Zatoichi - BD-UK vs. HDTV vs. R1 vs. R2UK

[bradavon]

My eyes are much better than they were 4 years ago. I still need glasses though.

[gasteropod]

It seems we can't get enough controversy these days. This Blu-ray of 'Zatoichi' sports an enriched color scheme, deviating from the source material (the natural subdued colors can be seen in the supplements on this release), that has its ups and downs. On the plus side, blues and reds fill out gorgeously, as do the green foliage backgrounds. On the minus side, skin tones don't look too accurate (remember: this is Japan, not Miami), and black levels look a hair too bright at times. Bottom line, authentic is authentic, and this is not. I'll destroy a disc for not presenting the film in the natural aspect ratio, and altering the entire aesthetic of the film in this manner is no less excusable in my book.

It also doesn't help matters that CG in this film stands out like a thumb that's been hit with a hammer a few times. Blood splatters look as if a container of fruit punch exploded, and even have the same thin consistency. While this is an intentional move by Kitano, it isn't pretty. CG wounds have the same appearance as a thick red sharpie pen, sometimes moving on bodies. Worse yet are the CG swords that look ridiculous, especially in high def. They wobble in place, have unnatural reflection and lighting patterns, and sport a solid, clunky movement, rather than the fluidity one would expect from a master swordsman.

Contrast can be strong, but it often nearly disappears, while edge enhancement is light, but frequently evident. There is also a hint of DNR that isn't a killing blow (the other issues are more egregious), but it's certainly an additional insult. While detail is often strong, this transfer, as a whole, certainly is not.

http://bluray.highdefdigest.com/2530/zatoichi.html

[romerojpg]

Already sold my Crappy UK Blu Ray for more than I paid to upgrade to USA

[bradavon]

Downgrade Romero, fair enough you prefer the USA look but don't pretend it's an upgrade.

[romerojpg]

[grim_tales]

As Brad says, if you prefer the USA look fair enough but a lot of reviewers and almost everyone on here says Miramax have arsed with the look of the movie, the R1 is NOT how it looked originally, yet YOU are right and everyone else is wrong? I don't remember the HK R3 being very colourful.

[Shingster]

Romero's not saying he's right and everyone's wrong though, he's saying he prefers the more vivid colour scheme of the Miramax, and tbh he has a point there. Zatoichi is rife with staggeringly bizarre visual decisions on the part of Kitano, the muted colour scheme looks like arse and the CGI blood and swords is even worse. I'm not saying you should get the US BD over the others, but I don't think it's that crazy to look at the US version as a curious alternative in its own right.

[bradavon]

Fair point Shing but Romero is saying the UK BD is rubbish, so he basically is.

[romerojpg]

Grim just becuase you do as you are told by the majority, does not mean I have to.

I could not care less what anyone else thinks, nor should you. Most people have not even seen the new colour scheme of this disc etc.. apart from a few caps online, yet say its crap anyway. I have at least seen the new look Zatoichi before when I had the region 1 disc years ago, unlike the vast majority who never ever will yet scream NOOOO, just by going from some caps on their badly calibrated tiny PC screen and saying "but the Director wanted it to look like that", even if he was wrong.

If the director told you to close one eye and put your finger up your bum while watching, as it was the way the film was to be watched, some idiots would do just that.

Fair point Shing but Romero is saying the UK BD is rubbish, so he basically is.

It may not be total rubbish, but the line compression flaw problem topped off a lesser disc for me, mind you the transfer is ugly as sin haha it just is not a good look. It's like some bad pirate copied over and over thru the years, with not a black in sight, just light grays, made my head hurt watching it and wondering how nice it would be to see black ONCE! even at night time it looks like daytime as the blacks are so blooin bright.

I always have the old Japanese dvd if I need to see the way others think it should look, which I wont bother with except to see how certain parts have been altered then will sell it for hopefully more than I pay for the USA Blu Ray.

Still who knows what Zatoichi holds for HD, it may come out in another place looking spaking new and stunning, then I may buy that again

[grim_tales]

I never said you HAD to Romero.

[romerojpg]

Jesus Christ.

[grim_tales]

Was there any need for that?

[romerojpg]

Indeed there WAS