Die Hard Collection on Blu-Ray..

saltysam · Post by **saltysam** » 05 Dec 2007, 21:34

Fox has released all 4 Die Hard movies in one set,i won't call it a box set as surprisingly it comes in a slightly wider than the norm blu-ray amaray housing all 4 discs. i like this idea,a nice space-saver.unfortunately Fox's paranoia means all 4 films are region locked A.I read somewhere that the german region B first movie is in fact region free,not confirmed though.

Die Hard Movie 5/5 Blu-Ray Transfer 4/5

The 80's best action movie is as good today as it was nearly 20 years ago. i can't really fault this on any level,action,humour,direction,acting and script are all perfect. Bruce Willis is superb in his signature role. i've read a few negative reports on this transfer,to my eyes it's just great seeing Die Hard look this good, a rock solid transfer and a massive upgrade on my ultimate collection disc.

Die Hard 2: Die Harder Movie 4/5 Blu-Ray Transfer 3/5

This sequel had a lot to live up to,the first one was so good it's almost impossible to beat. But it's much,much better than most sequels. superb action from start to finish, i felt Franco Nero was a bit weak in his under-used villain role. The transfer is not as good as the first one and looks a little muddy in one or 2 scenes but by and large it's rock solid and again a massive improvement on the SD.

Die Hard With A Vengeance Movie 3.5/5 Blu-Ray Transfer 5/5

I hadn't watched this for ages until the other night and i'm glad to say it's a lot better than i remembered. at times it doesn't feel like a Die Hard movie,this is probably to do with the fact it wasn't originally written as a Die Hard film.it runs out of steam towards the end but Willis and Jackson have a good chemistry. the transfer is absolutely stunning compared to previous SD versions. it's so good you can clearly see it's bruce willis's double driving the taxi down the sidewalk in an early action scene.!!

Live Free Or Die Hard Movie 3.5/5 Transfer 4/5

The latest movie in the franchise is disgracefully presented by fox in it's theatrical version only,no doubt to milk cash with an unrated re-release down the line. The movie itself is an excellent actioner and a movie i enjoyed a lot more 2nd time around. Timothy Olyphant's villain is by far the weakest one in the series and the weak link in the movie.some great stunts and the film never lets up for a second.i have the unrated cut on SD and will be viewing that shortly.the blu-ray transfer is very good,as it should be for such a recent film. to sum up this is an excellent series of movies,the first was so good the sequels were on a loser from the off,but in my opinion all are pretty decent. a great set though extras are not great.not that i'm bothered by that.

dvdvision · Post by **dvdvision** » 06 Dec 2007, 11:36

DH 1-3 Blu seems sourced from at least 5 years old transfert (made at the time they were issued in SE double discs). The third was crap on SE DVD, but about a year after it came out, it was issued in europe in a much better transfert, which looks just like the version in the box.

So basically, instead of going back and redo the transferts, they just used what they had on the shelves. Get ready for a double dip in about two years, with all the first three looking as good as the fourth on HD

saltysam · Post by **saltysam** » 06 Dec 2007, 13:52

can't see 1 or 2 ever looking much better than they are.

EvaUnit02 · Post by **EvaUnit02** » 06 Dec 2007, 13:56

Any future remasters will probably be Lowry-ised. Do we really want that?

Remember how the Bond Ultimate Editions, Citizen Kane and the Star Wars 2004 DVDs turned out.

bradavon · Post by **bradavon** » 06 Dec 2007, 17:54

Most of the Bond UEs are a definite improvement. Star Wars 2004 looks fantastic too, it's the alterations that stuffed those ones up.

saltysam · Post by **saltysam** » 06 Dec 2007, 20:09

dvdvision wrote:DH 1-3 Blu seems sourced from at least 5 years old transfert (made at the time they were issued in SE double discs). The third was crap on SE DVD, but about a year after it came out, it was issued in europe in a much better transfert, which looks just like the version in the box.

So basically, instead of going back and redo the transferts, they just used what they had on the shelves. Get ready for a double dip in about two years, with all the first three looking as good as the fourth on HD

have you got the blu-ray set dvdvision?

jimmyscab · Post by **jimmyscab** » 06 Dec 2007, 20:40

Is DH3 still the cut version?

dvdvision · Post by **dvdvision** » 06 Dec 2007, 20:44

Didn't bought it, (got to watch the US set at a friends who got a japanese PS3). It looks good, the best yet on home video, don't mistake me, but these aren't 2007 transferts (or else, these guys use old technology !). I'm expecting the region B test pressings any day but I don't think it will be different . With the PG DH4 included, this box is more like a stop gap set I think (a bit like the Bourne 3 DVD set with the first two + a promo disc for the 3rd), I'm sure an ultimate 4 disc set is in the future, with the first 3 remastered in 4K or 8K + the fourth rated R or maybe an even longer "director's cut" because this R version looks more like the same cut with a new soundtrack and a dozen of shots changed / reintegrated.

bradavon · Post by **bradavon** » 06 Dec 2007, 20:50

jimmyscab wrote:Is DH3 still the cut version?

DH3 has never been cut in America.

with the first 3 remastered in 4K or 8K

What does this mean?

saltysam · Post by **saltysam** » 06 Dec 2007, 21:01

TBH honest the transfer for Vengeance impressed me more than the one for Live Free.It's a mammoth upgrade on the dvd version.Live Free looked good but it should do for such a new movie.i'll rebuy this if an unrated version ever comes out.i'll download a hi-res cover,buy a spare blu-ray case and ebay it

captainjoe · Post by **captainjoe** » 06 Dec 2007, 22:50

dvdvision wrote:DH 1-3 Blu seems sourced from at least 5 years old transfert (made at the time they were issued in SE double discs). The third was crap on SE DVD, but about a year after it came out, it was issued in europe in a much better transfert, which looks just like the version in the box.

So basically, instead of going back and redo the transferts, they just used what they had on the shelves. Get ready for a double dip in about two years, with all the first three looking as good as the fourth on HD

Die hard 1 and 2 are the old 2001 transfer but Die Hard 3 is remastered.

bradavon · Post by **bradavon** » 06 Dec 2007, 22:54

I cannot believe they're being so lazy as to use a master created almost 7 years ago, especially when these are HD releases and they're charging a premium for them :shock:

EvaUnit02 · Post by **EvaUnit02** » 07 Dec 2007, 02:59

bradavon wrote:Most of the Bond UEs are a definite improvement.

Stuffed up colour correction on a number of the films. The extreme cropping on Goldeneye.

Star Wars 2004 looks fantastic too, it's the alterations that stuffed those ones up.

Unfixed matteboxes, inconsistently coloured lightsabres (i.e. Vader's red sabre becoming purple/pink). Yeah fucking awesome QC'ing there, Lucas sure got his money's worth with those remasters from Lowry.

Oh and let's not forget Citizen Kane, extreme DNR that removed rain.

dvdvision · Post by **dvdvision** » 07 Dec 2007, 05:46

Captain Joe, the DH3 restoration is actually dated from about a year after the initial double discs release, it was issued in europe on Pal DVDs (and it was looking great already).

2K or 4K means transferts with double or 4 times the pixel resolution. In the old days, HD transferts were made in 1K (ie just as the discs are today), but if you want your transfert to be every bit as good regarding image information, as the original negative, you scan it 2K or 4K or 8K like they did for all the SFX shots in Blade Runner. Even if it ends up on a 1080p disc, you will notice the difference in terms of contrast, light, colors, general crispness of the image. The transferts usually regarded as just "OK" but not reference by online reviewers like High def digest, are usually all old 1K transferts.

I think all Bond were made in 4K, the issue is not their resolution anymore, it's the colors or framing choices made.

Yes, I think a lot of BR or HD issued out there use at least 5 years old transferts. StudioCanal transferts for Rambo trilogy, for example, were made ages ago.

bradavon · Post by **bradavon** » 07 Dec 2007, 16:12

EvaUnit02 wrote:Stuffed up colour correction on a number of the films. The extreme cropping on Goldeneye.

What part of "most" didn't you understand?

. There are 21 of them in total.

Oh and let's not forget Citizen Kane, extreme DNR that removed rain.

I'd rather gouge my eyes out with a pitchfork than endure that film ever again. It's a hard one to call which is more boring: Drunken Master or Citizen Kane.

CK was clearly well ahead of it's time and it should be praised for being so clever but boy it's boring.

dvdvision wrote:Captain Joe, the DH3 restoration is actually dated from about a year after the initial double discs release, it was issued in europe on Pal DVDs (and it was looking great already).

I don't "think" the UK got it. Then again few people online bought it, what with it being cut in the UK.

Thanks for the explanation on 4K/8K.

IronMonkey · Post by **IronMonkey** » 07 Dec 2007, 17:22

bradavon wrote:DH3 has never been cut in America.

Yes it has.

bradavon · Post by **bradavon** » 07 Dec 2007, 17:51

Except for the first DVD. I wasn't counting that one but point taken.

IronMonkey · Post by **IronMonkey** » 07 Dec 2007, 18:23

I believe all DVDs of Die Hard 3 are cut, whether they feature MPAA cuts or further BBFC cuts.

bradavon · Post by **bradavon** » 07 Dec 2007, 18:28

Well if we're counting "those" types of cuts then 99% of films are cut and we better all sulk, and sell our entire Home Cinema collection

IronMonkey · Post by **IronMonkey** » 07 Dec 2007, 19:05

How are "those" types of cuts any different to BBFC cuts? What "other" types of cuts are there?

gasteropod · Post by **gasteropod** » 07 Dec 2007, 19:28

But it is kinda worse when the BBFC do it, because then WE'RE missing out on stuff that America and other parts of the world are seeing haha. At least when it's just MPAA, we all see the same thing.

bradavon · Post by **bradavon** » 07 Dec 2007, 19:58

IronMonkey wrote:How are "those" types of cuts any different to BBFC cuts?

I completely agree technically they're exactly the same BUT when the MPAA enforce cuts there is next to know chance they'll ever be seen. That's the difference.

The point is the MPAA routinely enforce cuts, the directors agrees on them (even grudgingly) and it becomes his/her final cut. The BBFC then may cut it further. The latter difference being without the director being involved.

I'd see the point mentioning cuts like DH3 if it were possible they'd ever see the light of day but they won't. The director is finished with the film. Every time Goldeneye and Tomorrow Never Dies get mentioned Mark and Grim harp up about them still being cut, they both moaned the UE's were still cut like they honestly expected them not to be.

The Fast and the Furious also had cuts for the exact same reason. As do hundreds of other films. They're gone outside of "deleted scenes" on the DVD.

It's a simple fact BBFC applied cuts are treated differently from MPAA ones.

gasteropod wrote:But it is kinda worse when the BBFC do it, because then WE'RE missing out on stuff that America and other parts of the world are seeing haha. At least when it's just MPAA, we all see the same thing.

Exactly!

captainjoe · Post by **captainjoe** » 07 Dec 2007, 20:20

dvdvision wrote:Captain Joe, the DH3 restoration is actually dated from about a year after the initial double discs release, it was issued in europe on Pal DVDs (and it was looking great already).

2K or 4K means transferts with double or 4 times the pixel resolution. In the old days, HD transferts were made in 1K (ie just as the discs are today), but if you want your transfert to be every bit as good regarding image information, as the original negative, you scan it 2K or 4K or 8K like they did for all the SFX shots in Blade Runner. Even if it ends up on a 1080p disc, you will notice the difference in terms of contrast, light, colors, general crispness of the image. The transferts usually regarded as just "OK" but not reference by online reviewers like High def digest, are usually all old 1K transferts.

I think all Bond were made in 4K, the issue is not their resolution anymore, it's the colors or framing choices made.

Yes, I think a lot of BR or HD issued out there use at least 5 years old transferts. StudioCanal transferts for Rambo trilogy, for example, were made ages ago.

Oh I didn't know it was that German transfer that was compared on DVDbeaver. I guess it makes sense because it has those red skin tones and such. Still great for us in R1 to finally have a good transfer.

bradavon · Post by **bradavon** » 08 Dec 2007, 01:46

Go on shock us and import something

saltysam · Post by **saltysam** » 10 Dec 2007, 00:20

another review of the die hard set here

http://www.dvdtalk.com/reviews/read.php?ID=31596