4K UHD It's a Wonderful Life (4K + Blu-ray + Digital) [USA]
- Thread starter frankfish44
- Start date
I'm old school - if it was shot for B/W - leave it that way.
Sure- restore it and make it look awesome. But keep the beautiful Black and chrome.
I got your point, and somehow I understand it, until a point.
My view is that they had done the best of what they could with what they had available at that time(*),
and is not a shame to have such marvelous things upgraded if technology allows it (while also keeping the original).
(*) this reminds me of the microphone tries on the "The Dancing Cavalier" from... you know it, right?
And without any attempt to offend anyone (especially you @C.C. 95), I think even this (and others similarly carefully processed)
4K edition(s) stands proof for my point!
For example, I recently re-watched the first Mission Impossible, and although I do like the movie and the series,
had to say that most of the movie seemed like a joke compared to today's capabilities, starting with the script
which was not that good, again, IMHO.
EDIT: when I wrote the above, you did not had the second line (Sure- restore it and make it look awesome. But keep the beautiful Black and chrome.) in yet,
therefore I've edited the post accordingly!
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I am always for restoration (hence my standing as a member of the George Eastman Society).I got your point, and somehow I understand it, until a point.
My view is that they had done the best of what they could with what they had available at that time(*),
and is not a shame to have such marvelous things upgraded if technology allows it (while also keeping the original).
(*) this reminds me of the microphone tries on the "The Dancing Cavalier" from... you know it, right?
And without any attempt to offend anyone (especially you @C.C. 95), I think even this (and others similarly carefully processed)
4K edition(s) stands proof for my point!
For example, I recently re-watched the first Mission Impossible, and although I do like the movie and the series,
had to say that most of the movie seemed like a joke compared to today's capabilities, starting with the script
which was not that good, again, IMHO.
EDIT: when I wrote the above, you did not had the second line (Sure- restore it and make it look awesome. But keep the beautiful Black and chrome.) in yet,
therefore I've edited the post accordingly!
The more, the better!
But, I am for pure restoration - not alteration.
A few years back, I got my hands on the Harmy Star Wars restoration (where he painstakingly restored Star Wars to its original form).
Without question - the original elements are better than "souped up" additions afforded by modern techniques.
I think it is important to not watch older material with 21st Century eyes.
I know some younger kids do. They watch with ironic cynical detachment. Which is actually pretty annoying. (I have had to sit in theaters and listen to kids mock an older film for how dumb it was, or how cheezy the effects were).
It is The height of ridiculousness that what they are saying is that these filmmakers are stupid for not inventing a time machine and stealing technology from the future.
(And they don't realize the hypocrisy at play as they enjoy Star Wars - a FOURTY TWO YEAR OLD MOVIE, with 42 year old effects).
I hate, hate, hate the phrase "this is dated".
Because EVERYTHING is instantly dated.
Kids will laugh at the cheezy effects in Marvel movies in 20 years. They will laugh at what you are wearing right now.
Everything has a time stamp.
With cinema and movies - if the core of your film (the script and story) is universal and timeless, everything else will be forgiven.
A bad story or script will always be a downfall. A good script will hold up forever
....and some magical films seem to be ageless.
Pure restoration seems to be a thing of the past. Want the original grain, forget it. Look at Aliens on blu-ray. Not the film I saw in the cinema or on laserdisc and certainly not a film I want to visit on HD ever again until it looks and feels like the original film I saw. Star Wars the same.
Nothing wrong with tidying up special effects or redoing bad ones for a new audience AS LONG AS THE ORIGINAL IS THERE TO VIEW as well. It's a Wonderful Life was shot on film specifically b/w film with all the inherent aspects of monochrome film. Doing a colour version is silly.
If the director wanted to shot in colour he could have done so. He choice b/w stock. He choice b/w film for a reason.
As for as "being dated" the only thing dated is the dire attitudes I come across today about old films. A lot of those "old films" can be very very informative as well as enjoyable. Sorry but Transformers is as near to brain dead film making as you can get.
Nothing wrong with tidying up special effects or redoing bad ones for a new audience AS LONG AS THE ORIGINAL IS THERE TO VIEW as well. It's a Wonderful Life was shot on film specifically b/w film with all the inherent aspects of monochrome film. Doing a colour version is silly.
If the director wanted to shot in colour he could have done so. He choice b/w stock. He choice b/w film for a reason.
As for as "being dated" the only thing dated is the dire attitudes I come across today about old films. A lot of those "old films" can be very very informative as well as enjoyable. Sorry but Transformers is as near to brain dead film making as you can get.
Agree.
The unfortunate practice of regrading the color timing on films for Home Video is woefully underreported.
It is a terrible practice. (As is DNRing grain out of celluloid films)
It was, however, very heartening to see the new 4K UHD Matrix release return the film to its original color grading.
(The old DVDs and Blu rays had a green push that looked nothing like the original grading that was shown in theaters).
Also - you are correct about B/W films - it is a great misnomer that people shot B/W because they could not afford to shoot color.
B/W is a stylistic choice - not a budgetary one.
thanks @C.C. 95 @Lollard2002, 
the kind of knowledgeable conversation about film i love among Ninjas on this site. 
the kind of knowledgeable conversation about film i love among Ninjas on this site. Similar threads
