Best English-friendly & video release · updated 1 year ago
Overview
In 1902, an African-American family living on a sea island off the coast of South Carolina prepares to move to the North.
Director: Spike Lee
Video format: 4K Streaming
Video format: DVD
SerialSquadron SD Blu-ray
Sources: slow.pics (opens in a new tab) · amazon.com (opens in a new tab)
SerialSquadron SD Blu-ray see caps even though in very bad quality is still the best available version
AlphaVideo DVD is a "feature version" and apparently cut different episodes together in one DVD according to this Amazon review
Sources: fanrestore.com (opens in a new tab) · originaltrilogy.com (opens in a new tab)
2017 StudioCanal 4K Blu-ray and subsequent 4K Blu-rays are notorius for being heavily denoised and smoothened. Alternatively, 35mm scans for the theatrical cut is also available.
For the Ultimate Edition with the T-1000 searching John's room and the happy future ending, the 2009 Skynet Blu-ray, which is the older pre-2017 transfer, but has DNR.
Directors: Bill Roberts & Paul Satterfield & Wilfred Jackson & Ben Sharpsteen & James Algar & T. Hee & Hamilton Luske & Samuel Armstrong & Jim Handley & Norman Ferguson & David Hand & Ford Beebe Jr.
Sources: caps-a-holic (opens in a new tab)
1991 CAV LaserDisc includes an approximation of the original Fantasound mix in Dolby Surround using the surviving magnetic mixdown, using Stokowski's original mixing notes as a reference. Original aggressive pans and dynamic range are left in tact.
The 2000 DVD uses this same mix in discrete 5.0, but with some unnecessary dynamic range compression + a redub of all Deems Taylor audio with Corey Burton.
The 7.1 mix on the 2010 Blu-ray sounds poor, having been hit with excessive noise reduction, dynamic range compression, original aggressive pans no longer in tact, and the channel usage no longer resembles Stokowski's original intended sound design.
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: John Carpenter
Sources: blog.sporv.com (opens in a new tab)
1997? Signature Collection LD
Good: 2017 Arrow and 2016 Shout! Factory Blu-ray have the original audio options.
the only track on Universal 4K, which is in DTS:X, has a mixing error of around 6dB too low on side channels, otherwise very similar to other 5.1 mixes.
Sources: Blu-ray.com (opens in a new tab) · filmpreserve.org (opens in a new tab)
SFFP new 4K restoration
MoC audio is better https://forum.blu-ray.com/showthread.php?t=225532&page=3
Director: James Cameron
2013 MGM Blu-ray, or 4K Blu-ray if you MUST have the mono mix, 1997 Image DVD/2001 MGM DVD for a purist version with original colors and the international mono mix
Sources: vimeo.com (opens in a new tab) · facebook.com (opens in a new tab)
2013 MGM Blu-ray for non AI transfer, 1997 Image DVD/2001 MGM DVD for a purist version with original colors and the international mono mix
1991 Image Entertainment LaserDisc for the US mono mix, 2001 MGM DVD for the International mono mix
Comparison between the US and International mixes: https://vimeo.com/246332731
The 4K Blu-Ray and the 2001 MGM DVD have exclusive extras.
Director: Rob Reiner
Arrow 4K Blu-ray releasing December 14 2026
Director: David Fincher
4K Blu-ray has exclusive “unrated” audio with a small change to one line under the request of David Fincher (removed the poor dub over of frickin’ in the line “Screw it, let’s gut the f**kin’ nerd.”).
Director: Julie Dash
Sources: wmm.com (opens in a new tab)
US Women Make Movies Blu-ray https://www.wmm.com/catalog/film/illusions/
US Women Make Movies Blu-ray https://www.wmm.com/catalog/film/illusions/ new 2024 4K restoration
Director: James Ivory
Sources: Blu-ray.com (opens in a new tab)
Cohen 4K Blu-ray caps. Same 4K master that Cohen released on BD but grain resolves much better and the gamma levels are now correctly set.
Directors: Charles Reisner & Buster Keaton
Director: Jacques Rivette
Director: Dudley Murphy
Sources: loc.gov (opens in a new tab)
Also available in HD Streaming by Library of Congress https://www.loc.gov/item/2023602002/
Director: Dudley Murphy
Director: Albert Parker
Sources: DVDBeaver (opens in a new tab)
Cohen Douglas Fairbanks Double Feature Blu-ray is slightly better than 2010 Kino Lorber Blu-ray and potentially a different transfer, see comparison caps
Director: Joan Micklin Silver
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· last reviewed 1 year ago
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