Quote:
Originally Posted by Stephen@Cult Labs  Strange, it looks like it's got grain on it to me. |
You can smooth out only certain frequencies, say just the low end particles of grain ("big" grains) and keep the relatively high frequencies ("small" grains) completely intact. You can even add digital noise on top of an already-smoothed image and make it
look like natural, fine-grain 35mm when it really isn't.
(Heck, that's exactly what Fox/Lowry did for Aliens, and you don't see many people complaining about it.
)
Based on the images here, and nothing more:
Rock! Shock! Pop! Phenomena - Arrow (Blu-ray)
These screenshots for Phenomena look pretty good, I think. Blacks look rock-solid, close-up detail is very nice, and there does appear to be some grain lurking in the backdrop... but I think there might be just a bit of temporal smearing going on. Check the very last cap for some of the "waxy" skin with much of the grain left intact on the (stationary) background.
That said, whatever grain scrubbing has gone on is pretty light in the scheme of things. It's there all right, but the Anchor Bay Collection DVD has far,
far worse DVNR... that disc has ghosting and smearing the likes of which makes Predator and Evil Dead 2 look watchable!
Strictly based on these caps, the Arrow BD will be both a welcome and a greatly appreciated upgrade. And I don't expect to see the film look any better for quite some time.
