The New PQ Tier thread for Blu-Ray - Discussion

[alexg75]

Originally Posted by lgans316

alexg75-> You are not alone. Check out this glowing review of Juno from Mr.Michael Mackenzie who is quite a popular critic.

http://www.dvdtimes.co.uk/content.php?contentid=67729

Thanks lgans,
The review is right on the money.Have you seen JUNO yet?

[alexg75]

Originally Posted by lgans316

Nope. I haven't seen it. Wife not interested. Juno is among the very few titles that got extreme and wavering reviews. So thought of adding fuel to the fire.

Well it is a very charming little movie,it will not change your life,but you and the wife might enjoy it.
Are you refering to reviews about the PQ or the movie itself?

[lgans316]

Both. Maybe if I were an American I could engage deeper and appreciate movies like Juno. Throw me dumb action movies or some top notch flicks like Pan's Labyrinth, Oldboy, Departed, 3:10, V, Blade Runner, Patton etc, I am game for it.

[patrick99]

Originally Posted by Rob Tomlin

Juno

I had started to write this review a few days ago, when I realized that half the Tier list was missing, and I never completed it. I should have, because I am sure I have forgot some of the things I was going to mention.

I do recall the colors seeming to be overly saturated, and not in a particularly good way. Detail was good, but not excellent, and contrast was satisfactory but not noteworthy either.

I would probably put this at the bottom of Tier 2.

The movie itself was very good. It was hit or miss for the first 20 minutes or so as to whether I was going to "buy into it", as at first it seemed to really trivialize the issue and make light of it. However, the ultimate character development and interaction of the various characters (including the father and step mom) really worked well. Very well written.

I agree with the PQ comments and placement.

[ballen420]

Originally Posted by SuprSlow

The 1/4 markers weren't added with the intent of making, in effect, twenty different tiers (5 tiers x 4 sub-sections), but simply as a way for everyone to more easily navigate through the rankings--namely Tier 2, since it was incredibly easy to get lost scrolling through that particular section. I guess I'm thinking of them as mile markers on an interstate. For instance, you're still on Interstate 65 (Tier 2), but you're at mile marker 258 (1/4). Probably a stupid analogy, but that's the best I can come up with

It was also created so placements could be more accurate--i.e. "top 1/4 of Tier 2" instead of "somewhere in Tier 2".

You're analogy works for me, especially if I get broken down, I know exactly where someone needs to pick me up!

In all seriousness, I like it the way it is with the markers. I think it will get extremely difficult to start rating on a number system, especially if we start throwing decimal places into the equation. I'm sure bickering over a few points here and there will ensue (see NCFOM), and you're job of maintaining this will become a lot more difficult.

Just my opinion, but wanted to get a thanks and keep up the great work in there as well!

[Cinema Squid]

Originally Posted by SuprSlow

I went back through and addressed all the spec corrections posted, so we're back to 100% now.

I've been taking some screen caps by extracting frames directly from movie discs on my PC and then cropping off the black bars. In this process, I've found a couple of instances where the aspect ratio does not match that shown in the tier rankings:

- 3:10 to Yuma (listed as 2.35, is actually 2.40)
- Pirates of the Caribbean: At World's End (listed as 2.35, is actually 2.40)

Are these type of corrections useful? If so, I can post any others that I come across.

Just for reference, here are some titles whose AR I've found to be listed correctly in the tier rankings:

Correctly Listed As 2.35:
Becoming Jane, Enchanted, Mr. Magorium's Wonder Emporium, The Orphanage, No Country for Old Men, Shoot 'Em Up, Wild Hogs

Correctly Listed As 2.40:
16 Blocks, 30 Days of Night, Gattaca, V for Vendetta, The Water Horse: Legend of the Deep

[Phantom Stranger]

Originally Posted by Cinema Squid

Are these type of corrections useful? If so, I can post any others that I come across.

Just for reference, here are some titles whose AR I've found to be listed correctly in the tier rankings:

Correctly Listed As 2.35:
Becoming Jane, Enchanted, Mr. Magorium's Wonder Emporium, The Orphanage, No Country for Old Men, Shoot 'Em Up, Wild Hogs

Correctly Listed As 2.40:
16 Blocks, 30 Days of Night, Gattaca, V for Vendetta, The Water Horse: Legend of the Deep

As we've seen time and time again the information on the packaging is sometimes wrong so I think that information could be useful. I could see dropping Shinobi and The Recruit lower in Tier 1 to around the middle of Tier 1, though Shinobi should still be ranked ahead of it.

[SuprSlow]

Originally Posted by Cinema Squid

I
Are these type of corrections useful? If so, I can post any others that I come across.

Yes, that would be great.

Any time someone spots an error, please post it and we'll get it changed. We get most of our info from the various review sites, so there's an inherent amount of error as a result.

[patrick99]

Originally Posted by SuprSlow

Yes, that would be great.

Any time someone spots an error, please post it and we'll get it changed. We get most of our info from the various review sites, so there's an inherent amount of error as a result.

Becoming Jane is VC-1, not AVC.

[Shane Martin]

Juno: Bottom of tier 2.

I agree with that. It's not Tier 1 material I don't think.

[Phantom Stranger]

Originally Posted by briansemerick

i think From Hell is wrongfully placed in Tier 3. It is at LEAST top half of Tier 2. i don't know what the person was watching it on, but on my 5010 it looked fantastic. great dark scenes with shadow detail and skin detail. not a lot of color popping scenes (as is the nature of the movie) but the reds are fantastic, and so was the green of the grass in the daytime scenes.

I watched this last night and would probably place this in the last quarter of Tier 2 or top quarter of Tier 3. It probably does need to be moved up from its current spot in the middle of Tier 3.

It's encoded in AVC on a BD-50 with a relatively clean print but what really falls down is the actual source material here. I saw the movie in the theater and the BD looks exactly like it, which is occasionally diffused and soft on purpose. On top of that lots of camera and color timing tricks are used by the directors. I do think this BD is an excellent representation of the movie but the movie was not really shot for eye candy. I believe the directors were going for a "period" look to the film. Just my two cents.

[SuprSlow]

Update time:

The Orphanage - we're evenly split between 0 and 1. What to do?

The Company - bot. Tier 1

American Psycho - bumped to Tier 5

Rambo - mid Tier 1

Alvin & The Chipmunks - Tier 0

National Treasure - low Tier 1

National Treasure 2 - mid Tier 1

P.S. I Love You - top Tier 1

Saawariya - top Tier 1

27 Dresses - we're all over the road on this. Averaged input yields somewhere in the lower 1/3 of Tier 2. Yay or nay?

Masters of Horror: Vol. IV - bot Tier 2

Narnia - top 1/4 Tier 1

Patton - mid Tier 1

Bee Movie - Tier 0

Lady in the Water - lower 1/2 Tier 3

Semi-Pro - mid Tier 1

I, Robot - moved up one spot

Rambo: First Blood - mid Tier 2

The Warriors - below FF2 & Lost, Tier 1

Resident Evil: Extinction - low Tier 1

Resident Evil - remains bot Tier 2

Shall We Dance? - Tier 2, below Rocky Balboa

From Hell - top 1/2 Tier 2 (Phantom's review noted, will adjust accordingly tomorrow)

Gattaca - above Twister, Tier 2

Juno - bot Tier 2

Across the Universe - remains in Tier 2

Shinobi - mid Tier 1

The Recruit - mid Tier 1, below Shinobi



And I'll update the Unranked List with this week's new releases tomorrow

[Phantom Stranger]

Before the Devil Knows You're Dead Video: VC-1 | Audio: DTS-HD MA | AR: 1.85:1

Video for this needs to be changed to AVC/MPEG4

[lgans316]

Thanks a lot Suprslow and please take care of the corrections.

[Rob Tomlin]

You are doing a great job SuprSlow, we all owe you a ton of gratitude!

[Elbie]

I still don't know how Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban is ranked so low and not ranked at 1 or 2 for best PQ Harry Potter movies.

[lgans316]

+1. POA was the best looking of the series.

[maverick0716]

I don't see First Blood in the Tier list......maybe I'm blind.

[Arecsa]

Bee Movie is AVC, and certainly tier 0.

[SuprSlow]

Originally Posted by Phantom Stranger

Before the Devil Knows You're Dead Video: VC-1 | Audio: DTS-HD MA | AR: 1.85:1

Video for this needs to be changed to AVC/MPEG4

Thanks.

Originally Posted by lgans316

Thanks a lot Suprslow and please take care of the corrections.

Originally Posted by Rob Tomlin

You are doing a great job SuprSlow, we all owe you a ton of gratitude!

Thanks guys, I accept all major credit cards and money orders. (No checks, please)

Originally Posted by Elbie

I still don't know how Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban is ranked so low and not ranked at 1 or 2 for best PQ Harry Potter movies.

Originally Posted by lgans316

+1. POA was the best looking of the series.

Where does it need to be?

Originally Posted by maverick0716

I don't see First Blood in the Tier list......maybe I'm blind.

First Blood is in Tier 2, 7 spots below the 3/4 marker.

First Blood Part II is in Tier 2, just above the 1/2 marker.

Originally Posted by Arecsa

Bee Movie is AVC

Thanks.

[lgans316]

Thanks SuprSlow.

POA should be in bottom of Tier-1. For time-being please do not disturb the current placement of OOTP 'coz such a move may tingle others.

[djoberg]

Originally Posted by lgans316

POA should be in bottom of Tier-1. For time-being please do not disturb the current placement of OOTP 'coz such a move may tingle others.

The reason it WOULD "tingle others" is because OOTP is definitely the best looking movie in the series. I agree with you that POA should be placed higher, but it still doesn't compare to the PQ of OOTP.

I should mention that I just recently watched the whole series (within one week) and thus I was able to do a critique of the PQ of each one without having to rely on trying to remember what one looked like from the distant past.

[bplewis24]

Originally Posted by alexg75

Well Rob,I really enjoyed the film as well but....
I have to disagree with your assesment of JUNO's PQ.I saw it this afternoon and thought it was an extremely solid transfer.

I would classify anything in Tier 2 as an "extremely solid transfer," so I don't disagree with him or you.

Originally Posted by SuprSlow

Update time:

The Orphanage - we're evenly split between 0 and 1. What to do?

There seems to be an even split on this so I think a good compromise is at the very top of Tier 1 or the very bottom of Tier 0.

Brandon

[Elbie]

Originally Posted by SuprSlow

Where does it need to be?

I havent seen all of the movies on the tier list, but I have seen all the HP movies recently and I believe that POA should post above HP: COS because I think the PQ is better than that movie. I will also go back and look at GOF, but POA and OOP were the best looking HP movies. Tier 2 is just too low for POA.

[357]

Rambo III should be in the bottom of Tier 1 imo. Awesome quality for such an old film!
Oh and Juno is Tier 3 imo.

[357]

Black Hawk Dawn should be Tier 0 by the way. The detail in the film is amazing.

[stumlad]

I would say Mid Tier 2. The movie had an overall harsh look to it (mainly the settings - boat, Rambo's house, etc) , and the jungle scenes, as good as they looked, did not come close to Apocalypto or Lost. They were more on the level of the Condemned, but slightly above Eragon. Darker scenes were grainy but not distracting. One thing that was weird is that black was not black, it wasn't grey either.. It was like black with a blue tint to it.

[LBFilmGuy]

Originally Posted by 357

Black Hawk Dawn should be Tier 0 by the way. The detail in the film is amazing.

I still agree with this

[lgans316]

Originally Posted by Elbie

I havent seen all of the movies on the tier list, but I have seen all the HP movies recently and I believe that POA should post above HP: COS because I think the PQ is better than that movie. I will also go back and look at GOF, but POA and OOP were the best looking HP movies. Tier 2 is just too low for POA.

Re-watched Goblet of Fire. Looks like a super upconverted DVD. Plenty of banding and awful photography. 80% of the movie is dark and offers less HD pop. On compliance with the tier rule GOF belongs to bottom of Tier-2.

[maverick0716]

Originally Posted by lgans316

Re-watched Goblet of Fire. Looks like a super upconverted DVD. Plenty of banding and awful photography. 80% of the movie is dark and offers less HD pop. On compliance with the tier rule GOF belongs to bottom of Tier-2.

At least GOF is WAY better than the standard DVD.......have you seen that catastrophe?