Tabu: A Story of the South Seas (1931)
Romance, Drama, Adventure • 1h 22m
Overview
On the South Pacific island of Bora Bora, a young couple's love is threatened when the tribal chief declares the girl a sacred virgin.
Director: F. W. Murnau
Cast: Matahi, Anne Chevalier, Bill Bambridge, Hitu, Jules
Director: Orson Welles
MoC 4K Blu-ray and Kino Lorber 4K Blu-ray are similar
Director: Orson Welles
MoC 4K Blu-ray and Kino Lorber 4K Blu-ray are similar
Director: Robert Wise
Disney 4K Blu-ray, see caps https://slow.pics/c/hE3HUCdj
Disney 4K Atmos is great, a reference quality track. It's a very slight remix (music seems to be from a better source), but it's completely seamless and faithful to the original, better fidelity than anything since the 1994 30th Anniversary Edition LaserDisc.
All DVDs (and 2010 Blu-ray) sound far worse than the 4K Blu-ray/LaserDisc and have various missing sound cues.
Director: Robert Wise
Disney 4K Blu-ray, see caps https://slow.pics/c/hE3HUCdj
Disney 4K Atmos is great, a reference quality track. It's a very slight remix (music seems to be from a better source), but it's completely seamless and faithful to the original, better fidelity than anything since the 1994 30th Anniversary Edition LaserDisc.
All DVDs (and 2010 Blu-ray) sound far worse than the 4K Blu-ray/LaserDisc and have various missing sound cues.
Director: André de Toth
2D version: Warner Archive Blu-ray
3D version: Warner Archive 3D Blu-ray
2D version: Warner Archive Blu-ray
3D version: Warner Archive 3D Blu-ray
Director: André de Toth
2D version: Warner Archive Blu-ray
3D version: Warner Archive 3D Blu-ray
2D version: Warner Archive Blu-ray
3D version: Warner Archive 3D Blu-ray
Director: Sidney Lumet
2026 Criterion 4K Blu-ray
2011 Criterion Blu-ray is the best. Kino Lorber 4K Blu-ray has heavily filtered audio
Director: Sidney Lumet
2026 Criterion 4K Blu-ray
2011 Criterion Blu-ray is the best. Kino Lorber 4K Blu-ray has heavily filtered audio
Director: John McTiernan
Director: John McTiernan
Director: John Ford
Director: John Ford
1991 Warner Bros LaserDisc (for original mono track)
1996 Warner Bros 25th Anniversary LaserDisc has isolated music and effects track (incorrectly labeled "music minus vocals") not present on any other release
1991 Warner Bros LaserDisc (for original mono track)
1996 Warner Bros 25th Anniversary LaserDisc has isolated music and effects track (incorrectly labeled "music minus vocals") not present on any other release
Director: Alfred E. Green
Director: Alfred E. Green
Director: John Waters
Director: John Waters
Director: F. W. Murnau
2006 Restoration: Eureka Blu-ray
1995 photochemical restoration: BFI Blu-ray that some may prefer
Eureka with Murnau institute restoration featuring score based on original score, BFI uses Photoplay restoration with James Bernard score
Both Eureka and BFI BDs are worthy of owning. Each restoration has unique positives and extras. The James Bernard score on the BFI is outstanding and the image tinting is different to how the Murnau institute official restoration was done. The Eureka MOC BD is stuffed with extras and remains one of the best made BDs of all time. Whatever you do: AVOID THE KINO BD!!! It uses the same Murnau institute restoration but drops frames for the whole feature-thus it loses a significant portion of the film! This was never acknowledged or addressed. The Kino BD remains one of the worst BDs of all time for this reason.
Director: F. W. Murnau
2006 Restoration: Eureka Blu-ray
1995 photochemical restoration: BFI Blu-ray that some may prefer
Eureka with Murnau institute restoration featuring score based on original score, BFI uses Photoplay restoration with James Bernard score
Both Eureka and BFI BDs are worthy of owning. Each restoration has unique positives and extras. The James Bernard score on the BFI is outstanding and the image tinting is different to how the Murnau institute official restoration was done. The Eureka MOC BD is stuffed with extras and remains one of the best made BDs of all time. Whatever you do: AVOID THE KINO BD!!! It uses the same Murnau institute restoration but drops frames for the whole feature-thus it loses a significant portion of the film! This was never acknowledged or addressed. The Kino BD remains one of the worst BDs of all time for this reason.
SFFP new 4K restoration
MoC audio is better, OOP but available in ebay https://forum.blu-ray.com/showthread.php?t=225532&page=3
MoC audio is better https://forum.blu-ray.com/showthread.php?t=225532&page=3
SFFP new 4K restoration
MoC audio is better, OOP but available in ebay https://forum.blu-ray.com/showthread.php?t=225532&page=3
MoC audio is better https://forum.blu-ray.com/showthread.php?t=225532&page=3
Director: F. W. Murnau
MoC vs Kino Lorber no comparison, Kino Lorber is the same old restoration
Director: F. W. Murnau
MoC vs Kino Lorber no comparison, Kino Lorber is the same old restoration
MoC or Kino Lorber
MoC vs Kino Lorber, different tint http://www.dvdbeaver.com/film5/blu-ray_reviews_73/early_murnau_blu-ray.htm
MoC or Kino Lorber
MoC vs Kino Lorber, different tint http://www.dvdbeaver.com/film5/blu-ray_reviews_73/early_murnau_blu-ray.htm
Director: F. W. Murnau
MoC vs Kino Lorber Blu-ray, where Kino Lorber is supposedly a new restoration, different tint but darker and less shadow details http://www.dvdbeaver.com/film5/blu-ray_reviews_73/early_murnau_blu-ray.htm
Director: F. W. Murnau
MoC vs Kino Lorber Blu-ray, where Kino Lorber is supposedly a new restoration, different tint but darker and less shadow details http://www.dvdbeaver.com/film5/blu-ray_reviews_73/early_murnau_blu-ray.htm
Director: F. W. Murnau
Kino Lorber and MoC Blu-ray looks essentially the same, with Kino Lorber marginally better https://caps-a-holic.com/c.php?a=1&x=263&y=236&d1=11968&d2=9399&s1=118114&s2=90719&l=1&i=7&go=1
Director: F. W. Murnau
Kino Lorber and MoC Blu-ray looks essentially the same, with Kino Lorber marginally better https://caps-a-holic.com/c.php?a=1&x=263&y=236&d1=11968&d2=9399&s1=118114&s2=90719&l=1&i=7&go=1
Director: F. W. Murnau
Director: F. W. Murnau
Director: F. W. Murnau
MoC seems to be similar to Carlotta, but Carlotta doesn’t have EN subtitles and really really hard to find
MoC: http://www.dvdbeaver.com/film2/DVDReviews49/city_girl_blu-ray.htm
Carlotta: http://www.dvdbeaver.com/film3/blu-ray_reviews53/f.w._murnau_boxset_blu-ray.htm
Director: F. W. Murnau
MoC seems to be similar to Carlotta, but Carlotta doesn’t have EN subtitles and really really hard to find
MoC: http://www.dvdbeaver.com/film2/DVDReviews49/city_girl_blu-ray.htm
Carlotta: http://www.dvdbeaver.com/film3/blu-ray_reviews53/f.w._murnau_boxset_blu-ray.htm
Director: F. W. Murnau
MoC or US Flicker Alley (unsure)
- MoC included in boxset
- Germany new 2k restoration, no subs
- US Flicker Alley not sure which restoration
Director: F. W. Murnau
MoC or US Flicker Alley (unsure)
- MoC included in boxset
- Germany new 2k restoration, no subs
- US Flicker Alley not sure which restoration
Director: Ernst Lubitsch
Kino Lorber 4k resto
The audio on the Kino Lorber Blu-ray comes from a better source than the various DVDs and the previous HD version on streaming. This audio is relatively untampered with, and is likely the best available source as no laserdisc was ever issued.
Director: Ernst Lubitsch
Kino Lorber 4k resto
The audio on the Kino Lorber Blu-ray comes from a better source than the various DVDs and the previous HD version on streaming. This audio is relatively untampered with, and is likely the best available source as no laserdisc was ever issued.
Director: Ridley Scott
UK Universal 4K Blu-ray is missing Kino Lorber extras
Director: Ridley Scott
UK Universal 4K Blu-ray is missing Kino Lorber extras
Kino Lorber Blu-ray or Germany Blu-ray but no comparison available
Germany Blu-ray lacks English subtitles. Kino Lorber Blu-ray has English subtitles but is OOP
Kino Lorber Blu-ray or Germany Blu-ray but no comparison available
Germany Blu-ray lacks English subtitles. Kino Lorber Blu-ray has English subtitles but is OOP
Director: John Ford
Director: John Ford
Director: John Woo
Director: John Woo
Director: Howard Deutch
Kino Lorber 4K Blu-ray vs Kino Lorber Blu-ray, but the compression on the 4K is bad.
Director: Howard Deutch
Kino Lorber 4K Blu-ray vs Kino Lorber Blu-ray, but the compression on the 4K is bad.
Director: Bryan Gordon
Director: Bryan Gordon
Director: John Waters
Kino Lorber 4K Blu-ray has poor encoding see caps but still a huge improvement over the 2014 Universal Blu-ray
Kino Lorber 4K Blu-ray Both the 2.0 and 5.1 tracks are improvements over the 2014 Universal Blu-ray
Theatrical cut is on the 4K disc, but the restored Director's Cut is only on the Blu-Ray disc. Director's Cut utilizes the same 4K transfer as the theatrical cut for 86 minutes, but the 6 minutes of restored footage could only be salvaged from a standard definition source and are thus needed to be upscaled.
Director: John Waters
Kino Lorber 4K Blu-ray has poor encoding see caps but still a huge improvement over the 2014 Universal Blu-ray
Kino Lorber 4K Blu-ray Both the 2.0 and 5.1 tracks are improvements over the 2014 Universal Blu-ray
Theatrical cut is on the 4K disc, but the restored Director's Cut is only on the Blu-Ray disc. Director's Cut utilizes the same 4K transfer as the theatrical cut for 86 minutes, but the 6 minutes of restored footage could only be salvaged from a standard definition source and are thus needed to be upscaled.
Director: Ernst Lubitsch
Director: Ernst Lubitsch
Director: Ernst Lubitsch
MoC OOP Blu-ray is likely to have better encoding than Kino Lorber Blu-ray judging from other movies in the boxset
Director: Ernst Lubitsch
MoC OOP Blu-ray is likely to have better encoding than Kino Lorber Blu-ray judging from other movies in the boxset
Edit History
5/29/2026
Best English-Friendly Release
Best Video Release
From
No comparison between Kino Lorber vs MoC. No information on Potemkine
To
MoC > Kino Lorber (see slowpics for comparison). No information on Potemkine.
From
No comparison between Kino Lorber vs MoC. No information on Potemkine
To
MoC > Kino Lorber (see slowpics for comparison). No information on Potemkine.
Additional Info
Added
MoC has higher bitrate than Kino Lorber, also the contrast is increased. But there is no noticeable reduction in visible film damage presented between the two offerings.
Added
MoC has higher bitrate than Kino Lorber, also the contrast is increased. But there is no noticeable reduction in visible film damage presented between the two offerings.
5/21/2026
DVDBeaver
From
To
http://www.dvdbeaver.com/film2/DVDReviews34/tabu_a_story_of_the_south_seas.htm
From
To
http://www.dvdbeaver.com/film2/DVDReviews34/tabu_a_story_of_the_south_seas.htm
12/22/2025
Best English-Friendly Release
Best Video Release
From
No comparison between Kino Lorber Vinegar Syndrome MoC. No information on Potemkine
To
No comparison between Kino Lorber vs MoC. No information on Potemkine
From
No comparison between Kino Lorber Vinegar Syndrome MoC. No information on Potemkine
To
No comparison between Kino Lorber vs MoC. No information on Potemkine
7/9/2025
12/13/2024
Best Video Release
From
Kino's AR is squished; MoC is correct. Unsure on Potemkine
To
No comparison between Kino Lorber Vinegar Syndrome MoC. No information on Potemkine
From
Kino's AR is squished; MoC is correct. Unsure on Potemkine
To
No comparison between Kino Lorber Vinegar Syndrome MoC. No information on Potemkine
