On 9/11/2010 10:19 PM, jmsatb5@aol.com wrote:   
   > On Sep 11, 5:05 pm, Joseph DeMartino  wrote:   
   >> On Tuesday Sep 7 "Forbidden Planet" was released on Blu Ray.  I have   
   >> to assume you got a copy as son as it was out, if not before, and am   
   >> wondering what you thought of it (assuming you've had time to watch   
   >> it.)  I pre-ordered this back in May, and had actually forgotten that   
   >> it was coming out this week - so I didn't get to watch it until   
   >> Wednesday night, having taken Tuesday off for car and dental   
   >> maintenance.  (I have all deliveries sent to my office because my cats   
   >> refuse to sign for packages.  They say they lack opposable thumbs, but   
   >> I think this is just an excuse.)   
   >>   
   >> Anyway, I was blown away by the presentation, and urge any SF fan with   
   >> a Blu Ray player to pick up this disc.  My 56" TV is a few years old   
   >> and a "mere" 720p and my sound system is 5.1 not 7.1.  (But it does   
   >> decode the lossless digital audio formats.)  So I'm not even seeing or   
   >> hearing the film at its absolute best - but I can compare the BD to   
   >> the laserdisc and the two DVD releases, and in my humble opinion none   
   >> of them come close.  (In fact, I thought the laserdisc looked better   
   >> than the first DVD, despite the lower resolution, because the color   
   >> fidelity was better.)   
   >>   
   >> The BD was a revelation, almost like seeing the film for the first   
   >> time.  (OK, way *better* than the fist time.  The first time I *did*   
   >> see it all the way through and uncut, was in the pre-cable TV, pre-VCR   
   >> days, and I had to stay up until 3 AM to do it on a local PBS station   
   >> and a 19" TV.)  The visible detail in most of the scenes is amazing.   
   >> The extras are also very good, with three documentaries:  "Watch the   
   >> Skies" about 50s SF in general featuring Lucas, Speilberg, Cameron and   
   >> numerous others.  (Sadly not JMS), one on the legacy of the film   
   >> and a third focusing on Robby the Robot.  The producers also included   
   >> an episode from the 50s "Thin Man" TV series where Robby guest-   
   >> starred, plus the entire feature film "The Invisible Boy", a sort of   
   >> sideways "sequel" to "FP".  (I think the Robby doc is new.  The other   
   >> items are all carried over from the 2-disc 50th Anniversary DVD.  The   
   >> only things included on the earlier release that are *not* inclulded   
   >> on Blu Ray are a handful of trailers for other 50s SF titles released   
   >> on DVD by Warner Bros. - presumably because they haven't been released   
   >> on BD yet.)   
   >>   
   >> Anyway, I was knocked out and was curious to hear what another "FP"   
   >> fanatic thought of the disc.  Also if there is anything you can tell   
   >> us about the current state of the possible remake.  IIRC the last I   
   >> saw here was sometime in January and you had turned in another   
   >> draft.   
   >>   
   >> Hope things are going well with you,   
   >>   
   >> Joe   
   >   
   > Looked at it just the other day, and enjoyed it as much as ever.   
   >   
   > This is essentially the same disk that came out under HD-DVD a few   
   > years ago before it lost the race to Blu Ray.  I had that version, and   
   > while there's a slight difference between the HD and BluRay editions,   
   > it's pretty close.   
   >   
   > To the current disposition of FP...since Cameron had to withdraw to   
   > focus all his efforts on Avatar 2, WB has started the process of   
   > looking for a new director.  The hard part is finding someone with   
   > enough hard-core EFX background AND a real knack for characterization,   
   > both of which are required to make the script work.  They want to get   
   > it made, it's a big tent pole movie for them, but it's a matter of   
   > finding the right person to make it.   
   >   
   > jms   
   >   
   I got my copy on Saturday and was going to post a review here but Joe beat me   
   to it.   
      
   I only have the laserdisc and DVD versions with which to compare the BR copy.   
   The only thing I would add to Joe's comments is the improved soundtrack --   
   it's nothing less than stunning.   
   Louis and Bebe Barron would be proud of this BR production.   
      
   The ad for the life-sized replica of Robbie on the inside cover was an   
   unnecessary   
   advertising gimmick (IMHO) considering the price of them (I'm sure JMS has one   
   in his living room).   
      
   A theater in South Philly back in the mid 70's did a midnight showing of FP   
   on their big screen and it was truly awesome.  This BR disc comes quite close   
   to   
   that theatrical experience I had as a teenager.   
      
   Mike   
   --- SBBSecho 2.12-Win32   
    * Origin: Time Warp of the Future BBS - Home of League 10 (1:14/400)