Rejected by Don Hertzfeldt and Blu-ray Restorations

Recently Don Hertzfeldt uploaded an HD version of his iconic 2000 short Rejected. While I adore this film and appreciate seeing his work in such pristine quality, I can't help but feel conflicted over seeing this specific film in 1080p. There was a weird charm to seeing a crappy low-quality version of it on Newgrounds or eBaum's World that I feel is a little diluted by this upscaling of quality. But which version do you guys think works better for the film?

Comments

  1. Rob SmithNovember 10, 2018 at 9:31 AM

    I was considering the same thing watching this a week ago. Something about a low quality digital upload speaks to the medium and recognizing the imperfections participate in the experience in a way that isn't often discussed. This is similar to watching something on film and seeing the hairs and slight damages projected quickly one frame at a time. They're little brief moments that take you out of the narrative and remind you of the process by which it was created. Reminds me of Norman McLaren talking about animation being "The art of movements that are drawn". This is a great film and I am happy to see it restored, but one I will always associate with a poor digital transfer on Newgrounds or YouTube.

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