Gremlins (1984)
Fantasy, Horror, Comedy • 1h 46m
Director: Joe Dante
Cast: Zach Galligan, Phoebe Cates, Hoyt Axton, Frances Lee McCain, Corey Feldman, Keye Luke, John Louie, Dick Miller, Jackie Joseph, Polly Holliday, Judge Reinhold, Edward Andrews, Belinda Balaski, Scott Brady, Susan Burgess, Harry Carey, Jr., Donald Elson, Jonathan Banks, Glynn Turman, Chuck Jones, Arnie Moore, Danny Llewelyn, Lois Foraker, Kenny Davis, Nicky Katt, Tracy Wells, John C. Becher, Gwen Willson, Joe Brooks, Jim McKrell, Frank Welker, Howie Mandel, Fred Newman, Mark Dodson, Michael Winslow, Peter Cullen, Bob Bergen, Michael Sheehan, Bob Holt, Don Steele, Jerry Goldsmith, Steven Spielberg, Paul Acerno, Tom Bergeron, Bob Harks, Brad Kesten, Marvin Miller, Dean Rader Duval, William Schallert, Kenneth Tobey, Kevin McCarthy
Best English-friendly & video release · updated 4 months ago
UHD tiers
Overview
When Billy Peltzer is given a strange but adorable pet named Gizmo for Christmas, he inadvertently breaks the three important rules of caring for a Mogwai, unleashing a horde of mischievous gremlins on a small town.
Director: Joe Dante
Director: Joe Dante
Sources: Blu-ray.com (opens in a new tab) · YouTube (opens in a new tab)
Director: Joe Dante
Sources: Criterion Forum (opens in a new tab) · slow.pics (opens in a new tab)
Arrow includes the original 70mm 6-track mix in a discrete form (4.1), as well as the matrixed 35mm Dolby Stereo mix (2.0), both from new transfers. The German Blu-ray uses an earlier transfer dating back to the LaserDisc for the stereo. Both sound good.
Arrow includes a 7.1 Atmos remix, whereas earlier releases include a 5.1 remix.
Director: Joe Dante
Scream Factory US 4K Blu-ray
> StudioCanal UK for the inclusion of original mono, more extras
Scream Factory US includes original mono
For the director/actor commentary, the 1995 Image Entertainment LaserDisc is uncut, subsequent releases are cut
Director: Joe Dante
Sources: Criterion Forum (opens in a new tab)
Director: Roman Polanski
Director: Michael B. Jordan
Caveat: No IMAX expanded aspect ratio
Director: James Gunn
Commentary is only on Streaming
Warner Bros 4K Blu-ray (includes Extended Cut on regular Blu-ray)
Original theatrical 6.1 mix: 2009 Warner Bros Blu-ray Ultimate Edition (Theatrical Cut only)
Extended Cut 5.1 mix: Warner Bros Blu-ray
DTS:X remix: Warner Bros 4K Blu-ray
The film is titled Sorcerer's Stone in the US, India, and the Philippines.
Wizard's/Hogwarts Collection has all the bonus features for all the 8 films.
The lossless version of the original 6.1 mix is only available on the ultimate edition blu-ray not to be confused with the ultimate collectors edition blu-ray.
Criterion Box Set coming October 20th with FiM encode, work done to un-Nolan the 4K master, the first ever appearance of the 35mm mono track on physical media and a new restoration/remastering of the 70mm 6-track mix.
(early pressing has errors of a shot, later pressings fixed)
Director: Stanley Kubrick
Criterion Box Set coming October 20th with FiM encode, new restoration/remastering of the mono mix which should be better than the 1999 WB DVD, revised colour timing to make the film look more like it did in 1987 and for the first time ever on physical media, the film will be in its original aspect ratio of 1.85:1.
Director: Stanley Kubrick
Criterion Box Set coming October 20th with FiM encode, new restoration of mono mix which should be better than what was on the WB 4K Blu-ray and 1999 DVD and revised colour timing to make the film look more like it did in 1971.
WB 4K 5.1: a remix but has higher fidelity
Mono: 4K Blu-ray/1999 DVD
Director: Stanley Kubrick
US Cut: WB 4K Blu-ray
International Cut: Old 2007 Europe Blu-ray
Criterion Box Set coming October 20th with FiM encode, both the US and the International Cut, new restoration/remastering of the mono mix which should be better than the 1999 WB DVD, revised colour timing to make the film look more like it did in 1980 and for the first time ever on physical media, the film will be in its original aspect ratio of 1.85:1.
No Blu-ray or DVD release has presented the movie in its original theatrical aspect ratio of 1.85:1 for the US cut or 1.66:1 for the International cut.
The packaging on the back of the 4K Blu-ray incorrectly states it as 1.85:1 when the movie is actually 1.78:1 as is the original Blu-ray.
More Fantasy on Blu-ray
Director: F. W. Murnau
2006 Restoration: Eureka Blu-ray
1995 photochemical restoration: BFI Blu-ray
Eureka with Murnau institute restoration featuring score based on original score, BFI uses Photoplay restoration with James Bernard score
Both Eureka and BFI Blu-rays are worthy of owning. Each restoration has unique positives and extras. The James Bernard score on the BFI is outstanding and the image tinting is different to how the Murnau institute official restoration was done. The Eureka MoC Blu-ray is stuffed with extras and remains one of the best-made Blu-rays of all time. Whatever you do: AVOID THE Kino Lorber Blu-ray!!! It uses the same Murnau institute restoration but drops frames for the whole feature - thus it loses a significant portion of the film! This was never acknowledged or addressed. The Kino Lorber Blu-ray remains one of the worst Blu-rays of all time for this reason.
Director: Hayao Miyazaki
Video format: UHD Blu-ray
2026 Japan Studio Ghibli (remastered) Blu-ray
Only included as a pack-in with the 4K Blu-ray. Includes English subtitles and a dub, which the 4K Blu-ray does not.
Japan Studio Ghibli 4K Blu-ray
UK StudioCanal Blu-ray for the English dub
4K Blu-ray includes the original 5.1 mix in its unaltered form, all other releases after the LaserDisc had its dynamic range lowered.
For the English dub, the UK StudioCanal Blu-ray is the least limited mix.
Director: Tommy O'Haver
Director: Kenji Mizoguchi
Sources: Criterion Forum (opens in a new tab)
See chris's review
1991 Daiei LaserDisc
Director: Guillermo del Toro
WB 4K Blu-ray teased by Guillermo Del Toro
CA Alliance Blu-ray or dutch Blu-ray are the same masters but have additional sharpening.
The original DVD has an isolated score and a exclusive easter egg
Director: James Cameron
Sources: movie-censorship.com (opens in a new tab)
Fox Blu-ray for original cuts without the extra scene added in the re-release and AI upscaling
Newer Blu-ray/4K has the extra scene, but is poor and has excessive AI upscaling
An additional scene was added to the ending of the movie in the 2022 re-release: https://www.movie-censorship.com/report.php?ID=493908
Director: Mariano Llinás
Directors: Bill Roberts & Paul Satterfield & Wilfred Jackson & Ben Sharpsteen & James Algar & T. Hee & Hamilton Luske & Samuel Armstrong & Jim Handley & Norman Ferguson & David Hand & Ford Beebe Jr.
Sources: caps-a-holic (opens in a new tab)
1991 CAV LaserDisc includes an approximation of the original Fantasound mix in Dolby Surround using the surviving magnetic mixdown, using Stokowski's original mixing notes as a reference. Original aggressive pans and dynamic range are left in tact.
The 2000 DVD uses this same mix in discrete 5.0, but with some unnecessary dynamic range compression + a redub of all Deems Taylor audio with Corey Burton.
The 7.1 mix on the 2010 Blu-ray sounds poor, having been hit with excessive noise reduction, dynamic range compression, original aggressive pans no longer in tact, and the channel usage no longer resembles Stokowski's original intended sound design.
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