Superman (1978)
Science Fiction, Action, Adventure • 2h 23m
Director: Richard Donner
Cast: Christopher Reeve, Margot Kidder, Gene Hackman, Marlon Brando, Ned Beatty, Jackie Cooper, Glenn Ford, Trevor Howard, Jack O'Halloran, Valerie Perrine, Maria Schell, Terence Stamp, Phyllis Thaxter, Susannah York, Jeff East, Marc McClure, Sarah Douglas, Harry Andrews, Diane Sherry Case, Vass Anderson, John Hollis, James Garbutt, Michael Gover, David Neal, William Russell, Penelope Lee, John Stuart, Alan Cullen, Aaron Smolinski, Billy J. Mitchell, Robert Henderson, Larry Lamb, John Cassady, John F. Parker, Harry Scott, Miquel Brown, Vincent Marzello, Benjamin Feitelson, Lise Hilboldt, Leueen Willoughby, Rex Reed, Weston Gavin, Steve Kahan, Ray Hassett, Randy Jurgensen, Matt Russo, Colin Skeaping, Bo Rucker, Paul Avery, David Baxt, George Harris II, John Cording, Oz Clarke, Rex Everhart, Jayne Tottman, Frank Lazarus, Brian Protheroe, Lawrence Trimble, Robert Whelan, David Calder, Norwich Duff, Keith Alexander, Michael Ensign, Larry Hagman, Paul Tuerpe, Graham McPherson, David Yorston, Robert O'Neill, Robert MacLeod, John Ratzenberger, Alan Tilvern, Phil Brown, Bill Bailey, Burnell Tucker, Chief Tug Smith, Norman Warwick, Chuck Julian, Mark Wynter, Roy Stevens, Noel Neill, Kirk Alyn, Tony Selby, Bruce Boa, David de Keyser, Richard Donner, Harry Fielder, Alan Harris, Shane Rimmer, Marco St. John, John B. Gibson, Brad Flock
Theatrical: WB 4K Blu-ray (2025 re-release)
Expanded and TV cuts: 2017 Warner Bros Blu-ray
Best English-friendly release · updated 4 months ago
UHD tiers
Overview
Mild-mannered Clark Kent works as a reporter at the Daily Planet alongside his crush: Lois Lane. Clark must summon his superhero alter-ego when the nefarious Lex Luthor launches a plan to take over the world.
Director: Steve James
Director: Victor Fleming
3D: Warner Bros 3D Blu-ray or Apple Vision Pro
Director: Morton DaCosta
Warner Archive 4K Blu-ray Nov 24th
Director: Tony Scott
The 70mm 6-track mix has a higher bitrate on the Paramount 1998 DVD, but is more limited than on the THX LaserDisc The Paramount 1998 DVD also has open matte versions in fullscreen 1.33:1 and widescreen 2.00:1 instead of the theatrical aspect ratio of 2.39:1, but the 2.00:1 widescreen presentation is non-anamorphic. The THX LaserDisc is available in both fullscreen 1.33:1 and widescreen 2.00:1 variants.
Director: Terrence Malick
Sources: Criterion Forum (opens in a new tab)
Lovely underlying remaster by Criterion and Resillion but encode is sadly low-pass filtered by Pixelogic, and even then, the encode is still less than ideal. Still easily obliterates any prior disc release, but certainly wouldn't hurt to have a UK or German label take a crack at this same master.
Director: Anthony Mann
Criterion 4K Blu-ray, Universal 2008 DVD
Sources: Criterion Forum (opens in a new tab)
2008 Universal DVD mono
The mono on the Criterion is severely filtered resulting in it sounding incredibly muffled. It is nearly as filtered as the 2003 original Universal DVD which had extreme filtering and sounds horribly thin. The 2008 DVD remaster and original Laserdisc analog mastering are mostly left alone. The original LD master is from a worn element but otherwise sounds very natural. The 2008 DVD is the highest quality version we have without the heavy filtering and the defects of the LD master. It isn't perfect but easily the best of the main four sources by a dramatic margin.
The existing 4K SDR restoration looks excellent, but the Criterion extras are limited and disappointing. The classic Stewart interview commentary from the LD is ported over but given a new mastering. Compared to past releases it has been very slightly noise reduced.
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: Richard Donner
1992 Warner Bros LaserDisc
Director: Richard Donner
Sources: slow.pics (opens in a new tab)
WB 4K Blu-ray see comparison https://slow.pics/c/e4V4RORi
WB 4K Blu-ray has original stereo and sounds better than US LaserDisc and about the same as earlier Japan LaserDisc.
WB 4K Blu-ray Atmos has worse fidelity than the stereo as expected.
4K Blu-ray is missing featurettes from the old Blu-ray
Director: Martin Rosen
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.
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
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