The Reference List

This list is based on the transfer of the film to Blu Ray and how it replicates the cinema look.

Film is a beautiful medium and should be treated with respect which means being faithful to the director or cinematographers intent when transferring the film to Blu Ray.

For the first time ever we are able to replicate the cinema experience in our homes and this thread is dedicated to this hobby and to the enjoyment we all get from collecting our favorite films.

Titles on the reference list will have a film like look with very little issues. There may be extremely small issues lasting several seconds but this would not disqualify the film from the list.

The Reference List – Highly Recommended Blu Ray Releases
These films are considered to closely reproduce the look of the original film

Any Given Sunday

*Film like image

*Visible grain structure intact

*Transfer Quality 9/10

*Sound Mix 8/10

*Click here for my review of the film

A Passage To India
*Grain structure intact
*Film like image

Armageddon

*Film like and detailed image

*Transfer Quality 9.2/10

*Sound Mix 8.8/10

*Click for Armageddon screencaps here

Avatar

*Excellent detailed image

*Transfer Quality 9.4/10

*Sound Mix 9.5/10

*Click for Avatar blu ray review

Big Trouble In Little China
*Grain structure intact
*Razor sharp detailed image

Black Narcissus

*Grain structure intact
*Fabulous color photography
*Detailed and film like presentation

Blade Runner - Theatrical, Directors Cut and the International Theatrical Cut

Body Heat
*Film like detailed image
*Shot film noir with a deliberate soft lensed look

Body Of Lies
*Fine detailed film like transfer
*Grain structure intact

Braveheart
*Very film like and extremely detailed image
*One of the best releases on the Blu Ray format
*Grain structure intact

*Transfer Quality 9/10

*Sound Mix 8/10

Butch Cassidy and the Sundance Kid
*Grain structure intact
*Shot with a softer focus which some have mistaken for DNR
*Pleasing film like image but could do with restoration work on the print

Casino Royale
*Director approved release with moderate grain structure
*Detailed and pleasing film like image

*Transfer Quality 9/10

*Sound Mix 8.5/10

*Click here for screencaps from the film

Changeling
*Film like Image

*Transfer Quality Rating 9/10

*Sound Quality Rating 7.5/10

Close Encounters Of The Third Kind
*Grain structure is intact
*Pleasing film like presentation

Crash
*Grain structure intact
*Softer lensed look believed to be intentional

Death Proof

*Intentional worn film print look during the first half of the film

*Transfer Quality 9/10

*Sound Mix 7.5/10

*Click here for screencaps from the film

Defiance

*Good detailed film like image

*Transfer Quality 9.2/10

*Sound Mix 8.5/10

*Region Coded B

*Click here for screencaps from the film

Dirty Harry
*Film grain structure intact
*Detailed film like image

Franklyn

*Fine film grain structure intact
*Beautiful looking film

Get Smart

*Good detail levels

*Lossy Dolby Digital 640kbp/s instead of lossless audio

*Transfer Quality 9/10

*Sound Mix 7/10

*Click here for screencaps from the film

Ghandi

*Film grain intact

Ghost
*Light grain structure intact
*Film like appearance
*Highly recommended catalog release

*Transfer Quality 9.2/10

*Sound Mix 8/10

*Click here for screencaps

Ghostbusters
*Cinematographer approved transfer
*Retains grain structure for detailed cinematic image
*Contrast boosting in some scenes may not be approved by all

*Transfer Quality 9/10

*Sound Mix 7/10

G.I. Joe: The Rise Of Cobra

*Highly detailed image

*Looks very good

*Transfer Quality 9.5/10

*Sound Mix 8/10

*Click here for screencaps and click here for my review of the film

Godzilla

*Light grain structure intact

*Pleasing film like image

*Transfer Quality 9/10

*Sound Mix 8.5/10

*Click here for screencaps

Gone With The Wind

*Fabulous restoration by Warner Bros

*Pleasing film like image

*Transfer Quality 9.3/10

*Sound Mix 7/10

*Click for some blu ray screencaps of Gone With The Wind

*Click for a blu ray movie review of Gone With The Wind

Gran Torino

*Barely visible light grain

*Transfer Quality 9/10

*Sound Mix 5/10

*Click for blu ray screencaps of Gran Torino

Harry Potter and The Half Blood Prince

*Very good transfer of an intentionally dark movie

*Transfer Quality 9/10

*Sound Mix 8/10

*Click here for screencaps from the film

Hellboy – Directors Cut

*Light grain structure intact
*Highly detailed film like image
*Fabulous colors and contrast range

*Transfer Quality 9/10

*Sound Mix 9/10

Hellboy II – The Golden Army
*Light grain structure intact
*Detailed film like image

*Transfer Quality 9/10

*Sound Mix 9.5/10

How The West Was Won

*Shot in 70mm Cinerama format
*Highly detailed image with great depth of field
*Just a tiny hint of edge enhancement in the Cinerama version
*Colors are strong and bold

*Transfer Quality 9/10

*Sound Mix 9/10

Iron Man
*Film grain intact and a highly detailed image

*Transfer Quality 9.5/10

*Sound Mix 9/10

*Click here for my review of the film

*You can view screencaps by clicking here

Kingdom Of Heaven
*Grain structure intact
*Pleasing film like image
*Gorgeous cinematography

*Transfer Quality 9/10

*Sound Mix 9/10

L.A. Confidential

*Looked film like and i felt the image was true to the source material

*Transfer Quality 9/10

*Sound Mix 7.5/10

*Click here for screencaps from the film

Law Abiding Citizen

*Detailed film like image

*Transfer Quality 9/10

*Sound Mix 8.2/10

*Click for blu ray screencaps of Law Abiding Citizen

Mad Max 2 – The Road Warrior

*Medium to sometimes heavy grain structure is intact
*Retains it's film look

*Transfer Quality 9/10

*Sound Mix 3/10

Manhunter
*Natural grain structure intact
*Great looking eighties film
*Retains the film look

*Transfer Quality 9/10

*Sound Mix 6/10

National Treasure: Book Of Secrets

*Pleasing film like image
*Transfer Quality 9/10
*Sound Mix 8/10

Outlander
*Detailed image
*Light grain structure intact

*Transfer Quality 9/10

*Sound Mix 9.5/10

*Region B edition

Pan's Labyrinth – UK Release
*Detailed film like image
*Grain structure intact

*Transfer Quality 9/10

*Sound Mix 6/10

*UK sound is not lossless and just plain Dolby 5.1

Pirates Of The Caribbean – Dead Man's Chest
*Very light grain structure is intact
*Highly detailed film like image

*Transfer Quality 9.5/10

*Sound Mix 9/10

Pirates Of The Caribbean – At World's End
*Very light grain structure is intact
*Highly detailed film like image

*Transfer Quality 9/10

*Sound Mix 9.5/10

Poltergeist

*Grain structure intact
*Detailed and film like look

*Transfer Quality 9/10

*Sound Mix 7.5/10

*Click here for a review of the film

Push

*Good detail in the image

*Transfer Quality 9.2/10

*Sound Mix 9/10

*Click here for screencaps from the film

Quantum Of Solace
*Grain structure intact
*Good looking film

*Transfer Quality 9/10

*Sound Mix 9.5/10

Rambo
*Grain structure is intact
*Film like image with bold contrast range

*Transfer Quality 9/10

*Sound Mix 8.5/10

Resident Evil – Extinction
*Fine light grain structure intact
*High quality film like image

*Transfer Quality 9/10

*Sound Mix 9/10

Requiem For A Dream – Lionsgate 2009 Release Only
*Film grain intact
*Faithful transfer with very pleasing film like image quality

*Transfer Quality 9/10

*Sound Mix 7/10

Robin Hood: Prince Of Thieves

*Film like image

*Grain structure intact

*Transfer Quality 9/10

*Sound Mix 8/10

*Click here for screencaps

Romancing The Stone
*Grain structure intact
*Pleasing film like image
*One of the better looking catalog titles from the eighties

*Transfer Quality 9.5/10

*Sound Mix 7.5/10

*Click here for screencaps

Saving Private Ryan

*Film grain intact and image detail levels are high

*Looks and sounds fantastic

*Transfer Quality 9.4/10

*Sound Mix 9.5/10

*Click for blu ray screencaps of Saving Private Ryan

Serenity
*Grain structure intact
*Gorgeous looking film with high levels of detail present in the image

*Transfer Quality 9/10

*Sound Mix 9/10

Sleepy Hollow - Japanese Release
*Grain structure intact
*Stylistic film photography looks fabulous and works well for this type of story

*Transfer Quality 9/10

*Sound Mix 8/10

Shoot 'Em Up
*Grain structure intact
*Stylistic cinematography choices look great but may not please everyone
*Highly detailed image

*Transfer Quality 9.5/10

*Sound Mix 9.2/10

*Click for blu ray screencaps of Shoot Em' Up

Silent Hill – ( German Edition )
*Detailed film like image
*Fine film grain intact

*Transfer Quality 9/10

*Sound Mix 9/10

South Pacific
*Film grain structure beautifully preserved
*Detailed image with original color tint intact

*Transfer Quality 9.5/10

*Sound Mix 7/10

Star Trek ( 2009 )
*Light grain structure intact
*Detailed image

*Transfer Quality 9.5/10

*Sound Mix 8.5/10

Click here for my review of the film

View some screencaps from the film here.

Star Trek II – The Wrath Of Khan
*Grain structure mostly intact
*Detail levels high
*Blue tint to some scenes may upset purists of original DVD release

*Transfer Quality 9/10

*Sound Mix 7/10

Sunshine
*Fine grain structure
*Detailed and beautiful image quality

*Transfer Quality 9/10

*Sound Mix 9/10

Terminator: Salvation

*Good detail levels and nice film look

*Tranfser Quality 9/10

*Sound Mix 9.5/10

*UK Sony/Columbia disc

*Click here for screencaps from the film

The Bird With The Crystal Plumage
*Grain structure fully intact
*Fabulous looking Argento classic

*Transfer Quality 9/10

*Sound Mix 5/10

The Chronicles Of Narnia – Prince Caspian

*Film like and detailed image

*Transfer Quality 9.5/10

*Sound Mix 9/10

The Descent - AVC American and Australian editions only

*Retains grain structure
*Some chroma errors reported during opening title sequence
*Film like and detailed image
*An MPEG 2 edition exists which has been degrained – Avoid this one
*An Australian edition available without chroma errors but different contrast levels – This is the best edition to date

*Transfer Quality 9/10

*Sound Mix 9/10

The Godfather
*Grain structure intact
*Film like presentation

*Transfer Quality 9/10

*Sound Mix 4/10

The Godfather Part II
*Grain structure intact
*Film like presentation

*Transfer Quality 9/10

Sound Mix 4/10

The Godfather Part III
*Lighter grain structure than first two movies but grain structure intact
*Film like presentation

*Transfer Quality 9/10

*Sound Mix 6/10

The Hunt For Red October
*Grain structure intact
*Detailed film like image

Transfer Quality 9/10

*Sound Mix 7/10

The Hurt Locker

*Detailed cinematic image quality

*Grainy look of the movie might not appeal to all

*Transfer Quality 9.5/10

*Sound Mix 9/10

*Click here for screencaps from the film

The International
*Outstanding fine detail
*Grain structure intact
*Superb and pleasing image

*Transfer Quality 9/10

*Sound Mix 8/10

The Mummy: Tomb Of The Dragon Emperor
*Film like image which is highly detailed
*Light grain structure mostly invisible to the eye

*Transfer Quality 9/10

*Sound Mix 9.5/10

*Click here for my review of the film

The Professionals

*Film like image

*Grain structure intact

*Transfer Quality 9/10

*Sound Mix 7/10

*Click here for screencaps and click here for my review of the film

The Sand Pebbles
*Grain structure intact
*Pleasing film like image

*Transfer Quality 9/10

*Sound Mix 6/10

The Searchers
*Film like image

*Optically induced ringing in some scenes

*Transfer Quality 9/10

*Sound Mix 3/10

*Click here for screencaps

The Seventh Seal
*Film grain structure intact
*Absolutely stunning classic B&W film

*Transfer Quality 9/10

*Sound Mix 3/10

The Spirit

*Very detailed image

*Transfer Quality 9.5/10

*Sound Mix 8/10 – Quality of sound refers only to UK Rental disc with 640kbp/s Dolby Digital track

The Texas Chainsaw Massacre ( 1974 original )
*Grain structure intact
*Film like presentation shot using 16mm film stock

*Transfer Quality 9/10

*Sound Mix 5/10

The Third Man
*B/W film with grain structure intact
*Beautiful film like image

*Transfer Quality 9/10

*Sound Mix 3/10

The Wizard Of Oz

*Fantastic classic film now breathtakingly restored for Blu Ray
*Grain structure intact
*Film like presentation

*Transfer Quality 9/10

*Sound Mix 7/10

*Click here for screencaps and click here for my review of the film

The X Files: I Want To Believe

*Film like image which looks good

*Transfer Quality 9/10

*Sound Mix 9/10

*Click here for screencaps from the film

Tropic Thunder

*Nice film like image

*Grain structure intact

*Transfer Quality 9/10

*Sound Mix 9/10

Valkyrie

*Detailed image

*Film like presentation

*Transfer Quality 9/10

*Sound Mix 9/10

*Click here for screencaps

Wanted

*Light grain structure is intact

*Detailed and film like image with striking cinematography choices

*Mostly shot using 35mm film but some scenes shot digital with new 4K Red camera

*Transfer Quality 9/10

*Sound Mix 9/10

*Click here for screencaps

Zodiac

*Excellent high definition detail

*Transfer Quality 9.5/10

*Sound Mix 8/10

*Click here for screencaps from the film

30 Days Of Night
*Looks film like and detailed

*Transfer Quality 9/10

*Sound Mix 8/10

*Click here for screencaps from the film

300
*Heavy film grain structure which was added post production
*Highly stylistic look which will not please everyone
*Detailed image with fabulous cinematography

*Transfer Quality 9/10

*Sound Mix 9/10

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