DEEP IMPACT 4K UHD BLU-RAY REVIEW 

It's one of those rare series where you just have to get to the end. It's like a great book that you simply cannot put down and it does not disappoint at any stage. The best of all Stephen King's book adaptations perhaps. John.

Kind of you to say Robert. Other opinions are available of course and there are some knowledgeable people out there who focus on different aspects of a home movie disc to me that many find more interesting. I always find myself thinking about and then talking about the film in question and why it looks and sounds the way it does on a Blu-ray or 4K UHD release. This is because I've been collecting real film most of my life and as a result, when seeing films in cinemas I've always found myself studying the image quality. Also, writing film reviews for a few collector magazines in the past helped. John.

I can't wait to see what you've done over there Rob. Deep Impact on 4K would be a good premiere. It's not the best ever 4K disc by any stretch but it is damned good and even more amazing when you consider it was only shot Super 35. John.

I'm glad you're enjoying it Gary. It doesn't let up so I think you'll be as fixated on it as we both were. A great ending too so it shouldn't disappoint at all. John.

I don't think it's the transfer Gregor because I remember it looking pretty darned wonderful in The Empire. The video editors, colourists and graders did well with the cine transfer though. It looks just like a film and that's all we can ever ask for. John.

And that scene was very well set up earlier too. What a cast and what a film. They don't make 'em like that any longer... but 'Greenland' has just been recommended to me again so just maybe they do. John.

agreed, their last scene is so emotional

I think you'll like it Dave. It doesn't have too many of the 'all-star cast' problems that plague other disaster movies as it merely uses each cast member in a part to do what is needed rather than creating all sorts of soap opera rubbish to flesh their parts out. It's not perfect but I can't think of a better disaster movie. The Day After Tomorrow is on good suggestion but that does have the negative of ramming the global warming theories down our throats which tends to get on my nerves a bit. John.

I don't think many people will be disappointed with this one. What a treat for the eyes... and the ears! John.

It's not perfect Protheus but I don't think there has been a better disaster movie. The Day After Tomorrow is one possibility that I've been reminded about but I still think Deep Impact might be better in most respects. John.

Good grief, Meteor! What a terrible film but I'd still like to see it on 35mm Simon. That might just change my opinion of it. John.

I think you'll be pleased you did Raymond. One of the best of the year so far methinks. John.

It was my pleasure Daniel. A great disaster movie... possibly the best. John.

From what people have told me on here, it's more of a popcorn flick. Sometimes that's what we want. John.

Transfers are rarely screwed up Lenny but other things can go wrong. The scanners being used now do seem to be much better than years ago but if the film didn't look any good when shot then it can still look comparatively poor today. This ain't one of 'em! John.

Yes, I'd like to see that video too Paul! The chaps are in demand because they're good and trustworthy so it might still be a while. John.

@moviecollector5920 That's good to hear , it's always a good sign when builders are busy ,it's a guarantee there work is top class , Paul .

@@paulcadman3562 And these chaps never advertise either. I just spotted some work they'd done in the next street, saw what a good job it was and stopped to talk to them. It's funny how things work out a lot of the time. John.

@moviecollector5920 well done sometimes good things are round the corner , Paul

For 3D to work a film really has to be shot in 3D. It seems so obvious to me when they're fabricated and sub-standard. But just occasionally there are shots in a faux 3D film that work extremely well. I think the comet crashing into the Earth might have been one of them so I get what you're saying. John.

@@moviecollector5920 indeed but .... Terminator 2 for example wasn't shot in 3D in 91 but the 3D transfer they made few years ago to it was truely spectacular, I watch it on my LG oled 3D tv and was amazing for a fake 3D movie, really if you haven't seen it in 3D and u have a 3D tv or projector buy it and experience it in 3D, it blew out my mind, I was truely surprised how great it turned out to be. So I guess they could do the same thing with "Deep impact" aswell.

@@insanelook exactly t2 was a Nice looking 3d conversion.

Both of those were good but I think Dante's Peak is the better film. It was terrific at The Empire.

Thank you for such a comprehensive list Daniel. I hadn't put all of those together previously. Dante's Peak/Volcano and Tombstone/Wyatt Earp were probably the only pairings I'd been fully aware of. Wyatt Earp didn't get a warm reception as I recall and yet I think it's Kevin Costner's best other than perhaps Open Range. Only one of your 4K's that you gave me still to watch and that's Crouching Tiger. I have dipped into it quite a few times though. See you soon for OPPENHEIMER hopefully. John..

You're welcome Craig.

Speedy Gonzalez Cheekster strikes again!

Well said Faluda. I don't remember Armageddon very well but I do remember the group of work colleagues I went with laughing at it by the end. John.

We're on the same hymn sheet then. The comments so far do generally seem to concur with us but there are a couple who prefer Armageddon. Times seem to have changed though because for years everyone was telling me they preferred Armageddon. Time has been kinder to Deep Impact perhaps. John.

I think the budget for Armageddon was twice that of Deep Impact Jabid so there was a lot more riding on it. The group of work colleagues I went with to see it at the Odeon thought it was a bit of a joke and by the end were all laughing at it. Possibly not the reaction the makers were going for but many others do seem to have genuinely enjoyed it. The Empire was always my favourite cinema and I can't bear to venture in there now it's been broken up. That's business though and they have to do what is required to survive. Large auditoriums like Empire 1 as it was are no longer viable so that's that. John.

greenland was fantastic…

I've had that recommended before and keep forgetting. Coming soon methinks. John.

@@moviecollector5920 there is a french blu ray with dolby atmos and a 4k from italy and germany… but no 4k with atmos… i watched the french blu-ray which was very good … didn‘t have the time yet to check out the italian 4k

@@gregorpfueller6659 That's a lot of work to put into a relatively old film of limited appeal. i suppose they've done it for the streaming market of the future to try to maximize the appeal. I tend to prefer a film in the original format but there are exceptions. John.

We're of the same mind yet again then. Good man! John.

I remembered it looking impressive at The Empire but it's a nice surprise to see it looking as good on a home movie disc costing only £20. Actually, that means it's cheaper than the pair of us going to see it that night at The Empire plus we get to keep it as well! John.

I think it's a real adventure that draws you in. Armageddon seemed like a load of nonsense by comparison... which I think it was, but many people enjoyed it so that's the main thing. John.

I haven't seen Don't Look Up Stephen and apparently Greenland is another one that's worth a watch. I haven't seen the 3x400ft of Meteor either but that's because I think the complete film is pretty awful really. Maybe a lot of the rubbish was excised for the Super 8 cut down so I might be pleasantly surprised if I do ever get a copy. I always preferred the 3x400ft of Dressed To Kill to the complete feature so it wouldn't be the first time. John.

I'm really pleased with it Matt. I didn't expect it to look quite as good as it does but I do remember it looking fabulous in The Empire so I shouldn't have been so surprised. It's possible that some of the scanners doing the cine transfers now are much better than they once were or it could be that this one simply looked pretty much perfect to begin with. John.

I hope you think it's better than you did before Juanjo. Perhaps the wonderful quality of the 4K image will help to tip the balance. But it is a good film and in terms of disaster movies, I really cannot think of a better one. It has a few flaws here and there but overall it does make you feel like it's really happening or could really happen... which it could. John.

It's surprising how many people do still like Armageddon Nahim. I didn't think it had aged well at all but then again, I never cared for it much in the first place so I'm probably not the best person to judge. John.

I can't look at the screen when it happens Pete. A bit of unsteadiness if a cameraman has a hulking great IMAX 15/70 camera on his shoulders is to be expected and accepted but to shake a camera for no reason other than to disguise the inadequacy of the production is a disgrace. It ain't so distracting on a telly but I still don't like it. Worst example I can think of is Mission Impossible 3 where the approach completely destroys the film. I think director J.J. Abrams learned an important lesson from that disaster though and he then went on to make some wonderful films. John.

@@moviecollector5920 I hear ya. The first one that comes to mind for me is The Bourne Ultimatum. I think the shakiness was exasperated by frequent use of telephoto lenses.

@@pete49327 I did see one of the Bourne films and I presume it was the first. For some reason, I didn't rate it at the time so perhaps it was also full of shaky cam which would explain it. John.

This one is a little different Bill because it's got a good story that keeps you involved. Most disaster films are all about the disaster with a load of padding to draw things out to two hours. That's not the case here. And all the actors and actresses have good parts to play in taking us through it rather than just being cast so the publicists can boast about who is in it. Some of the computer animation could have been better but it was early in terms of CGI so we just have to accept it. I've seen a lot worse in that regard. John.

Bill, after your watch "Deep Impact", would love to hear you Review.

Just caught it on TV. Pretty good movie, with a nice solid cast. Loved Duvall. I think I still prefer Armageddon though, cheese and all.

@@billg3356 Thanks...just bought it on 4K 2 days ago and watched it today. ***Been a while, very emotional movie throughout. Must have forgotten Steven Spielberg was involved with the movie, but I can now see his finger prints on the movie. Have a problem with the wave reaching Ohio, but they were able to out run it by claiming a BIG "Hill" (I grew up in Colorado, so I cannot call it a Mountain) in an area near a beach (Virginia I think).

@@bobswanson8464 I think both Armageddon and Deep Impact are big screen movies but I expect both of them would work on a telly with the room in darkness and a good sound system of any kind. Robert Duvall is always good Bill but he seems to be even better than usual in Deep Impact. Perhaps it was the believability given that John Glen had just gone up in a shuttle a while before. Now of course, the oldest astronaut is a certain William Shatner which is even better. John.

I expect you're really enjoy it today James. Sometimes we're just not in the right mood or frame of mind for a particular film and Deep Impact certainly isn't a feel good film at the end. I like it that way but if I'd have been depressed when I saw it in May 1998, I dare say I'd have come out feeling worse too. John.

Ah, but this was The Empire so a master print and quite possibly the best cinema auditorium in the world at the time. It's been butchered now and I don't suppose we'll ever see the like of it again but it was great while it lasted. John.

You shouldn't be disappointed Roy. One of the best of the year so far that I've seen. John.

Once again you've hit the nail on the head Bob. Shall I let you know when I know what my next film review will be and you can write me all the notes? John.

@@moviecollector5920 No, you do a great job on ALL your reviews. I truly look forward to you posting a new video. We both have a love for Film History (I have learned so much from you) and Movies, Both Good and Bad movies? -Bad movies can be fun to watch/laugh at on a Brainless Saturday afternoon while cleaning the house.

Some of the shots with computer animation added in look very good so I think time was running out as the upcoming release date loomed so some of the cgi was output to 35mm negative as quickly as possible. But I may be wrong of course, the animation may just have been crap! John.

I try not to give anything important away. I do show the backs of the boxes though so I suppose that could be a problem. Sorry about that. Maybe close your eyes rather than read any of it. Where is your local IMAX then? If you're in the UK I'd be able to guess as there are only 3 or 4 of them but elsewhere in the world and I'm lost! John.

No doubt about the answer to the better of the two volcano movies Chris, Dante's Peak so I'm with you on that one. But I do still like Volcano even if it's a load of tosh really! John.

That Spider-Man 2 poster suits the home cinema better than any other. I think it's mainly the colour scheme but as a Spider-Man fanatic, I suppose that probably helps too. Last Night In Soho is currently in the hall just outside. John.

@@moviecollector5920 Very nice, I have in route , Ford vs. Ferrari poster, one of my favorites, I think it’ll bump Last Night in Soho to a secondary position. I’ll send you an email ( picture)when I get it mounted. Feel the same way about original Spider-Man, have the trilogy in 4K.

It may just be one of those films that isn't compatible with your sound bar but check other Dolby Digital 5.1 films are okay first because sometimes things can reset or output the wrong format on their own volition. John.

I really can't remember much about Armageddon at all... apart from that I didn't like it much... at all John..

I've not seen Lonesome Dove Dmitri so I must correct that. Robert Duvall is always worth watching, even in the lesser films like the remake of Gone In Sixty Seconds. I haven't seen Armageddon since that night in 1998 so I might actually like it if I do ever see it again. I thought it was awful back then but not many people seemed to agree with me at the time other than the work colleagues I went to see it with who were all laughing at it before the end. Deep Impact is a rare thing - a good disaster movie. The Day After Tomorrow is another but that one does have the ram it down their throats global warming message that gets under my skin a little. John.

@@moviecollector5920 Here in US, Armageddon is a type of movies, which are simply called Pop-Corn-Fun - a mindless boom, baam, hurraaay! It has a great cast though. Same story with the Independence Day. I really want to watch the Deep Impact again. I saw it once in 1998, so it is a long time due to watch it again! I was working on one artistic installation for our airport with a sound engineer, who was creating special effects for The Day After Tomorrow and few Harry Potter movies, at an Abbey Road studio - don't know which one. His stories about those projects were quite interesting. There is even a stretched panther roar in the tsunami sound. I will comment on your new review tomorrow. It is great!! I want to see that scary movie. Dmitri

@@dmitripopov8570 They call these all-action blockbusters 'popcorn movies' over here too Dmitri. Sometimes I think it's a little unfair but when they're almost totally ridiculous (i.e. far-fetched) like Armageddon then it's probably the correct way to describe them. I didn't like Independence Day either.

@@moviecollector5920 When those movies came out, there was nothing like it. So, people liked it. Now, there is an oversaturation of this content and we are missing one premiere after another, while having a great subscription for AMC Theaters. From all the summer blockbusters, we are looking forward to see Indiana Jones. That is pretty much it. Did you already buy your tickets for the Oppenheim premiere? Dmitri

@@dmitripopov8570 The big movies used to be a little better thought out than the fayre that's being offered today, Armageddon excepted perhaps, but that's all open to debate. As for OPPENHEIMER, I haven't looked for a few days but last time I did the tickets weren't on sale. I am on the BFI IMAX mailing list so hopefully they'll let us know when it's time to pile in and clear 'em out of tickets for the first couple of weeks of screenings. I think it's going to be big. John.

The Blu-ray of that one is good Richard. We watched it again quite recently. A great film but perhaps more of its time than Deep Impact. John.

I haven't seen 'Don't Look Up' Mark so that's another I need to look out for. Apparently 'Greenland' is another that's reckoned to be good so I have a couple that should make for fun evenings. John.

Well, I'll have to check out Greenland as well, John.

Cheekster has the right name cos' he's a cheeky bugger the way he gets his comments up first on so many film collecting channels. As for the Blu-ray of Deep Impact, it is identical so only the face was changed. I ran the same sequences of the film on both Blu-ray discs to confirm it's the same. Would have been quite happy with it if the 4K hadn't have been so damned good. I'm waiting for someone to tell me "it's been DNR'd to death!" for similar reasons to the 4K of The Goonies, but nothing so far. John.

@@moviecollector5920 I must watch the Goonies and see if what they say is right or wrong. Inglorious Bastards looked really nice. I've no idea why it was slammed. Trev

@@doublebillmovies My suspicion is that sometimes an influential RU-vid reviewer gets a review out first which isn't complimentary (these slagging off videos do tend to generate more views so that could be why some reviewers tend to do it whenever the possibility is there) and others simply follow on as they daren't go against the narrative. John.

@@moviecollector5920 i think you Are there john.

The Blu-ray is alright Jesse, it's just it was an older transfer and probably from a general release print. This 4K has gone back to the original negative, or at least, that's how good it looks so I'm assuming that it did. A real treat for the eyes to see it looking so good in spite of one or two dodgy shots and some low quality computer work here and there. John.

Whoops! I just realized you were probably talking about The Family Man Blu-ray Jesse. I haven't seen that one so don't take any notice of what I just said in the last reply where I was talking about the Deep Impact Blu-ray. John.

I agree Federico - Armageddon is a popcorn flick and Deep Impact is an intelligent film. Popcorn, all-action, far fetched action movies are what we want to see sometimes though. They don't always age too well and I think that is what has happened with Armageddon whereas Deep Impact has gained in stature. John.

Yes, I didn't much like Armageddon but it was a surprise how much more popular it was at the time. That seems to have changed now and most do seem to prefer the more serious of the two films. Not everyone, but most. I didn't see it as a remake of When Worlds Collide but it certainly has similarities even if those are inevitable given they're both about the Earth colliding with another body. John.

I very much liked both of those Kenneth but Dante's Peak was extra special. I've had the LaserDisc since it first came out which suits that film but I suspect a Blu-ray or 4K would embarrass many of the special effects today. They were impressive at the cinema though so maybe they'll still get away with it. Actually, I have the trailer on Super 8 and it still looks pretty fabulous. John.

Armageddon was actually a much bigger hit internationally than domestically relative to Deep Impact. Armageddon only made $60m more than DI domestically but internationally it crushed it with $150m more. Armageddon was also the #1 movie of the year internationally.

@@richardcahill1234 that was my whole point

Time has been kinder to Deep Impact than Armageddon but that's not unusual. I think Armageddon was more a film of its time when there was a market for big budget, far-fetched action movies. Deep Impact was more of a thinking man's disaster movie and it's aged better as a result. However, other opinions are available! John.

Jaws 2 should look fabulous if it's a new scan of the original camera negative. I haven't seen it for years but I think I'm going to if the 4K is a good 'un. Well done for getting out of FOPP without the need to rob a bank. It's a dangerous place. And it's going to be a little more dangerous in the West End of London soon because the original HMV is going to re-open on Oxford Street. Wonderful! John.

Oh really, we'll be back later in the year so a visit to HMV will be on the cards too.

Still hold hope that Criterion will release a 4K UHD BD of both The Rock and Armageddon, like they did on DVD and Laserdisc back in the day

@@spaceodds1985 I remember quite enjoying The Rock. Totally ridiculous premise I suppose but good fun. And that's what Armageddon is too but I just didn't enjoy it much at all. Good just so many others did though. John.

I haven't got Full Circle yet Mike. i didn't really look around much in HMV this time around and only got a trio of 4K's. One of them is The Running Man which might make for an interesting review video. We'll see. John.

@@moviecollector5920 John didn't realise running man was released must pay more attention to release dates

@@mikewilding3199 It's been out for a while but I didn't fancy paying £20 for a film I almost know the script to. So I just purchased it in HMV's 2 for £30 deal. I actually read the Richard Bachman book, possibly before the film was out, and it is nothing like what we see in the film. John.

The Abyss was supposed to be coming out 4K to coincide with the Avatar sequel so hopefully it will still make an appearance. As for Contact, a great film that looked great at the cinema even though I think I only saw a general release print as it was the cinema on The Haymarket I saw it (the one shown in Last Night In Soho with Thunderball playing). I have The Abyss as a Super 8 feature and it's very good so that assures us a 4K release should be excellent. John.

@@moviecollector5920 I'm guessing that The Abyss on super 8 is the theatrical release and not the directors cut.

@@Dis-Emboweled Rest assured it's the original version and not the later one that rather spoiled the compact, claustrophobic nature of the film. Interesting point though; ILM created a tidal wave effect for the overlong version of The Abyss but apparently for Deep Impact the tidal wave sequence in that required software to do it to be developed from scratch. I did see the extended version of The Abyss at the cinema and I don't recall the tidal wave effect very well but I certainly don't recall it looking as poor as the one in Deep Impact. I do remember that it broke the focus of the film and I could see why that whole world potential disaster nonsense was excised. John.

Alien films of any sort don't seem to work any longer Mark. My conclusion after finally seeing 'Edge of Tomorrow' was that the computer generated aliens were the only negative of the film. I think too many films are being made because of the expected capability of CGI to make said film possible. I expect it works for children and twenty somethings but not for us not-so-youngsters! CGI is hurting cinema as far as I'm concerned as it's keeping older patrons away and that's why cinemas currently seem to be in terminal decline... not all, but possibly the majority of them. John.

It's possible you were a youngster at the time Andy because Deep Impact is the thinking man's version of Armageddon. You may find you see it for what it is now, not a perfect film but undoubtedly the better film of the two even if you still enjoy Armageddon more. If you see a 4K of Deep Impact going cheap, maybe give it a try because it's a very good 4K disc even if you still don't care for the film too much. John.

It's a very good 4K release Aidey so I can believe that it still looks good in the lower quality stream. After all, we can barely tell the difference between Blu-ray and 4K UHD discs a lot of the time so as streaming is estimated to be around Blu-ray quality, you add HDR or Dolby Vision and who is going to notice?.... until the stream breaks down and the image breaks up or the film stops altogether. That happens with 4K discs too and I've just found a fourth in my collection that's gone down. Replacement already sourced for £3.50 so it wasn't the end of the world. John.

I'll be interested to know Barbara. I've never come across Hi Vision Laserdisc so I'll be on the lookout now. I wish I'd known about it years ago. John.

@@moviecollector5920 HiVision Laserdiscs and players were only sold in small numbers for the Japanese market. The players were very expensive and you need an external decoder to play the HiVision discs, which were also very expensive and still are. I have a Pioneer HLD-X9 player and decoder they had to be imported from Japan, the price of the discs still remain very high as only a small number were ever made. In terms of performance it gave a very clean high definition picture that compares well to blu-ray, but 4K it is not. The DTS soundtracks are excellent and can easily perform as well as blu-ray. Sadly Laserdisc was just too expensive to ever become mass market, and the HiVision system was never fully developed. DVD killed it off just as it was reaching it's prime, and the early DVD's were dire in comparison.

The opening car chase of Quantum of Solace was unbearable in the cinema Michael and it took me a while to pluck up the courage to get the Blu-ray and try it again but thankfully on a smaller screen it isn't anywhere near as annoying. I actually rather like that one but I never have seen Les Miserables. I tend to prefer Les Dawson but that's another story. John.

@@moviecollector5920 i have a guilty secret about Tom Hooper director of Les Miz. I don't relish in the misfortunes of others but when he ran into the mess of the disaster that was CATS , l could help to feel a twinge of satisfaction that the gods of cinema films had exposed his deficiencies as a director, and, here you may strongly disagree, the same for Michael Cimino, who's DEERHUNTER I did not like (apart from the Russian roulette scenes which were brilliant but a few scenes do not a movie make) - so when HEAVEN'S GATE lumbered by.. well (I know I'm a terrible person). Michael - SA

@@thelookuplookdown Sometimes there's just one good film in a film maker Michael but not being a fan of musicals or stage plays the thought of sitting through Les Miserables is enough to make me miserable! The Deer Hunter works for a lot of reasons but it's unlikely we'd all like it. I like it much more now than I did when I first saw it but I was too young to fully appreciate it back then. An hour with nothing happening would have lost a lot of people right at the start. John.

A couple of comments have praised both so far James so you're not alone. I didn't think about Armageddon being a Michael Bay but that does suggest my recollection of the shaky camerawork is correct. I always find it difficult to watch that approach but it is far easier on a telly than projected onto anything a little larger. John.

@@moviecollector5920 thank you very much for the reply I really enjoy watching your content. I don't have a projector setup like you've got so, the video lets me live vicariously. I do have a pair of Nebra Anybeam MEMS pico projectors that I run for my computer and Retro Gaming set up. It's a really unique projector it. Uses laser scanning it kind of mimics how CRT used to draw an image, so even though it's dim about 45 nits, it's capable of great motion and displaying true black.

@@jamescampbell8482 Well that sound pretty great to me James. I do think some people get a bit hung up on the technicalities of equipment when all that really matters is how it looks to the human eye. Video projectors generally tend to be too bright so you're probably at an advantage there. And anyway, films should be watched in a dark room so who cares if the projected image isn't quite as bright as the latest piece of kit from Optoma? I have some old film projectors that barely put out any light by comparison to video projectors but when the room is suitably dark they still present a wonderful projected image. John.

Merci Alain. John.

I would have thought so too Benjamin but I don't think time has been quite so kind to it as it has to Deep Impact. I might give Armageddon another try soon just to see if I still don't like it much. With lowered expectations I might be pleasantly surprised. John.

@@moviecollector5920 im sure you Will, there are many fun scenes, and when they land on the asteroide in the end its All very exciting, just watch it on blu ray and hopefully we Will get a 4k disc one day, the 5.1 mix isnt bad either.

It wasn't a Dolby Atmos film as it didn't exist in 1998. To create a new soundtrack today would be costly and isn't required as it would add nothing but might take some of the 'impact' away. Judging by the image quality achieved it didn't need any more space to look great so that probably decided a 100Gb disc. It's a terrible shame that you had to resort to Amazon to be able to purchase a copy. Surely there must be a market for a dealer to get established in Oz to import all these unobtainable discs. John.

The audio is either Dolby HD or DTS HD Luis, can't remember right now but whichever is is, it's excellent. Probably as good as it was in most cinemas in 1998 but nothing is ever going to sound as good as The Empire in 1998 where it played in Sony Dynamic Digital Sound. What an evening that was but those days are largely gone now other than the odd genuine IMAX release. John.

@@moviecollector5920 thanks. I really love when companies spend the time and money to upgrade to Atmos. I just added 2 more height speakers and I want to put them to good use.

@@luisd7636 Last night we watched the 4K of The Running Man which only had a 5.1 sound option. It was Dolby Stereo originally and I'd have preferred it if they'd have left it that way. When Dolby Stereo (ProLogic) was available for home decoders I got a little obsessed with it. That was more than 30 years ago now so you'll probably find that after a while you don't feel quite the same way about the latest multi-channel stereo systems. In other words, don't get too hung up on it because one day you'll find you prefer to hear a film the way it was. I reached that stage years ago... but there are exceptions such as Jaws and Phantasm which are jolly good fun in surround sound given they were mono originally. John.

Yes, it's the one. John.

That makes a lot of sense. Thanks for taking the time to give us your insight about this. John.

I loved the Empire so much Ron. It was almost a second home as I'd be down there in Row R (seats 14 and 15 i think) at every opportunity. Because it's no longer a film cinema and it's been chopped I simply can't bear to go in there any longer. Maybe one day but it's been a bit of a heartbreak to lose what was my favourite cinema of anywhere in the world I've visited. Makes me want to weep to this day. John.

@@moviecollector5920 I hear you I speak to so many people who used to love that place including myself and it was a one of a kind cinema that felt magical and was without doubt the best cinema ever, so many memories in there, It was an absolute Crime what they did to it in demolishing that place with all the history it had, Now it's just a generic cinema like all the others sadly 👍🏻

@@RonD84 I was only watching the RU-vid video where - I think - the Projected Picture Trust visited for the day. I've watched that so often and I always get upset. And then Fred Fullerton (Empire Chief Projectionist) and his video of the three different laser shows. That one is early RU-vid and therefore very low quality but it seems to be the only record of the laser shows. My own home cinema has always been a little influenced by what they achieved at The Empire and that's why I have THX and have had for 20 years now. But cinema is a business and I suppose they had to do something to survive because people just don't go in the numbers they used to. It's largely the domain of youngsters more so than ever and without the elder demographic, it's just not viable to have massive auditoriums like Empire 1 any longer. John.

@@moviecollector5920 Yours reminded me of it to be honest with the closing curtains and THX Ultra for the sound, I often sit and watch the Empire videos on RU-vid myself and reminisce about how it was and all the great Film Premiers they had their. And it truly was a class above everything even the lighting that changed colour, First film I see their was Arachnophobia and that base was incredible 👍🏻

@@RonD84 The THX installation went in during the 1989 refit. I'd seen films there before that but I don't know which one was the first. It might have been 2010 The Year We Make Contact in 1984. Star Trek VI was a 70mm blow-up there in 1991 and that made the biggest impression on me of all. I expect Deep Impact would have made an even better impression than it did but I'd seen so many fabulous film presentations there by then. If yo don't already subscribe to Spoolbox then that's Fred Fullerton's channel. What an archive of cinemas of old he has on there. John.

One of the greatest films ever made. Fancy letting a niche label put it out on 4K when it could have been a big worldwide seller. If I didn't already have it on LaserDisc (a US import) and Blu-ray I'd have tracked down a 4K copy. It can wait. John.

Deep Impact does have a realistic feel to it but i expect there are plenty of scientific flaws in there really. It makes for a great film though and that's what is important. I might have to try Armageddon again finally but realizing it's a Michael Bay has put me off a little more as it probably means I'm right about the shaky cam approach. John.

Good call there Timothy - The Day After Tomorrow is excellent too. My favourite part of that one is Ian Holm's team in the arctic when they realize they've had it and drink the whisky rather than using what is left to run the generator a little longer. Beautiful. John.

@Movie Collector it's difficult to choose a favorite part, but I like the part where the guy is being very protective of the books, especially the Bible and the part with the wolves. It's such a great film, though. I really like it all. The score is great too.

@@timothymathetes I didn't like the forced global warming nonsense at its core though Timothy. I appreciated it was a work of fiction but afterwards I found people were using the narrative of the film as though it was scientific fact rather than nonsense. This sort of thing still goes on today but it's encouraging to see that the Great Barrier Reef has fully recovered and the ice shelf in the Antarctic is now larger than (I think) 19 years. John.

@Movie Collector When I said that I like everything about the film I wasn't really thinking about that aspect of it. I was thinking of the adventure of it all. The suspense and the drama of it all. Quite frankly I forgot about those preachy elements.

@@timothymathetes It didn't matter so much back then because it hadn't become the militant problem it has today. I was open minded about the whole theory at the time but the more I've learned in recent years the more the preaching aspect in so many things gets on my nerves. I can see why it's being pushed but I don't fully understand who is behind it. I have suspicions though and why. John.

Good point about the helmets Gary. Ridiculous. But great fun now that you've mentioned it. Now go and watch the new IMAX video on OPPENHEIMER please! John.

I know Tea Leoni isn't very good in the mock newscast scenes but I do think that was intentional direction by Mimi Leder to downplay everything. Other than that I though Ms Leoni's almost dead pan through much of it suited the film which didn't go over the top or portray itself as some great work of art. Quite a few people still prefer Armageddon. I think time has been kinder to Deep Impact though as back in 1998 and for a few years after people used to slag it off to me because they preferred Armageddon. That does appear to have changed now. John.

@@moviecollector5920 I have to disagree with you. In 98 Armageddon was popular, but it was very much the guilty pleasure junk food version of it with Deep Impact being the respected cousin. As for Tea Leoni, yeah I pretty much disagree with her being intentionally deadpan, I think she was just deadpan😁

@@spaceodds1985 Just as well we don't all think the same on everything but even though I don't remember Armageddon kindly, I'm glad that people do enjoy it. Just as well because $150 spent making it could have been a bit of a disaster in itself if they didn't. John.

@@moviecollector5920 absolutely of course👍

A couple of other comments like Armageddon better so you're not alone. I only saw it on general release so one day I may give it a second try. I went with a group of work colleagues who were laughing at it by the end which probably isn't a very good sign. Then again, perhaps that was the intent of the film makers. John.

There used to be a lot of people who disagreed with me about which was the better film Jeff. It will be interesting to see who pipes up on this platform but perhaps time hasn't been so kind to Armageddon and it was more a film for its day. John.

From the first time I saw Deep Impact I considered it to be a great film. It's a real treat to have it as a 4K home movie disc looking just like a 35mm print so I think you'll enjoy it Gary. I hope so anyway. And I agree completely about Morgan Freeman. John.

I didn't see Earthquake in Sensurround William but I think it would have an ever better bass response today with subwoofers in modern cinemas. I have the NTSC LaserDisc and have run it many times. The Towering Inferno is another great disaster movie from the same time. John.

A few people so far have agreed with you Dave. Just as well we're all different. John.

Yes, incidentally great channel I really enjoy your content keep up the good work, cheers

@@Dave-ox8vw Thank you Dave.

Those were the days. But things were coming to an end and around this time, or a bit later, some poor looking image quality started appearing in cinemas. It was palpable after the heights of the 1990's and we've never recovered since. Christopher Nolan and a few other great directors films excepted of course. John.

I think most of us think along the same lines on here so far judging by the comments on here. But many do like the ridiculous nature of Armageddon. It's a popcorn movie and not to be taken seriously whereas Deep Impact is the thinking man's disaster movie. John.

I actually think she's rather good in this despite the mock newscasts which I expect was a choice by the director, Mimi Leder. The downplaying, not crying here eyes out at every opportunity works with the film and rather sets the tone. I don't suppose we'd have that in a similar film today and it's probably a big reason why Deep Impact works. I wish I'd thought of that before recording the review! John.

Aha, of course... it's a Michael Bay. I'm probably right about the shaky cam then. I remember thinking it was pretty awful at the time but was considering giving it a second chance. As I can't bear the shaky cam approach I probably won't now as it will drive me nuts! Then again, probably too late for that anyway! John.

The majority on here do appear to agree. However, had this have been a review of Armageddon it's possible the opposite would have been true. One day we may find out. John.

I do recall Armageddon being a bit of a parody of what could really be attempted. I went with a group of friends from work and they were all laughing at it by the end. 'Ahm-a-geddin' out of here was what one of my colleagues was saying before the end credits rolled. John.

@@moviecollector5920 In fact people working at NASA have stated that it's something of a hobby for them to watch Armageddon and point out all the scientific inaccuracies.

@@bangslamwham88 That's rather amusing. I don't suppose they can do the same with Deep Impact but I expect there are plenty of scientific inaccuracies in there really. John.

Apparently Greenland is another good asteriod/meteor/comet disaster movie flick that's worth a watch. Some have told me it's better than Deep Impact so it should be worth a try. John.

@moviecollector5920 I did enjoy that one, your tolerance for Gérard butler will define how much you enjoy it

@@mr.y.mysterious.video1 He's been good in the films I've seen him in so I shouldn't have any trouble there. John.

If Jupiter wasn't there Philip then we probably wouldn't be here. Shoemaker-Levy 9 taught us that and that is probably where the spark for this film came from. Eventually something large will get through again but we've done well because it's been 14,000 years (approximately) since the last big strike. Graham Hancock has some interesting insights into that one and how the human race suffered collective amnesia as a result. John.

That's cos' you weren't at The Empire Megan! John.

Just wait a while for Deep Impact Pieter and you might eventually spot a 4K singing like a bird (cheap, cheap). The 90's were a high point for cinema as the image quality was so exceptionally good throughout most of the decade. Things started to tail off towards then end and although that certainly became an industry plan in 2002 I'm not certain what was going on a bit earlier. I wonder if it was the proliferation of poor quality CGI that forced the early dumbing down of image quality to match the comparatively lower quality computer animated sequences. I think there may have been superior films in the 70s and 80s but image quality peaked in the mid-1990's period from what I was seeing. I was looking at master prints most of the time though but they just seemed to get better and better. John.

@@moviecollector5920 thanks and image quality wise that might be correct. Although in my opinion old(er) movies have the most advantage of 4K. But, to me, many movies in the 90’s are quite hit or miss affairs when it comes to performance and story, with the before mentioned exceptions. To me cinema grew up with Saving Private Ryan. And ended with Sicario where nowadays I don’t bother going into cinemas anymore with the exception of the occassional art house film like the excellent The Menu and the German Die Wannsee Konferenz.

@@pieterbalk-ht7kq I think 1990's cinema was the age of the all-action blockbuster Pieter and that's what got so many people into cinemas. Those days are all but gone now and it's the age of the comic book superhero but given the lack of intelligence in the stories they tend to be for children and twenty-somethings only so not enough to maintain cinema as it once was. Streaming has had a massive negative impact too but the quality of the products on offer hasn't helped to keep theatres open. OPPENHEIMER is one you must get to see in a genuine IMAX. If it's video projected anywhere then forget that and find a place with a real 15/70 print. It might be one of the most impactive releases of all time in a real IMAX so it has to be seen that way. Standard 70mm screenings should be a great second best though and there will be plenty of those around thanks to Tarantino's The Hateful Eight resurrecting the 70mm format all over the world. John.

@@moviecollector5920 thanks John. Oppenheimer looks interesting. Both story wise and visually. Problem is the nearest Imax is over 100km away from where I live and in not exactly a nice area. So these these I do snall theatre/art house cinema near my home and now and then Vue cinema but mostly I prefer my own couch and set up at home these days.

@@pieterbalk-ht7kq Maybe a few days in London when OPPENHEIMER is on at the BFI IMAX and the Science Museum would be a solution. There might not be many cinema event type movies in the future so this might be one of the last. Christopher Nolan can't keep putting them out forever and there's no one else right now. Actually, there never was anyone quite like Christopher Nolan but we did used to get event type movies that had to be seen at a cinema. These days cinemas are video projecting so nothing has the same impact even if an event movie does come along. The Avatar sequel did tremendous business as did the Top Gun sequel but years ago there would have been 70mm prints for premiere houses. Those days have gone. John.

I always try not to be too critical about any film Jay so sorry if I slipped with this one. It's a great film as far as I'm concerned but not everyone agrees with me there. John.

A lot of people do like Armageddon though Doug so Michael Bay does seem to have something that appeals to many. His films are popcorn flicks I suppose and sometimes that's what people want to see. Deep Impact is the thinking man's disaster movie. John.

Why didn't I think of that statement for the video?!? John.

Oh, this is far better than the Blu-ray Robert. I always very much liked the film so it was one that I was prepared to take a risk on and I'm ecstatic that it's so much better than the Blu-ray. Actually, I couldn't believe it was so much better because I was always so pleased with the Blu-ray but I think that was mastered from a general release print and the 4K has gone back to the original camera negative. That's how it looks to me anyway. The difference might not appear so stark on everyone's equipment so that's something to bear in mind. Perhaps see what a few other RU-vid reviewers think before making a final decision. I hope Superman II meets with your approval. I think it's a real treat to have such a wonderful, all-inclusive pack so I hope you'll feel the same. John.

@@moviecollector5920 OK John I will buy it again thanks as always Bob

I think that's Pauline Hickey and she's coming round this evening to watch Deep Impact with us. I'll give her your regards Barry!

​@@moviecollector5920 So John presumably you'll be fantasising about doing some 'DEEP IMPACTING' (so to speak) with Tea Leoni and then you'll do some 'REAL' 'DEEP IMPACTING' (as it were) with the astonishing Miss Hickey, you lucky so-and-so ! ! !.

@@wernerherzog3502 I'll say no more other than it was a great night!

Promotion Barry. Next question. John.

@@moviecollector5920 When me and Klaus Kinski were filming "Cobra Verde" in Mozambique towards the end of 1985 Klaus kept saying that he wanted principal photography to be completed as soon as possible because he desperately wanted to fly over to London to Bombay-Roll a specific mega-titted beauty who'd just appeared on the big-tit modeling scene at that time, so my next question John, is: "Who was the mysterious newly arrived mega-titted sex-pot who Klaus desperately wanted to Bombay-Roll ?".

Movie Collector...said...:"I'll take a wild guess, was it the quite astonishing 17 year-old mega-titted beauty Pauline Hickey ! ?".