Additional info
About the film
A group of scientists are sent on a mission to destroy unstable planets. Twenty years into their mission, they have to battle their alien mascot as well as a "sensitive" and intelligent bombing device that starts to question the meaning of its existence.
- Alternative Titles
- John Carpenter's Dark Star, Dark Star (Director's Cut)
Director: Jean Vigo
Sources: Criterion Forum (opens in a new tab) · slow.pics (opens in a new tab)
Video format: UHD Blu-ray
Sources: Criterion Forum (opens in a new tab) · slow.pics (opens in a new tab)
France Rimini 4K Blu-ray see caps vs Artificial Eye Blu-ray
Directors: Alberto Cavalcanti & Charles Crichton & Basil Dearden & Robert Hamer
Video format: UHD Blu-ray
Director: Otakar Vávra
Sources: Blu-ray.com (opens in a new tab)
Deaf Crocodile 4K Blu-ray see nic review
Restored: Deaf Crocodile 4K Blu-ray
Unrestored: Czech PAL DVD
Preferences will vary, the restored track sounds good, but not necessarily faithful to the original elements.
Sources: Blu-ray.com (opens in a new tab)
(Indicator 4K Blu-ray, based on review)
Director: Anthony Mann
Criterion 4K Blu-ray, Universal 2008 DVD
Sources: Criterion Forum (opens in a new tab)
2008 Universal DVD mono
The mono on the Criterion is severely filtered resulting in it sounding incredibly muffled. It is nearly as filtered as the 2003 original Universal DVD which had extreme filtering and sounds horribly thin. The 2008 DVD remaster and original Laserdisc analog mastering are mostly left alone. The original LD master is from a worn element but otherwise sounds very natural. The 2008 DVD is the highest quality version we have without the heavy filtering and the defects of the LD master. It isn't perfect but easily the best of the main four sources by a dramatic margin.
The existing 4K SDR restoration looks excellent, but the Criterion extras are limited and disappointing. The classic Stewart interview commentary from the LD is ported over but given a new mastering. Compared to past releases it has been very slightly noise reduced.
Director: Basil Dearden
Excellent 4K master and encode, except for opticals grain is very fine, grading is beautifully silvery and luminous, nice HDR re-grade by Fidelity in Motion
Director: John Carpenter
Sony 4K Blu-ray or Carlotta 4K Blu-ray (FiM encode)
Sony 4K Blu-ray and France Carlotta 4K Blu-ray (FiM encode) are similar
Director: John Carpenter
Sources: blog.sporv.com (opens in a new tab)
1997? Signature Collection LD
Good: 2017 Arrow and 2016 Shout! Factory Blu-ray have the original audio options.
the only track on Universal 4K, which is in DTS:X, has a mixing error of around 6dB too low on side channels, otherwise very similar to other 5.1 mixes.
Director: John Carpenter
UK Arrow 4K Blu-ray possibly teased?
Director: John Carpenter
Sony Columbia Classics Vol 4 4K Blu-ray
Sources: Criterion Forum (opens in a new tab)
Sony Columbia Classics Vol 4 4K Blu-ray (review)
Italy Koch Media Blu-ray is not stretched compared to US Shout! Factory and UK Arrow Blu-rays
As for the color grade, unsure whether the Italy or US/UK Blu-ray is more accurate to the theatrical colors.
Shout! Factory Blu-ray has the most extras with a lossless isolated score
Italy Eagle Pictures 4K Blu-ray > Shout! Factory 4K Blu-ray > StudioCanal 4K Blu-ray (Shout! Factory has Dolby Vision while Eagle Pictures doesn't)
2.0: Shout! Factory
2.0: Shout! Factory > StudioCanal. Italy Eagle Pictures doesn't have it.
Shout! Factory Blu-ray has slightly less rolloff of the higher frequencies
Video format: UHD Blu-ray
Sources: Blu-ray.com (opens in a new tab)
Shout! Factory releasing 4k soon https://www.blu-ray.com/news/?id=32091
Director: John Carpenter
Shout! Factory 4K Blu-ray is a strong upgrade in PQ compared to a poor old Blu-ray
Shout! Factory 4K Blu-ray sound was improved compared to the old mixes.
Director: John Carpenter
Scream Factory 4K Blu-ray
Sources: slow.pics (opens in a new tab)
More Comedy on Blu-ray
Director: Ernst Lubitsch
4K restoration from Original Camera Negative
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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