The General (1926)
Comedy, Action, Adventure, War • 1h 19m
Overview
During America’s Civil War, Union spies steal engineer Johnny Gray's beloved locomotive, 'The General'—with Johnnie's lady love aboard an attached boxcar—and he single-handedly must do all in his power to both get The General back and to rescue Annabelle.
Directors: Clyde Bruckman & Buster Keaton
Cast: Buster Keaton, Marion Mack, Glen Cavender, Jim Farley, Frederick Vroom, Frank Barnes, Charles Henry Smith, Joe Keaton, Mike Donlin, Tom Nawn, Henry Baird, Joe Bricher, Jimmy Bryant, Sergeant Bukowski, C.C. Cruson, Jack Dempster, Keith Fennell, Budd Fine, Eddie Foster, Ronald Gilstrap, Frank Hagney, Ray Hanford, Jack Hanlon, Al Hanson, Anthony Harvey, Edward Hearn, Hilliard Karr, Elgin Lessley, Louis Lewyn, Jackie Lowe, Billy Lynn, Ross McCutcheon, Tom Moran, Charles Phillips, Red Rial, Al St. John, Harold Terry, Red Thompson, James Walsh, Kenneth Hawley Ward, John Wilson, Jean Woodward
Director: Gregory La Cava
Criterion Blu-ray, although there's a bit of aggressive grain management see https://forum.blu-ray.com/showpost.php?p=15853770&postcount=43
Director: Gregory La Cava
Criterion Blu-ray, although there's a bit of aggressive grain management see https://forum.blu-ray.com/showpost.php?p=15853770&postcount=43
Director: George Cukor
Director: George Cukor
2022 Paramount Presents Blu-ray disc included in 4K Blu-ray set
2022 Paramount Presents Blu-ray disc included in 4K Blu-ray set, same master, but less bitrate starved.
The encode on the BD is preferable to the UHD. Same master, but less bitrate starved: https://x.com/SadHillDevan/status/1530057783885721607?s=20 and see caps
2022 Paramount Presents Blu-ray disc included in 4K Blu-ray set
2022 Paramount Presents Blu-ray disc included in 4K Blu-ray set, same master, but less bitrate starved.
The encode on the BD is preferable to the UHD. Same master, but less bitrate starved: https://x.com/SadHillDevan/status/1530057783885721607?s=20 and see caps
Director: Stanley Kubrick
US Cut: WB 4K Blu-ray
International Cut: Old 2007 Europe Blu-ray
Criterion Box Set
US Cut: WB 4K Blu-ray
International Cut: Old 2007 Europe Blu-ray
No Blu-ray or DVD release has presented the movie in its original theatrical aspect ratio of 1.85:1 for the US cut or 1.66:1 for the International cut.
The packaging on the back of the 4K Blu-ray incorrectly states it as 1.85:1 when the movie is actually 1.78:1 as is the original Blu-ray.
Director: Stanley Kubrick
US Cut: WB 4K Blu-ray
International Cut: Old 2007 Europe Blu-ray
Criterion Box Set
US Cut: WB 4K Blu-ray
International Cut: Old 2007 Europe Blu-ray
No Blu-ray or DVD release has presented the movie in its original theatrical aspect ratio of 1.85:1 for the US cut or 1.66:1 for the International cut.
The packaging on the back of the 4K Blu-ray incorrectly states it as 1.85:1 when the movie is actually 1.78:1 as is the original Blu-ray.
Director: Martin Scorsese
Imprint Australia 4K Blu-ray has slightly better compression than Criterion 4K Blu-ray.
The master in DV looks all but identical to the Criterion’s HDR grade. Detail-wise, FiM’s encode looks like it uncovered a tiny bit of extra high-frequency information that got filtered on the Criterion. See nicolas review
1990 Criterion LaserDisc/1993 MGM LaserDisc/2002 R2 MGM DVD are the best. See blah-ray https://blah-ray.blogspot.com/2018/01/raging-bull-1980.html
Imprint Australia 4K Blu-ray has better audio than Criterion 4K Blu-ray, from nicolas:
I believe that what’s on Imprint’s 4K is one of the good mixes MGM and Criterion released during the LaserDisc days. Music is powerful and detailed, dialogues have excellent fidelity and ambient sounds have perceptible depth. I compared the "new" 2.0 with the anemic 5.1 as well as the Criterion 4K mix and could clearly hear the improvements.
Director: Martin Scorsese
Imprint Australia 4K Blu-ray has slightly better compression than Criterion 4K Blu-ray.
The master in DV looks all but identical to the Criterion’s HDR grade. Detail-wise, FiM’s encode looks like it uncovered a tiny bit of extra high-frequency information that got filtered on the Criterion. See nicolas review
1990 Criterion LaserDisc/1993 MGM LaserDisc/2002 R2 MGM DVD are the best. See blah-ray https://blah-ray.blogspot.com/2018/01/raging-bull-1980.html
Imprint Australia 4K Blu-ray has better audio than Criterion 4K Blu-ray, from nicolas:
I believe that what’s on Imprint’s 4K is one of the good mixes MGM and Criterion released during the LaserDisc days. Music is powerful and detailed, dialogues have excellent fidelity and ambient sounds have perceptible depth. I compared the "new" 2.0 with the anemic 5.1 as well as the Criterion 4K mix and could clearly hear the improvements.
Criterion Box Set
WB 4K Blu-ray (early pressing has errors of a shot, later pressings fixed)
Criterion Box Set
WB 4K Blu-ray (early pressing has errors of a shot, later pressings fixed)
Director: Stanley Kubrick
Criterion Box Set
4K Blu-ray DTS:X mix most closely approximates original surround mix
Criterion DVD has additional features not found on the 4K Blu-ray
Director: Stanley Kubrick
Criterion Box Set
4K Blu-ray DTS:X mix most closely approximates original surround mix
Criterion DVD has additional features not found on the 4K Blu-ray
Director: Stanley Kubrick
Criterion Box Set
WB 4K 5.1: a remix but has higher fidelity
Mono: 4K Blu-ray/1999 DVD
Director: Stanley Kubrick
Criterion Box Set
WB 4K 5.1: a remix but has higher fidelity
Mono: 4K Blu-ray/1999 DVD
2017 Olive Films Signature Blu-ray. (Jokers 4K Blu-ray has forced France subs)
The Jokers 4K Blu-ray has raised black levels/gamma issue, good when fixed
1992 Republic Pictures LaserDisc
2017 Olive Films Signature Blu-ray. (Jokers 4K Blu-ray has forced France subs)
The Jokers 4K Blu-ray has raised black levels/gamma issue, good when fixed
1992 Republic Pictures LaserDisc
Flicker Alley Laurel & Hardy: Year One Blu-ray
While there are no comparisons available, Flicker Alley Laurel & Hardy: Year One Blu-ray encoded by FiM is definitely going to be better than Kit Parker Films Blu-ray
Flicker Alley Laurel & Hardy: Year One Blu-ray
While there are no comparisons available, Flicker Alley Laurel & Hardy: Year One Blu-ray encoded by FiM is definitely going to be better than Kit Parker Films Blu-ray
Director: Ernst Lubitsch
Subjective, but the concertina score by Bernard Wrigley on the OOP MoC Blu-ray is generally regarded as very weak. For example, it frequently doesn't match the action. The Meg Morley score on the Kino Lorber Blu-ray is considered superior.
Director: Ernst Lubitsch
Subjective, but the concertina score by Bernard Wrigley on the OOP MoC Blu-ray is generally regarded as very weak. For example, it frequently doesn't match the action. The Meg Morley score on the Kino Lorber Blu-ray is considered superior.
Director: John Ford
USA Paramount has the best video transfer with the least amount of artifacts: https://slow.pics/c/sjZ3mqF6
Olive Films Blu-ray and Eureka MoC Blu-ray are sourced from the same restoration and are both very good.
Apart from some mild attenuation, the audio is the same on all releases of the newest restoration and is relatively untampered with: https://slow.pics/c/bWF9EGuM
Director: John Ford
USA Paramount has the best video transfer with the least amount of artifacts: https://slow.pics/c/sjZ3mqF6
Olive Films Blu-ray and Eureka MoC Blu-ray are sourced from the same restoration and are both very good.
Apart from some mild attenuation, the audio is the same on all releases of the newest restoration and is relatively untampered with: https://slow.pics/c/bWF9EGuM
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: Haskell Wexler
Criterion Blu-ray is slightly better than MoC Blu-ray: while both are from a 4K restoration approved by director, MoC is more sharpened but gamma is flatter see caps
Paramount DVD and potentially Paramount LaserDisc see blah-ray
Criterion and MoC Blu-ray has the same audio, and additional (destructive) hiss reduction was applied, and one segment was made significantly louder.
Also, every home video release except the 1982 Paramount VHS cassette replaces Wild Man Fischer's 'Merry-Go-Round' in the roller derby scene with a version of 'Sweet Georgia Brown' by Brother Bones. Two very different songs, and one must assume that the tone of the scene has changed considerably
Director: Haskell Wexler
Criterion Blu-ray is slightly better than MoC Blu-ray: while both are from a 4K restoration approved by director, MoC is more sharpened but gamma is flatter see caps
Paramount DVD and potentially Paramount LaserDisc see blah-ray
Criterion and MoC Blu-ray has the same audio, and additional (destructive) hiss reduction was applied, and one segment was made significantly louder.
Also, every home video release except the 1982 Paramount VHS cassette replaces Wild Man Fischer's 'Merry-Go-Round' in the roller derby scene with a version of 'Sweet Georgia Brown' by Brother Bones. Two very different songs, and one must assume that the tone of the scene has changed considerably
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
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
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
6/5/2026
Best Video Release
From
Eureka MoC 4K Blu-ray, probably. No comparison with France Factoris Films 4K Blu-ray, but former has Dolby Vision and higher bitrate.
To
Eureka MoC 4K Blu-ray, probably. No comparison with French Factoris Films 4K Blu-ray, but former has Dolby Vision and higher bitrate.
From
Eureka MoC 4K Blu-ray, probably. No comparison with France Factoris Films 4K Blu-ray, but former has Dolby Vision and higher bitrate.
To
Eureka MoC 4K Blu-ray, probably. No comparison with French Factoris Films 4K Blu-ray, but former has Dolby Vision and higher bitrate.
6/5/2026
Format
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1080p Blu-ray
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UHD Blu-ray
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1080p Blu-ray
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UHD Blu-ray
Best English-Friendly Release
Upcoming Release
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To
From
To
Best Video Release
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MoC/Cohen is 4k transfer https://forum.blu-ray.com/showthread.php?t=112722&page=5
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Eureka MoC 4K Blu-ray, probably. No comparison with France Factoris Films 4K Blu-ray, but former has Dolby Vision and higher bitrate.
From
MoC/Cohen is 4k transfer https://forum.blu-ray.com/showthread.php?t=112722&page=5
To
Eureka MoC 4K Blu-ray, probably. No comparison with France Factoris Films 4K Blu-ray, but former has Dolby Vision and higher bitrate.
Additional Info
Added
For standard Blu-ray, the MoC/Cohen are a 4k transfer https://forum.blu-ray.com/showthread.php?t=112722&page=5
Added
For standard Blu-ray, the MoC/Cohen are a 4k transfer https://forum.blu-ray.com/showthread.php?t=112722&page=5
12/20/2024
12/12/2024
Best Video Release
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MoC/Cohen is 4k transfer https://forum.blu-ray.com/showthread.php?t=112722&page=5
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MoC/Cohen is 4k transfer https://forum.blu-ray.com/showthread.php?t=112722&page=5
From
MoC/Cohen is 4k transfer https://forum.blu-ray.com/showthread.php?t=112722&page=5
To
MoC/Cohen is 4k transfer https://forum.blu-ray.com/showthread.php?t=112722&page=5
