Our Gang (Little Rascals) Classic Flix Blu-ray opinion

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Rift Corbitt
Posts: 28
Joined: Sat May 17, 2014 9:51 am

Our Gang (Little Rascals) Classic Flix Blu-ray opinion

Postby Rift Corbitt » Sun Jul 03, 2022 7:07 pm

Hi,

Those who visit Nitrateville may have seen this the post I've copied below. I agree with it 100%. The first volume DNR was not used as much , the 2nd volume more so. By Volume 4 it was heavy handed. I would have thought the folks behind the ClassicFlix releases knew better but I was wrong. They even supply comparisons that smugly brag about their efforts. I'm saddened as this was the last hope for the Roach Our Gang talkies to be restored to glory, instead they have been stomped on into submission.

Here is a capture from the Classicflix supplied restoration comparison.
Image

To view a much large size image, go here: https://i.imgur.com/C2G07qG.jpeg

Let's focus on the human faces in the capture.

Use the link to the larger image please! On the left side of the capture Scotty and Spanky look lifelike. Faces on the left clearly shows a semblance of fine detail and even some evidence of freckles.

On the right side image any semblance of fine detail on the faces has been scrubbed and obliterated :( No evidence of freckles remain :( :( The skin/flesh of the faces are rendered unnaturally taught and shiny like low budget wax figures rather than lifelike human children.

If you prefer the scrubbed image on the right IMHO sadly you fall into the overwhelming majority of those that seemingly prefer a pseudo modern digital type look to vintage film. Thing is though with modern digital not only backgrounds and inanimate objects are clear and true to life but fine detail on humans and their faces remains. That does not happen when vintage film transfers are digitally scrubbed.

Like what you want, but to me the left image warts and all is far superior to the right, as the human faces look lifelike. Say what want, flame me and defend Clasicflix to the hilt, but nothing will ever change my mind that the right side image is crap is relation to the left.

Shame on the folks who were involved in these restorations as I'm sure they knew better but wanted to cater to those who my guess probably won't purchase these regardless of who they look to begin with. I'd wager those involved with the restorations kept something very much closer to the left side image for their own personal collections. Wish I had saved my money!

Richard M Roberts
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Re: Our Gang (Little Rascals) Classic Flix Blu-ray opinion

Postby Richard M Roberts » Sun Jul 03, 2022 11:50 pm

Yeah, it's the standard Blu-ray over-scrubbing, and this silly obsession about "true blacks" that actually just loses detail in the shadows (yes, there is a reason for grey-scale) and makes things too contrasty. I have prints of all the Our Gangs, and am no that big a fan of the talkies anyway so I didn't bother with the set to begin with, but feel free to bash them if you feel like it, and you know if that bigshot schmick on Nitwitvile is defending it you're in trouble. Too many blu-rays releases of late not only do not look like film, but they look like they were shot on video and the movement looks like videogame animation and the obsession with sharpness just reveals all these things like wires and forced-perspective backgrounds that the original filmmakers knew would be hidden in the original limitations of the original medium are there to see while they're busy erasing peoples freckles, yep, the modern way is so much better.........


RICHARD M ROBERTS

Rob Farr
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Re: Our Gang (Little Rascals) Classic Flix Blu-ray opinion

Postby Rob Farr » Wed Jul 06, 2022 6:47 pm

If you're watching a movie, and find yourself obsessing on grain, actors' freckles, a millimeter or two of cropping; you're not doing it right.
Rob Farr
"If it's not comedy, I fall asleep" - Harpo Marx

Rift Corbitt
Posts: 28
Joined: Sat May 17, 2014 9:51 am

Re: Our Gang (Little Rascals) Classic Flix Blu-ray opinion

Postby Rift Corbitt » Wed Jul 20, 2022 10:46 am

Rob Farr wrote:If you're watching a movie, and find yourself obsessing on grain, actors' freckles, a millimeter or two of cropping; you're not doing it right.


Respectively that has nothing to do with wanting a life-like video presentation. Mr Roberts' comments on gray-scale are Spot On!


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