Cast
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Martin Balsam

Martin Balsam

12 films on Best Blurays9 in 4K3 in HD
Martin Balsam photo

Martin Henry Balsam (November 4, 1919 – February 13, 1996) was an American character actor. He is best known for a number of film roles, including detective Milton Arbogast in Alfred Hitchcock's Psycho (1960), Arnold Burns in A Thousand Clowns (1965), which earned him the Academy Award for Best Supporting Actor, Juror #1 in 12 Angry Men (1957), and Mr. Green in The Taking of Pelham One Two Three (1974), as well as for his role as Murray Klein in the television sitcom Archie Bunker's Place (1979–1983).

Biography from TMDB

Leading role · Director: Sidney Lumet

4K · Solid
Best English-Friendly:

Kino Lorber US / Capelight DE 4K Blu-ray

Sources: Criterion Forum (opens in a new tab) · slow.pics (opens in a new tab) · Blu-ray.com (opens in a new tab)

Best Video:

1.85:1: Kino Lorber 4K  / Capelight 4K

1.66:1: Criterion 4K

Video Notes:

1.85:1: Kino Lorber 4K  / Capelight 4K

1.66:1: Criterion 4K but low pass filtered

Comparison between the 4Ks, Criterion on the AR choice

Audio Notes:

Other discs have unnecessary filtering and sound worse, the difference isn't substantial but audible

Leading role · Director: Alberto De Martino

4K · Excellent
Best English-Friendly & Video:

StudioCanal 4K Blu-ray

Leading role · Director: Joseph Sargent

4K · Solid
Best English-Friendly & Video:

Arrow 4K Blu-ray

Audio Notes:

Arrow 4K Blu-ray/Blu-ray is a port of 2000 MGM DVD and superior to Kino Lorber. LaserDisc likely minimally better.

Leading role · Director: Sidney Lumet

4K · Excellent
Best English-Friendly & Video:

StudioCanal UK 4K Blu-ray

Sources: lddb.com (opens in a new tab) · slow.pics (opens in a new tab)

Video Notes:

Original aspect ratio and much better encoding; caps

Audio Notes:

Both UHDs only have 5.1 and a downmix. Paramount US Blu-ray sounds okay, close to the LaserDisc.

Supporting role · Director: Arthur Penn

Best English-Friendly & Video:

Germany Plaion Blu-ray

Sources: caps-a-holic (opens in a new tab)

Supporting role · Director: Alan J. Pakula

4K · Excellent
Best English-Friendly & Video:

Warner Bros 4K Blu-ray

Sources: slow.pics (opens in a new tab) · hollywood-elsewhere.com (opens in a new tab)

Video Notes:

Warner Bros 4K Blu-ray (caps; grade on the BD was controversial)

Best Audio:

2006 WB DVD

Audio Notes:

Later Warner Bros Blu-ray and 4K Blu-ray are minor downgrades

Supporting role · Director: Alfred Hitchcock

4K · Excellent
Best English-Friendly & Video:

Universal 4K Blu-ray

Best Audio:

Turbine Germany Blu-ray, WB DVD(?)

Supporting role · Director: Blake Edwards

Best English-Friendly & Video:

Paramount Blu-ray

Supporting role · Director: John Frankenheimer

Best English-Friendly & Video:

Warner Archive Blu-ray

Supporting role · Director: Joel Schumacher

4K · Solid
Best English-Friendly & Video:

Sony 4K Blu-ray

Sources: Blu-ray.com (opens in a new tab)

Video Notes:

Sony 4K Blu-ray looks like a very nice upgrade and is maybe even more but people are debating the addition of a Kieślowski-like yellow color filter they put over a segment in the film at around 16 minutes, on the other hand, this cap of the Blu-ray looks terrible and clearly not right either, so leaning on Sony having reinstated the filter

Supporting role · Director: Martin Scorsese

Video format: 4K Streaming

Best English-Friendly & Video:

Universal Blu-ray or 4K master on streaming

Small role · Director: Elia Kazan

4K · Solid
Best English-Friendly & Video:

Sony 4K Blu-ray

Sources: Criterion Forum (opens in a new tab)

Best Audio:

1994 Columbia LaserDisc

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