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Fellini: A Director’s Notebook (1969)
Fellini: A Director’s Notebook (1969) poster
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Fellini: A Director’s Notebook (1969)

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TV Movie, Documentary • 54m

Director: Federico Fellini

Cast: Federico Fellini, Giulietta Masina, Marcello Mastroianni, Caterina Boratto, Marina Boratto, David Maumsell, Pasqualino De Santis, Nino Rota, Bernardino Zapponi, Alvaro Vitali, Cesarino Miceli Picardi

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IMDbThe Movie Database (TMDB)

Best English-friendly & video release

1080p Blu-ray
Video notes:

Included as extras in the Criterion 8½ Blu-ray. Looks like SD source, and in a very rough quality.

Updated 11 months ago


About the film

Fellini discusses his views of making motion pictures and his unorthodox procedures. He seeks inspiration in various out of the way places. During this film viewers go with him to the Colisseum at night, on a subway ride past Roman ruins, to the Appian Way, to a slaughterhouse, and on a visit to Marcello Mastroianni's house. Fellini also is seen in his own office interviewing a series of unusual characters seeking work or his help.

Alternative Titles
Fellini: A Director's Notebook

More from Federico Fellini

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Director: Federico Fellini

Best English-Friendly & Video:

Arrow Blu-ray

Video Notes:

Fellini's segment on Spirits of the Dead

The Toby Dammit segment is also available in Criterion boxset but seems to be SD, so Arrow Blu-ray > Plaion Blu-ray > Criterion boxset Blu-ray

Director: Federico Fellini

Best English-Friendly, Video & Audio:

2022 Paramount Blu-ray

Sources: Criterion Forum (opens in a new tab) · slow.pics (opens in a new tab)

Video Notes:

2014 Criterion Blu-ray is from the same master and has only slightly worse compression. JP/DE/FR releases all have incorrect levels. Caps

Audio Notes:

All Blu-ray releases are from the same mastering, superior to the one on older DVD releases which is sourced from a higher generation source. They all sound about the same, with the exception of Criterion, which sounds worse due to extraneous filtering.

Paramount's disc also includes a contemporary English dub, previously unreleased on home video.

Director: Federico Fellini

Video format: 1080p Blu-ray

Best English-Friendly & Video:

Criterion

Sources: Criterion Forum (opens in a new tab)

Best Audio:

2017 StudioCanal Blu-ray

Director: Federico Fellini

4K · Excellent
Best English-Friendly & Video:

Criterion 4K Blu-ray

Sources: Criterion Forum (opens in a new tab)

Audio Notes:

Image Entertainment DVD is slightly better than Criterion 4K Blu-ray/Blu-ray/DVD (all basically the same)
Other Blu-ray releases are all much worse.

Director: Federico Fellini

Best English-Friendly & Video:

Cohen Blu-ray

Sources: caps-a-holic (opens in a new tab)

Video Notes:

Cohen Blu-ray is the best with the least amount of DNR or sharpening among Germany StudioCanal, UK MoC and France Gaumont. Even though Cohen doesn't have the best encoding, it's definitely the most superior release. See caps-a-holics caps

Director: Federico Fellini

Best English-Friendly & Video:

Arrow Blu-ray

Sources: Criterion Forum (opens in a new tab)

Director: Federico Fellini

Video format: 1080p Blu-ray

Best English-Friendly:

HD Streaming

Best Video:

France Tamasa Blu-ray

Video Notes:

But not English friendly.

WB has HD Streaming on multiple platforms, but no home release.

Director: Federico Fellini

Best English-Friendly & Video:

Criterion Essential Fellini Blu-ray

Sources: Criterion Forum (opens in a new tab)

Director: Federico Fellini

Best English-Friendly & Video:

Criterion Essential Fellini Blu-ray

Sources: Criterion Forum (opens in a new tab)

Directors: Tatti Sanguineti & Federico Fellini

Best English-Friendly & Video:

Criterion Intervista Blu-ray extras

More from Criterion

See more →

Director: Stanley Kubrick

4K · Excellent
Best English-Friendly & Video:

Kino Lorber 4K Blu-ray

Sources: Criterion Forum (opens in a new tab) · slow.pics (opens in a new tab)

Video Notes:

The 4K discs in both Criterion and Imprint sets are FiM encodes, but low-passed. The compression is better, but some of the grain is lost. Difference is pronounced in screen caps, but not likely to be noticed during playback, without a reference to compare it to. Comparisons

Best Audio:

Anything other than Criterion 4K/Blu-ray

Audio Notes:

All discs use the same source transfer. It's not of the highest quality, and it includes some slight distortion, looping, clicks, pops, and hum. Criterion cleaned it up for their release, but unfortunately also lost a lot of fidelity in the process.

MGM NTSC DVD doesn't seem to have some of the more prominent distortion and has slightly different EQ but is otherwise the same.

Additional Info:

The Criterion Complete Kubrick and Imprint 1953-1957 sets include remastered BDs. All standalone releases are from an earlier master.
Arrow UK Blu-ray has an exclusive isolated score & effects track. Kino Lorber and Imprint have an exclusive commentary each.

Director: Sidney Lumet

4K · Solid
Best English-Friendly:

Kino Lorber US / Capelight DE 4K Blu-ray

Sources: Criterion Forum (opens in a new tab) · slow.pics (opens in a new tab) · Blu-ray.com (opens in a new tab)

Best Video:

1.85:1: Kino Lorber 4K  / Capelight 4K

1.66:1: Criterion 4K

Video Notes:

1.85:1: Kino Lorber 4K  / Capelight 4K

1.66:1: Criterion 4K but low pass filtered

Comparison between the 4Ks, Criterion on the AR choice

Audio Notes:

Other discs have unnecessary filtering and sound worse, the difference isn't substantial but audible

Director: Stanley Kubrick

4K · Excellent
Best English-Friendly, Video & Audio:

Criterion 4K Blu-ray

Sources: Criterion Forum (opens in a new tab)

Video Notes:

Included in the Complete Kubrick box set with FiM encode of the same master from the Universal release without the filtering.

Audio Notes:

DTS:X mix on Universal 4K Blu-ray most closely approximates original surround mix

Additional Info:

Criterion DVD and Universal 4K Blu-ray has additional features not found on the Criterion 4K Blu-ray

Director: Sam Peckinpah

Best English-Friendly & Video:

Plaion Germany Blu-ray

Upcoming Release:

4K Blu-ray said to be coming from Criterion, per Bill Hunt

Video Notes:

Includes Director's Cut and Roadshow Version

Same master as old WB Blu-ray but better encoding

Director: Alfonso Cuarón

Best English-Friendly & Video:

Criterion OOP Blu-ray

Sources: Criterion Forum (opens in a new tab)

Upcoming Release:

Janus and thus Criterion likely to release 4K Blu-ray in 2027

Director: Sam Peckinpah

4K · Excellent
Best English-Friendly:

Criterion 4K Blu-ray or Germany Plaion Blu-ray or WB DVD depending on the cut.

Best Video:

First Preview (Turner): Germany Plaion Blu-ray

Second Preview (Final Preview): Germany Plaion Blu-ray

Theatrical: Criterion 4K Blu-ray

2005 Cut: WB DVD

2024 Cut: Criterion 4K Blu-ray

Video Notes:

Director: Hal Ashby

Best English-Friendly & Video:

Criterion 4K Blu-ray

Sources: slow.pics (opens in a new tab)

Video Notes:

See caps https://slow.pics/c/lVdZaG0W

Best Audio:

Criterion/MoC Blu-ray

Director: Richard Lester

4K · Excellent
Best English-Friendly, Video & Audio:

Criterion 4K Blu-ray

Sources: Criterion Forum (opens in a new tab) · slow.pics (opens in a new tab)

Video Notes:

StudioCanal's 4K release is similar in encode quality, but has significant glitches in multiple frames. See comparisons 9-16 here: https://slow.pics/c/YkSVb3Ey

Audio Notes:

The pitch of the StudioCanal 4K's English audio is too high

Additional Info:

Criterion has more extras than StudioCanal.

Director: Jacques Tati

Video format: 1080p Blu-ray

Best English-Friendly:

Criterion for 1949 and 1964, BFI for 1964 English Variant and 1994/5

Sources: Criterion Forum (opens in a new tab)

Upcoming Release:

StudioCanal 4K Blu-ray (part of Jacques Tati boxset releasing December 2026)

Best Video:

Jour Germany fete (1949) - Criterion only, HD Jour Germany fete (1964) - Criterion only, HDThe Village Fair (1964, English variant) - BFI only, HDJour Germany fete (1994/5) - Criterion SD, BFI HD

Director: Jacques Tati

Best English-Friendly & Video:

Criterion Blu-ray

Sources: Criterion Forum (opens in a new tab)

Upcoming Release:

StudioCanal 4K Blu-ray (part of Jacques Tati boxset releasing December 2026)

More TV Movie on Blu-ray

Director: Trey Parker

Best English-Friendly, Video & Audio:

Paramount Blu-ray

Director: Clive Donner

Best English-Friendly & Video:

20th Century Studios Blu-ray

Video Notes:

Suffers from a liberal application of DNR

Best Audio:

5.1 remix: Blu-ray 

Stereo:Blu-ray and DVD appear to have the same one, not sure if it’s the original stereo mix.

Directors: Jules Bass & Arthur Rankin, Jr.

Best English-Friendly & Video:

Universal 4K Blu-ray

Directors: Jules Bass & Arthur Rankin, Jr.

Best English-Friendly & Video:

Universal 4K Blu-ray

Director: Larry Roemer

Best English-Friendly & Video:

Universal 4K Blu-ray

Director: Erik Nelson

Best English-Friendly & Video:

OOP Kino Lorber Blu-ray

Director: Geoffrey Sax

Video format: UHD Blu-ray

Upcoming Release:

BBC 4K Blu-ray

Best Video:

2016 BBC Blu-ray

Director: Steven Spielberg

4K · Disappointing
Best English-Friendly & Video:

"Director's Cut" (Theatrical cut with minor changes): Universal 4K Blu-ray

Theatrical Cut: VHS

TV Cut: Fan restoration

Best Audio:

1993 MCA LaserDisc (with EQ adjusted)

Directors: George Harrison & Ringo Starr & Bernard Knowles & John Lennon & Paul McCartney

Best English-Friendly & Video:

2012 Blu-ray

Best Audio:

Media VHS Tape

Audio Notes:

Media VHS Tape is the only release to date to include the original mono mix of the film, but it is in very poor quality

Director: John Newland

4K · Excellent
Best English-Friendly & Video:

Vinegar Syndrome 4K Blu-ray

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Researched and maintained by

vanshady

· last reviewed 11 months ago

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