Tag Archives: 4K restoration

2104 film The Boxtrolls comes to 4K in February

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The 2014 Laika Studios stop-motion animated film “The Boxtrolls” is officially coming to 4K UHD Blu-ray in standard and 4K UHD Blu-ray SteelBook limited edition forms on February 28th via Shout! Factory.  The film, co-directed by Graham Annable and Anthony Stacchi, featured the voice talents of Isaac Hempstead Wright, Ben Kingsley, Richard Ayoade, Nick Frost, Tracy Morgan, Jared Harris, and Toni Collette.

The movie has received a new 4K restoration.  Tech specs will include a 2160p video presentation in the 1.85:1 aspect ratio with HDR10 and Dolby Vision forms of high dynamic range and a new Dolby Atmos sound mix.  The 4K releases of the film in standard and SteelBook form will both come as a “combo pack” with the Blu-ray Disc counterpart included.  The bonus materials set to be included with the releases are listed below.

  • “Inside LAIKA” – Discovering The Characters Of The Boxtrolls Featuring Rare Test Footage
  • “Inside LAIKA” – Revisiting The Puppets With LAIKA’s Animation Team
  • Feature-Length Storyboards
  • Character Art and Concept Art Photo Gallery
  • Foreword By Ramin Zahed, The Editor In Chief Of Animation Magazine
  • Audio Commentary With Directors Graham Annable And Anthony Stacchi
  • “Dare To Be Square” – The Making Of The Boxtrolls
  • Original Featurettes
  • Art & Essay Mini-Book

UPDATE:  You can now find the 4K UHD Blu-ray and 4K UHD Blu-ray SteelBook both available for preorder over at retailer Amazon.  The limited edition 4K UHD Blu-ray SteelBook is available for preorder over at retailer Walmart as well as directly via Shout! Factory’s online store.  Stay tuned for a preorder for the standard 4K release at respectable retailers soon.

1942 classic Casablanca comes to 4K in November

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The classic 1942 film “Casablanca” is officially coming to 4K UHD Blu-ray on November 8th via Warner Bros. Home Entertainment.  The film, directed by Michael Curtiz, starred Humphrey Bogart, Ingrid Bergman, Paul Henreid, Conrad Veidt, Sydney Greenstreet, Peter Lorre, Dooley Wilson, and Claude Rains.  It also is worth noting that it won a total of 3 Academy Awards (“Oscars”), including “Best Picture.“

The movie has received a new 2022 4K restoration, from Warner’s Motion Picture Imagine labs, as described below [taken from the press release]:

“The new Casablanca 4K Ultra High-Definition image was restored and remastered from a 2022 4K 16bit film scan of the best-surviving nitrate film elements. The 4K-scanned digital images went through an extensive digital restoration process to clean and repair the picture for an unprecedented and pristine ultra-high-resolution presentation.  The restored images were then graded in High Dynamic Range for today’s premium 4K display experience, providing the highest fidelity in image contrast and detail retention.  This work was meticulously handled by Warner Bros. Motion Picture Imaging.  The original theatrical mono audio has also been newly restored as well, providing a richer and broader frequency response than previously possible.”

UPDATE #1: Tech specs for the release include a 2160p video Black & White video presentation in the 1.37:1 aspect ratio with HDR10 form of high dynamic range and a restored DTS-HD Master Audio 2.0 Mono sound mix.  The release will come in the form of a “combo pack” meaning that it will have its Blu-ray Disc counterpart and include a digital code (copy) of the film.

UPDATE #2:  You can now find the 4K UHD Blu-ray available for preorder over at Amazon.  The bonus materials set to be included with this release of the film are listed below.

  • Commentary by Roger Ebert [on 4K and Blu-ray]
  • Commentary by Rudy Behlmer [on 4K and Blu-ray]
  • Introduction by Lauren Bacall [on 4K and Blu-ray]
  • Warner Night at the Movies
    • Now, Voyager trailer
    • Newsreel
    • Vaudeville Days (1942 WB short)
    • The Bird Came C.O.D. (1942 WB cartoon)
    • The Squawkin’ Hawk (1942 WB cartoon)
    • The Dover Boys at Pimento University (1942 WB cartoon)
  • Great Performances: Bacall on Bogart (1988 PBS special)
  • Michael Curtiz: The Greatest Director You’ve Never Heard Of
  • Casablanca: An Unlikely Classic
  • You Must Remember This: A Tribute to Casablanca (1992 TEC documentary)
  • As Time Goes By: The Children Remember
  • Deleted Scenes
  • Outtakes
  • Who Holds Tomorrow? (1955 “Casablanca” TV episode)
  • Carrotblanca (1955 WB Cartoon)
  • Scoring Stage Sessions (audio only)
  • Lady Esther Screen Guild Theater Radio Broadcast – 4/26/43 (audio only)
  • Vox Pop Radio Broadcast – 11/19/47 (audio only)
  • Trailers

Further below, after the break, you can find the full details about this upcoming 4K release of the film.

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Spike Lee film Malcolm X on Criterion 4K and Blu-ray

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The 1992 biopic “Malcolm X” is officially coming to 4K UHD Blu-ray and Blu-ray via The Criterion Collection on November 22nd.  The film, directed, produced, and co-written by Spike Lee, starred Denzel Washington (in the lead role) as well as Angela Bassett, Delroy Lindo, Al Freeman Jr., Albert Hall, Theresa Randle, Kate Vernon, and the film’s director himself Spike Lee.  It’s most certainly worth noting that this film was nominated for two Academy Awards, including “Best Actor in a Leading Role” for Denzel Washington.

The movie has received a new 4K digital restoration supervised by cinematographer Ernest Dickerson.  The tech specs for the 4K UHD Blu-ray release include a 2160p video presentation in the 1.85:1 aspect ratio with HDR10 and Dolby Vision forms of high dynamic range as well as a DTS-HD Master Audio 5.1 lossless surround sound mix.  Tech specs for the Blu-ray include a 1080p HD video presentation in the 1.85:1 aspect ratio and DTS-HD MA 5.1 sound.  The 4K release will come in the form of a “combo pack” with it including both the film Blu-ray counterpart as well as a Blu-ray bonus disc, in a 3-disc set.  Whereas the Blu-ray release will be a 2-disc set with an extra disc for the bonus materials.

You can now find the 4K UHD Blu-ray and Blu-ray releases of the film available for preorder over at Amazon or directly via Criterion‘s website.  The bonus materials and details about physical extras set to be included are listed below.

  • Audio commentary from 2005 featuring director Spike Lee, Dickerson, editor Barry Alexander Brown, and costume designer Ruth E. Carter
  • New conversation between Lee and journalist and screenwriter Barry Michael Cooper
  • New interviews with actor Delroy Lindo and composer Terence Blanchard
  • Program about the making of the film, featuring Lee, Dickerson, Brown, Blanchard, Carter, filmmaker Martin Scorsese, actor Ossie Davis, Reverend Al Sharpton, former Warner Bros. executive Lucy Fisher, producers Preston Holmes and Jon Kilik, production designer Wynn Thomas, casting director Robi Reed, and Malcolm X’s daughter Ilyasah Shabazz
  • Malcolm X (1972), a feature-length documentary produced by Marvin Worth and Arnold Perl and directed by Perl, narrated by actor James Earl Jones
  • Deleted scenes with introductions by Lee
  • Trailer
  • PLUS: An essay by Cooper, excerpts from Lee’s 1992 book By Any Means Necessary: The Trials and Tribulations of the Making of “Malcolm X” . . ., and Davis’s eulogy for Malcolm X
  • New cover by Eric Skillman

Brian De Palma film Dressed to Kill on 4K October

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The 1980 film “Dressed to Kill“ is coming to 4K UHD Blu-ray on October 25th via KL Studio Classics, according to retailers.  The film, written & directed by Brian De Palma, starred Michael Caine, Angie Dickinson, Nancy Allen, Keith Gordon, and Dennis Franz.

Tech specs for the release and bonus materials have not yet been released, although it has been hinted at by KL Studio Classics in previously a tweet from back on Halloween [October 31st] in 2021.  In that tweet, they stated it would come with the following:

“BRAND NEW Dolby Vision HDR Restoration to be Supervised by Brian De Palma! From a 16-Bit 4K Scan of the OCN!”

So, Brian De Palma apparently [by now has] supervised and one would think also approved the new restoration, which came from a new 4K scan of the original camera negative.  It was said too that it will include Dolby Vision, so that also means you’ll get HDR10 form of high dynamic range with the video presentation.  As this title has yet to be officially announced and detailed, stay tuned for further details.

In the meantime, you can now find the 4K UHD Blu-ray available for preorder over at Amazon and online retailer Deep Discount.  Retailers list this as a 2-disc set, so chances are it will come in the form of a “combo pack” with the Blu-ray counterpart included.

Lost Highway gets Criterion 4K and Blu-ray in October

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The 1997 film “Lost Highway” is officially coming to 4K UHD Blu-ray and Blu-ray on October 11th via The Criterion Collection. The film, directed and co-written by David Lynch, starred Bill Pullman, Patricia Arquette, Balthazar Getty, Robert Blake, Gary Busey, Richard Pryor, and Robert Loggia.

This movie has received a new 4K restoration, supervised by director David Lynch. Below are some details about that from Janus Films‘ website:

“Lost Highway is presented in its original aspect ratio of 2.39:1. Supervised by director David Lynch, this new digital transfer was created in 4K resolution on a Scanity film scanner from the 35 mm original camera negative. The near-field remaster of the original 5.1 soundtrack was made from the 35 mm magnetic track and mix supervised by Lynch and rerecording mixer Ronald Eng.”

Tech specs for the release include a 2160p video presentation in the 2.39:1 aspect ratio with HDR10 and Dolby Vision forms of high dynamic range and DTS-HD Master Audio 5.1 surround and 2.0 Stereo lossless sound mixes. The 4K release will come in the form of a 2-disc “combo pack” with the Blu-ray counterpart included in that set. 

UPDATE:  You can now find the 4K UHD Blu-ray and the Blu-ray available for preorder over at Amazon.  Also, you can find the 4K UHD Blu-ray and Blu-ray directly available for preorder over at the Criterion website.  The bonus materials set to be included with the releases are listed below.

DIRECTOR-APPROVED SPECIAL EDITION FEATURES

  • New 4K digital restoration, supervised and approved by director David Lynch, with new 5.1 surround DTS-HD Master Audio soundtrack
  • Alternate uncompressed stereo soundtrack
  • For the 4K UHD edition: One 4K UHD disc of the film presented in Dolby Vision HDR and one Blu-ray with the film and special features
  • Pretty as a Picture: The Art of David Lynch, a feature-length 1997 documentary by Toby Keeler featuring Lynch and his collaborators Angelo Badalamenti, Peter Deming, Barry Gifford, Mary Sweeney, and others, along with on-set footage from Lost Highway
  • Reading by Lynch and critic Kristine McKenna of excerpts from their 2018 book, Room to Dream
  • Archival interviews with Lynch and actors Patricia Arquette, Bill Pullman, and Robert Loggia
  • English subtitles for the deaf and hard of hearing
  • PLUS: Excerpts from an interview with Lynch from filmmaker and writer Chris Rodley’s book Lynch on Lynch
  • New cover by Fred Davis

Brian De Palma film Blow Out on 4K in September

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The 1981 film “Blow Out“ is officially coming to 4K UHD Blu-ray on September 6th via The Criterion Collection.  The film, directed and co-written by Brian De Palma, starred John Travolta, Tracy Allen, Dennis Franz, and John Lithgow.

This comes from a new 4K restoration.  The tech specs include a 2160p video presentation in the 2.40:1 aspect ratio with HDR10 and Dolby Vision forms of high dynamic range and DTS-HD Master Audio 2.0 Stereo sound.  The release will come as a 2-disc “combo pack” with the Blu-ray counterpart included.  You can now find the 4K UHD Blu-ray available for preorder over at Amazon and directly via Criterion.  The bonus materials set to be included with the release are listed below.

  • Interview with director Brian De Palma, conducted by filmmaker Noah Baumbach
  • Interview with actor Nancy Allen
  • Murder à la Mod, a 1967 feature by De Palma
  • Interview with cameraman Garrett Brown on the Steadicam shots featured in the film within Blow Out
  • On-set photographs by Louis Goldman
  • Trailer
  • English subtitles for the deaf and hard of hearing
  • PLUS: An essay by critic Michael Sragow and, for the Blu-ray and 4K UHD editions, Pauline Kael’s original New Yorker review of the film
  • New cover by Eric Skillman

1956 George Stevens western Giant on 4K in June

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The 1956 Academy Award-winning western “Giant“ directed & produced by George Stevens is coming to 4K UHD Blu-ray on June 21st via Warner Bros. Home Entertainment, according to retailers.  The film, which won the Academy Award for “Best Director,” starred Elizabeth Taylor, Rock Hudson, James Dean, Carroll Baker, Jane Withers, Chill Wills, Mercedes McCambridge, and Dennis Hopper.

The tech specs and bonus materials for the release have yet to be announced but stay tuned for an update on that.  It is known, via the artwork (pictured above), that this release will only include the 4K disc and digital code (copy) of the film.  No Blu-ray will be included.  You can now find the 4K UHD Blu-ray available for preorder over at Amazon.

The film itself has received a new 4K restoration in a partnership between TCM (Turner Classic Movies) and Martin Scorsese‘s The Film Foundation.  You can read all about that over at Media Play News where they have a great article on this.  This 4K version is also said to be coming to HBO Max streaming later this year.

Larry Cohen film God Told Me to on 4K in July

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The 1976 film “God Told Me To“ is officially coming to 4K UHD Blu-ray on July 19th via Blue Underground.  The cult classic, written and directed by the late Larry Cohen, starred Tony Lo Bianco, Deborah Raffin, Sandy Dennis, Sylvia Sidney, Sam Levene, Robert Drivas, Mike Kellin, Richard Lynch, and Andy Kaufman.

This comes from a “new 4K restoration from the original uncensored negative.”  Tech specs for the 4K release include a 2160p video presentation in the 1.85:1 aspect ratio with HDR10 and Dolby Vision forms of high dynamic range as well as Dolby Atmos and lossless DTS-HD Master Audio 5.1 and 1.0 Mono sound mixes.  The release will come in the form of a “combo pack” meaning that it will include a Blu-ray Disc of the film, also using the new 4K restoration.

UPDATE:  You can now find the 4K UHD Blu-ray available for preorder over at Amazon.  The bonus materials set to be included on this 2-disc set are listed below.

Disc 1 (4K UHD Blu-ray) Feature Film + Extras:
  • Audio Commentary #1 with Writer/Producer/Director Larry Cohen
  • NEW! Audio Commentary #2 with Film Historians Steve Mitchell and Troy Howarth
  • Theatrical Trailers
  • TV Spots
Disc 2 (Blu-ray) Feature Film + Extras:

Audio Commentary #1 with Writer/Producer/Director Larry Cohen

  • NEW! Audio Commentary #2 with Film Historians Steve Mitchell and Troy Howarth
  • Heaven & Hell On Earth – Interview with Star Tony Lo Bianco
  • Bloody Good Times – Interview with Special Effects Artist Steve Neill
  • God Told Me To Bone – New Beverly Q&A with Larry Cohen
  • Lincoln Center Q&A with Larry Cohen
  • Theatrical Trailers
  • TV Spots
  • Poster & Still Gallery

Below, after the break, you can find an HD restored version of the trailer for the film.

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1971 film Shaft on 4K via Criterion Collection in June

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The 1971 film “Shaft” will officially be coming to 4K UHD Blu-ray and Blu-ray Disc on June 21st via The Criterion Collection.  The film, directed by Gordon Parks, starred Richard Roundtree, Moses Gunn, Charles Cioffi, Christopher St. John, Gwenn Mitchell, Lawrence Pressman, and Victor Arnold.  The film has received a new 4K restoration.

Tech specs for the 4K UHD Blu-ray include a 2160p video presentation in the original 1.85:1 aspect ratio with Dolby Vision and HDR10 forms of high dynamic range and uncompressed Mono and Stereo sound.  The tech specs for the Blu-ray include a 1080p HD video presentation in the 1.85:1 aspect and uncompressed Mono and Stereo sound.  On both releases, the first sound mix will be the original Mono lossless mix while the second optional sound mix will be a Stereo lossless “soundtrack remastered with creative input from Isaac Hayes III” according to Criterion.

You can find both the 4K UHD Blu-ray and Blu-ray now available for preorder over at Amazon.  You can also find them available directly via Criterion’s website.

The 4K will come in the form of a “combo pack” and include its Blu-ray counterpart as well as a bonus disc (detailed below), spanning across a 3-disc set. The Blu-ray will be a 2-disc set and include a bonus disc with an additional film — “Shaft’s Big Score! (1972).  The bonus materials set to be included with the releases are listed below.

  • Shaft’s Big Score!, the 1972 follow-up to Shaft by director Gordon Parks
  • New documentary on the making of Shaft featuring curator Rhea L. Combs, film scholar Racquel J. Gates, filmmaker Nelson George, and music scholar Shana L. Redmond
  • Behind-the-scenes program featuring Parks, actor Richard Roundtree, and musician Isaac Hayes
  • Archival interviews with Hayes, Parks, and Roundtree
  • New interview with costume designer Joseph G. Aulisi
  • New program on the Black detective and the legacy of John Shaft, featuring scholar Kinohi Nishikawa and novelist Walter Mosley
  • A Complicated Man: The “Shaft” Legacy (2019)
  • Behind-the-scenes footage from Shaft’s Big Score!
  • Trailers
  • English subtitles for the deaf and hard of hearing
  • PLUS: An essay by film scholar Amy Abugo Ongiri
  • New cover by Bill Sienkiewicz
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