Clue – 4K UHD Blu-ray Review
Commissions Earned
Film Title: Clue (1985)
Release Date: 2023
Rating: PG
Runtime: 96 minutes
Region Coding: Region Free
Studio: Shout! Studios
Audio Format: DTS-HD Master Audio 2.0 Mono
High Dynamic Range: HDR10, Dolby Vision
Aspect Ratio: 1.85:1
Version Reviewed: 4K UHD Blu-ray
Release Date: 12/12/23
Director: Jonathan Lynn
Cast: Eileen Brennan, Tim Curry, Madeline Kahn, Christopher Lloyd, Michael McKean, Martin Mull, Lesley Ann Warren, Colleen Camp, Lee Ving
Jump to Sections:
Movie | Video | Audio | Bonus | Closing | Screenshots
Full 4K Tech Specs found at the bottom
click to view a 4K Screenshot
The Movie
“Clue” was a 1985 film adaptation of the Parker Brothers board game of the same title in North America. It was directed by Jonathan Lynn, best known for also directing the films “My Cousin Vinny” (1992), “The Distinguished Gentleman” (1992), “Sgt. Bilko” (1996), and “The Whole Nine Yards” (2000). The film’s story was co-written by director Jonathan Lynn and John Landis, based on the game created by Anthony E. Pratt, with Lynn solely writing the screenplay. Landis also would serve as an executive producer on the film. Speaking of producers, “Clue: The Movie” (as it was also known) was produced by the late Debra Hill, best known for her work as a co-writer and producer on [the John Carpenter] films “Halloween” (1978), “The Fog” (1980), and “Escape from L.A.” (1996) along with producing the films “The Dead Zone” (1983), “Adventures in Babysitting” (1987) and “The Fisher King” (1991).
The story involves a group of people who are invited and then arrive at a large creepy old mansion on a hill during a thunderstorm. Each guest is greeted by the butler “Wadsworth” (Tim Curry) and shown to the study. Joining the guests we have a cook (Kellye Nakahara) and “Yvette” the maid (Colleen Camp). Our guests for dinner, using false names given to them by the mystery person who invited them, include the following: “Colonel Mustard” (Martin Mull), “Mrs. White” (Madeline Kahn), “Mr. Green” (Michael McKean), “Mrs. Peacock” (Eileen Brennan), “Professor Plum” (Christopher Llyod), “Miss Scarlet” (Lesley Ann Warren), and a strange fellow “Mr. Boddy” (Ving Lee).
The butler, cook, and guests are about to soon be victims and witnesses to a dinner murder mystery in your not-so-typical style. It will be a question of who did it, with what, and where: just as in the board game. But who did it, and with what, and where? Well, you’ll just have to watch the movie (and its multiple endings) to see. I won’t spoil the fun or solve the mystery here.
Movie Rating: 4.5 (out of 5)
click to view a 4K Screenshot
Video Quality
“Clue” on 4K UHD Blu-ray is presented in the original 1.85:1 aspect ratio with HDR10 and Dolby Vision forms of high dynamic range. The release features a new remastered 2023 4K scan of the original camera negative. IMDb, under its technical specifications, states that this was shot on 35MM film using Panaflex cameras and spherical lenses and the VistaVision process.
Next, let me get technical, for a bit, in regards to the 4K UHD Blu-ray Disc itself here. This release uses a BD-100 (100 gigabytes) disc, 80.65 gigabytes total, and 61.1 gigabytes for the film itself. Now, let’s take a look back at the original 2012 Blu-ray release of the film. That release used a BD-50 (50 gigabytes) disc, 28.63 gigabytes total, and 22.0 gigabytes for the film itself [in theatrical trilogy ending form]. With that being said, the new 4K version is roughly over two and a half times larger in terms of file size in comparison to the original HD version.
Based on my observations via my 4K UHD Blu-ray player, this seems to be running an average (roughly) of anywhere between 41.9 in darker scenes to 79.3 Mbps in the HEVC (high-efficiency video coding) codec, hitting peaks as high as 84.9 and 97.9 Mbps at times. According to info on the PC side, this seems to have an overall video bitrate of 84.3 Mb/s average. Please note: these numbers are for the trilogy ending version of the film, with all three endings. On my Panasonic 4K UHD Blu-ray player, I got the following HDR10 Metadata: Maximum Light Level 1363 nit.
Directly, I want to visually compare the original Blu-ray and the 4K UHD Blu-ray. So, I’ll be offering you the still screenshots for both the 2012 Blu-ray Disc and the new 2023 4K UHD Blu-ray releases. For those who want to see more Blu-ray VS. 4K screenshots, click the text below.
Blu-ray VS. 4K Screenshots Comparison:
SOURCES: 2012 Blu-ray (left), 2023 4K UHD Blu-ray (right)
When looking at the comparisons above (and further below), the first thing you’ll notice is that the original Blu-ray was incorrectly presented in the 1.78:1 aspect ratio instead of the original intended 1.85:1 matted aspect ratio. This means you get a lot more details that you never saw before on the sides and that you now see tiny black bars at the top and bottom, as you should have to begin with. That’s a huge fix that I hate to say needs to be done to a lot of other movies on home video. So, be grateful that they [folks at Shout! Studios] have done the aspect ratio correctly.
Next, you’ll notice that things appear a tad bit brighter in some scenes thanks to the addition of HDR (high dynamic range) and that facial close-ups especially offer an impressive amount of newfound detail. The set pieces and costumes here finally can be seen in their true glory and look just beautiful. There is certainly a cinematic feel here, with a nice amount of film grain left in and some excessive bits as well as dirt and debris scrubbed clean to offer up a nicer presentation. It’s not at all been cleaned up too much. Rest assured, you’ll see your fair share of film grain here and the screenshots I’ve included should show that.
The black level here in 4K is perfectly solid and that comes much thanks to the addition of high dynamic range. Speaking of HDR, the colors (while slightly subdued on purpose) seem to be more spot-on here in Dolby Vision [or HDR10] with the color timing receiving some adjustments that result in much more accurate flesh tones. All and all, this proves to be one very nice improvement over the previous home video releases of the film and earns itself an impressive 4.5 rating for video quality.
Video Quality Rating: 4.5 (out of 5)
click to view a 4K Screenshot
Audio Quality
“Clue” arrives on 4K UHD Blu-ray in DTS-HD Master Audio 2.0 Mono, with a DTS 2.0 core for those unable to decode the lossless sound format. This is no change from the original 2012 Blu-ray Disc release, which contained that very same sound mix. The lossless Mono sound here is in a variable bitrate running at around 2.0 Mbps on average, based on my observations.
The original score by John Morris sounds great here, with the theme setting the eerie vibe of something Alfred Hitchcock meets “The Addams Family” with some synthesizers thrown in right in the middle of a murder mystery. The music also helps to keep you in suspense as the story progresses. It sounds great here and never once distorts. Dialogue, the most important thing of all, is mixed perfectly which will mean you will not need to make any volume adjustments while listening at the reference level. The sound effects on occasion such as the rain storm and others come across effectively and push Mono to almost as far as it can go, given the material.
All and all, this lossless Mono sound mix is solid and certainly manages to get the job done as well, earning it a respectable and at times pretty impressive 4.5 for audio quality.
Audio Quality Rating: 4.5 (out of 5)
click to view a 4K Screenshot
Bonus Materials
The 4K UHD Blu-ray disc includes the following:
- 3 Random Endings via the “random ending” play option found on the main menu. See further below for the full runtimes for each.
Then you also get a Blu-ray Disc included in this 2-disc “combo pack” set.
- The Blu-ray Disc includes the film using the new 4K scan. This features a 1080p HD video presentation in the 1.85:1 aspect ratio as well as lossless DTS-HD Master Audio 2.0 Mono sound. This is where you’ll find the true majority of the bonus materials. One other note, this Blu-ray is Region A locked, whereas the 4K UHD Blu-ray theoretically is region free [to my knowledge].
Bonus materials included on the Blu-ray Disc are listed below. These are all in HD (high definition) with Dolby Digital 2.0 Stereo sound.
- 3 Random Endings via the “random ending” play option found on the main menu. These have runtimes listed below, along with the runtime for the “trilogy ending” (home video version).
- Ending A (1 hour, 27 minutes, 45 seconds)
- Ending B (1 hour, 26 minutes, 22 seconds)
- Ending C (1 hour, 27 minutes, 34 seconds)
- “Trilogy Ending” has a runtime of 1 hour, 36 minutes, 51 seconds
- NEW “The Perfect Motive: Directing Clue“ — interview with writer/director Jonathan Lynn (27 minutes, 47 seconds – HD) is a must-watch for any fan of this modern cult classic. Jonathan here admits that he referred to the original game board for inspiration of the settings, to keep that accuracy along with the weapons (at the insistence of Parker Brothers). He then took the creative liberties and added the maid and cook. The butler was already a character in the game. He admits there was no story with the game aside from the setting, characters, weapons, and the multiple outcomes. Speaking of which, they knew that having multiple endings would cause fans to spread word of mouth about the different endings which would result in people going back to see the film multiple times, helping the box office return. John Landis was originally set to direct the film but he decided to do “Spies Like Us” (1986) and handed the gig over to Lynn. This was shot on the stage that Alfred Hitchcock used to shoot Rear Window (1954). The house was a glass painting, as we can now see more clearly in 4K. One very fun fact, Rowan Atkinson was actually Lynn’s first choice but then Tim Curry was suggested, who happened to be a friend of his, so he went with Curry and the rest is history. He admits a few shots were cut and didn’t make any of the three different endings. Hearing how they went about doing those different endings is very interesting. This is just simply one great retrospective and interview.
- NEW “The Scene of the Crime: Producing Clue” — interview with associate producer Jeffrey Chernov (22 minutes, 4 seconds – HD) proves to offer some further insight into how the film came to be as well as offers up some stories about the making of the film, and even discussion of how the film was received and is remembered today.
- NEW “Not Just a Game: Scoring Clue” — Interview with film music historian Daniel Schweiger About John Morris’s Score (9 minutes, 7 seconds – HD) is great and pays tribute to the late composer. You will hear about Morris’s work on this film as well as his collaborations with Mel Brooks on films like “The Producers” (1967), “Blazing Saddles” (1974), “Silent Movie” (1976), and “History of the World Part I” (1981) — to just name a few.
- Original Trailer (1 minute, 34 seconds – HD)
Overall, the bonus materials here are really good and you finally get an interview with the film’s director first and foremost. Then you get two other new featurettes, the random endings feature ported over to 4K and the theatrical trailer. The new extras add up to almost exactly an hour in length and that’s sure to be enough to leave fans of the film like myself pleased. Plus, you get a Blu-ray version of the film included from the new 4K scan with the proper aspect ratio.
Bonus Materials Rating: 3.5 (out of 5)
click to view a 4K Screenshot
Closing Thoughts
“Clue” The Movie from 1985 was the first [and not last] movie adaptation of a board game. It also was a great use of the stereotypical murder mystery in a spooky old house with great character acting and it left you the first time you saw it wondering how it ended, and subsequently for each alternate (or random) ending. The direction, the acting, everything here was right and it worked and I cannot say the same for the other movie based on a board game that first comes to mind. “Clue: The Movie” has gone on to become not just a success but a modern cult classic. The performance here particularly that from Tim Curry near the end of the film when he’s acting out multiple roles is just downright unforgettable.
In terms of video quality, you get a new 4K scan that also puts things into the right aspect ratio of 1.85:1 where you’ll not only be seeing the newfound detail from the higher resolution but also some new pieces of the picture. Those other pieces of the picture are visually found on the far sides that were cropped out ever so slightly, as I’ve mentioned. The presentation is by far the best the film has ever looked aside from that I imagine it did theatrically and that’s enough for me.
In terms of audio quality, you get the same lossless Mono sound mix as found on the previous Blu-ray but it never had any problems to begin with. In fact, for a Mono sound mix to a film from the late 1980s, this sounds rather impressive, mainly using the film’s score and the dialogue to get things rather suspenseful to say the very least here, which I’ll try to do. This sounds great.
The bonus materials here include three new exclusive featurettes as well as the previous ability to watch the 3 different surprise endings separately, and the original theatrical trailer. Those new extras total up to a good hour or so and prove to certainly be worth the watch after you’ve seen the film. All and all, Shout! Factory has put together a “Collector’s Edition” of “Clue” on 4K UHD Blu-ray that is certainly a Recommended Upgrade.
In terms of 4K UHD Blu-ray release, this gets:
4.5 (out of 5) for video quality
4.5 (out of 5) for audio quality
3.5 (out of 5) for bonus materials
Overall Verdict:
A Recommended Upgrade
Available As:
2023 4K UHD Blu-ray Release
Available at: Amazon | Walmart
Commissions Earned
4K UHD Blu-ray Screenshots:
Blu-ray VS. 4K Screenshots Comparison:
SOURCES: 2012 Blu-ray (left), 2023 4K UHD Blu-ray (right)
4K UHD Blu-ray Technical Specifications:
Aspect Ratio: 1.85:1
Exact Runtime(s): 1:36:51 (trilogy ending)
Audio Format(s): English DTS-HD Master Audio 2.0 Mono (with a DTS 2.0 Mono core)
Languages: English
Subtitles: English
HDR: HDR10, Dolby Vision
Disc Size: BD-100
Disc Use: 80.65GB total / 61.1GB for the film (trilogy ending)
Video Bitrate: 84.3 Mb/s