TSPDT

They Shoot Pictures, Don't They with "The 1,000 Greatest Films" list.

1,020 films · page 9 of 51

Director: Wong Kar-Wai

2026: #161
2025: #159
2024: #157
2023: #159
2022: #159

Sources: Criterion Forum (opens in a new tab) · caps-a-holic (opens in a new tab)

Video Notes:

Criterion 4K Blu-ray has original SDR master while Plaion Germany and France has a subtle additional HDR-regrade. Either one is good depending on user preference.
Important to note, Criterion 4K Blu-ray still has different color timing from 2008 Criterion Blu-ray see https://caps-a-holic.com/c.php?go=1&a=0&d1=15680&d2=15679&s1=165346&s2=165329&i=10&l=0

Best Audio:

Original mono is on the 1996 Japan DVD and 2005 Spain Boxset DVD. But 2008 Criterion Blu-ray’s 5.1 remix at least is in the correct pitch. All 5.1 tracks on later 4K-resto BDs have a raised pitch. Furthermore, the 2008 5.1 and 4K-resto 5.1 differ in content in the scene where Tony Leung drinks coffee in slow-mo, with the 2008 version having only background / ambient sound, while the 4K-resto version plays Faye Wong’s song. Note that it's quite easy to pitch correct the 4K-resto 5.1 to match the original pitch and only a delay adjustment is needed to sync.

Director: Hayao Miyazaki

2026: #162
2025: #161
2024: #160
2023: #156
2022: #156
Best English-Friendly:

2014 "Hayao Miyazaki Collection" Studio Ghibli Japan Blu-ray or US Disney Blu-ray

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

Best Video:

2014 "Hayao Miyazaki Collection" Studio Ghibli Japan Blu-ray

Video Notes:

2014 "Hayao Miyazaki Collection" Studio Ghibli Japan Blu-ray
Comparisons: https://slow.pics/c/6JWnlfit

Best Audio:

All sources are within margin of error. Comparisons: Japanese, English
Alternate Streamline English dub is available only on 1994 Fox LD.

Additional Info:

US GKIDS Blu-ray has more bonuses than the US Disney Blu-ray

Director: Ingmar Bergman

2026: #163
2025: #160
2024: #163
2023: #160
2022: #160
Best English-Friendly:

BFI Blu-ray

Sources: Criterion Forum (opens in a new tab)

Best Video:

2023 BFI Boxset Blu-ray

Best Audio:

Tartan DVD

Director: Apichatpong Weerasethakul

2026: #164
2025: #164
2024: #162
2023: #164
2022: #164
Best English-Friendly:

4K restoration soon, or DVD

Sources: Reddit (opens in a new tab)

Director: Woody Allen

2026: #165
2025: #162
2024: #159
2023: #158
2022: #158

Video format: 1080p Blu-ray

Director: Roman Polanski

2026: #166
2025: #172
2024: #175
2023: #172
2022: #172
Best Video:

Paramount disappointing 4K Blu-ray

Sources: Criterion Forum (opens in a new tab)

Best Audio:

1998 Paramount LaserDisc or 2004 R2 Paramount DVD

Director: Michelangelo Antonioni

2026: #167
2025: #166
2024: #164
2023: #163
2022: #163

Director: Terrence Malick

2026: #168
2025: #165
2024: #165
2023: #165
2022: #165
Best Video:

Criterion or WB Blu-ray?

Sources: Criterion Forum (opens in a new tab)

Video Notes:

Criterion and WB Blu-ray framed slightly different. Don't know which is more accurate

Best Audio:

1998 WB LaserDisc mono

Director: Luis Buñuel

2026: #169
2025: #167
2024: #166
2023: #161
2022: #161
Best English-Friendly:

BFI Blu-ray or unreleased 4K restoration

Sources: Criterion Forum (opens in a new tab) · filmlinc.org (opens in a new tab)

Best Video:

4k transfer, no disc https://www.filmlinc.org/nyff2019/films/lage-dor/ 

Director: Tobe Hooper

2026: #170
2025: #170
2024: #169
2023: #173
2022: #173

Sources: caps-a-holic (opens in a new tab)

Video Notes:

(Carlotta 4K Blu-ray has some better shots than Second Sight 4K Blu-ray and is more accurate to the theatrical grade: https://caps-a-holic.com/c.php?d1=18250&d2=18597&s1=210919&s2=219265&i=4&l=0&a=1)

Best Audio:

LaserDisc/VHS likely will have less filtered and correct audio. MPI 4K Blu-ray’s mono appears to be correct content-wise.

TV series

2026: #171
2025: #169
2024: #168
2023: #170
2022: #170
Best Video:

TV Cuts: 2016 Arrow Blu-ray

Extended Cuts of Eps 5 & 6: 2016 Criterion Blu-ray

Best Audio:

TV Cuts: WB PL DVD

A Short Film About Killing: 2004 Kino Lorber DVD

Director: Luis Buñuel

2026: #172
2025: #176
2024: #172
2023: #178
2022: #178

Sources: Criterion Forum (opens in a new tab)

Video Notes:

StudioCanal has 4k, good encode, accuracy of the color grading is debatable vs Criterion

Director: Céline Sciamma

2026: #173
2025: #182
2024: #181
2023: #187
Best English-Friendly:

Artificial Eye UK Blu-ray?

Sources: Criterion Forum (opens in a new tab)

Upcoming Release:

Curzon 4K Blu-ray scheduled for October 2026 release

Best Video:

Pyramide France Blu-ray

Streaming in 4K on Netflix

Video Notes:

Supposed to have better translation than Criterion.

Director: Steven Spielberg

2026: #174
2025: #200
2024: #207
2023: #208
2022: #208
Best Video:

35mm/70mm scan, Japan WOWOW Broadcast version, letterbox LaserDisc or DVD for purist version, Paramount 4K Blu-ray heavily revisionist

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

Best Audio:

1992 LaserDisc Dolby Surround, DVD 5.1 (70mm mix), 1991 Japan LaserDisc PCM (Dolby Stereo home version)

Additional Info:

The Paramount 4K master is HEAVILY revisionist in that all of the effects and opticals were redone and tweaked with errors and issues. There has been grain management (moments of stagnating grain and haloing) and the encoding isn't great hence the typical Paramount noise in the image. (especially skies) The HDR is a bit bright in the highlights. The color timing and Atmos remix are thankfully taming the excessively overdone terrible Blu-ray in those areas but neither is fully accurate. The Atmos remix sounds lifeless and essentially tames the crazy LFE of the Blu-ray remix that never stopped while also spreading the sound around overhead. The music is absolutely lifeless here. If it weren't for the visual changes it might be possible to regrade the picture master and just live with the encoding noise. As it is, purists will want the LaserDisc, DVD or Japan WOWOW broadcast of the Laser Pacific master which is the same master used for the awful Blu-ray just without the hideous color grading applied.
The DVD was handled by Lowry Digital and is overscrubbed like crazy plus had all sorts of DVD era edge enhancement and other issues. It instigated the digital changes of the boulder rod and snake reflection removals. The ONLY widescreen versions of the film without ANY changes are the 1992 LaserDisc and the 1999 final release VHS.

Audio wise, Raiders is EXTREMELY complex. Like the Star Wars trilogy it had three specific release mixes with variations and differences plus a fourth mix that was not used. The mono mix had unique bits and has never been officially released though you can hear bits of it on the 2003 bonus DVD and in the Raiders in Concert live symphony performances. The Dolby Stereo is roughly what was used on all pre-widescreen editions on VHS, Beta and LaserDisc in the 80's. The best iteration of that is the 1991 Japan LaserDisc reissue with PCM digital sound. This iteration is more of a home version as it doesn't really have much surround. Yet it retains dynamic range unlike the 1985 home video remix of Star Wars' Dolby Stereo track. The 70mm Dolby six track magnetic audio was supposedly used in making the excellent sounding 5.1 made for the DVD release. Before the release the film was mixed in the very short lived VistaSonic process which was Paramount backed. This was dropped very last minute as the system had tons of playback issues and the film was apparently hastily remixed in Dolby formats. When the first letterboxed transfer showed up on the 1992 Paramount LaserDisc release all of a sudden the Dolby Surround encoded matrix track it contained is without question the best sounding mix of Raiders you can find anywhere. It is more aggressive than the Dolby Stereo, more punchy than the DVD 5.1 and even contains a unique different sound effect which indicates it is clearly a different mix. It is unknown if this is the abandoned VistaSonic mix or a new quiet Dolby Surround home mix akin to the 1993 Star Wars Definitive Collection remix. To this day, the LaserDisc Dolby surround is the best sounding version of Raiders you are likely ever to hear. Even though it isn't discrete.
The Blu-ray remix though supervised by Ben Burtt went overboard on making everything aggressive and modernized. The LFE is virtually nonstop even in dialogue scenes. It is a textbook case of revisionist audio desecration. The 4K Blu-ray Atmos merely tames the LFE and reduces impact even more by moving around more elements and adding more processing. Both of these remixes are a crime.

DFIC extensive review: https://youtu.be/evsrJOTIjdA

Director: Howard Hawks

2026: #175
2025: #171
2024: #176
2023: #181
2022: #181

Video format: 4K Streaming

Best Video:

4K Streaming

Sources: Criterion Forum (opens in a new tab)

Video Notes:

For physical release, Criterion and Sony Blu-ray are very similar

Director: John Ford

2026: #176
2025: #173
2024: #174
2023: #171
2022: #171
Best Video:

Criterion Blu-ray

Sources: Criterion Forum (opens in a new tab)

Video Notes:

Lobster Films Blu-ray is a newer master but with terrible encoding and brightness levels. May still be better

Director: David Lean

2026: #177
2025: #177
2024: #179
2023: #177
2022: #177

Director: Djibril Diop Mambéty

2026: #178
2025: #174
2024: #173
2023: #169
2022: #169

Video format: 1080p Blu-ray

Director: Leo McCarey

2026: #179
2025: #175
2024: #171
2023: #176
2022: #176
Best English-Friendly:

Universal Blu-ray

Best Video:

Universal - The Marx Brothers Silver Screen Collection

Video Notes:

Arrow maybe better?

Arrow maybe better encode?

Best Audio:

1999 Image Entertainment DVD

Director: Steven Spielberg

2026: #180
2025: #204
2024: #206
2023: #221
2022: #221
Best Video:

Sony 4K Blu-ray