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Topic: The Island 1980
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Graham Ritchie
Film God
Posts: 4001
From: New Zealand
Registered: Feb 2006
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posted July 16, 2016 03:55 PM
After reading Tom review of the Universal 8 2/400ft of "The Island" it reminded me of when and for a while I owned a copy long long ago. Tom if you are reading this, was the Super8 digest masked top and bottom?.
Anyway, strange at it seems I came across the Blu-ray of "The Island" and as I had never seen the full length film on its release this cheap Blu-ray would be worth the watch.
Well if you are expecting your usual ho ho ho pirate film that the kids can watch, this is "not" it. It has a R16 rating and for good reason, its very violent. However I found it amusing to watch the many British actors dressed up as pirates, more known to me to be seen on later TV series.
The Island is a 80s type B movie, but in saying that the Blu-ray picture quality is excellent, they have even given it a DTS 5:1 soundtrack, although I don't quite get Ennio Morricone music, as for me it does not seem to match this type of gory film.
Anyway for all its faults in "The Island" and there are plenty, I found myself riveted right to the end, unlike watching the latest Star Wars film recently where I found myself dozing off zzzzzz ...here are a couple of screen shots from last night.
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Tom Photiou
Film God
Posts: 4837
From: Plymouth U.K
Registered: Dec 2003
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posted July 17, 2016 04:29 AM
Excellent Graham, yes this was a strange movie, i know Michael Caine did do many movies he was offered for "the job", like every actor he was paid to make his living and i think if it wasn't for him in this movie it would have passed unnoticed. As i enjoy a horror film i saw the Bill Davidson's review of this title and he also stated this was not your typical pirate movie, and this super 8 2 x 400 print offered by Universal did,(at the time of release), contain a few seconds of extra footage cut from its first cinema release. Although by todays standard it is very tame. An enjoyable,even if scilly, movie in this super 8 format. I am not too sure of Ennio Morricone's choice for doing the music to this movie either but Graham, looking at your screen shots from that disc just makes me question even more why i continue to buy super 8 with its scratches, fade & splices.(unless you pay hundreds for one title). Thanks for reminding me of this cut down, i shall take a look at it soon. At the end of August we begin our programme of watching every print we have, all 432 titles and all 115 promos trailers and ad reels. What we will do after this time is still unsure at present. I am for keeping what we have and maybe sell to a reduced number to perhaps get hold of some better modern features, or, I still think super 8 is in its prime for prices. I believe within a number of years the big prices may start to reduce. We are definatly seeing some hardcore collectors here selling off their excellent and hard to come by titles and getting some handsome sums. Do they know something we dont? Why else would you sell such sought after movies? Looking at Grahams screenshots here it does make you think. By the way, i will repeat as i always do, i am cine through and though, we will certainly not be clearing out our collections,(although we did think about it recently), we still love the way super 8 is shown full stop, that won't change, what Graham illustrates here is just how good the digital age has become and as he states, this isnt even HD. (And 4K soon).
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Andrew Woodcock
Film God
Posts: 7477
From: Manchester Uk
Registered: Aug 2012
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posted July 17, 2016 06:03 AM
We have been looking at these same images for donkeys years Tom. Panasonic really are,or certainly were, market leaders in top notch quality affordable video projection for the masses. (Nothing new for a while now from them.) The image quality from any machine after the 700 series is staggeringly good!
See timeline on their evolution from 2001 -2012 http://www.panasonic.net/avc/projector/special/home_cinema_projector/
Even 4k projectors for the home have been around for a number of years now.
Doesn't make me once want to sell any of my films though, not for one minute! (Did that once when I had no option and regretted it ever since.)
Nor does it make me stop wanting to buy any new titles no matter how expensive they become.
Film is film, video is video. Chalk is chalk and cheese will always be .....well, cheese!
Embrace both, that's what I say. Both offer a completely different experience and enjoyment. Only one is tactile, only one is simplistic in its presentation. Both have plusses, both leave you missing something if you have one without the other!
So chalk your chalkboard to your hearts content and continue eating and enjoying your fine selection of cheeses. [ July 17, 2016, 12:05 PM: Message edited by: Andrew Woodcock ]
-------------------- "C'mon Baggy..Get with the beat"
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