Another great review John, and Happy New Year :) I’ve seen Signs a few times and enjoy this alien film despite its flaws. It has a decent storyline and I like the characters.
I think the biggest flaw is the fact that there is no way these aliens would be able to invade England because it never stops raining here. But it's a wonderfully entertaining film that keeps most on the edge of their seat. John.
A fantastic opening to this video, John. And a great, humorous ending to the review with the bank balance remark. You and your wife are right, Signs is an absolutely brilliant film. I got to see it in the cinema in 2002. Consequently, I can say for certain that you would've loved to see it on 35mm in the cinema. I'm glad you (and your wife) got close to having that experience with the 4K disc in your home cinema. The scene with alien at the birthday party on the news broadcast is truly shocking. I remember thinking after that scene in the cinema in 2002 that if the Academy gave out Oscars to directors for 'Best Thriller Direction', then M. Night Shyamalan would've gotten it for Signs.
Evening Erik. You've made me think that I should go through all my cinema tickets just in case I did actually see Signs in the cinema. I can't remember doing so but can remember watching the DVD. Quite unusual for me not to remember a cinema outing but I was in an extremely stressful IT role in 2002 and on call just about all the time so I have an excuse. But even if I did see it in a cinema, it was thrilling to watch it anew in our home cinema and get the full excitement of a top quality cinema screening here. Happy new year! John.
I hadn't seen it since the DVD in 2002. Glad I hadn't as it might have spoiled this re-acquaintance all these years later. I saw a much more impressive film this time around. John.
I love signs, it's in my top 20 movies. I was looking at the 4k steelbook in hmv the other day for £35, but I come to the same conclusion as you it'll live on a shelf with the spine showing. Thx for the video and a happy new year.
Happy new year to you too. I think you'll like the 4K of SIGNS. Don't expect TENET quality though because it's a matted 35mm and has a suitably muted look. I probably should have spoken about that a little but I was so impressed by its perfection in terms of looking like a premiere house master print struck directly off the negative that I assumed everyone would realize that... but they won't of course. Many think every cine transfer should be as good as another which is ridiculous but that's the way it seems to be. There are sharper, cleaner 1.85:1 35mm home video discs for sure, but that doesn't mean 'the transfer' is better than this one. It means the film looked sharper and even more of a fine grain than SIGNS did. John.
I also have it in my top movies of all time, but Signs seems to be underrated by many people. I don't get it. Every detail is perfect. I'm going to assume that the grand theme of the movie (revealed at the end) is something that many people are not willing to accept, and that leads to being underrated.
@@hxhdfjifzirstc894 I think it's just that we're all different and that we don't all think the same way about everything. Thank gawd too because what an awful world it would be if we did because there would be nothing to discuss and learn from. John.
Signs is such a brilliant film - I can’t wait to watch it in 4K! I’ve seen it many times and it still gives me the chills. Thank you for all the brilliant videos and looking forward to more in 2025. Happy new year!
Signs is one of my favorite movies of all time. There are several 'chills' scenes, which I normally don't like, but the movie is so good that I can appreciate them.
@@hxhdfjifzirstc894 It's very much like, or influenced by, Night Of The Living Dead. It's that claustrophobic nature that means it works so well. John.
Now that is a splendid Christmas sweater, well done my friend, and of course a splendid video. And a happy New Year to you and family. Love Signs but have seen it so many times on cable and streamed that I'll continue to hold off buying. North by Northwest more likely for purchase. Wages of Fear, saw it streamed on Criterion Channel and liked it, but the disc I bought was the William Friedkin remake, Sorcerer, and I like it more. Can't wait for your top 10!
A happy new year to you too Pete. North By Northwest looks fabulous so even if the film isn't entirely up your street, you'll be impressed with the VistaVision imagery. John.
Excellent vid John, I'm a huge fan of Signs,its my favorite M Night film,looking forward to watching it...yeah it takes alot of time doing a top 10 list,I've just done my favourite releases of the year vid,its time consuming....Happy New Year to you and your family 😊
Wonderful release of a very underrated film. Some transfers need to be appreciated on a large screen. Like you I have a projector and 120” screen. We really enjoyed it
It does seem that some of these good 4K home videos don't work on tellies. I suppose that was always true with most films but I've already had one comment to say he was disappointed with this 4K. Seems a little strange to me but perhaps if you're expecting TENET quality you would be disappointed. John.
@ it’s frustrating that a lot of the review channels only review 4K discs on 65” TV screens and bemoan negligible differences to Blu-ray releases. The format is highly dependant on the gear being used. I find remasters of natural film stock in particular are best viewed on larger screens with projectors rather than TV screens to enjoy the benefit. If you want to see a marvel to behold, check out the 4K release of The Searchers. It is incredible (possibly the best transfer ever) and will look amazing on your system. Will look forward to your review when you get hold of a copy. Mark
You're right that this movie is somewhat underrated -- only a 6.8 on IMDB, while I find it to be a 9/10 Low Masterpiece (an extremely rare rating). I think some people just don't 'get' the movie. Not that it's hard to get, but a lot of people have issues, nowadays.
Great review as always John. I was sitting on the fence about purchasing Signs but I think you've persuaded me to add it to the pickup list. Surprisingly never seen it. Very much looking forward to the yearly review video when you get around around to it. Happy New year to you and your family
I hope you enjoy SIGNS as much as we did in here. Quite a surprise given I didn't think it was particularly brilliant before. Happy new year Darren. John.
_Signs_ is a quite underrated masterpiece movie. You are in for a treat. It's one of my top movies of all time. To be able to see it, for the first time, in 4K... you should make an event out of it, with your favorite dinner, etc. Don't miss any scenes! Put your phone away.
Lights out and sound up to the maximum level you can bear. Then watch your wife with her hand over her mouth for most of it and then jump out of her skin when the telephone rings on screen. Great fun. Just don't let your children see it. John.
@@MyFireVideos I intended to mention the similarities SIGNS has to NIGHT OF THE LIVING DEAD but failed to do so. I'll leave that to you when you get around to recording a video about this 4K.
Great review John of a great film. Saw it at my local Warner Bros multiplex and loved it. Never got it on bluray but did purchase the dvd. Maybe time for an upgrade. Happy New Year John and wife. Cheers.
It's not TENET quality of course, but for a matted 1.85:1 35mm it gave me the impression of a premiere house master print screening. The DVD 22 years ago simply did not have the same impact. But I suppose the video projector I was using then was utter crap compared to what came along only a few years later. John.
@moviecollector5920 I had an old davis dl450 projector and the best resoluton it could give was via S Video with composite being the other although it was a dlp projector with the rainbow effect. Cost me 2k back in 98. How far we have come from those days..
@@darkvader7231 Video projection was so crap for so long that I never dreamed it would become as good as it has. I don't think it's up to cinema presentation but I have seen some exceptions. Because the quality of film prints was lowered so much they largely got away with it. John.
Saw Signs in the theatre and it was quite a different experience than watching it at home. To catch a thief looks amazing, I recently watched it and was surprised by the color, so vivid and detailed it really drew me into the world and made the film more immersive.
Evening Tim. SIGNS in here was watching it in a cinema. An amazing night. As for the VistaVision release 'To Catch A Thief', hopefully my explanation of 'North By Northwest' has confirmed why that does look as good as it does on 4K home video disc but if not, it's because it's VistaVision which is far and above any current video recording process used to shoot a movie. And as for the colour, it's IB Tech dye-transfer which was always the best. Kodak have tried to replicate the look of their own similar Kodachrome dye-transfer process in recent years but so far they haven't fully succeeded. And 3 strip Technicolor was superior to that. John.
Happy New Year. Another impressive episode - I agree with your three choices as being contenders for potential discs of the year. I agree that BFI disc Wages if Fear was great but maybe more of an honourable mention than top 10 contender. I look forward to seeing your final top ten.
I'd already concluded that I'd say something like that about Wages of Fear so good call there. Actually, there are a whole lot of them up there on the shelves that are impressive but probably not among the ten I consider to be the best. One of them is likely to be controversial though because hardly any copies seem to have been sold despite it being a big release at the time. John.
I would be fascinated to see you do a comparison between a 4K disc and the same movie streamed online with notionally the same specs as the disc. My experience is that the image quality and, particularly, the audio quality is never as good when streamed. Not all 4K, HDR, Dolby Atmos seems to be the same.
I have just replied to this but in case I haven't or it's gone missing... I think we only need to look at the difference in file size to know why 4K streaming is so comparably poor. If everyone streaming around the world were getting the enormous file sizes we enjoy from a 4K UHD home video disc then there wouldn't be an internet. Most people won't notice the difference in quality, of course, because they're watching on moderately sized tellies. The discs have to be projected as big as possible to get the best out of them. John.
Happy new year and thank you for all the videos during the year and hoping for more in ‘25. We appreciate that these take time especially the excellent Aliens video you did recently. Thanks again.
Happy new year to you too Ryglado. That second Aliens video was a bit over the top but it had to be done. I think it will prove to be worthwhile in the end but it will probably take a couple of years. John.
Thank you John for another year of interesting and insightful reviews, deep dives and behind the scenes. Wishing you a happy, healthy 2025 and looking forward to whatever comes next. All the best. 🎉🥂👍🏽
I was sold on the Signs disc based on your opening comments before your channel title… haha. I haven’t seen signs for donkey years, so sounds like I’m in for a treat. If I recall ‘High Society’ was shot on VistaVision… it’s a guilty favourite of mine and I wouldn’t mind a great 4K of that. All the best for 2025. Catch up soon. Cheers
Happy new year to you too Stephen and thanks for being here all year on every video. High Society was indeed VistaVision so that's why that one has always looked so good. Technicolor too by the look of it and you'll see all the information here but don't take too much notice of the aspect ratio because there were three different possibilities with VistaVision and I think 1.66:1 might have been the most commonly used: www.imdb.com/title/tt0049314/technical/?ref_=tt_spec_sm John.
Never seen it? Just sink into the couch, follow the story, and let the ending blow you away. It's a great movie, unlike most of the schlock they make today.
Happy new year Darth Revan. North By Northwest looks as good as it does not because of the transfer, because of the VistaVision origin. Now get back to it and have a good time! John.
Hello John. Yes I loved your review of Signs and the quick nod to N by NW plus wages of fear. None of which I have on 4K but I will at some point in time. So a happy new year my friend look forward to that next review. So good to see you on new years eve. Cheers Graham. PS, safely back in Mexico with the goodies I bought at HMV and Fopp in London.
Good to hear from you Graham and a happy new year to you all the way over there in the land of Tequila. I'll try to make a start on a 2024 round-up review video soon. It's been another good year for 4K home video releases but it has meant that HMV and FOPP have too much of my money! John.
Evening John. I never got to visit a drive-in when in the USA so I can only imagine how atmospheric it would have been to see SIGNS in one in 2002. Quite scary to be out there in the car watching something so gripping. John.
@@moviecollector5920 Does that mean you've never seen a movie at a drive in theater? It is a totally different atmosphere. The last drive in I saw was Apollo 13, which is a perfect movie to see in a drive in theater.
@@hxhdfjifzirstc894 Drive-in cinemas don't exist here. The weather sees to that. I did used to frequent an open air cinema in the south of France though which was different, particularly when a tropical rainstorm hit during the film. John.
Happy New Year. The Joe 90 TV series did a cheeky 'homage' to 'Wages of Fear' in the episode 'Colonel McClaine' - worth a look if you are a fan of the original or 'Sorcerer', it condenses the story to a half hour version...
I have never seen Signs but I will be getting it at some point. I did get both of the Hitchcock releases and they look superb. Keep up the good work John and a Happy New Year to everyone. Gaz.
I expect you already knew why they looked superb Gary, but not many people do and they tend to think it's all due to 'the transfer'. Sometimes I feel like I'm banging my head against a brick wall. A happy new year to you too. John.
@@garytilford6503 The Searchers looks brilliant on Blu-ray so you're going to be in for a treat. Just don't let anyone tell you it's 'the transfer'! The scenery vistas in that are going to look sensational. John.
And a Happy New Year to my favorite UA-cam channel (and it's creator of course) 😉 I wish you health, happiness, and lots of great cinematic experiences in 2️⃣0️⃣2️⃣5️⃣ Keep up the great work, John! Cheers from Germany 🥂
Happy New Year, John! My top three 4K releases of 2024 are in. The Crow (1994) and the other two are.... Suprise, suprise, Vista Vision titles: North By Northwest and John Ford's The Searchers. They're gorgeous. The ONLY thing holding the Searchers back from a 10/10 transfer is the mono track which I'm afraid doesn't sound as meaty as it should, which unfortunately a common thing with so many old movies on UHD. It's like Warner's ran the track through compression or something. I'm hoping you'll do a review of it at some point.
Happy new year to you too. I expect THE SEARCHERS has the original soundtrack on it. No doubt it's lost a little being converted into a binary computer file but if it doesn't sound as beefy as you'd hope, perhaps try to find a Stereo Retrieval System (SRS) separates processor to use with such home video releases in the future. I got a miniature SRS box about 30 years ago and although I don't use it with my THX sound systems, I do use it with Super 8 sound. The SRS mode option adds a lot of depth to all soundtracks. It's for analogue inputs only so if you're connecting everything via HDMI then that might cause even more expense but could be worth it for the benefits SRS brings. I don't think I'd have the problem through THX so hopefully THE SEARCHERS will get a release over here soon and then I'll be able to confirm that. John.
Happy New Year! By the by another transfer of "Wages Of Fear" is coming from Criterion. Should be interesting tho I am partial to BFI restorations. All the best!
Happy new year to you too Paul. Odd that Criterion would bother to issue something that's already been done by another of the respected home video labels. Perhaps they're hoping no one in the USA has purchased a copy. John.
Greetings to you, my friend. What a nice surprise to see you holding one of my most desired 4k bluray titles in North By Northwest. I own the previous bluray, and have always thought the film is a sight to see. I'll be looking forward to your video about The 4k, because I heard it puts the previous disc to the shame.
I have had a sneak peak at a few chapter starts of North By Northwest Timothy and it's a beauty as expected. VistaVision clarity + rich Technicolor.... perfect! John.
Great channel, caught up to the current videos now. Thank you so much for your hard work and effort you put into the channel. Have you got a 4K release of the 4 disc collectors set of JFK? Been looking at that one, looks very interesting as it comes from the original negative, plus given that the film uses various film stocks and types, Im really interested in seeing it if you have it John. Keep it up and Ill see you in the next one.
For some reason my reply doesn't seem to be showing up here Adam. In case you didn't get it via email I'm not the biggest fan of the film JFK, mainly because of the twisting of the facts to try to make it all fit the goal of the film. I can well believe an accidental shot from the guard on the rear of the car though as he swung around to look for where the shots were coming from so I don't exactly rule out all the so-called 'conspiracy theories'. I've watched JFK three times over the years and two of those screenings have been the Blu-ray but I just don't seem to get on with it. John.
@@moviecollector5920 fair enough. I was more thinking because of all the different film formats they used to make the film and how they would transfer to 4K HDR. No worries, maybe I will review it on my channel this year.
Not got either of the Hitchcock movies yet, but Signs and Wages of Fear are here waiting patiently to be watched. Your words on both are encouraging! Happy New Year 🎉
One thing to always bear in mind is that I rarely even look at these films on the telly unless there's something I need to check. What works well projected onto a fairly large screen may lose a hell of a lot of impact on even a moderately large sized telly. So get the room as black as possible and the sound up LOUD and you should have as good a time as we did. A happy new year to you too Dave. John.
@moviecollector5920 ah well... the TV is only 42", and the neighbours are just a terraced wall away, so loud is usually pretty quiet! 😅 Still, I usually enjoy my movies nonetheless! Cheers.
@@davebisney7075 Invite your neighbours round to watch it. That will negate any volume complaints! Get the room as black as possible though and I think you'll get close to the required effect. Maybe push the volume a little though or perhaps put your front speakers closer to you i.e. just in front of you.
Hi John! How lucky am I to be home sick today giving me the opportunity to be here some hrs before the New Yr turns for you guys over there. Everything for a reason eh? Ha ha well great review and I do like Signs. I can imagine that scene on your screen where they first glimpse the Alien. The look on JP's face in the film like you looking at your missus regarding the quality of the film and 4k lol... So great.. well Happy New yr to you guys and What a great yr it was. I do have my N by N copy delivered by Santa himself under my tree and only awaiting my unwrapping/opening and a diligent cleaning of the disk to avoid those skips thoroughout the viewing lol.. To many things to comment on so i'll end my yrs comments with the Vista vision take. Learning of this vista vision quality and first hand from my purchase of White Christmas to now owning North by Northwest and looking forward to perhaps purchasing The Searchers 4k (VV again) ..What a treat. I'll raise my glass of Cold medication shoot it back wish you happy new yr again and see you and all the subscribers on the other side... Many regards D in BC!!
Evening Dave. I hope you're feeling much better now, just don't drink any of that alcoholic booze like stuff until you're fully recovered. I've not been very well myself but much better today so knocked this review out more quickly than anything I've done in years. I think it will be an early night tonight so I'll wish you a happy new year and good health until we next converse on here. Enjoy North By Northwest and don't forget To Catch A Thief which is another VistaVision that may look even better owing to it being shot in the sunshine of the South of France. John.
Dolby Atmos didn't exist in 2002 so it wouldn't be right to have it on this disc. What you have is an accurate representation of this film as it was seen in top cinemas and in that regard it doesn't get much better. Remixing any earlier soundtrack into more channels often messes it up. John.
@@moviecollector5920 ya i get it .and understand it . I did like what they did with twister ,and atmos did not exist back then , they implemented it really well ,and with this movie there are sounds that would have been good over head , but still . great movies and i will buy it , thank you for all your reviews
Happy New Year John , love the channel , would love some Blu Ray reviews as I don't collect 4K and your channel is movie collector , just seems you dis a lot of the blur ray versions of your reviews, just an observation not a criticism I really love the channel. Maybe a top ten great Blu Ray section.
I have tried Blu-ray reviews but sadly there is minimal interest in them. Occasionally I include a Blu-ray within a video if there hasn't been a 4K release over here. John.
Just don't spend too much... then again! As for the latest Nosferatu remake, it's not IMAX so don't worry about that too much. But if you can get down to the BFI IMAX, seeing anything in there is still pretty special. The Science Museum IMAX Ronson Theatre is almost equally impressive too and you can stop to see JET1 on the short walk through the museum on the way to the IMAX there so that's an added incentive. And for those that don't know, JET1 was the first ever jet engine road car prototype. A Rover P5. John.
@@moviecollector5920 That's a double edged sword. We don't have any physical stores left where i live (closest is 1200km away in Stockholm) and Swedish customs only allow residents to take goods for a value of about £300 across the border. :D Yeah, I truly want the full IMAX experince when in London but then again it's a movie directed by Robert Eggers who made The Lighthouse so... :)
@@jresin_photo Robert Eggers hasn't made an IMAX film so there's nothing to be gained by going to see a faux IMAX screening. The local feapit will do just as well. John.
Is there a particular cinema you could recommend in London?? I guess everything is better than what we're used to but something real good would be nice.
@@jresin_photo The Prince Charles still screens a lot of film. It's an old style cinema and not exactly the most luxurious but you might enjoy a flick in there. It's just off Leicester Square. The Odeon Leicester Square is capable of screening film but doesn't do it very often. It is a beautiful old picture palace although unfortunately, it has lost most of its cinema seating now and the capacity is down from almost 2000 to around 600. If the BFI IMAX is screening a genuine IMAX then that's the one to go for. The Science Museum over in South Kensington (just up from Harrods in Knightsbridge) houses the Ronson Theatre which is also a genuine IMAX house so that's worth keeping an eye on too. That's about it these days I'm afraid but there are other good cinemas outside of the West End. John.
Love your channel John wages of fear is good but I love W FRIEDKIN'S sorcerer have the bluray and it is great but I can't wait for 4k also the searchers is out in 4k in America I believe it is amazing
Morning Mark. I watched the Blu-ray of Sorcerer a couple of years ago. I didn't think it matched up but that was probably because of the opening which simply didn't fit with the rest of the film. There is also a new film at cinemas in the USA that was shot in VistaVision. It's been released as a 70mm so assuming it was finished on film (but I sadly doubt it) it should be a bit of a stunner. John.
Hi John happy new year to you I love your reviews. I recently bought the 1940s northwest passage. On amazon us site. I watched it over the Christmas. I was taken back by the quality of this bluray the colours stand out so well. I recommend you give it a look. I would like to know what you think. Of this only available on amazon us. Thanks dg.
Happy new year to you too Derek. Unfortunately, I never, ever buy anything from Amazon so I'd have to find that on another web shop such as WowHD. The trouble is that it's so expensive to import a disc so I rarely do it. I'll have to wait and see if it gets a release over here sometime soon. As for the colour, it's probably dye-transfer IB Tech if it's that good. John.
john just been looking at your review last night in soho great movie heard so mutch about it never picked up untill i saw the 4k in hmv 9.99 bargin tc steve
@@miserableoldgit1411 One of the best films for years Steve. I was given the poster by the manager of FOPP in London when I asked if I could buy one as they had a pair of them on the wall. She went into her office and gave me a new one. Brilliant. One of the greatest films in a few decades and one of the greatest quad posters too. I think Last Night In Soho is going to grow and grow in stature as the years roll on. It was a bit of a flop in the cinema owing to the covid debacle. John.
Happy New Year John - glad you are continuing. By the way. I would be interested at some point if you have any thoughts on UHD, 4K etc streaming and how it compares to physical disk ? I know the playback would be through a TV, so totally understand if this is not really your bag and more into projector screening etc 👍🙂
I do occasionally stream something through the telly assuming it's free and I don't have to pay some sort of subscription or anything else. I wouldn't stream something I really wanted to see though. I certainly don't want to resort to streaming in the home cinema. To get near the quality of a 4K disc on a stream would required a massive file download which would mean pulling the file down first, storing it and then running it from that. Bugger that for a game of soldiers! Plus, streaming is such a bloody hassle and I spend enough time on computers as it is without spending any free time I get fiddling about with what is essentially another computer system. No, put the player on, insert the disc and press PLAY. John.
@@mikedonovan4768 There's another factor Mike; to stream the same quality as a 4K UHD disc would be so enormous that if it were even possible to chuck such a huge file down a fibre optic, it wouldn't take many people to be streaming such a huge volume of data and the whole internet would collapse in both directions meaning a possible, complete worldwide catastrophe. No wonder what people watch on a stream is so heavily compressed and I expect it's got to remain that way but with better algorithms doing the compressing.
@@moviecollector5920 That's really useful to know. Currently I have an LG OLED Tv and when streaming Amazon and Netflix in certain resolutions like 4K and UHD as assigned on the titles, sometimes the picture is absolutely stunning. It's interesting to know that in order to get the best quality, is to use the physical discs. Ultimately it means that I would need to really, really like a film to fork out £35 quid a time for a 4k film ! Thanks John 👍
@@mikedonovan4768 There aren't many disc releases that cost that much Mike. Usually the latest releases start at £25 but they quickly come down, depending on popularity, and end up in the 2 for £30 offer at your local branch of HMV. Special editions usually cost more of course. Purchasing a physical copy of a movie is far more help to the film industry than a stream. Going to the cinema to see a film is best of all but I understand that not many of us find that particularly attractive any longer given that few cinemas know how to present a movie to its best. There are exceptions and still some great, capable cinemas about. John.
Hi John, I was a little disappointed with the hdr on this disc,or should I say the lack of hdr,especially with this movie being one of my favourite Shyalaman movies,the dts was poor ,my receiver has never been dialled up so high just to get some sort of surround ambience in the cornfields at night scene, given its a demo worthy surround sound scene 😢
It was all excellent on my system but that's the difference between different systems. I probably adjusted the HDR level though because I check it with every single disc. I didn't notice any difference in the sound volume but I'm very much the same with that and tend to adjust the dial to suit with each different disc. Try to do that without looking at the level reading and you should get the best results. Excellent sound quality in here but they pretty much all are with a high end THX system. John.
I didn't want to do that Daniel. 2025 looks like it is going to be extremely difficult here in the UK. But I'm confident we'll get freedom and democracy back in the end. John.
just wanted to say I have always loved film as a generation xr 53 but for me it was just putting the blu ray in the player and that's it shame on me you taught me to I have to do the work with the 4k player and the LCD tv to get the most out of each film in terms checking off things for that I thank you I wish I could watch in film prints but out my money range
The films are out of my reach now too Kamandi but fortunately while I was working and earning pretty good money, I invested in many of the best Super 8 releases and some 35mm too and I still have all of those to enjoy over and over again along with the equipment required to screen them. And I still fiddle with settings before watching every 4K disc. It's the only way because they are all different. HDR being the biggest offender in that regard. John.
The Blu-ray looks to be an early release Blu-ray with a new disc face printed on it. I don't know what it was taken from but I would guess a 35mm general release print. The 4K evidently came from the original negative and has had superior mastering applied using superior modern video editing/grading software. It's like sitting in a premiere house watching a master print. If you watch on a telly then you may not get the full impact of it but however you watch, do not expect TENET quality because this is a matted 35mm 1.85:1 so comparatively low quality compared to full frame anamorphic 35mm and nowhere near the quality of large format films such as VistaVision. TENET, of course, was mainly shot genuine IMAX so that's why it's among the best few 4K discs available. I hope that clears it up for you. John.
I saw WAGES OF FEAR first and SORCERER came second, possibly as a result. But it was the nonsense opening of the later version of the story that rankled the most and I think that spoiled my enjoyment of the rest of it. John.
Hi John, one of my favorite movies of Shyamalan. i got the Steelbook together with the sixth sense before Christmas. i I wish you a happy new year and all the best for 2025.  Feedback Andere suchen auch nach
I don't think I'll be getting The Sixth Sense Jens but you never know. I found it a bit of a stunner the first time around but it's not a film that works twice. It's still a very good film though. A happy new year to you too. John.
When you watch the sixth sene more times, you pay attention to other little intersting things, but of course the surprise effect is the most special thing when you see it for the first time.
@@JensStelzer I've had the DVD since it was first issued and I have watched that a few times so I've picked up on all the little nuances. It's great but without that brilliant twist at the end being a surprise, it's never as good again. All films with a twist are the same though. John.
There have been some of the best movies ever made in the past ten years though so I don't think that's the reason - INTERSTELLAR for example. I may have been expecting something else in 2002 and it didn't meet my expectations. We all seem to have made that error at times. John.
The funny thing is Saint, can you imagine if we really did suddenly get visited by an alien race? The first thing that would happen is we'd have new viruses spreading through both races that would threaten our very existence. As I've grown up a little (ahem!) I've increasingly realized that any other intelligent species in the universe would have an impossible task finding us, let alone getting across seemingly infinite distances to visit. John.
It's just not your type of film Barry and given that Mr. Shyamalan always tries to make his films somewhat grounded and often with a twist of some sort, if you don't like one, you won't like any of them. But most of us do I think. A happy new year to you too. John.
I suspect you did not like the grand theme of the story, revealed in the ending. Otherwise, the movie is very well made, in every aspect. Complaining about the directing is quite odd. This movie is all about the story.
_Signs_ is a film that works on a visceral, emotional level, but if you apply even a modicum of critical thinking, the plot falls apart like a house of cards. It's ostensibly about an alien invasion, although some people have said the aliens are actually demons and the water is holy water. In either case, the logic the film goes with is laughable. God put the family through all this trauma just so they could wind up back where they started, minus the wife and mother. So nothing has been gained that they didn't already have in the first place, and a substantial loss has been incurred. And what about the millions of other people who died? God didn't care about them, apparently. How can aliens exist in a universe where the Christian God is real, anyway? Conversely, why would he allow a demon uprising? It's utterly moronic, no matter how you interpret it.
It's bloody good though. Clearly influenced by Night of the Living Dead but with aliens instead of zombies. As for aliens that dissolve when splashed with water, they'd never succeed with an invasion of England because it's always raining! I'm able to look through all the plot holes just as I do with nonsense like Jurassic Park and most other science fiction and adventure films. John.
IMO your opinion of the movie is exactly what I suspect makes the movie _Signs_ highly underrated. A lot of people have their own personal issues, that clash with the theme/message of the movie, preventing them from enjoying a true masterpiece film. Mel Gibson's character seemed to think exactly as you do... for most of the movie. Here's a tip for you, that 99% of people will never tell you. Atheism is nearly perfectly correlated with Daddy Issues (God is the ultimate paternal symbol). If someone wants to move past the flimsy pseudo-intellectualism, masking their emotional issues, they have to start by deleting every lie, that their mind is desperately holding on to. This is very difficult to do, because it feels great, to be smarter than God. But you simply cannot hear and process truth, when your mind is full of lies. Good luck, and I hope that you are someday emotionally free to enjoy this movie with your eyes open.
Another great review John, and Happy New Year :)
I’ve seen Signs a few times and enjoy this alien film despite its flaws. It has a decent storyline and I like the characters.
I think the biggest flaw is the fact that there is no way these aliens would be able to invade England because it never stops raining here. But it's a wonderfully entertaining film that keeps most on the edge of their seat. John.
A fantastic opening to this video, John. And a great, humorous ending to the review with the bank balance remark.
You and your wife are right, Signs is an absolutely brilliant film.
I got to see it in the cinema in 2002. Consequently, I can say for certain that you would've loved to see it on 35mm in the cinema. I'm glad you (and your wife) got close to having that experience with the 4K disc in your home cinema.
The scene with alien at the birthday party on the news broadcast is truly shocking. I remember thinking after that scene in the cinema in 2002 that if the Academy gave out Oscars to directors for 'Best Thriller Direction', then M. Night Shyamalan would've gotten it for Signs.
Evening Erik. You've made me think that I should go through all my cinema tickets just in case I did actually see Signs in the cinema. I can't remember doing so but can remember watching the DVD. Quite unusual for me not to remember a cinema outing but I was in an extremely stressful IT role in 2002 and on call just about all the time so I have an excuse. But even if I did see it in a cinema, it was thrilling to watch it anew in our home cinema and get the full excitement of a top quality cinema screening here.
Happy new year!
John.
@@moviecollector5920 I'd love to hear about it if you actually find a cinema ticket for Signs.
Happy new year, John.
Thanks, John, and wishing you a happy new year!
Thank you. A happy new year to you too. John.
great review. i need to see this again. have not seen Signs in forever.
I hadn't seen it since the DVD in 2002. Glad I hadn't as it might have spoiled this re-acquaintance all these years later. I saw a much more impressive film this time around. John.
I love signs, it's in my top 20 movies. I was looking at the 4k steelbook in hmv the other day for £35, but I come to the same conclusion as you it'll live on a shelf with the spine showing.
Thx for the video and a happy new year.
Happy new year to you too. I think you'll like the 4K of SIGNS. Don't expect TENET quality though because it's a matted 35mm and has a suitably muted look. I probably should have spoken about that a little but I was so impressed by its perfection in terms of looking like a premiere house master print struck directly off the negative that I assumed everyone would realize that... but they won't of course. Many think every cine transfer should be as good as another which is ridiculous but that's the way it seems to be. There are sharper, cleaner 1.85:1 35mm home video discs for sure, but that doesn't mean 'the transfer' is better than this one. It means the film looked sharper and even more of a fine grain than SIGNS did.
John.
I also have it in my top movies of all time, but Signs seems to be underrated by many people. I don't get it. Every detail is perfect.
I'm going to assume that the grand theme of the movie (revealed at the end) is something that many people are not willing to accept, and that leads to being underrated.
@@hxhdfjifzirstc894 I think it's just that we're all different and that we don't all think the same way about everything. Thank gawd too because what an awful world it would be if we did because there would be nothing to discuss and learn from. John.
Signs is such a brilliant film - I can’t wait to watch it in 4K! I’ve seen it many times and it still gives me the chills. Thank you for all the brilliant videos and looking forward to more in 2025. Happy new year!
Happy new year to you too. Now get out there and purchase that 4K disc of SIGNS!!! John.
Signs is one of my favorite movies of all time. There are several 'chills' scenes, which I normally don't like, but the movie is so good that I can appreciate them.
@@hxhdfjifzirstc894 It's very much like, or influenced by, Night Of The Living Dead. It's that claustrophobic nature that means it works so well. John.
Now that is a splendid Christmas sweater, well done my friend, and of course a splendid video. And a happy New Year to you and family. Love Signs but have seen it so many times on cable and streamed that I'll continue to hold off buying. North by Northwest more likely for purchase. Wages of Fear, saw it streamed on Criterion Channel and liked it, but the disc I bought was the William Friedkin remake, Sorcerer, and I like it more. Can't wait for your top 10!
A happy new year to you too Pete. North By Northwest looks fabulous so even if the film isn't entirely up your street, you'll be impressed with the VistaVision imagery.
John.
Excellent vid John, I'm a huge fan of Signs,its my favorite M Night film,looking forward to watching it...yeah it takes alot of time doing a top 10 list,I've just done my favourite releases of the year vid,its time consuming....Happy New Year to you and your family 😊
Happy new year to you too Marty. I will take a look at your review of 2024 video shortly... assuming it's up there already of course. John.
Wonderful release of a very underrated film. Some transfers need to be appreciated on a large screen. Like you I have a projector and 120” screen. We really enjoyed it
It does seem that some of these good 4K home videos don't work on tellies. I suppose that was always true with most films but I've already had one comment to say he was disappointed with this 4K. Seems a little strange to me but perhaps if you're expecting TENET quality you would be disappointed.
John.
@ it’s frustrating that a lot of the review channels only review 4K discs on 65” TV screens and bemoan negligible differences to Blu-ray releases. The format is highly dependant on the gear being used. I find remasters of natural film stock in particular are best viewed on larger screens with projectors rather than TV screens to enjoy the benefit. If you want to see a marvel to behold, check out the 4K release of The Searchers. It is incredible (possibly the best transfer ever) and will look amazing on your system. Will look forward to your review when you get hold of a copy. Mark
You're right that this movie is somewhat underrated -- only a 6.8 on IMDB, while I find it to be a 9/10 Low Masterpiece (an extremely rare rating).
I think some people just don't 'get' the movie. Not that it's hard to get, but a lot of people have issues, nowadays.
Great review as always John. I was sitting on the fence about purchasing Signs but I think you've persuaded me to add it to the pickup list. Surprisingly never seen it. Very much looking forward to the yearly review video when you get around around to it. Happy New year to you and your family
I hope you enjoy SIGNS as much as we did in here. Quite a surprise given I didn't think it was particularly brilliant before.
Happy new year Darren.
John.
_Signs_ is a quite underrated masterpiece movie. You are in for a treat. It's one of my top movies of all time. To be able to see it, for the first time, in 4K... you should make an event out of it, with your favorite dinner, etc. Don't miss any scenes! Put your phone away.
Happy New Year John.
A happy new year to you too.
@ 🤩
Great review once again. What projector do you have?
Currently mainly using Optoma UHZ50. John.
Happy New Year John. And all the best for yourself and the channel for 2025.
Thank you. A happy new year to you too. John.
Thanks for all the great vids this year John, happy new year to you!
Thank you Tom. A happy new year to you too. John.
Thank you John to put it simply I love your consultations on movie's happy new year sir and please keep them coming cheers
Happy new year to you too Paul and thank you. John.
Great review, as always, John! I'm looking forward to watching my copy!
Lights out and sound up to the maximum level you can bear. Then watch your wife with her hand over her mouth for most of it and then jump out of her skin when the telephone rings on screen. Great fun. Just don't let your children see it.
John.
@moviecollector5920 I first saw this on 35mm when I was working at the movie theater! I remember it being so captivating! The glory days of Shyamalan!
@@MyFireVideos 'Captivating' is a good word to describe the effect it has to draw us in. I wish I'd have used it in this review, damn it!
@@moviecollector5920 🤣I ALWAYS think of things to say in my reviews AFTER I've already uploaded them🤦🏾♂️. So I know how you feel!
@@MyFireVideos I intended to mention the similarities SIGNS has to NIGHT OF THE LIVING DEAD but failed to do so. I'll leave that to you when you get around to recording a video about this 4K.
Happy New Year to your family, John. Thanks for the excellent content over the year.
Happy new year to you too Robert. John.
Great review John of a great film. Saw it at my local Warner Bros multiplex and loved it. Never got it on bluray but did purchase the dvd. Maybe time for an upgrade. Happy New Year John and wife. Cheers.
It's not TENET quality of course, but for a matted 1.85:1 35mm it gave me the impression of a premiere house master print screening. The DVD 22 years ago simply did not have the same impact. But I suppose the video projector I was using then was utter crap compared to what came along only a few years later.
John.
@moviecollector5920 Yes, 22 years ago there were no hd projectors as such so it would have been SD projectors combined with dvd, also only SD.
@@darkvader7231 And the video projector I had was already about 7 or 8 years old even then.
@moviecollector5920 I had an old davis dl450 projector and the best resoluton it could give was via S Video with composite being the other although it was a dlp projector with the rainbow effect. Cost me 2k back in 98. How far we have come from those days..
@@darkvader7231 Video projection was so crap for so long that I never dreamed it would become as good as it has. I don't think it's up to cinema presentation but I have seen some exceptions. Because the quality of film prints was lowered so much they largely got away with it. John.
Saw Signs in the theatre and it was quite a different experience than watching it at home.
To catch a thief looks amazing, I recently watched it and was surprised by the color, so vivid and detailed it really drew me into the world and made the film more immersive.
Evening Tim. SIGNS in here was watching it in a cinema. An amazing night. As for the VistaVision release 'To Catch A Thief', hopefully my explanation of 'North By Northwest' has confirmed why that does look as good as it does on 4K home video disc but if not, it's because it's VistaVision which is far and above any current video recording process used to shoot a movie. And as for the colour, it's IB Tech dye-transfer which was always the best. Kodak have tried to replicate the look of their own similar Kodachrome dye-transfer process in recent years but so far they haven't fully succeeded. And 3 strip Technicolor was superior to that.
John.
All the best in 2024.
Have a great year w/movies & the channel.
Thank you Saint. A happy new year to you too. John.
Happy New Year.
Another impressive episode - I agree with your three choices as being contenders for potential discs of the year. I agree that BFI disc Wages if Fear was great but maybe more of an honourable mention than top 10 contender.
I look forward to seeing your final top ten.
I'd already concluded that I'd say something like that about Wages of Fear so good call there. Actually, there are a whole lot of them up there on the shelves that are impressive but probably not among the ten I consider to be the best. One of them is likely to be controversial though because hardly any copies seem to have been sold despite it being a big release at the time.
John.
Happy New Year John! Thank you for all your work in 2024!
Happy new year to you too Willmus. John.
I would be fascinated to see you do a comparison between a 4K disc and the same movie streamed online with notionally the same specs as the disc. My experience is that the image quality and, particularly, the audio quality is never as good when streamed. Not all 4K, HDR, Dolby Atmos seems to be the same.
I have just replied to this but in case I haven't or it's gone missing...
I think we only need to look at the difference in file size to know why 4K streaming is so comparably poor. If everyone streaming around the world were getting the enormous file sizes we enjoy from a 4K UHD home video disc then there wouldn't be an internet. Most people won't notice the difference in quality, of course, because they're watching on moderately sized tellies. The discs have to be projected as big as possible to get the best out of them.
John.
Happy new year and thank you for all the videos during the year and hoping for more in ‘25. We appreciate that these take time especially the excellent Aliens video you did recently. Thanks again.
Happy new year to you too Ryglado. That second Aliens video was a bit over the top but it had to be done. I think it will prove to be worthwhile in the end but it will probably take a couple of years.
John.
Thank you John for another year of interesting and insightful reviews, deep dives and behind the scenes. Wishing you a happy, healthy 2025 and looking forward to whatever comes next. All the best. 🎉🥂👍🏽
Happy new year to you too. I'm still working out a 4K review of 2024 video but it's coming soon. John.
I was sold on the Signs disc based on your opening comments before your channel title… haha. I haven’t seen signs for donkey years, so sounds like I’m in for a treat.
If I recall ‘High Society’ was shot on VistaVision… it’s a guilty favourite of mine and I wouldn’t mind a great 4K of that.
All the best for 2025. Catch up soon. Cheers
Happy new year to you too Stephen and thanks for being here all year on every video. High Society was indeed VistaVision so that's why that one has always looked so good. Technicolor too by the look of it and you'll see all the information here but don't take too much notice of the aspect ratio because there were three different possibilities with VistaVision and I think 1.66:1 might have been the most commonly used: www.imdb.com/title/tt0049314/technical/?ref_=tt_spec_sm
John.
Happy New Year to you John. Thanks for all your great content!
Happy new year to you too Colin. John.
Never seen this film. Will have to check it out. Happy New Year to you and your family.
I hope you enjoy it as much as we did Craig. A happy new year to you too. John.
Never seen it? Just sink into the couch, follow the story, and let the ending blow you away. It's a great movie, unlike most of the schlock they make today.
Great review as always, John. Wishing you a great 2025!
Thank you. And a happy new year to you too. John.
All the best for 2025 John! Here's to more great video reviews in the New Year! 🎞📽🎬
Thank you. A happy new year to you too. John.
Your channel has been a great discovery!! Thank you for your posts! Happy New Year!
A happy new year to you too Paul and thank you. John.
Happy new year John, i’m viewing north by Northwest for the first time and I’m very much enjoying the film along with this 4K transfer
Happy new year Darth Revan. North By Northwest looks as good as it does not because of the transfer, because of the VistaVision origin. Now get back to it and have a good time!
John.
@ VistaVision all the way!!!!
Great review again John. Happy new year! 👍
Thank you John. A happy new year to you too. John.
Hello John.
Yes I loved your review of Signs and the quick nod to N by NW plus wages of fear.
None of which I have on 4K but I will at some point in time. So a happy new year my friend look forward to that next review. So good to see you on new years eve.
Cheers Graham.
PS, safely back in Mexico with the goodies I bought at HMV and Fopp in London.
Good to hear from you Graham and a happy new year to you all the way over there in the land of Tequila. I'll try to make a start on a 2024 round-up review video soon. It's been another good year for 4K home video releases but it has meant that HMV and FOPP have too much of my money! John.
Thank you for your wonderful, professional and enjoyable reviews. Happy new year and all the best for 2025, keep doing what you're doing!
Thank you. And a happy new year to you too. John.
Ran this first run at the drive in I worked at. Great movie 🎬
Nice video Thanks
Evening John. I never got to visit a drive-in when in the USA so I can only imagine how atmospheric it would have been to see SIGNS in one in 2002. Quite scary to be out there in the car watching something so gripping.
John.
@@moviecollector5920 Does that mean you've never seen a movie at a drive in theater? It is a totally different atmosphere. The last drive in I saw was Apollo 13, which is a perfect movie to see in a drive in theater.
@@hxhdfjifzirstc894 Drive-in cinemas don't exist here. The weather sees to that. I did used to frequent an open air cinema in the south of France though which was different, particularly when a tropical rainstorm hit during the film. John.
@@moviecollector5920 ya they were fun
Happy New Year. The Joe 90 TV series did a cheeky 'homage' to 'Wages of Fear' in the episode 'Colonel McClaine' - worth a look if you are a fan of the original or 'Sorcerer', it condenses the story to a half hour version...
I can remember that episode although I probably haven't seen it in at least 45 years! A happy new year to you too. John.John.
I have never seen Signs but I will be getting it at some point. I did get both of the Hitchcock releases and they look superb. Keep up the good work John and a Happy New Year to everyone. Gaz.
I expect you already knew why they looked superb Gary, but not many people do and they tend to think it's all due to 'the transfer'. Sometimes I feel like I'm banging my head against a brick wall. A happy new year to you too. John.
@moviecollector5920 Thanks John, yes indeed. I have The Searchers 4k on the way from the US, also VistaVision, so should look great as well.
@@garytilford6503 The Searchers looks brilliant on Blu-ray so you're going to be in for a treat. Just don't let anyone tell you it's 'the transfer'! The scenery vistas in that are going to look sensational. John.
Signs is a must see, buddy.
Happy New Year, John! Wishing you well for 2025. I look forward to exploring more great films with you in the coming year.
A happy new year to you too Andy and thank you. John.
And a Happy New Year to my favorite UA-cam channel (and it's creator of course) 😉
I wish you health, happiness, and lots of great cinematic experiences in 2️⃣0️⃣2️⃣5️⃣
Keep up the great work, John!
Cheers from Germany 🥂
Thank you Nummer6. A happy new year to you too. John.
Happy New Year, John! My top three 4K releases of 2024 are in. The Crow (1994) and the other two are.... Suprise, suprise, Vista Vision titles: North By Northwest and John Ford's The Searchers. They're gorgeous. The ONLY thing holding the Searchers back from a 10/10 transfer is the mono track which I'm afraid doesn't sound as meaty as it should, which unfortunately a common thing with so many old movies on UHD. It's like Warner's ran the track through compression or something. I'm hoping you'll do a review of it at some point.
Happy new year to you too. I expect THE SEARCHERS has the original soundtrack on it. No doubt it's lost a little being converted into a binary computer file but if it doesn't sound as beefy as you'd hope, perhaps try to find a Stereo Retrieval System (SRS) separates processor to use with such home video releases in the future. I got a miniature SRS box about 30 years ago and although I don't use it with my THX sound systems, I do use it with Super 8 sound. The SRS mode option adds a lot of depth to all soundtracks. It's for analogue inputs only so if you're connecting everything via HDMI then that might cause even more expense but could be worth it for the benefits SRS brings. I don't think I'd have the problem through THX so hopefully THE SEARCHERS will get a release over here soon and then I'll be able to confirm that.
John.
Have a Happy New Year John and keep up the great content for 2025 👍.
Thank you Fred. A happy new year to you too. Ben was here a couple of days ago with his 35mm print of Cool Runnings.
We had great fun. John.
Happy New Year! By the by another transfer of "Wages Of Fear" is coming from Criterion. Should be interesting tho I am partial to BFI restorations. All the best!
Happy new year to you too Paul. Odd that Criterion would bother to issue something that's already been done by another of the respected home video labels. Perhaps they're hoping no one in the USA has purchased a copy.
John.
@@moviecollector5920 😄
Al the very best for the New year John 🎄🍻🎉👌
Thank you. A happy new year to you too. John.
Happy New Year!
And to you Rey. John.
Great job...... Happy New year John....all the best for 2025👍
Happy new year to you too Rob. 2025 looks like it's going to be good over there in the USA and hopefully that will help us over here too. John.
Greetings to you, my friend. What a nice surprise to see you holding one of my most desired 4k bluray titles in North By Northwest. I own the previous bluray, and have always thought the film is a sight to see. I'll be looking forward to your video about The 4k, because I heard it puts the previous disc to the shame.
I have had a sneak peak at a few chapter starts of North By Northwest Timothy and it's a beauty as expected. VistaVision clarity + rich Technicolor.... perfect! John.
@moviecollector5920 thanks for letting me know.
Happy New Year, John!
A happy new year to you too Jim. John.
Great channel, caught up to the current videos now. Thank you so much for your hard work and effort you put into the channel. Have you got a 4K release of the 4 disc collectors set of JFK? Been looking at that one, looks very interesting as it comes from the original negative, plus given that the film uses various film stocks and types, Im really interested in seeing it if you have it John. Keep it up and Ill see you in the next one.
For some reason my reply doesn't seem to be showing up here Adam. In case you didn't get it via email I'm not the biggest fan of the film JFK, mainly because of the twisting of the facts to try to make it all fit the goal of the film. I can well believe an accidental shot from the guard on the rear of the car though as he swung around to look for where the shots were coming from so I don't exactly rule out all the so-called 'conspiracy theories'. I've watched JFK three times over the years and two of those screenings have been the Blu-ray but I just don't seem to get on with it.
John.
@@moviecollector5920 fair enough. I was more thinking because of all the different film formats they used to make the film and how they would transfer to 4K HDR. No worries, maybe I will review it on my channel this year.
Happy New Year...
Thank you. A happy new year to you too. John.
Happy new year.
Happy new year to you too. John.
Not got either of the Hitchcock movies yet, but Signs and Wages of Fear are here waiting patiently to be watched. Your words on both are encouraging! Happy New Year 🎉
One thing to always bear in mind is that I rarely even look at these films on the telly unless there's something I need to check. What works well projected onto a fairly large screen may lose a hell of a lot of impact on even a moderately large sized telly. So get the room as black as possible and the sound up LOUD and you should have as good a time as we did.
A happy new year to you too Dave. John.
@moviecollector5920 ah well... the TV is only 42", and the neighbours are just a terraced wall away, so loud is usually pretty quiet! 😅 Still, I usually enjoy my movies nonetheless! Cheers.
@@davebisney7075 Invite your neighbours round to watch it. That will negate any volume complaints! Get the room as black as possible though and I think you'll get close to the required effect. Maybe push the volume a little though or perhaps put your front speakers closer to you i.e. just in front of you.
Happy new year John 🎉 keep the content coming.
Thank you David. A happy new year to you too. John.
Hi John! How lucky am I to be home sick today giving me the opportunity to be here some hrs before the New Yr turns for you guys over there. Everything for a reason eh? Ha ha well great review and I do like Signs. I can imagine that scene on your screen where they first glimpse the Alien. The look on JP's face in the film like you looking at your missus regarding the quality of the film and 4k lol... So great.. well Happy New yr to you guys and What a great yr it was. I do have my N by N copy delivered by Santa himself under my tree and only awaiting my unwrapping/opening and a diligent cleaning of the disk to avoid those skips thoroughout the viewing lol.. To many things to comment on so i'll end my yrs comments with the Vista vision take. Learning of this vista vision quality and first hand from my purchase of White Christmas to now owning North by Northwest and looking forward to perhaps purchasing The Searchers 4k (VV again) ..What a treat. I'll raise my glass of Cold medication shoot it back wish you happy new yr again and see you and all the subscribers on the other side... Many regards D in BC!!
Evening Dave. I hope you're feeling much better now, just don't drink any of that alcoholic booze like stuff until you're fully recovered. I've not been very well myself but much better today so knocked this review out more quickly than anything I've done in years. I think it will be an early night tonight so I'll wish you a happy new year and good health until we next converse on here. Enjoy North By Northwest and don't forget To Catch A Thief which is another VistaVision that may look even better owing to it being shot in the sunshine of the South of France.
John.
disappointing there is no ATMOS , this was one of my late husbands favorite movies . thank you for the content
Dolby Atmos didn't exist in 2002 so it wouldn't be right to have it on this disc. What you have is an accurate representation of this film as it was seen in top cinemas and in that regard it doesn't get much better. Remixing any earlier soundtrack into more channels often messes it up.
John.
@@moviecollector5920 ya i get it .and understand it . I did like what they did with twister ,and atmos did not exist back then , they implemented it really well ,and with this movie there are sounds that would have been good over head , but still . great movies and i will buy it ,
thank you for all your reviews
Happy New Year John , love the channel , would love some Blu Ray reviews as I don't collect 4K and your channel is movie collector , just seems you dis a lot of the blur ray versions of your reviews, just an observation not a criticism I really love the channel. Maybe a top ten great Blu Ray section.
I have tried Blu-ray reviews but sadly there is minimal interest in them. Occasionally I include a Blu-ray within a video if there hasn't been a 4K release over here. John.
Thank you!!!
You're welcome Gabriel. John.
Can't wait to go back to London in about a week and visit HMV and FOPP and perhaps get a glimps at Nosferatu in IMAX :) Thanks for another great one!
Just don't spend too much... then again! As for the latest Nosferatu remake, it's not IMAX so don't worry about that too much. But if you can get down to the BFI IMAX, seeing anything in there is still pretty special. The Science Museum IMAX Ronson Theatre is almost equally impressive too and you can stop to see JET1 on the short walk through the museum on the way to the IMAX there so that's an added incentive. And for those that don't know, JET1 was the first ever jet engine road car prototype. A Rover P5.
John.
@@moviecollector5920 That's a double edged sword. We don't have any physical stores left where i live (closest is 1200km away in Stockholm) and Swedish customs only allow residents to take goods for a value of about £300 across the border. :D Yeah, I truly want the full IMAX experince when in London but then again it's a movie directed by Robert Eggers who made The Lighthouse so... :)
@@jresin_photo Robert Eggers hasn't made an IMAX film so there's nothing to be gained by going to see a faux IMAX screening. The local feapit will do just as well. John.
Is there a particular cinema you could recommend in London?? I guess everything is better than what we're used to but something real good would be nice.
@@jresin_photo The Prince Charles still screens a lot of film. It's an old style cinema and not exactly the most luxurious but you might enjoy a flick in there. It's just off Leicester Square. The Odeon Leicester Square is capable of screening film but doesn't do it very often. It is a beautiful old picture palace although unfortunately, it has lost most of its cinema seating now and the capacity is down from almost 2000 to around 600. If the BFI IMAX is screening a genuine IMAX then that's the one to go for. The Science Museum over in South Kensington (just up from Harrods in Knightsbridge) houses the Ronson Theatre which is also a genuine IMAX house so that's worth keeping an eye on too. That's about it these days I'm afraid but there are other good cinemas outside of the West End.
John.
Happy New Year John - Andrei
Thank you Andrei. And a happy new year to you too. John.
Happy new year good sir.
Thank you Jesse. A happy new year to you too. John.
Love your channel John wages of fear is good but I love W FRIEDKIN'S sorcerer have the bluray and it is great but I can't wait for 4k also the searchers is out in 4k in America I believe it is amazing
Morning Mark. I watched the Blu-ray of Sorcerer a couple of years ago. I didn't think it matched up but that was probably because of the opening which simply didn't fit with the rest of the film.
There is also a new film at cinemas in the USA that was shot in VistaVision. It's been released as a 70mm so assuming it was finished on film (but I sadly doubt it) it should be a bit of a stunner.
John.
Hi John happy new year to you I love your reviews. I recently bought the 1940s northwest passage. On amazon us site. I watched it over the Christmas. I was taken back by the quality of this bluray the colours stand out so well. I recommend you give it a look. I would like to know what you think. Of this only available on amazon us. Thanks dg.
Happy new year to you too Derek. Unfortunately, I never, ever buy anything from Amazon so I'd have to find that on another web shop such as WowHD. The trouble is that it's so expensive to import a disc so I rarely do it. I'll have to wait and see if it gets a release over here sometime soon. As for the colour, it's probably dye-transfer IB Tech if it's that good.
John.
salut voila une bonne video de 4k et bonne annèe
Bonne année à toi aussi Alain. Merci d'être toujours là. John.
hi bud just found your site like it happy new year steve
Good to have you here Steve and happy new year. John.
john just been looking at your review last night in soho great movie heard so mutch about it never picked up untill i saw the 4k in hmv 9.99 bargin tc steve
@@miserableoldgit1411 One of the best films for years Steve. I was given the poster by the manager of FOPP in London when I asked if I could buy one as they had a pair of them on the wall. She went into her office and gave me a new one. Brilliant. One of the greatest films in a few decades and one of the greatest quad posters too. I think Last Night In Soho is going to grow and grow in stature as the years roll on. It was a bit of a flop in the cinema owing to the covid debacle. John.
Happy New Year John - glad you are continuing. By the way. I would be interested at some point if you have any thoughts on UHD, 4K etc streaming and how it compares to physical disk ? I know the playback would be through a TV, so totally understand if this is not really your bag and more into projector screening etc 👍🙂
I do occasionally stream something through the telly assuming it's free and I don't have to pay some sort of subscription or anything else. I wouldn't stream something I really wanted to see though. I certainly don't want to resort to streaming in the home cinema. To get near the quality of a 4K disc on a stream would required a massive file download which would mean pulling the file down first, storing it and then running it from that. Bugger that for a game of soldiers! Plus, streaming is such a bloody hassle and I spend enough time on computers as it is without spending any free time I get fiddling about with what is essentially another computer system. No, put the player on, insert the disc and press PLAY.
John.
@@moviecollector5920 Thanks a lot for that reply ! Yes I see where you are coming from regarding the downloading etc. 👍
@@mikedonovan4768 There's another factor Mike; to stream the same quality as a 4K UHD disc would be so enormous that if it were even possible to chuck such a huge file down a fibre optic, it wouldn't take many people to be streaming such a huge volume of data and the whole internet would collapse in both directions meaning a possible, complete worldwide catastrophe. No wonder what people watch on a stream is so heavily compressed and I expect it's got to remain that way but with better algorithms doing the compressing.
@@moviecollector5920 That's really useful to know. Currently I have an LG OLED Tv and when streaming Amazon and Netflix in certain resolutions like 4K and UHD as assigned on the titles, sometimes the picture is absolutely stunning. It's interesting to know that in order to get the best quality, is to use the physical discs. Ultimately it means that I would need to really, really like a film to fork out £35 quid a time for a 4k film ! Thanks John 👍
@@mikedonovan4768 There aren't many disc releases that cost that much Mike. Usually the latest releases start at £25 but they quickly come down, depending on popularity, and end up in the 2 for £30 offer at your local branch of HMV. Special editions usually cost more of course. Purchasing a physical copy of a movie is far more help to the film industry than a stream. Going to the cinema to see a film is best of all but I understand that not many of us find that particularly attractive any longer given that few cinemas know how to present a movie to its best. There are exceptions and still some great, capable cinemas about. John.
Hi John, I was a little disappointed with the hdr on this disc,or should I say the lack of hdr,especially with this movie being one of my favourite Shyalaman movies,the dts was poor ,my receiver has never been dialled up so high just to get some sort of surround ambience in the cornfields at night scene, given its a demo worthy surround sound scene 😢
It was all excellent on my system but that's the difference between different systems. I probably adjusted the HDR level though because I check it with every single disc. I didn't notice any difference in the sound volume but I'm very much the same with that and tend to adjust the dial to suit with each different disc. Try to do that without looking at the level reading and you should get the best results. Excellent sound quality in here but they pretty much all are with a high end THX system.
John.
"Get your wallets out and hurt that bank balance once more." Wow, I'm stealing that one 😂
Well, I'm skint again but that's par for the course these days Dom. John.
You forgot to wish us a happy new year before closing the video
I didn't want to do that Daniel. 2025 looks like it is going to be extremely difficult here in the UK. But I'm confident we'll get freedom and democracy back in the end. John.
just wanted to say I have always loved film as a generation xr 53 but for me it was just putting the blu ray in the player and that's it shame on me you taught me to I have to do the work with the 4k player and the LCD tv to get the most out of each film in terms checking off things for that I thank you I wish I could watch in film prints but out my money range
The films are out of my reach now too Kamandi but fortunately while I was working and earning pretty good money, I invested in many of the best Super 8 releases and some 35mm too and I still have all of those to enjoy over and over again along with the equipment required to screen them.
And I still fiddle with settings before watching every 4K disc. It's the only way because they are all different. HDR being the biggest offender in that regard.
John.
Captain Kronos 4k special edition collector's set on pre order 😊
I did see that film when I was a child Gary but I rarely enjoy the old horrors any longer. I hope you have a great time with it. John.
Thanks! Would you please explain in what ways the 4k of Signs is better than the blu ray???????????????
The Blu-ray looks to be an early release Blu-ray with a new disc face printed on it. I don't know what it was taken from but I would guess a 35mm general release print. The 4K evidently came from the original negative and has had superior mastering applied using superior modern video editing/grading software. It's like sitting in a premiere house watching a master print. If you watch on a telly then you may not get the full impact of it but however you watch, do not expect TENET quality because this is a matted 35mm 1.85:1 so comparatively low quality compared to full frame anamorphic 35mm and nowhere near the quality of large format films such as VistaVision. TENET, of course, was mainly shot genuine IMAX so that's why it's among the best few 4K discs available.
I hope that clears it up for you.
John.
"Wages of fear" great film.But somehow "Sorcerer" wich is a remake manages to supersede it in my humble opinion
I saw WAGES OF FEAR first and SORCERER came second, possibly as a result. But it was the nonsense opening of the later version of the story that rankled the most and I think that spoiled my enjoyment of the rest of it.
John.
Attack here ↗️ whoop’s wrong film that was scary movie
I saw Scary Movie for the first time this year. Terrible, but not surprising I suppose as that was clearly the intention. John.
@ it was the 3rd film that was influenced by signs
@@neiltaylor6645 Aha! I'd probably find that one interesting then. John.
Hi John, one of my favorite movies of Shyamalan. i got the Steelbook together with the sixth sense before Christmas. i I wish you a happy new year and all the best for 2025.

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I don't think I'll be getting The Sixth Sense Jens but you never know. I found it a bit of a stunner the first time around but it's not a film that works twice. It's still a very good film though.
A happy new year to you too. John.
When you watch the sixth sene more times, you pay attention to other little intersting things, but of course the surprise effect is the most special thing when you see it for the first time.
@@JensStelzer I've had the DVD since it was first issued and I have watched that a few times so I've picked up on all the little nuances. It's great but without that brilliant twist at the end being a surprise, it's never as good again. All films with a twist are the same though. John.
You are right John, but the acting is great, too. Today i was watching Gladiator 2 at cinema. Did you see it and do you like IT?
A question John?, wages of fear is the Version with Yves Montand? The version from 1953 is great movie. In my collection is only the DVD.
I think Signs being better for you this time is because of how bad movies have been over the past 10 years
There have been some of the best movies ever made in the past ten years though so I don't think that's the reason - INTERSTELLAR for example. I may have been expecting something else in 2002 and it didn't meet my expectations. We all seem to have made that error at times.
John.
Hilarious you think a "man in a suit" as an alien is more believable/"real-world".
You might be right tho!
LOL
The funny thing is Saint, can you imagine if we really did suddenly get visited by an alien race? The first thing that would happen is we'd have new viruses spreading through both races that would threaten our very existence. As I've grown up a little (ahem!) I've increasingly realized that any other intelligent species in the universe would have an impossible task finding us, let alone getting across seemingly infinite distances to visit.
John.
I didn't like it.mr Night is probably the worst film director working today. In my opinion Anyway have a great New year john
It's just not your type of film Barry and given that Mr. Shyamalan always tries to make his films somewhat grounded and often with a twist of some sort, if you don't like one, you won't like any of them. But most of us do I think. A happy new year to you too. John.
I suspect you did not like the grand theme of the story, revealed in the ending. Otherwise, the movie is very well made, in every aspect.
Complaining about the directing is quite odd. This movie is all about the story.
_Signs_ is a film that works on a visceral, emotional level, but if you apply even a modicum of critical thinking, the plot falls apart like a house of cards. It's ostensibly about an alien invasion, although some people have said the aliens are actually demons and the water is holy water. In either case, the logic the film goes with is laughable. God put the family through all this trauma just so they could wind up back where they started, minus the wife and mother. So nothing has been gained that they didn't already have in the first place, and a substantial loss has been incurred. And what about the millions of other people who died? God didn't care about them, apparently. How can aliens exist in a universe where the Christian God is real, anyway? Conversely, why would he allow a demon uprising? It's utterly moronic, no matter how you interpret it.
It's bloody good though. Clearly influenced by Night of the Living Dead but with aliens instead of zombies. As for aliens that dissolve when splashed with water, they'd never succeed with an invasion of England because it's always raining! I'm able to look through all the plot holes just as I do with nonsense like Jurassic Park and most other science fiction and adventure films.
John.
IMO your opinion of the movie is exactly what I suspect makes the movie _Signs_ highly underrated.
A lot of people have their own personal issues, that clash with the theme/message of the movie, preventing them from enjoying a true masterpiece film.
Mel Gibson's character seemed to think exactly as you do... for most of the movie. Here's a tip for you, that 99% of people will never tell you. Atheism is nearly perfectly correlated with Daddy Issues (God is the ultimate paternal symbol). If someone wants to move past the flimsy pseudo-intellectualism, masking their emotional issues, they have to start by deleting every lie, that their mind is desperately holding on to. This is very difficult to do, because it feels great, to be smarter than God. But you simply cannot hear and process truth, when your mind is full of lies. Good luck, and I hope that you are someday emotionally free to enjoy this movie with your eyes open.
Happy New Year John.
Happy new year to you too Stephen. John.