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Author Topic: African Queen blu-ray - color issue? Joe Tommassello Jedi Master Film Handler Posts: 547 From: Coatesville, PA, USA Registered: Jan 2008 posted 03-09-2010 10:34 AM                  I have seen the first glimpse of the blu-ray African Queen. From the screen caps used to compare it to earlier DVD versions (from Europe) I think they have warmed the color too much. I have tried to convince myself that Gone With The Wind was "supposed" to look that brown, but now I am thinking the "artists" behind the restorations are intentionally warming up old IB Tech films. Perhaps they think more subdued color is more sophisticated but they are making lots of great films look brown and/or orange (Godfather films come to mind). I had a 35mm GWTW (LPP, 1989) that had better color than the blu-ray. If you look at the screen caps of AQ I think you'll agree the color looks more accurate (consider the skin tones) on the Carlton PAL DVD than on the blu-ray. I will not be buying this. Here's the link...I will be interested in your opinions... The Sepia Queen!  |  IP: Logged Richard P. May Expert Film Handler Posts: 243 From: Los Angeles, CA Registered: Jan 2006 posted 03-09-2010 12:22 PM                     For my taste, the images from the BluRay look very good. The cool color treatment of the others doesn't look right to me. DM  |  IP: Logged Joe Tommassello Jedi Master Film Handler Posts: 547 From: Coatesville, PA, USA Registered: Jan 2008 posted 03-09-2010 02:07 PM                  Dick - Look at the pics of the boat heading for the rocks. The "white water" is brown. It looks like every shot was taken at sunset! Do you feel the same about the GWTW disc? Or the Godfather blu-rays? I thought the Godfather was the most egregious. I will get AQ from netflix and give it a spin. It is a title I'd like to have in my collection but not if it's going to annoy me every time I watch it.  |  IP: Logged Claude S. Ayakawa Film God Posts: 2738 From: Waipahu, Hawaii, USA Registered: Aug 2002 posted 03-09-2010 04:06 PM                        Joe, I can see where you are coming from but from what I can see from the examples you had posted, the images does not look too bad of THE AFRICAN QUEEN. Yes, the restoration of THE GODFATHER was overdone and it looked terrible. I can understand warming up the picture of part one and two was justified because the story is suppose to take place a long time ago but when they did it to part three of THE GODFATHER trilogy, they went to far. In two weeks, TAQ will be mine on Blu-Ray, finally! -Claude  |  IP: Logged Scott Jentsch Phenomenal Film Handler Posts: 1061 From: New Berlin, WI, USA Registered: Apr 2003 posted 03-09-2010 04:10 PM                        The DVD captures look very blue-white, as opposed to the Blu-ray captures, which look more "normal." The whitewater does look a little on the brown side, but I don't remember enough of the movie to remember what time of day it was, or if the water looked that way when originally presented in theaters (I didn't exist at the time). The clouds don't look brown, so if there was color-shifting going on, someone intentionally applied the color to just a portion of the screen. The screen capture with Katherine Hepburn dumping out the liquor makes her white dress look like it's probably the correct shade of white. I don't see anything in those captures that puts the Blu-ray in a negative light, especially when compared to the DVD captures.  |  IP: Logged Frank Angel Film God Posts: 5305 From: Brooklyn NY USA Registered: Dec 1999 posted 03-10-2010 06:48 AM                        quote: Scott Jentsch (I didn't exist at the time). Scott, it was before my incept date as well.  |  IP: Logged Richard P. May Expert Film Handler Posts: 243 From: Los Angeles, CA Registered: Jan 2006 posted 03-10-2010 10:05 AM                     Joe, I agree with you regarding the "white water" sequence being a bit brown. Maybe it was muddy . As to GWTW, no comment. I worked with this picture thru too many restorations, and although I have the DVD I haven't watched it. I have no interest in getting the BR (anyway, don't have a player). I would have a hard time sitting thru it again. DM  |  IP: Logged Jack Theakston Master Film Handler Posts: 411 From: New York, USA Registered: Sep 2007 posted 03-12-2010 12:55 PM                     FWIW, the Blu-Ray of AFRICAN QUEEN does a good job of matching the look of the color on the original IB prints (I have one), while toning down some of the contrast and softness issues that were inherent on those prints.  |  IP: Logged Mark J. Marshall Film God Posts: 3188 From: New Castle, DE, USA Registered: Aug 2002 posted 03-12-2010 02:16 PM                    So the IB prints had that brownish water Jack?  |  IP: Logged Jack Theakston Master Film Handler Posts: 411 From: New York, USA Registered: Sep 2007 posted 03-12-2010 02:53 PM                     Haven't watched it in a while, but I'll gladly break out my print and scan a few comparison frames later. There is, by the way, a great difference between the timings of the 1951 prints and the '60s Trans-Lux re-issue, so the film definitely had two different "looks," which I found out the hard way.  |  IP: Logged Claude S. Ayakawa Film God Posts: 2738 From: Waipahu, Hawaii, USA Registered: Aug 2002 posted 03-12-2010 07:39 PM                        The screen-caps from-the Blu-Ray look warm but in my-humble opinion looks very nice. I do not remember THE AFRICAN QUEEN having brilliant color because as I had mentioned earlier, I recall the color was rather drab looking when I first saw the movie in a theatre and years later on laserdiscs. I know I will have no problem with the color hues on the Bd and look forward to picking up a copy in a little over a week. -Claude  |  IP: Logged Jack Theakston Master Film Handler Posts: 411 From: New York, USA Registered: Sep 2007 posted 03-12-2010 09:48 PM                     Here are two peripheral comparisons between the color balance on the BD and the 35mm print. As you can see, it's pretty close, although the 1951 IBs have a softer, redder look. The '68 re-issue prints are greener, hotter, and generally mistimed. http://www.thephotoplayer.com/african1.jpg http://www.thephotoplayer.com/african2.jpg The BD seems to be timed to that grays are neutral, which is the safe way to play it. Frankly, I'm quite happy with the new disc. I'll try to find that water shot later this weekend...  |  IP: Logged Joe Tommassello Jedi Master Film Handler Posts: 547 From: Coatesville, PA, USA Registered: Jan 2008 posted 03-15-2010 04:33 PM                  Based on those frames I'd have to agree the BR looks pretty good.  |  IP: Logged Claude S. Ayakawa Film God Posts: 2738 From: Waipahu, Hawaii, USA Registered: Aug 2002 posted 03-18-2010 12:14 PM                        Bill Hunt at the Digital Bits site has a very interesting eight minute video now on the restoration of THE AFRICAN QUEEN. -Claude  |  IP: Logged Mark Gulbrandsen Resident Trollmaster Posts: 16657 From: Music City Registered: Jun 99 posted 03-24-2010 04:58 PM                     quote: Joe Tommassello I have tried to convince myself that Gone With The Wind was "supposed" to look that brown All Gone With The Wind I.B.s I've seen have a muted and somewhat rustic type of look to them. I read somewhere that this was intended. My I.B. print certainly reflected this look. Mark  |  IP: Logged

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