King of New York (1990)
Thriller, Crime • 1h 43m
Director: Abel Ferrara
Cast: Christopher Walken, David Caruso, Laurence Fishburne, Victor Argo, Wesley Snipes, Janet Julian, Joey Chin, Giancarlo Esposito, Paul Calderon, Steve Buscemi, Theresa Randle, Leonard L. Thomas, Roger Guenveur Smith, Carrie Nygren, Ernest Abuba, Frank Adonis, Vanessa Angel, Frank Aquilino, David Batiste, Michael Battin, Frankie Cee, Lia Chang, Endira, Erica Gimpel, Frank Gio, Jack Goode Jr., Lance Guecia, Michael Guess, Freddy Howard, Nancy Hunter, Jay Julien, Susannah Julien, Robert LaSardo, Phoebe Legere, James Lorinz, Gary Landon Mills, Gerard Murphy, Anthony Padilla, George Lawrence Perry, Harold Perrineau, Marty Pesci, Peter Richardson, Alonna Shaw, Wendell Sweda, Freddie Jackson, Ariane, Pete Hamill, Sari Chang, Carlos Lauchu, John Reidy
Best English-friendly & video release
> Lionsgate Limited: https://slow.pics/c/04WP81j1
Updated 6 months ago
Best audio release
About the film
A former drug lord returns from prison determined to wipe out all his competition and distribute the profits of his operations to New York's poor and lower classes in this stylish and ultra violent modern twist on Robin Hood.
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Director: John Schlesinger
Sources: Criterion Forum (opens in a new tab) · Blu-ray.com (opens in a new tab)
2027 Criterion 4K Blu-ray
Included Imprint Blu-Ray also has markedly better image compression than the Criterion Blu-Ray, though do note the Imprint has some adjusted color grading within roughly the first five minutes of the film
https://forum.blu-ray.com/showpost.php?p=16775595&postcount=450
https://forum.blu-ray.com/showpost.php?p=24237074&postcount=73
Director: Stanley Kubrick
Sources: Criterion Forum (opens in a new tab)
Included in the Complete Kubrick box set with FiM encode of the same master from the Universal release without the filtering.
DTS:X mix on Universal 4K Blu-ray most closely approximates original surround mix
Criterion DVD and Universal 4K Blu-ray has additional features not found on the Criterion 4K Blu-ray
Director: Stanley Kubrick
Sources: slow.pics (opens in a new tab)
Included in the Complete Kubrick box set with FiM encode of the same master from the WB release without the filtering Comparison between the Criterion and WB.
5.1: WB 4K Blu-ray, a remix but has higher fidelity
Mono: Criterion 4K Blu-ray (restored for the box set)
Director: Michael Mann
Sources: Criterion Forum (opens in a new tab) · thedigitalbits.com (opens in a new tab) · slow.pics (opens in a new tab)
Arrow 4K Blu-ray is encoded by FiM and is better than Criterion, see caps https://slow.pics/c/Z2RRQAAT
Criterion 4K Blu-ray vs Blu-ray: caps colors are more different and nuanced than anticipated even in the SDR-converted caps and the usual gain in highlight detail is also apparent. Encode looks excellent except for the brightest areas as usual.
5.1/5.0 mix (essentially a 4-track mix in 5.1 and 5.0 containers respectively)-Arrow/Criterion 4K Blu-ray. Only imperceptible differences in bit-depth: 20 vs 24.
2.0 mix- Arrow 4K Blu-ray (original stereo)
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
Director: Lewis Teague
> disappointing US Kino Lorber 4K Blu-ray
Sources: Criterion Forum (opens in a new tab)
For Blu-ray Criterion Demy Set > StudioCanal
Director: Terry Jones
Sources: Criterion Forum (opens in a new tab) · slow.pics (opens in a new tab)
The Criterion BD, which is sold separately, has a clunky encode unlike the Criterion UHD, even if it plays better in motion than the caps would suggest. Still, provided you're equipped to play 4K discs, UHD or bust for this one. https://slow.pics/c/hmDYlKgE
Director: Miloš Forman
Theatrical: WB 4K Blu-ray
Extended: Warner Bros Blu-ray
Sources: Blu-ray.com (opens in a new tab)
Warner Bros 4K Blu-ray: Huge improvement in colors and detail. The restoration was done by the Academy instead of WB MPI which explains that there’s no grain management or issues with colors. They also accessed the original credit optical and scanned that one instead of recreating them digitally
Theatrical: WB 4K Blu-ray, according to Saentz, the 5.0 is a recreation of the original and subsequently 70mm mix from original elements.
Director: Abel Ferrara
Video format: UHD Blu-ray
Vinegar Syndrome 4K Blu-ray in July
Director: Abel Ferrara
Video format: 1080p Blu-ray
French ESC Editions Blu-Ray
Director: Abel Ferrara
Sources: YouTube (opens in a new tab)
Kino Lorber and 101 Films are bit idential. For extras, 101 Films Adds a new extra (~25 min) with Abel Ferrara
1993 Live Home Video LaserDisc
1993 Live Home Video LaserDisc is not only better, but also has the correct music see https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=FUmm8J7EDNM
Director: Abel Ferrara
Sources: Blu-ray.com (opens in a new tab)
Identical. Arrow 4K Blu-ray is lossy transcode.
Director: Brian De Palma
Sources: Criterion Forum (opens in a new tab)
Director: Steve De Jarnatt
2024 Kino Lorber Blu-ray
UK Transmission 4K Blu-ray in January 2027
Either the 2015 Kino Lorber Blu-ray or the Arrow Blu-ray
The 2024 Kino Lorber Blu-ray is botched.
Director: George Pavlou
Arrow 4K Blu-ray teased
Germany Wicked Vision 4K Blu-ray better than US Kino Lorber?
Director: Bruce Robinson
Sources: Criterion Forum (opens in a new tab)
Arrow 4K Blu-ray has stronger encode than Criterion
Director: Olivier Assayas
Sources: Criterion Forum (opens in a new tab)
Encoding is clunky on both Arrow and Criterion BDs but Arrow at least included the original stereo mix in addition to the 5.1 remix, while Criterion only included the 5.1 remix.
Director: John Woo
Sources: Criterion Forum (opens in a new tab)
review: Disk Kino
Both have better encoding than Disk Kino, some shots are better on Shout! Factory, others on Arrow
Shout Factory still has the best video while Arrow did a questionable regrade. Arrow definitely has less grain in most shots, has a worse encode and is cm v2.9 compared to Shout’s cm v4.0.
Shout! Factory/Arrow 4K Blu-ray has the original mono
Director: Federico Fellini
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