Return Of The Living Dead Invasion Of The Body Snatchers '78 on Blu-Ray

[Nailwraps]

Amazon has pre-orders for Return Of The Living Dead and Invasion Of The Body Snatchers '78 Blu-Rays! They both street on 9/14.:

http://www.amazon.com/Return-Living-Dead-Blu-ray/dp/B003WTO5S4?ie=UTF8&s=dvd&qid=1279907254&sr=8-5&tag=blurayforum-20

http://www.amazon.com/Invasion-Body-Snatchers-Blu-ray/dp/B003WTO5YI?ie=UTF8&s=dvd&qid=1279910344&sr=8-4&tag=blurayforum-20

The listings state that they'll be in 1.33:1, but that's obviously a typo. Special thanks to Blu-Ray.com forum member Miller_time22 for breaking the news!

[fceurich39]

awseome to get rotld on blu also says 2 discs??? i just hope this will be easy to find unlike mgm batch of 2008 dvds of child's play and pumpkinhead special editions which were very hard to find

[Funktion]

awseome to get rotld on blu also says 2 discs???
Probably a BD + DVD set, MGM is doing that for most catalog releases. What is unfortunate is that, for most, the extras (including audio commentaries) are on the DVDs only, instead of being included on the BD.

[chrismac87]

Probably a BD + DVD set, MGM is doing that for most catalog releases. What is unfortunate is that, for most, the extras (including audio commentaries) are on the DVDs only, instead of being included on the BD.

Not having the commentaries on the Blu does bother me, but having the extras on another disc isn't a huge deal. Most of the time the extras are in standard def and even if they're not - I'm not buying Blu Rays for extras.

Most of the time if I buy a catalog Blu Ray - it's for seeing the film in high def, nothing more, nothing less. So even no special features doesn't warrant me to shy away from the release. I have the DVD, have seen the features so it's not a huge deal.

But very glad to hear these are finally coming out, especially ROTLD.

[blu]

ROTLD on BD - Sweetness! Love love love that film!!

[buck135]

This year is getting expensive for Blu Rays. ROTLD is a day one purchase.

[satans-sadists]

I love both of these movies! Two more to add to my September shopping list.

[spawningblue]

Weird!? I just bought both of these on DVD the other day with their sweet lenticular covers. Good thing I haven't opened them yet though, I'll be making a quick return.

[fceurich39]

I love both of these movies! Two more to add to my September shopping list.

speaking of shopping lists we should do a thread on sept/oct dvd/blu-ray shopping lists

[satans-sadists]

speaking of shopping lists we should do a thread on sept/oct dvd/blu-ray shopping lists

We need to do that. I'm losing track of the full slate of releases. Anyone???

[f.ramses]

Great news about ROTLD... pre-ordered!

[Egg_Shen]

Excellent news. I never upgraded to the better versions of either of these, so this is very nice indeed. I'm most excited about ROTLD. I've watched that film countless times, so seeing it in HD will be a real treat!

[Katatonia]

Awesome, I pre-ordered both!

[eric_angelus]

This makes my day. I never got the special edition DVD of ROTLD...and last year the cover on my original DVD got messed up because it was too close to a heat source which made all the glow in the dark material turn to a powdery mess.
I do have the Special Edition Body Snatchers, but love the movie enough to get the BD.

[fceurich39]

Probably a BD + DVD set, MGM is doing that for most catalog releases. What is unfortunate is that, for most, the extras (including audio commentaries) are on the DVDs only, instead of being included on the BD.

yep ur probably right i seen alot of the mgm/fox blu's are doing that

[Matt89]

Invasion of the Body Snatchers is one of the best films of the 1970s and definitely one of the best sci-fi films ever made. This is one of the rare instances where the remake outdoes the original. Having the film take place in San Francisco makes it feel all the more claustrophobic and frightening.

I've been anticipating a blu-ray release of Invasion. Nice to know one's finally on the way.

~Matt

[satans-sadists]

Having the film take place in San Francisco makes it feel all the more claustrophobic and frightening.

I used to live there and I couldn't agree more!

[othervoice1]

Awesome- I love ROTLD and right now only own the vhs quality import dvd from tartan because it has the original soundtrack (which I really wanted). But I wouldnt mind double dipping and having the superior video quality now too on blu <:

[HarryCanyon]

Sounds too cool man, i can't wait to get them so i can upgrade to Blu-Ray.

[fceurich39]

blu-ray artwork now up at http://www.foxconnect.com/return-of-the-living-dead-the-blu-ray-and-dvd-widescreen.html

[Stige]

these will probably be region locked?

[Grim]

Odd. The runtime says 114 minutes. Probably just a misprint, but wouldn't it be awesome if they had a remastered version of the workprint?

[chrismac87]

Odd. The runtime says 114 minutes. Probably just a misprint, but wouldn't it be awesome if they had a remastered version of the workprint?

They did the same thing with the Collector's Edition when it was released in 2007, I think they're just including the runtime of the special features on top of the feature film.

[Harry Warden]

Invasion of the Body Snatchers is one of the best films of the 1970s and definitely one of the best sci-fi films ever made. This is one of the rare instances where the remake outdoes the original. Having the film take place in San Francisco makes it feel all the more claustrophobic and frightening.

I've been anticipating a blu-ray release of Invasion. Nice to know one's finally on the way.

~Matt

I agree. I just watched this again after several years last night. The film was very claustrophobic. I saw this film years about 20 years ago for the first time and didn't care for it at the at time, but I really enjoyed it last night. Personally, I still like the original better, but the 78' version is quite good. I will be picking this up, and ROTLD on Blu.

[fceurich39]

so this has 2 different upc numbers i am assuming one will be a dvd package and the other blu-ray packaging
http://videoeta.com/movie.html?id=35829

[Suicide]

blu-ray artwork now up at http://www.foxconnect.com/return-of-the-living-dead-the-blu-ray-and-dvd-widescreen.html

Thanks for pointing that link out. Both titles there are up for preorder for $17.99, which is a dollar cheaper than Amazon currently has them at, and there's a link to sign-up for FoxConnect emails with a coupon for 10% off, plus free shipping.

[othervoice1]

did the 10% off coupon work on the pre-orders?

[Suicide]

Yeah, it worked. I got ROTLD and It's Always Sunny in Philadelphia Season 5 ($25) for like $35 shipped.

[springjack]

Altered soundtrack in high-def... buuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuu
________
Discuss vaporizers (http://vaporizer.org/forum/herbal-vaporizers/)

[fceurich39]

mgm also releasing the dreadful troll 2 as everybody knows by now on oct 5th as well as Ropocop trilogy box set and Mad Max blu/dvd combo

[Matt89]

OMG Troll 2? They can't release something like Blow Out or Dressed to Kill, but they choose to release fuckin Troll 2? Does this give hope for The Burning and From Beyond? Those 2 are the ones I'd really love to see, not fuckin Troll 2. Jesus Christ.

~Matt

[shape22]

What kind of world do we live in when we can get Troll 2 on blu-ray before Jaws?

Is this a sign that the Apocalypse is upon us?

[Matt89]

What kind of world do we live in when we can get Troll 2 on blu-ray before Jaws?

Seriously!!!!

~Matt

[fceurich39]

hopefully we will be seeing some reviews for this very soon

also on bestbuy's website it says check stores meaning that all best buy stores should be carrying this on the release date unlike evil dead blu-ray which says not available

[dickieduvet]

Received them both today, Both look as they should, Pretty grainy with plenty of depth. No DNR as far as I can see. All the extras are on the Blu disc as well as the DVD this time which is much better. Stupid eco cases though with the big sections cut out, Boo.

[fceurich39]

Received them both today, Both look as they should, Pretty grainy with plenty of depth. No DNR as far as I can see. All the extras are on the Blu disc as well as the DVD this time which is much better. Stupid eco cases though with the big sections cut out, Boo.

awesome glad to see the extras for rotld are on blu as well as dvd so they are both collector's editions of the movie then unlike the EFNY which was the old flipper dvd

[Matt89]

Received them both today, Both look as they should, Pretty grainy with plenty of depth. No DNR as far as I can see. All the extras are on the Blu disc as well as the DVD this time which is much better. Stupid eco cases though with the big sections cut out, Boo.

Wicked so the blu-ray of Invasion of the Body Snatchers has the extras on the blu-ray disc!? SWEET! Definitely ordering this now.

~Matt

[dickieduvet]

Just finished watching ROTLD, Timeless. Great Transfer on this. Don't think anything has been done to it since the 2007 DVD, Just translates well to Blu-Ray. Plenty of colour pop and fine detail. Off to listen to the Audio comm in a bit, Never got around to it on the DVD. RIP Dan O'Bannon.

[Nailwraps]

I presume the soundtrack is still the altered one?

[fceurich39]

altered or not it doesnt really bother me compared to the sequel

[dickieduvet]

Yeah, The zombies voices have been altered too, Noticed as soon as I heard Tar-Man.

[Darga]

Are the new Return of the Living Dead and Mad Max releases going to have all the same extras as the earlier editions? Anything new?

I'm not looking forward to double-dipping too much, but these are two favorites that I can't resist upgrading to Blu ray.

[fceurich39]

Are the new Return of the Living Dead and Mad Max releases going to have all the same extras as the earlier editions? Anything new?

I'm not looking forward to double-dipping too much, but these are two favorites that I can't resist upgrading to Blu ray.

exact same as the 2007 special edition from what i heard

[dickieduvet]

Don't think MGM have got the money to produce new features, Think that's why they're getting alot of the cult classics out on Blu-Ray at the moment, For the cash.

[Matt89]

DVDBeaver (http://www.dvdbeaver.com/film3/blu-ray_reviews52/invasion_of_the_body_snatchers_blu-ray.htm) has a review up of the Invasion of the Body Snatchers blu-ray. Seems like they included all the featurettes from the SE DVD onto the blu-ray disc in HD. However, MGM's laziness comes through ONCE AGAIN by them NOT including the Philip Kaufman commentary from the original DVD release. It's there, sure, but on the DVD included with the package (the old, non-anamorphic DVD from like 1997). Was it too much to ask to just add the commentary track to the blu-ray release? Fuck, I hate having to watch decade-old transfers just to hear the bloody commentary track (this is one I never got around to listening to).

~Matt

[dickieduvet]

Just finished Invasion, Don't think the extras were in HD though, Looked a little rough but at least they're on the Blu disc this time. The Movie looks great, Much better than the DVD. The DVDBeaver caps do make it look better than it is though. Still a great purchase at the price it's going for. Could be the size of the screen you view though I suppose.

[fceurich39]

dvdempire has the back cover art up here
http://www.dvdempire.com/Exec/v4_item.asp?item_id=1544736

[CPT HOOK]

According to the back cover, the DVD for Invasion has a longer running time than the blu-ray.

[rhett]

For those who can wait...stay tuned for a contest...

[Darga]

For those who can wait...stay tuned for a contest...

Alright, I'm waiting!

[othervoice1]

For those who can wait...stay tuned for a contest...
wooo hoooooo!!!

[fceurich39]

return of the living dead blu-ray is awesome the menus i like alot very awesome blu-ray

[rhett]

Yeah, Fox/MGM always seems to do a good job on their Blu-ray menus. Creative and fitting with the theme of each film.

[deepred]

I just ordered this. I am really surprised that BB, Target and Walmart didn't get this in stores ... I mean Halloween is coming.

[fceurich39]

I just ordered this. I am really surprised that BB, Target and Walmart didn't get this in stores ... I mean Halloween is coming.

who knows maybe they have them and they arent putting them out until they setup there halloween movies section

[Mutilated Prey]

For those who can wait...stay tuned for a contest...

EH! I'm due for a win Guy!

Wink Wink Nudge Nudge :)

[Matt89]

I ordered both of these off amazon.ca like a week ago and my order STILL hasn't shipped. Funny how someone in the UK was able to get these before Americans/Canadians, considering these are NORTH AMERICAN releases. Fuckin' amazon.ca....

~Matt

[dickieduvet]

God bless the UK ;)

It's about time we caught a few breaks over here, Even if it is just a few Blu-Ray's early. If it makes you feel better my Evil Dead Blu still hasn't arrived.

[Matt89]

God bless the UK ;)

It's about time we caught a few breaks over here, Even if it is just a few Blu-Ray's early. If it makes you feel better my Evil Dead Blu still hasn't arrived.

Yeah, funny how that is. Evil Dead was available everywhere on release day. However, I couldn't find any copies of Invasion or Return of the Living Dead ANYWHERE today. This is downtown Toronto and NOTHING!! Same with Breathless! THAT was very odd. I go to this one video store downtown that sells Criterions for very cheap (compared to the average Canadian prices of about $45-50 per blu-ray, this place you can get them for about $35) and they said they never got Breathless on their shipment today.

Fuck.

~Matt

[buck135]

I'm done with the brick and mortar stores when it comes to new releases. I ordered both Twilight Zone sets, Seven, The Crazies (Romero), Rotld and Jacobs Ladder from Amazon (all Blu-Rays) for $200.00.

[Marshall Crist]

So for RETURN OF THE LIVING DEAD, is the first R1 DVD release the closest to the theatrical version?

[CPT HOOK]

Same with Breathless! THAT was very odd. I go to this one video store downtown that sells Criterions for very cheap (compared to the average Canadian prices of about $45-50 per blu-ray, this place you can get them for about $35) and they said they never got Breathless on their shipment today.


If you can wait until late November, bn.com (http://www.bn.com) usually does a Criterion 50% off sale.

[dickieduvet]

So for RETURN OF THE LIVING DEAD, is the first R1 DVD release the closest to the theatrical version?

Yes, Or the original region 2 DVD put out by Tartan.

[dentists]

The TARTAN DVD is REGION 0
& plays in my DVD player...it's the only way to watch ROTLD in my opinion.

[Dobby]

Can't find this movie for nothing in the world wtf gives?

[dentists]

Can't find this movie for nothing in the world wtf gives?

Try barnes & noble or borders. I had to get mine from Barnes & Noble those fuckwads charge a buttload too.
I'm a tool but I had to see this in High Def - which is the only improvement from the last DVD. The quality just looks more clear. It's NOT a giant step up from the DVD.

[Grim]

Can't find this movie for nothing in the world wtf gives?

Just order it online.

[buck135]

Just order it online.

That's what I did. $17 on Amazon. Don't waste your time with these stores.

[killit]

all uk versions should be allright? I have the mgm uk one and i think its the og soundtrack, the pic quality is a step up from the tartan. will check it out later, but am I wrong? All international editions of rotld sans canada should be good?

[SaxCatz]

Just checked out the HighDefDiscNews review (http://www.highdefdiscnews.com/) with 1080p screengrabs. I am very disappointed. I normally see significant improvements over DVD in even lesser BD transfers (Terminator comes to mind), but with RotLD I honestly don't feel that the film looks any better on Blu-Ray then it the DVD does through a good upscaler. Granted, this comparison is based on screengrabs alone, but I hold little hope for this transfer nontheless.

[Matt89]

Just checked out the HighDefDiscNews review (http://www.highdefdiscnews.com/) with 1080p screengrabs. I am very disappointed. I normally see significant improvements over DVD in even lesser BD transfers (Terminator comes to mind), but with RotLD I honestly don't feel that the film looks any better on Blu-Ray then it the DVD does through a good upscaler. Granted, this comparison is based on screengrabs alone, but I hold little hope for this transfer nontheless.

Uhhhh....what are you talking about? The screenshots from the blu-ray are CLEARLY superior to the DVD release. In terms of clarity, color, grain, it definitely looks like a solid upgrade. Sure the film has a low-budget look to it, but the blu-ray seems to be a worthy upgrade.

~Matt

[Katatonia]

Just checked out the HighDefDiscNews review (http://www.highdefdiscnews.com/) with 1080p screengrabs. I am very disappointed. I normally see significant improvements over DVD in even lesser BD transfers (Terminator comes to mind), but with RotLD I honestly don't feel that the film looks any better on Blu-Ray then it the DVD does through a good upscaler. Granted, this comparison is based on screengrabs alone, but I hold little hope for this transfer nontheless.

It's definitely an improvement over the old DVD transfer.

Two more reviews:

http://www.avforums.com/movies/index.php?showmediareview=10249

http://www.dvdreview.com/reviews/pages/3118.shtml

[dickieduvet]

I've watched it twice now and take my word for it it's a huge improvement over the DVD, Screengrabs are never a clear indication of quality, Best to view it yourself I'm sure you'll be more than happy.

[rhett]

Uhhhh....what are you talking about? The screenshots from the blu-ray are CLEARLY superior to the DVD release. In terms of clarity, color, grain, it definitely looks like a solid upgrade. Sure the film has a low-budget look to it, but the blu-ray seems to be a worthy upgrade.

~Matt

To be fair, there are no boobs in that review, so it is tough to compare clarity without it. Rest assured, I will not make the same oversight when my disc arrives!

[killit]

ok, I just compared, I have the 2002ish mgm uk and the 2007 us special ed. The mgm uk has the original soundtrack in like seven languages. I compared the two, some of the u.s. edits are improvements like the car in the dust edit. Others not so much like tar man. I think your good either way, but you dont have to get the tartan if your'e a purist, you can get mgm uk too (plus it's loads cheaper and anamorphic).

[SaxCatz]

Uhhhh....what are you talking about? The screenshots from the blu-ray are CLEARLY superior to the DVD release. In terms of clarity, color, grain, it definitely looks like a solid upgrade. Sure the film has a low-budget look to it, but the blu-ray seems to be a worthy upgrade.

~Matt

I disagree. The screenshot show a very soft image, lacking in detail and grain is still not well-resolved. Color-timing is clearly different, but this film left theaters long before I was old enough to see something of its ilk so I cannot comment on which is more accurate. There is no clear evidence to suggest that the picture quality of the Blu-Ray release of RotLD is superior to the more-recent DVD release in anyway other than raw resolution. Audio quality could be a different story.

[Conal Cochran]

I've watched it twice now and take my word for it it's a huge improvement over the DVD, Screengrabs are never a clear indication of quality, Best to view it yourself I'm sure you'll be more than happy.

I have to agree on this. I am happy I made an upgrade of this movie. Invasion of the bodysnatchers is less spectacular in my opinion.

[Katatonia]

I disagree. The screenshot show a very soft image, lacking in detail and grain is still not well-resolved. Color-timing is clearly different, but this film left theaters long before I was old enough to see something of its ilk so I cannot comment on which is more accurate. There is no clear evidence to suggest that the picture quality of the Blu-Ray release of RotLD is superior to the more-recent DVD release in anyway other than raw resolution. Audio quality could be a different story.

Well, several of us posting here can safely say that it is superior to the old DVD release in more ways than resolution. If you're going to judge it on those screenshots alone, simply don't buy it then. I've purchased Blu-rays before that appear far better than simple static screenshots posted online. Besides, this includes the old DVD anyways.

[kimboslice]

Is the bluray region locked to a?

[dickieduvet]

Is the bluray region locked to a?

Yes, As is Invasion too.

[Steel76]

Just watched the disc and the Blu-Ray sure is superior.
There´s LOTS of stuff in the backgrounds that are more detailed than on the DVD:s, and you can easier make out writing on the walls, signs etc.

I was a bit worried at first when I saw the screenshots etc.
But this sure was worth the upgrade as the difference is much more clear when in motion :)

[Nailwraps]

Another ROTLD Blu-Ray Review:

http://www.blu-ray.com/movies/The-Return-of-the-Living-Dead-Blu-ray/14065/#Review

[Matt89]

I disagree. The screenshot show a very soft image, lacking in detail and grain is still not well-resolved. Color-timing is clearly different, but this film left theaters long before I was old enough to see something of its ilk so I cannot comment on which is more accurate. There is no clear evidence to suggest that the picture quality of the Blu-Ray release of RotLD is superior to the more-recent DVD release in anyway other than raw resolution. Audio quality could be a different story.

Take a look at the first screenshot, the title card. Compare the DVD to the blu-ray. It's extremely obvious that the DVD screenshot lacks resolution, as the letters look fuzzy. Compare it to the blu-ray where the title is in solid red with a sharp edge, no jagged-ness to the edges of the lettering.

Oh and btw, you cannot tell whether or not grain is "well-resolved" from a screenshot. It's impossible. It's only something you can notice while the images are in motion (i.e. not from just a single frame).
~Matt

[marcx]

Found a copy at Barnes and noble--hope to watch this this week!

[SaxCatz]

Oh and btw, you cannot tell whether or not grain is "well-resolved" from a screenshot. It's impossible. It's only something you can notice while the images are in motion (i.e. not from just a single frame).
~Matt
That is absolutely incorrect.
Stating that it is impossible to tell whether or not grain is well resolved from a screenshot is silly. You can easily observe the character and clarity of film grain in a screenshot. To say otherwise would suggest that it would be impossible to observe the same when looking at a high-res scan of a 35mm still. And we all know that you can clearly do so.
It is possible that you refer to the fact that it is impossible to tell from a screenshot whether the transfer suffers due to applied DNR or EE that might result in "stuck" grain patterns or other such monstrosities. With this I would agree.
I am willing to accept that the Blu-Ray may look better in motion. And its not that I see no difference in the screenshots, just that it is extremely minimal (far less then I am even accustomed to seeing in transfers of other low budget genre movies of the 70s and 80s). I may "audition" this disc from Netflix and put it directly up against the DVD on my 10' screen to determine if this is a worthy upgrade but, either way, I am certain that it could be much better.

[Matt89]

That is absolutely incorrect.
Stating that it is impossible to tell whether or not grain is well resolved from a screenshot is silly. You can easily observe the character and clarity of film grain in a screenshot. To say otherwise would suggest that it would be impossible to observe the same when looking at a high-res scan of a 35mm still. And we all know that you can clearly do so.
It is possible that you refer to the fact that it is impossible to tell from a screenshot whether the transfer suffers due to applied DNR or EE that might result in "stuck" grain patterns or other such monstrosities. With this I would agree.
I am willing to accept that the Blu-Ray may look better in motion. And its not that I see no difference in the screenshots, just that it is extremely minimal (far less then I am even accustomed to seeing in transfers of other low budget genre movies of the 70s and 80s). I may "audition" this disc from Netflix and put it directly up against the DVD on my 10' screen to determine if this is a worthy upgrade but, either way, I am certain that it could be much better.

Sure you can see grain from a single screenshot, but whether or not it's "well resolved" is something you can only tell through motion, which is what I said in my previous post.

I'm not sure what you're accustomed to seeing, but this doesn't look any worse than any other low-budget film from the '80s (hell, take a look at the Donnie Darko blu-ray if you want to see one of the most minimal upgrades from DVD to blu-ray). Return of the Living Dead is an average upgrade. It's definitely superior to the DVD, but the way you're describing it, I'm not 100% sure your expectations were realistic if you thought it would look any better than it does.

~Matt

[CPT HOOK]

Both Return and Invasion dropped to $10.49 on amazon.

SOLD and SOLD!

I also nabbed Kalifornia at that price.

[Matt89]

Both Return and Invasion dropped to $10.49 on amazon.

SOLD and SOLD!

I also nabbed Kalifornia at that price.

Yeah I just ordered these too. Fuckin' sweet.

~Matt

[Stige]

sheesh

any clues from those in knowledge what companies I only have to wait a few weeks before their blu's drop in price? gonna start waiting

[Grim]

Damn it. My Body Snatchers already shipped, but Return of the Living Dead hasn't, so at least I'll get that one for that price.

[marcx]

Wqtched return last night--it's an adequate transfer--no major issues but not outstanding either--found it a touch soft in parts but that maybe the look of the film--been a while since I watched the DVD...

the movie itself--great as always!

[SaxCatz]

Ok...
I popped on both RotLD and IotBS @ $10.49 (this seems reasonable even if the transfers are not stellar.) I will compare my RotLD DVD & Blu-Ray (maybe this weekend if I have time) and report back.

[Mutilated Prey]

Both Return and Invasion dropped to $10.49 on amazon.

SOLD and SOLD!


Nice! Both Blu's grabbed along with Forbidden World for Free Shipping - YOINK!!!

[satans-sadists]

Both Return and Invasion dropped to $10.49 on amazon.

SOLD and SOLD!

I also nabbed Kalifornia at that price.

Thanks for sharing! Just grabbed Return and Invasion along with Escape From New York, all $10.49 each.

[Matt89]

Damn it. My Body Snatchers already shipped, but Return of the Living Dead hasn't, so at least I'll get that one for that price.

At least Return was the more expensive of the two. It was like $18.99 before. You saved a solid like...8.50.

~Matt

[killit]

ok, so the mgm uk version is a weird hybrid, it is not identical to the usa dvd, but does share some of it's dialogue replacements like tar man and the omission of vocals during the song where the punks exit uneeda after seeing tar man. it really is Tartan or bust for the og soundtrack

[Paul0889]

i didn't think the ROTLD blu looked that great either. looked more like i was watching an upconverted dvd. i was surprised at how soft the film looked throughout which may be intentional. the colors looked great though, but overall if you've only got the DVD i'd say it's not worth the upgrade.

on another note, did anyone notice that the blu ray seems to be from a different print? the coloring is a lot different in many scenes compared to the dvd

[Matt89]

It's not necessarily a different print, just different color timing (something that is done post-production anyway).

~Matt

[killit]

BIt's not necessarily a different print, just different color timing (something that is done post-production anyway).

~Matt


True. It would be cool though if they used the print that Dan o bannon prepared for the US dvd with his preferred timing but that thy didnt use because they supposedly were too deep in production, they of course used his new audio mix. dunno why they never cashed in. especially after he died, the could post humosly release a director approved edition.

[Paul0889]

i think it's a new print or an old one at least. the colors are very close to the old ROTLD vhs's, you remember how the outdoor scenes had the orange tint to them. not to mention, there doesn't seem to be as much grain as the DVD editions. maybe this is obannon's color corrected print, but either way it looks a lot like how the vhs prints looked

[Katatonia]

Another positive review for the Invasion of the Body Snatchers Blu-ray:
http://www.blu-ray.com/movies/Invasion-of-the-Body-Snatchers-Blu-ray/14064/#Review

[SaxCatz]

Watched both discs...
Invasion of the Body Snatchers is a solid transfer. No apparent DNR or EE and the image typically appears true to the original source. There are some definite signs of compression artifacts in some of the darker scenes... such is the penalty of compressing the feature down to fit onto a single-layer (25GB) disc. Overall, I think this is a great disc for modestly budgeted '70s genre flick and I am very pleased with my purchase.
Despite my earlier observations, I can confirm that RotLD is definitely an improvement over the SD-DVD. The Blu-Ray looks much better then represented in the screen captures. Apparent detal is much better than the screen caps would suggest. Strangely though, not only do I still feel that grain is not well resolve, there appears to be no real film-grain whatsoever. This leads me to believe that some sort of DNR was applied and this could partially account for some of the "softness" visible in several shots. This isn't the stellar transfer we had hoped for, but it is definitely not what I had feared- a good rebuy for the $10.49 it currently runs at Amazon.com and a must buy for anyone who doesn't own one of the Anamorphic DVD tranfers.

[CPT HOOK]

Watched both discs...
Invasion of the Body Snatchers is a solid transfer. No apparent DNR or EE and the image typically appears true to the original source. There are some definite signs of compression artifacts in some of the darker scenes... such is the penalty of compressing the feature down to fit onto a single-layer (25GB) disc.


Invasion is a dual-layered disc.

Return is on a single-layered disc though.

[SaxCatz]

Invasion is a dual-layered disc.

Return is on a single-layered disc though.

Hmmm... shame on me. I was trying to make excuses for what is apparently just a poor (spotty?) encoding job. Still, the majority of the film looks quite good.

[Matt89]

Hmmm... shame on me. I was trying to make excuses for what is apparently just a poor (spotty?) encoding job. Still, the majority of the film looks quite good.

Well this is probably the best the film is ever likely to look. Invasion was not a big glossy Hollywood production, and the film's cinematography is very much the reason the transfer looks the way it does. It has that 60s/70s "film noir" look...just in color. Taxi Driver looks much the same way. I don't think much was compressed here, as DVDbeaver has reported, this film is a whopping 37 GB. Very little, if any, compression for a blu-ray transfer.

~Matt

[Paul0889]

here is a great review of the blu ray with comparisons to the old dvds, and it does not look too good. i agree with the reviewer, this blu ray should've been a lot better.
http://www.dvdtalk.com/reviews/45795/return-of-the-living-dead-dvd-combo/

[dickieduvet]

The mpeg compression and lack of definition are obvious on the DVD shots, Still stand by my comments about the Blu-Ray being vastly superior. I view all my DVD and BD's on a 60" plasma and the difference is night & day.

[Matt89]

I'm not 100% sure how much I agree with the reviewer. Comparing it to A Nightmare on Elm Street isn't exactly fair. There is still a great possibility that Return of the Living Dead used lower-quality film stock. According to IMDb, Return cost 4 million and Nightmare cost 1.8 million. But that still doesn't mean that the film stock used was better. They also had more makeup artists working on Return than they did on Nightmare, so there goes a lot of the budget. Savage Streets, which also came out in 1984, cost 1.2 million to make, much closer to the budget of Nightmare, and the quality of its film stock is still much lower than that of Nightmare. Plus, a film such as Nightmare probably got better treatment over the years (with Craven by then having been a fairly well-established filmmaker).

It was a low-budget horror film shot on low-quality film stock. It's NEVER looked that good, even on DVD. Is that not a sign of the quality of the film stock itself?

~Matt

[ctyner]

It was a low-budget horror film shot on low-quality film stock. It's NEVER looked that good, even on DVD. Is that not a sign of the quality of the film stock itself?...but the DVDs (the 2007 release for certain; arguably the 2002 disc as well) were sourced from the same high-def master used here. If they were all based on different transfers, the trend might say something, but sharing the same source makes it difficult to draw any conclusions there.

Really, I'm not saying "Return of the Living Dead doesn't look as good as A Nightmare on Elm St., so it's wrong". Maybe I didn't connect these threads as well as I meant to, but my point was that I've seen a lot of people shrugging "it's old and low-budget, so of course it doesn't look that good". That's demonstrably incorrect. That's all I was trying to say there. Having seen just about every slice of '80s horror on Blu-ray that's out there, I would rank Return of the Living Dead very far towards the bottom. Even titles like The New York Ripper, which had to have been shot on the tiniest fraction of Return of the Living Dead's budget, eclipse this. It's in the same league as The Prowler and Friday the 13th 3D, but just about every other genre title from the '80s I could pull off my Blu-ray shelves look markedly superior.

I mean, take a movie that we all know looks (and was meant to look) rough-hewn on Blu-ray - Dead and Buried. Is it soft? Sure. Grainy? Absolutely. Still, I can very clearly discern the texture of the grain. There's a definition there that makes me feel confident that the presentation is taking as full advantage of HD as the film allows.

I don't get that with Return of the Living Dead. It doesn't look as if the grain has been filtered away, no, but outside of scenes in very low light, it's generally indistinct. Upon closer inspection, I could see the grain, but it's soft, thick, and clumped together. It's presented more like the way grain is rendered on DVD rather than a Blu-ray disc. It just looks to my eyes like a low resolution scan or that it was transferred from more distant generation elements.

I have no idea if this is true, but I read on one forum that Return of the Living Dead hasn't been retransferred since the original DVD in 2002. The 2007 DVD was reportedly retimed/reframed from that earlier transfer. If this is correct, then this Blu-ray disc is minted from a transfer from 8 or 9 years ago. That I have no trouble believing. It looks to my eyes like a dated transfer that was never meant to be anything more than "good enough for DVD". I mean, I get the impression that the transfer was done with DVD in mind, and having a high-def master they could offer to HD channels, save for future HD releases, etc. was a nice side benefit. As long as the presentation looked strong on DVD, that was good enough for MGM at the time. With so few HD outlets and displays being so much smaller/less revealing at the time, I just wouldn't think the evaluation would be as critical as it would be now. A lot of these older HD transfers look pretty lousy by current standards, and even with as much as Sony touted archiving everything in their library in HD back then, they've had to start retransferring at least a portion of them since they just don't hold up on Blu-ray. Warner's said that they've had to do the same for at least some of their HD releases, although the titles I know about there are the more massive marquee draws.

I also use a 60" plasma (a Pioneer Kuro Elite PRO-151FD, if you're curious). I agree that the Blu-ray disc looks quite a bit better, but in this case, I think that says more about the quality of the DVDs and less about this Blu-ray disc. The differences aren't as substantial as I wish they were. Definitely don't take all this as me saying "I'm right, and you're wrong", though: I'm just trying to make a semi-informed guess based on my experiences with the movie and similar titles on the format. For all I know, I'm way off-base. :) I don't have a way to confirm for certain one way or the other.

I don't think the Blu-ray disc is shameful or embarrassing, but it definitely strikes me as more mediocre than it probably ought to be.

[Grim]

here is a great review of the blu ray with comparisons to the old dvds, and it does not look too good. i agree with the reviewer, this blu ray should've been a lot better.
http://www.dvdtalk.com/reviews/45795/return-of-the-living-dead-dvd-combo/

I don't know what they're bitching about. I sat there clicking back and forth between the DVD screengrabs and the Blu-Ray screengrabs and there is a definite increase in clarity. Yeah, there is a good chance that the film could look better, but shit, the fact that we're getting a blu-ray release so quickly of a moderately successful zombie film from the mid-80's that took about a year of fans petitioning to even get MGM to consider releasing it on DVD is a miracle in itself. And at $10.50 a pop? We have nothing to complain about. The comparisons to A Nightmare on Elm St. aren't valid in my opinion. That is a film that created an exponentially more successful franchise and made New Line what it is today. Of course more time, money, and effort is going to be put into a release that will no doubt yield more profits. They probably hold that thing in some security vault like the first Terminator's CPU in T2.

Enough ranting, but needless to say, $10.50 for a decent upgrade over my DVD. I'm satisfied.

[ctyner]

Yeah, there is a good chance that the film could look better, but shit, the fact that we're getting a blu-ray release so quickly of a moderately successful zombie film from the mid-80's that took about a year of fans petitioning to even get MGM to consider releasing it on DVD is a miracle in itself.Well, the first release was successful enough to warrant a re-release on DVD in 2007, so I wouldn't consider it a miracle, exactly. As the horror titles in MGM's back catalog go, I'd think this is one of the more obvious titles to grab, really. I mean, obviously they have no shortage of amazing horror movies at their fingertips, but I think this is an easier sell on Blu-ray than much of the rest. How many other MGM horror movies were ever re-released as special editions on DVD?

IThe comparisons to A Nightmare on Elm St. aren't valid in my opinion. That is a film that created an exponentially more successful franchise and made New Line what it is today. Of course more time, money, and effort is going to be put into a release that will no doubt yield more profits....but you could substitute in virtually any other '80s genre flick and say the same thing. The New York Ripper and Vigilante blow Return of the Living Dead out of the water, for instance. The first two Friday the 13ths are worlds removed from this. Heck, The Evil Dead was shot on 16mm and eclipses this too.

I honestly think the primary difference is that these movies were retransferred in recent years, probably with Blu-ray (or, in the case of The Evil Dead, theatrical distribution) specifically in mind. Return of the Living Dead feels like microwaved leftovers from a different era.

And at $10.50 a pop?To be fair, the sticker price at Amazon was almost twice that when I wrote that review. :) I agree that at $10.50, it's a no-brainer.

[Grim]

Heck, The Evil Dead was shot on 16mm and eclipses this too.

The Evil Dead is a freak of nature, in my opinion. Ever since AB has been releasing it, that film has consistently looked better than half of the other horror films they have put out over the years. I don't know what it is, but that film looks way better than its budget should have allowed it to look. Great, now I want to watch it again. Thanks. :D

[SaxCatz]

Well this is probably the best the film is ever likely to look. Invasion was not a big glossy Hollywood production, and the film's cinematography is very much the reason the transfer looks the way it does. It has that 60s/70s "film noir" look...just in color. Taxi Driver looks much the same way. I don't think much was compressed here, as DVDbeaver has reported, this film is a whopping 37 GB. Very little, if any, compression for a blu-ray transfer.

~Matt

There are a few dark scenes with what appears to be either macro-blocking or a black crush/banding. I assumed that it was due to compression. Maybe someone else could take a look and let me know if they see the same things.
Like I said before, I thinks it is a pretty good transfer and am definitely pleased.

[SaxCatz]

The Evil Dead is a freak of nature, in my opinion. Ever since AB has been releasing it, that film has consistently looked better than half of the other horror films they have put out over the years. I don't know what it is, but that film looks way better than its budget should have allowed it to look. Great, now I want to watch it again. Thanks. :D

Yeah...
There's no way that Evil Dead should look as good as it does on Blu!
Black magic, I say;)

[Grim]

The one complaint I have about Invasion of the Body Snatchers is the audio. Maybe it's just my TV (Samsung 46" A650 LCD), but the dialog seemed so stinking low at some points. I had to crank my TV up another like 20 notches and then crank it back down when people were screaming or stuff was exploding. Maybe it's just a sign that I need a home theater system.

[Beastus]

Especially on Blu-ray, dialog may seem to mixed low when listening to TV speakers. Do you BD player have a dialog enhancer option? If so, you can turn that on.

[SaxCatz]

The one complaint I have about Invasion of the Body Snatchers is the audio. Maybe it's just my TV (Samsung 46" A650 LCD), but the dialog seemed so stinking low at some points. I had to crank my TV up another like 20 notches and then crank it back down when people were screaming or stuff was exploding. Maybe it's just a sign that I need a home theater system.

The mix was quiet in general on my surround setup (somewhat typical for DTS-HD MA) and required a bit of "cranking up" but I didn't feel that it was particularly misbalanced. I actually felt that it lacked a bit of dynamic range- there were no effects that really "leapt" out.

[Mutilated Prey]

https://lh5.googleusercontent.com/-bS9VnaMyKNo/TpjBXbC_PqI/AAAAAAAAAmY/29owbaExBLg/w240/1252075516_Invasion_of_the_Body_Snatchers.gif

[chrismac87]

THE RETURN OF THE LIVING DEAD is getting released on Blu Ray through Second Sight Films in the UK in 2012.

Here's a link to the artwork; http://secondsightfilms.co.uk/coming_soon.php?a=192

Specs have yet to be announced and according to the site, new features are being produced. Wonder if it's also going to be a new transfer or contain the original theatrical mix???

Guess we'll have to wait and see. Love the artwork though.

[Zombie Dude]

THE RETURN OF THE LIVING DEAD is getting released on Blu Ray through Second Sight Films in the UK in 2012.

Here's a link to the artwork; http://secondsightfilms.co.uk/coming_soon.php?a=192

Specs have yet to be announced and according to the site, new features are being produced. Wonder if it's also going to be a new transfer or contain the original theatrical mix???

Guess we'll have to wait and see. Love the artwork though.

About time this got released on blu outside of the US. Lets just hope it's not cut.

[wago70]

The one complaint I have about Invasion of the Body Snatchers is the audio. Maybe it's just my TV (Samsung 46" A650 LCD), but the dialog seemed so stinking low at some points. I had to crank my TV up another like 20 notches and then crank it back down when people were screaming or stuff was exploding. Maybe it's just a sign that I need a home theater system.

That is how it is with DVD in general for me.

[Demoni]

About time this got released on blu outside of the US. Lets just hope it's not cut.

Don´t know why you say that because this was never in the UK.

[Zombie Dude]

Don´t know why you say that because this was never in the UK.

Which is EXACTLY why I said it was about time. ;)

[Grim]

If this turns out to be a nice improvement over MGM's disc, which while satisfactory, wasn't anything fantastic, I'll be interested in getting it, unless it is region locked.