garyrc Posted August 18, 2006 Share Posted August 18, 2006 Please list the 3 or 4 movies that you think come over the best in Home Theater... and also have excellent sound and image quality. Because of bad DVD transfers, damaged prints, or the moronic practice of limiting dynamic range on some films (and not others), some films that came over well in the theaters are pale imitations of their former selves in home theater. What 3 or 4 films come over as the best in the home? My list of the best off the top of my head: Amadeus Fiddler on the Roof Moulin Rouge (Baz Luhrmann version -- weird, but good) American Beauty Evita Films that fail to come across in home theater, due to inferior DVD transfers/ restorations, but were very intense, exciting or joyful in their original theatrical presentations (often in superb, dynamic stereo, and sometimes projected from 70 mm film) are some of the ones that suffer from tasteless dynamic range constriction, and relatively impaired image quality on DVD. Most generated huge box office returns, and at least some critical praise: 2001: A Space Odyssey, Around the World in 80 Days (1956 version 70mm Todd-AO and 6 channel ultradynamic and shimmering stereo), Ben-Hur (70mm, 6 channel ultra dynamic stereo, and prints so sharp that one could see detail in every sweaty pore--to make some of the compressed music and sound effects in the DVD version loud enough, one would have to turn the dialog up way too loud -- in the theater, the first few notes of the prelude made the hair on my arms stand up, and I could feel a breeze -- and that was just the beginning), ET the Extra Terrestrial , Close Encounters of the Third Kind, and a host of others. Also, practically every Black and White film I've seen on DVD fails to capture the full scale, gorgeous B & W of the originals, which sometimes had the clarity, rich blacks, and infinite shades up to brilliant white that one sees in the museum prints Ansel Adams made. Could it be that the people who make the transfers have no idea how the originals looked and sounded? Or could it be that they simply don't care? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
wuzzzer Posted August 18, 2006 Share Posted August 18, 2006 Best that I've heard/watched would be Phantom of the Opera (Andrew Lloyd Webber), Star Wars Episode III, Gone in 60 Seconds, Behind Enemy Lines. Dialogue in Star Wars is a little quiet at times, though. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
WMcD Posted August 19, 2006 Share Posted August 19, 2006 Echhh, I think you're being too cranky about techncalities. Smile. ==== 2001 is a secret pleasure from childhood. I saw it first run in NYC. John M. allowed me to cranked it on his excellent system during this spring's Wisconsin gathering. (Thanks John.) I had the hand control and went to the most atmospheric selections. Very impressive, in my book. If anything, the transfer of images was so good that they show up the issues in the original print. Music was top flight. Therefore I must disagree with your preemptive strike against it. What ever problems are there, the overall work gets through. = = = One very, very pretty film is Ryan's Daughter. It is just recently out on DVD. The story is slow. Not the stuff for T2 fans. Chick flick? Probably the best film for touchie-feely cinematograpy is Days of Heaven. It would be wonderful if this gets to Blu Ray. Again the pure beauty comes through on the relatively poor resolution CD. = = = A third secret pleasure from childhood is Grand Prix. The plot is lame. But you've got real cars at real speed. Fodder for any motor heads out there. - - - - If anyone is wondering what to next to get from Netflix, give the above mentioned a try. Gil Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
garyrc Posted August 19, 2006 Author Share Posted August 19, 2006 Gill, IMO. some of those technicalities can make a great emotional difference. [] I agree that the overall work gets through in the case of 2001, and it suffered less than the others I listed as having disappointing transfers. That said, it was not, for me, anyway near the awesome experience it was in 70 mm -- I don't expect the visual to be as effective as it was on deeply curved screen 85 feet across the chord of the arc (in 70mm @ Century 21 in San Jose, California), still sharp and with very fine grain even in the front row, where I sat to see it the third and fourth time, but I really believe the sound could have been better on the DVD. I have hopes that the added resolution of Blu Ray and HD motivate the people doing the transfers to try to capture every bit of quality in the originals, and assume that every film had great sound and sight (even though they didn't) -- even if they are not as old as me and thee, and may not have seen the marvelous quality of projection and sound we sometimes witnessed. I'll make a point of renting Ryan's Daughter, the gorgeous Days of Heaven, and Grand Prix on DVD. I saw all three when they came out (70mm projection again) and found all three to be visually compelling. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
DrWho Posted August 19, 2006 Share Posted August 19, 2006 Gladiator Finding Nemo House of Flying Daggers Batman Begins hmmm...all fighting movies - I picked these based on their use of surround sound and good use of imagery. Doesn't hurt that they're fun to watch too [] Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
oldbuckster Posted August 19, 2006 Share Posted August 19, 2006 GODS and GENERALS Saving Private Ryan We Were Soliders Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
SilverSport Posted August 19, 2006 Share Posted August 19, 2006 I would agree with the above and add...Band of Brothers...listen to it in DTS if you can...stunning and currently what I test my HT with...Man on Fire sounded and looked very well in DTS as did Crash (I was not expecting that to be a good movie...I really enjoyed it) Bill Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Steve_L Posted August 19, 2006 Share Posted August 19, 2006 I watch a lot of movies, but I don't really have a "demo movie" like I do for my HT Live Concerts.. those would be Two Against Nature by Steely Dan and Richard Thompson Live at Austin Texas for the incredible stand-up bass in a simple trio format. For movies, the memorable ones with excellent audio and video would be Thin Red Line, it's excellent audio/video. Pearl Harbor, The Perfect Storm, U-571 (a great flick), Wyatt Earp, this years Ray. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
easylistener Posted August 19, 2006 Share Posted August 19, 2006 I have some movies that I use for audio and some video most aren't the same movie. I use Master and Commander for audio. The first cannon fight is awsome. It starts with the long range one and just keeps getting closer. Infact I think I have sold a lot of sv subwoofer with this movie. U571 is a great one also for that. Open Range is a great video disc. Great picture quility. Monster Inc. is another video one. It can be used for audio as well. When the kid starts to laugh and the lights buzz and then blow, WOW. 5th element is a great video one as well. Reighn of fire is a great audio disc for serround. The dragons fly all over the room. Ice age 2 great picture and sound Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
skonopa Posted August 19, 2006 Share Posted August 19, 2006 For me, I'd have to say one of the best movies I've seen that came across very nicely on my system are all three of the extended editions of Lord of the Rings. The cinematgraphy, the beautiful landscapes, and the truly epic sound track - WOW! Numerous times, I've had people tell me it was much better on my system than it was in the theater. I think the folks responsible definitly got this one right. I would not mind seeing this in the HD formats as well (but the thought of buying this yet again, is not sitting to well with me.) I've seen all three of these movies at the theater (in fact, saw the first two extended editions at home and immedietly went to the theater and saw the third one), so I have a good idea of how these movies looked both at home and at the theater. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
DrWho Posted August 20, 2006 Share Posted August 20, 2006 I was gonna mention LOTR, but there are many times during the movie that I felt things were over compressed and just plain sloppy. Maybe it's a stylisitic preference that just doesn't sit well or perhaps it's the reuslt of not hearing it on a more exceptionally good sound system (since it is definetly a rather taxing movie). Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
oldbuckster Posted August 20, 2006 Share Posted August 20, 2006 Jurassic Park..........the trend setter in movies.........First movie I bought when I got my Pro logic set-up ..................thought that was the Greatest sounding movie I've ever FELT......Have a VHS copy with 2 plays on it..........My point being........Does anyone own this classic on DVD? If so how did they do the sound.......5.1......DTS?........It must be a killer if they redid the sound...................Bought PATTON on DVD........they redid the sound, but not so well, but better than the original..........Still a great Movie........ Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Rsoxfan Posted August 20, 2006 Share Posted August 20, 2006 I like 1996's Godzilla. Everytime I get something new for my setup I watch that movie. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Martin the Vampire Posted August 20, 2006 Share Posted August 20, 2006 House of Flying Daggers - R3 dts es Intial D - R0 dts es Hero directors cut - R3 dts es Infernal Affairs 1 - R0 dts es Underworld - R2 dts es (japanese version rare) I use dts es tracks almost exclusivly. When ever I tweak and need to demo, normally I use one of these titles, but if I want a good dolby track, I'll pull an Indian film such as Veer Zaara or Asoka. The songs have such incredible sound in dolby 5.1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
DrWho Posted August 20, 2006 Share Posted August 20, 2006 The opening scene to Underworld 2 is pretty intense too - it's what I used to dial in my system this morning [H] I think my version is Dolby Digital only though....is the dts japanese language only? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
33klfan Posted August 20, 2006 Share Posted August 20, 2006 LOTR extended versions, all 3, just amazing opening scene in Remember the Titans and the tackles Master and Commander for surround especially, prolly the best produced surround that really makes you feel your there effect, of course the bass to Troy Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Petrol Posted August 21, 2006 Share Posted August 21, 2006 Since I basically quit going to the theaters... ALL theaters in the Richmond area are basically crap with the worst being filthy--- filthy seats, flithy & sticky floors, screens splattered with what I guess to be soda and HORRIBLE sound systems... the 'best' theaters in the area are only somewhat less filthy, because they are newer but I have still not been impressed with the sound reproduction. add to that the scheduling hassles, rude folks talking over the movie, taking cell phone calls while choking down the fried chicken they smuggled in, chitty parking lots, overpriced everything, etc., etc., etc. and I generally have no problem waiting for a flick to either come out on dvd or be on the "On-Demand" menu from comcast... what a shame Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Martin the Vampire Posted August 21, 2006 Share Posted August 21, 2006 my region 2 of Underworld has 4 audio tracks: English 5.1 ex English dts es - full bitrate Japanese 5.1 Commentary Here is a link for you: http://us.yesasia.com/en/PrdDept.aspx/code-j/section-videos/pid-1003925101/ It is a bit pricey, for being a Japanese dvd, but it is worth it. This is the director's cut as well Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Rsoxfan Posted August 21, 2006 Share Posted August 21, 2006 The Incredible's is pretty nice all around too Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
sunburnwilly Posted August 21, 2006 Share Posted August 21, 2006 The Incredible's is pretty nice all around tooDitto ! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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