4K ULTRA HD Review of 2024 + THE TEN BEST
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- เผยแพร่เมื่อ 10 ก.พ. 2025
- A look back through the 4K releases of 2024. I didn't purchase every title of course but every 4K UHD home video disc released in 2024 that did find its way into my collection is featured in this video other than Exorcist 3 which I managed to miss on the shelf when going through.
The second half of the video is my selection for the ten best but on another day much of this list may have been somewhat different. A great many of the discs shown throughout this video were candidates to make it into my top ten.
I mention Trevor at Double Bill Movies and the video we did together for the 4K UHD release of James Cameron's TRUE LIES. That video was uploaded onto Trevor's channel and can be seen here: • True Lies: A Discussio...
Happy New Year to you, John. Thanks for all your efforts, and just know that your work on TH-cam is greatly appreciated.
Happy new year to you too. John.
Happy new year to you .Thank you John for making my wish list longer. Rutger is still dearly missed by us dutchies.
A happy new year to you too JJ. Sorry about lengthening your 4K shopping list. John.
That's a great list John. Some I still need to get. It's hard sometimes to really decide what you prefer about something.
I'm glad you liked Point Break. I have that SKU, it's a 90s film though great watch.
Thank you for including me in the video. I think we got the best out of the True Lies 4K with the adjustments we made.
I've been trying my projector on Bright mode. You get a much more natural colour and contrast image. I was watching Primal Fear and it looked nice but really plat. I turned up the bulb and wham, there it was.
I keep it on Eco mode most of the time, cause of the noise.
Take it easy.
Trev
Morning Trev. I should have said 80's and 90's style action films in this video. I think the style came out of the late 1980's though.
Most of the time our projector is set to 50%. It's sometimes better to have it on 'Eco.' but for 3D discs it's best on 100%. With 4K discs there is also the HDR to sort out and that's different from disc to disc.
Some are still a bit hot under the collar about the James Cameron 4K home video disc releases. I sometimes suggest they find a film print!!!
John.
Happy New Year John, Excellent list,The Hitcher was my favourite release, especially with all the work put into it, Great year for 4k and I hope this year will be even better,All the Best Gary 👍🏻
The Hitcher certainly is excellent. Who ever would have thought that title would get such a wonderful release?
A happy new year to you too Gary.
John.
Great video. Pleased you mentioned the last star fighter as something you enjoyed, as I was probably one of the ones that asked for a review on this.
A good new year to you and your wife.
A happy new year to you too.
I was pleased to be hassled about The Last Starfighter and to realize it wasn't Battle Beyond The Stars. The early, low quality CGI work is actually an historic curiosity today.
John.
I really look forward to your videos and they never disappoint. Thank you.
Thank you. Just working on a Star Wars 4K video right now - Rogue One and Andor John.
Happy new year John! Thanks for the great effort you put in over the year. There’s so many reviewers on TH-cam now who seem to overly obsessive regarding how films should look on 4k but your my go to as you have that experience with print film that the others don’t. I recently bought Witchfinder General on 4k recently from 88 films.
Happy new year Dan.
I do find it a bit odd that some who have little or no experience of film should try to tell us how a home video should look. I could understand it if we were looking at a film print with an asking price of around £1K, but these are cheap, almost throwaway home videos. For the asking price and the quality we get, they're all unbelievable. If anyone isn't happy with one, sell it on, chuck it out, or stick it on the shelf and forget about it and next time just go back to the previous Blu-ray, HDDVD, DVD, Video CD, CD-I, LaserDisc, VHS, Betamax or Video 2000 tape!
I should have asked 88 Films to send me through Witchfinder General because I think they would have done. But I don't like to ask for things for free. I might actually purchase that one one of these days.
John.
@ I wasn’t happy with the version I got from 88 films, it was the one with no booklet or slip cover, I wish they’d just make the same version instead of different ones, I do love my booklets 😂
@@danboy77 That's a terrible shame Dan. Maybe I'll be better off purchasing a copy in HMV after all. John.
Great video as always. Happy new year. I noticed you’ve lost some weight. I hope you’re well and in good health! You’re a TH-cam treasure.
I haven't weighed myself for a couple of days but I was up and down within the same half a stone or so of normal. I never sit still so never have been able to put weight on. I just stuff my face as much as I like and never have to worry. John.
Happy New Year, John! Thanks for the fantastic review videos that you put out, including this one! Very pleased to see that you had two Hitchcock VistaVision films in your Top 10. ‘North by Northwest’ gets my top spot for the year, as I was absolutely blown away by how fantastic it looks and sounds on 4K disc.
On a separate note, I can recommend a couple of recent US releases, ‘The Eiger Sanction’ from Kino Lober and ‘A Simple Plan’ from Arrow Video, both of which look wonderful on 4K and are quality films.
Wishing you a great 2025!
Thank you Gary and a happy new year to you too. I've just looked up A Simple Plan on Arrow's site and it doesn't seem to have been issued over here. I'll keep a lookout though. I have The Eiger Sanction on LaserDisc and as much as I like it, I don't think it's one of Mr. Eastwood's best films. I still haven't watched North By Northwest but I will do soon. I only had to look at some chapter stops to check the VistaVision and dye-transfer Technicolor looked as beautiful as expected. Too many people still think the larger format cine to video transfers, followed by some capable mastering, look so good simply because of "the transfer". I'll continue to try to educate as many as people as possible about it being due to the superlative imagery as shot.
John.
Hey John. I watch several reviewers on TH-cam and I still find your channel the most enjoyable. Yours is more like a friendly chat than say for instance this one guy who talks really loud and gets annoying. There has been much said about "reference quality" discs but what does that really mean? So I Googled it and found what is probably the best definition of this catch phrase. This is about as close to the real meaning of "reference quality" that I have found on the internet. "Native 4K refers to either a 4K DI or a 4K rescan which makes it true 4K. Many movies use a DI at 2K and the final product is upscale to 4K before being distributed. Therefore not native 4K. Many people will argue that this makes it not true 4K. But that is subjective.
Reference disc refers to reference quality. This would be near perfect and the best picture quality you’ll find on a 4K disc. These discs are major upgrades over their standard blu ray counterparts. Some of these have involved rescans of the original film and properly color corrected (I.e the matrix). While others have a 4K DI which adds much more clarity, sharpness and detail than a 2K DI." There are many "reference quality" discs being put on the market today. One of the finest examples of these is the Warner Archive 4k disc of THE SEARCHERS. It truly is a remarkable transfer probably due to the fact that it is from VISTAVISION. Check it out and I think you will be blown away (pun intended) by this transfer of what many consider (myself included) the greatest Western ever made. Have a great day. Daniel.
There is no such thing as a reference quality 4K disc Daniel and the reason for that is that just about every film and movie shot on video ever made has a different origination. I suppose there will have been films made by the same directors using the same team from cinematography, lighting and everything else that will be similar to the point of near identical but even then, there are bound to be variations. VistaVision films are just one large film format but there are far bigger. To see the best film requires a trip to one of the 30 or so remaining IMAX cinemas in the world. But even then, it's quite rare for even the genuine IMAX houses to be screening an IMAX film. The BFI does so more regularly than most with a documentary at least once a week apparently but the Nolan features, particularly INTERSTELLAR, getting more regular repeated screenings these days. The Searchers, of course, is a VistaVision so no one should be surprised at how that 4K looks. I did hope that other TH-cam reviewers would start to learn about the origination of a film being the most important aspect to its final look on a 4K home video reduction but only a few seem to have done so so far.
If anyone wants to state something is 'reference quality' they also need to state which class it is in. If it's a matted 6.5K, 4K, 2K, HD, SD, 35mm, anamorphic 35mm, VistaVision, Technirama, 65mm etc. etc. etc. 'Nuff said.
John.
@@moviecollector5920 Yes, origination does have perhaps the most important aspect as to what makes a movie transfer reference quality. For instance the difference between THE SEARCHERS and RIO BRAVO is significant. Though RIO BRAVO is much better than its blu-ray predecessor it still has less clarity than THE SEARCHERS. But because movies like THE SEARCHERS and THE TEN COMMANDMENTS are ultra sharp and fully color restored I would definitely refer them before movies with lesser clarity and that is why I would say they are reference quality. Then there are those specialty videos like the BBC Nature series which are also excellent and I have "referred" them when talking about them to friends. Then there is the one which in my opinion tops them all in specialty videos is the 4k video of ROCKY MOUNTAIN EXPRESS which tells of the building of the Canadian Transcontinental Railway. The Canadian Rocky vistas are incredible along with the sound. There is a scene where a steam train is starting and it sounds as if it is right there in my living room with my Bose 900 sound bar. There. I believe I just referenced the quality of that video to you. Of course, if you ever get the video and view it for yourself you can form your own opinions. The point being, I have some 4k's that are not what I expected in quality and would not refer or recommend. Daniel P.S. The next movie on my VISTAVISION list is NORTH BY NORTHWEST which should be another excellent UltraHD video.
Wonderful way to begin the new year. Thank you, John another stellar post. I believe I have commented on this, but it bears repeating, 'Twisters" plays like a bad TV movie of the week compared to the brilliance of "Twister", and here I'm showing my crotchety old fart age, but when the marvelous wind-swept titles of this superb 4K version swept across my screen I became quite emotional thinking 'they don't make them like this anymore'. And come on guys, get over the few seconds of green tint, it's nothing. Happy New Year! Michael - South Africa.
Morning Michael down there in soooooth Africa. Some of the vitriol over the modification to the sky in two short sequences is ridiculous to me. It's not the only home video 'anomaly' to cause a gnashing of teeth and it suggests to me that something has gone a little awry. I think some of us tend to thing our opinions matter and everyone should agree with those opinions, hence the anger that is so apparent and so prevalent with just about everything today. As Jack Nicholson says in 'Mars Attacks', "Why can't we all just get along?"
John.
Happy new year John 👍 Great video as ever, and looking forward to more this year 😅🤞 Your reviews are very informative, especially as for someone like me who has little experience with actual film / projection
A happy new year to you too Seth. We need to get more film back into cinemas but it's going to take a gargantuan effort to make that a reality. The Brutalist is a film in cinemas right now but I need to find out if it was finished on film or whether it's another fudge whereby all the negative elements were transferred to a computer and it was video edited and then put back out to film. So much gets lost with that rigmarole.
John.
Happy new year John and thanks for all your efforts to help us movie fans find the best quality prints available. Of course, I just went ahead and ordered many of the titles you recommended. Really very much appreciated.
A happy new year to you too CeeJay. I hope you enjoy the discs you've ordered as much as we did here. It's not often that 4K home video releases are a disappointment so I think you'll be okay.
John.
The greenish color in the sky (Twister) was actually a touch of realism. That can happen when a tornado is close by. Living in a section of the Southern United States known as tornado alley I 've witnessed this phenomenon myself. A green sky before a tornado occurs when sunlight passes through a very thick storm cloud, typically near sunset, causing the blue wavelengths of light to scatter out, leaving the longer wavelengths like red and yellow to pass through, resulting in a perceived greenish hue; this indicates a powerful storm capable of producing severe weather like tornadoes, but doesn't guarantee one will form. Daniel
Thanks Daniel. A few other comments have confirmed that for us too. I don't know why some people got so hot under the collar about such a minor tweak. John.
Totally enjoyed, always immersive watching. Happy New Year John.
I was rather pleased with how it turned out Pete. I made a couple of minor mistakes but I think I got away with them. John.
Happy New Year John and thanks for posting. Great choices and really looking forward to your review of the Searchers. Guarantee that will be in your 2025 top ten 😀
The Searchers hasn't been released over here I'm afraid. But as you now know it's motion picture high fidelity is because of its VistaVision origins it's no longer quite the surprise that such films transferred and shrunk down to 4K home video look so good.
John.
Great video as always John. Glad to see you getting so much pleasure out of 4K's and contuingly sharing your passion for all things film/movies. Lets hope 2025 is another great year for 4K's
Thank you Darren. I still have a great time with Blu-ray, DVD, LaserDisc, Super 8 and 35mm too Darren but sadly there's not much of an audience for anything other than 4K. 35mm does well on occasion though. I must get the 16mm screening something again soon.
John.
Great video - thank you. You and I seem to have very similar tastes since I also have these films on Blu-ray and 4K. I even have some if the laser discs too.
Have a brilliant 2025🎉🎉
I expect we're both in the mainstream when it comes to what a majority like Paul. I do watch more niche market films but I don't often find them as entertaining... Cannibal Holocaust for example!
A happy and properous (fat chance of that here in Britain today though) 2025 to you too.
John.
Great Post! Thanks, John! I think my fav 4K release of 2024 would have to be John Carpenter's Starman from the Columbia Classics Collection Vol. 4. I had to purchase this one separate off eBay, but it was well worth the price. The image and sound are outstanding, and rise above the former Shout Factory Blu-ray. All the extras are ported over, and Columbia have added 18 minutes worth of deleted scenes, and 2 4K discs containing the 1986 Starman TV Show with Robert Hayes; which I always enjoyed. The show itself was only remastered for 1080p, but it still looks fantastic.
Having said that, the Conan the Barbarian Limited Collector's Edition from Arrow Video, was also fantastic!
Funnily enough Jim, I've just been replying to another comment about John Carpenter films and I've said that I think Starman is possibly his best film from a critical standpoint. I then suggested the latest Columbia Classics 4K box. Sadly, I can't afford it.
John.
Happy new year john!
Greetings KD. A happy new year to you too. Now stop wasting time watching my rubbish and get back into the IMAX to watch some more movies!!! John.
@ hahaha soon! For now I’m slowly going through all of your videos to get inspiration. I just started collecting physical media few months ago! Lot of pre-owned stuff but also confidering importing some from hmv.
@@KDCloudy I saw your video where you produced a few 3D Blu-rays KD. I'm not so much into 3D but as an occasional novelty I rather enjoy them. I think the most involving 3D Blu-ray I've enjoyed so far is DREDD. It's the confined nature of that film that works so well and the 3D does seem to enhance the involvement with feeling like you're there.
John.
Really appreciate the longer length video John, with some great picks. Thank you!
Thank you Colin. John.
Happy new year, excellent list as always, I think you just convinced me to get the hither before it disappears...
There were 8000 of the special pack issued Colum so hopefully there are still some in stock. John.
Thank you for the extended length runtime. 👍🏻🙏🏻
A little over the top perhaps but I thought I'd try it for once. John.
Happy New Year, John. As always, your videos continue to be the Gold standard when it comes to knowledge and insight- plus your taste is impeccable 😊
I was delighted with your number one choices. I have a personal history with Carrie as it’s been my all time favourite movie ever since I saw it on first cinema release ( getting in underage when I was only 15 and back then it was an “ X”!). I am therefore a bit biased but I don’t think anyone could argue with your assessment. I’ve owned it on all home video formats since VHS in numerous editions, including several import versions from the USA and Spain. I went back to see it whenever it got a reissue (I saw that double bill you mention!). More recently, I also saw the 4K restoration projected at the cinema during the COVID times when cinemas were showing older movies but they could open again. It’s a film that I am very familiar with in terms of how it looks and sounds. The Arrow 4K is the definitive version for sure (I have the Screen Factory 4K version which is not as good). It’s a significant upgrade even from the previous Arrow special edition Blu Ray and if anyone doubts that, I’d suggest comparing the Prom scene on their Blu Ray to the 4k version. The colours on the 4k are stunning.
I would imagine that you would already be thinking about it, but I would point you toward the new 4K of David Fincher’s “Se7en” which arrived yesterday. I think it’s a wonderful transfer. If you pick it up though, I would suggest you buy the Digipack. I bought the Steelbook which from what I’ve now seen, is actually inferior in terms of packaging to the steel. All the best, David.
At least that shows there are two of us who like CARRIE David and the Arrow 4K in particular. It's wonderful to be able to watch these older films in such quality at home and even more special when it comes in a special pack with a miniature reproduction of the US one-sheet poster and the front of house set. As for Se7en, I have it on Blu-ray. I'm not in a particular hurry to see it again. It's a great film, it's just that it's a bit of a nasty film and not one I like to see very often. I saw it at The Empire and then when we purchased the Blu-ray a few years ago. That's it.
John.
@@moviecollector5920It’s a tough watch for sure, but having sat and watched it on 4k last night, I’d have to say that it’s one of the best 4K transfers I have seen in a long time. It’s a film with lots of shadow and darkness, plus very specific colour grading but the transfer handles it all superbly. But, horses for courses!
I’m currently awaiting the delivery of Arrow’s new edition of The Usual Suspects, so I’m hoping they have hit the heights of Carrie in their version 😊
Happy New Year John, enjoyed your review of the 2024. I agree with your number 1, the Hitcher was a great release. i didn't manage to get the Carrie release yet so maybe one for the future.
A happy new year to you too Darrell. It's the US one-sheet poster reproduction and the miniature front of house set that really make the Carrie special release stand apart. The disc itself is wonderful too though. The Hitcher is mainly about the disc and that hardback book. North By Northwest is better image quality of course but Carrie and The Hitcher weren't shot in VistaVision so that was inevitable. White Christmas is better imagery too for the same reason.
John.
Great reviews as always, love your channel, where is the best HMV for 4Ks you been too?
Probably the original store on Oxford Street Stuart or perhaps even FOPP just on a corner street of Shaftesbury Avenue. But Leicester is very good too. Swindon is smaller but still impressive and the Newbury store has recently doubled the size of its 4K shelves. I think the Newbury example is likely to be the same at most of the smaller stores.
John.
Happy New Year John. I discovered your channel in 2024 and you got me interested in film once again. Went to the IMAX to see Interstellar and was blown away by the experience. I don’t have the space for a permanent home cinema set up so I bought a 120” floor-rising screen to use with my old hd projector. Now every Saturday night is movie night! I hope to upgrade to a 4k projector soon. There is nothing like watching a film in the dark on a big screen. OLED TVs can have a great picture but the experience just isn’t the same.
Good to have you here and happy new year. INTERSTELLAR at the IMAX is like nothing else. A 2001 for the modern world only even better... although 2001 A Space Odyssey from 70mm on a 120 degree curved screen was probably even more impressive back in 1969.
Absolutely right about nothing matching watching a movie on a screen. The bigger the better but even a modest projection blows the socks off any telly. I fancy getting back in our little home cinema tonight but we don't usually do a Sunday night in there. Looks like I'll be responding to comments on here anyway but I would like to be mesmerized by a great film on the 'Scope screen again tonight.
John.
Totally agree. Flat screen TVs look very digitally processed and people get obsessed about contrast ratios and brightness levels that burn your eyes out. if you want to reproduce the natural look of film then projectors are the way to go. If you get a chance to upgrade to 4K you won’t be disappointed!
@@comiccollex958 Although I do always set up my own tellies to resemble film as closely as possible too so it is achievable despite the obsession generally with making the image displayed to be as bright as possible. As for 4K video projection, when setup correctly it really is cinema in the home as we used to know it. Cinema is rarely to the same high standards today but it's the HDR application that makes the difference for our home screenings. HDR has brought video closer to replicating the look of film than ever before. John.
Loved this! Great video, and a Happy New Year to you.
Thank you Graham. A happy new year to you too. John.
great video as usual with lots of interesting info on the releases, the Hitcher looks 👌🏻👌🏻
Yes, The Hitcher is quite astounding. Who ever would have thunk it? John.
Happy New Year John and thank you
A happy new year to you too Kamandi. John.
Happy New Year. Good collection. Thanks John.
A happy new year to you too Craig. John.
Love your videos John! Happy New Year!
Thank you Bergsy. A happy new year to you too. John.
Happy New Year John,another great video,2024 was a great year for 4k physical media...i just watched Silence Of The Lambs 4k on my new projector, a fantastic experience, will be reviewing it soon...looking forward to 2025 😊
Morning Marty. I hope you have a nice Chianti ready for your upcoming review... and some fava beans of course. I have Silence of the Lambs on Super 8. It's a bit of a stunner up there on the big screen so you should have a great time with the 4K. If it looks like crap then someone has messed up.
John.
@moviecollector5920 I am partial to a bit of liver John 😁let's say Arrow didn't let me down,as usual the whole collectors edition was great 🙂
Belated new years greetings to you John. Thanks for your efforts. Much appreciated. Checked how much I spent on 4k over the year no wonder my bank manager hates me. You mention To Catch a Thief fortunate to get the special edition eye wateringly good image. Thinking about The Last Starfighter. Pleased you mentioned Moon and Wages of Fear. Disappointed The Searchers not released domestically. While 4k discs may be growing there are only Sony and Panasonic supplying the mass market with elderly designs of machines which worries me. Any way long may you continue thank you.
A happy new year to you too Mike..
I think we only need to worry about Panasonic continuing to supply 4K players as all the others never stood a chance anyway after the debacle with Blu-ray players and none of the others managing to make any that actually worked properly for some years. But there are others such as Pioneer (not sure if they're still making them) and Tascam which is an excellent player.
Don't spend too much on home video discs this year... then again!
John.
Happy New Year John.
Happy new year!
Thank you John.
Well done Cheekster... first again. John.
Happy New Year! 🎉 Great end of year round-up. I think 2024 was a fantastic year for UHD fans. We’ve been well and truly spoilt and long may that continue. I thought The Hitcher was a well deserved winner. Second Sight knocked it out of the park! Thanks for all the entertaining content this last year and I hope the channel continues to go from strength to strength in 2025!
Thank you Darren. A happy new year to you too. Let's just hope no other bugger decides to rip one of my videos down and pirate it this year.
John.
Happy New Year John.
Really good walk through 2024.
You videos and reviews are very much in line with me so this is the most interesting top 10 to date.
I love how you compare the 4Ks to 8, 35 or even 70mm prints which i do as well.
Many reviewers on YT has new seen the old films on anything but dvd so honestly I find them boring to watch.
Thank you again for your great channel.
One of the things that convinced me to start a channel at the beginning of the covid debacle was the fact that I couldn't find anyone talking about 4K home video discs who seemed to know anything about film. I hope I've educated a few 4K reviewers since then and I seem to have done as I've noticed a little more thought on some channels about the whole cine to video process and why some 'transfers' look better than others and why some shots may not be quite as good as the rest of the film. Mission semi-accomplished. But there has been quite a lot of slagging off of home videos over this past year so it's not all been a success.
John.
Great video, John. I really enjoy hearing from you in these longer form videos. 2024 was a great year for 4K releases. We got FOUR James Cameron movies, North by Northwest, Seven Samurai, among many other iconic films. It's a great time to be a 4K collector. I think the biggest surprise for me this year was Aliens. I can't explain why, but it was the most engaging, visually captivating version of the movie I've experienced yet. Very few 4K upgrades give me that sensation. The last film that blew me away like that was Sydney Pollack's thriller The Firm. Mind you the last time I watched that movie was on DVD. This year I'm most excited to finally see my #1 favorite movie brought to 4K, Amadeus. Not only that, but it's the original theatrical cut. That cut of the film hasn't been available since the early days of double sided DVD's. Have you ever seen Amadeus? I'd be interested in your thoughts on that when it releases. I've pre-ordered the standard 4K and a collectors box.
No, I've never actually seen Amadeus Andy. I don't know why. I suspect that's going to change soon.
The 4K of Aliens looks like a 70mm print in terms of definition but there are those dodgy looking sequences which I spot too easily because I know the film too well. The background paintings and model shots lose some of the illusion too because the image quality is so good. But for people who don't know Aliens like I do (yes, I know I need help!) I expect it will be a great experience. And it will surely continue to find a new, enthusiastic audience now it looks more like a movie that was shot on digital video last week. I certainly appreciate the work that went into it.
The Firm is another very good 4K disc. But, wouldn't you know, people have complained about the image quality on that one too.
John.
@@moviecollector5920 How exciting! You'll get to experience Amadeus for the first time, and on 4K! It's a great movie. It has wonderful lead actors, a fabulous script and marvelous directing. It brings the world of Mozart and opera to life in such a compelling and human way. I'll refrain from gushing further about it, so as to not build it up too much. 😆
Wonderful,as always. Happy New Year from Venice, California.
Thank you BobbyT. A happy new year to you too. John.
Hi John great list
I was gonna ask you something
I remember you said you project into a wall of Matt emulation , as a newbie just bought my first projector doing research is there a reason you have not bought a screen ? I have a total dark room about the same size as your home cinema , what paint did you use and did you sand the wall down to make sure there is no marks on wall
Evening Danny. The main reason people try to sell you a screen is because there is money in it. There's not much money in a pot of paint. A brilliant white matt emulsion wall is the best possible screen you can have and it doesn't exactly cost much to maintain it. If you want your speakers behind the projected image though then that's when you may require to spend a lot of money on some white material. Another reason for having a screen is if you have a window, bookshelves or other obstacles where the projected image needs to be and in that case a roll down screen is the solution.
Good luck with your first projector. I know a lot of people don't buy video projectors because it's a bit daunting when they've only ever known a telly. But you'll seen get into it. My advice is to not take any notice of anyone and start experimenting the all the basic settings yourself. Just don't have any of the digital 'enhancements' on and don't have the image too bright.
John.
Hey John, I’ve been watching your videos for quite some time now and I have to say they’re wonderful, I love your reviews of all your 4K UHD films they’re authentic and really speak to me as a fellow film enthusiast and collector.
I do have a quick question I’m not too sure if you have the answer for this; do you know of any cinemas in the UK showing Brady Corbet’s “The Brutalist” shot in the incredible VistaVision on 70mm Film? I can’t find any screenings in where I live in Ireland except for the standard digital releases. I thought you may know a specific cinema in the UK that may be showing it on 70mm film.
Keep up the great work and keep those reviews coming! Your channel is fantastic and will only continue to grow. 😊
Evening Sean. The BFI IMAX sent out an email to say the BFI would be screening a 70mm print of The Brutalist later this month but it was pointed out to me in another comment that it doesn't look like it's the IMAX screening it and it will more likely be NFT1 only. Here is the link into their listings for The Brutalist: whatson.bfi.org.uk/Online/default.asp?BOparam::WScontent::loadArticle::permalink=brutalist-70mm
The Prince Charles Cinema might get the print after it's finished with but I can't see any screenings listed on their site yet. This link will take you to their 35mm and 70mm listings: princecharlescinema.com/seasons-events/?se=18
I don't know if the Odeon Leicester Square will get The Brutalist but if they do it may be a 70mm print so keep an eye on their site here: www.odeon.co.uk/cinemas/london-leicester-square/
I hope all this helps. And good to have you here so thank you.
John.
Who every thought 4K wouldn't take off.
And prices are coming down here across the pond.
You can find quite a range of 4 Ks from 10 to 14 dollars.
Making it very affordable.
Good to see you review some of your favourite 4K disks.what a year and I'm sure even better things to come. All the best.
Graham.
Evening Graham. Although I expect it's only just the afternoon over with you. 4K does seem to have been doing well over here lately. However, it looks like we've got trouble ahead so right now I've got my prayer mat out. It doesn't seem to be helping much though!
Keep well over there.
John.
Stellar list. Wasn’t expecting Carrie in there, so that was a nice surprise! Cheers!🎉
I think how good that release of Carrie is had passed most of us by. An amazing pack. John.
Happy New Year John. Those Star Wars Steel books look really good Andor is definitely one to watch. 💯👍
Happy new year Andy. We've only got through the first two episodes of Andor and I'm struck by the Blade Runner influence. Not really like any previous Star Wars yet so I don't know how well this will go down as it's clearly aimed at a more adult market.
John.
@@moviecollector5920yeah John definitely for the more adult fans the first 3 episodes take time to get going it gets alot better as the season goes on.
@@andylikesstuffchannel Yes, it is a little slow but I've enjoyed seeing all the great sets created at Pinewood. Let's hope that great studio can survive the onslaught and continue on its path to become the biggest film studio in the world. John.
Well Disney are certainly spending a big penny or two here in the UK. Despite no one really watching their run of Star Wars "content" Andor seasons 1&2 alone have a combination estimated budget of $635 million, plus their last new Star Wars show at over $240 million here in the UK .
And I think Sonic 3 moved production here to the UK from Canada. So I'd like to think Pinewood is okay for a few more years. As Paramount have made BANK on Sonic's box office.
But sadly, despite Disney spending every penny in the world its D+ content it just doesn't make the money back via Streaming and at these invest levels so they will at some point look for cheaper ROI despite not wanting simply hire better writers.
To make compelling shows.
I've not seen Andor yet as the Character was bland and forgettable in rouge one, which is a mess of movie with one good 25min beach battle that was written by and directed by Tony Gilroy before doing the 1st series. And Gareth Edwards was being under cut on set and was responsible for that rather foolish bit with Darth Vader which was my first oh no, Star Wars is in big trouble moment at the cinema and knew it was never gonna be the same and has gone down hill so far to possible point of no return. I can't lie that I
Am tempted by Andor as every review expresses it's good. Just wish it was for a better character whose ending wasn't all ready laid out.
Happy new Yr john 4k is great
Same to you Dave and thank you. John.
Happy New Year John, brilliant video as always, glad to see some love for True Lies, The Abyss looks pretty good too but I had to import that one. Whilst there was plenty of disappointments last year in terms of new movies, physical media had a superb run last year
I was shown a few extracts from the 4K of The Abyss Pete and it looked very good. I have it on Super 8 and it's very good on that so I can't see how that one can be messed up. Same with The Terminator but I think some get a bit angry when a film they love has been cleaned up a little too much. Just stick with the Blu-ray on those occasions, or in the case of The Abyss, the DVD or LaserDisc... or best of all, the Super 8.
John.
Laser disk Audio sounds amazing. Last year the 4k release of Robocop 2 from Sceamfactory had a Laser Disk Stereo and i could hear the difference in clarity....it sounded better than the HD remaster.
LaserDisc had original theatrical soundtracks which apparently is not the case on current home video releases. What we get now, I'm told, are near field mixes. You want to sit in here and hear how much better original 35mm tracks are!
John.
Happy New Year, John! On Alien Rommulus, I thought it was very well done. It was definitely better than Prometheus, and Covenant. I thought the chesetburster was a bit anticlimactic, though. It was no John Hurt scene. But it put the terror back to the xenomorph. I'm the opposite when it comes to Alien 3, and Resurrection. I liked 3 much better. Especially the extended edition. I thought the actors in 3 were all fantastic. I also enjoyed all of the English banter lol. Resurrection had too much slapstick humor. It really missed the mark for me. I digress, I can just talk about Alien all day. I thought Godzilla Minus One was one of the best releases of the year. Cheers!
A happy new year to you too Frank. Alien Romulus is generating a love it or loathe it response. Alien Resurrection was the same which is odd when we can all clearly see the aliens themselves were never better than in that production. I suppose it helps if you appreciate the humour in it and the dialogue references back to the first two films. Alien 3 had some flaws which adversely affected it but the biggest problem of all was that the alien wasn't scary. In fact, it looked awful. I've read all about what went wrong there so it doesn't need me to point it out but having avoided seeing it again for 32 years, if it gets a 4K release I will give it another spin... before possibly using the disc as a frizbee!
John.
nice yearly review-yes i got romulus on 4 k was keen to get the new alien looked forward to it for months and months and such a disapointment.. good fx but basically alien 1 for gen z who probably never seen alien with mr hurt etc...look forward to see your views.
btw liked aliens review with the 4k up against the 35mm quite interested in the epson used looked at price hmmm
what would you think is it something you might go for ever ! cheers great to watch and hear your views as ever on 4k
We watched Alien Romulus last night and were both very impressed with it until the last 20 minutes or so. That's a common issue with movies in the last 25 years. If it had have been something more like the Alien Newborn from Resurrection that came out then I'd have probably really liked that... but I'm not the biggest fan of Prometheus and thought those human like beings were pretty stupid so I was hardly going to like the thing at the end of Romulus. However, now that I know I don't like that part of it, I may enjoy it a lot more the next time around. The sound was sensational but probably mainly because we have THX Ultra and I had it up rather loud.
Simon's Epson video projector wouldn't fit where we have to have the projector installed so it's not even an option. Excellent machine though. Beautiful images on screen.
John.
@@moviecollector5920 thanks for the reply
i am seriously concidering this and have watched your review of your 4k projector
i am also restricted by room/space but think i can get away with one like yours but mindfull of going for future proof kit at these prices thinking 1-2k£
laser or bulb ? would you go for same again ?
do you have a screen -not mentioned- is it just painted wall even ! looking at motorised drop screen to keep wife happy LOL
@@rustybolts3497 It's just a painted wall. We did have our ten foot roll down screen in situ there for about 18 months after we moved in because I was having to project from an angle and therefore I hanged that screen from an angle. We had to get the smaller video projector when we had the porthole put in because the projector is hanging above the bottom step of the staircase. It's a great little machine but took some fiddling and fiddling and fiddling to get the best out of it. The laser lamp means it should go for a very, very long time before it needs a new one and by then it might be more cost efficient to get a new projector. If you do purchase an Optoma UHZ model then I can always tell you the settings I have mine on. Priorities are to get the 'sharpen' function down to the minimum setting, turn every other digital 'enhancement' off and don't fall for the brightest image is best mistake. To get a true filmic look the projected image needs to be darker. And don't watch movies with any lights on in the room. Motorized screens are nice but they can add a lot to the price when you consider that all you need is a pull cord at one end to achieve the same end result.
You're going to have a lot of fun... and a bit of frustration too to start with. It's an enjoyable learning experience in the end as nothing beats projecting a movie onto a screen, or a wall!
John.
@@moviecollector5920 Many thanks
Hi John , super video . Some great films there. Will have to pick up blow out. Happy and as Healthy 2025 to you
Thank you lcarius. A happy new year to you too. John.
The Hitcher was top banana! thanks my friend, and look forward to when you will share your thoughts on John Ford's The Searchers
The Searchers has not had a 4K home video release here but all you need to know is that it's VistaVision and I think it's a dye-transfer Technicolor too. If anyone tries to tell you "it's a wonderful transfer" just respond that it's VistaVision and if they don't understand then they don't know enough about film.
John.
Another great video . cheers for all your efforts last year and the coming year. I thought the picture quality of North by Northwest was simply stunning as was to catch a thief . but I'd put North by Northwest ahead of it only just.
Interesting. Thanks Neil. And don't forget, if anyone tells you those two are 'amazing transfers' please reply, 'no, they're VistaVision!'. John.
@moviecollector5920 thanks John and I'm sure that's why vertigo is such a beautiful transfer as well. I'm completely sold on Vista vision 😀
Thanks! Have a great year.
You too Gary. John.
Thx for all your work on your channel last year and years to come. Love you work and details. Happy 2025 PS (Im still collecting LaserDiscs) :)
LaserDiscs are addictive. I'd still be buying them if they were turning up at film fairs and film collector conventions. We used to get them for £1 each at the BFCC and we got some absolute treasures there over the years.
John.
First, I’d like to wish you and your family a very Happy New Year!!
I thought you provided a particularly charming take on your 2024 and on your basis of your top 10. It made for a very good viewing.
I was particularly interested in your comments regarding True Lies. I have treated myself to the 4k releases of the full set of controversial Cameron classics with the exception of T2, which has seen such persistent criticism I feel must be justified .. so I continue to live in hope of an updated version. Of this set of titles, the only one I have looked at so far is Abyss … which I previously only had on VHS and Laserdisc. I actually thought the 4k Abyss looked very good with significantly improved colour, depth and detail .. though I would say, per your comment on Aliens, occasional edge artefacts associated with what may be sharpening. However, I think such phenomena were predominantly associated with additional footage comprising the extended version? I seem to remember that some of the extended footage of both Abyss and Aliens was “recovered” from lower grade sources, including some from video tape … which always gave a number of these extra scenes a less “polished” look.
What raised my eyebrow (think Spock) regarding True Lies was your comment on picture format. I have checked my Laserdisc and it clearly states a 2.35:1 widescreen format … and, whilst most of my collection is US sourced, this particular disc is definitely a UK Pioneer PAL release (5022626335316). On my old 32” widescreen CRT TV, it always looked excellent … but Laserdisc just doesn’t provide enough pixels to support viewing on 65” (or bigger) modern 4k flatscreens. Whilst I agree that modern upscaling is effective … it still needs information to allow the gaps to be filled. I am perfectly happy with upscaling of 1080 Blu Ray images, but any DVDs I have tried all failed my personal tests on anything bigger than a 40” screen … and I thought it was pushing it even then … and as for VHS .. there just aren’t enough lines in the frame!! Of course, the other disadvantage of the Laserdisc is the audio being a humble 2 channel stereo such that the best surround effect is limited to a Pro Logic extraction, which feels a little disappointing in an action flick such as True Lies even in Yamaha “Adventure” mode.
N by NW is a classic that has received much acclaim this year, but it’s not really my cup of tea … but one classic that I have been pleased to add to my collection this year has been Lawrence of Arabia .. though I’m not sure if it counts as a 2024 release.
I was also drawn to your comments regarding Dune vs Dune 2. I saw both in (not real) IMAX at the Odeon Cardiff (one of the best theatres I’ve frequented in a long time, with excellent projection, sound and seating) and enjoyed the experience accordingly … though my preference as a film was for Dune 2. Although I thought the first film gave the best visual interpretation of the book I’ve seen, I found myself having to explain everything to my companion who had no prior knowledge of the story. When it comes to home media, with the exception of specific plot requirements, I get very irritated by changes in screen format … and my first love is for a fixed letterbox format, particularly in a any landscape driven film. There are many who prefer the entire film be presented in IMAX format … but I think this format should best be retained for an IMAX screen/experience. I cannot recreate the IMAX experience at home, so I seek to optimise my presentations to the good ol’ letterbox. And I should add that I thought Creator looked gorgeous on the IMAX presentation .. but, yes, it was a little grainy but, no, it didn’t really detract from a great viewing experience.
I think, like yourself, there have been a significant number of interesting and desirable releases this past year which I will continue to play catchup on as and when I can afford …. my bank manager would be inviting me in for a little “chat” if I made a punt for everything I’d like to add to my shelves.
Slightly surprised that Oppenheimer didn’t get a mention …
Whoa! What a voluminous comment David, thank you. You're the second person to say that they can't get a decent image out of a DVD on their current setup. I can only guess at what is going wrong but rest assured, we're getting near consistent good imagery from DVD's projected to ten feet wide. Sometimes the DVD proves to be a more realistic watch than a standard Blu-ray - Gladiator, for example. It could be a problem with watching on a telly whereas projection is simply more filmic. I shall have to test this theory sometime. LaserDisc does come with AC-3 sound on NTSC discs from Clear & Present Danger onwards but not all discs I think. DTS discs were available even before then.
Oppenheimer was 2023. Best picture quality of the year of course but not my choice for top release of the year.
There are currently only three IMAX cinemas in Britain but Bradford should be making a return soon. Even the genuine IMAX trio can only screen IMAX on occasion but the BFI IMAX, I believe, screen something in IMAX at least once per week. Everything else is what I call a 'faux IMAX' and DUNE Part 2 might have had a 15/70 print but it wasn't the real thing.
The True Lies LaserDisc sounded better than the other 3 formats we tested in here. It was the PAL Dolby Stereo disc, which means matrixed four channel and known as ProLogic for the home market.
The Abyss was always a good looking film. I have seen a few clips from the 4K disc and it looks good but I expect it's had a bit of tinkering to try to make it even better. The Terminator is probably the same.
John.
Happy New Year to you. I have to agree with you with regard to The Criterion Collection 4K releases. One False Move, Blow Out and Thelma & Louise are all superb and my husband and I also love the film. I don’t know what it is exactly but I just feel The Criterion transfers seem less manipulated. Beautifully filmic with a lovely lifelike and natural presentation.
That is a darn good summary. I might have to steal that for when I next review a Criterion release. Well done and thank you.
John.
Just recently found your channel and absolute love your content, knowledge and style! Subscribed
Good to have you here Rich. I don't expect to get everything spot on all the time but I do my best. John.
Love your videos! Keep up the good work.
Thank you. I'll try to keep it up. John.
Great video as usual, I treated myself to the original Italian job Special edition on 4k from HMV for only £19.99 fantastic transfer, haven't seen it for ages .
I nearly got that Italian Job release recently too Laura. A great film. John.
Fantastic job..... Loved Carrie on 4k myself..... looking forward to more of your content in 2025.👍
Thank you Roy. I need a vacation!
nice review matey
Thank you David. John.
Another stellar video, sir. Very interesting. But I have a question: How come you didn't have Raiders of the Lost Ark in? I was expecting that one, seeing how much you loved it.
Because that one was released about two years ago Timothy. I wasn't even going to take a look at the 4K but I'd run out of titles to review and it was cheap. John.
I think you have fantastic video on your channel 😮❤❤❤❤
Thank you Timmy. I did make a couple of minor mistakes in this one but nobody's perfect. John.
Great review of 2024 4k Releases, thank you John. It gave me great pleasure to look at. My favorite movies of this collection are Blow Out and Rosemarys baby. My top 3 2024 4k in my collection are the ultimate collectors edition of interstellar, north by northwest and godzilla minus one...
Evening Jens. INTERSTELLAR is fabulous even on home video. In 15/70 IMAX it's something else altogether.
I still have North By Northwest on 4K to look forward to. VistaVision at its best methinks.
John.
Yesterday i was at Cinema to watch Eggers Nosferatu. A good Cinema start in the new Year. Not suitable for the masses but that was certainly not the intention. Impressive images. I saw Nosferatu by Herzog again today. Somehow you can't compare them. Eggers movie is much more scarier. Have a good night.Jens
John you have an amazing collection and that’s a great top ten you picked.Going to pick up Thelma and Louise. I picked up the 4k blu ray of Dog soldiers and it’s never looked better you should check it out.cheers
Yes, I heard a lot of reports about the Super 16 cine to video transfer having excellent mastering applied to it. It's just not a film I would tend to want to repeat very often so I'm happy with the DVD of that one. John.
@ cheers John it’s really excellent.I like Neil Marshall can’t wait for the The Decent to come out on 4k blu ray.
Another great video. I was more than happy with the Cameron releases this year.
I think most people were happy with them Apollo. You're certainly not alone. Trevor and I had a right old tinker with all my projector settings for True Lies and I rather liked it in the end. A good exercise that has actually made everything look slightly better on screen.
John.
Having been really impressed with what Warners did with the 4K release of Rio Bravo, I was looking forward to The Searchers. I was not disappointed: this is one of the most beautiful transfers I have ever seen. The film has never looked better.
That's not due to 'the transfer' Terry. I expect you've already noticed that The Searchers was a VistaVision film so that's all you need to know. Even a complete idiot couldn't ruin quality like that when shrinking it down to a home video disc. Dye-transfer Technicolor too as I recall. If it didn't look fabulous then something would clearly be very wrong.
John.
Thanks for reply John , and advise
Been told by sellers if you project into Matt emulsion that the wall needs to be sanded flat with prep so no blemishes on wall - did you do this or was it just a coat of emulsion that’s it
You could have pock marks in the wall and you'll barely ever be aware of them Danny. You can get away with just about everything with projection so as long as the wall in question isn't falling apart just give it a couple of coats and try it out. The best thing you can do once you have an area to project onto is to work out how to envelop the projected image with a black mask. I don't mean that you need permanently in situ masking running off motors or suchlike, but black card or material to frame each aspect ratio. Nothing does more to improve the perception of a projected image than good black masking. Hooks for black card or even suitably sited velcro patches to quickly attach the black masks prior to film night.
John.
I was thinking about getting the 4k of Mandalorian for me i think its the best of the new star wars show's we have had all the others didn't really hit the mark so looking forward for your 4k review on them keep up your good work for 2025
The 4K imagery within many of the episodes of The Mandalorian looked somewhat wishy washy in here. For the most part it's good but we did watch one episode on our telly and it looked a bit wishy washy on that too so even a small screen won't completely sort it out. Just something to beware of. The 4K's are still much better than the Blu-rays.
John.
Hi John! Great to see this early sunday and be close to most of the first readers. Love the vid and the top 10 i'm looking at having 6 of them 7 if you count Point Break. I'll take a bit and digest everything you said and thanks for such a well rounded thorough review giving us the big picture and a great recap with 10 great selections. White Christmas stands out as I havn't viewed my N by NW yet. Funny the Alien 3 comment as this is one I havn't seen in so long and the Furiosa comment. One my wife didn't like much either however She was nice about it . Not like the Revenant.. when I took her to cinema to see it she didnt speak to me for 3 weeks she hated it sooo much lolol Glasses up to a prosperous and fun 2025 to come... Thanks again and here here to Blow Out by De Palma... man special special Cheers again D in BC!
Evening Dave... or 'morning' where you are! I rather enjoyed recording this one and I think that's why I went on a bit too much for some of it. I had to get a bit liberal with cutting it in places but I actually bypassed The Exorcist III on the shelf so that didn't get a mention. What a twit! Oh well.
The Revenant is a powerful movie. I'm not sure I like it as much as most do but that's possibly because of the cold look. Then again, I have the Blu-ray and not the 4K which might look a bit different.
Blow Out is sensational. 'Nuff said!
John.
Great selection! Thank you for the video!
You're welcome Bob and thank you. John.
Rogue 1 is a really good 4k disc excellent picture and audio
Good to know. Thanks Ian. I saw it as a 15/70 blow-up at the BFI IMAX on first release. John.
Apparently The Searchers looks amazing John
That's because it's VistaVision Alex. But I expect you'd already twigged that. It looks amazing on Blu-ray too but the superior colour and density of a 4K will make it look ever more amazing. John.
Romulus is a romp. It gets almost Spielbergish in it's pacing from my memory of the first watch so far. Unlike resurrection, it is primarily practical effects, that are amazing! A true Alien/s film imo. It is a love letter, but it has its own legs. I haven't been as excited watching a movie in a long time. I did also enjoy the two prequels, just for different reasons. I love your channel, thank you!
Please tell me there aren't smart-alec, wise cracking youngsters in Alien Romulus and then perhaps I'll finally feel able to get in the cinema and watch it. By the way, the underwater aliens in Resurrection were pretty sensational and proves that CGI aliens can work. But the best work in that one was all the practical effects by Tom Woodruff and Alec Gillis. Those two chaps reached such a level by the time of Alien Resurrection that I cannot imagine that work ever being matched, let alone surpassed... but I live in hope.
John.
@moviecollector5920 Well, they are young adults, but there aren't anymore quips than in Aliens, it is mostly a serious, horror affair. There is one main aspect that others didn't like but I did like it. And there is one scene that many people don't like, and it is cheesy, but it is in itself a real meta callback to old school sequel call-backs, so I let it slide. Otherwise I was 100% on board for this ride. Hope you enjoy it!
@@sweezlesquee Well, I liked all the references back to Alien and Aliens in Alien Resurrection so it's beginning to seem like I'll be okay with it. Well done and thank you. John.
Hi John, you might be interested to know that the Prince Charles Cinema is getting an apparently new 70mm print of North by North West in soon with screenings in Feb and early March. Also minor correction re: the brutalist - where it was mentioned in the BFI imax email about the 70mm print screening soon was at the very bottom under the ‘what’s on at BFI Southbank’ section so am not expecting the 5/70 print to be run at BFI imax. It has been on via an imax with laser DCP in the states though and the BFI imax have been showing the film’s trailer in front of features for the past few weeks so I’d expect them to screen the imax with laser DCP at some point too, but I get the feeling the print will stay at BFI Southbank
The BFI IMAX do have a Cinemeccanica dual gauge 35/70mm projector in the box pointing at the screen. The only issue would be, is there a lens that would fill the screen edge to edge? If they've got that sorted then the BFI IMAX is the ideal place to screen a masked 1.66:1 70mm print. Let's hope for the best. John.
I had the exact thoughts about Alien 3!
I suspect we wouldn't dislike it quite so much today Graham but it's going to take an effort to watch it again. I've told many people who have left comments on here over the years that I'll give it another try when it gets a 4K home video disc release.
John.
Happy New Year. All the best.
Thank you. A happy new year to you too. John.
DVDs looking good (on a projector!) are like Yeti. Some people claim they saw them, but they don't actually exist 😂
There's a Yeti in our garden right now Pete! Seriously though, it sounds like you need to see this to believe it so perhaps have a good tinker on your own video projector because if you have similar equipment, you're going to be surprised what can be achieved. John.
Happy New Year Hope you have a great year.
Thank you John. A happy new year to you too.
John.
Happy New Year. Hope 2025 is a great one.
A happy new year to you too. Don't know if it will be here in the UK though but we have to all remain positive. John.
I think james cameron was 100 percent right to do what he did. He's made his best work stand up for modern audience expectations. A raw 4k version of aliens or terminator would look far to grainy for a young audience to stomach as they are used to pixel perfect video games and movies now like it or not. We want young people to experience the best movies of all time. A perfect situation in the future would be the ability to turn on and off the adjustments so purists can see the raw image as shown at the time of cinema release. That could be a new premium format that film lovers could appreciate.
I can confirm that the Super 8 prints of The Terminator are fine grains and judging by that evidence nothing really needed to be done for a 4K home video release as far as I'm concerned. I've only had a brief look at the disc and it seems obvious to me that it has been cleaned up using image noise reduction but it still looks great. Aliens did go too far for a number of scenes but for the most part it looks strikingly impressive. That film was grainy though. I plan to get over to Simon Nicholls again for a Terminator 35mm compared to 4K disc video just like we did for Aliens. We'll sort it out soon depending on how good or bad the weather will be for the long drive.
John.
@moviecollector5920 can't wait for the review. Its my favorite disk of 2024 along with dragonslayer and abyss. Thankyou
@@sagelight7777 I don't think we got either of those two over here which is a shame because I've never managed to actually see Dragonslayer. Don't ask me how!
@moviecollector5920 you can buy them and have them shipped. They are region free. The updating of dragonslayer is exceptional. Maybe the best cleanup and restoration i have seen. They have improved the opticals also. If you want to see the most successful use of stop motion (go motion) then this is the film. It heavily influenced the writer of game of thrones also. Abyss looks pristine apart from one wide shot
@@sagelight7777 I have imported a few USA discs but I can't really afford them. That's the problem. With the way things are going over here now, it's not looking likely things are going to improve much for any of us anytime soon!
True Lies on DVD came from the 4x3 non-anamorphic laserdisc master.
Spanish Blu-ray it is for everyone then Michael. Thank you for the information. Although I have to say, the LaserDisc is very good.
John.
Just watched a film and all the way through I thought this is a film that you'd really like. Of course you probably know it but if not you've got to get it. It's called 'Empire of Light'. It came out in 2022. It's set in a cinema in a seaside town in the 1980s when cinema was really cinema and I know you love that. Toby Jones plays the projectionist and has some wise words to say about that profession when film went through the projectors and not 1s and 0s!! Of course it's not all about the cinema as there's a quite emotional storyline. Olivia Colman plays the main lead as the cinemas assistant manager. I found it a truly beautiful film shot digitally I'm afraid by Richard Deakin but I have to say the image onscreen was very fine. The dvd was bluray and definition was very good indeed. Being an older person the feeling of nostalgia I felt throughout the film took me back to my youth when I lived in such beautiful cinemas!! Sorry if I've gone on a bit but as you can see it affected me greatly which of course is what cinema should always do but sometimes fails.
Thank you Keith. I'd completely forgotten about Empire Of Light. As I recall, it didn't get a 4K release and so I held off for a while just in case. I'll look for the Blu-ray. John.
2024K was a good year!
It certainly turned into a good year. I was finding it a little slow for good 4K titles until the second half of the year. Then it turned into a corker! John.
I've just noticed your '2024K' Very good.
I've got the Arrow release of "The Long Good Friday". Gosh, I wished I watched that movie during the day time like I did with "The Exorcist".
It's a very good film. I'd managed to avoid it all these years until the 4K release. John.
Happy new year john! Are you planning to see the 70mm Release of The Brutalist? - It Was Shot on VistaVision
Happy new year to you too. I'm not planning on seeing The Brutalist yet but that may change. I need to find out if it was finished on film or another 4K video master file upscale fudge like Death On The Nile. John.
Hi John have you had a chance to review the 2009 film called 2012 Atmos is amazing. Great work always honest and fair critic.
I have the Blu-ray of that one. The sound is fantastic but I haven't ever invested in Dolby Atmos. To upgrade my system to that would cost many thousands of pounds as I have THX Ultra. THX is actually strikingly similar to Dolby Atmos anyway so I wouldn't gain anything and might actually spoil the sound stage in such a small room. I did run my THX system five times in the cavernous Victoria Hall within the Ealing Town Hall and that was about the right size for such a system. The floor shook during the T-Rex sequence of Jurassic Park.
John.
@@moviecollector5920 Thanks for the reply I understand you. Maybe of interest to others though.
Happy New Year John! 🙂
A happy new year to you too. John.
Happy New Year, John.. 3rd Season of Mando is a big let down.. First season was the most fun but not consistent, second was still mostly good esp the Bill Burr episode.. Andor is quite good with a great script and set designs.. Edit: Great choice on The Hitcher..
I didn't know there was a third series of The Mandolorian. That's a shame as it all concluded so well. We both thought the last two episodes were the best of all. We've only seen the first two episodes of Andor so far and it's clearly going down the Blade Runner influence look. It might be a little too grown up for a Star Wars to be fully successful.
That Second Sight Films release of The Hitcher is rather good eh?
John.
Andor has an upcoming 2nd and final season.. It gets better after Ep 3 of Season 1 BTW.. Guns of Navarone aspect in some episiodes.. The Hitcher is one of my faves from my youth, so I’m glad it got a great 4k HDR release..
@@rickg8015 Episode 3 was very good Rick. Episode 4 last night was a little slow but I can see where it's heading. John.
I don’t know if you’ve talked about it or not but have you looked at Godzilla minus one?
No. One day I'll try to at least take a look at it but apart from the Matthew Broderick film and the original Gojira, I don't get anything from these monster movies any longer. I did as a child though. John.
salut encore une bonne vidèo de tout sa bonne annèe
Merci Alain. Un bonne année à vous aussi. John.
Have you got The Zodiac on 4K John? One of Finchers best films and is available on 4K. Id love for you to give it a spin if you have it.
I thought Zodiac was HD video or some other low quality shoot Adam. I have the Blu-ray so I don't think I'd want to shell out on it again, particularly if I'm right about its low quality origins.
John.
@@moviecollector5920 this is what I found out about the disc, which has got me very intrigued about the outcome: Zodiac was a Blu-ray that debuted in the format's relative infancy and at the time stood as a master class of a digitally photographed film presented don Blu-ray. The 108p image still holds up nicely today, even some 15 years later (wow! how time flies...), but Paramount's new 2160p/Dolby Vision UHD presentation definitely does it one better. The UHD is upscaled to 4K but still represents the finest look for the film, accelerating past the Blu-ray in all ways for a new definitive version. I will definitely get the disc as I love the film.
One False Move just didn’t do anything for me. Run of the mill with average dialogue movie (in my opinion). Not even Bill Paxton and the transfer couldn’t save this one for me unfortunately.
Blow Out I actually watched the 4k of today… agree with your comments… it looked beautiful. The reds and greens really stood out for me, but I think that’s due to the Dolby Vision version I watched.
The Spanish blu ray of True Lies is a bootleg copy. It was never officially released on Blu Ray.
Amityville was a Vinegar Syndrome master originally on 4k in the US.
Some great picks for your top 10 👍
Darn it Ben, I just clicked onto your channel because you have so much to say and to correct but alas, there aren't any videos there. I got the impression you had your own show.
John.
I’m sorry if I offended you with my comments John. Just wanted to correct a few points you made. I was complimentary about your top ten choices and have commented positively on your videos in the past.
Unfortunately having a 2 year old toddler and a daughter of 9 at the ripe age of 45 restricts me from the time to do videos on TH-cam, but I’d like to at some point in the future.
@benpascall4297 I was pleased to have the corrections Ben. I did know a few of them but couldn't put any more time into the video as it was a bit of a massive undertaking. No, what I meant was that you picked up on these things on the way through so I made the assumption I'd missed your own channel because who else would spot so many things so easily except another film nut. Figured you'd have a great list of film related videos with you presenting. Something you might think about perhaps. Sorry, if my reply was badly worded when it was supposed to be a little tongue-in-cheek. Now get on with planning your first film history video!
John.
@@moviecollector5920thanks John. Crossed wires there but appreciate what you’re saying.
I bow to your knowledge in general, especially with legacy formats and the technical side of film etc.
Yes, I’ll do a video in the next couple of months and let you know when it’s done. I think I need to put some thought into what kind of a video would be a good one to start with that has a different slant to it.
@benpascall4297 That will be good to see Ben. Focus on something you're particularly enthusiastic about and why. When I was thinking about starting this channel I felt I had a different angle and approach to offer but I think you have the knowledge to do something along the same lines. Don't worry if you might feel like some of what you do is a bit of a copy to anything I've done because I'm not bothered about that at all. Usually, I'm pleased to see when someone else has had a try at doing something similar because it shows that others have perhaps learned something. Perhaps your favourite film or series of films and why. If you can then work out how to shoot close-ups of home video boxes or posters and all other associated things then you'll be creating an interesting video which all fellow film enthusiasts will enjoy. And if I can give you a plug on this channel to help whatever you do then I will.
John.
Happy new year, John! Thanks for another great video. I’m very excited to hear what you think about Alien Romulus, both the film and 4K presentation. I have a sneaking suspicion that you’re going to really enjoy it. It’s very well done and very immersive, the ending is a bit odd but generally, a good film.
More people seem to be telling me they like Alien Romulus than dislike it Michael. Although some seem to loathe it. It's odd how opinions can vary so much about a movie. I have lowered expectations just in case which should mean I'll enjoy it irrespective of any annoying, smart-alec youngsters who may be on screen. John.
@ 😂
Surprised that Godzilla Minus One didn’t feature.
I don't know that one. I did like the Godzilla with Matthew Broderick though but they're not my thing as a rule. John.
@@moviecollector5920
It’s a Japanese Godzilla movie (so it should really be watched in its original language with subtitles, and not in its awful dubbed version) but what sets it apart is that it is a character driven piece that packs a serious emotional wallop. The final ten minutes reduced me to a blubbering wreck in the cinema lol. It won the Oscar for Best Visual Effects. The 4K release is a thing of great beauty and includes both the subtitled and the dubbed versions.
@@ManOfPrayer My wife truly loathes those monster movies but if I get a chance I'll see if I can sneak a copy home. I never watch dubbed movies any longer. Decades ago, effort used to go into making the lips almost look like they were in sync. so it wasn't as bad... but those days are long gone. John.
@@moviecollector5920
Let me pitch it to you this way: it’s a Godzilla movie for people who usually hate Godzilla movies. For my money, it’s the greatest Godzilla movie of the lot.
@@ManOfPrayer I rather liked the original Gojira. I forgot to mention that one last night. I don't like the USA re-working of that one though i.e. where Raymond Burr was inserted.
I got the Andor set which I was really looking forward to. Sadly because of the decision to stack the discs in the case the first 4K one got scratched and is basically unplayable. Very disappointed.
The damn things didn't want to come out without almost snapping them in two but now that I've done it a few times it seems to be easing up. John.
True Lies 4k looks like madame Tassauds. Aliens and The Terminator are superior. The blu-ray that comes with The Terminator 4k is excellent as well. Cheers John.
If I was nearby I could probably sort many of your problems out but alas, you'll just have to keep fiddling. Just don't expect True Lies to look exactly like the previous Blu-ray.
John.
Videos are for older people
I'm not sure of what you're saying here Piper Boy but if it's that home video discs are for older people then I suppose that may be largely true. There are many youngsters who appreciate superior quality though and that's probably a part of the reason why 4K UHD discs are a growing market. If you only watch movies on a phone then obviously having a personal home video disc collection is not an option. Get a video projector though and you'll be asking yourself why you ever messed around with anything else.
John.
Keep that energy when you’re favorite movies and shows are taken off streaming lol
@@GringoXalapeno Good point Gringo. Remember at the start of the covid debacle when Netflix saw a massive surge? Well, since then about 50,000 new streaming channels have started up (slight exaggeration perhaps!) and many of the shows and movies formerly on that one Netflix web site are now scattered through so many different sites that to maintain access to all the shows and movies you used to have almost free access to, you now have to subscribe to myriad different streamers. The whole thing has quickly turned into a bit of a disaster.
John.
@@moviecollector5920 to be fair streaming had become a mess since beg then and has only gotten worse
@@GringoXalapeno i have the 4k's
Just asking have you ever watched any Indian movies because many of them are fantastic but unfortunately many of them don’t have physical releases and keep in mind Brit’s are usually villains in those movies
I don't think I have seen any Indian movies. Not recently anyway. John.
@@moviecollector5920 the movie rrr won an Oscar for best original song but if you want something less over the top you’ll want probably the classic movie sholay from 1975
@@moviecollector5920definitely don’t sleep on Indian movies especially since rrr won an Oscar in 2022 I know you aren’t a fan of streaming but that’s the only way to watch it officially unless you get a bootleg