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Man of Aran (1934)
Man of Aran (1934) poster

Man of Aran (1934)

Documentary • 1h 17m

Director: Robert Flaherty

Cast: Colman 'Tiger' King, Maggie Dirrane, Michael Dirrane, Pat Mullin of Aran, Patch 'Red Beard' Ruadh, Patcheen Faherty, Tommy O'Rourke, Stephen Dirrane, Pat McDonough

Best video & English-friendly release

HD Streaming

Updated 1 month ago


About the film

A documentary on the life of the people of the Aran Islands, who were believed to contain the essence of the ancient Irish life, represented by a pure uncorrupted peasant existence centred around the struggle between man and his hostile but magnificent surroundings. A blend of documentary and fictional narrative, the film captures the everyday trials of life on Ireland's unforgiving Aran Islands.

TSPDT
2026: #571
2025: #548
2024: #538
2023: #514
2022: #514

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Kino Lorber Blu-ray

Director: Robert Flaherty

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Flicker Alley Blu-ray

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TV series

Video format: 1080p Blu-ray

Best English-Friendly:

Amazon Streaming

Upcoming Release:

US GKIDS/UK Anime, Ltd. Blu-ray announced

Best Video & Audio:

Japan Pony Canyon Blu-ray

Director: Jean Rouch

Video format: HD Streaming

Best Video & English-Friendly:

Amazon HD Streaming

Director: Shinji Aoyama

Video format: HD Streaming

Best Video & English-Friendly:

Amazon Streaming

Video Notes:

The master on Streaming is sourced from a new restoration with much better detail and no blown whites than AU Imprint Blu-ray, but unfortunately cropped in and not in proper sepia tones. Caps

Director: Frank Borzage

Video format: HD Streaming

Best Video & English-Friendly:

Amazon US HD Streaming

Video Notes:

Amazon US HD Streaming is from the 2018 UCLA restoration. Olive Films Blu-ray is from an older scan and quite rough. caps

Best Audio:

Olive Films Blu-ray

Audio Notes:

Olive Films Blu-ray is again rough, with distortion, crackle and other issues, but sounds much more natural. With some EQ the restored track can be significantly improved

Director: David Butler

Video format: Only Unofficial Sources

Best Video:

The DVD isn't an official one, and according to a user review on Amazon:

This DVD comes from Archive.org, where the movie can be viewed for free. The original source, comes from the Fox Movie Channel

Director: Mariano Llinás

Best English-Friendly:

Germany Absolut Medien OOP Blu-ray

Best Video:
Video Notes:

Alternatively, HD Streaming on Apple TV or Amazon from Grasshopper

Director: Barry Mahon

Video format: HD Streaming

Best Video & English-Friendly:

SD: OOP Something Weird DVD

HD: Amazon Prime Streaming (with RiffTrax commentary)

Best Audio:

OOP Something Weird DVD

Director: Mark Sandrich

Video format: HD Streaming

Best Video & English-Friendly:

Amazon HD Streaming

Video Notes:

IVC Japan Blu-ray is clearly from a higher generation film element and looks terrible. Comparisons: https://slow.pics/c/XUTwiv7B

Director: Harold Ramis

Best Video & English-Friendly:

Warner Bros 4K Blu-ray

Best Audio:

Original theatrical release featured the song "I'm So Excited", which was later replaced with "Little Boy Sweet". The former is included on 1983 VHS/LaserDisc releases, and was at one point available on Amazon and Vudu Streaming streams.

Director: Kiyotaka Oshiyama

Video format: 1080p Blu-ray

4K · Worse Than BD
Best English-Friendly:

Amazon Streaming

Upcoming Release:

US GKIDS 4K Blu-ray

Best Video:

2026 Japan Avex Blu-ray

Video Notes:

The 4K Blu-ray is an upscale with strong sharpening. Caps

Best Audio:

2026 Japan Avex 4K Blu-ray

Audio Notes:

Includes original 5.1 and an Atmos remix. The HD disc only includes 5.1.

More Documentary on Blu-ray

Director: János Zsombolyai

4K · Disappointing
Best Video & English-Friendly:

Sony Music 4K Blu-ray

Video Notes:

AI upscale but color and HDR grading is improved as it's way more subdued see caps

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Best Video & English-Friendly:

Criterion 4K Blu-ray

Best Audio:

Mono: 1999 WB DVD
5.1: Criterion 4K Blu-ray

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Best Video & English-Friendly:

2015 UK Lionsgate Blu-ray

Upcoming Release:

Criterion Blu-ray scheduled for Dec 2026 release

Directors: Frank Capra & Anatole Litvak

Best Video & English-Friendly:

US Periscope Blu-ray OOP

Director: Steve James

Best Video & English-Friendly:

Criterion Blu-ray and UK Dogwoof Blu-ray probably similar

Director: Leos Carax

Best Video & English-Friendly:

Criterion Blu-ray

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

Kino Lorber 4K Blu-ray

Video Notes:

Kino Lorber 4K Blu-ray has excellent master in SDR and a good encode. BD caps here.

Audio Notes:

Kino Lorber 4K Blu-ray has poor audio: The 2.0 is fine but unremarkable, the 5.1 is presumably an upmix with a botched, strongly raised LFE channel which makes the entire track unlistenable on well-tuned equipment. Audio graphs here.

Director: Preston Sturges

Best Video & English-Friendly:

Criterion The Palm Beach Story Blu-ray extras

Video Notes:

While it's included on both Criterion The Palm Beach Story extras and Arrow's Sullivan's Travels' extras, Criterion uses a different source and is vastly superior, see caps

Director: Mitra Farahani

Best Video & English-Friendly:

Radiance Treasures from the Golestan Film Studio Blu-ray

Director: Ebrahim Golestan

Best Video & English-Friendly:

Radiance Treasures from the Golestan Film Studio Blu-ray

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· last reviewed 1 month ago

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