Will we ever see "THE LAST EMPEROR" on Blu-Ray?

The DVD version is absolutely terrible. Let's hope they do a good job remastering it for high definition.

(keeping my fingers crossed)

Possibly.

We need a wish list sticky.

I'm waiting for more Hugh Grant movies. Like the autobiography of Hugh Grant played by Leo Dicaprio and narrated by Sean Connery.

I'm waiting for more Hugh Grant movies. Like the autobiography of Hugh Grant played by Leo Dicaprio and narrated by Sean Connery.

I think you can take the "almost" out of your user name. :p

Criterion Collection is rereleasing the movie soon, and it will most likely have an HD remaster like most of their other recent DVDs, however the actual HD remaster we probably won't see for many years... so I will just eb watching it upconverted rather than wait.

This four disc set http://www.criterion.com/asp/release.asp?id=422
might be better than anything blu-ray will release.

I just hope that, for this and his other titles in HD, cinematographer Vittorio Storaro will abandon that Univisium thing. For those who don't know what that is, it's his proposal for a standard aspect ratio of 2:1. It's not a bad ratio at all for new movies, but the problem is that he takes his films that were already composed and shot for 2.35:1, like this and Apocalypse Now, and crops them to 2:1. Hopefully we'll get the real 2.35:1 ratio when this eventually comes out.

^This Storaro-Vision shite needs to be stopped.
It is sad Coppola no longer has a pair and can't say "NO" to VS.

This four disc set http://www.criterion.com/asp/release.asp?id=422
might be better than anything blu-ray will release.

...unless Criterion releases the film on BD themselves (which could be possible in the future, as I remember reading that they've done some successful testing with BD). Having them release The Last Emperor is terrific news nonetheless, as I had written to them some time ago about releasing it, and was told they did not have the rights to it. Obviously something changed for the better. :) Yes, it's too bad it's not on BD, but I'll settle for the DVD now--I know it'll look a million times better than the previous DVD release.

Russell

......Yes, it's too bad it's not on BD, but I'll settle for the DVD now--I know it'll look a million times better than the previous DVD release.

Russell

True.... but $47 for a set of DVDs.... :eek: I'll gladly pay $50, if it's released on Blu-ray... Too bad Netflix doesn't rent this set of DVDs... :)

Hmmm.....this seems to be the only open thread about TLE...over a year since the last post...??? :eek:

Anyway, Amazon notification today that my Criterion BD has shipped! :D

So yeah... I feel pretty salty for not waiting, espeically considering how the Blu-Ray cost less than what I paid for the DVD. The Blu-Ray doesn't have all the extra features though, does it?

My copy shipped today from Amazon.:)

My copy shipped today from Amazon.:)
Seriously? Deep discount was on top of things this year... I guess. I got my copy from them last week. The packaging is beautiful.

Haven't got a chance to take a look at it though. I've never seen the movie. But let me get this right the DP said no to the 2.4:1 aspect ratio because DVD couldn't resolve enough detail. So because of that, they sacrificed some screen composition on the home video version?:confused:

BTW - Anyone use criterions trade in program?:p I got the BD for $20 straight up. Not DVD cost + shipping - DVD - new case w/BD specs.

Haven't got a chance to take a look at it though. I've never seen the movie. But let me get this right the DP said no to the 2.4:1 aspect ratio because DVD couldn't resolve enough detail. So because of that, they sacrificed some screen composition on the home video version?:confused:
That is what he said.

The DP is a nut-job.
He wants Apocalypse Now to be given the same treatment.:eek:
Now that we have 1920x1080 resolution with BDs, he will have to come up with a different phony-ass excuse.

Just sad...some of his films are classics, BTW.:(

the revisionist history is getting ridiculous;
see Freakman and the "new" and improved "French Connection" :rolleyes::mad::mad:

[waiting eagerly for anyone to post impressions of the BD now that it's been released]

[waiting eagerly for anyone to post impressions of the BD now that it's been released]

Just got mine.
Will post impressions soon.;)

My wife and I received TLE two days ago from Zip.ca. We watched it that night on a 120" Dalite HP screen that was being illuminated by an HTPC-driven (audio via SPDIF) RS1. We sat about 8' from the screen.

We listened to 5.1 audio through Paradigm studio 100 fronts, Paradigm center, servo 15 sub and Paradigm surrounds. (Reclock was reporting 2-channel audio, though, so maybe I screwed something up.)

I thought audio on this movie was of average quality, but of course the dialogue of the movie puts it in the upper echelon of all movies.

To my eye, PQ is a mixed bag, but is good most of the time. However, at all times it is a big step up from that of the sd dvd we own. Like we did with the sd version of 2001, we watched sd TLE only infrequently because it looked so bloody bad. The pq of TLE BD is not as big a step up as that between the sd and hd versions of 2001, but it is a big one, nevertheless, and we were very pleased to be able to better enjoy one of our most favorite movies. If we don't watch it again within the next month, I'd be surprised.

I think TLE lovers are going to be at least pleased with this BD.

I received my copy of this most excellent movie and viewed it this week.

I first saw this film in 70mm at the Northpoint in San Francisco. It was filmed in 35mm TechniScope. The sound and picture were superb. I took several carloads of people there during its run.

The two widescreen LD's I have owned were 2.35 and in Dolby Surround 2.0 with a very nice front stereo soundstage. The color on these LD's was no where nearly as good as the 70mm presentation.

In comparision, the new Blu-ray:
1. Is at 2.00 aspect ratio. This loses information on the sides, and in many cases destroys the composition compared to the LD.
2. The color is better than the LD's, but still no where nearly as impressive as the 70mm. I remember Roger Ebert talkiing about the beautiful colors. I am not sure he would say that of the Blu-ray.
3. The resolution is much improved on the Blu-ray over the LD. There is no sign of DNA or other controversial modifications. But the image lacks the punch of the 70mm version, which almost looked like it was filmed on 65mm stock.
4. The sound is listed as DTS-HD Master but the stereo mix is very uncertain. It sounds rather monaural to me. In comparisons, the PCM Dolby 2.0 on the LD has a better stereo sound stage.
5. [Incidently, the Blu-ray is the US release. My current LD is the Japanese version, which has more material overall but trims some of the scenes critical of the Japanese.]


While I would recommend the Blu-ray, I do so very conditionally. Caveat emptor. The film remains essential cinema of course.

I see no reason for the 2.0 reframing. I do not believe that directors and DP's should have the power to change what we saw in the theater in this manner. The film won 9 Oscars, why does Mr. Storaro believe that he has the right to chop it like this? As to the sound, I am not sure what has happened there, but I don't like the result.

WRT Criterion Collection: they have stated that they will ship their existing titles just as they were on the DVD. I think this policy needs serious review. One MIGHT be able to justify cropping for a DVD on the grounds that detail would be lost at 2.35 or 2.4, but on Blu-ray, the situation is very different. Moreover, it is really hard for me to believe that this is the best PQ/AQ that the film is capable of, unless of course the Northpoint Theatre never really existed and is a figment of my imagination.

I watched this today. My opinion is pretty much the same as others although I have never seen this on DVD or LD so I can't compare to them. The Blu-ray is pretty grainy and the overall PQ is up and down during the whole movie. The typical Blu-ray detail (for catalog titles at least) is there in some scenes but in others it is pretty much on the low end of all Blu-rays. The colors seem pretty vibrant to me but not as much so as I was expecting after reading about this title before I got my copy.

There isn't really much to say about the AQ. It it adequate since there really isn't a big need for much in this type of film. I wasn't overly impressed with it though.

The movie itself is very good of course and it was good to see it again.

I'm happy with my purchase for sure though.

I received my copy of this most excellent movie and viewed it this week.

I first saw this film in 70mm at the Northpoint in San Francisco. It was filmed in 35mm TechniScope...

THE LAST EMPEROR was filmed in anamorphic 35mm, not TechniScope, which is a 2-perf, spherical-lens format that was used to shoot lots of movies in the 1960s and some in the 70s (i.e., many of the "Spaghetti Westerns") but after that largely abandoned.

Vincent

The DP is a nut-job.

Absolutely agree.

He wants Apocalypse Now to be given the same treatment.Apocalypse Now has been given the same treatment. 2.0:1 is all that's available on DVD for the theatrical or Redux cuts. We'll see if they eff up the BD in the same manner.

The 2.0:1 doesn't bother me. Most likely because until the BD, the last time I watched this film, it was on VHS! However, if the original theatrical release was 2.35:1, I'm not really sure what the point is in reducing to some odd aspect ratio.

After skipping around the disk I can say with certainly: this is NOT a BD to show off your system with.
Very inconsistent video throughout.
Often very soft, while being a grain lover's delight.:eek:
Image usually appears washed out, although this could be the way it is filmed.
The impression is that very little artificial lighting was used during filming.

If this is as good as the film can look, it is an absolute travesty.

BTW, the 2.0 DTS-MA is pathetic.
The music is tinty and sounds like it is coming out an old portable AM radio put on the floor (with a microphone a couple of feet away).
Using DSP matrixing helps, but it is hard to believe a film of this age can sound so poor.
Where the hell is the 6 channel 70mm track????

Probably the re-framing to 2:1 from 2:35 didn't help the image....I don't know for sure.
But I do know this Criterion BD doesn't add to the appreciation of this Oscar winner...:(

This is one of the most engrossing films I have ever seen.

THE LAST EMPEROR was filmed in anamorphic 35mm, not TechniScope, which is a 2-perf, spherical-lens format that was used to shoot lots of movies in the 1960s and some in the 70s (i.e., many of the "Spaghetti Westerns") but after that largely abandoned.

Vincent

Sorry, typo, I meant TechnoVision. This was a 4 perf anamorphic process compatible with CinemaScope/Panavision. Films shot in it were intended for exhibition at about 2.35.

TechnoScope, at 2 perfs, only offered 1/2 the negative area, as you say, but was intended for exhibition at 2.35 with anamorphic prints. Generally a very bad process.

The point I wanted to make is that TLE was intended for exhibition at 2.35 not 2.0.

Just watched TLE.

The good - I was able to finish the movie - the old SD DVD (earliest version I think) was unwatchable - I tried twice to watch it and quit after 30 minutes each time.

The not-so-good - I felt it was OK for PQ, certainly not demo material but I've definitely seen worse on BD. Audio is mediocre.

Amazon had listed the AR as 2.20 but when I got the movie it was labelled 2.0 which was unfortunately correct.

Bottom line....it is what it is.....

Absolutely agree.

Apocalypse Now has been given the same treatment. 2.0:1 is all that's available on DVD for the theatrical or Redux cuts. We'll see if they eff up the BD in the same manner.

damn, makes me wish I kept that widescreen VHS edition that I had :(

there is a French bd of this coming out that possibly could be framed in the "correct" aspect ratio. Of course it may have been altered also.
It remains to be seen.

damn, makes me wish I kept that widescreen VHS edition that I had :(

Sorry, but if I had to pick between a slightly different AR with great PQ, vs. OAR and Really, REALLY, crappy PQ... I'll choose the former, hands down!

Where the hell is the 6 channel 70mm track????

Still going on about this sound mix, I see, huh? :) That's not what The Criterion Colleciton does, as you already know, so I guess another film studio will have to come to the rescue if you're ever gonna see that mix on a blu-ray.

CC

I just rented The Last Emperor on blu-ray from zip. First disc didn't play at normal speed (slo-mo no sound only) Menu page and extreas played fine. Sent it back and got another copy; same thing. My DTS-MA light on my receiver flashes when I try to play movie & all I get is slo-mo. This is the only disc that my system won't play. (BD-30, RXV 1800). I took it over to a friends place and it played fine. He's using toslink out with an older receiver. I then tried playing it with HDMI Audio disabled and it played. Soundtrack has no directional cues that I could hear - sounds like mono to me. PQ was generally very good, although seeing it in the correct aspect ratio would be nice as the cinematography is quite stunning. Is it possible that the audio is flagged as DTS-MA when it is not? (DTS-N/A)

Well, the lack of directional cues wouldn't have anything to do with the sound format. It's possible that the dialogue and sound effects were recorded in mono, with the music score added in stereo on top of that (Traffic is mixed like that). That's what some older films are like when they get "5.1" tracks, such as Blazing Saddles IIRC. In some cases they just don't have access to the original sound elements to do a remix, and I'm not sure if Criterion does remixes anyway.

Also, older films just aren't as aggressive in their mixes as modern films. It was generally more about ambiance than distinct effects coming from all around.

Most agreed this BD should be treated better than this,For me Now,The French Connection was a bad picture transfer but the sound in DTS-HD MA 5.1 was quite good.

It was a delight to see this film again after many years. Some of the shots are breathtaking. The colors are ravishing.

The PQ and AQ are mediocre, but I lost track of that pretty quickly.

One thing I did notice - I had an audio delay of about 80ms with this title that I don't have on any other BD. I didn't try rebooting the receiver, so it could have been a hardware issue, but was curious if anyone else has experience this?

Kelly

Hi,

I have the new Oppo Blu Ray player which works great. However, I went to watch "The Last Emperor" Blu Ray and for some reason the audio is not showing as DTS, it is showing as PCM and I am only getting audio out of the front left channel... Is there a known issue about this Blu Ray?? It is not my setup... in fact the Dolby digital commentary comes through the center channel just fine... All my other movies work fine....

Hi,

I have the new Oppo Blu Ray player which works great. However, I went to watch "The Last Emperor" Blu Ray and for some reason the audio is not showing as DTS, it is showing as PCM and I am only getting audio out of the front left channel... Is there a known issue about this Blu Ray?? It is not my setup... in fact the Dolby digital commentary comes through the center channel just fine... All my other movies work fine....

Defective disk or your Oppo needs a FW upgrade.

Hi,

I ordered another copy of the Blu Ray and I have the same problem. I only get sound of the front left channel. It does not get recognized as a DTS track. This happens with my PS3 and my Oppo, so it is not the player. Somebody MUST have had this problem. Is this supposed to be a DTS 2.0 track? I will say that the commentary track works fine in the center channel. There is no way I have two defective discs. and My setup has been fine as usual for many years with the Meridian 861... Who should I call about this... If it is a DTS track, it is NOT TO SPEC.

Hi,

I ordered another copy of the Blu Ray and I have the same problem. I only get sound of the front left channel. It does not get recognized as a DTS track. This happens with my PS3 and my Oppo, so it is not the player. Somebody MUST have had this problem. Is this supposed to be a DTS 2.0 track? I will say that the commentary track works fine in the center channel. There is no way I have two defective discs. and My setup has been fine as usual for many years with the Meridian 861... Who should I call about this... If it is a DTS track, it is NOT TO SPEC.

FYI, I just played the movie on my Oppo BD-83, and I can confirm that the movie comes with a DTS-HD MA 2.0 mix (Both player and receiver show DTS-HD MA format). What's interesting is with my Denon 4308ci, I have to set audio mode to "direct" to have the two-channel audio come out from FR and FL speakers. If I set the audio mode to Dolby PL II or DTS Neo:6, then the receiver actually down-mix the 2-channel audio and sound only comes out from the center channel speaker. So you may want to try a few different audio modes and see if there's a difference.

another chance for OAR--
UK release of "The Last Emperor"
http://www.amazon.co.uk/dp/B0039LAPWU/ref=nosim?tag=dvdbeaver-21&link_code=as2&creativeASIN=B0039LAPWU&creative=374929&camp=211189
keep your fingers crossed after Criterion debacle.

It would be nice to see the movie in its OAR (I haven't seen the movie at all yet). I really don't get Storaro's obsession with framing his older movies in an AR they weren't actually shot in. Unless he was actually "protecting" the image for 2.00:1 way back when he shot it, I don't want to be losing any of the picture information. He can shoot his new movies however he pleases, but the look of the previously shot movies should be preserved. I'd kinda like to see Apocalypse Now the way it actually looked in the theater.

It would be nice to see the movie in its OAR (I haven't seen the movie at all yet). I really don't get Storaro's obsession with framing his older movies in an AR they weren't actually shot in. Unless he was actually "protecting" the image for 2.00:1 way back when he shot it, I don't want to be losing any of the picture information. He can shoot his new movies however he pleases, but the look of the previously shot movies should be preserved. I'd kinda like to see Apocalypse Now the way it actually looked in the theater.

I have compared the OAR LD to the Storaro-altered Criterion BD.

I cannot believe the photography was protected for 2.0. Too many scenes cut of useful information. In one scene in a car, with 3 people, their heads are cut off, for example. Numerous scenes lose their grandeur.

Criterion has been doing a great job with their BD's, as one would expect. It is a shame that they allowed this travesty to occur.

another chance for OAR--
UK release of "The Last Emperor"
http://www.amazon.co.uk/dp/B0039LAPWU/ref=nosim?tag=dvdbeaver-21&link_code=as2&creativeASIN=B0039LAPWU&creative=374929&camp=211189
keep your fingers crossed after Criterion debacle.
2.0:1 :rolleyes:

Vittorio is off his rocker. If he originally wanted 2.0:1 then he should have either shot in 65mm so as to be closer at 2.20:1 (not including mag soundtrack for 70mm presentations, including one it would be 2.05:1)... would have been beautiful that way... or shot flat at 1.85:1.

Apocalypse Now, Tucker, and The Last Emperor, were instead shot in anamorphic scope for a 2.39:1 ratio.

I've also seen A.N. in its OAR from making of video clips before the DP got his grubby paws on them...

The framing is faaaar better at 2.39:1 than 2.0:1, which puts the lie to the claim he always shot for the later ratio.

Perhaps one day they will be released in their OAR.

2.0:1 :rolleyes:

How do you know the upcoming UK release is 2.0:1?

Perhaps one day they will be released in their OAR.I am afraid it will take a Death at a Funeral for that to happen...:rolleyes:

I don't think I have seen this movie since it came out in the theatre, all those years ago. The actor who played the child at 8 lived in the house across the street from my apt when I lived in NY. I must have met him in 89-90. He was a nice kid and at that time I think 13 or so?. I would love to see this again as I remember it being epic. Bummer the BD isn't better, but as someone commented, it is what it is.

How do you know the upcoming UK release is 2.0:1?
It is stated in the press release:
TECH SPECS:
Cert: 15 / Region B / Feature Running time: 163 mins / Blu-ray Feature Aspect ratio 2.00:1/ Colour PAL / Feature Audio: DTS HD Master / English Language / Video: 1080p / Video Codec: AVC / Disc Type: Dual layer / Audio Codec: 2.0 PCM / AC3 / Cat no: OPTBD0062 / RRP: £19.99

2.0:1 :rolleyes:

It is stated in the press release:

Could you please provide a link to the full press release?

Could you please provide a link to the full press release?
http://www.optimumreleasing.com/dyn/last%20Emperor%20blu-ray%20press%20release.doc

http://www.optimumreleasing.com/dyn/last%20Emperor%20blu-ray%20press%20release.doc

Thanks. Too bad. Had high hopes almost exactly a year ago for the indefinitely delayed French release from BAC which was supposed to be OAR (the DVD released a year ago apparently was OAR), but no joy on that front either.

I've also seen A.N. in its OAR from making of video clips before the DP got his grubby paws on them...

The clips from Apocalypse Now used in the "Hearts of Darkness" documentary were presented at their full 2.35:1. They're non-anamorphic letterbox on the DVD, unfortunately, because the rest of the documentary was shot at 4:3.

What amazes me is that Bertolucci and Coppola accede to the whims of this madman.

the new UK release even includes a blurb on the artwork about how it is not OAR by mandate of the "director".
just pathetic.

What amazes me is that Bertolucci and Coppola accede to the whims of this madman.
A lack of genitalia will do that every time....:D

Screenshots of UK release:

http://www.blu-raydefinition.com/reviews/the-last-emperor-uk-release-blu-ray-review.html