Tag Archives: SDR

The 1963 film Charade on 4K from Criterion in June

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Cover art for the film 'Charade' featuring Cary Grant and Audrey Hepburn. The design includes swirling red arrows and bold typography.
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The 1963 romantic comedy/mystery “Charade” will get a 4K UHD Blu-ray release on June 2nd via The Criterion Collection.

Stanley Donen directed the movie. It starred Cary Grant, Audrey Hepburn, Walter Matthau, James Coburn, and George Kennedy.

The movie has received a new 4K digital restoration. The tech specs for the 4K UHD Blu-ray include a 2160p video presentation in a 1.85:1 aspect ratio with SDR (standard dynamic range) and uncompressed LPCM Mono sound. This release is a 2-disc “combo pack” with its Blu-ray Disc counterpart included.

NOTE: HDR (high dynamic range) will NOT be included with this release. This is not uncommon for some Criterion 4K releases.

The 4K UHD Blu-ray is not yet available for preorder at Amazon. Stay tuned for an update. You can preorder directly via the Criterion website. The bonus material for this release is listed below.

  • Audio commentary from 1999 featuring director Stanley Donen and screenwriter Peter Stone
  • Trailer
  • English subtitles for the deaf and hard of hearing
  • PLUS: An essay by film historian Bruce Eder
  • Cover by Eric Skillman

Moneyball celebrates its 15th anniversary on 4K in May

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Cover of the movie 'Moneyball' featuring Brad Pitt, with the title and credits displayed.
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The 2011 film “Moneyball“ will celebrate its 15th anniversary with a 4K UHD Blu-ray debut on May 12th via Sony Pictures Home Entertainment.

Bennett Miller directed the film from a screenplay co-written by Aaron Sorkin. The movie was nominated for a total of six Academy Awards (Oscars), including “Best Picture.” It starred Brad Pitt, Jonah Hill, and the late Philip Seymour Hoffman. The supporting cast included Robin Wright, Chris Pratt, and Brent Jennings.

The movie has received a 4K presentation approved by the director, Bennet Miller. The tech specs include a 2160p video presentation in a 1.85:1 aspect ratio with SDR (standard dynamic range) and lossless DTS-HD Master Audio 5.1 surround sound.

NOTE: No form of HDR (high dynamic range) will be included with this release. This was most likely the director’s choice.

UPDATED: The 4K UHD Blu-ray is now available for preorder at Amazon. The bonus materials included with the release are listed below.

  • Deleted Scenes
  • Blooper with Brad Pitt and Jonah Hill
  • Moneyball: Playing the Game
  • Billy Beane: Re-Inventing the Game
  • Drafting the Team
  • Adapting Moneyball
  • Theatrical Trailer

Further below, after the break, you can find the press release for this release.

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The 1981 film Excalibur comes to 4K in February

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The 1981 film “Excalibur” is coming to 4K UHD Blu-ray and Blu-ray in Limited Edition sets via Arrow Video on February 24th in the United States. It will also be released on February 23rd in the United Kingdom. John Boorman directed the movie, which starred Nigel Terry, Helen Mirren, Nicholas Clay, Cherie Lunghi, Paul Geoffrey, and Robert Addie. It co-starred Nicol Williamson, Keith Buckley, Gabriel Byrne, Liam Neeson, and Patrick Stewart. It’s certainly worth noting that this film featured cutting-edge computer graphics for its time. Also, it received an Academy Award [“Oscar”] nomination for “Best Cinematography.”

The movie features a new 4K restoration from the original 35mm negative. The tech specs for the 4K UHD Blu-ray include a 2160p video presentation in a 1.66:1 aspect ratio, in SDR (standard dynamic range), with lossless DTS-HD Master Audio Mono and 5.1 surround sound configurations. The Blu-ray version’s tech specs include a 1080p HD video presentation in a 1.66:1 aspect ratio with DTS-HD MA Mono and 5.1 surround sound. The release will be a 3-disc set for each format. More details on the contents are further below.

UPDATED: You can now find the 4K UHD Blu-ray Limited Edition and Blu-ray Limited Edition sets are now available for preorder at Amazon. Also, you can individually preorder directly via Arrow Video’s website. You can find a glimpse at the contents of the set (in 4K form) below. Also, a list of bonus materials can be found listed below, sorted by disc.

Physical Extras:

  • Reversible sleeve featuring two original artwork options
  • Collectors’ perfect-bound booklet containing writing by Charlie Brigden, K.A. Laity, Kimberly Lindbergs, Josh Nelson, Philip Kemp, John Reppion, Icy Sedgwick and Jez Winship
  • Double-sided fold-out poster featuring two original artwork options
  • Six postcard-sized reproduction art cards

Disc 1 (4K UHD Blu-ray or Blu-ray):

  • Contains the 141-minute Theatrical Cut of the movie
  • Brand new audio commentary by Brian Hoyle, author of The Cinema of John Boorman
  • Brand new audio commentary by filmmaker David Kittredge, director of Boorman and the Devil
  • Archive audio commentary by director John Boorman

Disc 2 (Blu-ray):

  • The Making of Excalibur: Myth into Movie, a never before released 48-minute documentary directed by Neil Jordan during the production of Excalibur
  • To Be a Knight and Follow a King, a newly filmed interview with director John Boorman and actor Charley Boorman
  • When Death Was but a Dream, a newly filmed interview with creative associate Neil Jordan
  • The Charm of Making, a newly filmed interview with production designer Anthony Pratt
  • Confessions of a Professional “Pain-in-the-ass”, a newly filmed interview with 2nd unit director Peter MacDonald
  • Anam Cara, a new featurette on the working friendship of John Boorman and co-writer Rospo Pallenberg featuring a newly filmed interview with Pallenberg
  • Divided Nature, a brand new featurette by film historians Howard S. Berger and Kevin Marr
  • Trailers
  • Image galleries

Disc 3 (Blu-ray):

  • High Definition (1080p) Blu-ray presentation of the 120-minute TV Version of the film, previously unavailable on home video
  • Original lossless mono audio
  • Excalibur: Behind the Movie, a 50-minute retrospective documentary in which cast and crew look back on the making of the film

The 1995 film Dead Man is coming to 4K in January

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The 1995 film “Dead Man“ is coming to 4K UHD Blu-ray on January 6th via The Criterion Collection. Jim Jarmusch wrote and directed the movie, which featured original music by Neil Young and starred Johnny Depp. It co-starred Gary Farmer, Crispin Glover, Lance Henriksen, Iggy Pop, John Hurt, Robert Mitchum, Gabriel Byrne, and Jared Harris.

This has received a 4K digital restoration, supervised and approved by director Jim Jarmusch. The tech specs for the 4K UHD Blu-ray include a black and white 2160p video presentation in a 1.85:1 aspect ratio, in SDR (standard dynamic range), with lossless DTS-HD Master Audio 2.0 surround sound. This 2-disc set will come as a “combo pack” featuring its Blu-ray counterpart.

The 4K UHD Blu-ray is now available for preorder at Amazon. Also, you can preorder directly via the Criterion website. The bonus materials set to be included with the release are listed below.

  • Q&A in which Jarmusch responds to questions sent in by fans
  • Footage of Neil Young composing and performing the film’s score
  • Interview with actor Gary Farmer
  • Readings of William Blake poems by members of the cast, including Mili Avital, Alfred Molina, and Iggy Pop, accompanied by Jarmusch’s location-scouting photos
  • Selected-scene audio commentary by production designer Bob Ziembicki and sound mixer Drew Kunin
  • Deleted scenes
  • Trailer
  • Color photos from the film’s production
  • English subtitles for the deaf and hard of hearing
  • PLUS: Essays by film critic Amy Taubin and music journalist Ben Ratliff
  • Cover by Nessim Higson

The Place Beyond The Pines on 4K in October

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The 2012 film “The Place Beyond the Pines“ is coming to 4K UHD Blu-ray on October 21st via Shout Select (Shout! Studios). Derek Cianfrance directed and co-wrote the flick. It starred Ryan Gosling, Bradley Cooper, Eva Mendes, and Ray Liotta. It’s worth noting that this movie remains “Certified Fresh” on Rotten Tomatoes, based on critics’ reviews.

The motion picture has received a new 4K restoration approved by Director/Co-Writer Derek Cianfrance. The tech specs for the 4K UHD Blu-ray include a 2160p video presentation in a 2.35:1 aspect ratio in SDR [without HDR], accompanied by lossless DTS-HD Master Audio 5.1 surround and 2.0 stereo sound. The 2-disc set will come as a “combo pack” with its Blu-ray Disc counterpart included.

The 4K UHD Blu-ray is now available for preorder at Amazon and directly via the ShoutFactory website. The bonus materials set to be included with the release are listed below, sorted by disc.

Disc 1 (4K UHD Blu-ray):

  • Audio Commentary With Director/Co-Writer Derek Cianfrance

Disc 2 (Blu-ray):

  • Audio Commentary With Director/Co-Writer Derek Cianfrance
  • Deleted And Extended Scenes
  • Going To The Place Beyond The Pines

The 2024 film Flow gets Criterion 4K and Blu-ray

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The 2024 computer-animated film “Flow” is coming to 4K UHD Blu-ray and Blu-ray on September 23rd via The Criterion Collection. The movie was directed and co-written by Gints Zilbalodis. It was the 2025 Academy Award-winner for “Best Animated Feature Film.” This film is also deemed as “Certified Fresh” (by critics) and “Verified Hot” (by audiences) on Rotten Tomatoes.

This has received a 4K digital transfer. The tech specs for the 4K include a 2160p video presentation in a 2.00:1 aspect ratio with SDR (standard dynamic range). No HDR (high dynamic range) will be included with the 4K UHD release. The sound will be presented in a lossless DTS-HD Master Audio 7.1 configuration. Tech specs for the Blu-ray include a 1080p HD video presentation in a 2.00:1 aspect ratio with DTS-HD Master Audio 7.1 sound. The 4K release will come as a 3-disc “combo pack” with its Blu-ray Disc counterpart included. The Blu-ray release will come as a 2-disc set. More on what will be contained on those discs in a moment.

The 4K UHD Blu-ray and Blu-ray are now available for preorder at Amazon. Also, both versions are available to preorder directly via Criterion’s website.

The bonus materials set to be included with the releases are listed below.

  • 4K digital master of “Away” (2019), Zilbalodis’s debut feature
  • One 4K UHD disc of Flow and Away and two Blu-rays with Flow, Away, and the special features
  • New audio commentary featuring Zilbalodis
  • Full feature-length animatic
  • New interviews with Zilbalodis and cowriter-coproducer Matīss Kaža
  • Dream Cat (2025), a making-of documentary produced for Latvian Television
  • Aqua (2012) and Priorities (2014), short films by Zilbalodis with new commentaries by the director
  • Unused-shot reel, with new commentary by Zilbalodis
  • Trailers, TV spots, and proof-of-concept teasers
  • English subtitles for the deaf and hard of hearing and English descriptive audio
  • PLUS: An essay by critic Nicolas Rapold and collectible stickers
  • Cover image by Gints Zilbalodis. Flow logo by Paula Bobrova and Pēteris Tenisons.

The 2023 film When Evil Lurks comes to 4K in June

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The 2023 horror film “When Evil Lurks” will be released on 4K UHD Blu-ray on June 3rd via Shudder. The Spanish language film was written and directed by Demián Rugna. It starred Ezequiel Rodríguez, Demián Salomón, Silvina Sabater, Virginia Garófalo, and Emilio Vodanovich. It’s worth noting that this movie is “Certified Fresh” by critics on Rotten Tomatoes.

The tech specs for the 4K release include a 2160p video presentation in a 2.35:1 aspect ratio without HDR. It will be in SDR (standard dynamic range). It also features Spanish DTS-HD Master Audio 5.1 surround sound, with English subtitles. This release will come as a “combo pack” with its Blu-ray Disc counterpart included.

The 4K UHD Blu-ray is now available for preorder at Amazon. The bonus material included with this release is listed below.

  • Behind the Scenes Photo Gallery

Yojimbo and Sanjuro on 4K via Criterion in January

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The films “Yojimbo“ (1961) and “Sanjuro“ (1962) are officially set for release on 4K UHD Blu-ray as “Two Samurai Films by Akira Kurosawa” on January 7th via The Criterion Collection. Akira Kurosawa directed and co-wrote both Japanese films which starred Toshirô Mifune.

Each film has received a 4K digital restoration. The tech specs for the 4K release include Black & White 2160p SDR (standard dynamic range) video presentation in the 2.39:1 aspect ratio with uncompressed LPCM Mono sound and optional DTS-HD Master Audio Perspecta 3.0 soundtracks, “preserving the original simulated stereo effects.” The 4-disc set will come as a “combo pack” with each film on its own 4K UHD Blu-ray and Blu-ray Disc.

The 4K UHD Blu-ray is now available for preorder at Amazon. You can also preorder directly via Criterion’s website. The bonus materials set to be included with the release are listed below.

  • Audio commentaries by Kurosawa scholar Stephen Prince
  • Documentaries on the making of Yojimbo and Sanjuro, created as part of the Toho Masterworks series Akira Kurosawa: It Is Wonderful to Create
  • Teasers and trailers
  • Stills galleries of behind-the-scenes photos
  • PLUS: Essays by film writers Alexander Sesonske and Michael Sragow and comments from Kurosawa and members of his casts and crews
  • Covers by Lucien S. Y. Yang

Wallace & Gromit Early Short Films on 4K in December

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“Wallace & Gromit: The Complete Cracking Collection” is coming to 4K UHD Blu-ray / Blu-ray Disc as a set on December 10th via Shout! Studios. The 3-disc set will include four Aardman Animations early stop-motion animated short films (all directed by Nick Park) in 4K, an extra feature-length film (in HD), a nice share of physical extras, and supplemental materials. The four short films have received new 4K masters and restored audio. The short films feature the voice talent of Peter Sallis (as “Wallace”). You can find a list of the four short films below with their runtimes.

  • “A Grand Day Out” (1989) 23 minutes
  • “The Wrong Trousers” (1993) 29 minutes
  • “A Close Shave” (1995) 30 minutes
  • “A Matter Of Loaf And Death” (2008) 29 minutes

The tech specs for the films on 4K UHD Blu-ray include a 2160p video presentation in SDR (standard dynamic range) with DTS-HD Master Audio 5.1 surround and 2.0 Stereo lossless sound. The aspect ratios vary from film to film from 1.33:1, 1.33:1, 1.67:1, and 1.78:1. You can now find the 4K UHD Blu-ray / Blu-ray box set available for preorder at Amazon. Also, you can find the 4K UHD Blu-ray / Blu-ray box set available for preorder at online retailer GRUV. You can even preorder directly via Shout! Factory’s website. Below are the packaging and physical extras included with this box set.

“Wallace & Gromit: The Complete Cracking Collection” 4K / Blu-ray

The shorts will all include audio commentary. The extras span across a 4K UHD Blu-ray and two Blu-ray Discs which include the following:

DISC ONE (4K UHD):

  • A Grand Day Out (1989) / The Wrong Trousers (1993) / A Close Shave (1995) / A Matter Of Loaf And Death (2008)
  • NEW Restored Masters In 4K
  • NEW Restored Audio
  • Audio Commentaries

DISC TWO (BLU-RAY):

  • A Grand Day Out (1989) / The Wrong Trousers (1993) / A Close Shave (1995) / A Matter Of Loaf And Death (2008)
  • NEW Restored Masters
  • NEW Restored Audio
  • Audio Commentaries

DISC THREE (BLU-RAY)

  • Wallace & Gromit: The Curse Of The Were-Rabbit (2005) in 1080p HD 1.85:1 aspect ratio with DTS-HD Master Audio 5.1 lossless surround sound. This includes the following extra:
    • CRACKING CONTRAPTIONS (1080p High-Definition Widescreen (1.78:1) / DTS-HD Master Audio Stereo / Approximate Running Time: +/- 27 Minutes)
      Cracking Contraptions is a showcase of 10 short films about Wallace’s wonderfully eccentric ideas to make your life easier.
  • Peter Lord & Nick Park Interview
  • “The Amazing World Of Wallace & Gromit”
  • “Inside The Wrong Trousers”
  • A Close Shave – How They Did It
  • The Making Of A Matter Of Loaf And Death – How They Donut
  • When Wallace Met Harvey
  • Picture Gallery
  • Invention Blueprints
  • 28-Page Booklet
  • Stickers
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