The Dam Busters: Special Edition

[Maurice]

www.telegraph.co.uk



David Gritten's Review

'The Dam Busters bounce back'



'THE DAM BUSTERS: Special Edition' released by Optimum

on digitally restored DVD and Blu-ray June 14

[Number Six]

name='Maurice' date='11 June 2010 - 01:02 PM' timestamp='1276257736' post='438559']

www.telegraph.co.uk



David Gritten's Review

'The Dam Busters bounce back'



'THE DAM BUSTERS: Special Edition' released by Optimum

on digitally restored DVD and Blu-ray June 14

Looking forward to that. Does anyone here know what the situation is with regards to the rumoured Stephen Fry backed remake of this film?

[JohnB_Toronto]

name='Maurice' date='11 June 2010 - 08:02 AM' timestamp='1276257736' post='438559']

www.telegraph.co.uk



David Gritten's Review

'The Dam Busters bounce back'



'THE DAM BUSTERS: Special Edition' released by Optimum

on digitally restored DVD and Blu-ray June 14

Includes a 56 minute documentary of interviews with the surviving members of the raid.

[Santonix]

I will get it as soon as it's released.



But here's a question for you, what is the connection between The Dambusters and the 1960 Michael Powell film Peeping Tom?

[RogerThornhill]

The connection is Pamela Green, she appeared in Peeping Tom and some years later she got married to Douglas Webb a survivor of the raids. He had taken glamour shots of her some time in the 50s.

[Santonix]

Bang on Roger, well done.

[RogerThornhill]

name='Santonix' date='12 June 2010 - 09:19 AM' timestamp='1276330785' post='439003']

Bang on Roger, well done.

Thank you, I would like to say that I knew that but I got the answer via Google.

[RogerThornhill]

I'm thinking about getting the Blu-Ray version so I wondered if anyone here has seen it. I watched some of my SD version yesterday and I noticed that the picture is very bright in lots of scenes almost as if the film is over exposed, maybe the studio lighting was too bright? Before I get the HD version I would like to know if this brightness has been banished?

[Mr Pastry Time]

name='RogerThornhill' date='15 June 2010 - 12:10 PM' timestamp='1276600226' post='440310']

I'm thinking about getting the Blu-Ray version so I wondered if anyone here has seen it. I watched some of my SD version yesterday and I noticed that the picture is very bright in lots of scenes almost as if the film is over exposed, maybe the studio lighting was too bright? Before I get the HD version I would like to know if this brightness has been banished?

Hi. I would stick with your DVD. The film print they used for transfer contains a number of scratches which I thought they may have done a dig removal of for Blu-Ray. Did want the BR myself, but so glad I opted for the asda £5 DVD offer last week which was worth the money.

[RogerThornhill]

name='Mr Pastry Time' date='29 June 2010 - 11:16 AM' timestamp='1277806606' post='445789']

Hi. I would stick with your DVD. The film print they used for transfer contains a number of scratches which I thought they may have done a dig removal of for Blu-Ray. Did want the BR myself, but so glad I opted for the asda £5 DVD offer last week which was worth the money.

Thanks for that, I don't want to shell out about 15 pounds or so for a copy which is little better than the one that I have. With Blu Ray it seems that some old movies benefit a great deal while with others the improvement isn't all that noticeable. I bought the Blu Ray versions of The Ipcress File and The Italian Job, The Ipcress File BR was disappointing but The Italian Job looks superb in HD.

[Mr Pastry Time]

Hi. Yes like you I got very selective early on with Blu-ray as we went through all this with some very poor transfers and authoring on DVD when that started. The main problem for them will be sourcing good film masters and how much time and money they are willing to invest for a given release. I was quite surprised though with Dam Busters and those awful deep scratches that appear on the film and really a shame they didn’t touch the digital copy up for its new special release which in the end for me was not so special on Blu-ray. High definition scratches rather defeat the object I feel.

[RogerThornhill]

name='Mr Pastry Time' date='30 June 2010 - 10:59 AM' timestamp='1277891980' post='446136']

Hi. Yes like you I got very selective early on with Blu-ray as we went through all this with some very poor transfers and authoring on DVD when that started. The main problem for them will be sourcing good film masters and how much time and money they are willing to invest for a given release. I was quite surprised though with Dam Busters and those awful deep scratches that appear on the film and really a shame they didn’t touch the digital copy up for its new special release which in the end for me was not so special on Blu-ray. High definition scratches rather defeat the object I feel.

It's surprising that they would issue it with those scratches, with all the technological aids at their disposal I would have thought that removing them wouldn't be too difficult. I was on the verge of ordering a copy so thanks for the information.

[John Hodson]

name='RogerThornhill' date='30 June 2010 - 11:50 AM' timestamp='1277895037' post='446148']

It's surprising that they would issue it with those scratches, with all the technological aids at their disposal I would have thought that removing them wouldn't be too difficult. I was on the verge of ordering a copy so thanks for the information.

The Blu-ray transfer is quite wonderful; yup, it comes with a few vertical scratches (the most difficult and expensive to totally eradicate), but it doesn't detract, IMHO, from an otherwise terrific job. I've never seen the film on home video look as vibrant, as detailed, as new.

[paul clifton]

Yep the scratches dont really bother me. The transfer on Blu ray is som much crisper and blacks are black. Compared to my normal dvd I am impressed