Barb Wire (1996)
Science Fiction, Action, Adventure • 1h 38m
Director: David Hogan
Cast: Temuera Morrison, Victoria Rowell, Jack Noseworthy, Udo Kier, Steve Railsback, Xander Berkeley, John Paxton, Joey Sagal, Candace Kita, Ai Wan, Clint Howard, Jennifer Banko, Mark Collver, Nicholas Worth, Patti Tippo, Nils Allen Stewart, Tommy Lister Jr., Andre Rosey Brown, Shelly Desai, Dominique Vandenberg, Tina Cote, Rene Stahl, Salvator Xuereb, Loren Rubin, Tony Bill, Mary Anna Reyes, Vanessa Lee Asher, Alex Bookston, Amir Aboulela, David Andriole, Gil Borgos, Ron Balicki, Vinnie Curto, Jack Wright, Marshall Manesh
Best video release
Turbine Germany 4K Blu-ray is disappointing review
Updated 1 year ago
UHD tiers
About the film
A sexy nightclub owner, Barb Wire moonlights as a mercenary in Steel Harbor, one of the last free zones in the now fascist United States. When scientist Cora Devonshire wanders into Barb's establishment, she gets roped into a top-secret government plot involving biological weapons. Soon Barb is reunited with her old flame Axel Hood, who is now Cora's husband and a guerrilla fighter, resulting in plenty of tense action.
Director: Peter Jackson
Sources: slow.pics (opens in a new tab)
Both will look identical in motion but the Turbine looks marginally better due to a higher bitrate allocation by each cut being given its own disc, whereas Arrow had FiM seamlessly branch the two onto one. However, Arrow has both cuts in Open Matte (on Blu-Ray) and corrected the opening Universal logo's aspect ratio. https://slow.pics/c/McvVcYDG
2D version: Universal 4K Blu-ray
3D version: Turbine Germany 3D Blu-ray
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Director: Zhang Yimou
Director: Alfred Hitchcock
Director: Jonathan Mostow
Sources: Blu-ray.com (opens in a new tab)
Turbine 4K Blu-ray has the better encode. Paramount 4K Blu-ray is disappointing review. But both have DNR?
Director: Tony Scott
2D version: Paramount 4K Blu-ray (OOP Steelbook Edition for included Blu-ray)
3D version: Turbine Germany 3D Blu-ray
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Director: Rob Cohen
Sources: Blu-ray.com (opens in a new tab) · YouTube (opens in a new tab)
Germany Turbine 4K Blu-ray > US Kino Lorber 4K Blu-ray
comparison between the Turbine and Kino grades. The former is director-supervised.
(The Kino Lorber 4K Blu-ray DTS HD5.1 seems to have stronger bass, but it's yet unclear which one has the original 5.1) Also see thread.
The Kino Lorber 4K Blu-ray was recalled shortly after inital releases for unknown reasons.
Director: David Twohy
Sources: Criterion Forum (opens in a new tab)
Original 5.1 is included on the Arrow 4K Blu-ray and the Old Universal Blu-ray
More Science Fiction on Blu-ray
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.
Director: Steven Spielberg
Video format: UHD Blu-ray
Universal 4K
Dolby Vision grading looks identical to a cinema DCP, which is the highest compliment that could be given. Encode is perfectly solid in motion.
Director: Satoshi Kon
Sources: Blu-ray.com (opens in a new tab)
Director: Michael Anderson
Arrow 4K Blu-ray scheduled for Dec 2026 release
Director: Mamoru Oshii
Bandai JP 4K Blu-ray
Sources: slow.pics (opens in a new tab)
All 4K releases are sourced from the same mediocre transfer provided by Bandai, with various amounts of tweaks. Japanese disc presents it with the least tinkering.
The best attempt at improving it comes from the German/French releases from KSM/All the Anime, both of which use the same master with HDR regrading (original grade is SDR in HDR container), tasteful regraining and sharpening, in an attempt to breathe some life into the middling transfer, making for an arguably more pleasing viewing experience.
All earlier releases are from an even worse transfer, with significant black crush, with the exception of a Japanese TV airing, which doesn't suffer from that issue, but instead is heavily sharpened and suffers from poor encoding.
Comparisons: JPN UHD, USA UHD, FRA/GER UHD, ITA UHD (tonemapped), JPN UHD, USA UHD, FRA/GER UHD, ITA UHD, ESP UHD (PQ), All 1080p BDs, HDTV, HDTV filtered
Original matrixed stereo mix: Bandai JP 4K Blu-ray
Most discs include this track with comparable fidelity (which is excellent).
Dolby Atmos remix: Lionsgate US 4K / All the Anime FR 4K
6.1 remix (from Ghost in the Shell 2.0): KSM DE 4K / All the Anime FR 4K
All tracks on the Lionsgate US 4K replace the original ending song with the one heard on the English dub. As the Atmos track on the FR 4K is just a port, it also has this song replaced.
Japanese 4K includes English dub and subtitles.
French/German 4Ks are not English friendly, with no dub or subtitles.
French disc includes the Atmos track, but the German disc does not.
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)
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; WB 4K early pressing has errors of a shot, later pressings fixed. Comparison between Criterion and WB.
6-Track 70mm mix: Criterion 4K Blu-ray (restored for the box set), 1997 MGM LaserDisc, 1998 MGM DVD
35mm Mono Mix: Criterion 4K Blu-ray
Matrixed Stereo Remix: MGM Japan LaserDisc (1985) [G158F5509]
5.1 Remix: Criterion 4K Blu-ray
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.
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