So today I drove over to my local Best Buy brick & mortar location, and after some searching, I finally found their one and only copy. When I got home, I called the telephone number provided in their e-mail and attempted to cancel the order. I won't detail that heinous experience except to say that I still don't know if the order was cancelled or not. Best Buy keeps blaming Amazon and other online retailers for their financial woes, when the truth is, they simply suck. In the 90s, they were okay. Now? Not so much.
Their own online ordering is - as evidenced by this screw up - a bad joke, their in-store employees are - without exception - lazy and uninformed, and their customer service overall is half-assed. I wouldn't shop there at all if not for their Exclusives and clearance DVD/Blu-ray bins.
Enough of that particular rant. So, Chris, how was Battlestar Galactica's Blu-ray presentation?
Very good. The 1080p HD remaster is framed at a 1.85:1 aspect ratio approximating the original, matted, theatrical format, and Galactica has never looked this good. Colors are strong, vibrant and obviously re-timed/corrected, looking much better than the previous home video releases on VHS and DVD. While the effects work shows its age and the limitations of the 1970s process work (the image degrades with each additional element in the composite shots), it still looks surprisingly good - much better than I anticipated. Some shots are truly spectacular - especially on my big-screen monitor - and there is no evidence of extensive DNR or other digital tweaking. The audio has been remastered in DTS-HD Master Audio 2.1 with Sensurround! There are no bonus fetaures included on this edition, but there is a trailer for the recent Battlestar Galactica: Blood & Chrome release.
Overall, it's a really solid HD upgrade. It doesn't look like a modern digital special effects film - it can't - but it is a fine presentation of the 1978 feature. At a SRP of $14.99, it comes highly recommended for all Star Kids - too bad it's only available from the Best Buy chain.
NOTE: What a difference a typo makes! I intended to type "and there is no evidence of extensive DNR," not "there is now evidence of extensive DNR." Sorry for the confusion. To repeat, I've been reviewing digital video formats professionally for nearly a decade, and I saw no evidence that this Battlestar Galactica Blu-ray transfer was anything but a straight 1080p HD remaster from a clean 1978 source print, aside from some welcome and appropriate color correction.
NOTE #2: I never, never, never noticed this before, but every time they show the Imperious Leader from above in the movie, the improved resolution reveals that he/it appears to have a small green lizard perched on his/its left shoulder! What the frak?!
My experience in trying to buy this Best Buy EXCLUSIVE was EXACTLY the same as yours Chris. The only thing different was when I gave up on getting my online order last Thursday, I went into our 2 local stores and they did not have it in stock. In fact no Best Buy within 50 to 100 miles of me had it in stock. Just for kicks, I checked the online in stock store status again early Saturday morning and EVERY store listed in the previously mentioned range of distance had copies. So I raced to the closest, and found it in the TV SHOW section!?! Not in NEW RELEASES? After reading the same mid-June email this morning, I was going to attempt to cancel my order but then decided not to bother with it. Obviously considering your experience in trying to do the same, I was lucky not to have wasted my time.
ReplyDeleteLike you,I hardly waste my time with Best Buy anymore, although I did find a great deal on the original Outer Limits season 3 for 9.99.
Enough of my venting, I'm glad I picked this up, and you are correct, Galactica has never looked this good. I hope that this paves the way someday for the series to be released on Blu-ray.
I found my copy in the television section, too. Glad I finally thought to look there....
DeleteI bought my copy last Tuesday, and just watched it over the weekend. I was amazed at how well it held up. The color was fantastic, the detail was incredibly sharp, and there was a nice natural layer of grain, so it wasn't scrubbed clean of detail with DNR. The opening shots of the Galactica really hit me, and I'm really amazed at how well those tv models look. John Dykstra did a fantastic job.
ReplyDeleteThe audio was very good also - the original theatrical sensurround track is included as the .1 in the audio, and comes over the subwoofer. It gave my subwoofer a serious workout.
I hope this sells well - it's getting great reviews over on the blu-ray.com forum, and it sounds like they're already backordered at BestBuy (they are available in stores currently but backordered on their website). If it does well, they may in fact consider releasing the entire series. If the whole series would look like this, I'm all in.
And I agree - Best Buy is going downhill fast with their handling of films - blu-rays you would expect to find in their stores are never in their stores.
For the current asking price, this is a must-but for fans of the original series. Bring on Buck Rogers!
Yeah, that first shot of the Galactica practically blew me out of my seat.
DeleteMy Best Buy didn't have it. Rats.
ReplyDeleteI did do a screen capture of the lizard but processing really didn't show much. Although the resolution is not that good it appears the lizard has wings.
It puts me in mind that it might have originally been intended as a BG version of that thingie that sat on Jabba the Huts shoulder.
Yeah - it does look like it has wings! And five years before Jabba!
DeleteThe lizard does have wings, and it only appeared in the pilot/feature episode.
ReplyDeleteIt was a real Jackson's Chameleon, with prop wings adhered to it.
Its inclusion ties in to the concept that the Cylons were originally a reptilian race.
I could tell it was a real animal because of the way it moved; of course I figured it was a nod to the Cylons being reptiles... but I was just blown away that it was there at all! I can't count how many times I've seen this movie - on TV in '78, in syndication, on VHS, on SciFi Channel, on DVD... and never even glimpsed the critter before!
DeleteIt's also cool to now see that the Imperious Leader's outfit seems to be made of scales!
I almost thought Best Buy wasn't going to have it because we were looking for 15 minutes for it - like others mentioned - it wasn't under new releases - it was under TV shows?!? We almost gave up looking because we couldn't find it anywhere. Best Buy is clueless when it comes to placing their stock.
ReplyDeleteWow, Christopher, thanks much for the informative review. I firmly trust your instincts based on your background, and will plan on picking it up.
ReplyDelete"..in the television section.."
Thanks so much for your detailed analysis.
Aight- you've convinced me. I am stopping by BB on the way home to look for this. I am completely drawn to see this lizard.
ReplyDeleteHope they do the whole series. The DVD set, which looked really good to me at the time, pales on a flatscreen. Would gladly double dip for Blu.
ReplyDeleteIt's not available at Best Buy Canada according to their website.
ReplyDeleteIf you live in Toronto, you can always get it at HMV or Future Shop.
DeleteI remember when BG first came out, there was a great close up picture of the lizard (complete with wings), I believe it was in Pizzaz magazine. I always wondered where it was in the series, now 35 years later, we know.
ReplyDeleteYeah... I almost ran the photo in one of the first issues of The Adama Journal back in the day, but since it was cut from the show (unfortunately), it made no sense to do so. I had planned to do a whole issue on "The BSG that never was..." as the reptilian face closeups were gone too, as well as the original "slitherin" voice of the leader and move to 100% meccha. I sold all my old BSG stuff years back (autographed pix, behind the scenes stuff, etc., sadly -- too bad we didn't have blogs back then!). :-)
DeleteChristopher.., just had my big 5-0 birthday, so I got the Galactica Blu-Ray as a gift. Started watching it yesterday and it did look splendid.
ReplyDeleteThe old matting looks like it was cleaned up. Some graininess left on the close battlestar shots (Atlanta, Galactica), but all other Viper and Raider footage looks beautiful. I had the volume down, so will have to spend time this weekend with the woofers maxed. The actors scenes were beautiful, I always loved the lighting used.., especially on-board the Galactica.
Thanks much for the analysis and suggestions, glad I listened. NOW I wish the rest of the original series can have this type of treatment.
Oh, and yes, loved the lizard.
But, having said that... would it have REALLY hurt them to add the Hatch/Benedict/Jefferson commentary included on the series boxset..? Some extras would have been nifty.
ReplyDeleteSo...are they going to bring the whole series out on Blu-ray? I sure hope so. "The Complete Epic Series" DVDs are a little too grainy and washed-out--and that huge Cylon head, cool as it is, is very unwieldy, and I hate the fold-out box. A nice Blu-ray set with the discs in plastic inserts would be much appreciated.
ReplyDeleteIf you look closely, the Imperious Leader's face has a slight amount of articulation, while his 'fro' remains permanently in place, like some sort of decorative hood or headpiece.
ReplyDeleteI do remember watching the television version Saga of a Starworld as a 4 year on ABC in 1978. And I do remember Imperious leader having that Lizard by his side. That memory stayed with me ever sence. The betacord version I had of Battlestar Galactica did not have the Lizard and all vhs versions did not have the lizard as well. Years later when the complete series come to dvd the Lizard appeared in the extras dvd so when the tv version aired in 1978.I guess the Lizard was put back in there just for that broadcast and taken out of saga of a starworld and Theatrical version. As for the blu-ray of battlestar Galactica I have not seen it yet I am sure it is going to be a perfect picture and sound. Still waiting for my copy of battlestar Galactica to get to me I am in Australia so it has a long way to come but it is worth the wait.
ReplyDelete