Sanjuro Comparison of Criterion (REISSUE), Criterion and BFI

slasher13 · Post by **slasher13** » 19 Jan 2007, 12:50

This is from DVDBeaver

From my eye I like the BFI (Checkout the subtitle sample), the reissue is a bit too bright I think.

What do you think?

Lourdes · Post by **Lourdes** » 19 Jan 2007, 13:21

They're both cropped, altered and have new and presumably crap subtitles.

True Criterion releases.

slasher13 · Post by **slasher13** » 19 Jan 2007, 14:16

Lourdes wrote:They're both cropped, altered and have new and presumably crap subtitles.

True Criterion releases.

So you saying that BFI release is the way to go?

grim_tales · Post by **grim_tales** » 19 Jan 2007, 14:18

The BFI is way too dark IMO. The subs were good on the old Criterion (I had Yojimbo) but they were a bit small.

Lourdes · Post by **Lourdes** » 19 Jan 2007, 14:48

slasher13 wrote:So you saying that BFI release is the way to go?

Well I'm getting the R2J's of both sometime.

But if I wanted English friendly discs I'd probably get the BFI release of Sanjuro because it isn't cropped. In Sanjuro the width is so important, you have all these characters onscreen at once. See how much is chopped off in those shots, it's atrocious. The Crit of Yojimbo is also cropped but it doesn't have as much of an impact and the only uncropped anamorphic one is Eastern Eye. Which is the lesser evil, Madman or Criterion? I'd probably say Madman but that's not a compliment.

EvaUnit02 · Post by **EvaUnit02** » 19 Jan 2007, 14:55

The contrast on the new Criterion is a bit too high for my liking. The people look like albinos.

romerojpg · Post by **romerojpg** » 19 Jan 2007, 18:18

What a load of bollocks

Criterion mess up again, way to go. Shame I own them now.

bradavon · Post by **bradavon** » 20 Jan 2007, 12:16

Clearly the CC is better (IMO) overall but the cropping isn't nice. Still it easily beats the BFI so an easy won to choose IMO.

slasher13 · Post by **slasher13** » 20 Jan 2007, 12:53

bradavon wrote:Clearly the CC is better (IMO) overall but the cropping isn't nice. Still it easily beats the BFI so an easy won to choose IMO.

Really!!!!, the brightness is just too much!!, didn't that strike you when you checked the comparision?

bradavon · Post by **bradavon** » 20 Jan 2007, 13:44

A bit but the alternative is the BFI which is worse. Hence the CC wins. That's how I think anyway.

No point moaning, just pick the best and be done with it.

Lourdes · Post by **Lourdes** » 20 Jan 2007, 14:01

bradavon wrote:A bit but the alternative is the BFI which is worse. Hence the CC wins. That's how I think anyway.

No point moaning, just pick the best and be done with it.

So the Criterion is best for being brighter and massively cropped?

If I turn up the brightness on my display is the BFI the best?

bradavon · Post by **bradavon** » 20 Jan 2007, 14:27

I'm not going to get in an argument over different values of what I consider a better DVD.

The Criterion fits in with Seven Samurai and Yojimbo, isn't massively cropped that's an exaggeration, looks perfectly good to me, has better extras, turn my brightness up? No thanks, and like I said overall is better. The BFI is no where near as sharp anyway.

Again like I said I work in "overalls" and to me overall the CC is the best. I never said it was perfect.

Obviously it's all IMO. If you prefer the BFI go get it and quit your whining.

EDIT: Too bright? Talk about OOT it's only minutely to bright. Besides you can always turn the brightness down to use your argument, so it's pretty pointless really.

Lourdes · Post by **Lourdes** » 20 Jan 2007, 14:57

It's massively cropped. I wouldn't accept that amount on ANY title let alone one that makes FULL USE of the ENTIRE FRAME. The slight amount of extra sharpness is mostly lost thanks to the good old Criterion level 'enhancement.'
But that's okay because otherwise it 'fits' with their Yojimbo which has the same flaws, gotcha.

I'd sooner piss on AK's grave.

bradavon · Post by **bradavon** » 20 Jan 2007, 15:00

Lourdes wrote:But that's okay because otherwise it 'fits' with their Yojimbo which has the same flaws, gotcha.

Is the Yojimbo BFI un-cropped too? I have that one and it's non-anamorphic. So lovely.

My only point was I'm not going to whine like a little school girl over something I have no control over. The answer is very simple, get the BFI.

romerojpg · Post by **romerojpg** » 20 Jan 2007, 16:07

Your forgetting the BFI looks far worse than that a lot in the film , compression probs etc.. general messy image are all the way thru that dvd, the Criterion is at least consistently quality etc.. it may be cropped and too some, a bit bright, but its still better than that old BFI dvd as I have owned all 3 versions and know what I am talking about.

Going by some screen caps is a load of bollocks, people should by now know better than that, but obviously not

Screen caps mean bugger all, they give you a slight indication and no more.

bradavon · Post by **bradavon** » 20 Jan 2007, 16:42

romerojpg wrote:Going by some screen caps is a load of bollocks, people should by now know better than that, but obviously not Screen caps mean bugger all, they give you a slight indication and no more.

Exactly!

More to the point they're ideal when two DVDs are vastly different then they're very useful but otherwise use them as an indicator but no more.

romerojpg · Post by **romerojpg** » 20 Jan 2007, 17:51

Great for croppinhg issues mind you

best thing about caps I say