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Malcolm X (1992)
Malcolm X (1992) poster

Malcolm X (1992)

Drama, History • 3h 21m

Director: Spike Lee

Cast: Denzel Washington, Angela Bassett, Albert Hall, Al Freeman Jr., Delroy Lindo, Spike Lee, Theresa Randle, Kate Vernon, Lonette McKee, Tommy Hollis, James McDaniel, Ernest Lee Thomas, Jean-Claude La Marre, O.L. Duke, Larry McCoy, Maurice Sneed, Debi Mazar, Phyllis Yvonne Stickney, Scot Anthony Robinson, Sonny Jim Gaines, Joe Seneca, LaTanya Richardson Jackson, Wendell Pierce, Michael Guess, Leland Gantt, Giancarlo Esposito, Leonard L. Thomas, Roger Guenveur Smith, Craig Wasson, Graham Brown, Gerica Cox, Kristan Rai Segure, Lauren Padick, Danielle Fletcher, Frank Adu, Aleta Mitchell, Curt Williams, John Ottavino, John Reidy, Frances Foster, Reggie Montgomery, David Patrick Kelly, Gary L. Catus, Sharon Washington, Shirley Stoler, Oran "Juice" Jones, Ricky Gordon, George Lee Miles, Raye Dowell, Veronica Webb, Abdul Salaam El Razzac, Keith Randolph Smith, George Guidall, James L. Swain, Peewee Love, Lawrence James, Steve White, K. Smith, Christopher Rubin, Matthew Harris, Zakee Howze, Cytia Fontenette, Marlaine Bass, Benjamin Atwell, Peter Dunn, Dion Smack Jr., Darnell Smith, TaiNesha Scott, Chelsea Counts, Chela Counts, Natalie Clanton, Jessica Givens, LaToyah Bigelow, Martaleah Jackson, Tamaraleah Jackson, Jasmine Smith, Valentino Smith, David Thomas Jr., Simon Do-Ley, Bill Goldberg, Jonathan Peck, Leonard Parker, Lennis Washington, Dyan Humes, Lizbeth MacKay, Terry Layman, Terry Sumter, Jasper McGruder, Mary Alice, Wyatt Tee Walker, Hazel Medina, Wendy E. Taylor, Ed Herlihy, Ralph Cooper Sr., Christian J. Dacosta, Karen Duffy, Marc Phillips, Showman Uneke, Theara Ward, Larry M. Cherry, Clebert Ford, Grafton Trew, Rogers Simon, George T. Odom, Vincent Moscaritola, Larry Attile, Brendan Kelly, John Griesemer, Fia Porter, Billy J. Mitchell, Kent C. Jackman, Beatrice Winde, Fracaswell Hyman, Rion Johnson, Charles Weldon, Mike Hodge, Iris Little Thomas, Ilyasah Shabazz, Bahni Turpin, Aaron Blackshear, Nilyne Fields, John David Washington, Rudi Bascomb, Muhammad Parks, Chinere Parry, Ian Quiles, Sharmeek Martinez, Chuck Cooper, Damon Chandler, Shellye Broughton, Nicholas Barnwell, Sam Dixon, Barbara Smith, Rome Neal, Earl Whitted, Michael C. Mahon, Addison Cook, Byron Utley, George Rafferty, Maxwell Sinovoi, Eric Sharp, Stewart J. Zully, Colleen Cowan, Armand Schultz, Reade Kelly, Janet Zarish, Annie Corley, Stephen James, Steven Randazzo, Chris Skutch, William Swinton, Marcus Naylor, Anthony Nocerino, Gareth Williams, Stephen Hanan, Richard Schiff, David Berman, Michael Imperioli, Steve Stapenhorst, Arthur French, Lex Monson, Judd Jones, C.E. Smith, Erika Smith-Brown, Raymond Anthony Thomas, Delilah Picart, Michael Ralph, Monique Cintron, Jake-Ann Jones, Sharon Ferguson, Amelia Mimi Walker, Neisha Folkes-LeMelle, Karen Michaels, Lenore Pemberton, Elise Neal, Felicia Wilson, Yvette Brooks, Teresa Yvon Farley, John Sayles, Martin Donovan, Jay Charbonneau, Joe Pentangelo, Mike Farley, Nick Muglia, David Reilly, Nicholas Turturro, James Murtaugh, William Fichtner, Tim Kelleher, Michael Cullen, Steve Aronson, Bill Anagnos, Don Hewitt Sr., Jery Hewitt, Joe Fitos, Manny Siverio, John P. 'Jack' McLaughlin, Shawn O'Neil, Andy Duppin, Elmer Licciardello, Matthew Underwood, Renton Kirk, Tim Hutchinson, Andre Blair, Abdul Hakeem Hijrah, Rony Clanton, Scott Whitehurst, Eric Payne, Ali A. Wahhab, Terry Hodges, Kevan Gibbs, Dana S. Hubbard, David Reivers, Robert Jason, Kevin Rock, Mansoor Najee-Ullah, Dion Graham, Zaahir Muhammad, Gregory Bargeman, Lee Summers, Rich Gordon, Larry Rushing, Monty Ross, Eddie Davis, Reggie Pittman, Patrick Rickman, Gerald Brazel, Clack Gaton, Richard Owens, Douglas Purviance, Mark Gross, Cleave Guyton Jr., Javon Jackson, Lance Bryant, Daniel Lemelle, David Fludd, Marcus Lauper, Dwayne Cook Broadnax, Preston Vismale, Miki Howard, Terence Blanchard, Bruce David Barth, Rodney Whitaker, William E. Kilson, Sonny Allen, Vanessa Benton, Cheryl Burr, Leslie Dockery, Cisco Drayton, Byron Easley, John Elejaide, Debra Elkins, Gina Ellis, John Festa, Robert H. Fowler III, Ryan Francois, Phillip Gilmore, Jauquette Green, Wendy King, Jerome Jamal Hardeman, Dawn Hampton, Monique Harcum, Raymond Harris, Delphine T. Mantz, Bernard Marsh, Greta Martin, Norma Miller, Frances Morgan, John Parks, Greg Poland, Judine Hawkins Richard, Eartha Robinson, Michelle Robinson, Tracy Robinson, Ken Leigh Rogers, Eddie Sanabria, Eddie Shellman, Lynn Sterling, Keith Thomas, Charles Young, Anthony Dewitt, Cynthia Thomas, Sharon Brooks, Laurieann Gibson, El Tahara Ibrahim, Keith Lewis, Dereque Whithurs, Kiki Della Vecchia, Bobby Seale, Al Sharpton, Christopher Plummer, Karen Allen, Peter Boyle, William Kunstler, Nelson Mandela, Ossie Davis, Ashanti, Dan Gifford, Mark Gorham, Ralph Hughes, Eddie Kehler, Frankie Manning, Charles Mitchell, Sonya Wallace, Joe James

Imprint 4K Blu-ray

Best English-friendly & video release · updated 9 months ago

Video notes:

> UK ICON > Criterion.

Imprint is same master as Criterion but encoded by Fidelity in Motion without Pixelogic’s filtering.
See: https://forum.blu-ray.com/showpost.php?p=23389310&postcount=10  and https://criterionforum.org/forum/viewtopic.php?p=844792#p844792 

UHD tiers

Excellent
Imprint:

Australian import

Solid
Criterion:

if compared to Criterion's own 2022 BD

Superior Imports
Imprint > Icon UK > Criterion US:

Better encoding

Overview

A tribute to the controversial black activist and leader of the struggle for black liberation. He hit bottom during his imprisonment in the '50s, he became a Black Muslim and then a leader in the Nation of Islam. His assassination in 1965 left a legacy of self-determination and racial pride.

Release details

Featured Lists
National Film Registry

Year of Induction: 2010

TSPDT
2026: #659
2025: #724
2024: #772
2023: #808
Length
201 mins
Type
Movie

Featured in National Film Registry

See more →

Director: Steve James

Best English-Friendly & Video:

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

Sources: Criterion Forum (opens in a new tab)

Director: Victor Fleming

4K · Solid
Best English-Friendly & Video:

2D: Warner Bros 4K Blu-ray

3D: Warner Bros 3D Blu-ray or Apple Vision Pro

Best Audio:

1989 MGM LaserDisc

Audio Notes:

(caveat: "there's" in first "there's no place like home" utterance in final Kansas scene truncated)

Director: Vincente Minnelli

Best English-Friendly & Video:

Warner Archive Blu-ray

Best Audio:

1991 MGM LaserDisc

Director: Morton DaCosta

Best English-Friendly & Video:

Warner Bros Blu-ray

Upcoming Release:

Warner Archive 4K Blu-ray Nov 24th

Director: Tony Scott

Best English-Friendly & Video:

Paramount 4K Blu-ray

Best Audio:

70mm 6-track mix in 5.1: Paramount THX LaserDisc

Dolby Stereo mix in 2.0: Paramount THX LaserDisc

Additional Info:

The 70mm 6-track mix has a higher bitrate on the Paramount 1998 DVD, but is more limited than on the THX LaserDisc The Paramount 1998 DVD also has open matte versions in fullscreen 1.33:1 and widescreen 2.00:1 instead of the theatrical aspect ratio of 2.39:1, but the 2.00:1 widescreen presentation is non-anamorphic. The THX LaserDisc is available in both fullscreen 1.33:1 and widescreen 2.00:1 variants.

Director: Terrence Malick

4K · Excellent
Best English-Friendly & Video:

Criterion 4K Blu-ray

Sources: Criterion Forum (opens in a new tab)

Video Notes:

Lovely underlying remaster by Criterion and Resillion but encode is sadly low-pass filtered by Pixelogic, and even then, the encode is still less than ideal. Still easily obliterates any prior disc release, but certainly wouldn't hurt to have a UK or German label take a crack at this same master.

Best Audio:

1999 Paramount DVD

Director: Anthony Mann

4K · Solid
Best English-Friendly:

Criterion 4K Blu-ray, Universal 2008 DVD

Sources: Criterion Forum (opens in a new tab)

Best Audio:

2008 Universal DVD mono

Audio Notes:

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. 

Additional Info:

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: Alfred Hitchcock

4K · Excellent
Best English-Friendly & Video:

Universal 4K Blu-ray

Best Audio:

2005 Universal DVD

Director: Howard Hawks

Best English-Friendly & Video:

Indicator Blu-ray

Sources: Criterion Forum (opens in a new tab)

Director: Stanley Kubrick

4K · Excellent
Best English-Friendly & Video:

WB 4K Blu-ray

Upcoming Release:

Criterion Box Set coming October 20th with FiM encode, work done to un-Nolan the 4K master, the first ever appearance of the 35mm mono track on physical media and a new restoration/remastering of the 70mm 6-track mix.

Video Notes:

(early pressing has errors of a shot, later pressings fixed)

Best Audio:

1997 MGM LaserDisc, 1998 MGM DVD

More from Spike Lee

See more →

Director: Spike Lee

4K · Excellent
Best English-Friendly:

A24 4K Blu-ray

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

Best Video:

A24 4K Blu-ray see caps

Director: Spike Lee

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

Criterion 4K Blu-ray

Sources: Criterion Forum (opens in a new tab)

Director: Spike Lee

4K · Solid
Best English-Friendly & Video:

Universal 4K Blu-ray

Sources: Criterion Forum (opens in a new tab)

Best Audio:

Criterion DVD for the original Dolby Stereo

Audio Notes:

Criterion DVD for the original Dolby Stereo (lossless). 5.1 upmix on BDs is fine, DTS:X is revisionistic

Additional Info:

Criterion Blu-ray has extras not found on the Universal 4K Blu-ray

Director: Spike Lee

Best English-Friendly:

BFI Blu-ray

Director: Spike Lee

Best English-Friendly & Video:

Universal Blu-ray

Upcoming Release:

Kino Lorber 4K Blu-ray upcoming

Director: Spike Lee

Best English-Friendly & Video:

Criterion Blu-ray

Sources: Criterion Forum (opens in a new tab)

Director: Spike Lee

4K · Excellent
Best English-Friendly & Video:

Universal 4K Blu-ray

More from Imprint

See more →

Director: Roman Polanski

4K · Solid
Best English-Friendly & Video:

Lionsgate Limited 4K Blu-ray

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

Video Notes:

Lionsgate Limited 4K Blu-ray see caps. Much better contrast and grain exposure but the grade is a bit questionable as it skews heavily towards magenta in some caps and the encode looks low-pass filtered.

Lionsgate and the upcoming Imprint have the same discs.

Best Audio:

Atmos Remix: Lionsgate 4K Blu-ray
Original 5.1: Imprint Australia Blu-ray or StudioCanal Germany/France Blu-ray

Audio Notes:

Lionsgate 4K Blu-ray encoded the "Original 5.1" as lossy Dolby Digital, which is very different from the AC3 on the original DVD.  This new "Original 5.1" may in fact be a downmix of the Atmos track.  FWIW, the original DVD AC3 still sounds very good.

Directors: Michael Powell & Emeric Pressburger

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

Imprint 4K Blu-ray

Additional Info:

Imprint AU 4K is world UHD debut and encoded by FiM. Part of the The Cinema Of Powell & Pressburger - Collection Two set.

Director: John Schlesinger

Best English-Friendly & Video:

Imprint 4K Blu-ray

Sources: Criterion Forum (opens in a new tab) · 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: Martin Scorsese

4K · Excellent
Best English-Friendly & Video:

Imprint Australia 4K Blu-ray

Sources: Criterion Forum (opens in a new tab) · blah-ray.blogspot.com (opens in a new tab) · facebook.com (opens in a new tab)

Upcoming Release:

Capelight 4K announced for 2026

Video Notes:

Imprint Australia 4K Blu-ray has slightly better compression than Criterion 4K Blu-ray.

The master in DV looks all but identical to the Criterion’s HDR grade. Detail-wise, FiM’s encode looks like it uncovered a tiny bit of extra high-frequency information that got filtered on the Criterion. See nicolas review

Best Audio:

1990 Criterion LaserDisc/1993 MGM LaserDisc/2002 R2 MGM DVD

Audio Notes:

1990 Criterion LaserDisc/1993 MGM LaserDisc/2002 R2 MGM DVD are the best. See blah-ray https://blah-ray.blogspot.com/2018/01/raging-bull-1980.html

Imprint Australia 4K Blu-ray has better audio than Criterion 4K Blu-ray, from nicolas:

I believe that what’s on Imprint’s 4K is one of the good mixes MGM and Criterion released during the LaserDisc days. Music is powerful and detailed, dialogues have excellent fidelity and ambient sounds have perceptible depth. I compared the "new" 2.0 with the anemic 5.1 as well as the Criterion 4K mix and could clearly hear the improvements.

Director: Jack Cardiff

Video format: HD Streaming

Best English-Friendly & Video:

HD Streaming

Upcoming Release:

Via Vision Blu-ray

Director: Iain Softley

Best English-Friendly & Video:

Australia Imprint Blu-ray

Director: Steven Shainberg

Best English-Friendly & Video:

France Metropolitan or Australia Imprint Blu-ray?

Best Audio:

US Lionsgate, France Metropolitan, and Germany Blu-ray

Audio Notes:

US Lionsgate, France Metropolitan, and Germany Blu-ray have a 7.1 track, Australia Imprint has stereo only.

Director: Akira Kurosawa

Best English-Friendly:

Imprint AU Blu-ray

Director: Kathryn Bigelow

4K · Solid
Best English-Friendly & Video:

UK ICON 4K Blu-ray

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

Video Notes:

UK ICON 4K Blu-ray (caps)

UK 4K Blu-ray has a slightly better encode than US Shout! Factory 4K Blu-ray and Germany StudioCanal 4K Blu-ray

Best Audio:

5.1 mix is flawed on Shout! Factory/ICON, a phasey upmix instead of the proper discrete surround. The UHD 2.0 tracks are downmixes of that track.
2008 Fox Blu-ray sounds great, very close to the original 70mm mix, only with split surround.
2001 DVD has the original mix as 4.1 and matrixed 2.0.

Imprint 4K has a 4.0 track. The StudioCanal 4K Blu-ray has a different 5.1, unclear if it's the same as Fox BD.

Director: Jonathan Kaplan

4K · Solid
Best English-Friendly & Video:

US Shout! Factory 4K Blu-ray or Australia Imprint 4K Blu-ray?

Best Audio:

Fox 2002 NTSC DVD

Audio Notes:

Fox 2002 NTSC DVD includes the original mix as discrete LCRS 4.0, later reelases only include a matrixed version an an inferior 5.1 upmix.

The matrixed stereo version on Shout! Factory's 4K Blu-ray sounds good.

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Researched and maintained by

M_Avanshady

· last reviewed 9 months ago

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