The effects of High Definition on the cineaste are still to be fully encountered, but being something of a tech nerd I've been waiting to see some of my favourite movies on the new format. Yesterday, I took a step closer...
JOHN CARPENTER'S THE THING has been one of my favourite films, regardless of genre, for years. I've seen it numerous times on TV, on VHS, DVD and once on the big screen thanks to a 35mm print that was scratched, beaten and bruised into submission. Bright scenes in the snow DO NOT fair well after 20 years of wear and tear I can tell you.
Last night, thanks to a friend's foray into the HD revolution via his XBox 360, I was able to see THE THING in a startling new way. The 720p image on his HDTV was crisp and clear as you'd expect, the snow scenes free from grot and grime. After flicking on a few chapters, we got to the group's discovery of the rogue dog in with their own animals. Rob Bottin's legendary effects need no introduction, and as the dog cracked open and sprouted tentacles all over the shop, I found myself feeling quite unwell.
Now as a fairly well-worn gorehound, very little tends to bother me, and the last time I was compelled to half-wretch was the crunchy dumpling sound in the DUMPLINGS section of THREE. I have seen Bottin's effects in this movie a hundred times without so much as a flinch, so why was I getting green around the gills?
HD. The jump in quality represented an upturn in the gip-factor, showcasing just how great the FX are in this flick. After hearing John Landis enthuse about how the HD-DVD of American Werewolf makes Rick Baker's FX look even better in HD, I can conclude that he may well have a point.
A closing thought is that this was only 720p resolution. We've still not seen it at full HD resolution, which i can only think may result in some queasiness. All we need is a 1080p HDTV.
When that day comes, I got a multi-pack of sickbags and some comfy chairs, who's with me?
1 comment:
Greetings to you, Diabolik.
Having looked over your various offerings and ponderings, Dr. Storm wants you to know that he approves of the good work you're doing.
He won't be investing in any of this 'high-definition' technology that you so covet though, as he is of the opinion that "until Above The Law gets a hi-def release, they can go screw themselves, asshole."
Keep up the good work,
Dr. Storm and The Hack
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