8mm Forum: Cinema Paradiso Blu-ray

This is topic Cinema Paradiso Blu-ray in forum General Yak at 8mm Forum.

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Posted by Graham Ritchie (Member # 559) on August 30, 2013, 05:04 PM:

I was not sure about buying this as I have already got on DVD, however after watching it, the Blu-ray is a definate improvement on the earlier DVD release. The blu-ray sound is DTS 5:1 nice and clear and the picture quality is very good indeed....with the "English" subtitles nice and sharp and easy to read.

I was surprised there was no "menu" or extras...you will have to go to the DVD to find those.

With a running time stated on the blu-ray as 124 minutes, this must be the original "theatre" release, as the the directors cut DVD has a running time of 167 minutes.

The ratio of 1.77:1 is a good one, to be viewed either on large TV or Video Projector.

"Cinema Paradiso" blu-ray is well worth getting and as such I would highly recommend it.

Graham.

Posted by David M. Ballew (Member # 1818) on August 30, 2013, 05:51 PM:

I too own a Blu-Ray copy of Cinema Paradiso. The film is one of my all-time favorites.

I do notice a few places where the picture quality in my Blu-Ray drops significantly, for what reason I cannot imagine. To my eye, it appears that a lesser video source was used for certain short scenes or portions of scenes.

One such moment occurs during the scene when Alfredo tells the 17-year-old Toto the story of the young man waiting outside his inamorata’s window. Another occurs during the “bicycling a print” sequence, when an older gent from the neighboring village threatens bodily harm if the feature doesn’t recommence post haste.

Count me as one who hugely prefers the shorter “theatrical cut” to the so-called “director’s cut.” In my view, the longer cut strips away the poignant mystery of what happens to certain characters and adds nothing but coarseness and obscenity. I prefer to think of the longer cut as apocryphal.

Posted by Jonathan Trevithick (Member # 3066) on August 30, 2013, 06:00 PM:

I am a big fan of the theatrical version. I do own the blu ray and was quite disappointed with the PQ.

Posted by Paul Adsett (Member # 25) on August 30, 2013, 06:13 PM:

I just recently got the blu ray, and I agree with Graham that it is noticeably better than the DVD. I see much more detail when projected on my 106 ins 16:9 screen. I also much prefer the theatrical version as it leaves more to the imagination. A case where severe editing of a movie turned it from a good film into a masterpiece.

Posted by Graham Ritchie (Member # 559) on August 31, 2013, 06:23 PM:

With the departure of film and the introduction for digital presentation in the cinema I feel this film is more relevant than ever. Here are a couple of screen shots taken last night using the Panasonic PT-AX200E video projector. Although I cant get the full benefit of 1080 from the blu-ray, it is however most enjoyable to watch.

One thing that really stands out is the brilliant score by Ennio Morricone.

Posted by Dominique De Bast (Member # 3798) on September 01, 2013, 02:27 AM:

I could not find it on youtube but there is a fantastic italian promotion clip (I would say from the nineties, I saw it in Italy) were there is the scene from Cinema Paradiso in which you can see the film projected on a house wall and a character asking what's happening. The image then snrinks to the size of a tv set (of course it had to be seen in a cinema or on a wide screen) and you have a telephone bell, a wife talking about sandwiches, commercials and so on. At the end, you have the sentence "Films thank who come to the cinema" (i film ringraziano chi viene al cinema). I always thought it would have be nice to have that on super 8.

Posted by Graham Ritchie (Member # 559) on September 01, 2013, 05:21 PM:

That sounds good [Cool]

Graham.

Posted by Hugh Thompson Scott (Member # 2922) on September 01, 2013, 06:04 PM:

Does'nt it seem sad, that such a beautiful film about the end of
CINEMA, ends up on the ends of a video disc. Ennio, eat your heart out.

Posted by Graham Ritchie (Member # 559) on September 01, 2013, 11:23 PM:

Not...if I get "my hands" on the 35mm print that's kicking around locally [Wink]

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