LAST ACTION HERO 4K UHD Review + THE DEEP Blu-ray
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- เผยแพร่เมื่อ 26 ส.ค. 2024
- The recent 4K release of John McTiernan's 1993 action adventure starring Arnold Schwarzenegger is reviewed and includes its home movie history on Super 8 and LaserDisc. Also included in this video is a look at the Blu-ray of the 1977 Peter Yates film The Deep based on Peter Benchley's best seller. This is a 101 Films release and comes with a mini copy of Cinema Retro magazine featuring their Film In Focus retrospective of the film.
- ภาพยนตร์และแอนิเมชัน
These reviews continue to be the best 4k UHD reviews on TH-cam. The amount of research and work is impressive and appreciated!
Thank you as always. It's actually rather good fun looking back at some of these great releases from the past. Even more so when the original 35mm films looked so good because I know that means the new transfers are going to result in a fabulous quality disc. John.
I watched this in the cinema with my Dad back in 93. I think everyone (like us) was a little shocked that the entire movie was "a joke" and not a genuine action movie. Might have been a bit ahead of its time.
I think that was a major part of the problem. Now we all know it's a bit of a mickey take out of Arnold's movies we're able to enjoy it for what it is. John.
Your positive vibe always makes your videos worth watching, John. Thanks for another great one. Hyped for your take on Apocalypse Now, which is one of my favorites.
Apocalypse Now is one of the three great cinematic works of art in my opinion. The 4K disc is just like the film print I saw in 1979 but it's that pesky 'Final Cut' version. So guess what I've gone and done since purchasing the 3 disc set??? Yes, I've ordered the six disc set so I can see the original and best version of the film in the same quality. Amazing how they've got such a transfer from what I believe was just a 4K scan. Jaws was understandable because it was a 6K scan but this is up there with it. John.
I only saw "Last Action Hero" for the first time 3 months ago via streaming and was surprised how, fun, clever and different it was (who would have imagined a character from Ingmar Bergman's "7th Seal" would make an appearance in an Arnie actioner?!). Great review and a must own disc now.. also "The Deep", another nostalgic must have. Thank you John!! Michael - SA (you really are teasing us with "Apocalypse Now" - can't wait).
Thank you Michael. Last Action Hero was always a better film than was realized and perhaps now it will start to get some recognition. The Deep is another film that seems to be better now than it ever was and that Cinema Retro mini-magazine rather sets the scene and what made me want to revisit it again (although I kept forgetting to buy the damned disc!). As for Apocalypse Now - stunning... absolutely stunning. Better than the Jaws 4K.
John.
I never understood the hate some people throw at Last Action Hero. I have always loved it.
Arnold needs to make a real jack slater movie
I think people didn't want to see Arnie teamed with a kid.
@@ThreadBomb I never understood the hate for the kid....it wouldn't have worked if he was an adult
I think most people will see the young Austin O'Brien's performance today and look past his flailing arms in almost every scene to see a competent and comedic performance. I never used to think much of him but now I think he's great. John.
@@moviecollector5920 I loved the fact that Danny comes to the point where he realises he's the comic relief, in a film where everyone delivers classic one-liners.
It grossed $137m but studios only get about 55% of that.
Also it had a huge marketing campaign for the time probably costing around $40-50m taking its overall spend to well over $100m.
Good point. I bet it's made a fortune by now though thanks to all the VHS, DVD and video on demand sales. John.
"I knew this 4k was going to be a good one, because the pal laserdisc was so good. The original was two times squeeze anamorphic 35 millimeter and it must have been very fine grain negative stock" - John
Me, Blowing bubbles out of my soap pipe "hmm yes, I know some of those words". Bubbles continue to rise and pop as i speak.
Great channel, every video is incredibly detailed.
Thank you Kyle. If I'd have reviewed Backdraft I could have said the exact same words but alas, I haven't purchased Backdraft on 4K yet. But I know it's going to be a good one because of the PAL LaserDisc. John.
Love this movie. Great Channel you have here. Fan from the United States.
Thank you Casey. Good to have you here. John.
It's sad that Last Action Hero still is such an underrated film but I think it's a fun to watch and has always enjoyed it :) I think the main reason why didn't do well back in 1993 was because people didn't expect an action parody after the successful Terminator 2.
T2 could have something to do with it. Good thinking mirvmn2. John.
@@moviecollector5920 I also enjoy The Deep and Nick Nolte is great in this film so I definitely have to watch it again soon. Nolte is one of my favorite actors and here's a few movies I like Who'll stop the train (1978), 48 hrs (1982), Thatchers (1984), Extreme Prejudice (1987), Three Fugitives (1989), Farwell to the king (1989), Q&A (1990), Cape Fear (1991), The Prince of tides (1991), I love trouble (1994), U turn (1997), The Good Thief (2002)
@@mirvmn2 He has made some terrific films. I like 48 Hours the best. I like the sequel too but I realize it doesn't come up to the standard of the first film. John.
Apocalypse Now is the best looking and sounding 4K I have ever seen, so looking foreward to your video :-)
It is amazing considering it's a 35mm. It may be as good as Jaws which was a 6K scan so I really need to take a closer look at them both together. But there are better 4K discs out there - those that originated or larger film formats such as VistaVision, Technirama, 65mm and genuine 70mm IMAX. But it's the colours that make Apocalypse Now. It looks just like it did in the cinemas back in 1979. John.
That's a big statement! I have the blu ray so I'll be picking up the 4k then.
2001? The Shining? Blade Runner? Alien? Vertigo? NOT saying any of these are better; just loving that we can be having this discussion in 2021; great films finally looking as good as they possibly can; and for our homes to enjoy!
My family loves this channel, it’s such a treasure. Thank you for all of your efforts and the great history you give us with each review.
I have always loved this movie! Maybe people weren’t ready for an Arnie action parody? Can’t wait to add it to the 4K collection.Thanks for the review, John!
It's a much better film than we all realized at the time. I think we can all appreciate it much more all these years later, particularly Arnie's self-depracating performance. John.
Wholeheartedly agree, the price we pay for the quality of movie we get is great.
Thank you Emmet. John.
I believe the last time I saw this movie was on VHS many years ago. Thanks for the review. I agree, sometimes the quality of a good 4K disc on a calibrated system is better than the theaters around here. I'm getting a lot more picky what I'll go out for because the quality at home is so good.
Nothing beats blowing a film up onto an enormous screen though. I only go to see movies shot on film that I know are being projected on film in a cinema and that usually means the London premiere houses these days. The BFI IMAX can get me down though because every time I come out of there after seeing and hearing a genuine IMAX it's almost depressing because I know I''ll never come close to that sort of quality at home. No one will. John.
The movie was ahead of its time. Hollywood hadn’t milked the action genre dry at this time so the jokes are even more funny now then they were back then.
That may explain why it plays even better now than it did in 1993. John.
Thanking you again John another one of my classics!
Judging by the comments on here Danek there are quite a lot of us out there who love this film. John.
@@moviecollector5920 It's just a real fun movie!
Thanks for this great review John. It really is good watching all your reviews I'm just getting into 4K now so keep up the great work.
I hope to get the latest review up this evening Tom but beware because there will be four or five 4K discs reviewed in it and at least three of them are going to be worth purchasing so might be best not to watch otherwise you'll end up skint! John.
Count me as someone who waited many years to finally watch, pretty much on impulse, Last Action Hero via Netflix. I was indeed pleasantly surprised. It may not be a classic but it certainly is entertaining. If a movie brings a smile to your face on several occasions then how can you not give it a thumbs up?
I think it's one of those films that has improved with age. We appreciate the Arnie films of the period much more now than we did and to see him take the micheal out of himself with such good humour is priceless. Years ago young Austin O'Brien's constant waving his arms about got on my nerves but now I concentrate on the rest of his performance and I think he's great in the role of Danny. A genuinely funny film that really does entertain from beginning to end. And the 4K disc is great too so what a treat! John.
There is a book called “Hit and Run” that details the drama surrounding this film. They were editing it literally up to the very last minute and refused to push it back to avoid opening so close to Jurassic Park - that film played a big part in killing this one.
…but even if they did push it back further from JP’s release, it wouldn’t have made a difference with that movie being as big as it was
@@dirtydurdensoap I totally agree. It was a monumental mistake by somebody put this film out around the time of JP's release.
I expect it had to go out when it did because so much money was invested in it. The quickfire video format releases would have ensured it more than recovered its costs surely? If we could see the total gross figure from all incomes by now it's probably made the studio a fortune. John.
@@moviecollector5920 A quickfire release only takes place usually, from what I know, when movie has not made as much money on release domestically in the US, probably at least three times the amount it cost to make the movie and the related advertising costs. I think JP achieved this in the US before worldwide release. Maybe someone else knows different?
Just bought Last Action Hero on 4K and The Deep on Blu-Ray (with the mini mag). You can call yourself an influencer now John!😀👍
I'm an influencer! John.
Surprised they included all those features and options on the 4K disc. Glad Sony is increasing quality
The extras don't take up a lot of space so I suppose there was plenty of room for them. As for Sony improving quality, it usually comes down to the material at the starting point. This film always looked fabulous so they were onto a winner from the start. 1993 was a fine vintage for negative stock! John.
I wish Columbia had promoted this as a meta-comedy that winked at its audience constantly. Instead they pushed it as a serious action movie, and average movie goers didn’t get what they expected and then word of mouth got bad. Thanks for reviewing this, and letting us know it looks fabulous and is worth a watch. It is nice to have recommendations from someone who understands CINEMA. ✌️❤️👍
If that teaser trailer hadn't have been doing the rounds for so long I feel sure that I'd have gone to see it. The theatrical trailer by contrast is excellent but by then the damage had been done. A lot of people on here have cited Jurassic Park as a reason for its perceived failure and I'm sure the had a bearing. I think I prefer Last Action Hero though even though I have Jurassic Park full length on Super 8. Whatever, Last Action Hero was a great looking film on 35mm and that is why this transfer looks as good as it does. It's not 70mm quality but it's exceptionally good 35mm quality. John.
On its original theatrical run I didn’t like it at all..however fast forward to now and I bought it on 4K last week and loved it, really fun movie with a great 4K transfer with excellent Dolby atmos sound...hope we get running man soon as that’s a guilty pleasure for me.
Yes need running man uhd
I too am a big fan of The Running Man. Directed by Paul Michael Glaser after the original director was let go early on. John.
Another great review John, acted on your recommendation and purchased it today, excellent picture quality, doesn't seem to bright, I loved it in the cinema back in the day, underrated Arnie classic, hoping they'll release John McTiernan's Die Hard with a Vengeance on 4K some day.
Die Hard With A Vengeance... now there's another underrated action movie. I saw it at the Odeon Marble Arch and thought it was pretty terrific. Shortly afterwards it was released full length on Super 8 by Derann Film Services and I got the review print. I can't recall if I did the actual review of that one as I think that was before I'd become trusted enough to write something up, but I did end up with the review print and that's the important part. I need to give that another run soon.
Last Action Hero is one of Arnie's best as far as I'm concerned James. Nothing is ever going to top The Terminator but I think Last Action Hero is a classic and deserved to do much better than it did.
John.
@@moviecollector5920 Along with Last Action Hero I also purchased Basic Instinct 4K, it's exceptional.
@@jamessiddle7389 I don't think anyone will argue with you there James.
Your cut off after explaining the trailer onto the plot was 👍
Thank you Andy. John.
Underrated Gem! Great video as always! I miss great poster art. Never seen the Deep. May need to check it out.
I think Last Action Hero is a much better film than it was ever given credit for. Perhaps its day is due now. The Deep isn't going to blow your socks off, it's just a good film with good locations, good photography, great acting from a great cast and a wonderful score. And you get a Cinema Retro miniature to boot! John.
@@moviecollector5920 Music is a huge part of the movie experience. I do love a good score!
I saw LAH on release in 70mm at Odeon Leicester in London. The quality of image and sound was spectacular. However, the cinema was only about 30 percent full on an evening show, so it was obvious it wasn't going to make the intended profits. Yes indeed, silly concept but spectacular & funny.
And I should have been there with you Ian. Fancy missing this in 70mm. I need to kick myself in the backside. John.
Another Arnie classic.. This movie has it all, well casted and alot of fun... Will add to my list to buy, looks like they finally did justice to it with the picture and the audio! John I absolutely love your LD, I have about 50 LD's but not this one.. I have True Lies dts LD... LD's covers /jackets were unbeatable and beautiful to display!
Greetings Gilbert. I think LaserDisc is still worth collecting today even if you're unlikely to ever run some of them ever again. Some of the gatefold covers we got with the double discs were beautiful and Last Action Hero is one of them. John.
One of my favourite Arnie films and probably the only one I saw at the cinema, mainly due to Megadeth being on the soundtrack. Top review and top film! Thanks once again!
The soundtrack is great but I didn't want to give away any heavy metal past I may have had... Tygers of Pan Tang being at the top of the list of course! John.
Dear John. The film was a satire on its own genre, which did not appeal to many, but I also enjoyed it although on a VHS cassette, which I still have. You should also do a review of John Wick 1 - 3 as a tribute to great action movies of the 1980´s and 1990´s.
Funnily enough Thomas I haven't seen any of the John Wick films although I do like Keanu Reeves so I expect to get to them one day. John.
Loving the frequent videos John. Keep up the great work!
Thank you Darren. It's just lucky at the moment that I'm not getting so regularly disturbed and having loads of other jobs landing in my lap. It's nice to have the time for a change. John.
Great point about how amazing it is to have these films available at such great quality for such a low price. We couldn’t have dreamed of these days of 4K and giant HDTVs back when we were paying nearly $100 per vhs film to watch them in low quality on 19” crts in pan and scan. 👍
Thank you Brian. I know some enthusiasts complain about some of the discs but my opinion is that some may not be quite as perfect as they could be, but look how little we're paying for them! John.
Another great video, I always like your presentation. Thank you for sharing
Thank you Eaglestrikes. Glad you liked it. John.
Last Action Hero is one of those misunderstood and underrated gems, I’m surprised that a studio spent the money on cleaning it up for a 4k release given how poorly it was received. I do think there was the option to have made it a far more surreal movie with some more options more readily used nowadays - would have been a good movie to have different aspect ratios for the real world and movie world, and while Michael Kamen’s score is great, hiring 2 composers to score the real world and the movie world respectively with different sounding scores would have created a weird surreal effect given how much music works on a subconscious level. I count it among movies that are too clever for some of the general audience that don’t see many movies because it’s self-aware of the ridiculousness of Hollywood action movies, like Tropic Thunder it pokes fun at behind the camera, and if you’re not so well versed in a lot of movies you’ll miss a lot of visual gags and references in this type of movie especially, it’s a very niche sub-genre.
As for The Deep, it’s one I haven’t seen for a long time though I have to admit not one that stands out to my memory. Your comment about them actually filming deep underwater makes me want to mention The Abyss agin, as we’ve discussed before - I’m not sure if you have seen it, but the documentary about the making of the Abyss (which is on the 2 disc dvd release - and hopefully if we ever get a blu ray or 4k upgrade they will include it too) which shows just how practically and extensive the making of that movie was, it’s like Cameron saw The Deep and thought ‘I can do this on steroids!’.
I think the alternating aspect ratios in a film have only taken off in the past 15 years or so since a few films had genuine 70mm IMAX sequences. Prior to this they've been rare and a bit of a cods up when they have given them a try.
The Abyss is among my favourite films but it was all done in a tank. The Deep went out into the sea and seriously risked the lives of people involved. Anything underwater on film is a risk but The Deep may be the one that was on steroids in that regard. I can't quite believe some of the things they risked in that film. The Blu-ray has an impressive 'Making of' documentary on it just like 'Under Pressure' on The Abyss disc releases. I first saw that when the LaserDisc came out which would have been about 1993 but I already had the complete film in 'Scope on Super 8. It wasn't a true anamorphic production as it was shot Super 35 but it transposed very well onto the Super 8 'Scope frame. Quite an impressive print actually and as it hasn't been released on Blu-ray or 4K it's still currently the ultimate home movie iteration of the film. John.
Another great review. I was not a huge fan when the film came out, but maybe give it another shot.
I hope you review My Fair Lady soon. Been hearing that it could be the best 4k thus far. I get it today and will see. The older films really seem to do well.
My Fair Lady should be one of the best so far and that's because it was a 65mm film. Any reviewer who doesn't cover that fact doesn't know enough about their subject so I would expect everyone is shouting "70mm" from the rooftops when detailing the new 4K disc. I tend not to watch anyone else now because I don't want to risk being influenced so I'll try to stay away from all My Fair Lady talk and reviews just in case I get to do a review sometime soon. I don't usually like musicals but that one's a bit different. John.
Movie Collette.......
Sadly no magic CINEMA Ticket in our UHD Set another great review of yours Sir can't wait for your Apocalypse Now 4K review
And can you believe that Apocalypse Now may be delayed yet again?!? It's a long story but young Leon at Leon Talks Film has had a bit of a trying time lately and I want him to cover the six disc set so there is a variety of material out there. It's got to be the best 35mm transfer I've ever seen. John.
Thanks for the video John. A new Movie Collector upload is always welcome. I've never seen Last Action Hero but will have to have a look now. The Deep for me is one of those fondly remembered theatre experiences of my youth. The locale, the underwater scenes and I seem to vaguely recall Bissett's swimsuit as well. lol Your presentation style deserves kudos. There are similarly themed shows out there with kind of loud and abrasive presenters that can be a little hard to take. Keep up the good work.
Agreed: the calm, reasonable, intelligent approach is underrated
I'm just being myself in these videos so I'm glad some people like what I'm doing. Thank you. As for Jacqueline Bissett's swimsuit I was wondering if you was the start of the wet tee shirt craze. She certainly was beautiful to behold in The Deep. John.
£7.99 now on HMV but still a steel at that price, great review again John and considering I recently watched this film (again) and enjoyed it I think I will be picking this up on Blu Ray :)
I was happy enough with the LaserDisc Carl but the 4K is akin to owning a copy of it on film so even though the LD is a treasure, the 4K is something else again.
@@moviecollector5920 Cheers John, Its been a while since I had it on VHS but I loved the film, its had its critics but its a guilty pleasure of mine. Regards Carl.
I read a great piece in Empire magazine a few years ago about the making of Last Action Hero. The original screenplay was much more adult closer to a shane black script but got watered down after each subsequent rewrite. They thought it was going to be a huge hit as their only competition was ''some Dinosaur movie'' Steven Spielberg was making.
I think Jurassic Park is probably the better film but I may actually prefer Last Action Hero. I just wish I'd seen the 70mm print at the Odeon... what an idiot to miss that. I saw Jurassic Park at The Empire and didn't like it much at the time but the T Rex and Velociraptor sequences made it worthwhile and something special. I have Jurassic Park on Super 8 and have grown to love it over the years as a result - even Laura Dern's character no longer drives me up the wall... nor the young girl either but at the time they both drove me to distraction. Funny how things can turn out cos' here we are 28 years down the line and I consider both films to be classics. Best film of 1993 though... Cliffhanger.
John.
Another fab review. I've ordered the Zavvi 4k steelbook of LAH which has the original iconic poster art on the front. As for The Deep, I was very disappointed with the 101 films release. Transfer itself is fine but the encoding on the 101 Films disc is horrendous. Most of the underwater scenes are full of macroblocking especially scenes that envolve the use of flashlights. 101 are notorious for badly encoded discs with poor compression. This ruins a disc for me and makes me not want to watch again. I like my movies on disc to look as organic as possible.
I didn't notice any digital blocking on The Deep. I shall have to take a more serious look next time but it could be because I have all video equipment set up to look like film so having it all darker than most people would means such things are so visible. It might be worth you experimenting with brightness and contrast to see if you can get the image to hide some of these artifacts. I know some people are seeing excessive film grain because their televisions are too bright so it's worth a try. John.
I got that aswell The Deep loved it as i did back in 1977 at the cinema. I saw The Last Action Hero at the Empire i think in London back 1993.i realy enjoyed it and Predator 1987 .
I think both The Deep and Last Action Hero have improved with age. Predator was brilliant from day one and it's one of the best ever Super 8 prints. John.
I love this film. I love John McTiernan's style. I remember this being up against Jurassic Park in 93, and seeing promotional photos of Arnold on the set of LAH, laughing at a statue of a dinosaur. Certainly wasn't laughing when the box-office tallies came in.
Thanks for the video.
I think I prefer it to Jurassic Park but Jurassic Park did have two very good sequences in it that made it the film it is. John.
Thanks for another upload. Great video John.
Thank you as always Lee. John.
I saw this in the cinema & thought it was good fun.. But have never watched it since may have to check it again..
Oh, it's a much better film than it was ever given credit for and today, it probably plays better than it ever did. John.
hi good Review, i love Arnold Schwarzenegger Movies, i have seen all his movies, and the Last Action Hero is a ok movie , hope more of his films come on 4k.
4 example True Lies, Eraser, Collateral Damage.
thanks 4 the Review, see your in the next video.
Regards Johnny.
Thank you Johnny. I think Last Action Hero is a better film than it was given credit for. John.
@@moviecollector5920 absolutely🙂
Hi John as it's by the same director, I thought I'd recommend the 4K disc of 1987's Predator. I watched it last night and thought it was excellent. It's never looked better and yep, it's still one hell of a movie
Predator was one of the best all-time Super 8 prints Ian so I probably won't buy a 4K disc until I see one singing like a bird - cheap, cheap - and then I'll probably only ever run it the once as nothing can supplant the magic of a film print. It's about time there was a decent copy of Predator on video so I'm glad to know they've finally got there.
John.
I have to admit that I did thoroughly enjoy(ed) your review; you review elegantly and intelligently. What I enjoy regarding your review(s): it is different from other reviews. You present your reviews with in-depth and insight, very informative, clearly, slowly, in a quiet reserved tone, and I will admit: probably the BEST review-reviewer overall, on youtube. I plan on watching all your reviews from now on; the other reviewers are boisterous, too loud, too fast, etc. By the way, I have been to your country three times (first with best friend in 1986 and with second wife in 1996 and in 1991 with my father which was a 1-DAY 24-hour TRIP there and back to New York in first class!), I loved it. I own 945 laserdiscs. But not this one though. I own over 22,000 movies on dvd and bluray. I met Martin Sheen from APOCALYSE NOW and met F Murray Abraham from LAST ACTION and AMADEUS; BOTH very good men, both very friendly, jovial. At the airport (JFK), Asked Sheen for autograph and he said he would if I could show him where the rental car-taxicab phones were, and then he gave me an autograph; F Murray Abraham I met also at the airport (LAX), and when a woman took our photo, this is before digital cameras, as it was in the mid-1980s, when saw picture when developed, she took the photo of us from our noses and down! NO EYES! one year afterwards, when I actually attended the real academy award ceremony, at the Dorothy Chandelier Pavilion in downtown Los Anegeles, I met F Murray Abraham again...AND HE REMEMBERED ME FROM 1 YEAR PRiOR!, AND WHEN i EXPLAINED TO HIM ABOUT the situation regarding THE PHOTO of us which the female had taken, HE LAUGHED. Anyway, keep up the great work. I do plan on purchasing the 4K of "last action hero", even though I already own the dvd, as this edition is not only in 4k BUT also the sound is in ATMOS! Looking forward to more of your reviews. Take care, bye for now.
Martin Sheen always seems like such a nice man and I think I'd rather enjoy a chat with him over a cup of tea and a biccie.
It's wonderful that you've visited England a few times. I think we were at our peak during the mid-1990s in many respects but we'll get up there again now we have our independence. There are a few problems to sort out right now but it looks like we're coming out of the Covid-19 pandemic with an explosion of growth across all sectors although I'm sure there will be some hiccups along the way.
I think you'll find the sound on Last Action Hero is good through anything - even a length of string and a tin can as it really is terrific. And I think the image quality may be among the best of the 35mm film transfers we've seen so far. I had a look at Jaws again last night to compare it to Apocalypse Now and it's likely that Last Action Hero is up there, or perhaps even better, than Jaws. So let me know what you think when you get a look.
Next review may well be The Matrix which a little underwhelming for a 4K disc but it's how it looked in the cinema so it wasn't too much of a disappointment.
John.
Haven't seen last action hero, but may buy a copy. Look forward to your review on apocalypse now that's a fantastic film.
Last Action Hero has aged well Stephen so I suspect even people who didn't much care for it in 1993 will really enjoy it now. John.
I really enjoy these videos of yours, brilliant stuff.
Thank you Timothy. I find it rather easy to talk about films and the videos seem to have worked quite well as a result. John.
@@moviecollector5920 will you review My Fair Lady 4k?
Great video! I got the disc last week and thoroughly enjoyed this Arnold classic. I’m glad you enjoyed the disc as well!
I always thought very highly of this underrated film. The Summer of 1993 was packed out with action blockbusters and I think people were a little tired by the time this one was finally released. If the teaser trailer hadn't have been run to death everywhere I thinkit would have been a massive hit.
John.
Great movie. Fortunately I did see it in the movie theater. This is exactly the silly stuff we film buffs love. The idea wasn't new. It was also the base of Woody Allen's The Purple Rose of Cairo. I love a movie about being inside a movie and the movie coming outside. Very meta. Oh and IMHO real film prints are not just about the quality. They are real treasures made of thousands of gorgeous images as silky as oil paintings. Thank you for making these videos.
That's a good summary of why film is so special. The fact that it's tangible and it needs to be cared for and preserved makes it a true hobby rather than a pastime.
John.
Last 2 uploads have been your usual excellent high standard,thoroughly enjoyed both.
I had actually forgotten about The Deep,so looks like thats on my next shopping list.
Great videos and insightful content,looking forward to your Apocalypse Now upload soon.
Keep up the great work, kind regards to you both John
Thank you John. Apocalypse Now is about as good as Jaws on 4K. I don't really know how that's been achieved yet as I believe it was only a 4K scan whereas Jaws was 6K. John.
I love the movie in 4K. Did you happen to notice the audio was a bit off when Jack plays chicken w Benedict in the alley? The crash audio kicks in 2 seconds early. I noticed on the 4K but the Blu-ray didn’t have the issue.
No, I didn't notice that. I do find I concentrate on all sorts of things when reviewing a film so it is possible to miss something that would otherwise be obvious. I'd have to check it all against the laser disc which of course was a transfer from a print so more likely to be correct. John.
Love, love this film!!! Glad to hear the 4k blu ray is up to scratch. Will have to add it to my collection. 😊
It hasn't looked this good since the 35mm prints were doing the rounds. And the 70mm prints too for that matter. John.
I've seen Last Action Hero in the cinema and since then never again. But after your review I feel the urge to watch it again in 4K. 😉 Nice to hear Apocalypse Now will be one of your next reviews. Love this movie so much. Greetings from Germany
Greetings from Cornwall in England. Yes, Last Action Hero deserves another watch and I think you'll find it plays better now than it ever did. It's improved with age... just like me! John.
Interesting you say that some 4K discs now outperform their original 35mm projections. I’ve wondered if/when digital would surpass film. Looks like we might be there.
Not quite there Kamandi but a scan of the original negative does put us in premiere print territory because that's the only time the negative was used to strike prints. Biggest usage for an original 35mm camera negative was for 70mm blow-up prints. For mass production of general prints the internegative was used and that was three generatations down but had all the grading applied. And that is why some 4K discs look slightly different to what we've seen before because the colour and all other grading has to be done from scratch. John.
I was day 1 for this myself great movie and transfer. While i remember, im sure you mentioned on another video you are a big John Carpenter's The Thing fan, in another video you showed the japanese hmv steelbook. The arrow 4k restoration is miles better in every way to that Universal disc from a decade ago now thats in that steelbook. im sure you would really appreciate the arrow release and it goes for £10 nowadays.
Keep up the great informative content and ill look forward to your next video.
I was actually holding out for a 4K of The Thing but I couldn't resist the steelbook when it was in an email special offer from HMV. it's not the best Blu-ray by a long shot but it's pretty good. I would have already purchased the Arrow 4K were it not for the expected imminent arrival of a 4K... but I don't know for sure that it's coming out. The problem is that I know the film so well I could probably recite the script so any purchase of The Thing on any format is a bit of a waste of money for me really. I was happy with the LaserDisc but I do wish it had have had a full length Super 8 release. Now that would have been very special. John.
@@moviecollector5920 fingers crossed for the much awaited proper uhd blu release 🤞
Best 4k reviewer on TH-cam !!!
Kind of you to say so Aidey. Thank you. John.
Another very informative review, John.
It's a fun film Uncle Cliff so if you get a chance to see it, it will give you a good laugh. And we could all do with that right now. John.
Another great video! Keep them coming!
Maybe I can finally get onto Apocalypse Now next! John.
Great review John....I only watched this on Netflix the other night and enjoyed it with a few snacks......il pick up the 4k when the price drops.
A few? I bet... more like you cleared the cupboard out! Well, we did so I don't see why you should be any different.
Usually the discs come down in price about five minutes after they know I've bought a copy so any moment now...
John.
@@moviecollector5920 hahaha....yea it's always like that....as soon as you buy something, the next time you go in it's in the bargain bin....
Another great video, keep them coming....👍
Thank you Andy. Hopefully I'll get onto the Apocalypse Now video next... but then again... John.
Would love to get copies of Cinema Retro here in the States. I’ll have to look into a subscription. I do recommend the steelbook version. Very colorful and reflective case! I just cringe and cross my fingers every time I order a steelbook and hope it will arrive without dents. Say hello to wifey for me. -Lyle
Greetings Lyle. Wifey is sat with me and she says "hello".
Cinema Retro is actually mainly sold in the USA. Lee Pfeiffer is in New York I think and he and Dave Worrall (England) are joint editors.
It's possible a slip cover for Last Action Hero has been delayed so in a few weeks you may see a better looking disc case for sale on the shelves. I don't know for sure but one of the HMV stores suggested to John at Mondo Chelloveck Movies that it might be delayed. If so, I hope the original poster artwork is on the slip case which would probably help sales.
John.
@@moviecollector5920 Did not know that! Thanks for the information...
Just bought 6 new 4k’s. Never thought 4k was worth buying until i got apocalypse now and blade runner.
And if you haven't already got them but want to see some other special 4K discs, take a look at Murder on the Orient Express, Tenet and Jaws. Each are different because Orient Express was shot on modern 65mm so just about perfect, Tenet was largely shot on 70mm IMAX but not quite as good as Orient Express when shrunk down to 4K (which I think is due to a lower quality scan than is required for the massive IMAX frame) and Jaws was a fine grain 35mm but scanned at 6K. John.
@@moviecollector5920 ha funny. I just bought the orient express on 4k. I alteady got jaws on 4k and i even cried a bit because I just love how it looked. So amazing. Thank you john for your video’s
Excellent review John I am going to look out for a 4K copy. In the past I was never really that interested in the film, but after watching it on blu-ray lately I concluded, I should have watched it a lot sooner as it was fun to watch. To test it out on a younger generation, I let my grandson who was 11 years old watch it on the VP. The result was he enjoyed it, but what his thoughts on the film content was most interesting, it might be an old movie but it still works well.
Greetings Graham. I think Last Action Hero plays better now than it did when it was new. People on here have cited Jurassic Park as a reason for its perceived failure but I found that I was down at Leicester Square every weekend during 1993 so it was something else that stopped me from seeing it. I was sick of the teaser trailer which ruined the anticipation for me. John.
Underrated movie, great to hear the 4K is par the course of the usual Sony 4Ks. Love your videos, cheers from Malaysia.
Greetings from Cornwall Del. It's not so much the work by Sony that makes this 4K looks so good, it's the fact that the 35mm negative stock it was shot on was so good. It's not a 70mm quality transfer but it's a very good 35mm and that is what makes the difference. John.
I have only seen this movie once and that was quite a few years ago, so this 4K may be the one to watch next. Looking forward to the Apocalypse Now review.
It's an excellent transfer. Just like watching a film in fact. John.
Another great review John, I would have preferred True Lies on 4K but I guess that's got little chance of being released being owned by James Cameron and Disney now.
Do you think you might get My Fair Lady? I pre-ordered it and watched it for the first time this week and absolutely loved it. The restoration is superb, each frame is pristine and has so much detail you could almost be on set. I hadn't realised it had so many famous songs, I'm not surprised it won so many Oscars, I'm pleased to have it as part of my collection.
I would have got My Fair Lady during our recent visit to HMV but it wasn't on the shelves at the time so it will have to wait a while. Don't be too impressed with the transfer because if it hadn't have been something special then that would have meant the transfer had been completely messed up. It was a 65mm shoot so that unsurpassed 70mm clarity will always go over onto a new disc release if the original camera negative has survived. If not, then the interpositive or internegative would still produce outstanding results. Even a print would thinking about it because the 70mm release prints all came from the original camera negative so may even prove a better option than the interpos or interneg. John.
At the boxoffice his first SDDS Film lost to the first DTS Film in 1993 (JURASSIC PARK
I don't know which one I prefer now. I have Jurassic Park on Super 8 and it has a couple of great sequences in it but Last Action Hero delivers all the way through. Dialogue has always been clearer with SDDS too so it's got more going for it. John.
glad to see you reviewed this.
i only have it in blu ray
I was happy enough with the LaserDisc JB but it's wonderful to now have it on home video looking just like a film print on this fabulous 4K release. John.
@@moviecollector5920 I think you would really like this alternate take on the whole movie. It tripped me right out, John! th-cam.com/video/VqRNfkzGF8c/w-d-xo.html
@@branscombe_ I just scanned through quite a lot of that. I don't really understand how people get away with the copyright issues in videos like that one but he has an interesting take on what he's watching. I think the simple explanation of Last Action Hero is that it's a fun action movie that is poking most fun at Arnold Schwarzenegger most of all and he seems to love it judging by his self-deprecating delivery. I don't consider Charles Dance talking to the audience directly to be something entirely new because we had been used to communication with the audience from Oliver Hardy years before. Oliver Hardy may never have spoken to us directly but he didn't have to as his face said it all. In Last Action Hero some dialogue was necessary to tell us what Charles Dance's character was thinking even if he could have said it to himself... but it worked better saying it in comedic fashion to the camera. Perhaps it's possible to read too much into a film when the reality is that the film makers are simply just trying to make the best film they can.
John.
Ive always loved Last Action Hero and i never understood all the hate for the film.
Maybe people weren't ready for it in 1993. Whatever the case, it seems to be a far more popular film today. John.
The 4K steelbook is fabulous. I look at mine daily.
Well done Gary. If I'd have seen it, I'd have got the steelbook too. John.
@@moviecollector5920 Got mine at Best Buy here in America. Noticed Amazon had it as well. Do you ever buy from Zavvi? I noticed that they have a lot of 4K steelbooks coming out.
@@GaryPiazza Best Buy is a real shop so if I were in America I would support them too. Over here it's HMV that is pretty much the last music and video store so I try to get everything from them. I never use Amazon because I think we all know what their intentions are but Zavvi don't really have much of a presence. I think they used to have shops but they're web based now so I'm not likely to ever get much from them. I think I saw that Amazon have now swallowed up MGM so that doesn't bode well for that great heritage studio name. Before we know it we'll be living in the Rollerball world and a few large corporations will be running everything!!! John.
@@moviecollector5920 Ah, got it. For Best Buy, do they not ship overseas? Much of what I buy from them is online. I rarely go into the shop as their inventory now is really terrible.
@@GaryPiazza Zone encoding on Blu-ray is a big reason for not shopping from American stores via their web sites. Many of us have a player that will handle all zones but usually we have multiple players and it can be a bit of a pain in the neck. As long as the web sites are to back up physical shops though that has got to be a good thing. I don't think Zavvi have physical stores but I think they did years ago.
John.
I saw 'The Last Action Hero' at the Odeon Leicester Square when it was originally released. Possibly a 70mm blow-up presentation as that was the order of the day back then for 'big' films like this.
I recall that the film was very, very grainy. Not just the VFX and Opticals - although I recall they all were noticably soft and grainy (even compared with other films of the time), especially the Blockbuster video scene. And I recall a scene in a shopping mall that was particularly rough. But the whole film had an overall graininess. Maybe this particular viewing if it was just that print / screening. I had seen other films in that theatre around that same time; 'Terminator 2' in the same cinema, around the same time and they looked fine.
I think that part of the reason for 'Last Action Hero's' box office disappointment was that it opened at the same time as 'Jurassic Park'. And everyone went to see Jurassic Park. Even people who never went to the cinema went to see it. Multiple times :)
It shouldn't have been grainy. The LaserDisc is wonderful so that was how I knew the 35mm original camera negative was so good and why this 4K would be one of the best 35mm transfers so far. The 70mm blow-up at the Odeon came from that negative so should have been the best quality ever seen of this film. Terminator 2 was fabulous at the Odeon in 70mm but that was Super 35 so would not or should not have been as good as Last Action Hero. I wish I'd have seen it there. It was one of the great releases of 1993 but I suspect Cliffhanger was the most popular action film that summer. Jurassic Park was a bit of a let down at The Empire but just like Last Action Hero it's aged well and now we accept some of the lesser CGI shots that looked so awful on the massive Empire 1 screen. The animatronix were fabulous and never better... even for Stan Winston.
John.
@@moviecollector5920 I do not consider any of the CGI shots in 'Jurassic Park' awful, Far form it, and it looked fantastic at Empire 1 (opening week). Jaw dropping in fact. The Dinosaurs - on-set and CGI - still look great today. Some of the best ever put on film. I will say the shots with super-imposed titles look soft - some of the first 'digital opticals' I think - but that is not what we are talking about here. I guess this is the beauty of the medium of film, it is subjective and hence fuels many a discussion on so many topics. Anyway, I enjoy your posts - thanks for all the work you put in on the channel.
@@awol1703 I think that because of what I've been involved with for so long I was aware of the image quality and not so caught up in the computer work. That's probably why I was so aware of the downturn in the image quality when that first computer dinosaur sequence appeared and it being so obvious they were not really there. That downturn is there on the Super 8 print too so I can't really ever forget the impact it had. The T Rex sequence and the velociraptors towards the end were excellent though and that's what we tend to remember from Jurassic Park. John.
Still need to pickup the 4K and the Laserdisc as all i got a batter DVD.
The LaserDisc gatefold is beautiful. Shame they don't do 4K special editions in LaserDisc packaging like that. John.
I love your channel so much. You are so informative and I trust your opinions
Thank you Al. Good to have you here. John.
Looking forward to your Apocalypse now Review John,not a big fan of The Last Action Hero but after your review I'll probably pick it up,maybe in 2 for £30 😃 hopefully True Lies with Arnie will be out soon 👍
I think I just responded to this but it seems to have appeared twice. Apocalypse Now is amazing on 4K. Can't really quite understand why it's so good because it appears to just be a 4K scan unlike Jaws which was 6K. John.
Top video again John. Not sure I’ll be buying this one though, although if I remember rightly I enjoyed this when it was released. Looking forward to the Apocalypse Now review, I watched The Deer Hunter & Apocalypse Now simultaneously a few months back and have to admit I think The Deer Hunter is the superior film. Definitely need one of them Cinema Retro magazines!
If you saw Apocalypse Now in 4K Danny I'd like to know your opinion before I do the review. If you didn't see it in 4K, then you are going to need the 4K!!!
@@moviecollector5920 I saw Apocalypse Now in the 4K. Unfortunately I only ever watched it in DVD and I compared the 4K to my standard dvd and the difference is night and day, don’t have the Blu Ray though which would be the sensible comparison. I’m no expert like yourself John but to me it looked and sounded superb.
@@danboy77 My 3 disc set comes with a Blu-ray in it so I was able to compare and it's excellent on Blu-ray but just not as good as the 4K. It doesn't have the original version of the film in 4K so I've gone and damned well ordered the 6 disc set from the USA now!!! Seeing it in 4K is just as I remember it at the cinema in 1979 which is quite amazing after all these years. I can now see why I loved the look of the film even though I didn't comprehend the story very well as I was only 15 and should never have been in the cinema because it was an X.
@@moviecollector5920 ahh yes, I’ve course I have Blu Ray too , just remembered , I have the same 3 disc set as you. I’ll have to compare soon. I never really jumped on the Blu Ray bandwagon, I’ve kinda gone from dvd to 4K. The new laser projectors look promising John! BenQ have a new product out, placing it inches from your screen, hdr is the main added improvement apparently.
@@danboy77 Laser projectors seem to be short throw lens compromises for those people who cannot position a projector correctly at the back of the room or the audience. I have a friend who has got one and although he wasn't happy to have to put it at the front, it does give him about a six foot wide image within a small room. So if you have the room a conventional projector is a better option.
I actually have the original Apocalypse Now Blu-ray and although it's good it's not an accurate representation of the colour we enjoyed on the film prints. HDR on the latest 4K has made the latest release looks just like the film prints but the new Blu-ray is a marked improvement over the old Blu-ray too. It's just not as good as the 4K. I want the original version of the film though so that's why more money went down the drain! John.
I have the 4k steelbook for last action hero, that theatrical poster looks nice a glossy. A1 sony transfer
If I'd have seen the steelbook in HMV I think I'd have snagged it too. But I do have the LaserDisc and nothing will match that beautiful big gatefold I suppose. Shame 4K discs don't come in similar. John.
Great review hope your going to review super 8 in future
One day I'll get the 4K of Super 8. It does get quite a bit of coverage on Blu-ray in my 'Super 8 Gauge' video though so if you haven't seen that it's rather interesting. John.
this is first movie a cast member talked to the audience.
Ah yes, Charles Dance talks directly to the camera. I had to think about that one JB. John.
Great review John, Wow, John Mctiernan, Predator, Die hard, The hunt for red October and then this, I've seen Predator and Die hard hundreds of times, this you could count on one hand.
A film that wants to have its cake and eat it, it's parodying the very thing that it is, a big dumb action movie.
Misunderstood, I'm not sure, every time I give this a second chance, I come back to square one.
Might give it a go on 4k or just stick with The PAL Laserdisc of which the artwork is amazing.
If anybody can change my mind, it's you John.
It's worth a third chance Clive. But it could be that it appeals to my sense of humour and that's why I like it so much. The fact that it's set largely in a cinema must help though. John.
If anyone could get me interested in a film I had no interest in, it would be you! Great video as always!
This is a rather special disc Andrew. It just shows how good 35mm really was back in the mid-1990's before it all started to go a bit wrong as video projection was being brought in. I suppose with the advent of video there seemed no point in using the best labs and the bestfilm stocks any longer when most patrons were quite content with sub-standard quality. Video projection is much better now but there are still many of those awful first 2K projectors still out there. John.
@@moviecollector5920 I definitely see what you mean, John. 35mm shot films from the 90s largely look spectacular as the technology got more sophisticated by then. Unfortunately, the early digitally shot films that came out during that transition period look awful. Digital cinematography as well as video projection have certainly come a long way and it seems now we're in a golden age of quality analog remasters and beautiful digital video tech too. Best - Andrew.
@@GuitarGuy5000000000 Home video is amazing now. To be able to project these films in a home cinema akin to a lot of modern multiplexes is a dream come true. But I fear cinema is going to have to introduce something to entice audences back - 70mm would be my preference. John.
@@moviecollector5920 If we could see true 70mm epics projected regularly at our local cinemas, that would truly be a dream!
Hey John, another lovely review. I saw this in SDDS in Brussels when back in the day I was a big Arnie fan. My memories of this film are not good and I never bought the laserdisc or the DVD. However, I was surprised to check my database and find I'd given it a 7/10 (putting it in my top 30%). This leads me to think that you're right and I wonder why I developed the negative perspective. I may rewatch before buying the 4K. BTW - my dog died so this has slowed me down. Files will arrive!
Sorry to learn that your doggy has died Robert. There's nothing much more upsetting than a beloved pet leaving the world.
I suspect you'll find that Last Action Hero is a much more enjoyable film than you thought back in 1993. It's probably improved with age - just like us!
John.
@@moviecollector5920 ROFL, improved with age! Thanks for the kind words John.
i remember seeing this movie in theaters as a kid and it blew me away. things i never thought i would see on the big screen just like jurassic park. i have it on blu ray and need to get it on 4K but man that cover is so ugly. it looks like picture looks like that you take on your phone like 15 years ago lol. but they are coming out with a 4K steelbook that looks great,the cover is the original poster. great video as always! cheers!
It sounds like it's worth waiting for the steelbook if it's got the fabulous original poster art. I don't think anyting is going to match the LaserDisc gatefold packaging though so maybe I should put the 4K disc in a little sleeve in that and chuck the existing crappy case away!!! John.
@@moviecollector5920 hahaha,hey why not!? the laserdisc is a beautiful package! and yes i'll be waiting for the steelbook for sure :)
Great video as always John! This is such a great movie that I have a huge soft spot for. Arnie is hilarious in this and the cast is just incredible. Also in 1993 another underrated movie (in my opinion) from the "other" greatest action star of all time (also my opinion) and Arnold's equal,.. Sylvester Stallone was Demolition Man. Those two aren't on many favorite Schwarzenegger and Stallone lists, and while not my favorite Arnie and Stallone movies they may be the most fun.
Thank you Matthew. I watched Demolition Man for only the second time a few months ago and really enjoyed it. I originally saw it at the High Wycombe THX cinema (only one of four THX theatres in the UK at the time) and didn't like it much. I like it when years later my opinion changes for the better. But for me, the best film of 1993 was Cliffhanger. John.
Going to get, I want the steelbook but I don't think it came out in Australia, also just picked up The Deep on a blind buy on recent buy 1 get 1 free from new boutique brand "imprint" nice slip cover but no booklet 😢
You'll just have to get the back issue of Cinema Retro to go with your copy of The Deep now Zack! But if the disc is the same or has the same content then there is a 40 minute making of that went out on US television back in 1977 so that should be good. I haven't watched it yet but looking forward to it.
Last Action Hero may have a slip cover in a couple of weeks but the report I heard may be wrong. Could be worth holding on for a while though just to see. John.
Hello, John.
You're awesome, and you're unique. The reasons for this are because you talk about digital picture quality in an unusually deep and detailed way, and then you use your knowledge of analog picture quality to enrich and enhance the viewer's understanding of what you're talking about. I always learn something when I watch your reviews.
I love the fact that you talk about analog cinema aspects like SDDS. I was always incredibly impressed by SDDS when I worked as a 35mm projectionist. What is your view on SDDS?
Another question: Was SDDS used on 70mm blow-up prints in the 90s?
- Erik
Good to hear from you again Erik and thank you for giving me a confidence boost!
I thought Sony Dynamic Digital Sound was the most impressive sound system of them all throughout the period when we had the Dolby and DTS 5.1 systems. Today I think it's the IMAX sound systems but I have to admit to not knowing what that is. I've asked about it but I'm just told it's bespoke to IMAX. I wondered if it was the DATASAT sound listed on some films these days. Whatever, it's the most impressive I've ever heard and specifically the extract from Dunkirk that was screened at Waterloo long before that film came out. That Stuka dive bomber coming in at the conclusion of the sequence was so real that I though it was going to kill us all in the cinema!!!
I can't recall SDDS being used with 70mm but DTS did become the standard. That was the easiest method I suppose because all that was required was the time code printed on the film and the CD-Rom to run in synch with it.
John.
@@moviecollector5920 I agree 100 % with what you say about SDDS. It is the greatest digital sound system I've ever heard. Later digital sound systems used in digital (DCP) theaters don't even come close to the dept and organic quality of SDDS.
Unfortunately, I've never seen an action picture in a real (70mm, 15 perf) IMAX theatre. However, in 2009 I saw a nature documentary at the huge, real IMAX theatre in London (is that the Waterloo?). It showed an impressive sound system demonstration before the feature. There was a real IMAX theatre in Oslo (where I live) but it went bankrupt around 2003, just a few years before Hollywood started producing IMAX 70mm blow-up prints. Since 2017 there has been a digital IMAX theatre in Oslo. I haven't seen any pictures there yet. Have you seen any picture(s) in IMAX digital? If yes, what do think of the sound in IMAX digital compared to IMAX 70mm?
@@loekegaard9 It is the Waterloo IMAX and the screen is 90 feet wide. I have seen so many films in there but I have also seen Gravity on video and it wasn't a memorable experience. However, the film is a real winner on Blu-ray at home so they were just pushing the low quality image too far. The sound was as good as IMAX ever is as far as I recall but IMAX just seems to be a step up from everywhere else now. Dolby Atmos may be an attempt to keep up but equally I think it's an attempt to reproduce the ultimate surround most of us heard - THX.
Apparently IMAX video projectors are now in pairs and laser lights so they're much better. Nothing's going to match the beauty of film though so it's a downward step but maybe in years to come video will surpass the colour reproduction of film. It's come a long way so you never know. John.
@@moviecollector5920 Thanks, John. It has been a pleasure to talk to you, as always.
The first SDDS Trailer is still my favorit SDDS Trailer another fact DOLBY SR.D 320 kbps DTS 1500 kbps SDDS including backup 2200 kbps
Nice one John. I might pop in to HMV this week and treat myself.
Pop into CEX as well so you do a full 'Mondo Mooch'! It is a cracking 4K disc so I'll be interested to know what you think Steve. John.
@@moviecollector5920 I couldn't wait until I get the chance to get out to the shops until the end of the week to but it so I've ordered it from Amazon. Looking forward to seeing the film.
@@stevenandnicola123 Arrrrrrh! Amazon... not my favourite company Steve. But I expect you'll pop into HMV for something this week anyway. Actually HMV's on-line store is so much better to browse than Amazon and the discs are usually delivered in 2 or 3 days. It may not be quite as quick as the dreaded Amazon but I want to support our last physical home video and music shop while it's still there.
Please let me know what you think of the new transfer of Last Action Hero.
John.
@@moviecollector5920 Evening John. I've just finished Last Action Hero. Great, fun film. The disc looks and sounds fantastic. Has Apocalypse Now arrived yet? It'll take a while to get through all the versions of the film and the extras, looking forward to hearing what you've got to say. Two days after Last Action Hero arrived I went to HMV and spent £85!
@@stevenandnicola123 £85!!! You're getting as bad as me! But it's really good fun to be able to go to HMV, browse the shelves and buy a whole lot of discs rather than simply looking at web sites. I really must ensure I plug HMV more often in the videos because we need to support them as much as possible so we still have the chance to go into a shop to look at thousands of titles rather than just the occasional title in a supermarket. We'll really miss them if/when they're gone.
I have quite a lot to say about Apocalypse Now but I still need to find out some of the more technical aspects of how the various releases have been achieved. For instance, in 2001 it seems Technicolor revived the three matrice dye-transfer process for release prints of the Redux extended version. The latest Final Cut was mastered from the Interpositive. How this was all done and why is why the end products look so good. I'm hoping that today I can find the time to watch the original version of the film in 4K. John.
Somehow I've managed to miss Last Action Hero for my entire life, perhaps for the same reasons you missed it in the theater, but your review makes me very interested in picking this up. Schwarzenegger has always had great chemistry with child actors, and it sounds like the film is a kind of celebration of the moviegoing experience, which I wouldn't mind watching after the past dreadful year of lockdowns. And man, say what you will about technical specs, but didn't Laserdiscs have the most gorgeous packaging?
The gatefold, double disc LaserDisc for this film is a little extra special but there were a few others just like it. - Terminator 2 for example. I think Last Action Hero is a much better film than it's been given credit for. It's a great fun, action comedy and although young Austin O'Brien got on my nerves in the role of Danny Madigan years ago, I can see now that he did very well and it was a good comedic performance. It also helps that the film is largely set in and around the cinema. John.
John could you please take a look at Vertigo on 4k UHD. I would love your take on the movie!
I had a Super 8 copy of that to record for a dealer a few years ago so I got to know it rather well. It was shot on VistaVision which means it will look fabulous on the latest video transfer (as it did on Super 8 but not one of the best to ever get onto the gauge). It really is as simple as that because the starting point is so good. I nearly got the Hitchcock box set of 4K discs a few months ago in the HMV sale but just missed out. John.
the steelbook has the poster as a cover
HMV didn't have it otherwise I think I'd have snapped one up. Apparently a slipcase may be coming in a few weeks so it might be worth waiting because that too may have the original postar artwork. John.
Great review
Thank you as always Stephanie. John.
My question is why do the 4K releases always crop the picture slightly with 2:40.1 aspect ratio? I realize it's just a few line sof information but what is the reasoning for that? I just prefer seeing films with their originally intended aspect ratio usually at 2:39.1 when it's widesreen.
The aspect ratio is just an approximation, it's not cropped. But as it happens, in a cinema you will always find the image is a little cropped around the edges, it's just that no one ever notices. John.
Speed looked good but was a bit disappointed. Thought it looked soft on many scenes.
That's how it looked so unless we master time travel
I think we can be sure that's how it's going to stay!!! John.
It just couldn't compete with the likes of Jurassic park which was released theatrically within two weeks of each other I believe. Great film though and I have the 4k Steelbook on order 😁👍
Many people have cited Jurassic Park on here after you Ethan. That never occurred to me because in 1993 there were so many great films coming out that I seemed to be in Leicester Square once a week. At the time I found Jurassic Park a bit of a disappointment because so many of the CGI dinosaurs looked so poor. The Stan Winston models by contrast, were fabulous. I think many people wrongly assumed the models were CGI at the time. John.
@@moviecollector5920 yes I agree the Stan Winston models were fantastic. That first CG of that Brontosaurus didn't look great to introduce us to the park but what followed seemed to look far better, some of these digital/optical effects now look even worse now on 4k. Theres certainly no hiding behind the VHS tape! 😆
@@ethanberry9846 The darker scenes with CGI actually look good. It's just we were sold on lifelike dinosaurs for the whole of the film and they looked awful in daylight unless the animatronics were on screen and they were fabulous. Most people must have mistaken the animatronics for CGI and I don't blame them because that massive T Rex was so damned perfect. John.
Hello John been loving your videos recently will be looking forward to seeing more great reviews.
Thank you Karl. I think I've done 30 videos now so hopefully there are a few to catch up on. But I have quite a few 4K discs here that might get review videos and hopefully I can concentrate on Apocalypse Now next. John.
I really enjoy your reviews. Could you review the Flash Gordon 4K
I love that Flash Gordon film. But I've had it on Super 8 for 30 years so I know the damned script! That's why I didn't get the 4K disc. Sorry! John.
Love ya work! Keep it up
Thanks Carl. That's the plan. John.
I've always loved this film from the start - you may be right about the trailers being thrashed to death, and I think it may have been up against the juggernaut that was Jurassic Park as well. It was apparently rushed into cinemas and there are stories of Sony showing test audiences a rough cut of the film and the subsequent bad word of mouth thereafter wouldn't have helped. But I think it was satire at it's best - it was not only a satirical look at action films of the time but it was Arnie literally taking the piss out of his own movies and their corny clichés, brilliantly exemplified by the contrasts of the movie world and the real world. Charles Dance was excellent as the bad guy and Frank McCrae was funny as hell as his ever-screeching Lieutenant. I still yell SLAAAATERRRRRRR! every time I see him. lol
I think it's come to be more highly regarded over the years. I've got a copy on order from Amazon. Can't wait.
I hope you like the quality of the disc as much as I do Jamie. As the LaserDisc was fabulous I knew the 35mm master was very fine quality. It's not 70mm quality but it's a rather exceptional 35mm transfer. Let's hope this 4K gets Last Action Hero even more respect. I think it's one of Arnie's best films and he's done a lot of 'em. John.
@@moviecollector5920 the original bluray wasn't all that bad, the colour was over-saturated but the quality was reasonable so I'm expecting it to be better than that at least.
It's one of my favourite Arnie films as well and I'm hoping there are more to come. Conan the Barbarian would be a good one...
BTW I just saw the price for the Final Countdown the other day, expensive would be an understatement. Yeesh
@@jamied1579 Well there's one mug sitting here who couldn't resist The Final Countdown and put a pre-order in. But I am really looking forward to seeing it properly again for the first time in 40 years. John.
@@moviecollector5920 Well I don't know about being a mug, let's say 'enthusiast', lo'. The cheapest I found it was still more than twice the price of the average 4k. I love the film too and I suppose if the price doesn't come down I'll have to bite the bullet.
Where do they get off charging that much? I've never seen a new release of an old film that expensive before...
Loved it as a teen, it's a bit cheesy now but it's still a good sit-down. Charles Dance practically steals the movie.
I seem to enjoy it more as the years roll on Jonas. Charles Dance is brilliant in this as he is in just about everything he appears in. John.
@@moviecollector5920 I quite agree, he is a brilliant actor. Sir Ian McKellen is in it too as Death, and was the first time I saw him before LOTR. Edit, X-men, which was released the year before LOTR.