"Deliverance" DVD
DVD Savant (a.k.a. Glenn Erickson) is saying that the Deliverance deluxe DVD that comes out on Tuesday, 9.18, "replaces a much older release with an improved enhanced transfer that flatters the camerawork of Vilmos Zsigmond." [9.16 shocker: Erickson's assessment is now suspect. See fire-alarm update at end of this article.]
"I remember the stunning 70mm six-track audio during the film's exclusive run at the Cinerama Dome, and the disc's 5.1 audio recreates the same dynamics.
"John Boorman and all four leading actors add their anecdotes and opinions to Laurent Bouzereau's multi-part 35th Anniversary retrospective docu," Erickson adds, "which covers every aspect of the film including the story behind that amazing dueling banjos scene. Boorman also provides his thoughts on a full commentary."
Nothing gets me interested in a new DVD version of an older film like the words "improved enhanced transfer," even knowing that the real way to see much-better looking versions of old films is to watch them via Blu Ray or HD-DVD. But I don't own a Blu Ray or HD DVD player, much less a high-definition flat-panel TV of any size (an investment that would set me back a good two grand or so...no?), so I'm really kind of a Luddite.
Fire-alarm update: Either Erickson deliberately softballed, or he's color-blind, or he was blind drunk when he wrote that the new Deliverance DVD represents "an improved enhanced transfer." The proof can be found on this DVD Beaver page in which Gary Tooze compares frame-capture stills between the new Deliverance DVD and the '01 version.
Just click on the link and compare. The apparent degradation by way of the less-sharply-focused, coffee-and-muddy-water images on the new DVD aren't just obvious -- they're glaring. Warner Bros. Home Video technicians have some answering to do
Tooze says he's "somewhat disappointed by the new Deluxe SD transfer...what looks odd to me are the colors and detail. It can look very green at times but skin tones are less red than in the original."
The key visual element in the original release prints was a detailed but desaturated (almost flirting with monochrome) color. I would say the new DVD (based on the DVD Beaver captures) looks murkier and browner. The stills seem to also prove that the older version had much sharper detail -- the dirt smudges on poor Ned Beatty's back in one of the shots were obviously rendered with more detail in the '01 DVD.
Posted by Jeffrey Wells on September 15, 2007 at 11:26 AM
comment #1
T. Holly
says ...
Proving my point how much Angie looks like dad.
Posted by T. Holly
at September 15, 2007 12:00 PM
comment #2
Walter Sobchak
says ...
"What the hell you wanna fuck around with that river for?"
Posted by Walter Sobchak
at September 15, 2007 12:04 PM
comment #3
ROTC
says ...
Jeff, if you're not set on an LCD or plasma screen, and if you shop around, you can find excellent 50+ inch HD projection DLP flatscreen TVs from reputable manufacturers for about $1200.
Posted by ROTC
at September 15, 2007 12:04 PM
comment #4
George Prager
says ...
"This corn is special."
Posted by George Prager
at September 15, 2007 12:06 PM
comment #5
Walter Sobchak
says ...
"Who's pickin' the banjee here?!"
Posted by Walter Sobchak
at September 15, 2007 12:13 PM
comment #6
christian
says ...
sure wish they'd just use the original poster. looks cooler.
Posted by christian
at September 15, 2007 12:13 PM
comment #7
Walter Sobchak
says ...
That was the weekend they didn't play golf.
Posted by Walter Sobchak
at September 15, 2007 12:14 PM
comment #8
CitizenKanedforChewingGum
says ...
Ahhh....helpless, sodomized squealing in glorious 5.1 audio. I'm so there, dude.
Posted by CitizenKanedforChewingGum
at September 15, 2007 12:16 PM
comment #9
gruver1
says ...
Wells to Prager: The full line, spoken by Ned Beatty, is "this corn is special, ain't it?" Wells to Sobchak: The actual line, spoken by that ornery redneck, is "whaddaya wanna go fuck with that river for?"
Posted by gruver1
at September 15, 2007 12:20 PM
comment #10
George Prager
says ...
"I love the way you wear that hat."
Posted by George Prager
at September 15, 2007 12:24 PM
comment #11
Walter Sobchak
says ...
That "ornery redneck" as you call him is named Mr. Griner...one of the Griner brothers.... show some respect...
"we'll do it for forty"
Posted by Walter Sobchak
at September 15, 2007 12:39 PM
comment #12
Pelham123
says ...
"Because they're buildin' a dam across the Cahulawassee River; they're gonna flood a whole valley, Bobby, that's why. Dammit, they're drownin' a river; they're drownin' a river, man."
Posted by Pelham123
at September 15, 2007 12:52 PM
comment #13
Dr. Smith
says ...
DVD Beaver did a side-by-side and I swear the older transfer looks better. Call me crazy, but the new one is a bit murky, with less contrast and a brown-yellow tint. Maybe that's what they were going for when they shot it, but...
http://www.dvdbeaver.com/film2/DVDReviews32/deliverance.htm
Posted by Dr. Smith
at September 15, 2007 12:56 PM
comment #14
George Prager
says ...
I can't wait for the remake starring Ashton Kutcher, Heath Ledger, Jack Black and Rainn Wilson. McG is slated to direct.
Posted by George Prager
at September 15, 2007 12:57 PM
comment #15
Howlingman
says ...
"Now let's you just drop them pants."
-- Bill Fuckin' McKinney
Posted by Howlingman
at September 15, 2007 1:00 PM
comment #16
christian
says ...
this movie scared the shit out of me as a kid. duh.
love james dickey's chilling last line to the boys.
Posted by christian
at September 15, 2007 1:45 PM
comment #17
buckzollo
says ...
"SOOOEY"
Posted by buckzollo
at September 15, 2007 2:27 PM
comment #18
Zimmergirl
says ...
Squeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeal!
Yeah, it's a terrifying movie but so great.
Posted by Zimmergirl
at September 15, 2007 2:54 PM
comment #19
Walter Sobchak
says ...
A few years back I was working on a show and found out that one of the PA's was Bill McKinney's son (!).... it was hard to picture because he had an English accent (McKinney married a British woman....)
someone walked up and said "no way, you're Dad was in 'Deliverance'?... who was he?"
to which this kid said matter-of-factly "he was the hillbilly that fucked Ned Beatty in the caboose"
Posted by Walter Sobchak
at September 15, 2007 2:56 PM
comment #20
Howlingman
says ...
Probably my favorite movie that I DON'T own -- something I plan to rectify (not rectal-fy) next week.
Posted by Howlingman
at September 15, 2007 3:26 PM
comment #21
nemo
says ...
Them's the salt of the earth country folks NYCBusybody is always rhapsodizing about.
Posted by nemo
at September 15, 2007 7:26 PM
comment #22
gruver1
says ...
Wells to ROTC: Thanks, but I can't make projection TVs. The image degrades when you watch it from too great an angle. My choice, if I were to take the plunge, would be a 60-inch Acquos flat-panel.
Posted by gruver1
at September 16, 2007 4:12 AM
comment #23
Mr. Roboto
says ...
"Having viewed Deliverance in it's Blu-Ray form, I can only call it Perfect
Just perfect!"
- Robert Harris
Posted by Mr. Roboto
at September 16, 2007 6:32 AM
comment #24
Mr. Roboto
says ...
From Camera Guild:
Zsigmond: "One day, John Boorman accidentally wandered into the projection room at the lab, and he was intrigued by the look [of McCabe...]. He contacted me about working with him on a film called Deliverance. It was a totally different kind of a movie. But we did desaturate the film. We decided this film needed more contrast and a little bit of a black and whitish look. Since we were working with Technicolor, we used the dye transfer technique. They made three color matrices and then a fourth black-and-white one. That gave us more control over the blacks and whites. We decided certain scenes would have 10, 15 or 20 percent more black and white, and we were able to manipulate the look and mood of the movie that way."
Posted by Mr. Roboto
at September 16, 2007 6:33 AM