StudioCanal

118 films on Best BluraysBest video release: 85 in 4K33 in HD11 more for audio only6 more announced

Best 4K release by tier:

Excellent
41
Solid
23
Superior Imports
1
Good in DV Only
2
Disappointing
8
Worse Than BD
1

Based in FranceFounded 1984studiocanal.com (opens in a new tab)

Films where StudioCanal's release is the pick. How picks are made

StudioCanal is the Paris-based film studio of the Canal+ group, holding a library of around 9,000 titles that includes Carolco, Ealing, EMI Films and British Lion. It issues discs through its own UK, German and French arms, and its UK Vintage Classics line carries new 4K restorations of British and world cinema on UHD and Blu-ray.

85 of 118 films match · Page 4 of 5

By format

List

Films where StudioCanal's release is the pick. How picks are made

U-571 (2000)

Director: Jonathan Mostow

4K · Solid

Best English-Friendly & Video:

Universal 4K Blu-ray or StudioCanal 4K Blu-ray?

Video Notes:

Universal has burnt-in English subs for Germany dialogue, slightly different HDR and color grading to the StudioCanal.

3.2

Endless Night (1972)

Director: Sidney Gilliat

4K · Solid

Best English-Friendly & Video:

StudioCanal 4K Blu-ray

Video Notes:

Only available in the German Agatha Christie 4K set.

No comparison with the Kino Lorber 4K Blu-ray

3.1

Raw Deal (1986)

Director: John Irvin

4K · Solid

Best English-Friendly & Video:

StudioCanal 4K Blu-ray

Sources: fanrestore.com (opens in a new tab)

Best Audio:

(not the 4K Blu-ray, previous LaserDisc could be better)

2.8

Weapons of Death (1977)

Director: Mario Caiano

4K · Solid

Best English-Friendly & Video:

StudioCanal 4K Blu-ray

Breathless (1960)

Director: Jean-Luc Godard

4K · Superior Imports

Best English-Friendly:

Criterion 4K Blu-ray/2020 remastered StudioCanal Blu-ray

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

Best Video:

Criterion 4K Blu-ray

Video Notes:

(preference)

> StudioCanal 4K Blu-ray. The HDR grading has messed up highlights, so some may prefer the 2020 remastered StudioCanal Blu-ray

Best Audio:

2000 Optimum DVD

Additional Info:

Criterion's subtitles seem to be better than StudioCanal's which omits too much IMO.

3.9

Arizona Dream (1993)

Director: Emir Kusturica

4K · Good in DV Only

Best English-Friendly & Video:

StudioCanal 4K Blu-ray

3.6

The Doors (1991)

Director: Oliver Stone

4K · Good in DV Only

Best English-Friendly & Video:

StudioCanal/Lionsgate 4K Blu-ray

3.4

Darling (1965)

Director: John Schlesinger

Best English-Friendly & Video:

StudioCanal 4K Blu-ray

Best Audio:

2015 StudioCanal Blu-ray

6.6

Persepolis (2007)

Directors: Marjane Satrapi & Vincent Paronnaud

Best English-Friendly:

English dub on StudioCanal 4K Blu-ray or older Sony/StudioCanal Blu-ray

Best Video:

France/Germany StudioCanal 4K Blu-ray

4.2

Casque d'Or (1952)

Director: Jacques Becker

Best English-Friendly & Video:

StudioCanal 4K Blu-ray

Sources: Criterion Forum (opens in a new tab)

3.8

Dead of Night (1945)

Directors: Alberto Cavalcanti & Charles Crichton & Basil Dearden & Robert Hamer

Video format: UHD Blu-ray

Best Video:

StudioCanal 4K Blu-ray vs Kino Lorber 4K Blu-ray ?

3.8

Bridget Jones's Diary (2001)

Director: Sharon Maguire

Best English-Friendly & Video:

US Cut: Miramax Blu-ray

International Cut: France StudioCanal 4K Blu-ray

Video Notes:

(forced, but not hardcoded France subs, no English subtitles)

3.5

Legend (2015)

Director: Brian Helgeland

Best English-Friendly & Video:

StudioCanal 4K Blu-ray

3.3

The Man Who Haunted Himself (1970)

Director: Basil Dearden

Best English-Friendly & Video:

StudioCanal UK 4K Blu-ray

Best Audio:

Universal PAL DVD

Audio Notes:

(caveat: it's missing a minute of footage, plus usual PAL speed-up)

All Blu-ray tracks originate from the same transfer, but with strong noise gating and terrible EQ, adding a compensatory bass and treble boost, sounding boomy and accentuating the hiss despite less detail.

Bill & Ted's Excellent Adventure (1989)

Director: Stephen Herek

Best English-Friendly & Video:

US Shout! Factory or UK StudioCanal 4K Blu-ray

Additional Info:

UK StudioCanal has more extras

Soldier Blue (1970)

Director: Ralph Nelson

Video format: UHD Blu-ray

Best Video:

StudioCanal 4K Blu-ray

Manhunter (1986)

Director: Michael Mann

Best English-Friendly & Video:

Theatrical/Director's Cut: Shout! Factory Blu-ray
Hybrid Theatrical Cut: Anchor Bay "Theatrical" DVD
Final Cut: upcoming UK StudioCanal Final Cut 4K Blu-ray

Upcoming Release:

UK StudioCanal Final Cut 4K Blu-ray

The Pianist (2002)

Director: Roman Polanski

Video format: UHD Blu-ray

4K · Disappointing

Best Video:

StudioCanal 4K Blu-ray

Video Notes:

StudioCanal 4K Blu-ray has poor encode and heavy DNR

Additional Info:

Shout! Factory Blu-ray is from original DI master. The film was an early DI and film prints also looked poor. Shout! Factory Blu-ray is representative of original release. StudioCanal 4K Blu-ray has some new VFX work done along with some plates reshot as well as poorly upscaled original VFX work.

4.4