0x90 PGS nor Norwegian 6868.36 16,102,756 93,804 19
00154.M2TS 4623 (0x120F) 0x90 PGS swe Swedish 6868.36 17,476,262 99,936 20
00154.M2TS 4624 (0x1210) 0x90 PGS jpn Japanese 6868.36 13,167,865 76,771 15
00154.M2TS 4625 (0x1211) 0x90 PGS jpn Japanese 6868.36 3,154,051 18,390 4
00154.M2TS 4360 (0x1108) 0x81 AC3 jpn Japanese 6868.36 164,841,216 1,073,185 192



http://thumbnails.keepmyfile.com/47/122372369224075a.gif (http://www.keepmyfile.com/image/24075a2344836)http://thumbnails.keepmyfile.com/47/1223723691f8becc.gif (http://www.keepmyfile.com/image/f8becc2344835)http://thumbnails.keepmyfile.com/47/1223723691f77d96.gif (http://www.keepmyfile.com/image/f77d962344834)http://thumbnails.keepmyfile.com/47/1223723690f417a2.gif (http://www.keepmyfile.com/image/f417a22344833)http://thumbnails.keepmyfile.com/47/1223723690361734.gif (http://www.keepmyfile.com/image/3617342344832)
http://thumbnails.keepmyfile.com/47/122372368980e872.gif (http://www.keepmyfile.com/image/80e8722344831)http://thumbnails.keepmyfile.com/47/1223723688f30503.gif (http://www.keepmyfile.com/image/f305032344830)http://thumbnails.keepmyfile.com/47/1223723687e30b5d.gif (http://www.keepmyfile.com/image/e30b5d2344829)http://thumbnails.keepmyfile.com/47/1223723686b3d1b5.gif (http://www.keepmyfile.com/image/b3d1b52344828)http://thumbnails.keepmyfile.com/47/1223723686d83333.gif (http://www.keepmyfile.com/image/d833332344827)

Never mind my question. I just found a review at HTF. It's fairly favorable. I'm sure there will be more reviews in days to come.

Doug

dougotte, there's also a gushing review over at High Def Digest. I'll be heading over to HTF to read that one too :)

Wow, those captures look very nice. Lots of high frequency detail and the colors are just great. Who says 80s film have to be grainy and soft? Hope The Goonies looks this good. It should.

Specs + shots;



DISC INFO:

Disc Title: POLTERGEIST_DE_BD03_DIM1
Disc Size: 22,118,207,888 bytes
Protection: AACS
BD-Java: No

PLAYLIST REPORT:

Name: 00123.mpls
Size: 19,944,413,184 bytes
Length: 1:54:28 (h:m:s)
Total Bitrate: 23.23 Mbps
Description:

FILES:

Name Size Length Time In Time Out
---- ---- ------ ------- --------
00154.M2TS 19,944,413,184 1:54:28.361 0:00:00.000 1:54:28.361

VIDEO:

Codec Bitrate Description
----- ------- -----------
VC-1 Video 16670 kbps 1080p / 23.976fps / 16:9 / Advanced Profile 3

AUDIO:

Codec Language Bitrate Description
----- -------- ------- -----------
Dolby TrueHD Audio English 1138 kbps 5.1 / 48kHz / 16-bit / 1138kbps (AC3 Core: 5.1 / 48kHz / 640kbps)
Dolby Digital Audio English 640 kbps 5.1 / 48kHz / 640kbps
Dolby Digital Audio English 192 kbps 2.0 / 48kHz / 192kbps
Dolby Digital Audio French 192 kbps 2.0 / 48kHz / 192kbps
Dolby Digital Audio German 192 kbps 2.0 / 48kHz / 192kbps
Dolby Digital Audio Spanish 192 kbps 2.0 / 48kHz / 192kbps
Dolby Digital Audio Spanish 192 kbps 2.0 / 48kHz / 192kbps
Dolby Digital Audio Italian 192 kbps 1.0 / 48kHz / 192kbps
Dolby Digital Audio Japanese 192 kbps 1.0 / 48kHz / 192kbps

SUBTITLES:

Codec Language Bitrate Description
----- -------- ------- -----------
Presentation Graphics English 28.793 kbps
Presentation Graphics Chinese 21.935 kbps
Presentation Graphics Danish 22.429 kbps
Presentation Graphics Dutch 17.680 kbps
Presentation Graphics Finnish 22.859 kbps
Presentation Graphics French 16.216 kbps
Presentation Graphics German 18.565 kbps
Presentation Graphics German 25.278 kbps
Presentation Graphics Italian 21.437 kbps
Presentation Graphics Italian 25.782 kbps
Presentation Graphics Japanese 15.337 kbps
Presentation Graphics Japanese 3.674 kbps
Presentation Graphics Korean 17.666 kbps
Presentation Graphics Norwegian 18.756 kbps
Presentation Graphics Portuguese 23.863 kbps
Presentation Graphics Spanish 23.542 kbps
Presentation Graphics Spanish 24.741 kbps
Presentation Graphics Swedish 20.356 kbps

CHAPTERS:

Number Time Length Avg Video Rate Max 1-Sec Rate Max 1-Sec Time Max 5-Sec Rate Max 5-Sec Time Max 10Sec Rate Max 10Sec Time Avg Frame Size Max Frame Size Max Frame Time
------ ---- ------ -------------- -------------- -------------- -------------- -------------- -------------- -------------- -------------- -------------- --------------
1 0:00:00.000 0:04:38.612 16,857 kbps 31,195 kbps 00:01:27.754 24,813 kbps 00:01:37.180 23,411 kbps 00:01:36.805 87,883 bytes 419,058 bytes 00:01:27.838
2 0:04:38.612 0:02:21.975 17,912 kbps 30,825 kbps 00:06:31.224 23,796 kbps 00:06:12.539 22,809 kbps 00:06:12.539 93,383 bytes 491,546 bytes 00:06:00.694
3 0:07:00.587 0:04:44.826 18,467 kbps 29,500 kbps 00:11:09.460 23,942 kbps 00:08:12.909 23,038 kbps 00:08:12.325 96,278 bytes 432,662 bytes 00:11:41.993
4 0:11:45.413 0:04:59.299 16,418 kbps 29,956 kbps 00:13:57.462 21,354 kbps 00:12:28.790 19,802 kbps 00:12:24.035 85,598 bytes 381,843 bytes 00:13:57.712
5 0:16:44.712 0:04:40.238 15,067 kbps 31,174 kbps 00:17:25.086 20,653 kbps 00:19:56.987 18,150 kbps 00:18:01.622 78,552 bytes 352,208 bytes 00:20:49.123
6 0:21:24.950 0:03:08.689 17,832 kbps 28,185 kbps 00:23:45.841 23,724 kbps 00:22:42.861 22,208 kbps 00:23:00.045 92,968 bytes 246,967 bytes 00:22:53.664
7 0:24:33.639 0:04:09.749 18,329 kbps 28,974 kbps 00:26:16.325 23,102 kbps 00:24:39.895 21,194 kbps 00:25:21.437 95,557 bytes 389,082 bytes 00:27:36.947
8 0:28:43.388 0:05:31.373 16,854 kbps 25,083 kbps 00:34:13.551 22,618 kbps 00:33:52.113 21,093 kbps 00:33:48.652 87,869 bytes 349,175 bytes 00:28:46.266
9 0:34:14.761 0:03:01.306 17,894 kbps 30,639 kbps 00:36:41.199 24,166 kbps 00:35:31.087 23,312 kbps 00:35:26.124 93,293 bytes 305,213 bytes 00:36:50.834
10 0:37:16.067 0:05:30.330 17,564 kbps 30,039 kbps 00:41:37.495 23,888 kbps 00:38:35.146 22,874 kbps 00:42:36.304 91,568 bytes 374,870 bytes 00:38:49.953
11 0:42:46.397 0:03:00.222 16,332 kbps 25,091 kbps 00:44:40.177 23,325 kbps 00:44:39.427 21,433 kbps 00:44:36.090 85,148 bytes 393,050 bytes 00:43:05.041
12 0:45:46.619 0:04:39.237 16,203 kbps 29,229 kbps 00:46:23.906 23,909 kbps 00:48:45.923 20,398 kbps 00:48:41.001 84,474 bytes 425,924 bytes 00:48:15.101
13 0:50:25.856 0:03:09.189 15,713 kbps 32,141 kbps 00:52:16.925 20,925 kbps 00:52:22.181 19,884 kbps 00:52:16.967 81,922 bytes 343,671 bytes 00:53:02.888
14 0:53:35.045 0:06:10.579 14,451 kbps 29,118 kbps 00:59:38.408 22,411 kbps 00:59:37.491 21,241 kbps 00:59:35.489 75,342 bytes 296,888 bytes 00:59:38.200
15 0:59:45.624 0:03:26.831 15,613 kbps 29,477 kbps 01:02:55.522 22,627 kbps 01:03:03.154 20,526 kbps 01:03:00.902 81,399 bytes 356,377 bytes 01:02:56.106
16 1:03:12.455 0:04:11.585 15,175 kbps 24,086 kbps 01:06:05.211 22,207 kbps 01:06:59.432 20,718 kbps 01:06:58.932 79,115 bytes 364,260 bytes 01:04:07.302
17 1:07:24.040 0:03:49.729 17,627 kbps 27,099 kbps 01:08:22.724 22,571 kbps 01:10:01.531 20,334 kbps 01:08:35.194 91,899 bytes 420,422 bytes 01:08:22.974
18 1:11:13.769 0:02:57.177 20,844 kbps 29,470 kbps 01:12:46.904 23,904 kbps 01:13:30.698 23,108 kbps 01:13:26.819 108,671 bytes 411,970 bytes 01:12:05.696
19 1:14:10.946 0:02:29.984 17,038 kbps 25,269 kbps 01:14:48.818 21,881 kbps 01:14:28.798 20,039 kbps 01:14:23.376 88,826 bytes 310,871 bytes 01:16:00.681
20 1:16:40.930 0:05:20.653 17,544 kbps 25,024 kbps 01:17:26.267 22,039 kbps 01:17:24.640 20,367 kbps 01:17:22.555 91,468 bytes 330,135 bytes 01:17:03.661
21 1:22:01.583 0:02:55.175 17,414 kbps 24,745 kbps 01:22:08.298 19,467 kbps 01:22:07.840 18,769 kbps 01:23:38.430 90,788 bytes 260,893 bytes 01:23:46.647
22 1:24:56.758 0:04:09.249 19,562 kbps 32,427 kbps 01:26:15.879 24,126 kbps 01:28:54.663 22,778 kbps 01:25:22.159 101,986 bytes 327,009 bytes 01:27:40.172
23 1:29:06.007 0:03:57.237 20,001 kbps 30,832 kbps 01:30:39.476 24,036 kbps 01:30:32.218 23,080 kbps 01:30:27.464 104,277 bytes 321,589 bytes 01:32:17.490
24 1:33:03.244 0:02:33.987 16,901 kbps 25,049 kbps 01:35:31.392 21,780 kbps 01:33:08.416 19,481 kbps 01:33:20.678 88,113 bytes 386,659 bytes 01:35:31.517
25 1:35:37.231 0:03:19.033 15,934 kbps 24,921 kbps 01:38:04.087 19,061 kbps 01:36:34.747 18,372 kbps 01:36:34.372 83,072 bytes 396,750 bytes 01:38:04.337
26 1:38:56.264 0:03:22.035 15,788 kbps 27,792 kbps 01:40:08.836 20,766 kbps 01:41:56.986 19,855 kbps 01:41:53.691 82,309 bytes 421,129 bytes 01:40:09.212
27 1:42:18.299 0:03:29.376 16,483 kbps 31,756 kbps 01:45:44.713 22,202 kbps 01:42:32.229 20,284 kbps 01:42:27.683 85,936 bytes 409,275 bytes 01:45:44.964
28 1:45:47.675 0:01:50.944 18,607 kbps 28,550 kbps 01:47:28.984 24,849 kbps 01:47:27.775 22,735 kbps 01:46:12.241 97,007 bytes 275,578 bytes 01:47:29.234
29 1:47:38.619 0:02:02.122 15,006 kbps 24,953 kbps 01:48:04.186 20,019 kbps 01:49:24.475 18,319 kbps 01:48:00.974 78,233 bytes 249,211 bytes 01:49:27.186
30 1:49:40.741 0:04:47.620 8,820 kbps 16,155 kbps 01:51:57.794 14,779 kbps 01:51:56.126 14,212 kbps 01:51:54.958 45,984 bytes 283,250 bytes 01:51:59.671

STREAM DIAGNOSTICS:

File PID Type Codec Lang. Code Lang. Name Seconds Bytes Packets Bitrate
---- --- ---- ----- ---------- ---------- ------- ----- ------- -------
00154.M2TS 4113 (0x1011) 0xEA VC-1 6868.36 14,311,799,814 77,880,463 16,670
00154.M2TS 4352 (0x1100) 0x81 AC3 eng English 6868.36 549,470,720 3,219,555 640
00154.M2TS 4353 (0x1101) 0x83 TrueHD eng English 6868.36 1,526,531,826 13,126,895 1,778
00154.M2TS 4354 (0x1102) 0x81 AC3 eng English 6868.36 164,841,216 1,073,185 192
00154.M2TS 4355 (0x1103) 0x81 AC3 fra French 6868.36 164,841,216 1,073,185 192
00154.M2TS 4356 (0x1104) 0x81 AC3 deu German 6868.36 164,841,216 1,073,185 192
00154.M2TS 4357 (0x1105) 0x81 AC3 ita Italian 6868.36 164,841,216 1,073,185 192
00154.M2TS 4358 (0x1106) 0x81 AC3 spa Spanish 6868.36 164,841,216 1,073,185 192
00154.M2TS 4359 (0x1107) 0x81 AC3 spa Spanish 6868.36 164,841,216 1,073,185 192
00154.M2TS 4608 (0x1200) 0x90 PGS eng English 6868.36 24,719,966 142,571 29
00154.M2TS 4609 (0x1201) 0x90 PGS fra French 6868.36 13,922,154 81,058 16
00154.M2TS 4610 (0x1202) 0x90 PGS deu German 6868.36 15,938,659 92,177 19
00154.M2TS 4611 (0x1203) 0x90 PGS deu German 6868.36 21,702,271 125,895 25
00154.M2TS 4612 (0x1204) 0x90 PGS ita Italian 6868.36 18,404,442 106,886 21
00154.M2TS 4613 (0x1205) 0x90 PGS ita Italian 6868.36 22,134,661 128,757 26
00154.M2TS 4614 (0x1206) 0x90 PGS spa Spanish 6868.36 20,211,856 116,718 24
00154.M2TS 4615 (0x1207) 0x90 PGS nld Dutch 6868.36 15,179,301 86,913 18
00154.M2TS 4616 (0x1208) 0x90 PGS zho Chinese 6868.36 18,832,312 109,430 22
00154.M2TS 4617 (0x1209) 0x90 PGS kor Korean 6868.36 15,166,682 89,404 18
00154.M2TS 4618 (0x120A) 0x90 PGS spa Spanish 6868.36 21,241,541 122,536 25
00154.M2TS 4619 (0x120B) 0x90 PGS por Portuguese 6868.36 20,487,422 118,414 24
00154.M2TS 4620 (0x120C) 0x90 PGS dan Danish 6868.36 19,256,734 111,320 22
00154.M2TS 4621 (0x120D) 0x90 PGS fin Finnish 6868.36 19,625,892 113,778 23
00154.M2TS 4622 (0x120E) 0x90 PGS nor Norwegian 6868.36 16,102,756 93,804 19
00154.M2TS 4623 (0x120F) 0x90 PGS swe Swedish 6868.36 17,476,262 99,936 20
00154.M2TS 4624 (0x1210) 0x90 PGS jpn Japanese 6868.36 13,167,865 76,771 15
00154.M2TS 4625 (0x1211) 0x90 PGS jpn Japanese 6868.36 3,154,051 18,390 4
00154.M2TS 4360 (0x1108) 0x81 AC3 jpn Japanese 6868.36 164,841,216 1,073,185 192



http://itsnotlupus.net/img/files/1/polter1_thumb.png (http://itsnotlupus.net/img/files/1/polter1.png)http://itsnotlupus.net/img/files/1/polter2_thumb.png (http://itsnotlupus.net/img/files/1/polter2.png)http://itsnotlupus.net/img/files/1/polter3_thumb.png (http://itsnotlupus.net/img/files/1/polter3.png)http://itsnotlupus.net/img/files/1/polter4_thumb.png (http://itsnotlupus.net/img/files/1/polter4.png)http://itsnotlupus.net/img/files/1/polter5_thumb.png (http://itsnotlupus.net/img/files/1/polter5.png)
http://itsnotlupus.net/img/files/1/polter6_thumb.png (http://itsnotlupus.net/img/files/1/polter6.png)http://itsnotlupus.net/img/files/1/polter7_thumb.png (http://itsnotlupus.net/img/files/1/polter7.png)http://itsnotlupus.net/img/files/1/polter8_thumb.png (http://itsnotlupus.net/img/files/1/polter8.png)http://itsnotlupus.net/img/files/1/polter9_thumb.png (http://itsnotlupus.net/img/files/1/polter9.png)http://itsnotlupus.net/img/files/1/polter10_thumb.png (http://itsnotlupus.net/img/files/1/polter10.png)

All the TV flashing/flickering causes some nice blocking too :)

http://itsnotlupus.net/img/files/1/polterblock1_thumb.png (http://itsnotlupus.net/img/files/1/polterblock1.png)http://itsnotlupus.net/img/files/1/polterblock2_thumb.png (http://itsnotlupus.net/img/files/1/polterblock2.png)

Thanks for that.

That looks puuurdy! Can't wait to pick this up, one of my all time favs!

A very nice transfer, reminds me of Close Encounters. And while luckily it doesn't seem to have suffered too much I can't help but once again wonder how Warner thinks. They piss away their BD50s on releases that don't use them, they do 20+ Mbps encodes on movies from inferior masters, but when they finally have great source to work with they strangle the bitrate to the lowest for a new encode in a long while.

Would have looked perfect if it was a Sony release.

Thanks, Frank. Those shots look wonderful.

Doug

DVDBeaver has a comparison up now, with more luscious screenshots. I guess I'll put my 25th DVD up for sale now!

Doug

Wow, those captures look very nice. Lots of high frequency detail and the colors are just great. Who says 80s film have to be grainy and soft?

Generally, people who don't really know what they are talking about...

Looks like I made a good choice in pre-ordering the BD from Amazon. Also doesn't hurt that I never got around to buying this on DVD. :)

Anyone has a copy yet? I've asked the place where Im getting mine from if they can start shipping.Im waiting for Poltergeist and all the other films still:(

Anyone has a copy yet?

Picked-up a copy last week (a major retailer had it out early), but haven't had time to check it out.

Picked-up a copy last week (a major retailer had it out early), but haven't had time to check it out.

Well intrested to read your impressions.

I watched it Saturday night. It does look to be a very nice, true-to-film transfer for the most part. Pretty solid color, little edge enhancement and great detail on well lit scenes (especially the outdoor daytime shots). Maybe just a tad too dark in some poorly lit scenes but nothing worth fretting about. Amusingly, the quality of the transfer really brings out how phony the animated "tree tornado" looked.

Very impressed with the spaceous soundtrack, easily the best I've heard this movie sound ever (I saw it during it's original theatrical release, owned the laserdisc box and the recent dvd remaster).

Didn't bother watching the extras though.

If you're a fan of the movie, I'd guess you'll be very happy with the quality of this release.

T.B.

I watched it Saturday night. It does look to be a very nice, true-to-film transfer for the most part. Pretty solid color, little edge enhancement and great detail on well lit scenes (especially the outdoor daytime shots). Maybe just a tad too dark in some poorly lit scenes but nothing worth fretting about. Amusingly, the quality of the transfer really brings out how phony the animated "tree tornado" looked.

Very impressed with the spaceous soundtrack, easily the best I've heard this movie sound ever (I saw it during it's original theatrical release, owned the laserdisc box and the recent dvd remaster).

Didn't bother watching the extras though.

If you're a fan of the movie, I'd guess you'll be very happy with the quality of this release.

T.B.

Thanks, another boost for my confidence in this one. My sister in-law has never seen it so it's on the creature feature agenda for Halloween but of course I will be watching it as soon as I get it.

is this movie available to those who didnt switch to DirecTV from cable? :D

Anyone has a copy yet? I've asked the place where Im getting mine from if they can start shipping.Im waiting for Poltergeist and all the other films still:(

Warner Store says they shipped mine on the 12th (which is Sunday, so go figure that one out).

Warner Store says they shipped mine on the 12th (which is Sunday, so go figure that one out).

I got the same message. However, when I checked the tracking # on UPS.com it says on time for 10/14 delivery.

Can't wait to see this, along with all 5 Steelers Super Bowls as originally broadcast which streets tomorrow too!!!!
:)

Well mine has finally been sent.

I got the same message. However, when I checked the tracking # on UPS.com it says on time for 10/14 delivery.

Can't wait to see this, along with all 5 Steelers Super Bowls as originally broadcast which streets tomorrow too!!!!
:)

All 5 Steelers Super Bowls are coming out on DVD? I'm a Dolphin fan but was a kid in the 70's and would love to watch these for the first time in 30 years.

Mine should arrive Friday with the rest of them.

All 5 Steelers Super Bowls are coming out on DVD? I'm a Dolphin fan but was a kid in the 70's and would love to watch these for the first time in 30 years.

Yep, with the 30% discount at Warner Home Video, it was just over twenty bucks.
:D

Yep, with the 30% discount at Warner Home Video, it was just over twenty bucks.
:D

Thanks for the info! I just placed my order. I wish they included the great immaculate reception playoff game in addition to the super bowls though. I can't believe Warner has released a Browns greatest games dvd but not the Dolphins two super bowl wins in the 70's or the 49ers of the 80's and 90's.

Tom

A very nice transfer, reminds me of Close Encounters. And while luckily it doesn't seem to have suffered too much I can't help but once again wonder how Warner thinks. They piss away their BD50s on releases that don't use them, they do 20+ Mbps encodes on movies from inferior masters, but when they finally have great source to work with they strangle the bitrate to the lowest for a new encode in a long while.

Would have looked perfect if it was a Sony release.


Bitrate was low because this was supposed to come out on HD/Blu last year but they canceled it. We know that Warner doesn't reencode so that's why its lower than normal. You can easily tell because the peak bitrates don't pass 30Mbps.

Bitrate was low because this was supposed to come out on HD/Blu last year but they canceled it. We know that Warner doesn't reencode so that's why its lower than normal. You can easily tell because the peak bitrates don't pass 30Mbps.
and how the picture looks is unimportant only the numbers are important

I watched it last night. I thought the PQ was good, but not great. The colors were good, but I thought it lacked POP. Maybe just a touch soft? I'll have to watch it again. I also noticed that the audio was a tad shrill at times. The scene in the beginning with the guy riding a bike, actually hurt my ears. And again, to a lesser extent, during the tree/tornado scene. That's a rarity for BD. I checked both lossless and lossy, and it was on both (not a dramatic difference between the two).
J

I watched it last night. I thought the PQ was good, but not great. The colors were good, but I thought it lacked POP. Maybe just a touch soft? I'll have to watch it again. I also noticed that the audio was a tad shrill at times. The scene in the beginning with the guy riding a bike, actually hurt my ears. And again, to a lesser extent, during the tree/tornado scene. That's a rarity for BD. I checked both lossless and lossy, and it was on both (not a dramatic difference between the two).
J

Of course every movie must have that 3D POP :rolleyes:.....A touch soft ? Nope thats anamorphic camera lenses and how films like this looked in 1982 and i love it.

and how the picture looks is unimportant only the numbers are important

exactly! i wish the bit rate meter actually took up the whole screen so I could chart it's progress. we can't be bothered w/ such things as how the movie actually looks to our eyes.

Of course every movie must have that 3D POP :rolleyes:.....A touch soft ? Nope thats anamorphic camera lenses and how films like this looked in 1982 and i love it.

Pop is nice but not mandatory. I remember how it looked in the theater, and it was sharper. I don't remember the music being shrill/edgy either.
Don't get me wrong, I LOVE this movie, I was just expecting a little better.
J

I watched it last night. I thought the PQ was good, but not great. The colors were good, but I thought it lacked POP. Maybe just a touch soft? I'll have to watch it again. I also noticed that the audio was a tad shrill at times. The scene in the beginning with the guy riding a bike, actually hurt my ears. And again, to a lesser extent, during the tree/tornado scene. That's a rarity for BD. I checked both lossless and lossy, and it was on both (not a dramatic difference between the two).
J

when I pick my copy on Friday I will have a listen

Pop is nice but not mandatory. I remember how it looked in the theater, and it was sharper. I don't remember the music being shrill/edgy either.
Don't get me wrong, I LOVE this movie, I was just expecting a little better.
J

So you remember how a film looked and sounded in the theater 26 years ago? That's a helluva memory.

I thought the transfer was great.

So you remember how a film looked and sounded in the theater 26 years ago? That's a helluva memory.

I thought the transfer was great.

I was an usher at the theater when this showed. I saw it quite a bit, granted in pieces (some parts dozens of times), but I saw it quite a bit.
I still get flashbacks of "Best Little Whorehouse in Texas" *shudder*...
J

I was an usher at the theater when this showed. I saw it quite a bit, granted in pieces (some parts dozens of times), but I saw it quite a bit.
I still get flashbacks of "Best Little Whorehouse in Texas" *shudder*...
J

Just received my copy today from amazon along with Romancing the Stone and Indy 4. This has got to be the coolest BD case I have seen. I know it's a little larger but the attached booklet is awesome, great photos and movie facts that I didn't know. Very happy with the package and excited to watch it.

^It's the same packaging warner has used for Bonnie & Clyde, Cuckoo's Nest, Natural Born Killers, How the West was Won and Dirty Harry. Very cool indeed. I want to pick this up but the price is really steep for a barebones catalogue title IMO.

OK, I retract my previous comments. it is reasonably sharp, at least in the brighter scenes. I just rewatched parts of it.
J

OK, I retract my previous comments. it is reasonably sharp, at least in the brighter scenes. I just rewatched parts of it.
J

Yeah, I was gonna say - If you DO have such a photographic memory, can you please post some of those photos for a comparison?
;)

I had a chance to watch this last night, and you guys downplaying the transfer are insane. The movie is gorgeous (when taken into consideration its age and look when originally in theaters) and the soundtrack is outstanding while still keeping in the range and tone of the original release. For me, this is probably one of the best catalog releases I've picked up. They cleaned it up beautifully, but at the same time left everything alone that gives the movie its personality. I have to believe that some of the original crew was involved in the remaster. I compared it to the original DVD on some shots (the only DVD I own of it) and the difference is laughable. Funny the levels of video and audio that we were impressed with 10 years ago.

edit - and I do agree that this is the sharpest of the Warner book releases. The blue cover really works well to the overall package while keeping with the theme of the movie. If anyone is hunting down a deal for this, I got it at my local Target for $22.99.

I had a chance to watch this last night, and you guys downplaying the transfer are insane. The movie is gorgeous (when taken into consideration its age and look when originally in theaters) and the soundtrack is outstanding while still keeping in the range and tone of the original release. For me, this is probably one of the best catalog releases I've picked up. They cleaned it up beautifully, but at the same time left everything alone that gives the movie its personality. I have to believe that some of the original crew was involved in the remaster. I compared it to the original DVD on some shots (the only DVD I own of it) and the difference is laughable. Funny the levels of video and audio that we were impressed with 10 years ago.

edit - and I do agree that this is the sharpest of the Warner book releases. The blue cover really works well to the overall package while keeping with the theme of the movie. If anyone is hunting down a deal for this, I got it at my local Target for $22.99.

Well I had a friend in another forum who also said the transfer was the best it's looked and i would be pleased with it. Im looking forward in watching this as I have been a fan of the first two for many years.

Yes IMO this is a great looking and sounding transfer!

Yes IMO this is a great looking and sounding transfer!

thats good to know.

I watched the first 30 minutes of it last night (got busy with family stuff so I'll finish tonight). Very impressed with the transfer, sure it's not referrence but it's pretty awesome. I can't remember ever hearing the strings in the opening score sound so clear. Great detail in AQ and PQ from what I've seen so far.

Watched it and haven't still-framed anything but yeah it looks pretty good but strangely there's some full-on banding/ringing happening in the pan across the hills & the suburb with the opening (well, the true opening after the prologue) credits. Doesn't look like the print.

And sure there are plenty of little pops and specks but I'd rather that than DNR-ifying everything.

Never noticed the trainer in the red shirt hopping past the slightly cracked door to lead the dog in the right direction when it goes in the bedroom before, or the plant being bustled about when the chairs move themselves, or that Sonny Landham from Predator is one of the pool workers (as is the cowboy guy from TCM 2). Of course my telly was much smaller last time I watched it, and the rez...

Fun!

Watched it and haven't still-framed anything but yeah it looks pretty good but strangely there's some full-on banding/ringing happening in the pan across the hills & the suburb with the opening (well, the true opening after the prologue) credits. Doesn't look like the print.

And sure there are plenty of little pops and specks but I'd rather that than DNR-ifying everything.

Never noticed the trainer in the red shirt hopping past the slightly cracked door to lead the dog in the right direction when it goes in the bedroom before, or the plant being bustled about when the chairs move themselves, or that Sonny Landham from Predator is one of the pool workers (as is the cowboy guy from TCM 2). Of course my telly was much smaller last time I watched it, and the rez...

Fun!

Will be watching my copy finally tomorrow night

excited to watch it.

You know I had this in my hand but was kind of turned off by the packaging - I really dislike kooky packaging. But it sounds like alot of folks really dig it, maybe I am going to have to suck it up and buy it.

I love the packaging.....It's great.

As for the movie i got it yesterday but won't watch it until nearer Halloween.

Going to watch either Shrek 3 or Romancing The Stone this weekend instead....Or Die Another Day or all three.

excited to watch it.

So am I mate, been a fan of this flick for a long time.Will be watching my copy tonight.

It's been awhile for me with this one, well maybe longer than I realize. It would be nice to get this movie and Halloween for next Thursday and Friday to view then. :)

I've just finished watching Poltergeist and the PQ is senastional. A word of warning for projector and very large LCD/Plasma users(Especially watching in a very dark room) the beginning after the Star Spangled banner where the T.V goes all static the flashing can be too much. I literally had to close my eyes and even walk out the room, it became too much.Another scene where she says "There Here" again I had to leave the room the flashing became too much.

The AQ was fine for it's age, the movie did use the surrounds at time and even good strong bass in certain scenes, have to admit i did not here any shrill in any of those scenes. I think the PQ is where the movie stands out, fantastic.

My impression of the picture quality from the PQ tier thread:

tier recommendation: top quarter of Tier 3

Warner released this 1982 movie to Blu-ray just two weeks ago in time for Halloween. The 114-minute feature is encoded in VC-1 on a BD-25. The average video bitrate of the entire movie is 16.67 Mbps with the bulk of the encode ranging between 10.8 Mbps to 20.9 Mbps. For a low bitrate VC-1 encoding the compression work appears solid with no visible artifacting except a brief burst of macroblocking in one spot. With the video encode never really peaking over 30 Mbps, I have to conclude this encode was originally prepared when Warner was still using dual format encodes for both Blu-ray and HD DVD.

The HD master used for the transfer appears in good shape and relatively clean for a catalog title of this vintage. There are some very minor digital scratch removal artifacts present but aside from that the source looks very good. It is hard to tell if any DNR has been used. If it has it is a very light application that lets the image retain a filmlike appearance. Grain is only really noticeable in some of the nighttime interior scenes in the house. Probably the biggest negative I saw was some edge enhancement in several shots, particularly in the first hour. There is definitely some ringing seen on the roof tops of the housing subdivision and the blinds.

The image itself looks excellent compared to any prior home video version but there isn't a whole lot of eye candy. The outdoor scenes in the daytime look great and might even veer into low tier one quality but the majority of the movie takes place inside the house. The interior scenes, especially the ones that take place when the parapsychologist team does its work, look okay but nothing better than a solid tier three ranking. There are moments of softness and detail is about average for a typical BD. I will say contrast is great and fleshtones look perfect throughout the movie though. Colors are rock solid though not quite as vibrant as better HD material. Black levels are good for the most part with only one or two short scenes exhibiting any black crush.

Warner has done an excellent job of bringing this movie to Blu-ray. I was a little worried about this transfer after seeing another Warner horror catalog title, Interview With The Vampire, but Poltergeist is substantially better looking than that Blu-ray. The BD seems faithful for the most part to the source film though it doesn't make for spectacular imagery or high definition "pop". It is a significant upgrade over any dvd version I've seen of this movie. I am recommending a top quarter of tier three placement, but I could easily place this in the bottom half of tier two and probably would have if no edge enhancement had been used.

Watching on a 60" Pioneer Kuro plasma...

I finally got to watch the BD over the weekend.

I've been watching this movie for over 20 years, from a VHS taped from cable, to the 1st DVD, to last year's 25th DVD, and now the BD. I've never seen it theatrically, nor have I seen a commercial VHS.

Given those constraints, the BD is definitely the best I've seen. Some of the screenshots posted on the Interweb looked a bit dark, but the actual BD viewed in a darkened room looked just right. Some shots did look a bit like the contrast was boosted too high, and I did notice a touch a EE as noted by others. It's funny, and maybe it's because I was watching more critically than I've ever done w/ this movie, but I really noticed the anamorphic distortion on the sides of the frame.

Someone also previously noted that the sound is a bit shrill. It's sounded like this in every incarnation I've heard. Listen especially to the high strings in the ST. However, the new BD audio is far and away the best I've ever heard this movie.

Doug

Just watched it last night. I though the overall BD presentation was fine. The issue was the movie itself. Whatever I liked about it many years ago just didnt surface last night and I was left somewhat bored and underwhelmed.

Some of the special effects were a little dodgy. The tension wasnt really there and neither were the scares. The characters were not seemingly as developed to me as I remember. The acting was good and all, but honestly, Carol Anne wasnt very convincing and I never cared much about the outcome of the whole thing. Something was missing.... more tension, more intrigue....I dunno.... something....??? :confused:

So... chalk this up as being one of those "classics" that when watched now just dont work anymore. At least for me. ;)

Watched this last night. My wife and I were floored, this being one of our favourite movies.

We saw absolutely nothing but movie - the transfer is transparent. No EE, no DNR, no anything. And the sound is sublime. It is as good or better than we could have hoped for.

Watched this last night. My wife and I were floored, this being one of our favourite movies.

We saw absolutely nothing but movie - the transfer is transparent. No EE, no DNR, no anything. And the sound is sublime. It is as good or better than we could have hoped for.

I haven't watched it completely yet but i checked out many scenes....The opening titles have some sort of print damage at the top left of the screen and they have softened the image at this point to try and hide the damage ( they failed )...There is what i personally would call minor EE at various points in the movie...there is most certainly some minor DNR evident in several scenes....It still looks good though and some scenes do look very film like.

I personally think the film needs a complete restoration but the remaster still works for the most part.

When i watch it at the weekend i'll ignore these minor issues and just enjoy the movie.

The opening titles have some sort of print damage at the top left of the screen and they have softened the image at this point to try and hide the damage ( they failed ).

No, what you're seeing in the opening scenes is optical compositing - they didn't soften the image. Anytime you see titles on a movie made before digital compositing the image goes very soft.

Certainly there were parts of the print that had damage (like lines running through the full height in some scenes), but the transfer itself is, in my opinion, faithful. A partial restoration would help, but I'm very satisfied as is.

No, what you're seeing in the opening scenes is optical compositing - they didn't soften the image. Anytime you see titles on a movie made before digital compositing the image goes very soft.

Certainly there were parts of the print that had damage (like lines running through the full height in some scenes), but the transfer itself is, in my opinion, faithful. A partial restoration would help, but I'm very satisfied as is.

No thats not what i am seeing....At the top left of the frame during the opening titles there is a problem there and it doesn't run for the full titles just part of them and its nothing to do with optical compositing...I'm watching this on a 106inch projector screen and its clear as daylight....You may be right regarding the softening part of my statement but there is some print damage during those opening titles.

Don't get me wrong i think for the most part the scenes i checked out look very good and film like but in my opinion a full restoration would have helped matters and after all it is a classic movie and deserves the best treatment.

Some of the special effects were a little dodgy.

Well, just about ANY FX heavy film made in 1982 is going to look a bit quaint today. I'll take the old school ILM pre-digital FX any day of the week than some soulless CGI re-tweak...

:)

I've just finished watching Poltergeist and the PQ is senastional. A word of warning for projector and very large LCD/Plasma users(Especially watching in a very dark room) the beginning after the Star Spangled banner where the T.V goes all static the flashing can be too much. I literally had to close my eyes and even walk out the room, it became too much.Another scene where she says "There Here" again I had to leave the room the flashing became too much.

I'm glad you mentioned that. I'll take note when i get the disc.


So what's the Tobe Hooper been up to lately? He's so busy he won't even talk to us anymore :p

Well, just about ANY FX heavy film made in 1982 is going to look a bit quaint today. I'll take the old school ILM pre-digital FX any day of the week than some soulless CGI re-tweak...

:)

I agree... as long as the pre-CGI stuff holds up ok!

The scene with the guy scratching his face was pretty "iffy". :D

So am I mate, been a fan of this flick for a long time.Will be watching my copy tonight.

I'll have a copy on Wednesday from Netflix. Haven't seen this in so long it will be like watching for the first time.

Well, just about ANY FX heavy film made in 1982 is going to look a bit quaint today. I'll take the old school ILM pre-digital FX any day of the week than some soulless CGI re-tweak...

:)

Soulless is about the best way to describe it to me when compared to pre CGI effects. I would kill for a good movie with love and care put into the effects actually being special.

I picked this up last night at Best Buy for $19.99 from their website. I'll be watching this tomorrow night.

Soulless is about the best way to describe it to me when compared to pre CGI effects. I would kill for a good movie with love and care put into the effects actually being special.

Well that's kind of hard to do when there are hundreds and sometimes thousands of vfx shots. Back in the day when it was only a handful or a few dozen more time could be spent getting it right. It also helped that the people working on this movie were the best at what they did.

Well, just about ANY FX heavy film made in 1982 is going to look a bit quaint today. I'll take the old school ILM pre-digital FX any day of the week than some soulless CGI re-tweak...

:)

Quote me on that too ;)

Well, just about ANY FX heavy film made in 1982 is going to look a bit quaint today. I'll take the old school ILM pre-digital FX any day of the week than some soulless CGI re-tweak...

:)

Like I said, I agree.... but that comes with some caveats. Bad effects are simply bad effects no matter what or how they were done. Lets face it and be honest; there are several films with effects that just induce a cringe, especially on blu-ray where you can see just how bad they are. Any stop-motion animation seen today is just awful. See Robocop for some laughable stop-motion!

So, just throwing a bunch of CGI at a movie in an attempt to clean it up is usually not a good thing. However, a few tweaks here and there to get rid of obviously cheesey effects should be embraced by film lovers, not discarded!

Was the Poltergeist BD transfer scanned at 4K? It looked amazing at times. Almost similar to How the West Was Won...

p.s. did anyone else notice in the liner notes that Tobe Hooper was personally selected by Spielberg himself to direct Poltergeist after having watched Hooper's work on Texas Chain Saw Massacre? Who knew?!

Like I said, I agree.... but that comes with some caveats. Bad effects are simply bad effects no matter what or how they were done. Lets face it and be honest; there are several films with effects that just induce a cringe, especially on blu-ray where you can see just how bad they are. Any stop-motion animation seen today is just awful. See Robocop for some laughable stop-motion!

So, just throwing a bunch of CGI at a movie in an attempt to clean it up is usually not a good thing. However, a few tweaks here and there to get rid of obviously cheesey effects should be embraced by film lovers, not discarded!

It does depend on how it's done and who's doing it though. When ther added all new CGI FX to Trek tos, 1/2 of the new ones IMHO look like cutscenes from a videogame. Some of the original 60's model FX to me still look better.

:)

watched this last night and was very impressed with the picture quality. I agree with the poster above that it looked amazing at times.

Great movie, the BD looked great as well. 4/5 for PQ.

Great movie, the BD looked great as well. 4/5 for PQ.

Warriors on HD DVD was another one they restored well and this movie also makes that list. Its good to see these old films getting a good restoration.:)

Great movie, the BD looked great as well. 4/5 for PQ.

Also watch it Halloween night.PQ was very good.Really looked great.Everyone loved it,Great movie still.

I received this for Christmas and noticed that about the 31 minute mark just before a scene change Craig T Nelson's line is cut-off.

Did anyone else notice this? I was playing it on my parents new Samsung BD-P1500. I will try on my PS3/BH200 later to see if I can reproduce.

It's in the film and has always been like this. A weird jumpcut.

It's in the film and has always been like this. A weird jumpcut.

Hmmm...thanks, I doubled checked the DVD and it is the same way...strange that I just noticed it for the first time on the BD.

Finally got around to picking this up. It's been one of my favorites for years but I never got around to picking up a copy on DVD. I'm glad I waited for the blu-ray as the picture quality was excellent. Good job Warner.

Don´t freak out when you see the opening titles folks.
Those shots have ALWAYS been soft and fuzzy on ALL versions.
Probably someone screwed it up when they optically added the titles ;)

When I was a teenager I worked in an beautiful, huge, single screen art deco movie theatre in Toronto that played Poltergeist for 4 or 5 months, 5 times a day. The 70MM print that we had looked (and sounded) stunning. The credits were spot on and crystal clear. I've never seen those credits faithfully reproduced in any form since seeing that opening sequence several hundred times although I haven't seen the new Blu ray release.

I've wanted to pick this one up for months now after watching it as a rental when it was first released and being generally impressed with the disc. However, it's always priced at least $25 and I never see it discounted anywhere near or below $20.

T.B.

I've wanted to pick this one up for months now after watching it as a rental when it was first released and being generally impressed with the disc. However, it's always priced at least $25 and I never see it discounted anywhere near or below $20.

T.B.

I saw Poltergeist digi-book in Borders on Friday when I was in there with my 50% off coupon. I already own it so I didn't get it but, as I recall, it was marked at $35.99. So, at 50% off it would have been $17.99.

Unfortunately, the Borders' coupon deal has expired (Friday/Saturday only). But they do them fairly frequently. Sign up for a Borders Rewards card and you'll get E-mails with the offers.

Mark

When I was a teenager I worked in an beautiful, huge, single screen art deco movie theatre in Toronto that played Poltergeist for 4 or 5 months, 5 times a day. The 70MM print that we had looked (and sounded) stunning. The credits were spot on and crystal clear. I've never seen those credits faithfully reproduced in any form since seeing that opening sequence several hundred times although I haven't seen the new Blu ray release.

The credits exhibit a tiny bit of print damage in a few spots but otherwise are ok but maybe not as crystal clear as you describe. ( I don't know having never seen a 70mm blowup presentation of the film )

I think this is one of the best Warner catalog titles they have released. It's really good.

The 70MM print that we had looked (and sounded) stunning.

Oh man, I wish I could have seen it in 70mm :)

I think this is one of the best Warner catalog titles they have released. It's really good.

+1!

Just as good as I had hoped for :)

Too bad about the lack of extras, they could at least have put the documentary from the old Laserdisc S.E. on the BD :(

Oh well...maybe for it´s 30th anniversary ;)

I was curious so I rented the Blu Ray from my local video store yesterday. Overall the picture is sensational. The opening credits that always had a bit of dirt specs & were always so soft look excellent, better than they have ever looked. I did notice that the colour was just a touch flat compared to how I remember seeing it (so many hundreds of times) 25 years ago. For example, the opening credit sequence features the subdivision homes and then the neighbour riding the bicyle carrying beer. As I remember the rooftops of the homes (the orangish tiles) were bolder, the sky was bluer and the grass in the neighbourhood was greener. Now I know that time can play tricks on the memory but that was my first impression as I began to watch the film (by the way, my 50" Panasonic panel is professionally calibrated). When the boy is attacked by the tree as Caroline is sucked into the closet I saw detail on the tree that I'd never seen before. As I recall the scenes outside with the tree were considerably darker, what I saw last night revealed too much detail of the tree and it looked like a prop (which of course if was) but it wasn't so obvious with the scene being darker on the 70MM print. There are a few other things that I noticed but those are just a couple of examples. The rest of the film is dead on as I remember it. Is this a complaint or would I recommend not buying the Blu ray if your a fan of the film? HELL NO! This is by far the cleanest, sharpest, most colourful home version of the film ever released - by far. The small things I noticed based on my memory of the 70MM presentation is just me being picky. The sound on the Blu ray is also sensational but what's strange is many of the scenes match the 70MM mix, yet others don't. I remember very well where the sound & music effects came from what side of the screen and the surrounds, much of it matches perfectly, some scenes don't. Perhaps some audio stems were lost or damaged, I don't know but overall the whole soundtrack still rocks.

I've seen this around for $16.99, I'll be picking it up this week. Definitely worth the money for what you get here.

When I was a teenager I worked in an beautiful, huge, single screen art deco movie theatre in Toronto that played Poltergeist for 4 or 5 months, 5 times a day. The 70MM print that we had looked (and sounded) stunning.

ah, the long gone Eglinton Theatre, I saw it there opening weekend :)

(I also miss the University Theatre, which can bee seen at the beginning of 'Strange Brew').

Sorry, back OT.

The film looked so bad on DVD, I can't imagine what the Blu looks like. Of course the film is just "bad" period -- which I guess is part of its fun\appeal here? -- so I doubt I'll ever find out.

The film looked so bad on DVD, I can't imagine what the Blu looks like. Of course the film is just "bad" period -- which I guess is part of its fun\appeal here? -- so I doubt I'll ever find out.

This film may be bad to you, but to be quite honest, it's a very good creepy film. How or what you find bad about it is beyond me, but it's really only a matter of opinion. I've personally never considered this film to be bad at all. I enjoyed it all through my childhood and it still holds up well. For what it's worth, I don't believe it was ever critically panned.

As far as video/audio goes, I've watched it numerous times and it's certainly better than the DVD. I'm not 100% certain but pretty sure that this film was shot with anamorphic lenses, so it's going to be soft. I, for one, enjoy the transfer. I didn't notice any DNR or EE, but my projector tends to soften things a bit (AE900=smooth screen + 720p native) so again, I can't be certain.

Of course the film is just "bad" period --

Umm, no...

-- which I guess is part of its fun\appeal here?

...and no.

I think the worst that can be said about Poltergeist is that some of the special/makeup effects are a bit dated by today's standards. Otherwise the film is a gem.

Oh man, really? I'm not trying to ruffle any feathers, but I just thought that was the common notion. I remember the bedroom scene with the flickering TV being effectively creepy, but other than that the film was pretty cheesy and extremely dated. It certainly doesn't hold up today, but I guess childhood love and\or nostalgia can override most of that.

To each his own.. :)

I first saw Poltergeist in my early 20s. I might be nostalgic, but it certainly wasn't childhood love.

I think it holds up well, and is much more effective than current movies w/ phony CG effects. The models/practical effects/animation look much better than 90% of today's CGI.

And, it packs a much more emotional impact due to the careful sketching of the family and their home prior to the haunting. I still get teary-eyed when the girl's spirit flows through Jobeth on the staircase.

Doug

Oh man, really? I'm not trying to ruffle any feathers, but I just thought that was the common notion. I remember the bedroom scene with the flickering TV being effectively creepy, but other than that the film was pretty cheesy and extremely dated. It certainly doesn't hold up today, but I guess childhood love and\or nostalgia can override most of that.

To each his own.. :)

Yeah, opinions etc., etc. But really Poltergeist is generally regarded as a good, effective ghost story. Great actors with great performances, great music. Do you really think it's a bad movie? Keep in mind the movie is PG (it was the pre-PG-13 era) so comparing it against PG-13/R rated horror movies (especially today's horror movies) is not really a fair comparison. I feel it's safe to say opinions that the movie is bad are probably in the minority.

Along with E.T., it's a prime example of the Spielberg '80s suburbia vibe. Some subtle social commentary slipped in. Controversy surrounding the movie is also interesting: child star died young; Spielberg supposedly ghost directing for Tobe Hooper. Smokin' hot JoBeth Williams in her undies. Good stuff.

I think the worst that can be said about Poltergeist is that some of the special/makeup effects are a bit dated by today's standards. Otherwise the film is a gem.

I agree for the most part. I always find it interesting that I have an easier time suspending my disbelief during a few dodgy (usually "real" on set effects sequences) in films from the late 70's - early 90's than I can during a *lot* of CGI-saturated effects scenes in recent movies.

The one thing that has always bothered me even when I originally saw Poltergeist in the theater is the rather roughshod editing on a few key scenes that appear to almost be last minute cuts on the finished print. Some of those cuts such as the scene were the family is suffering from mosquito bites while talking to their neighbor really leave the viewer thinking "what did I miss, what just happened or why is this happening?"

It's too bad the blu-ray still didn't include the deleted scenes/original first edit of this movie - if they even still exist.

T.B.

Yeah, opinions etc., etc. But really Poltergeist is generally regarded as a good, effective ghost story. Great actors with great performances, great music. Do you really think it's a bad movie? Keep in mind the movie is PG (it was the pre-PG-13 era) so comparing it against PG-13/R rated horror movies (especially today's horror movies) is not really a fair comparison. I feel it's safe to say opinions that the movie is bad are probably in the minority.

I forgot to mention the outstanding score by Jerry Goldsmith.

You're right, we shouldn't compare a gem like Poltergeist to newer horror movies, because it'll make them look even worse by comparison.
:cool:
Doug

Oh man, really? I'm not trying to ruffle any feathers, but I just thought that was the common notion. I remember the bedroom scene with the flickering TV being effectively creepy, but other than that the film was pretty cheesy and extremely dated. It certainly doesn't hold up today, but I guess childhood love and\or nostalgia can override most of that.

To each his own.. :)

Everyone is entitled to an opinion, however, to suggest applying YOUR rationale to others' appreciation of the movie is laughably arrogant. Particularly given that your's is the anomalous opinion...

For the most part, Poltergeist holds up pretty well after all these years. I never really considered it a scary movie, even when it first came out, but it is a fun movie and reasonably well done. I just watched it again a couple of days ago.
J

For me, Poltergeist just feels like a Spielberg movie. I know Tobe Hooper is said to have directed this, but the way many of the scenes are shot it just looks like Spielberg was behind the camera to me.

For me, Poltergeist just feels like a Spielberg movie. I know Tobe Hooper is said to have directed this, but the way many of the scenes are shot it just looks like Spielberg was behind the camera to me.

There's a good reason for that... but neither Spielberg nor Hooper are talking.

For the record, I consider this one an 80's classic! One of the best non-R suspense/horror flicks ever. My favorite scene... the chairs on the kitchen table... gave me the creeps!

For me, Poltergeist just feels like a Spielberg movie. I know Tobe Hooper is said to have directed this, but the way many of the scenes are shot it just looks like Spielberg was behind the camera to me.

Anyone who has the laserdisc box set of POLETRGEIST has seen a documentary about the making of the film. In it, Speilberg is easily seen basically running the show. Hooper pretty much appears only once in the doc, standing on the sideline nodding his head to something a tech person is saying to him...and that's it.

If anyone still feels this was a Hooper-directed film, just compare POLTERGEIST to LIFEFORCE or INVADERS FROM MARS.

Anyone who has the laserdisc box set of POLETRGEIST has seen a documentary about the making of the film. In it, Speilberg is easily seen basically running the show. Hooper pretty much appears only once in the doc, standing on the sideline nodding his head to something a tech person is saying to him...and that's it.

If anyone still feels this was a Hooper-directed film, just compare POLTERGEIST to LIFEFORCE or INVADERS FROM MARS.

As an owner of said LD, and someone who isn't a complete dullard, I say QFT!

Sorry but I am really confused here. Why is this poltergeist showing different actors?

http://www.amazon.com/Poltergeist-Blu-ray-Book-Dirk-Blocker/dp/B001AQO41E/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&s=dvd&qid=1260159972&sr=1-1&tag=fire-fox-20

Am I missing something?

There's a good reason for that... but neither Spielberg nor Hooper are talking.

But Tangina is (http://www.aintitcool.com/node/34266)...

For me, Poltergeist just feels like a Spielberg movie. I know Tobe Hooper is said to have directed this, but the way many of the scenes are shot it just looks like Spielberg was behind the camera to me.

Totally agree. It's not just how scenes are shot, but how the actors are directed. Especially in the early scenes before all the crazy stuff happens, the way the family interacts together (the almost improvisational nature of the dialogue and the way they overlap each other) really reminds me of similar scenes in Close Encounters and E.T.

Totally agree. It's not just how scenes are shot, but how the actors are directed. Especially in the early scenes before all the crazy stuff happens, the way the family interacts together (the almost improvisational nature of the dialogue and the way they overlap each other) really reminds me of similar scenes in Close Encounters and E.T.

It also depends on the script. Sure a director can play a little, but the script forces you into one direction.

I love this movie and I never paid attention to who directed it, but I think it's pretty obvious that it's a Spielberg movie.

And its also worth pointing out that its not uncommon that the producer impact the final movie more then the director for some hollywood productions.

Sorry but I am really confused here. Why is this poltergeist showing different actors?

http://www.amazon.com/Poltergeist-Blu-ray-Book-Dirk-Blocker/dp/B001AQO41E/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&s=dvd&qid=1260159972&sr=1-1&tag=fire-fox-20

Am I missing something?

The cast listing is an error by Amazon, the only one listed that is correct is the late Dominique Dunn, daughter of the late Dominick Dunne and brother of Griffin Dunn.

The cast listing is an error by Amazon, the only one listed that is correct is the late Dominique Dunn, daughter of the late Dominick Dunne and brother of Griffin Dunn.

Thank you for that explanation. I will send them an email and see if they can get that corrected.

But Tangina is (http://www.aintitcool.com/node/34266)...

Never read that interview. Thanks. And it seems to confirm my suspicions.

Rumor has it that Craig T. Nelson said "I hate Pizza Hut!" in the original theatrical release and the line was cut before any home video releases were made.

Wow!! For years I thought I must have hallucinated that. I've never seen this movie in the theater, but I caught it on one of the cable movie channels a few times in the early-mid 80's. I remember that line and thinking "how could anyone hate pizza hut"? :) I'm certain that line made TV airings, there's just no way I would have remembered it otherwise.

DVD Savant reviewed this title several years ago and mentioned the jarring edit. I emailed him to mention my memory of the line. He had no info about it but thought it was interesting. Not sure if he believed me or not...

I watched this all the way through tonight.
PQ is quite solid. Definitely the best the film has every looked and smokes both my LD and DVD copy in direct comparison (as it should.)
The audio quality is another story. It seems a bit thin and shrill at times, but that may be due to the original sound design. However, what is with the volume level? It's as if Warner mixed this title 15db below their other trueHD tracks. I had to crank my Onkyo up to 68 before dialog became clear. A bit of a disappointment there.

Wow!! For years I thought I must have hallucinated that. I've never seen this movie in the theater, but I caught it on one of the cable movie channels a few times in the early-mid 80's. I remember that line and thinking "how could anyone hate pizza hut"? :) I'm certain that line made TV airings, there's just no way I would have remembered it otherwise.

DVD Savant reviewed this title several years ago and mentioned the jarring edit. I emailed him to mention my memory of the line. He had no info about it but thought it was interesting. Not sure if he believed me or not...

I remember this line also. My folks ate at pizza hut everyday during pregnancy, also my family would eat there on our camping trips then order the pizza with meat on it, and of course I would throw a fit. Allergies...