RIP-Felix

That's what I thought, but Michael Kaminski said "You could totally restore the original films from their original negatives for a few million dollars, and the 2004 release sold $100 million in a single day, so that pricetag is meaningless." While it's true that the original Tricolor film negatives were spliced into the remastered version and thus lost in unaltered form, they did have the separations masters created off the original before alteration. Separation masters are three monochrome (black/white) copies each filtered for the R, G, or B spectrum each. The pigments used to make B/W film do not fade, once developed, like color film pigments do, so the separation masters are considered the best way to preserve film. So long as they are stored properly, they can be used to make a perfect copy. Digitizing in 4-8K should provide enough resolution to make out all the film grain, then we'd have them in an even better form. The film stock itself will eventually degrade. So it sounds like the original film could be digitized in 4K with accurate RGB color from the original stock. And it needs to be done before the film stock (the plastic gelatin emulsion) degrades.

None of the DVD or Bluray releases have felt the same on a modern TV for me. So I only watch them on VHS. I've been holding off on the bluRay releases, because I felt that Disney or whoever did the previous "remasters" were more like "reapprentices". The death star colors were all off! I'll wait for that fan made upscale, or for Disney to finally piece together a restored 4k HDR color accurate restoration of the original film from the separation masters, interpositives and internegatives (which aparantly still exist). These are of indistinguishable quality compared to the original negatives, where were spliced to create the CGI enhanced versions and therefore no longer intact, but a perfect original can be remade from these high quality, stable copies.

I'm curious what you think of the movie having not been spoiled by the book. After the disappointment wore off, I went back and decided the RPO movie wasn't bad, it's just so much different than I was expecting and was trying to appeal to a younger audience than the one Cline intended. Anyway, I don't want to influence your review, so I won't elaborate.

You may have noticed that my notes on the first film are scant. That's because I didn't have many gripes. The art style was ambitious for 1982, totally dated by today standards, but that's completely unfair to criticize with the benefit of hindsight. I would have thought it looked really cool had I seen it on VHS back in the 80s. I thought the story was good. Characters were all developed well and felt important. It's defiantly a niche movie (nerds), but that's totally fine by me. I'd give it an 8/10, but might boost that to 9/10 to compensate for not seeing it on CRT and 28 years too late (it might have blown my mind in the 80s). I was born mid 80s, so my revolutionary "reality could be a game" movie was the Matrix (A 10/10 in my book). Did this movie have that kind of impact on you?

Fresh Off the Pixels and as Promised: So I just finished watching both films. Long story short I now give tron Legacy a 7/10. It does make mores sense in context of the first film, especially Tron and his redemption/sacrifice, which means more when you get to know him in the first film. Speaking of which I should break these down separately. Here are my notes (yes, I took notes): Tron (1982) Raindeer Floatilla: Something that jumped out to me was Kevin Flynn's password at ENCOM. I recognized it from Ready Player One, as this was part of Wade's (AKA Parzival) OASIS login Pass phrase - Reindeer Flotilla Setec Astronomy. A neat 2 part Easter egg. Setec Astronomy is reference to the 1992 film Sneakers. It's an anagram for "Too many Secrets". I haven't seen sneakers for a while, so that slipped by me. Now I need to go back and watch it again. The laser that demolecularizes Flynn reminds me of "Honey I shrunk the kids". I wonder if it served as inspiration? Tron: Legacy (2010) Big doors open faster in the future too. In the first film the door took much longer to open giving you the sense of it's mass. In legacy it opened so quick that you don't get that sense. They didn't miss the opportunity to have Sam Flynn copy Kevin Flynn's dialog in the first film though, "That's a big door." Yeah we get it, you want us to see it's the same door and think we're too stupid to recognize it. Or maybe they thought it was funny. I thought it was cheesy and missed the suspenseful intention of the first film - That they were breaking into a highly secured building. That the property inside was important enough to lock behind nuclear blast proof door. This was my introduction to Sam Flynn - the protagonist. I have to tell you, after the intro, I wasn't rooting for him! He came off as an arrogant, rich young men with daddy issues, who like to ride motorcycles recklessly and endanger himself and others. "Let's ride 85mph on the highway swerving in front of every family sedan driven by tired soccer moms trying to have an uneventful drive home. It's not like their 2000Lb vehicle poses any threat to a defenseless cyclist, at night. After all, what I'm doing and where I'm going is so important it requires me to risk my life, their lives, and break the law, just to shave a few minutes off the commute." Maybe he respects cop's on motor bike? Nope! Evade the police, cause they are dumb and he's smart. So where is he going in such a hurry? ENCOM, to play illegal pranks on the company that made him rich in the first place. But it's okay, because they are run by a bunch of greedy jerks who deserve it and he's a really good motorcycle rider. That's the setup!!! Later, Sam's his motorcycle prowess comes in handy, but they could have made him a professional cyclist or stuntman. Instead he's a college dropout, a hacking prankster, who acts as if his actions are without consequence. At every stage of the movie he acts rashly and without a plan, because that always works out when your OP. There's not substance to his character, just pretentious male bravado. And this is the guy we're supposed to believe deserves to ride off into the sunset with Olivia Wilde at the end of the movie? Oh, and he rides off into the sunset with Olivia Wild at the end of the movie! That's how a trope is perpetuated people! Someone says, "lets end the movie with them riding off into the sunset together!" And then everyone else says, "that's a great idea!" This is the "yes sir...Whatever you say sir...Please don't fire me sir..."attitude I can't stand in the private sector. No one is allowed to question the decisions of the team, else they be fired for not being a subservient 50's housewives. And the look on Olivia Wild's face, it had me rolling my eyes. He's not worth it! You can do better than this clown! Speaking of Olivia Wild's character Quorra, she is portrayed with a doe like innocence. She is supposedly the last remaining ISO (Isomorphic algorithm - sentient emergent AI). All the rest are killed by Clu, the story's antagonist, who believed they were an error in the system. In order to make a perfect system they had to be eliminated. He made good on this genocide, firmly entrenching his role as antagonist (Clu has the best character development IMO). Also, we learn that time experienced in the grid (tron cycles) is slowed 50x compared to the real-world. So although about 21 years have past outside, 1050 years have past inside! Quorra and the other ISO's emerged during the preceding millennium and were all wiped out long before Sam's arrival. And yet, with all the time that's past and experience Quorra has gained she is still so innocent? I don't buy it. Her character is underdeveloped, unbelievably so. That she would sacrifice herself to save Sam is also suspect. Yes he's the son of Kevin Flynn, the user she looks up to, but she's also the last good reason for the grid to exist. Frankly her survival is more important than his and it should be him sacrificing himself to save her. Instead he is off on this naive mission to defeat Clu and save his father and himself. A thousand years of history in the grid be dammed, Sam's going to be the lucky one who wins. Man I hate this "lottery winner" attitude. In psychology, it's called confidence bias, and by god have I noticed it more as I've gotten older. The car that waits to the last second, then has to break hard to stop at a red light, "It'll turn green before I have to slow down". My god, they are everywhere. Worst offenders are movie. The protagonist always defeats insurmountable odds to miraculously survive and win. That's like 90% of fiction, so...I'm just beating a dead horse. This is where Zuse comes in. He's supposed to be a friend that helped the ISO's during the resistance. Sam meets up with him looking for help to defeat Clu only to get betrayed. If it wasn't for, Quorra who jumps in last minutes to Save Sam, and is severely wounded, Sam would be dead (SHOCKER)! Now Zuse himself is unoriginal. It felt like a rip off of Jim Carey's Riddler from Batman Forever. I mean it was immediately where my mind went. Jim Carey was better, which goes without saying. The whole "Joygasm" concept is annoying anyway. I get that they want you to hate the betrayer, but having him prance about with maniacal joy over the betrayal doesn't add enough to excuse the scene IMO. I could go on, but I won't. Besides all that, it was nostalgic and there was more to enjoy about the story after watching the first film. The CGI was good, except the young jeff bridges deep fake face on Clu. Overall, it was enjoyable, but I really wish Quorra's character was more developed and that the women in this film didn't feel like they only existed at eye candy for the male audience. 7/10

I just threw down the gauntlet. We need to remedy @hansolo77 lack of exposure to the RPO universe. I offered him a deal in the Tron thread:

LOL (literally!) Okay, geez! Don't blow a gasket 3PO, I'll bow to the pressure...I actually just added Disney+ to my Hulu service because it was only $1/mo more than what I was paying for Hulu (No Ads) + Live TV, after I downgraded to Just Hulu (with ADs). The change just went into effect and I haven't noticed any difference!!! There were just as many ads before. TOTAL RIP OFF!...Back to the topic. I just added Tron & Tron - Legacy to my watch list. Let's make a deal. I will agree to sit through both films back to back IF @hansolo77 agrees to watch Ready Player One! I'm agreeing to watch 2 films in context and post a review of both films if Han old buddy agrees to crack open RP1, watch it, and give us his impressions on the RP1 thread. You really should read the book too, but I won't stipulate it as part of the deal. I mean, come on! "You owe it to yourself as a retro gamer." Deal?

I'd give Tron: Legacy a firm 5/10. I thought it was just okay. Your run of the mill, capitalize on a popular IP, Disney movie. I'd liken it to Ready Player One, but unlike ready player one, I had no expectations. I hadn't seen any previous entries or read any books. I just knew the game. That and I had an Asian friend named Tron. I know of the first Tron movie, but still to this day I've not seen it. I didn't even know that Jeff Bridges was in it until reading that article...lol. I had no qualms with legacy. It wasn't disappointing to me. I agree that Jeff Bridges made it palatable. I'd have forgotten about it otherwise. But I wouldn't say it was unforgettable. I'm about as indifferent to a sequel as I am about it having never been made. It's a way to pass a few hours once in every few years, but it's not one of my go too's I can watch repeatedly without getting bored. Maybe, I need to see the first film? Or would that destroy my 5/10 for Legacy?

Not sure if this is my jam, but Free is free. Thanks!

Knowing the consequences is enough, they've seen enough violence to fill a million lifetimes (metaphorically speaking). And there is no vacuum, I always was and am again their leader.

0:00 No sound in a vacuum. 0:36 A cryptic contraception promotion. 1:07 Commercial is shown during a Chevron strategy board meeting. The laughter is too hard and last's too long. Marketing is concerned they may have missed the point. 2:06 Proof the 1% know their reality isn't real, and don't care. 3:07 ...2 seconds later..."Brian, did you take out the trash?" [Brian turns off console, pulling the plug on Tracks universe]. 3:37 Asian Chick-fil-A commercial (Dog-fil-A). 4:34 Kylo Ren's childhood. Han and lea thought it was cute, a phase he'd grow out it. In literature, we call it foreshadowing. 6:16 This guy needs a vacation! I'll bet he goes through a lot of controllers too. 7:14 "Danger becomes Him", starring Bruce wills, Meryl Sheep, and Goldie Lawn (the sequel to 1992's "Death Becomes Her") 7:44 Who wants jousting knights on horseback when you can have Jason Statham on Gal Gadot? Introducing Action Nights, the restaurant with live action shows. Warning: may not be appropriate for all audiences, viewer discretion is advised. 9:49 Jinx: [Drops mic.] #worldstar

Let me fix that for you: 'If we are then the programmers [rebels] are moronic asshats and we need a patch." Well, here's another food for thought. As lead programmer, why would you create an entire reality for your inhabitants, one they are perfectly adapted to, just to remove them from it? Does it not make more sense that their form and universe is purpose built?

Okay, so the point is made. Being supreme leader, lead programmer, God, is a difficult job. Deleting their simulation violates all 4 rules. You would not have programmed it in the first place if you did not have a plan to deal with this situation. If you truly are good and all knowing,then how does one respond to rebellion in a way that settles the issue definitively for all time? Here's my take:

Violates rule 3

You asked for it!

First time I'd seen this. Old news, but still good!

EDIT: Deleted I decided that my response had too much potential to trigger people and decided it wiser to remove it. Suffice it to say that I can imagine a scenario where the programmers are not morons nor a$$hats. However, the perspective is not one that trumps the emotional resent people feel when the argument is made. I thus rescind my comment and bite my tongue.

Too late, it's thoroughly derailed. People are not crazy, they're misinformed and emotional. This is a reality that too few people accept. Reason does not rule the world, emotion does! That's what politicians manipulate. And network news is mostely captured by political factions. Try to remember the news is an entertainment business. They sell emotion. Fear is the good seller. Anger is good too. Both at the same time is best. Social media and the perception of safety behind a screen allow people to publish their emotional reactions globally. Social media is just a forum for people to process information, bounce ideas off each other, and come to a conclusion about how they truly feel. A lot of it is emotional bull$hit, overreaction, trolling, or outright manipulation. I think that most people understand that. Interview a person on the street and they tell you what they really think. Since they're on camera and face to face, you'll get a measured response - not the overblown emotional one you get on social media. Social media is not news, it's quick to judge and slow to forgive, because it's the court of public opinion. Except it's worse because people say shit they don't mean when behind a screen. People watch a 30 second video out of context and the narrative is driven by optics and the emotion it elicits. That sells TV time (gets views). Context, evidence, and the truth have nothing to do with it. But once the news reports it, it somehow legitimizes the issue and it becomes more real. 90% of what the news reports now is inflated by the emotional reactions on social media - as if it means something. And sadly, these narratives are often deemed news worthy depending on political entanglements. Unbiased news is harder to come by these days, but just because there's more crap than there ever used to be doesn't mean unbiased journalism doesn't exist. You just have to train your mind to know when something is Trumped up Bull$hit.

Nah, you don't need faith in people to know what they'll do when it gets really bad. Poverty and the stark reality of desperation will change their attitude immediately. The fact that we still have the luxary of selfishness is an indicator of how much further there is to fall. First, no one can fall further than rock bottom. The poor and destitute will sustain each other and survive through cooperation, which will always perpetuate itself. They have nothing to loose but their lives and that makes what needs to be done clear. Community and survival are synonymous with self sacrifice and cooperation. There is no use for people who don't contribute.

I'm not saying it's an extended vacation! And yeah, my grandparents childhood memories of growing up in the dust bowl era post GD Oklahoma are only a slice of the greater experience. They were especially hard hit, others weren't. Same applies today. I was declared essential by my employer and able to shift my responsibilities more online. My role changed from support to videography & editing. My hobby transformed into profession in an instant. However a family friend is having a hard time making rent after his wife lost work. So we hired him to do some yard work for the last 2 months (he wouldn't accept money as a gift). We've been fortunate to have income and inheritance from the recent deaths of said grandparents. So we're in a position to help. My point is that we need to keep our chins up, arms up, and guard up! There are going to be more blows and if we let each one devastate us emotionally, we could be miss the opportunity to strike back and help our cause. Translation: the opportunity to come together and build community. Our strength is in each other. That was the moral of my grandfathers story. He, his brothers, mom and dad, greater small town community, and indeed the rest of the country banded together and did their part to tolerate each others trespasses during a difficult time. Everyone had guns and squatted, lived off the land, did what they had to to survive. No one in their right mind would ask them to leave, because to do so was suicide by destitute father protecting his family! Instead they tolerated it as a necessity for survival and did what they could to get the economy back up, so that life and commerce could resume. We need to have the same tolerance and unity if that happens again! To illustrate and bring some levity to this gloomy thread, here's what I mean by it could be worse:

How does the joke go? What's the difference between Santa, mermaids and the AtarVCS? Nothing, they're all make believe! This is a Ponzi scheme! I knew that the moment they started talking about Hotels. Make up the Atari VCS, take orders. When the money runs out, make up another idea and take investments to finance the VCS. When that's done make up another idea to finance the hotels. This escalates until the promises are too big to deliver and it all topples. Someone's going to jail at the end of this, but should be going sooner rather than later...to avoid many more people loosing money. This is fraud IMO.

Silly rabbits, you think this is bad. This ain't nothing compared to the stories my grand parents told me about living through the great depression and dust bowl in Okalhoma. Grandpa's dad lost his job, then the bank stopped serving customers (no withdrawals). Then then shut their doors (basically made off with everyone's money). He lost everything, no money, no investments, no job. They squatted in a 1 room home shooting whatever moved to eat. Lol...my grandpa had bad sight and said he'd see 3 rabbits in the iron sights. He shot the one in the middle! If someone came to tell them to leave, they'd have shot and ate him too! He sold or traded pelts to buy groceries. There were no jobs and everyone had guns. You killed what you ate and watched what you said. Hunting and trapping was survival. All while the billionaires consolidated the nations wealth to preserve their own interests. Compared to that, this is tame!

That article makes it sound like the jury is out, but cites the same peer reviewed sources. Sources that concluded the effect is due to electromagnetic forces caused by the devices wiring interacting with the earth's magnetosphere. This is more likely the real cause of the minute thrust produced, because the device cannot function as purported without violating the laws of thermodynamics and Einstein's theory of relativity as it applies to reference frames. In this case it's more likely the effect is an aberration due to limits of measurement and failures to control for interfering variables. That doesn't mean it's debunked. It's just very unlikely to work the way we all want it to.

Bob from RetroRGB said there's talk about adding support in emulators for it (adding the requisite border the camera uses for tracking). I've been using a dolphin bar and wii mote for lightgun support, which sucks because of IR triangulation's inherent lag. This looks much more promising. I don't like loosing screen real estate for the border, but it's not that big a deal compared to the gains. But the $350 founders tax gives me pause.