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International BARABBAS (1 Viewer)

Ernest

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BARABBAS starring Anthony Quinn and Silvana Mangano is now available on Blu-ray for Amazon.fr. The movie tells the story of Barabbas the criminal that was set free so that Jesus could be crucified. The video is excellent with lots of detail and vivid colors. The audio is DTS MD Stereo. The Blu-ray is playing in a OPPO player set to Region "A". Like many French Blu-ray releases when the English audio track is selected the subtitles appear in French. There is no off switch for the subtitles. My OPPO player includes the "Subtitle Shift" feature which allows me to more the subtitles right off the screen. The running time is 137 minutes. Barabbas.jpg
 

Ernest

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The video is excellent?
But it was mentioned in another thread along with screencaptures and the Bluray was just a DVD upscale!

https://www.hometheaterforum.com/community/posts/4429735/
They failed to mention what equipment the blu-ray was reviewed on which is very important. I played the Blu-ray on an OPPO BDP 103 player up-converted to 4k on to a 4K LED TV. The video looked fine to me but what I think is just fine may not suit someones picture quality. Someone has an opinion from their viewing the blu-ray it is a DVD upscale, but that is not factual information. This is an old movie released in 1961 maybe this was the best print available without restoration? This is the type of movie released by Twilight for $35.00 that fits the 3000 release limit and looks okay.
 

Konstantinos

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Someone has an opinion from their viewing the blu-ray it is a DVD upscale, but that is not factual information. .

Isn't it?:unsure:

barabbasbr1.jpg

barabbasbr2.jpg

barabbasbr4.jpg


if I were to review this bluray, judging by this, I would barely give it a 0.5 out of 5.
Yes, I know it's an old movie, but there's no grain, no detail, not anything.
Even unrestored movies in HD scans look much better than this.
I think this is undeniably a DVD upscale and maybe Mr Harris himself could confirm that.

Now, if your TV is filled with filters and things that make it look better, that's another story.
 

Ernest

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Isn't it?:unsure:

barabbasbr1.jpg

barabbasbr2.jpg

barabbasbr4.jpg


if I were to review this bluray, judging by this, I would barely give it a 0.5 out of 5.
Yes, I know it's an old movie, but there's no grain, no detail, not anything.
Even unrestored movies in HD scans look much better than this.
I think this is undeniably a DVD upscale and maybe Mr Harris himself could confirm that.

Now, if your TV is filled with filters and things that make it look better, that's another story.
 

Ernest

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Isn't it?:unsure:

barabbasbr1.jpg

barabbasbr2.jpg

barabbasbr4.jpg


if I were to review this bluray, judging by this, I would barely give it a 0.5 out of 5.
Yes, I know it's an old movie, but there's no grain, no detail, not anything.
Even unrestored movies in HD scans look much better than this.
I think this is undeniably a DVD upscale and maybe Mr Harris himself could confirm that.

Now, if your TV is filled with filters and things that make it look better, that's another story.
 

Ernest

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You make very good points I don't remember the cartoonist look when I was watching the movie. Of course it is not reference Blu-ray like Criterion would release. When viewing the Blu-ray It did remind me of some of the titles I have purchased from Twilight. I will view it again today though to me it did appear to be far better than the DVD.
 

OliverK

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I have read that this is an old movie and I would like to point out that this does not have anything to do with how it looks on Blu-ray.
This is a large format movie, a Super Technirama 70 production to be precise, and it should look excellent.

Here are the links to caps of a few other Super Technirama 70 productions, namely 55 Days at Peking, King of Kings and Spartacus:

https://caps-a-holic.com/c.php?d1=5016&d2=4080&c=1683
https://caps-a-holic.com/c.php?d1=1600&d2=1599&s1=15162&s2=15154&i=3&l=0&a=1
https://caps-a-holic.com/c.php?a=1&x=515&y=363&d1=6603&d2=4868&s1=62221&s2=45358&l=0&i=0&go=1

One might have to use a mouseover to see the Blu-ray version for the last two but I guess it is evident that Super Technirama 70 productions can and should look stunning on Blu-ray.

I am sure that Sony will revisit Barabbas at some point, hopefully sooner rather than later.
 
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Ernest

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In watching the Barabbas Blu-ray for a second time my I do agree the video quality is not as good as it could be . When viewing this blu-ray played on an OPPO 103 up scaled to 4K displayed on a 4K LED TV the picture quality is better then the attached captions. Compared to the DVD this Blu-ray displays much more detail, depth and color. There is very little grain which I do not see as a negative because I prefer a picture with very little grain. Barabbas may fit into the same category as Fall of the Roman Army or El Cid a Blu-ray (Region B) not nearly as good a Blu-ray presentation as it could be but as good as it will ever be.
 

Alan Tully

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I loved this when I saw it at the cinema a lifetime ago. That ethereal crucifixion scene (filmed during a real total eclipse), the man-made hell of the sulphur mine & those very impressive gladiator arena scenes. I bought the early DVD, but was so disappointed with it (& we were a lot less fussy in those days), such a rotten picture, I think it was the red in the blacks that really turned me off. I suppose we have to wait 'till Sony get around to doing it properly, but I'd think being a large format film makes it more expensive to do.
 

Alan Tully

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It is exactly the same version that is available on iTunes . It truly needs restoration work done. The same for THE LONG SHIPS.

Yup, I've seen The Long Ships in HD on TV & it didn't look anything to write home about, but Genghis Khan (1965) looked very nice in HD.
 

OliverK

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Quite right but the colours that remain seem to look much better than the DVD.
It did look beautiful in 70 though.
I have a DVD of King of Kings that looks better than the Blu-ray of Barabbas. If the Blu-ray is a big improvement over the DVD than the DVD must have been VHS quality.
 

john a hunter

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I have a DVD of King of Kings that looks better than the Blu-ray of Barabbas. If the Blu-ray is a big improvement over the DVD than the DVD must have been VHS quality.
It's so sad that a film of this quality can only be viewed in such a compromised state.
However you can say that about many titles.
A sorry state of affairs.
 

Lord Dalek

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Just a reminder, Super Technirama 70 was not a proper cinematographic process (it's a conversion format) nor was it really 70mm (the negs were still 35mm even if they were 8perf ala Vistavision).
 
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john a hunter

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I have a DVD of King of Kings that looks better than the Blu-ray of Barabbas. If the Blu-ray is a big improvement over the DVD than the DVD must have been VHS quality.
Could well have been Oliver.
Just dragged out the DVD and it is pretty crappy. Couldn't find the DVD of King of Kings for comparison but no luck.
Interestingly the DVD is 4 track while this new one is only stereo I believe.
 

OliverK

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Just a reminder, Super Technirama 70 was not a proper cinematographic process (it's a conversion format) nor was it really 70mm (the negs were still 35mm even if they were 8perf ala Vistavision).

Of course it is but it is the whole production process that I consider important. Everybody who wants / needs to find out more can spend some time in Marty Hart's widescreen museum or on the in70mm.com website.
 

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