8½ (1963)
Drama • 2h 15m
Overview
Guido Anselmi, a film director, finds himself creatively barren at the peak of his career. Urged by his doctors to rest, Anselmi heads for a luxurious resort, but a sorry group gathers—his producer, staff, actors, wife, mistress, and relatives—each one begging him to get on with the show. In retreat from their dependency, he fantasizes about past women and dreams of his childhood.
Director: Federico Fellini
Cast: Marcello Mastroianni, Claudia Cardinale, Anouk Aimée, Sandra Milo, Rossella Falk, Barbara Steele, Madeleine Lebeau, Caterina Boratto, Eddra Gale, Guido Alberti, Mario Conocchia, Bruno Agostini, Cesarino Miceli Picardi, Jean Rougeul, Mario Pisu, Yvonne Casadei, Ian Dallas, Mino Doro, Nadia Sanders, Georgia Simmons, Edy Vessel, Tito Masini, Annie Gorassini, Rossella Como, Mark Herron, Marisa Colomber, Neil Robinson, Elisabetta Catalano, Eugene Walter, Hazel Rogers, Gilda Dahlberg, Mario Tarchetti, Mary Indovino, Frazier Rippy, Francesco Rigamonti, Giulio Paradisi, Marco Gemini, Giuditta Rissone, Annibale Ninchi, Dina De Santis, Eva Gioia, Maria Tedeschi, Antonio Acqua, Giulio Calì, Franco Caracciolo, Olimpia Cavalli, Sonia Gessner, Mathilda Calnan, Nadia Balabine, John Karlsen
Director: Jean Renoir
The Criterion 4K Blu-ray has marginally better detail and grain structure than ESC 4K Blu-ray
The ESC France 4K Blu-ray is an SDR grade erroneously presented in HDR, but if your player can force the HDR into SDR it looks very good.
Director: Jean Renoir
The Criterion 4K Blu-ray has marginally better detail and grain structure than ESC 4K Blu-ray
The ESC France 4K Blu-ray is an SDR grade erroneously presented in HDR, but if your player can force the HDR into SDR it looks very good.
Director: David Lynch
Criterion 4K Blu-ray or Germany Plaion 4K Blu-ray - subtle difference in encoding to the Criterion in encoding, trading blows in different shots, with Plaion taking a slight edge with less highlight blocking
1993 MGM LaserDisc/2000 Region 1 MGM DVD
Criterion's 2.0 sounds muffled due to noise reduction and EQ.
Plaion's 2.0 lacks bass and has a very bright EQ, more resembling the 5.1 remix. Plaion’s 2.0 doesn't have any filtering unlike the Criterion, see https://forum.blu-ray.com/showpost.php?p=23831289&postcount=110
Director: David Lynch
Criterion 4K Blu-ray or Germany Plaion 4K Blu-ray - subtle difference in encoding to the Criterion in encoding, trading blows in different shots, with Plaion taking a slight edge with less highlight blocking
1993 MGM LaserDisc/2000 Region 1 MGM DVD
Criterion's 2.0 sounds muffled due to noise reduction and EQ.
Plaion's 2.0 lacks bass and has a very bright EQ, more resembling the 5.1 remix. Plaion’s 2.0 doesn't have any filtering unlike the Criterion, see https://forum.blu-ray.com/showpost.php?p=23831289&postcount=110
Director: David Lynch
Criterion 4K Blu-ray is closer to the original DVDs than the 2015 Criterion release, not sure about whether the StudioCanal 4K is like the Criterion 4K/original DVD
Criterion 4K Blu-ray has FEL Dolby Vision, StudioCanal 4K Blu-ray has MEL
Director: David Lynch
Criterion 4K Blu-ray is closer to the original DVDs than the 2015 Criterion release, not sure about whether the StudioCanal 4K is like the Criterion 4K/original DVD
Criterion 4K Blu-ray has FEL Dolby Vision, StudioCanal 4K Blu-ray has MEL
Director: Jean Vigo
Director: Jean Vigo
Director: Charlie Chaplin
1936 version: Image Entertainment DVD
1954 version: Criterion Blu-ray
Cut info: https://www.nitrateville.com/viewtopic.php?t=31209
1936 version: Image Entertainment DVD
Director: Charlie Chaplin
1936 version: Image Entertainment DVD
1954 version: Criterion Blu-ray
Cut info: https://www.nitrateville.com/viewtopic.php?t=31209
1936 version: Image Entertainment DVD
Director: Béla Tarr
Curzon 4K Blu-ray August
Director: Béla Tarr
Curzon 4K Blu-ray August
Paramount 4K Blu-ray but poor encode, no alternatives though
Paramount 4K Blu-ray but poor encode, no alternatives though
Director: Robert Bresson
Director: Robert Bresson
Director: Fritz Lang
Director: Fritz Lang
Director: Federico Fellini
Director: Federico Fellini
Director: Federico Fellini
Director: Federico Fellini
Director: Federico Fellini
Director: Federico Fellini
Director: Federico Fellini
Director: Federico Fellini
Kino Lorber 2020 Blu-ray
Kino Lorber 2020 Blu-ray is a newer restoration, but the color grading is very different and seems too bright. Grading aside, the encoding is subpar, hence Carlotta is superior. See DVDBeaver caps
Kino Lorber 2020 Blu-ray
Kino Lorber 2020 Blu-ray is a newer restoration, but the color grading is very different and seems too bright. Grading aside, the encoding is subpar, hence Carlotta is superior. See DVDBeaver caps
Director: John Waters
Director: John Waters
Director: Sidney Lumet
2026 Criterion 4K Blu-ray
2011 Criterion Blu-ray is the best. Kino Lorber 4K Blu-ray has heavily filtered audio
Director: Sidney Lumet
2026 Criterion 4K Blu-ray
2011 Criterion Blu-ray is the best. Kino Lorber 4K Blu-ray has heavily filtered audio
2025 Sony 4K Blu-ray
2025 Sony 4K Blu-ray
2025 Sony 4K Blu-ray
2025 Sony 4K Blu-ray
Director: John Waters
Director: John Waters
Director: Ridley Scott
Capelight 4K Blu-ray has better encode than Criterion 4K Blu-ray
Director: Ridley Scott
Capelight 4K Blu-ray has better encode than Criterion 4K Blu-ray
Director: Chen Kaige
Director: Chen Kaige
Director: Michael Curtiz
Director: Michael Curtiz
Director: Luis Buñuel
StudioCanal 50th Anniversary Blu-ray
StudioCanal 50th Anniversary Blu-ray uses a newer 4k scan than Criterion Blu-ray or older StudioCanal Blu-ray see https://caps-a-holic.com/c_list.php?c=4373
Director: Luis Buñuel
StudioCanal 50th Anniversary Blu-ray
StudioCanal 50th Anniversary Blu-ray uses a newer 4k scan than Criterion Blu-ray or older StudioCanal Blu-ray see https://caps-a-holic.com/c_list.php?c=4373
Edit History
2/22/2026
Best Audio Release
From
Criterion 4K Blu-ray/Remastered Blu-ray
To
Image Entertainment DVD is slightly better than Criterion 4K Blu-ray/Blu-ray/DVD (all basically the same)
Other Blu-ray releases are all much worse.
From
Criterion 4K Blu-ray/Remastered Blu-ray
To
Image Entertainment DVD is slightly better than Criterion 4K Blu-ray/Blu-ray/DVD (all basically the same)
Other Blu-ray releases are all much worse.
blah-ray
From
https://blah-ray.blogspot.com/2019/02/8-1963.html
To
https://blah-ray.blogspot.com/search/label/8%C2%BD%20%281963%29
From
https://blah-ray.blogspot.com/2019/02/8-1963.html
To
https://blah-ray.blogspot.com/search/label/8%C2%BD%20%281963%29
2/20/2026
blah-ray
Added
https://blah-ray.blogspot.com/2019/02/8-1963.html
Added
https://blah-ray.blogspot.com/2019/02/8-1963.html
12/15/2024
Best Video Release
From
Criterion releasing 4K in Dec, otherwise Fellini set has BD
From
Criterion releasing 4K in Dec, otherwise Fellini set has BD
Best Audio Release
From
Criterion Fellini set
To
Criterion 4K Blu-ray/Remastered Blu-ray
From
Criterion Fellini set
To
Criterion 4K Blu-ray/Remastered Blu-ray
