Beetlejuice (1988)
Fantasy, Comedy • 1h 32m
Director: Tim Burton
Cast: Alec Baldwin, Geena Davis, Winona Ryder, Catherine O'Hara, Jeffrey Jones, Michael Keaton, Glenn Shadix, Sylvia Sidney, Patrice Martinez, Dick Cavett, Robert Goulet, Maree Cheatham, Susan Kellermann, Carmen Filpi, Annie McEnroe, Rachel Mittelman, Hugo Stanger, Maurice Page, J. Jay Saunders, Mark Ettlinger, Cindy Daly, Douglas S. Turner, Gary Jochimsen, Bob Pettersen, Duane Davis, Simmy Bow, Adelle Lutz, Tony Cox, Jack Angel, Charles Schneider
Best audio release
WB US Laserdisc [11785]
UHD tiers
About the film
A newly dead New England couple seeks help from a deranged demon exorcist to scare an affluent New York family out of their home.
- Alternative Titles
- Beetle Juice
Director: Tim Burton
Sources: Blu-ray.com (opens in a new tab)
-
The compression is poor, but it still beats the previous Blu-ray. (Luminance plot)
?
The 4K Blu-ray only has Atmos which is possibly the original mix, but the previous Blu-ray’s 4.0 sounds good too.
Director: Tim Burton
Sources: Blu-ray.com (opens in a new tab)
Warner Bros 4K Blu-ray caps. The HDR10 base layer is bright, so I'd recommended to watch it in Dolby Vision.
4K Blu-ray/Blu-ray is missing the isolated score and Martian dub from the DVD
Directors: Tim Burton & Mike Johnson
Sources: slow.pics (opens in a new tab)
Warner Bros 4K Blu-ray caps. Original 1.85 framing restored, much better colors, image detail and a film stock-like tone curve was restored.
Warner Bros HD-DVD has the original 6.1 mix in a better format than the Blu-ray (Dolby Digital Plus instead of standard Dolby Digital), but is still lossy and a disc prone to disc rot. The Blu-ray is a good alternative.
Director: Tim Burton
WB 4K Blu-ray but has MAJOR Color Timing issues. All cold blues are rendered teal. WB Blu-ray despite issues is a purist visual option in this regard.
Dolby Stereo SR: WB LaserDisc PCM
Dolby Digital 5.1: 1997 DVD
2005 5.1 new transfer: WB DVD in Dolby and DTS, 2008 Blu-ray in TrueHD
First ever Dolby Digital 5.1 wide release film. 4K Blu-ray has new Atmos remix which replaces original sound effects and prioritizes music and bombast. A terrible audio experience to be avoided. 1997 WB DVD has open matte version on flipper disc. VHS also is open matte.
International Warner Bros 4K Blu-ray
Sources: slow.pics (opens in a new tab)
International Warner Bros 4K Blu-ray > US Paramount 4K Blu-ray for the US Cut.
International Warner Bros 4K Blu-ray, is significantly better than the US Paramount 4K Blu-ray (even with FEL Baked in and Dolby Vision), with more grain retention and detail
SDR Comparisons: International Warner Bros 4K Blu-ray vs US Paramount 4K Blu-ray: https://slow.pics/c/TEPHtKjl
HDR Comparisons: International Warner Bros 4K Blu-ray vs US Paramount 4K Blu-ray: https://slow.pics/c/hIFe11Hx
Comparisons in SDR using L8 Trim from CM v4.0 (both UHDs can use CM v4.0): Remux vs USA UHD: https://slow.pics/c/mkrhVtpl
The International Cut, which contains alternate, more violent shots in the final act, hasn't been released on home video to date.
International Cut contains alternate, more violent shots in the final act.
Director: Tim Burton
Sources: movie-censorship.com (opens in a new tab)
Theatrical Cut: Warner Bros US 2-disc Deluxe Edition DVD set
Extended Cut: Warner Bros Blu-ray
See cut information: https://www.movie-censorship.com/report.php?ID=4167
Theatrical Cut: Cinema DTS
Extended Cut: Warner Bros Blu-ray
Video format: UHD Blu-ray
WB 4K
Sources: YouTube (opens in a new tab)
An undeniably significant improvement from the BD yet still severely flawed. See DFIC's review.
Directors: Ernest B. Schoedsack & Merian C. Cooper
Director: Orson Welles
Sources: Criterion Forum (opens in a new tab) · blah-ray.blogspot.com (opens in a new tab)
WB Europe 4K Blu-ray
WB Europe 4K Blu-ray slightly better encoding than Criterion (caveat: missing Criterion extras)
Director: Sylvester Stallone
Warner Bros 2024 Ultimate Knockout Collection 4K Blu-ray/ Warner Bros 2023 Knockout Collection 4K Blu-ray (replacement disc)
All foreign language tracks were pitched too low, replacement disc and Ultimate Knockout Collection disc fixed the error.
The Steelbook and UK standard edition are the same disc as the 2023 knockout collection.
Director: Sylvester Stallone
2024 Ultimate Knockout Collection Warner Bros 4K Blu-ray Box Set
2024 Ultimate Knockout Collection Warner Bros 4K Blu-ray Box Set > 2023 Knockout Collection 4K Blu-ray
2023 disc has a brief moment where the aspect ratio changes from 1.85:1 to 1.78:1, 2024 release fixed the error
Both cuts of the movie are on the same disc and don’t appear to be seamlessly branched.
The Steelbook and UK standard edition are the same disc as the 2023 knockout collection.
Director: John G. Avildsen
Warner Bros 2024 Ultimate Knockout Collection 4K Blu-ray/ Warner Bros 2023 Knockout Collection 4K Blu-ray (replacement disc)
Original Mono: Ultimate Knockout Collection/Knockout Collection replacement disc
Original Mono: Ultimate Knockout Collection/Knockout Collection replacement disc > Knockout collection original.
The Mono mix on the initial release of the Knockout Collection is a stereo fold-down of the 5.1, it also has a missing piano cue. The replacement disc and the ultimate knockout version fixed the error.
The Steelbook and UK standard edition is the same disc as the 2023 knockout collection.
Director: Sylvester Stallone
Warner Bros 2024 Ultimate Knockout Collection 4K Blu-ray/ Warner Bros 2023 Knockout Collection 4K Blu-ray (replacement disc)
Original Knockout Collection release had its 5.1 mix pitched too low, replacement disc and Ultimate Knockout Collection fixed the error.
The Steelbook and UK standard edition are the same disc as the 2023 knockout collection.
More Fantasy on Blu-ray
Director: George Pal
4K restoration from Original Camera Negative
Directors: David Hand & Ben Sharpsteen & William Cottrell & Larry Morey & Perce Pearce & Wilfred Jackson
Mono track is on the included Blu-ray; 4K Blu-ray missing original mono. LaserDisc probably better
Director: Gary Ross
Shout! Factory 4K Blu-ray, but a shot was cut from the film
Warner Bros Blu-ray for the uncut version, but it's an older master.
Sources: Blu-ray.com (opens in a new tab) · YouTube (opens in a new tab)
Shout! Factory 4K Blu-ray, but a shot was cut from the film. See comparison
Warner Bros Blu-ray for the uncut version, but it's an older master.
Directors: Chris Appelhans & Maggie Kang
"Sing-Along Edition" not included on the Criterion 4K Blu-ray, only available on Netflix Streaming
Director: Guillermo del Toro
Criterion 4K Blu-ray also includes exclusive "Reborn Cut"
Director: Lam Nai-choi
88 Films UK or Vinegar Syndrome US Blu-ray (preference)
Different color gradings, 88 Films disc is encoded by FiM but Vinegar Syndrome encode (by Marcus Johnson) is more than robust
Vinegar Syndrome potentially has better audio than 88 Films, due to VinSyn possibly having EQ'd the audio mix after Fortune Star scanned the track in a way that makes it sound too hot, whereas 88 left it alone without addressing that issue. However, no direct comparisons exist
Director: Masaaki Yuasa
Director: Guillermo del Toro
Warner Bros 4K Blu-ray and 2011/2013 Optimum Blu-ray
Sources: Criterion Forum (opens in a new tab)
Cineverse 4K Blu-ray announced with a new 4K restoration from the original negatives
Warner Bros 4K Blu-ray and 2011/2013 Optimum Blu-ray both have issues, up to preference. UK Optimum/Japan Amuse Soft Blu-ray is better, Criterion is worse
Japan Amuse Soft Blu-ray is better encoded than the Optimum, is in the original 1.85 ratio, and has the original colors
Director: John Boorman
Sources: highdefdiscnews.com (opens in a new tab) · Blu-ray.com (opens in a new tab)
(Arrow 4K Blu-ray's mono seems to be out of sync, suggested by comparisons. Issue is TBC officially)
Arrow 4K Blu-ray is FiM encoded, see caps
Arrow LE will have an exclusive 3rd disc which will not be on the standard edition
Edit history
Every recommendation follows the same method — how these calls are made.