A Scanner Darkly (2006)
Animation, Science Fiction, Thriller • 1h 40m
Director: Richard Linklater
Cast: Keanu Reeves, Robert Downey Jr., Woody Harrelson, Winona Ryder, Rory Cochrane, Mitch Baker, Sean Allen, Cliff Haby, Steven Chester Prince, Natasha Valdez, Mark Turner, Chamblee Ferguson, Angela Rawna, Eliza Stevens, Sarah Menchaca, Melody Chase, Leif Anders, Turk Pipkin, Alex E. Jones, Lisa Marie Newmyer, Wilbur Penn, Ken Webster, Hugo Perez, Rommel Sulit, Dameon Clarke, Ryan Melton, Leila Plummer, Jason Douglas, Marco Perella, Gary Teague
Best English-friendly & video release
WB 2007 Blu-ray
Updated 7 months ago
Additional info
Subsequent re-releases post 2007 remove an extra
About the film
An undercover cop in a not-too-distant future becomes involved with a dangerous new drug and begins to lose his own identity as a result.
- Alternative Titles
- Scanner Darkly, A
Director: Richard Linklater
Sources: caps-a-holic (opens in a new tab)
Director: Richard Linklater
Sources: caps-a-holic (opens in a new tab)
Director: Richard Linklater
Sources: caps-a-holic (opens in a new tab)
Criterion Blu-ray uses the same transfer as Sony but the encoding is slightly worse than Sony and barely noticeable see caps
Germany StudioCanal Blu-ray in viewing looks very similar to both the Criterion and Sony caps, but no side by side comparison available
Germany StudioCanal Blu-ray is part of a 3-film box set like the Criterion
Director: Richard Linklater
Criterion has English subtitles burned in for the entire film, stylized to look like an old film print.
Director: Richard Linklater
Sources: Criterion Forum (opens in a new tab)
More Animation on Blu-ray
Director: Kenji Iwaisawa
Video format: 1080p Blu-ray
TV series
Video format: 1080p Blu-ray
Directors: David Hand & Ben Sharpsteen & William Cottrell & Larry Morey & Perce Pearce & Wilfred Jackson
Mono track is on the included Blu-ray; 4K Blu-ray missing original mono. LaserDisc probably better
Director: Satoshi Kon
Sources: Blu-ray.com (opens in a new tab)
Directors: Chris Appelhans & Maggie Kang
"Sing-Along Edition" not included on the Criterion 4K Blu-ray, only available on Netflix Streaming
Director: Masaaki Yuasa
Director: Mamoru Oshii
Bandai JP 4K Blu-ray
Sources: slow.pics (opens in a new tab)
All 4K releases are sourced from the same mediocre transfer provided by Bandai, with various amounts of tweaks. Japanese disc presents it with the least tinkering.
The best attempt at improving it comes from the German/French releases from KSM/All the Anime, both of which use the same master with HDR regrading (original grade is SDR in HDR container), tasteful regraining and sharpening, in an attempt to breathe some life into the middling transfer, making for an arguably more pleasing viewing experience.
All earlier releases are from an even worse transfer, with significant black crush, with the exception of a Japanese TV airing, which doesn't suffer from that issue, but instead is heavily sharpened and suffers from poor encoding.
Comparisons: JPN UHD, USA UHD, FRA/GER UHD, ITA UHD (tonemapped), JPN UHD, USA UHD, FRA/GER UHD, ITA UHD, ESP UHD (PQ), All 1080p BDs, HDTV, HDTV filtered
Original matrixed stereo mix: Bandai JP 4K Blu-ray
Most discs include this track with comparable fidelity (which is excellent).
Dolby Atmos remix: Lionsgate US 4K / All the Anime FR 4K
6.1 remix (from Ghost in the Shell 2.0): KSM DE 4K / All the Anime FR 4K
All tracks on the Lionsgate US 4K replace the original ending song with the one heard on the English dub. As the Atmos track on the FR 4K is just a port, it also has this song replaced.
Japanese 4K includes English dub and subtitles.
French/German 4Ks are not English friendly, with no dub or subtitles.
French disc includes the Atmos track, but the German disc does not.
TV series
TV series
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