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Blow-Up (1966)
Blow-Up (1966) poster
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3.8

Blow-Up (1966)

Drama, Mystery, Thriller • 1h 51m

Overview

A successful mod photographer in London whose world is bounded by fashion, pop music, marijuana, and easy sex, feels his life is boring and despairing. But in the course of a single day he unknowingly captures a death on film.

Best English-Friendly Release

Best Video Release

Format

1080p Blu-ray

TSPDT

2026: #125
2025: #122
2024: #124
2023: #123
2022: #123

Criterion Forum

Review

Picture: 9, Audio: 7, Extras: 9

Length

111 mins

Type

Movie

Alternative Titles

Michelangelo Antonioni's Blow-Up, Blow-Up 1966

Last Updated

a month ago

Contributors

Best English-Friendly Release
Best Video Release
Format
1080p Blu-ray
Featured Lists
TSPDT
2026: #125
2025: #122
2024: #124
2023: #123
2022: #123
Criterion Forum
Review

Picture: 9, Audio: 7, Extras: 9

Length
111 mins
Type
Movie
Alternative Titles
Michelangelo Antonioni's Blow-Up, Blow-Up 1966
Last Updated
a month ago
Contributors

Featured in Cannes Palme d’Or Winners

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1080p Blu-ray
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Uncensored version: old DVD

Upcoming Release:

Australia Imprint Blu-ray upcoming included in After Dark Neo-Noir Cinema Vol. 4

2026 Criterion 4K Blu-ray

Best Video:

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Uncensored version: old DVD

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1080p Blu-ray
Best English-Friendly:

Censored US version: Shout! Factory or Twilight Time Blu-ray

Uncensored version: old DVD

Upcoming Release:

Australia Imprint Blu-ray upcoming included in After Dark Neo-Noir Cinema Vol. 4

2026 Criterion 4K Blu-ray

Best Video:

Censored US version: Shout! Factory or Twilight Time Blu-ray

Uncensored version: old DVD

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1080p Blu-ray
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Criterion Blu-ray

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Best English-Friendly:

2022 Paramount Blu-ray

Best Video:

2022 Paramount Blu-ray

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Best Audio:

2022 Paramount Blu-ray

All Blu-ray releases are from the same mastering, superior to the one on older DVD releases which is sourced from a higher generation source. They all sound about the same, with the exception of Criterion, which sounds worse due to extraneous filtering.

Paramount's disc also includes a contemporary English dub, previously unreleased on home video.

Best English-Friendly:

2022 Paramount Blu-ray

Best Video:

2022 Paramount Blu-ray

2014 Criterion Blu-ray is from the same master and has only slightly worse compression. JP/DE/FR releases all have incorrect levels. Caps

Best Audio:

2022 Paramount Blu-ray

All Blu-ray releases are from the same mastering, superior to the one on older DVD releases which is sourced from a higher generation source. They all sound about the same, with the exception of Criterion, which sounds worse due to extraneous filtering.

Paramount's disc also includes a contemporary English dub, previously unreleased on home video.

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UHD Blu-ray
Best English-Friendly:

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Best Video:

2024 Sony 4K Blu-ray Steelbook fixes duplicate shot seen on the previous Columbia Classics release and has better encoding

Best Audio:

Original mono mix: 1990 Criterion LaserDisc/1991 Columbia LaserDisc
The 4K Blu-ray mono is only minimally worse (see blah-ray).

5.1 remix: Sony 4K Blu-ray

Best English-Friendly:

2024 Sony 4K Blu-ray Steelbook

Best Video:

2024 Sony 4K Blu-ray Steelbook fixes duplicate shot seen on the previous Columbia Classics release and has better encoding

Best Audio:

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The 4K Blu-ray mono is only minimally worse (see blah-ray).

5.1 remix: Sony 4K Blu-ray

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UHD Blu-ray
Best English-Friendly:

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Criterion 4K Blu-ray

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Criterion 4K Blu-ray

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1080p Blu-ray
Best English-Friendly:

Criterion Blu-ray

Best Video:

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Best English-Friendly:

Criterion Blu-ray

Best Video:

Criterion Blu-ray is a new 2K restoration and the only English friendly release. No comparison available with France or Japan Happinet Blu-ray

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UHD Blu-ray
Best English-Friendly:

Criterion US 4K Blu-ray

Best Video:

Criterion US 4K Blu-ray > Alamode Germany. HDR10 grade on the Germany disc was not approved by the filmmakers, Criterion's SDR only master is the most faithful representation and the Germany disc is not English-friendly

Best Audio:

German 4K Blu-Ray has Atmos track

Best English-Friendly:

Criterion US 4K Blu-ray

Best Video:

Criterion US 4K Blu-ray > Alamode Germany. HDR10 grade on the Germany disc was not approved by the filmmakers, Criterion's SDR only master is the most faithful representation and the Germany disc is not English-friendly

Best Audio:

German 4K Blu-Ray has Atmos track

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1080p Blu-ray
Best English-Friendly:

Martin Scorsese Presents: Masterpieces of Polish Cinema, Volume 1 Blu-ray

Best Video:

Martin Scorsese Presents: Masterpieces of Polish Cinema, Volume 1 Blu-ray or potentially French Intersections Blu-ray but not English-friendly

Additional Info:

There are no comparisons, and all releases are likely the same transfer from 2K restoration. However, given that other releases in the Martin Scorsese Presents: Masterpieces of Polish Cinema, Volume 1 Blu-ray are superior to other Polish releases, likely the same conclusion applies here.

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1080p Blu-ray
Best English-Friendly:

Martin Scorsese Presents: Masterpieces of Polish Cinema, Volume 1 Blu-ray

Best Video:

Martin Scorsese Presents: Masterpieces of Polish Cinema, Volume 1 Blu-ray or potentially French Intersections Blu-ray but not English-friendly

Additional Info:

There are no comparisons, and all releases are likely the same transfer from 2K restoration. However, given that other releases in the Martin Scorsese Presents: Masterpieces of Polish Cinema, Volume 1 Blu-ray are superior to other Polish releases, likely the same conclusion applies here.

All That Jazz poster
1080p Blu-ray
Best English-Friendly:

Japan Fox Blu-ray

Best Video:

Japan Fox Blu-ray > Criterion Blu-ray

All That Jazz poster
1080p Blu-ray
Best English-Friendly:

Japan Fox Blu-ray

Best Video:

Japan Fox Blu-ray > Criterion Blu-ray

Farewell My Concubine poster
UHD Blu-ray
Best English-Friendly:

Criterion 4K Blu-ray

Best Video:

France Carlotta 4K > Criterion 4K

Best English-Friendly:

Criterion 4K Blu-ray

Best Video:

France Carlotta 4K > Criterion 4K

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Best English-Friendly:

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1080p Blu-ray
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Best Audio:

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Best English-Friendly:

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Best Video:

Criterion > BFI. France Carlotta Blu-ray is a new, flawed 4K resto, which has heavy frozen grain

Best Audio:

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1080p Blu-ray
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Upcoming Release:

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Pyramide France Blu-ray

Streaming in 4K on Netflix

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Upcoming Release:

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Best Video:

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Additional Info:

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Italy CG Entertainment Blu-ray is 4K resto, but horrible colours.

Best English-Friendly:

Wicked Vision 4K Blu-ray

Upcoming Release:

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Best Video:

Wicked Vision 4K Blu-ray see caps

Additional Info:

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1080p Blu-ray
Best English-Friendly:

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Best Video:

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Kino Lorber and Artificial Eye Blu-ray use the same master, between the two the PQ on Kino's release is slightly better, but the difference is negligible.

The 4K restoration (Criterion, 4K etc) are cropped to 2.35:1, have revisionistic colour grading and other changes.

Caps: old master, old master vs 4K restoration

Wong Kar-Wai on the framing:

With Fallen Angels, I have changed the format to cinemascope, because it was originally what I had intended to release the film in. When we were cutting the film, we accidentally turned the Steenbeck on anamorphic instead of standard. I felt that the film looked much more interesting because it enhanced the distance of the characters on top of the extreme wide angle that we shot on. Back then, it was impossible to shoot a film in standard and release it in anamorphic. With this restoration, we have successfully fulfilled this wish.

Fallen Angels poster
1080p Blu-ray
Best English-Friendly:

2010 US Kino Lorber or 2012 UK Artificial Eye

Best Video:

2017 JP Kadokawa Blu-ray has the best encoding out of all the older discs.


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The 4K restoration (Criterion, 4K etc) are cropped to 2.35:1, have revisionistic colour grading and other changes.

Caps: old master, old master vs 4K restoration

Wong Kar-Wai on the framing:

With Fallen Angels, I have changed the format to cinemascope, because it was originally what I had intended to release the film in. When we were cutting the film, we accidentally turned the Steenbeck on anamorphic instead of standard. I felt that the film looked much more interesting because it enhanced the distance of the characters on top of the extreme wide angle that we shot on. Back then, it was impossible to shoot a film in standard and release it in anamorphic. With this restoration, we have successfully fulfilled this wish.

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UHD Blu-ray
Best English-Friendly:

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Best Video:

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Best Audio:

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The Trial poster
UHD Blu-ray
Best English-Friendly:

Criterion 4K Blu-ray

Best Video:

Criterion 4K Blu-ray > StudioCanal: Although Criterion is low-pass filtered, StudioCanal exhibits very clear and distracting macroblocking.

Best Audio:

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