This Week's Column: DARK CRYSTAL in 4K

[AndyDursin]

Eagerly awaited DARK CRYSTAL remaster plus I TONYA, THREE BILLBOARDS, LADYBIRD and other new releases in this week's column:

https://andyfilm.com/2018/03/06/3-13-18 ... s-edition/

[Paul MacLean]

Eagerly awaited DARK CRYSTAL remaster plus I TONYA, THREE BILLBOARDS, LADYBIRD and other new releases in this week's column:

https://andyfilm.com/2018/03/06/3-13-18 ... s-edition/

The release of The Dark Crystal is a factor which is seriously pushing me towards upgrading to 4K disc. Unquestionably one of the most impressive-looking movies ever made, it was my total obsession when it was first released (I saw it at least four times in the cinema, and again when it was re-released a year later). I bought the novelization, the expensive (for me!) book The World of the Dark Crystal, The Making of The Dark Crystal, all the magazines with Dark Crystal articles (Starlog, Fantastic Films, Cinefantastique).

I even bought the Dark Crystal issue of American Cinematographer, which featured an extensive article by Oswald Morris himself. Even though I didn't really understand a lot of the technical jargon he used, I caught on quickly, and this article really spurred my interest in cinematography and production in general.

Trevor Jones' score sits in the pantheon of great fantasy scores, right up with Krull, Legend and Clash of the Titans. The LP was also a lavish affair, with beautiful art direction and an folded insert with a poster on one side and extensive liner notes on the other. It remains one of my all-time favorite scores, and I rate it the finest score of 1982 -- sorry E.T.! ¯\_(ツ)_/¯

[AndyDursin]

BRAVEHEART is coming to 4k along with GLADIATOR and THE PATRIOT in May so finally some good titles looming for the format maybe that will be your tipping point Paul!

[Monterey Jack]

Does the new Blu-Ray offer any sort of visual upgrade, or is it a worthless double-dip unless you buy the 4K disc?

[AndyDursin]

It is a new transfer and has that one additional featurette on it. I checked it out in comparison with the 4K and it held its own but I don't have the older BD around to compare it with specifically.

[KevinEK]

As I understand it, the new Blu-ray for The Dark Crystal is a downrez from the 4K transfer. The existing Blu is already quite good.
I have the review copy also, so I'll check to see if on a 65" screen, I can see anything appreciably different.
My instincts say that both transfers will be comparably good.

The new Blu-ray of course has the new 10 minute featurette, with the updated interviews.

[AndyDursin]

I'm guessing the older BD is perfectly fine too Kevin -- I certainly remember it being quite excellent -- though I've seen a few forum people say some audio "glitches" were corrected on this new release. They're of the sort where you'd have to be a die-hard to notice them (a little dialogue here or there, apparently).

It'd be nice if someday they really pay tribute to Henson and release the full-length workprint (which has circulated around in B&W form) with the Skesis language and before the movie was heavily redubbed (and "dumbed down") for the theatrical release...they give you just a small taste of it with that workprint scene but there's a copy of the whole thing out there, with some alternate music cues and a few brief unused scenes too.

[KevinEK]

I remember the footage of the full Skesis version of the movie. I'm tending to doubt that Sony will put that out, even as a bonus feature, simply because they believe that just staying with the excerpt on the existing disc is enough Skeksis language for everyone...

I have both Blus at home to compare the PQ and AQ. I agree that it's going to come down to a level of detail that would require someone with Paul's dedication to the movie. I'm fairly sure that in the overall, the earlier Blu is perfectly fine. The new Blu will just have a fresher 4K transfer.

(When it comes to the really small details, those can turn into a giant rabbit hole. When I reviewed Universal's Blu of JAWS, six years ago, there was a whole kerfuffle over whether the revised sound mix had deliberately downplayed Brody's final line of "Smile you sonofab...") by muffling the last syllable. There was a further kerfuffle over whether the mono mix on the disc was really the original mono, as that same word sounded muffled there too. I wound up getting access to four different laserdisc versions of the movie, and repeatedly playing that 30 second sequence on all of them to check, as well as running a check on the 30th Anniversary DVD's mix. Two hours of this later, the best to be confirmed was that the line is a little clearer on some discs than on others. But nothing to the point of anyone thinking that the line had deliberately been stepped on. And if we're spending 2 hours on that, we're really losing sight of the fun of the movie. Although it did remind me that the earlier laserdiscs and VHS tapes of JAWS actually had a note about some music being changed, as they'd replaced an Olivia Newton John song that had been heard on the radio on the beach in an early scene. Meaning that everyone pining for the "better, more faithful" versions of these movies from the earlier laserdiscs and VHS tapes has forgotten that those usually had replaced music as well as being pan&scan versions...)

[BobaMike]

Question about the Dark Crystal. I haven't seen it in years, and barely remember it. My almost 6 year old has been a huge muppet kick lately- watching all 5 seasons of the original show and enjoying the 3 original movies- would Dark Crystal be too intense,/ not enjoyable for a kindergartner?

Also, in your review of Texas Chainsaw Massacre, your use of "TCM aficionados" threw me for a second. I was thinking how unlikely Turner Classic Movies would EVER play Texas Chainsaw Massacre!

[AndyDursin]

Question about the Dark Crystal. I haven't seen it in years, and barely remember it. My almost 6 year old has been a huge muppet kick lately- watching all 5 seasons of the original show and enjoying the 3 original movies- would Dark Crystal be too intense,/ not enjoyable for a kindergartner?

Also, in your review of Texas Chainsaw Massacre, your use of "TCM aficionados" threw me for a second. I was thinking how unlikely Turner Classic Movies would EVER play Texas Chainsaw Massacre!

LOL I just noticed that too...incredibly, I'm pretty sure I did see it aired on Turner Classic once, around Halloween!

I'm not sure about THE DARK CRYSTAL for a kindergartner. I'd probably say "no" though it may depend on the child. I remember seeing it when I was 8 and I wasn't scared, but I think that age group, early grade-school, is probably the audience that would most appreciate it. Some of the characters are scary, a few of them die, and the intensity may be too much for little kids. If you give it a look, let me know how it turns out!

You might want to consider checking out LABYRINTH first -- that's probably more suited for little kids, it's not as intense or scary (and certainly is more lighthearted and upbeat). It's also not as good but I'd imagine a young Muppet fan would still get a kick out out of it!

Thanks for the tip on THE MUPPET SHOW too. We tried showing Theo a taste of it but he's just turning 4 and doesn't seem into it yet. We'll give that another shot in a year or two when he'll get more out of it.

[Paul MacLean]

I'm not sure about THE DARK CRYSTAL for a kindergartner.

In one scene, a character is stabbed to death with a dagger, while in another scene a village of friendly peasants is raided by a heard of giant beetles. Those same bugs later attack and kill a friendly animal. There's also a kind of "torture" scene, where a little peasant has its brain emptied and its "life essence" distilled into an elixir by the villains -- who promptly drink it. I think this movie is okay for 9-year-olds (perhaps even 8-year-olds) but it is definitely not a "muppet movie"!

[AndyDursin]

I'm not sure about THE DARK CRYSTAL for a kindergartner.

In one scene, a character is stabbed to death with a dagger, while in another scene a village of friendly peasants is raided by a heard of giant beetles. Those same bugs later attack and kill a friendly animal. There's also a kind of "torture" scene, where a little peasant has its brain emptied and its "life essence" distilled into an elixir by the villains -- who promptly drink it. I think this movie is okay for 9-year-olds (perhaps even 8-year-olds) but it is definitely not a "muppet movie"!

Good call Paul, I forgot about those!! I reread John's post, and definitely, it's NOT a Muppet project. I still think you're good checking out LABYRINTH though at that age (or maybe a little above).

[Monterey Jack]

You might want to consider checking out LABYRINTH first -- that's probably more suited for little kids, it's not as intense or scary (and certainly is more lighthearted and upbeat). It's also not as good but I'd imagine a young Muppet fan would still get a kick out out of it!

But Jennifer Connelly might be too much for kids' tender minds.

[KevinEK]

I've just posted my review of the Blu-ray downrez of the 4K Dark Crystal at HTF.

I can say, in looking at both transfers, that the new Blu is a better transfer - it's a bit darker but it feels more natural. There's a bit more grain to it, but that helps in the area where you don't want the puppets onscreen to feel like manipulated fabric items rather than characters.

The Blu-ray disc is mostly identical to the prior Blu-ray, including its use of the prior menu screens. The only really new item is the added featurette with new material with Lisa Henson. They also have a couple of image galleries and HD transfers of the old trailers for the movie. The new Blu also jettisons a couple of Blu-ray function and game function ideas that really aren't needed. The other materials, including the great 1983 documentary on the movie and a host of other offerings, continue to be a gold mine of material about Henson and Oz' movie.

I frankly prefer the new Blu to the old one.

[AndyDursin]

Good to know. Interesting with GROUNDHOG DAY, which also just made it to 4K, Sony didn't use the "Mastered in 4K" Blu-Ray they released in Japan, and just re-used the same Blu-Ray in their combo pack. Though, the latter had all the extra features on it (none of them were on the Mastered in 4K release), so perhaps that was the reason for that decision.