Eureka Entertainment's UK series for classic and art-house cinema grew out of a director-focused website launched in 2001, issued its first DVDs in 2004 and moved to Blu-ray in 2008. Releases carry spine numbers and usually a booklet, with commentaries, interviews and essays from critics and scholars. The catalogue runs from silent films and Japanese classics to Hollywood studio titles and recent art-house work.
Masters of Cinema
85 films on Best BluraysBest video release: 10 in 4K75 in HD7 more for audio only
Best 4K release by tier:
- Excellent4
- Solid2
Films where Masters of Cinema's release is the pick. How picks are made
Also known as: MoC
75 of 85 films match
Films where Masters of Cinema's release is the pick. How picks are made
75 in HD
Best video release on Blu-ray or HD streaming · by Letterboxd rating
Video Notes:
Eureka Blu-ray has better encode than Flicker Alley Blu-ray. Kino Lorber/BFI are older restoration and are worse.
Sources: Criterion Forum (opens in a new tab) · Blu-ray.com (opens in a new tab)
Upcoming Release:
Flicker Alley 4K confirmed for 2027 https://forum.blu-ray.com/showpost.php?p=24404584&postcount=1
Audio Notes:
MoC audio is better https://forum.blu-ray.com/showthread.php?t=225532&page=3
Director: Fritz Lang
Best Video:
1984 Giorgio Moroder restoration: MoC Blu-ray or Kino Lorber Blu-ray
2001 Murnau restoration: MoC 2-disc DVD set
2010 Murnau complete restoration: MoC Blu-ray
Video Notes:
2001 Murnau restoration: MoC 2-disc DVD set > Kino Lorber 1-disc Restored Authorized Edition DVD
2010 Murnau complete restoration: MoC Blu-ray > Kino Lorber Blu-ray
Director: Masaki Kobayashi
Sources: Criterion Forum (opens in a new tab) · DVDBeaver (opens in a new tab)
Video Notes:
MoC slightly better than Criterion http://www.dvdbeaver.com/film5/blu-ray_reviews_69/kwaidan_blu-ray.htm
Director: Ken Loach
Sources: Criterion Forum (opens in a new tab)
Best Video & Audio:
MoC
Video Notes:
MoC > Criterion
Director: Kenji Mizoguchi
Sources: Criterion Forum (opens in a new tab) · slow.pics (opens in a new tab)
Video Notes:
Eureka MoC Blu-ray, see caps
MoC is sourced from an earlier scan, but still looks more detailed than the later 4K restoration released by Kadokawa in Japan, which has some black crush and DNR. French Capricci disc is sourced from the same scan as MoC but with much worse encoding and wrong levels.
Best Audio:
1991 Daiei LaserDisc
Video Notes:
Kino Lorber AR is squished; MoC is correct. Unsure on France Potemkine
Director: Stanley Kramer
Best English-Friendly & Video:
MoC Blu-ray
Sources: caps-a-holic (opens in a new tab)
Video Notes:
> Kino Lorber > Twilight Time. Kino Lorber has slightly worse encoding than MoC, see caps, and Twilight Time is over-exposed
5 for audio only
The best audio is Masters of Cinema's; the video and English-friendly picks are other releases · by Letterboxd rating
Director: Leo McCarey
Best Audio:
MoC Blu-ray
Sources: Criterion Forum (opens in a new tab) · DVDBeaver (opens in a new tab)
Best Audio:
Only the MoC edition has the Gaylord Carter organ score from the old VHS/LaserDisc release while Criterion has only the orchestral score by Robert Israel and electronic/percussion score by Alloy Orchestra.
Sources: Criterion Forum (opens in a new tab)
Director: John Ford
Sources: slow.pics (opens in a new tab)
Additional Info:
USA Paramount has the best video transfer with the least amount of artifacts: https://slow.pics/c/sjZ3mqF6
Olive Films Blu-ray and Eureka MoC Blu-ray are sourced from the same restoration and are both very good.
Apart from some mild attenuation, the audio is the same on all releases of the newest restoration and is relatively untampered with: https://slow.pics/c/bWF9EGuM
Know a film where the Masters of Cinema release is the one to buy? Suggest it