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Scorpio Rising (1963)
Scorpio Rising (1963) poster

Scorpio Rising (1963)

Music • 28m

Director: Kenneth Anger

Cast: Ernie Allo, Frank Carifi, Steve Crandell, Johnny Dodds, Bill Dorfman, Nelson Leigh, John Palone, Barry Rubin, Johnny Sapienza

BFI Blu-ray

1080p Blu-ray

Best English-friendly & video release · updated 1 year ago

Overview

A gang of Nazi bikers prepares for a race as sexual, sadistic, and occult images are cut together.

Release details

Featured Lists
National Film Registry

Year of Induction: 2022

TSPDT
2026: #645
2025: #628
2024: #617
2023: #596
2022: #596
Length
28 mins
Type
Movie

Featured in National Film Registry

See more →

Director: James Cameron

Best format: 1080p Blu-ray

4K · Worse Than BD
Best English-Friendly:

2013 MGM Blu-ray, or 4K Blu-ray if you MUST have the mono mix, 1997 Image DVD/2001 MGM DVD for a purist version with original colors and the international mono mix

Sources: vimeo.com (opens in a new tab) · facebook.com (opens in a new tab)

Upcoming Release:

Capelight 4K Steelbook and Mediabook announced for 2026

Best Video:

2013 MGM Blu-ray for non AI transfer, 1997 Image DVD/2001 MGM DVD for a purist version with original colors and the international mono mix

Best Audio:

1991 Image Entertainment LaserDisc for the US mono mix, 2001 MGM DVD for the International mono mix

Comparison between the US and International mixes: https://vimeo.com/246332731

Additional Info:

The 4K Blu-Ray and the 2001 MGM DVD have exclusive extras.

Director: Rob Reiner

Best format: UHD Blu-ray

Best English-Friendly & Video:

Germany Capelight 4K Blu-ray

Upcoming Release:

Arrow 4K Blu-ray releasing December 14 2026

Director: David Fincher

Best format: UHD Blu-ray

4K · Excellent
Best English-Friendly & Video:

Sony 4K Blu-ray

Additional Info:

4K Blu-ray has exclusive “unrated” audio with a small change to one line under the request of David Fincher (removed the poor dub over of frickin’ in the line “Screw it, let’s gut the f**kin’ nerd.”).

Director: John Schlesinger

Best format: UHD Blu-ray

Best English-Friendly & Video:

Imprint 4K Blu-ray

Sources: Blu-ray.com (opens in a new tab)

Additional Info:

Included Imprint Blu-Ray also has markedly better image compression than the Criterion Blu-Ray, though do note the Imprint has some adjusted color grading within roughly the first five minutes of the film

https://forum.blu-ray.com/showpost.php?p=16775595&postcount=450

https://forum.blu-ray.com/showpost.php?p=24237074&postcount=73

Director: Fred M. Wilcox

Best format: UHD Blu-ray

4K · Solid
Best English-Friendly:

Arrow 4K Blu-ray

Sources: YouTube (opens in a new tab) · slow.pics (opens in a new tab)

Best Video:

Arrow 4K Blu-ray see comparison video 

Best Audio:

Arrow 4K Blu-ray  used what was also originally screened theatrically: The Perspecta Stereo 3.0 and a mono option. The Perspecta track sounds best with better dynamic range and was set as default with the mono as optional. The previous releases stereo were downmixes of a now lost original 4-track, and it sounds very thin as a result. See comparison

Director: John Carpenter

Best format: UHD Blu-ray

4K · Solid
Best English-Friendly:

Universal 4K Blu-ray. Maybe Turbine Blu-ray instead for better audio?

Sources: blog.sporv.com (opens in a new tab)

Best Audio:

Director: W.S. Van Dyke

Best format: 1080p Blu-ray

Best English-Friendly:

Warner Archive Blu-ray

Best Video:

Warner Archive Blu-ray, 4k scan

Director: Martin Scorsese

Best format: UHD Blu-ray

4K · Excellent
Best English-Friendly:

2024 Sony 4K Blu-ray Steelbook

Sources: blah-ray.blogspot.com (opens in a new tab)

Best Video:

2024 Sony 4K Blu-ray Steelbook fixes duplicate shot seen on the previous Columbia Classics release and has better encoding

Best Audio:

Original mono mix: 1990 Criterion LaserDisc/1991 Columbia LaserDisc
The 4K Blu-ray mono is only minimally worse (see blah-ray).

5.1 remix: Sony 4K Blu-ray

Director: George Stevens

Best format: 1080p Blu-ray

Best English-Friendly:

Criterion Blu-ray

Best Video:

Criterion Blu-ray, 2K restoration

Director: Alexander Mackendrick

Best format: 1080p Blu-ray

Best English-Friendly:

Criterion or Arrow Blu-ray

Best Video:

Criterion = Arrow, not sure about France

Best Audio:

1989 MGM LaserDisc

More from Kenneth Anger

See more →

Director: Kenneth Anger

Best format: 1080p Blu-ray

Best English-Friendly:

Flicker Alley Masterworks of American Avant-garde Experimental Film 1920-1970 boxset OOP Blu-ray extras

or BFI Magick Lantern Cycle: Kenneth Anger Blu-ray extras

Best Video:

Flicker Alley Masterworks of American Avant-garde Experimental Film 1920-1970 boxset OOP Blu-ray extras

or BFI Magick Lantern Cycle: Kenneth Anger Blu-ray extras

No comparison available

More from BFI

See more →

Director: Jan Švankmajer

Best format: 1080p Blu-ray

Best English-Friendly & Video:

BFI Blu-ray or Athanor The Films of Jan Svankmajer Blu-ray

Best Audio:

BFI Blu-ray for both original Czech and English dub audio in lossless format

Additional Info:

Athanor The Films of Jan Svankmajer Blu-ray has exclusive extras

Directors: Cecil M. Hepworth & Percy Stow

Best format: 1080p Blu-ray

Best English-Friendly & Video:

BFI Alice (1988) Blu-ray

Director: Ingmar Bergman

Best format: 1080p Blu-ray

Best English-Friendly:

BFI Blu-ray

Best Video:

BFI Blu-ray > 2018 Boxset Criterion (slightly). 2012 Standalone Criterion significantly worse.

Best Audio:

2004 R2 Tartan DVD

Director: Yasujirō Ozu

Best format: 1080p Blu-ray

Best English-Friendly & Video:

BFI Tokyo Story Blu-ray extras

Director: Ingmar Bergman

Best format: 1080p Blu-ray

Best English-Friendly:

BFI Blu-ray

Best Video:

BFI newer master than Criterion (standalone and boxset)

Best Audio:

Tartan DVD

Director: Dennis Hopper

Best format: UHD Blu-ray

4K · Disappointing
Best English-Friendly:

BFI Blu-ray has better detail. Severin 4K Blu-ray has HDR but poor encode.

Best Video:

BFI Blu-ray renders grain structure better than Severin 4K Blu-ray’s disappointing encode, although Severin does feature an HDR grading with Dolby Vision. Furthermore, Severin’s soundtrack is worse due to the noise reduction applied.

Additional Info:

Severin 4K Blu-ray has very good extras that are more relevant to the film

Director: John Cassavetes

Best format: 1080p Blu-ray

Best English-Friendly:

BFI Blu-ray

Sources: DVDBeaver (opens in a new tab)

Best Video:

Criterion = BFI, both HD resto: source

Best Audio:

BFI Blu-ray (slightly)

Director: Ingmar Bergman

Best format: UHD Blu-ray

4K · Excellent
Best English-Friendly & Video:

BFI 4K Blu-ray

Best Audio:

1993 Japan LaserDisc

Director: Akira Kurosawa

Best format: UHD Blu-ray

4K · Excellent
Best English-Friendly:

Criterion 4K Blu-ray

Sources: blah-ray.blogspot.com (opens in a new tab)

Best Video:

Criterion 4K Blu-ray: intact grain compared to Toho/BFI UHDs' DNR'd master

Best Audio:

Criterion 4K Blu-ray is good, derived from the 1995 Criterion LaserDisc (which would be minimally better due to its lack of filtering) see blah-ray

Director: Roberto Rossellini

Best format: 1080p Blu-ray

Best English-Friendly & Video:

Criterion Roberto Rossellini’s War Trilogy Blu-ray. BFI Blu-ray slightly better encode but gamma is off

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· last reviewed 1 year ago

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