Older movies on Blu ray that look great:

[Breakage]

The Thing is a good one.

I also got the 35th Anniversary Edition of Halloween and the new transfer looks very good.

 

[AdamL]

It's kind of sad that you need to make a thread like this. You'd assume that Blu-Ray would *always* look better than DVD. Unfortunately I'm sure many of you know this is not the case. It completely depends on the source material, and *especially* if they bothered to do anything with it when they port it to Blu-Ray. There are way too many ports where they just transcode it to a higher bit-rate and resolution, but don't bother resampling the original so it can be scaled properly. The result is a glorified and expensive DVD. Pisses me off whenever I get a Blu-Ray of an older movie and it looks like complete shit because the company that did the port only put the release on Blu-Ray to make a quick buck.

 

[neverwas]

Ben hur is another good one.

 

[H33ZY]

I think Gladiator does count as old, the movie came out over a decade ago.

I have Layer Cake and Leon The Professional on Blu ray and both look pretty damn good.

 

[SanJose90]

Schindler's List

 

[TSK]

The best looking ones on blu ray are the ones that take up the whole screen without stretching. There are a frustrating lack of these. It is due to what aspect ratio the director filmed in.

Not old but District 9 is one of them and it looks phenomenal.

 

[Slick_36]

As many have mentioned, The Thing looks great. Once Upon A Time In the West looks awesome too.

 

[clutchit]

also The Thing looks incredible on Blu Ray

no way, the blu-ray was heavily DNR'd. the HD-DVD actually has a much picture even with it being at a much lower bitrate

although I do agree with Scream Factory putting out some great blu-rays: "They Live" looks great on blu-ray

 

[The Clamburglar]

Taxi Driver.

 

[Bonos]

The Wizard of Oz (crazy in 3D!) and Gone with the Wind both from 1939. All the 70mm films.

Any movie that has a print in good condition and has had major restoration should look incredible in high definition. All film is HD.

Apocalypse Now
Thin Red Line (almost has a 3D effect, it was the best blu when it came out)
Blade Runner
The new Terminator 1 and Total Recall restorations.

On the other hand Terminator 2 needs a re-release on blu-ray. A flawed transfer can really ruin the experience.

The history channel put out a short WW2 documentary focusing on original 3D photography and it looked ridiculous.

 

[Strange King]

Scream Factory has done an amazing job with their Blu Ray list:

Halloween II and III
Assault on Precinct 13 (Carpenter original)
The Town that Dreaded Sundown
The Fog
Night of the Demons

also The Thing looks incredible on Blu Ray

Really? "thing" is one of my favorite movies. I will definitely have to pick that up.

Now are we talking about the original night of the demons or the shit remake?

 

[Strange King]

Film is effectively more than 4k resolution, so properly transferred classics even from the 50s can look fabulous on blu.

Some standouts for me are the newest release of robocop, blade runner final cut, alien and aliens, the original TRON, and more I can't recall.

Now when you say transferred properly...are some companies not doing this or some companies better than others?

 

[prod2821]

Really? "thing" is one of my favorite movies. I will definitely have to pick that up.

Now are we talking about the original night of the demons or the shit remake?

original! Eat a bowl of ............original

 

[Strange King]

gladiator "old"?
wtf

lawrence of arabia
zulu
M
Metropolis

all look great

Gladiator is 14yrs old. Thats pretty old and i guess i should of been more precise with my definition of old.

Pre HD and Blu ray. Movies being transfered to BLU RAY

 

[HereticBD]

Blade Runner, Alien, and 2001 are like brand new on Blu Ray.

 

[Strange King]

original! Eat a bowl of ............original

Haha alright man ill have to check it out

 

[Bonos]

Samsara might be the reference blu-ray at the moment.

I actually saw it in 4k in the theater.

 

[Street Level]

I bought Big Trouble In Little China at walmart for like $4. Looks like a different movie.

 

[KOQ24]

Gladiator is 14yrs old. Thats pretty old and i guess i should of been more precise with my definition of old.

Pre HD and Blu ray. Movies being transfered to BLU RAY

Blu-ray started in 2006,but movies were shot in HD years before that and didnt have to be remastered.

 

[Strange King]

Blu-ray started in 2006,but movies were shot in HD years before that and didnt have to be remastered.

True but then you have movies like the matrix that was shot digitally and cant look any better