Tenebrae – Technically Speaking

[Pete]

Originally Posted by PaulD

God, it's getting some awful (and often uninformed) reviews on Amazon. Ha, someone even refers to Arrow as "the British Vipco" !?!

Actually, reading reviews on Amazon is largely counter-productive to be honest due to how hideously uninformed they are. "They should have told Storora to shove it and sold a better version! I bought my Beyond BD in mid-June and still got the B&W version! Who cares about the extras - they've been filmed on an old vhs camera! That awful new artwork for some of these films has been an embarrassment!" * Points not even worth addressing on account of how ridiculous they are.

Now don't get me wrong, I don't think Arrow are perfect. I was very surprised that The Beyond error wasn't picked up prior to release and while I think some of the transfers and PQ could be improved I have no real qualms and am glad to have largely excellent looking versions of old films that are freely available in the UK (and The Beyond error was rectified in such an well done way anyway) so y'know, really can't complain.

* some of these quotes are paraphrased. Some are sadly verbatim

Some of the arguments that break out on Amazon over the Arrow releases are hilarious - It's just the same people over and over disagreeing with each other.

[bizarre_eye@Cult Labs]

Originally Posted by Pete

Some of the arguments that break out on Amazon over the Arrow releases are hilarious - It's just the same people over and over disagreeing with each other.

What makes me laugh is the (often negative) reviews that appear way before a title is actually released.

[Paul@TheOverlook]

Originally Posted by bizarre_eye@Cult Labs

What makes me laugh is the (often negative) reviews that appear way before a title is actually released.

There is of course the gushingly positive reviews that appear pre-release too - and that's just a bad, pal.

[Legend]

Well I watched it last night and the... whatever it was, really irritated me. It wasn't bad at all during the darker sections, but unfortunately the first half of the film is entirely bright. It was so distracting.

[darthelvis]

Just received this so will attempt to watch at weekend and give my thoughts.

[James Morton]

Well according to dvd.compare the French blu ray is of better quality to the Arrow bd
But once again there is a fault with an Arrow blu ray, this time with the audio
An out of sych problem on the Eng track between a conversation with Franciosa and Nicolodi
I was hoping that my favourite horror would be PERFECT!
BUT NO..........

[bizarre_eye@Cult Labs]

Originally Posted by Paul@Lovelockandload

There is of course the gushingly positive reviews that appear pre-release too - and that's just a bad, pal.

Touche - and I completely agree.

I don't understand the mentality behind pre-release reviews, whether postive or negative. Unless you have a screener copy (although I doubt whether you'd be reviewing it on Amazon if you did), then it's hard to comment on something you haven't seen yet!

To be honest, I do see more negative pre-release reviews and comments for Arrow titles than I do sickly sweet positives. Whether it's rival companies, or people with a serious chip on their shoulder, like Pete said, it's amusing reading some of the frankly juvenile and pompous comments that are left as people bicker with each other in a never-ending circle.

As for the Amazon reviews themselves, I pay absolutely zero attention to them. If I'm undecided on the quality of a title I'll look to DVD Beaver, or another online review site.

[oaxaca]

I'm in the middle of watching this now and whilst the grain does look... strange, I'm pleased with the detail even if the grain is a little rough to look at. As for the sync problems I dunno as I'm watching the italian mono track

EDIT:

Having watched it all now. I soon got used to the picture and overall I'm pretty satisfied with it. The detail could have been a little stronger in places, and some was perhaps obscured by the wierd grain, but in many instances was very good.

[Paul@TheOverlook]

Originally Posted by bizarre_eye@Cult Labs

Touche - and I completely agree.

I don't understand the mentality behind pre-release reviews, whether postive or negative. Unless you have a screener copy (although I doubt whether you'd be reviewing it on Amazon if you did), then it's hard to comment on something you haven't seen yet!

To be honest, I do see more negative pre-release reviews and comments for Arrow titles than I do sickly sweet positives. Whether it's rival companies, or people with a serious chip on their shoulder, like Pete said, it's amusing reading some of the frankly juvenile and pompous comments that are left as people bicker with each other in a never-ending circle.

As for the Amazon reviews themselves, I pay absolutely zero attention to them. If I'm undecided on the quality of a title I'll look to DVD Beaver, or another online review site.

I suppose that those writing pre-release reviews are either driven by passion or hatred. There are those that love certain films and I suppose they like seeing their name affiliated with them somehow, if only writing a review on Amazon. There are those of course who will seize every opportunity to have a dig, for whatever reason.

There are plenty from both camps online, but I do believe that there's definitely more of a leaning towards the negative in many of the places I find myself, not least the message boards on IMDb which is probably the worst example I can think of. It never ceases to amaze me how many person-specific threads on IMDb are started because someone wants to know a celebrities religion, sexuality or whether or not they smoke. It's hilarious! If you're a gay Jew with a liking for cigars or a Muslim lesbian with a 20-a-day habit, your name will be mud over there. The interest in these things is beyond obsessive and if I were one of the people that was the subject of such discussions I'd be more than a little unhinged

[bizarre_eye@Cult Labs]

Originally Posted by Paul@Lovelockandload

I suppose that those writing pre-release reviews are either driven by passion or hatred. There are those that love certain films and I suppose they like seeing their name affiliated with them somehow, if only writing a review on Amazon. There are those of course who will seize every opportunity to have a dig, for whatever reason.

There are plenty from both camps online, but I do believe that there's definitely more of a leaning towards the negative in many of the places I find myself, not least the message boards on IMDb which is probably the worst example I can think of. It never ceases to amaze me how many person-specific threads on IMDb are started because someone wants to know a celebrities religion, sexuality or whether or not they smoke. It's hilarious! If you're a gay Jew with a liking for cigars or a Muslim lesbian with a 20-a-day habit, your name will be mud over there. The interest in these things is beyond obsessive and if I were one of the people that was the subject of such discussions I'd be more than a little unhinged

I've never ventured onto the IMDB message boards, but have heard numerous times, and from various people, that they are awful.