Punch-Drunk Love (2002)
Romance, Drama, Comedy • 1h 35m
Director: Paul Thomas Anderson
Cast: Adam Sandler, Emily Watson, Philip Seymour Hoffman, Luis Guzmán, Mary Lynn Rajskub, Robert Smigel, Jason Andrews, Don McManus, David Schrempf, Seann Conway, Rico Bueno, Hazel Mailloux, Karen Kilgariff, Julie Hermelin, Salvador Curiel, Jorge Barahona, Ernesto Quintero, Julius Steuer, Lisa Spector, Nicole Gelbard, Mia Weinberg, Karen Hermelin, Larry Ring, Kerry Gelbard, Ashley Clark, Alan Parry, John E. Beck, Eddie Wayne Howell, Taylor J. Thomas, Bobby Bluehouse, David H. Stevens, Nathan Stevens, Jimmy Stevens, Carol Mirelez, June Sepulveda, Andrew Higgs, Rogerlyn Kanealii Wakinekona, Mike D. Stevens, Catherine Cooley, Michael Immel, Ross Lasi Tanoai, Jonathan Loughran, Kaila, Ku'Ulei, Sissy Lake, Marie Irwin, Esther Imade Balogun, Thomas Bornt, Mary Kilmartin, Anica Brown, Ryder Davis, Wells Rosales, Shelley Waggener, Joji Yoshida
Best English-friendly & video release
Criterion 4K Blu-ray > Sony 4K Blu-ray (better encoding on the Criterion) see caps https://slow.pics/c/fbftSpZF
Updated 1 year ago
About the film
A socially awkward and volatile small business owner meets the love of his life after being threatened by a gang of scammers.
- TSPDT
- 2026: #5032025: #5552024: #5562023: #5602022: #560
Sources: caps-a-holic (opens in a new tab)
Director: Paul Thomas Anderson
Sources: parkcircus.com (opens in a new tab)
Like previous releases, the 4K Blu-ray was scanned from an interpositive rather than the original camera negative at Paul Thomas Anderson’s request which may explain the softness.
Director: Paul Thomas Anderson
Warner Bros 4K Blu-ray teased
Director: Stanley Kubrick
Sources: Criterion Forum (opens in a new tab) · slow.pics (opens in a new tab)
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
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.
Director: Sidney Lumet
Sources: Criterion Forum (opens in a new tab) · slow.pics (opens in a new tab) · Blu-ray.com (opens in a new tab)
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
Other discs have unnecessary filtering and sound worse, the difference isn't substantial but audible
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: Sam Peckinpah
Director: Alfonso Cuarón
Sources: Criterion Forum (opens in a new tab)
Janus and thus Criterion likely to release 4K Blu-ray in 2027
Director: Hal Ashby
Sources: slow.pics (opens in a new tab)
See caps https://slow.pics/c/lVdZaG0W
Sources: Criterion Forum (opens in a new tab) · slow.pics (opens in a new tab)
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
The pitch of the StudioCanal 4K's English audio is too high
Criterion has more extras than StudioCanal.
Director: Jacques Tati
Sources: Criterion Forum (opens in a new tab)
StudioCanal 4K Blu-ray (part of Jacques Tati boxset releasing December 2026)
More Romance on Blu-ray
Director: Robert Altman
Sources: Criterion Forum (opens in a new tab) · Blu-ray.com (opens in a new tab)
Cinematrographe's HDR grading is overcooked, which is a known VinSyn tendency. Additionally, their booklet mis-credits the encode to FiM.
YMMV, but for some, the included BD encoded by Marcus Johnson—ironically may make for a more pleasing experience.
Director: Ernst Lubitsch
4K restoration from Original Camera Negative
Director: Vincent Sherman
4K restoration from Original Camera Negative
Director: Compton Bennett
4K restoration from original technicolor negatives
Director: Jack Conway
4K restoration from safety preservation elements
4K restoration from safety preservation elements
Director: Jack Conway
4K restoration from safety preservation elements
Director: William Dieterle
4K restoration from Original Camera Negative
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