Limelight (1952)
Romance, Drama, Music • 2h 25m
Director: Charlie Chaplin
Cast: Charlie Chaplin, Claire Bloom, Nigel Bruce, Buster Keaton, Sydney Chaplin, Norman Lloyd, Andre Eglevsky, Marjorie Bennett, Wheeler Dryden, Barry Bernard, Stapleton Kent, Molly Glessing, Leonard Mudie, Loyal Underwood, Harry 'Snub' Pollard, Julian Ludwig, Billy Lee Aimone, John Alban, Benjie Bancroft, John Barton, Ray Beltram, Paul Bradley, James Carlisle, Charles Chaplin, Jr., Geraldine Chaplin, Josephine Chaplin, Michael Chaplin, Oona O'Neill Chaplin, Bud Cokes, Harry Crocker, Oliver Cross, Billy Curtis, Jack Deery, Cyril Delevanti, Tim Durant, Tom Ferrandini, Dorothy Ford, Curt Furberg, Rudy Germane, Marion Gray, Frank Hagney, Charlie Hall, Stuart Hall, Sam Harris, Stuart Holmes, Jimmie Horan, Kenner G. Kemp, Colin Kenny, Judy Landon, Perk Lazelle, Billy Lee, Maurice Marks, Harold Miller, Frank Mills, Sherry Moreland, George Nardelli, Milicent Patrick, Jack Perry, José Portugal, Edna Purviance, Paul Ravel, Charley Rogers, Victor Romito, Elizabeth Root, Cap Somers, Gus Taillon, Valerie Vernon, Eric Wilton, Florence Wix
Best English-friendly & video release
Theatrical: Image Entertainment LaserDisc International: Criterion Blu-ray
Updated 4 months ago
Best audio release
2000 Image Entertainment DVD
About the film
A fading music hall comedian tries to help a despondent ballet dancer learn to walk and to again feel confident about life.
- TSPDT
- 2026: #4542025: #4462024: #4472023: #4302022: #430
Director: Charlie Chaplin
1928 version: Image Entertainment DVD
Sources: Criterion Forum (opens in a new tab) · DVDBeaver (opens in a new tab) · caps-a-holic (opens in a new tab)
1969 version: Criterion Blu-ray > UK Artificial Eye Blu-ray, see DVDBeaver caps.
Japan Kadokawa Blu-ray is the same as AE BD and inferior to Criterion too
Director: Charlie Chaplin
1936 version: Image Entertainment DVD
Sources: Criterion Forum (opens in a new tab) · nitrateville.com (opens in a new tab)
Cut info: https://www.nitrateville.com/viewtopic.php?t=31209
Director: Charlie Chaplin
Sources: Criterion Forum (opens in a new tab) · caps-a-holic (opens in a new tab)
4k restoration. Superior to Germany Kinowelt or Japan Kadokawa, see caps-a-holic
2000 Image Entertainment DVD
Director: Charlie Chaplin
BFI or Flicker Alley Charlie Chaplin Mutual Comedies Blu-ray boxsets
BFI or Flicker Alley Charlie Chaplin Mutual Comedies Blu-ray boxsets use the same restoration, no comparison available
BFI Blu-ray has commentaries while Flicker Alley doesn't
Director: Charlie Chaplin
Sources: Criterion Forum (opens in a new tab)
And it has both 1925 version and 1942 version
Director: Charlie Chaplin
1921 version: Image Entertainment DVD
Sources: Criterion Forum (opens in a new tab)
1923 version: Image Entertainment DVD. 1976 version: Criterion Blu-ray
Sources: Criterion Forum (opens in a new tab)
1923 version: Image Entertainment DVD 1976 version: Criterion Blu-ray
Director: Charlie Chaplin
Sources: Criterion Forum (opens in a new tab)
Criterion, 2k transfer
Director: John Boorman
Director: Bong Joon Ho
Sources: Criterion Forum (opens in a new tab)
Criterion 4K Blu-ray releasing January 2027
France The Jokers 4K Blu-ray
France The Jokers 4K Blu-ray has the least DNR (UK Artificial Eye might be similar? Both better than Universal 4K Blu-ray)
Criterion even though doesn’t have 4K, it has the B&W version and a lot of extras.
Director: John Schlesinger
Sources: Criterion Forum (opens in a new tab) · Blu-ray.com (opens in a new tab)
2027 Criterion 4K Blu-ray
Included Imprint Blu-Ray also has markedly better image compression than the Criterion Blu-Ray, though do note the Imprint has some adjusted color grading within roughly the first five minutes of the film
https://forum.blu-ray.com/showpost.php?p=16775595&postcount=450
https://forum.blu-ray.com/showpost.php?p=24237074&postcount=73
Director: Claire Denis
Sources: Criterion Forum (opens in a new tab)
FiM encode; BFI shows noticeable macroblocking
Director: Guillermo del Toro
Warner Bros 4K Blu-ray and 2011/2013 Optimum Blu-ray
Sources: Criterion Forum (opens in a new tab)
Cineverse 4K Blu-ray announced with a new 4K restoration from the original negatives
Warner Bros 4K Blu-ray and 2011/2013 Optimum Blu-ray both have issues, up to preference. UK Optimum/Japan Amuse Soft Blu-ray is better, Criterion is worse
Japan Amuse Soft Blu-ray is better encoded than the Optimum, is in the original 1.85 ratio, and has the original colors
Director: Barry Jenkins
Video format: UHD Blu-ray
Lionsgate 4k
Criterion 4K Blu-ray announced by director Barry Jenkins
Director: Stanley Kubrick
Sources: Criterion Forum (opens in a new tab)
Included in the Complete Kubrick box set with FiM encode of the same master from the Universal release without the filtering.
DTS:X mix on Universal 4K Blu-ray most closely approximates original surround mix
Criterion DVD and Universal 4K Blu-ray has additional features not found on the Criterion 4K Blu-ray
Director: Werner Herzog
Director: Stanley Kubrick
Included in the Complete Kubrick box set with FiM encode of the same master from the WB release without the filtering, 1.85 ratio restored for US Cut; both US and International Cuts are 4K.
US Cut: 1999 WB DVD/Criterion 4K Blu-ray
No Blu-ray or DVD release until the Criterion 4K Blu-ray has presented the US in its original theatrical aspect ratio of 1.85:1. The International Cut has never been presented in it's OAR of 1.66:1 in any home video releases.
The packaging on the back of the WB 4K Blu-ray incorrectly states it as 1.85:1 when the movie is actually 1.78:1 as is the original Blu-ray.
More Romance on Blu-ray
Director: Damien Chazelle
Video format: UHD Blu-ray
US Lionsgate Limited 4K Blu-ray re-release announced with Dolby Vision, a new exclusive bonus, and the previously retailer pre-order bonus-exclusive/Hong Kong-exclusive bonus interviews in HD
Italy Eagle Pictures has DV, better encode, and no brightness shifts compared to Lionsgate 4K Blu-ray
Lionsgate 4K Blu-ray for the original Dolby Atmos mix
Hong Kong Panorama 4K Blu-ray has two interviews available in HD that are SD everywhere else and only included as retailer-exclusive pre-order bonus DVDs with the US Blu-ray
Directors: Emeric Pressburger & Michael Powell
Sources: Criterion Forum (opens in a new tab) · filmalert101.blogspot.com (opens in a new tab) · slow.pics (opens in a new tab)
FiM encode and none of the low-pass filtering present on the Criterion 4K, resulting in more detail and better handling of highlights on Imprint
Review, comparisons
All HD and 4K sources use the same 2009 restoration. Criterion's master (also used by Imprint) is a bit more rolled off, though the difference is minor.
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.
Video format: 1080p Blu-ray
Director: Liliana Cavani
Sources: Criterion Forum (opens in a new tab)
Director: Morton DaCosta
Warner Archive 4K Blu-ray Nov 24th
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