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Perkins Cobb wrote:Is the Criterion Blu going to include L'Amore? If not, that BFI set I got on eBay for $26 last week is going to seem like an even better deal.

Not listed under the extras, so unless something changes, NOPE.

Going by the screencaps, Criterion's disc looks a little bit too dark. I think this has been covered here many times before, they like to make their discs a bit darker with greater contrast.

On the other end, the BFI disc was too bright (even more surprisingly so because the 2 other movies didn't show this lighter grading). I suppose the right grading was somewhere in between.

Beaver

Verdict does seem to be overall the Criterion improves on the PQ of the BFI release, albeit marginally.

Ribs wrote:Beaver

I have to say that Germany Year Zero doesn't look that great from the caps.

Yes, it is surprising that Criterion's Germany Year Zero does not use the latest restoration, while the other two do.

So, to Svet, this is pretty much equivalent with "minor but perhaps obvious discrepancies" ? Not to say one seems superior to the other, there seems to be some trade-offs between the BFI and the Criterion, but the differences between the 2 seem more on the obvious side than the minor one to me.

Apperson wrote:

Ribs wrote:Beaver

I have to say that Germany Year Zero doesn't look that great from the caps.

It looks terrible.

tenia wrote:So, to Svet, this is pretty much equivalent with "minor but perhaps obvious discrepancies" ? Not to say one seems superior to the other, there seems to be some trade-offs between the BFI and the Criterion, but the differences between the 2 seem more on the obvious side than the minor one to me.

Yikes! Jesus, I glanced at this on my phone and wasn't sure what the problem was, but now that I'm seeing it in full size on a normal screen, it's pretty obvious. Grain looks horrible, it's like comparing creamed corn to fine sand.

So basically

hearthesilence wrote: Yikes! Jesus, I glanced at this on my phone and wasn't sure what the problem was, but now that I'm seeing it in full size on a normal screen, it's pretty obvious. Grain looks horrible, it's like comparing creamed corn to fine sand.

Well, it seems quite variable on both discs, so some shots could be better on one disc, and other shots on the other.

My issue is more with Svet saying there are only minor differences between the 2 while they seem actually quite different on many aspects.

My 1st example shows a clear-cut with the BFI as a definite winner (more info in the frame, cleaner, sharper, and the Criterion is black crushed) but (as Minkin pointed out to me) the 2nd one shows the BFI as too soft and too dull (gamma issue ?) and the last one shows the Criterion as potentially sharper than the BFI.

Yeah, tenia seems correct, it is mixed bag on both discs. For example, the Criterion looks better in the last one of Svet's shots (screenshot 19 on the Criterion and 16 on the BFI.) Too bad Criterion didn't have the budget and/or time to Frankenstein together the best sections of each master.

Variable perhaps, but the caps on the Criterion disc never get better than that first cap tenia linked to - the grain itself just never looks that good, it's about as good as any standard-def DVD of a similar vintage film can look had it been upscaled to your TV.

Have not seen these yet but am intrigued an looking forward to picking up in a couple of weeks during the B&N sale! Is there any particular order anyone would recommend viewing these or does it not matter?

No. It's a thematic, not narrative, trilogy so the order doesn't really matter. But it's probably best to go through them chronologically, unless you've got a specific interest in one region or film.

I'm glad I was able to see these on Filmstruck -- because not the sort of set I would _buy_.

This is a VERY pedantic question, but...has Criterion put new copyright notices on the films themselves?

swo17 wrote:So basically

This is the way I am perceiving the overall comparison as well (nice job on the graph, btw). The published internet reviews on the variant gamma/contrast levels between the two editions can be ameliorated/tweaked on my projector's own custom gamma, noise reduction, and contrast settings, so this particular aspect of ANY video release is not really an issue with me (although it is well nigh impossible to reinstate grain level on a transfer that exhibits too much DNR at the mastering stage).

Anyway, I am deciding on pulling the trigger for the BFI RR boxset, since I already own Criterion's RR War Trilogy set on DVD, therefore I will have the majority, if not all, of the extras contained in that boxset. Moreover, the main draw in acquiring the BFI set is L'Amore's inclusion, and the fact that it would cost me less than $30 USD (w/VAT exclusion), compared to $50 during the next B & N sale for the Criterion. That said, I'm also aware that L'Amore is a likely stand-alone release by Criterion at some point, with the disc setting me back $20 at half price, and I would more than likely double dip anyway with the inclusion of bonus extras. Therefore, I'm right back at the $50 level in owning the best available editions of the War Trilogy & L'Amore on video. ](*,)

Does obtaining the BFI box seem like the rational move at the moment, given the reviews and personal context I've laid out?

I'm not sure Criterion will put out L'Amore as a standalone release, but I'm extremely happy with my BFI

I'm happy with the BFI too and sold my Criterion DVD set.

I was leaning heavily towards obtaining the BFI set, and this pretty much cements it. Appreciate the valuable input on this forum.