Once Upon a Time in America (1984)
Drama, Crime • 3h 49m
Overview
A former Prohibition-era Jewish gangster returns to the Lower East Side of Manhattan over thirty years later, where he once again must confront the ghosts and regrets of his old life.
Director: Sergio Leone
Cast: Robert De Niro, James Woods, Elizabeth McGovern, Treat Williams, Tuesday Weld, Joe Pesci, Burt Young, James Hayden, William Forsythe, Larry Rapp, Amy Ryder, Scott Schutzman Tiler, Rusty Jacobs, Jennifer Connelly, Brian Bloom, Adrian Curran, Mike Monetti, Noah Moazezi, James Russo, Darlanne Fluegel, Danny Aiello, Richard Bright, Frank Gio, Ray Dittrich, Mario Brega, Julie Cohen, Richard Foronjy, Olga Karlatos, Clem Caserta, Frank Sisto, Jerry Strivelli, Mike Gendel, Sandra Solberg, Margherita Pace, Paul Herman, Bruno Iannone, Bruno Bilotta, Angelo Florio, Marcia Jean Kurtz, Gerard Murphy, Dutch Miller, Robert Harper, Karen Shallo, Frankie Caserta, Joey Marzella, Marvin Scott, Ann Neville, Joey Faye, Linda Ipanema, Tandy Cronyn, Richard Zobel, Baxter Harris, Arnon Milchan, Marty Licata, Estelle Harris, Gerritt Debeer, Alexander Godfrey, Cliff Cudney, Paul Farentino, Bruce Bahrenburg, Mort Freeman, Massimo Liti, Jay Zeely, Salvatore Billa, Scott Coffey, Marco Stefanelli, Nunzio Giuliani, Nelson Camp, Dario Iori, Ole Jorgensen, Francesca Leone, Ron Nummi, Ryan Paris, Nicola Roberto, Gianni Sanjust, Alex Serra, Susan Spafford, Mark Frazer, Maria Pia Monicelli, Claudio Mancini, Rossana Canghiari
Director: Martin Scorsese
Imprint Australia 4K Blu-ray has slightly better compression than Criterion 4K Blu-ray.
The master in DV looks all but identical to the Criterion’s HDR grade. Detail-wise, FiM’s encode looks like it uncovered a tiny bit of extra high-frequency information that got filtered on the Criterion. See nicolas review
1990 Criterion LaserDisc/1993 MGM LaserDisc/2002 R2 MGM DVD are the best. See blah-ray https://blah-ray.blogspot.com/2018/01/raging-bull-1980.html
Imprint Australia 4K Blu-ray has better audio than Criterion 4K Blu-ray, from nicolas:
I believe that what’s on Imprint’s 4K is one of the good mixes MGM and Criterion released during the LaserDisc days. Music is powerful and detailed, dialogues have excellent fidelity and ambient sounds have perceptible depth. I compared the "new" 2.0 with the anemic 5.1 as well as the Criterion 4K mix and could clearly hear the improvements.
Director: Martin Scorsese
Imprint Australia 4K Blu-ray has slightly better compression than Criterion 4K Blu-ray.
The master in DV looks all but identical to the Criterion’s HDR grade. Detail-wise, FiM’s encode looks like it uncovered a tiny bit of extra high-frequency information that got filtered on the Criterion. See nicolas review
1990 Criterion LaserDisc/1993 MGM LaserDisc/2002 R2 MGM DVD are the best. See blah-ray https://blah-ray.blogspot.com/2018/01/raging-bull-1980.html
Imprint Australia 4K Blu-ray has better audio than Criterion 4K Blu-ray, from nicolas:
I believe that what’s on Imprint’s 4K is one of the good mixes MGM and Criterion released during the LaserDisc days. Music is powerful and detailed, dialogues have excellent fidelity and ambient sounds have perceptible depth. I compared the "new" 2.0 with the anemic 5.1 as well as the Criterion 4K mix and could clearly hear the improvements.
Director: Alfred Hitchcock
Director: Alfred Hitchcock
Director: Andrzej Żuławski
Second Sight 4K Blu-ray > Le Chat Qui Fume 4K Blu-ray > Umbrella 4K Blu-ray see caps
Second Sight uses the same Le Chat Qui Fume master, but encoded by FiM and applied Dolby Vision. Umbrella's encoding is visibly worse than Le Chat Qui Fume.
Mondo Vision Blu-ray and Anchor Bay DVD have an alternate audio track with an unauthorized soundtrack.
Director: Andrzej Żuławski
Second Sight 4K Blu-ray > Le Chat Qui Fume 4K Blu-ray > Umbrella 4K Blu-ray see caps
Second Sight uses the same Le Chat Qui Fume master, but encoded by FiM and applied Dolby Vision. Umbrella's encoding is visibly worse than Le Chat Qui Fume.
Mondo Vision Blu-ray and Anchor Bay DVD have an alternate audio track with an unauthorized soundtrack.
Director: Jacques Tati
2014 StudioCanal Blu-ray
The UHD is slightly cropped in.
Director: Jacques Tati
2014 StudioCanal Blu-ray
The UHD is slightly cropped in.
Director: Andrei Tarkovsky
Mosfilm official 4K Youtube Streaming is the only release for the new 4K restoration. Mosfilm's release has no sepia, and whether or not if this is the original color grading is still under debate.
For other releases: Netherlands Lumière Blu-ray is best, but all releases of the 2K restoration have issues:
German Filmjuwelen 4K Blu-ray is 2K upscale and has incorrectly pitched Russian audio. See caps
Criterion Blu-ray/Germany Filmjuwelen Blu-ray have yellow tint on sepia scenes
France Potemkine (Standalone) has raised blacks and poor encoding
France Potemkine (Boxset) has orange tint on sepia scenes and poor encoding
Netherlands Lumière has correct sepia scenes, good encode, but gamma is slightly off.
Italy General Video Recording has correct sepia scenes but gamma is off (more so than Netherlands Blu-ray and worse encode)
Director: Andrei Tarkovsky
Mosfilm official 4K Youtube Streaming is the only release for the new 4K restoration. Mosfilm's release has no sepia, and whether or not if this is the original color grading is still under debate.
For other releases: Netherlands Lumière Blu-ray is best, but all releases of the 2K restoration have issues:
German Filmjuwelen 4K Blu-ray is 2K upscale and has incorrectly pitched Russian audio. See caps
Criterion Blu-ray/Germany Filmjuwelen Blu-ray have yellow tint on sepia scenes
France Potemkine (Standalone) has raised blacks and poor encoding
France Potemkine (Boxset) has orange tint on sepia scenes and poor encoding
Netherlands Lumière has correct sepia scenes, good encode, but gamma is slightly off.
Italy General Video Recording has correct sepia scenes but gamma is off (more so than Netherlands Blu-ray and worse encode)
Director: Béla Tarr
Curzon 4K Blu-ray see caps
Director: Béla Tarr
Curzon 4K Blu-ray see caps
Artificial Eye UK Blu-ray? Supposed to have better translation than Criterion.
Curzon 4K Blu-ray scheduled for October 2026 release
Artificial Eye UK Blu-ray? Supposed to have better translation than Criterion.
Curzon 4K Blu-ray scheduled for October 2026 release
Director: Jean-Luc Godard
2020 Criterion
2020 Criterion > StudioCanal > 2009 Criterion
2007 StudioCanal DVD
Director: Jean-Luc Godard
2020 Criterion
2020 Criterion > StudioCanal > 2009 Criterion
2007 StudioCanal DVD
Director: Jean-Luc Godard
Criterion 4K Blu-ray/2020 remastered StudioCanal Blu-ray (preference)
Criterion 4K Blu-ray > StudioCanal 4K Blu-ray. The HDR grading has messed up highlights, so some may prefer the 2020 remastered StudioCanal Blu-ray
Criterion's subtitles seem to be better than StudioCanal's which omits too much IMO.
Director: Jean-Luc Godard
Criterion 4K Blu-ray/2020 remastered StudioCanal Blu-ray (preference)
Criterion 4K Blu-ray > StudioCanal 4K Blu-ray. The HDR grading has messed up highlights, so some may prefer the 2020 remastered StudioCanal Blu-ray
Criterion's subtitles seem to be better than StudioCanal's which omits too much IMO.
Director: John Ford
1988/1990 WB Hi-Fi VHS, crystal clear, albeit with some distortion in louder areas
The 4K Blu-ray reuses the same poor mastering used on the 2006 WB Blu-ray, only with a completely unnecessary bass cut and extra noise reduction.
Even putting resolution aside, the Warner Archive 4K Blu-ray has the best video. The old Blu-ray master and earlier DVD both had massive issues with colour.
That said, picture on the 4K Blu-ray isn't perfect, with strange posterized magenta glints and some instances of DNR: https://bsky.app/profile/dagscott.bsky.social/post/3leahavqi7k2l
Director: John Ford
1988/1990 WB Hi-Fi VHS, crystal clear, albeit with some distortion in louder areas
The 4K Blu-ray reuses the same poor mastering used on the 2006 WB Blu-ray, only with a completely unnecessary bass cut and extra noise reduction.
Even putting resolution aside, the Warner Archive 4K Blu-ray has the best video. The old Blu-ray master and earlier DVD both had massive issues with colour.
That said, picture on the 4K Blu-ray isn't perfect, with strange posterized magenta glints and some instances of DNR: https://bsky.app/profile/dagscott.bsky.social/post/3leahavqi7k2l
Arrow 4K Blu-ray > Kino Lorber, see caps https://slow.pics/c/P4E9uTHR
Arrow 4K Blu-ray for English dub, Kino Lorber 2017 Blu-ray for Italy dub
Arrow 4K Blu-ray > Kino Lorber, see caps https://slow.pics/c/P4E9uTHR
Arrow 4K Blu-ray for English dub, Kino Lorber 2017 Blu-ray for Italy dub
Arrow 4K Blu-ray > Kino Lorber, see caps
1984 Key Video Hi-Fi VHS
Arrow 4K Blu-ray > Kino Lorber, see caps
1984 Key Video Hi-Fi VHS
Director: Sergio Leone
Arrow's English mono is from the soundtrack negatives, with light noise reduction but still the highest quality anywhere. The main title is restored from the 1985 LaserDisc analog mono.
The 1985 CBS/Fox LaserDisc for untouched English mono despite element defects and an incomplete print used. The main title on this LaserDisc is the highest quality version known to exist.
The Arrow 5.1 is a careful upmix from their mono restoration to create a purist multichannel mix.
The Italy mono exists in lesser quality but Arrow performed additional restoration work to improve what they could.
Director: Sergio Leone
Arrow's English mono is from the soundtrack negatives, with light noise reduction but still the highest quality anywhere. The main title is restored from the 1985 LaserDisc analog mono.
The 1985 CBS/Fox LaserDisc for untouched English mono despite element defects and an incomplete print used. The main title on this LaserDisc is the highest quality version known to exist.
The Arrow 5.1 is a careful upmix from their mono restoration to create a purist multichannel mix.
The Italy mono exists in lesser quality but Arrow performed additional restoration work to improve what they could.
Director: Wolfgang Petersen
Arrow 4K Blu-ray Both cuts are excellent in 4K. See caps
For BD:
Theatrical: Czech/Polish/Russian Warner Bros Blu-ray
Director's Cut: Warner Bros Blu-ray
Director: Wolfgang Petersen
Arrow 4K Blu-ray Both cuts are excellent in 4K. See caps
For BD:
Theatrical: Czech/Polish/Russian Warner Bros Blu-ray
Director's Cut: Warner Bros Blu-ray
Director: Tim Burton
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
Director: Tim Burton
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
Director: Stanley Kubrick
Criterion 4K Blu-ray FiM encode Caps
UK Warner Bros Steelbook 4K Blu-ray is slightly worse in encoding compared to FiM but otherwise excellent see caps
Uncensored: Cinema DTS
Censored: Criterion
Comparison
Director: Stanley Kubrick
Criterion 4K Blu-ray FiM encode Caps
UK Warner Bros Steelbook 4K Blu-ray is slightly worse in encoding compared to FiM but otherwise excellent see caps
Uncensored: Cinema DTS
Censored: Criterion
Comparison
Director: Frank Oz
2026 4K Blu-ray
Warner Bros Blu-ray for the original 70mm 6-track mix
Warner Bros pan-and-scan LaserDisc for the original Dolby Stereo 35mm 2-track mix
Only the DVD has the isolated score.
Director: Frank Oz
2026 4K Blu-ray
Warner Bros Blu-ray for the original 70mm 6-track mix
Warner Bros pan-and-scan LaserDisc for the original Dolby Stereo 35mm 2-track mix
Only the DVD has the isolated score.
Director: Philip Kaufman
Director: Philip Kaufman
Directors: Thomas Bentley & Niall McCloskey & Sam Halleron & Rachel Traynor & Mike Deedigan
Directors: Thomas Bentley & Niall McCloskey & Sam Halleron & Rachel Traynor & Mike Deedigan
Director: Edgar Selwyn
Director: Edgar Selwyn
SD: 2013 Warner Bros The Wizard of Oz (1939) 3D 75th Anniversary Limited Edition Blu-ray Disc 3
SD: 2013 Warner Bros The Wizard of Oz (1939) 3D 75th Anniversary Limited Edition Blu-ray Disc 3
4K restoration has been screened at conventions
SD: 2013 Warner Bros The Wizard of Oz (1939) 3D 75th Anniversary Limited Edition Blu-ray Disc 3
SD: 2013 Warner Bros The Wizard of Oz (1939) 3D 75th Anniversary Limited Edition Blu-ray Disc 3
4K restoration has been screened at conventions
Director: James Foley
Director: James Foley
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