Did everyone see this? Ran (http://www.criterion.com/films/754)

CC

And another i'll have to buy. :)

Sold- to the man in the drool-soaked shirt!

Outstanding, good news indeed.

Will be very interesting to see how this turns out. DVD Beaver just reviewed the Japanese release (http://www.dvdbeaver.com/film/DVDCompare2/ran.htm) from the Kurosawa box set and it looks like crap. As did the French HD DVD.

* New, restored high-definition digital transfer

Looks promising.

Finally!!

I've been impatiently waiting for them to announce their first Kurosawa title on Blu-ray. Not really my first choice, but I'll take it!

* New, restored high-definition digital transfer

Looks promising.

Just remember that the "new, restored high-definition digital transfer" offered by Criterion should still be the last transfer they created in 2005 for the standard DVD release. We should, at least, get better color reproduction through the higher bit-rate of the blu-ray.

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This is a wonderful film but I am afraid I will have to see it before I purchase it.

I am very disappointed with Criterion's efforts on The Last Emperor so I feel the need to preview whatever they do before buying it.

I suggest that fans of this film proceed with great caution.

This is a wonderful film but I am afraid I will have to see it before I purchase it.

I am very disappointed with Criterion's efforts on The Last Emperor so I feel the need to preview whatever they do before buying it.

I suggest that fans of this film proceed with great caution.

Sadly, I have to agree.
Ran is a classic, but I am not interested in purchasing another POS release from Criterion.

Other than the AR, which was not a Criterion decision, what was wrong with it?

I can't wait for this one!

Wow, looks like I will be buying this title for the third time!

Simply an outstanding movie. All of Kurosawa's prior experience culminated with this masterpiece.

Anyone want to buy my Criterion DVD version? :)

Other than the AR, which was not a Criterion decision, what was wrong with it?

Well it didn't both the theatrical and extended TV cut like the DVD release had. Just pointing that out.

Other than the AR, which was not a Criterion decision, what was wrong with it?

NO lossless surround track.
Video is often extremely soft.
A grain pig (where is Lowry when you need them?;)).
Oh, and of course, no OAR.

If Criterion wishes to retain their rep as a great AV quality label, then it needs to put some serious thought into their BD releases going forward.

If this master was the best available for TLE, then the BD shouldn't have been released IMO.

Wow, looks like I will be buying this title for the third time!

This release will be #5, for me.

If Criterion wishes to retain their rep as a great AV quality label, then it needs to put some serious thought into their BD releases going forward.

Yeah! No more of this horrible crap like The Third Man and Chungking Express. :rolleyes:

Yeah! No more of this horrible crap like The Third Man and Chungking Express. :rolleyes:

He's probably talking about not wanting more crap (pardon the pun!) like Salo:

http://www.avsforum.com/avs-vb/showthread.php?t=1107007&highlight=salo

meeeh....I'll stick with the DVD on this one.

Yeah! No more of this horrible crap like The Third Man and Chungking Express. :rolleyes:
Dude, ya didn't read my post closely!;)
I was answering JBlacklow's post, who was asking about my opinion regarding TLE.
No one said a word about TTM or CE.:p

Oh, I understood your post. I just thought it was a little much to make such a general statement about Criterion needing "to put some thought" into it. You can accuse them of many things, but probably not of not thinking about what they're doing.

If this master was the best available for TLE, then the BD shouldn't have been released IMO.

I strongly disagree with this. I'm not going to complain about the quality of a below-average master provided it doesn't have easily avoidable flaws such as DNR and EE.

Also, having Lowry do clean-up on every single catalog release just isn't feasible. I don't place my expectations that high.

You can accuse them of many things, but probably not of not thinking about what they're doing.There is a HUGE difference between putting out a 1920x1080/24p BD and a 480i DVD.
BTW, I don't recall many complaints about their LDs and DVDs over the years.


I strongly I'm not going to complain about the quality of a below-average masterI will...every time.:)
Failure to do so only invites more below-average masters.


Also, having Lowry do clean-up on every single catalog release just isn't feasible.
You're right, it isn't feasible.;)
BUT it is feasible for encodes to be derived from high quality masters.

NO lossless surround track.
Video is often extremely soft.
A grain pig (where is Lowry when you need them?;)).
Oh, and of course, no OAR..

I want no Lowry interfering with my transfers unless restoration is required. The Criterion transfer is from the camera negative. So if there are soft shots it's the way it was shot. And the grain is on the negative. I don't want it removed.

But the transfer of The Last Emperor wasn't done by Criterion though, was it?

Dude, ya didn't read my post closely!;)
I was answering JBlacklow's post, who was asking about my opinion regarding TLE.
No one said a word about TTM or CE.:p

You did say "I am not interested in purchasing another POS release from Criterion". The word 'another' implies buying a POS from Criterion happens with enough regularity to be wary of.

I have dozens of their DVDs and a few of the BDs, so far no POS. Your original post seems to slam Criterion with a wide brush, IMO.

I want no Lowry interfering with my transfers unless restoration is required.
Like I said, I would like to see TLE given a "Lowry-type treatment."
If a restoration is what was needed for a great BD, then great, let's do it post-haste.:)


You did say "I am not interested in purchasing another POS release from Criterion". The word 'another' implies buying a POS from Criterion happens with enough regularity to be wary of.

I have dozens of their DVDs and a few of the BDs, so far no POS. Your original post seems to slam Criterion with a wide brush, IMO.

Again...I was referring to the BD of TLE.

BTW, I have approx. 1/3 of the Criterion Collection on DVD in my library.;)

I am very excited. Their treatment of the DVD of this film was fantastic, so the BR should be equally excellent, but in HD finally!

Dang!! Cancelled.

The 2 disc set is now out of print and along with that apparently goes the rights to the Blu-ray release. This is disappointing...


"Criterion's two-disc special edition of RAN is now out of print, and the previously announced Blu-ray edition has been withdrawn from the schedule due to a rights issue."

Yeah, apparently the US rights are currently held by Genius Productions, of which The Weinstein Company owns a majority share. They ran into some kind of trouble in negotiations if what I've been reading is correct.

That's what I thought too, but it turns out the Weinsteins sold their majority share back in February. The new majority owners are these guys (http://quadrantig.com/). I'm guessing they're the culprit.

This is crap. They need to lock these people in a room with no food and water until they figure it out. Ran is the greatest film of all time. It needs to be out in HD. And it needs to be Criterion or somebody trusted to handle it properly and not muss it up. The Criterion DVD was exceptional, we need that but in 1080p done by hand.

The DVD PQ was good but not exceptional, too much edge-enhancement which will probably reappear on the Blu-Ray disc, when it is eventually released.

The DVD PQ was good but not exceptional, too much edge-enhancement which will probably reappear on the Blu-Ray disc, when it is eventually released.

Way to have a positive attitude!

Way to have a positive attitude!

Do you find that it affects the picture quality ?

Do you find that it affects the picture quality ?

Just as much as thinking the eventual Blu-ray release will have EE.

Just as much as thinking the eventual Blu-ray release will have EE.

Have you actually seen any of the numerous DVD releases of Ran ? Nobody would be more delighted than me to see a Blu-ray release free of most of the faults that were seen on the Criterion DVD.

Have you actually seen any of the numerous DVD releases of Ran ? Nobody would be more delighted than me to see a Blu-ray release free of most of the faults that were seen on the Criterion DVD.

Yes, I own two of them, including the Criterion release, and I agree with you completely.

I'm just hoping for the best for one of the greatest movies ever made.

BTW, all DVD versions of Lawrence of Arabia have issues, including EE as well, but I am being optimistic that the Blu-ray version will not have those issues. Am I being unrealistic and overly optimistic? Time will tell.