Dial M for Murder (1954)
Thriller, Crime • 1h 45m
Overview
When her American lover visits London, a wealthy woman’s jealous husband hatches a plan to murder her and inherit her fortune.
Director: Alfred Hitchcock
Cast: Ray Milland, Grace Kelly, Robert Cummings, John Williams, Anthony Dawson, Leo Britt, Patrick Allen, George Leigh, George Alderson, Robin Hughes, Jack Cunningham, Guy Doleman, Bess Flowers, Sam Harris, Harold Miller, Martin Milner, Forbes Murray, Thayer Roberts, William H. O'Brien, Alfred Hitchcock, Herschel Graham, Robert Dobson
Director: Alfred Hitchcock
Director: Alfred Hitchcock
Director: Alfred Hitchcock
Director: Alfred Hitchcock
Director: Alfred Hitchcock
2024 Paramount "Presents" 4K: although there are reviews that called it disappointing. It is also regarded as a vast improvement over all previous versions by many others as well.
This is a problematic release, because while scenes like the aerial shots at the beginning looked pristine and shows new detail, many others are suspiciously identical across all three Blu-ray releases (the 2012, 2020 and this 2024).
Some defects on this are unfixed from the 2020 Blu-ray for some reason. (See this review and its discussion.)
Director: Alfred Hitchcock
2024 Paramount "Presents" 4K: although there are reviews that called it disappointing. It is also regarded as a vast improvement over all previous versions by many others as well.
This is a problematic release, because while scenes like the aerial shots at the beginning looked pristine and shows new detail, many others are suspiciously identical across all three Blu-ray releases (the 2012, 2020 and this 2024).
Some defects on this are unfixed from the 2020 Blu-ray for some reason. (See this review and its discussion.)
Director: Alfred Hitchcock
Director: Alfred Hitchcock
Director: Alfred Hitchcock
Via Vision or StudioCanal Blu-ray?
Via Vision or StudioCanal Blu-ray?
Kino Lorber Blu-ray has incorrect aspect ratio for pre-2024 restorations of both silent and sound versions
Director: Alfred Hitchcock
Via Vision or StudioCanal Blu-ray?
Via Vision or StudioCanal Blu-ray?
Kino Lorber Blu-ray has incorrect aspect ratio for pre-2024 restorations of both silent and sound versions
Director: Alfred Hitchcock
Director: Alfred Hitchcock
Director: Alfred Hitchcock
Director: Alfred Hitchcock
Director: Alfred Hitchcock
Director: Alfred Hitchcock
Director: Alfred Hitchcock
Director: Alfred Hitchcock
Director: Charles Walters
Warner Archive 4K Blu-ray is a VistaVision remaster, FiM encode
Warner Archive 4K Blu-ray's new Atmos is based on the original tracks and the mono is said to be excellent
Director: Charles Walters
Warner Archive 4K Blu-ray is a VistaVision remaster, FiM encode
Warner Archive 4K Blu-ray's new Atmos is based on the original tracks and the mono is said to be excellent
Director: John Ford
1988/1990 WB Hi-Fi VHS, crystal clear, albeit with some distortion in louder areas
The 4K Blu-ray reuses the same poor mastering used on the 2006 WB Blu-ray, only with a completely unnecessary bass cut and extra noise reduction.
Even putting resolution aside, the Warner Archive 4K Blu-ray has the best video, the old Blu-ray master and earlier DVD both had massive issues with colour.
That said, picture on the 4K Blu-ray isn't perfect, with strange posterized magenta glints and some instances of DNR: https://bsky.app/profile/dagscott.bsky.social/post/3leahavqi7k2l
Director: John Ford
1988/1990 WB Hi-Fi VHS, crystal clear, albeit with some distortion in louder areas
The 4K Blu-ray reuses the same poor mastering used on the 2006 WB Blu-ray, only with a completely unnecessary bass cut and extra noise reduction.
Even putting resolution aside, the Warner Archive 4K Blu-ray has the best video, the old Blu-ray master and earlier DVD both had massive issues with colour.
That said, picture on the 4K Blu-ray isn't perfect, with strange posterized magenta glints and some instances of DNR: https://bsky.app/profile/dagscott.bsky.social/post/3leahavqi7k2l
Director: Morton DaCosta
Warner Archive 4K Blu-ray from 12K scan on Aug 25th
Director: Morton DaCosta
Warner Archive 4K Blu-ray from 12K scan on Aug 25th
Director: Jacques Tourneur
Director: Jacques Tourneur
Director: Abel Ferrara
Director: Abel Ferrara
Director: Anthony Mann
Director: Anthony Mann
Director: Michael Cimino
Director: Michael Cimino
Director: Lloyd Bacon
Director: Lloyd Bacon
More Thriller on Blu-ray
Director: Mario Bava
Original Italian/English dubs: UK Masters of Cinema 4K Blu-ray
Export English dub: Paramount LaserDisc
MoC ported the export dub from LaserDisc, but used a low quality transfer, with poor lossy encoding.
MST3K version: Vol XXXIX DVD / episode 1013: series finale of the original show.
Director: Mario Bava
Original Italian/English dubs: UK Masters of Cinema 4K Blu-ray
Export English dub: Paramount LaserDisc
MoC ported the export dub from LaserDisc, but used a low quality transfer, with poor lossy encoding.
MST3K version: Vol XXXIX DVD / episode 1013: series finale of the original show.
Capelight DE 4K Blu-ray > Arrow UK 4K Blu-ray > Kino Lorber US Blu-ray, see caps
Capelight and Arrow both have good compression, but Capelight has the edge. Kino is very poor.
Original matrixed Dolby Stereo: Arrow 4K Blu-ray or Image Entertainment LaserDisc
(Arrow is a port of the LD track, see spectrograms)
Capelight and old Arrow BD included the original stereo mix, but with excessive noise reduction rendering it much less detailed. Kino only included a downmix of the 5.1 remix.
Capelight DE 4K Blu-ray > Arrow UK 4K Blu-ray > Kino Lorber US Blu-ray, see caps
Capelight and Arrow both have good compression, but Capelight has the edge. Kino is very poor.
Original matrixed Dolby Stereo: Arrow 4K Blu-ray or Image Entertainment LaserDisc
(Arrow is a port of the LD track, see spectrograms)
Capelight and old Arrow BD included the original stereo mix, but with excessive noise reduction rendering it much less detailed. Kino only included a downmix of the 5.1 remix.
Director: Chuck Russell
Director: Chuck Russell
Director: David Twohy
Lionsgate 4K Blu-ray has terrible compression, but still beats out the old disc which was sourced from a mediocre old scan with edge enhancement, and which has compression issues of its own.
Original 5.1 mix: 1997 Pioneer LaserDisc or 1997 Live Entertainment NTSC DVD
Original matrixed Dolby Stereo mix: Lionsgate 4K Blu-ray
The film originally premiered with two mixes, a 5.1 for upgraded theaters, and a distinct matrixed Dolby Stereo mix for older venues. The original 5.1 mix can only be found on the earliest LD/DVD releases, as all later releases replace it with a mediocre 7.1 mix with reduced dynamic range.
The Atmos mix is based off of the previous 7.1 remix, but with futher alterations as per director's wishes. One scene intentionally drops out into silence, see this post for details.
Director: David Twohy
Lionsgate 4K Blu-ray has terrible compression, but still beats out the old disc which was sourced from a mediocre old scan with edge enhancement, and which has compression issues of its own.
Original 5.1 mix: 1997 Pioneer LaserDisc or 1997 Live Entertainment NTSC DVD
Original matrixed Dolby Stereo mix: Lionsgate 4K Blu-ray
The film originally premiered with two mixes, a 5.1 for upgraded theaters, and a distinct matrixed Dolby Stereo mix for older venues. The original 5.1 mix can only be found on the earliest LD/DVD releases, as all later releases replace it with a mediocre 7.1 mix with reduced dynamic range.
The Atmos mix is based off of the previous 7.1 remix, but with futher alterations as per director's wishes. One scene intentionally drops out into silence, see this post for details.
Director: Joe Dante
Director: Joe Dante
Director: Neil Jordan
Criterion 4K Blu-ray (caps)
Criterion is a new restoration from the original camera negative, supervised and approved by director Neil Jordan, graded using a 35mm print from the Academy Film Archive as a color reference.
Original matrixed Dolby Stereo: Criterion 4K Blu-ray
Criterion is a new transfer from the magnetic track and sounds better than previous releases. The 5.1 track on the NTSC DVD is a poor quality upmix.
Director: Neil Jordan
Criterion 4K Blu-ray (caps)
Criterion is a new restoration from the original camera negative, supervised and approved by director Neil Jordan, graded using a 35mm print from the Academy Film Archive as a color reference.
Original matrixed Dolby Stereo: Criterion 4K Blu-ray
Criterion is a new transfer from the magnetic track and sounds better than previous releases. The 5.1 track on the NTSC DVD is a poor quality upmix.
Director: Michael Haneke
2025 Curzon UK Blu-ray or 2013 TF1 FR Blu-ray (caps)
Curzon has a slightly better encode and preserves all the noise of the digital source, but ends up obscuring actual detail in some shots. Both are quite good, only caveat being that the TF1 disc is slightly cropped and has a black bar on top.
2025 Curzon UK Blu-ray
2008 Artificial Eye UK and 2025 Umbrella AU discs have incorrect pitch. TF1 FR disc is missing 7 minutes of audio in the left channel. See spectrograms.
Director: Michael Haneke
2025 Curzon UK Blu-ray or 2013 TF1 FR Blu-ray (caps)
Curzon has a slightly better encode and preserves all the noise of the digital source, but ends up obscuring actual detail in some shots. Both are quite good, only caveat being that the TF1 disc is slightly cropped and has a black bar on top.
2025 Curzon UK Blu-ray
2008 Artificial Eye UK and 2025 Umbrella AU discs have incorrect pitch. TF1 FR disc is missing 7 minutes of audio in the left channel. See spectrograms.
Director: James Cameron
2013 MGM Blu-ray, or 4K Blu-ray if you MUST have the mono mix, 2001 MGM DVD for a purist version with original colors and the international mono mix
2013 MGM Blu-ray for non AI transfer, 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: James Cameron
2013 MGM Blu-ray, or 4K Blu-ray if you MUST have the mono mix, 2001 MGM DVD for a purist version with original colors and the international mono mix
2013 MGM Blu-ray for non AI transfer, 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.
2015 Lionsgate Blu-ray or 35mm scan for Theatrical Cut
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.
2015 Lionsgate Blu-ray (missing the Ultimate Edition with the T-1000 searching John's room and the happy future ending, which is on the 2009 Skynet Blu-ray, which is DNRed)
2017 StudioCanal 4K Blu-ray (and subsequent 4Ks) is 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.
Original Kodak/ORC CDS mix 5.1: likely on the Artisan DVD and other Pioneer Japan DVD.
Original Dolby Stereo SR: USA Widescreen LaserDisc and others.
Differences and review of the mix. There are earlier stereo mixes and many subsequent remixes on DVDs but it is unclear how many of them are really unique.
2017 Blu-Ray (which has the DNRed transfer), the 2009 Skynet Edition Blu-Ray, and the 2000 Ultimate Edition DVD have exclusive extras. The 2003 Extreme Edition DVD has some exclusive easter eggs.
2015 Lionsgate Blu-ray or 35mm scan for Theatrical Cut
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.
2015 Lionsgate Blu-ray (missing the Ultimate Edition with the T-1000 searching John's room and the happy future ending, which is on the 2009 Skynet Blu-ray, which is DNRed)
2017 StudioCanal 4K Blu-ray (and subsequent 4Ks) is 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.
Original Kodak/ORC CDS mix 5.1: likely on the Artisan DVD and other Pioneer Japan DVD.
Original Dolby Stereo SR: USA Widescreen LaserDisc and others.
Differences and review of the mix. There are earlier stereo mixes and many subsequent remixes on DVDs but it is unclear how many of them are really unique.
2017 Blu-Ray (which has the DNRed transfer), the 2009 Skynet Edition Blu-Ray, and the 2000 Ultimate Edition DVD have exclusive extras. The 2003 Extreme Edition DVD has some exclusive easter eggs.
Director: Jacques Audiard
France Pathé 4K Blu-ray has Dolby Atmos audio
Director: Jacques Audiard
France Pathé 4K Blu-ray has Dolby Atmos audio
Edit History
