The Fugitive (1993)
Action, Thriller, Drama • 2h 11m
Director: Andrew Davis
Cast: Harrison Ford, Tommy Lee Jones, Joe Pantoliano, Jeroen Krabbé, Daniel Roebuck, L. Scott Caldwell, Tom Wood, Ron Dean, Joseph F. Kosala, Andreas Katsulas, Sela Ward, Julianne Moore, Miguel Nino, John Drummond, Tony Fosco, Joseph F. Fisher, James Liautaud, David Darlow, Tom Galouzis, James F. McKinsey, Mark D. Espinoza, John E. Ellis, Gene Barge, Thomas Charles Simmons, Joe Guzaldo, Dick Cusack, Nicholas Kusenko, Joan Kohn, Joe Guastaferro, Andy Romano, Richard Riehle, Thom Vernon, Ken Moreno, Eddie Bo Smith Jr., Frank Ray Perilli, Otis Wilson, Pancho Demmings, Jim Wilkey, Danny Goldring, Nick Searcy, Kevin Crowley, Michael James, Michael Skewes, Ila Cathleen Stallings, Linda Casaletto, Cody Glenn, Cynthia Baker, Johnny Lee Davenport, Mike Bacarella, Bill Cusack, David U. Hodges, Lillie Richardson, Peter J. Caria IV, Monika Chabrowski, Lonnie Sima, Oksana Fedunyszyn, Orlando García, Afram Bill Williams, Bruce L. Gewertz, Jane Lynch, Joseph Rotkvich, Steven Lilovich, Noelle Bou-Sliman, Roxanne Roberts, Alex P. Hernandez, Theron Touché Lykes, Joel Robinson, Greg Hollimon, Cheryl Lynn Bruce, Marie Ware, Bernard McGee, Ann Whitney, Lily Monkus, Willie Lucas, Turk Muller, Ana María Alvarez, Eugene F. Crededio, Maurice Person, Terry Hard, Pam Zekman, David Pasquesi, Brent Shaphren, Stephen A. Landsman, B.J. Jones, Dru Anne Carlson, Margaret Moore, Manny Lopez, John M. Watson Sr., Kirsten Nelson, Juan Ramírez, Neil Flynn, Allen Hamilton, Eric Fudala, Lester Holt, Jay Levine, Sal Richards, Darren W. Conrad, Kevin Mukherji, John-Clay Scott, Suzy Brack, Tighe Barry
Best audio release
(by this comparison)
Original Dolby Stereo: Warner Bros LaserDisc 2.0 vs Warner Bros DVD?
The (2006 or 2013?) Warner Bros Blu-ray 5.1 is similar but higher in LFE.
The atmos/5.1 on the 4K Blu-ray are a new different mix by the director.
UHD tiers
About the film
Wrongfully convicted of murdering his wife and sentenced to death, Richard Kimble escapes from the law in an attempt to find the real killer and clear his name.
Director: Andrew Davis
Sources: Criterion Forum (opens in a new tab) · Blu-ray.com (opens in a new tab) · caps-a-holic (opens in a new tab)
Arrow 4K Blu-ray see caps
It's weird. Brightly lit scenes have zero grain. They look plenty detailed and not at all waxy and lifeless, but there's no grain. Darker scenes have a fine layer of it as befits the general rule of thumb with film. Either they shot this on the 50-speed EXR stock of the day - virtually grainless in the right conditions - or it's been expertly 'grain managed'. I say 'expertly' becuz there's no trailing artefacts, no sticky grain that I can see, it's some of the best such treatment I've ever seen. And IF it has been I can only think the edict came down from the director himself.
Arrow 4K Blu-ray omitted the original 5.1 track for a 2.0 and Atmos.
US DVD has the DD5.1
For Stereo track: Warner Home Video JPN LaserDisc [NJWL-12420]
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 Action on Blu-ray
Director: John Woo
Sources: Criterion Forum (opens in a new tab) · Blu-ray.com (opens in a new tab)
Arrow has a different grade and a better encode than the Shout! Factory, though the difference in either is not major. Imprint release, which leaves Shout! Factory's master and subtitles as is, is encoded by FiM. https://forum.blu-ray.com/showpost.php?p=24473097&postcount=56
Original mix: Shout! Factory 4K Blu-ray
Alternate mix: Scanbox Nordic PAL DVD
Surround remix: HK Video France 4K Blu-ray (5.0)
Original mix: Shout! Factory 4K Blu-ray (similar to Criterion LaserDisc, but less distorted)
Alternate mix: Scanbox Nordic PAL DVD
Surround remix: HK Video France 4K Blu-ray (5.0)
Arrow used the alternate mix, but with extra filtering and lowered dynamic range. The alternate mix has much better fidelity.
Imprint presumably used the Shout! Factory original mix and left it as is, though no official confirmation.
Director: Buster Keaton
Kino Lorber new Seven Chances / Sherlock Jr. Blu-ray?
Sources: slow.pics (opens in a new tab)
MoC 4K Blu-ray late 2027
Lobster Films (Kino Lorber?) > Cohen/Eureka https://slow.pics/c/3KWXoMyR The new Kino Lorber's Seven Chances / Sherlock Jr. might be using the same restoration as Lobster Films
Director: George Lucas
Video format: UHD Blu-ray
OG: "4K77" or "D+77" on high seas.
Special Edition: "4K97_IV" or "D+97_IV" on high seas.
2027 Original Trilogy restoration/50th anniversary rerelease clips leaked plus release confirmed
OG: LaserDisc audio is the best option for the Dolby Stereo mixes (and usually included in fan restorations). There are 16mm/TV rips of the mono mixes.
Special Edition: Cinema DTS or 1997 LaserDisc for the Special Edition.
Original Stereo mix: Columbia Pictures LaserDisc, Sony 4K Blu-ray
5.1 remix: Sony 4K Blu-ray, Sony Blu-ray
Dolby Atmos remix: Sony 4K Blu-ray
Original Stereo mix: Columbia Pictures LaserDisc, Sony 4K Blu-ray
5.1 remix: Sony 4K Blu-ray, Sony Blu-ray
Dolby Atmos remix: Sony 4K Blu-ray
Director: Michael Anderson
Arrow 4K Blu-ray scheduled for Dec 2026 release
Paramount 4K Blu-ray Purist choice: Blu-ray
Sources: YouTube (opens in a new tab)
Paramount 4K Blu-ray new improved master with color grading and slight issues. Blu-ray is old master with original color grading
Blu-ray 5.1
The Paramount 4K Blu-ray has a much better new scan that removes the original extremely dated color grading. This is an improvement on one hand but a definite revisionist change on the other. There is the expected grain management and slight HDR issues in addition to encoding quirks from Paramount. It is a giant improvement over the original Blu-ray but the color change and other issues means that the Blu-ray is one to keep for purists to have the as-is original iteration of the film's presentation. Audio wise the film has been remixed into Atmos but it merely seems like a slightly tweaked and frankly tamed version of the original 5.1. Of the two I prefer the Blu-ray 5.1. The original Blu-ray was Dolby TrueHD and the reissue Blu-ray in the four film Blu-ray collection boxset was DTS-HDMA.
DFIC extensive review: https://youtu.be/evsrJOTIjdA?si=wtdWGxZBfhPYTIeW
Sources: Criterion Forum (opens in a new tab) · slow.pics (opens in a new tab)
StudioCanal's 4K release is similar in encode quality, but has significant glitches in multiple frames. See comparisons 9-16 here: https://slow.pics/c/YkSVb3Ey
The pitch of the StudioCanal 4K's English audio is too high
Criterion has more extras than StudioCanal.
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
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