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The transfer of film to Blu-Ray can be ruined if the original film stock was not preserved. So if Ghostbusters faded over the years, and they did not do a major restoration, the Blu-Ray will look terrible.
 
C

Chibibar

Really? That was some thick vegetation - enough to stop a tank, I'd say, and the mechs employed were significantly more fragile in design than that.
Really? It's funny how none of that was actually in the movie I saw. You know, vegetation stopping tanks, mechs being fragile, etc. In the movie I saw, I saw the machinery (mechs and tanks) pretty much tearing up the plant life and all but the largest animal life. Even without the knife, the general's mech was able to man-handle the big puma-thing that probably weighed in at probably close to half a ton (based on size and mass--male african lions are nearly a quarter ton on average and this thing was much larger than one of those.). So, yeah, I don't think a mech is going to have much trouble just tearing down most vegetation with it's arms.

You can argue why the guy had a knife all day. It was a cartoon, essentially, so yeah if the guy wanted to have a big knife on his mech, fine. It was just a little jarringly over the top for me.[/QUOTE]

I don't know why is it "over the top" to have a knife, even on mech level. I don't think these are ordinary knives. I think like Japanese mecha where they have "laser swords" or "knives" (but of course no "known" nano blades or anything in the movie) while it is awesome to see a machine able to tear up anything in its path, you will still need a good sharp object when everything else fail (i.e out of bullets?)

Remember that these being have super hard bones. I think they said it suppose to be titanium or something, and hard to kill.
 
C

Chibibar

In terms of Blu-Ray, isn't original film (35mm??) are usually shot in HD anyways right? even the old stuff. It is just transfer to digital media to make it look good right?
 
In terms of Blu-Ray, isn't original film (35mm??) are usually shot in HD anyways right? even the old stuff. It is just transfer to digital media to make it look good right?
Original film is higher definition than anything you can buy in the home right now, yes. DVDs and even Blu-Rays are compressed from what you see in the theater.
 
Most "films" are shot digitally now especially if it is an effects movie or if it has the budget to cover the costs. The sensors have nearly caught up to the resolution of film stock.
 
C

Chibibar

In terms of Blu-Ray, isn't original film (35mm??) are usually shot in HD anyways right? even the old stuff. It is just transfer to digital media to make it look good right?
Original film is higher definition than anything you can buy in the home right now, yes. DVDs and even Blu-Rays are compressed from what you see in the theater.[/QUOTE]

That is how I understand it. So all "they" have to do is get the original footage and just transfer to Blu-Ray. Of course "quality" can suck if not done correctly (as some example of bad Blu-Ray)
 
J

JCM

Saw it.

While the first half screamed POCAHONTAS and it was obvious how it would end-
for example, that he would use the tree to become one of the permanently, and his taming the Taruk to become the legendary warrior
It was an enjoyable flick, loved the whole feel of the world and the level of detail, and also that the Navi are so much bigger than humans. I'd put it at the level of Titanic, not the best story ever, but enjoyable enough for watching it a few times, with great effects.
 
In terms of Blu-Ray, isn't original film (35mm??) are usually shot in HD anyways right? even the old stuff. It is just transfer to digital media to make it look good right?
Original film is higher definition than anything you can buy in the home right now, yes. DVDs and even Blu-Rays are compressed from what you see in the theater.[/QUOTE]

That is how I understand it. So all "they" have to do is get the original footage and just transfer to Blu-Ray. Of course "quality" can suck if not done correctly (as some example of bad Blu-Ray)[/QUOTE]

Blu Ray HD right now is 1080p maximum, which is 1920x1080 resolution.

Digital theaters are close enough to film quality for most movie goers, and often use 2K resolution, which is about the same as the HD at 2048x1152.

High end 4k projectors are available (for the same cost as a small home) that project at 4096x2160, and while still falling a little short of film at its best, when it comes down to it only really great theaters project film well enough to make a difference.

But when a film is shot digitally, it's most frequently shot at 1080p. There are a few recent films shot digitally at 4k (with the very nice, expensive "Red One" camera") - notably Knowing and District 9 were shot on the Red One.

So with many films blu-ray HD is the best you're going to get because the film may have mostly been shot at 1080p.

You probably don't want to get me started on the difference between regular HDTVs and 120Hz and 240Hz HDTVs... (hint: get the 120 or 240)...
 
In terms of Blu-Ray, isn't original film (35mm??) are usually shot in HD anyways right? even the old stuff. It is just transfer to digital media to make it look good right?
Original film is higher definition than anything you can buy in the home right now, yes. DVDs and even Blu-Rays are compressed from what you see in the theater.[/QUOTE]

That is how I understand it. So all "they" have to do is get the original footage and just transfer to Blu-Ray. Of course "quality" can suck if not done correctly (as some example of bad Blu-Ray)[/QUOTE]

Blu Ray HD right now is 1080p maximum, which is 1920x1080 resolution.

Digital theaters are close enough to film quality for most movie goers, and often use 2K resolution, which is about the same as the HD at 2048x1152.

High end 4k projectors are available (for the same cost as a small home) that project at 4096x2160, and while still falling a little short of film at its best, when it comes down to it only really great theaters project film well enough to make a difference.

But when a film is shot digitally, it's most frequently shot at 1080p. There are a few recent films shot digitally at 4k (with the very nice, expensive "Red One" camera") - notably Knowing and District 9 were shot on the Red One.

So with many films blu-ray HD is the best you're going to get because the film may have mostly been shot at 1080p.

You probably don't want to get me started on the difference between regular HDTVs and 120Hz and 240Hz HDTVs... (hint: get the 120 or 240)...[/QUOTE]

As long as you don't turn on the motion interpolation on the 120s or 240s then I agree.
 
C

Chibibar

In terms of Blu-Ray, isn't original film (35mm??) are usually shot in HD anyways right? even the old stuff. It is just transfer to digital media to make it look good right?
Original film is higher definition than anything you can buy in the home right now, yes. DVDs and even Blu-Rays are compressed from what you see in the theater.[/QUOTE]

That is how I understand it. So all "they" have to do is get the original footage and just transfer to Blu-Ray. Of course "quality" can suck if not done correctly (as some example of bad Blu-Ray)[/QUOTE]

Blu Ray HD right now is 1080p maximum, which is 1920x1080 resolution.

Digital theaters are close enough to film quality for most movie goers, and often use 2K resolution, which is about the same as the HD at 2048x1152.

High end 4k projectors are available (for the same cost as a small home) that project at 4096x2160, and while still falling a little short of film at its best, when it comes down to it only really great theaters project film well enough to make a difference.

But when a film is shot digitally, it's most frequently shot at 1080p. There are a few recent films shot digitally at 4k (with the very nice, expensive "Red One" camera") - notably Knowing and District 9 were shot on the Red One.

So with many films blu-ray HD is the best you're going to get because the film may have mostly been shot at 1080p.

You probably don't want to get me started on the difference between regular HDTVs and 120Hz and 240Hz HDTVs... (hint: get the 120 or 240)...[/QUOTE]

As long as you don't turn on the motion interpolation on the 120s or 240s then I agree.[/QUOTE]

What is the motion interpolation?
 
C

Chibibar

http://ca.movies.yahoo.com/news/movies.ap.org/some-see-racist-theme-alien-adventure-avatar-ap

oh seriously? Maybe the main character should have been a Chinese guy instead ;)

I can see where some of the "idea" might have come to be "racist" but the movie was about corporate greed vs nature. Now the people didn't have the knowledge of technology like the corporation. I find it funny that one of the people in the article said "it would be nice to save ourselves" well in the Avatar context, that would have been hard. The people would have stayed with the tree and died (they would if Jack didn't tell them to run)
 
I find it funny that one of the people in the article said "it would be nice to save ourselves" well in the Avatar context, that would have been hard. The people would have stayed with the tree and died (they would if Jack didn't tell them to run)
That's kinda the point... feels like white man's burden, with the poor simple natives letting themselves get slaughtered without a white guy showing them the way.
 
C

Chibibar

I find it funny that one of the people in the article said "it would be nice to save ourselves" well in the Avatar context, that would have been hard. The people would have stayed with the tree and died (they would if Jack didn't tell them to run)
That's kinda the point... feels like white man's burden, with the poor simple natives letting themselves get slaughtered without a white guy showing them the way.
well... ok given in any context. Would it have been any better if a black man? asian? hispanic would work? (probably someone else would have said racist of some level)

of course, I see as the "white man" are so greedy that they are willing to secretly kill anything to make a profit
 
I find it funny that one of the people in the article said "it would be nice to save ourselves" well in the Avatar context, that would have been hard. The people would have stayed with the tree and died (they would if Jack didn't tell them to run)
That's kinda the point... feels like white man's burden, with the poor simple natives letting themselves get slaughtered without a white guy showing them the way.
well... ok given in any context. Would it have been any better if a black man? asian? hispanic would work? (probably someone else would have said racist of some level)[/QUOTE]

Well then it would probably count as a subversion or something.


Wow..... Avatar trying to promote the "NEW divinity" per Vatican (well at least that is the simplified version) worship nature is bad?
Well in Christianity worship is reserved for God alone.
 
Apparently Avatar is now banned in China for being "too popular", with the censors fearing it may incite unrest against the military.

...As a government, if you're seeing yourselves in the villains of such a morally black-and-white movie, there is a PROBLEM.
 
J

JCM

Avatar to games "git off my lawn"... although its scary how fast games have become more profitable than some huge movies.

 
FINALLY saw this movie tonight.

Unbelievable. As everyone and their dog has already said, the story was wholly predictable, but the execution was goddamn flawless. When you go into a film knowing beforehand that it's one giant cliche, and it still manages to hold you the whole way through ... that's just incredible.

The thing I most appreciated was how well-realized Pandora was. I did not have to work hard on suspension of disbelief. Right from the arrival at Pandora I was drawn in. I realize it was like a minute of film time, but when a show or movie portrays weightlessness on it's ships, it wins major points. Not to say that magical gravity generators lose you points, because I realize how impossible it would have been to shoot say ... Star Trek as a zero-gravity setting. But when I see people floating through their spaceships, I get giddy.

The life on Pandora also blew me away. Only one or two scenes made me look twice at the creature models. Those little black lizzard-jackals turned me off a bit. The texture of their skin made them look digital, but I feel like they got the texture right ... confusing to explain. It was digital, but done so well that it looked digital in a good way. The rubbery scales I think is what did it. Anyhow ...

Yes. The story was pretty decent too, considering that it was (again: previously mentioned) an alien Pocahontas. Not sure how I feel about the 'noble savage' archetype, but that's a problem I have with the archetype, not so much with the movie.

I can't even get my thoughts straight. I have been convinced that Pandora is a real place, and I can't wait to see what happens next with this franchise (because you know it's coming). I'm afraid that a sequel couldn't possibly live up to this movie, but I'll be waiting with bated breath, hoping that they can pull it off.
 
I'm looking forward to a sequel as well. I just hope it avoids being the kind of overblown mess a la the third films in the X-Men, Spider-man, Pirates of the Caribbean franchises.
 

fade

Staff member
I'm weirded out, because exactly what people here and in the general public seem to like, I disliked the most. I thought Pandora felt fake and diorama-like. Everything was staged. But really, I think the thing that bugged me the most was that I could've sworn the designers had Fern Gully running the whole time they were creating. Not just the story, but the world, too. Right down to the "glows when you step on it" ground.
 
Apparently Avatar is now banned in China for being "too popular", with the censors fearing it may incite unrest against the military.

...As a government, if you're seeing yourselves in the villains of such a morally black-and-white movie, there is a PROBLEM.
It's a different culture...

On a Chinese forum, a bunch of Chinese were disgusted that the guy betrayed the human race. *That* is what they had a problem with.
 
J

JCM

Apparently Avatar is now banned in China for being "too popular", with the censors fearing it may incite unrest against the military.

...As a government, if you're seeing yourselves in the villains of such a morally black-and-white movie, there is a PROBLEM.
It's a different culture...

On a Chinese forum, a bunch of Chinese were disgusted that the guy betrayed the human race. *That* is what they had a problem with.
[/QUOTE]At least the Vatican didnt ban it....
The Vatican newspaper and radio station have called the film “Avatar” simplistic, and criticized it for flirting with modern doctrines that promote the worship of nature as a substitute for religion. L’Osservatore Romano and Vatican Radio dedicated ample coverage to James Cameron’s big-grossing, 3-D spectacle. But the reviews were lukewarm, calling the movie superficial in its eco-message, despite groundbreaking visual effects.
L’Osservatore said the film “gets bogged down by a spiritualism linked to the worship of nature.” Similarly, Vatican Radio said it “cleverly winks at all those pseudo-doctrines that turn ecology into the religion of the millennium.”
“Nature is no longer a creation to defend, but a divinity to worship,” the radio said.
Vatican spokesman the Rev. Federico Lombardi said that while the movie reviews are just criticism, with no theological weight — they do reflect Pope Benedict XVI’s views on the dangers of turning nature into a “new divinity.”
Benedict has often spoken about the need to protect the environment, earning the nickname of “green pope.” But he has sometimes balanced that call with a warning against neo-paganism.
In a recent World Day of Peace message, the pontiff warned against any notions that equate human person and other living things. He said such notions “open the way to a new pantheism tinged with neo-paganism, which would see the source of man’s salvation in nature alone.”
The Vatican newspaper occasionally likes to comment in its cultural pages on movies or pop culture icons, as it did recently about “The Simpsons” or U2. In one famous instance, several Vatican officials spoke out against “The Da Vinci Code.”
 
And it's too late to stop neo-pagans from existing. Weeeeeee!!!!

I can see why he'd get defensive though. You can't get anymore pagan in Christianity than Catholicism.
 
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