The Bird with the Crystal Plumage – The Archive Conversation

[Almar@Cult Labs]

Originally Posted by Rhodes

well yes i'm exaggerating to make the point, but nonetheless this is a cropped version of bird no matter how you phrase it, and i don't think anyone could consider that a special feature.
i think i will leave it there as i don't wish to keep bludgeoning the fairly minor point i'm trying to make. thank you for taking the time respond to me almer, you know i only wish the very best for arrow so all my comments come from a well meaning place.

Sure - it's good to get these things discussed.

[skyofcrack]

Originally Posted by Hammer time

Just looking at the blue underground disk and this new blu seems lacking,im not a big fan but the US disk has lots more audio options.English 7.1 dts-hd,7.1 Dolby True HD,5.1 dolby surround EX and a Italian 5.1 track and the commentary

BTW, Diabolik will have more copies of the BU BD later this week for those that missed out.

[Argentofan]

Is this only a blu release by the way?

[Der Spieler]

And what's with this aspect ratio being the "original" ?

[Stephen@Cult Labs]

The HD Master that the licensor supplied to Arrow for this release originated in the 2:1 aspect ratio and was restored in Rome. No other version was available to us.

Seriously? Would people also like Arrow to put a card inside every case apologising?* As far as I can tell, after the French disc and now the Arrow version, we won't be seeing Bird released in anything but Storaro's impossed ratio for a while.

* Joking btw!

[Djangooo]

Originally Posted by Rhodes

i understand, of course you want to big up the release but i also think in this day and age honesty is the best policy, no-one likes to feel hoodwinked. it's like saying: special features - fully restored 4:3 cropped version with original print damage. doesn't make much sense does it?
i would simply suggest not listing it as a special feature, and maybe including a small disclaimer as shameless have done when the film is cut or features footage of varying quality, i think people will always react better to this kind of honesty, and are more likely to be understanding of the fact that this situation was imposed on arrow.

This is just nostalgia speaking but I'd love to have an untouched transfer of a film complete with print damage as an extra.

[Nemesis]

Originally Posted by Der Spieler

Frankly, and I'll know I'll probably get banned for saying this, but we're talking about the same company who released THE BEYOND with a B&W intro. So I wouldn't be too sure about them "knowing what they're getting".



I'd prefer none at all. What's the point in releasing a half-assed version of the movie? Argento is a visual director to say the least. Putting out a cropped version of his movie is nothing short of disrespectful. Plus you're actually contributing to Storaro's egotrip.

Most ridiculous thing though is trying to pass a cropped ratio as a special feature, sugar-coating it with a mention of "the original DP's vision" and so on. Who are you trying to kid?

Worst decision Arrow has ever taken.

Well Der Spieler - just to put things in context, I watched the BU Inferno Blu recently:

1. The bath is now turquoise, and no longer white;
2. Mark's exit from the chamber, after the cat munches the rat, is now hazed in green and not in blue;
3. The room Mark watches Varelli from above is now dark red, not bright red and the lights are not on.

Do you think BU would be awfully good enough to introduce a replacement program for this poor colour coding, like Arrow did for The Beyond?

[Daemonia]

Isn't it possible to research what materials are available before acquiring a title? After all, isn't it possible to license a title and find out no elements are available? It seems like a crazy business!

[Djangooo]

Originally Posted by Nemesis

Well Der Spieler - just to put things in context, I watched the BU Inferno Blu recently:

1. The bath is now turquoise, and no longer white;
2. Mark's exit from the chamber, after the cat munches the rat, is now hazed in green and not in blue;
3. The room Mark watches Varelli from above is now dark red, not bright red and the lights are not on.

Do you think BU would be awfully good enough to introduce a replacement program for this poor colour coding, like Arrow did for The Beyond?

Would you really consider those errors considering the film? The turquoise bath looked much more in tone with the rest of the film than the white one. It's not a film where we can argue about colours being un-natural.

To my eyes Arrow's release looked as though it had somehow stripped filters and tinting that was actually supposed to be there (look at Anchor Bay's Halloween Blu Ray where everything is clean white and not blue).

The Beyond was just a total mistake that we can back up as a mistake due to interviews by the director and (lol) the DP.

[Der Spieler]

Originally Posted by Nemesis

Well Der Spieler - just to put things in context, I watched the BU Inferno Blu recently:

1. The bath is now turquoise, and no longer white;
2. Mark's exit from the chamber, after the cat munches the rat, is now hazed in green and not in blue;
3. The room Mark watches Varelli from above is now dark red, not bright red and the lights are not on.

Do you think BU would be awfully good enough to introduce a replacement program for this poor colour coding, like Arrow did for The Beyond?

Have you seen the film theatrically? Do you have any evidence that the Arrow color scheme is the right one, aside from having seen it before the BU?

From the screencaps at DVDBeaver, I think the BU looks superior; contrast is better, detail is improved (look at those close-ups!) and the colors look far more accurate.