I find I'm enjoying films more and more as the years go on Matt. I suppose we're able to have bigger home collections for far less money now and that's probably why. John.
Django 4K UHD is still the best looking 4K transfer on the format in my opinion. I'm not sure if you're judging it by transfer quality or just how movies look. But Django is superb.
Just judging by how good the image looks. If you're talking about the 1966 film Django then that one was 35mm. Some of them do look pretty terrific but I haven't seen any so far that compare with anything shot 65mm or genuine IMAX. Happy to be proved wrong at any time though. John.
@@BlurayBinge We all have differing opinions Lee and sometimes I find that even if I've really wound someone up by saying that I think a particular film is great and that someone hates it, a quick conversation in the comments and we discover that there are other films we both love. Debate and conversation is vital in all subjects methinks. John.
I’d say Leon is one of the best looking 4ks I’ve seen. The street scenes look incredible. So much detail and colour is fantastic. It’s like a visual time capsule of what a part of New York looked like in the mid 90s.
I haven't seen it on 4K disc Ultrawide but it should look good as it was 35mm. That does mean it won't be as good as the 70mm releases though but maybe someone needs to compare it against the 4K of Jaws to see if it's knocked it off the top spot! John.
@@colinbooth531 I think the 5.6K transfer of Jaws may be a part of the reason why it turned out so well. 4K never did seem to be quite enough for full frame 35mm negative stock given that the estimate of what was required per frame in the 1990s was 90mb. Try projecting that sort of data size uncompressed. No chance! John.
@@moviecollector5920 I'm streaming through net but I would have to research what's top DVD 4k player and the other important thing of having a genuine 4k leader to connect the player to the tv.
@@deputyvanhalen6386 Poundland used to sell HDMI leads that handled 4K and yes, they were £1 each. In terms of best 4K players many commenters on this channel have cited the top of the line Panasonic's because they have programmable HDR output and that has turned out to be an important factor because some 4K HDR mastering has not been entirely consistent. Most Panasonic models have basic HDR tuning but the top models are the ones to look at to ensure you can get the best out of the discs. John.
When the UCI cinemas opened in Whiteley's new shopping centre . It was UCIs first multiplex in London. By UCIs standards the screens were quite small due to hight restraints. I remember opening with one of the Bond films. Because royalty came to the premier, we had a master print for screen 1 and standard prints in all the other screens. It's not often many people get to do a direct comparison. When going round the screens doing final checks, I really thought we had some issues with lens. The difference in detail and general picture quality hit you like a brick. I was amazed how poor the standard print picture quality really was. A similar, but different experience happened when at Manchester's Printworks multiplex with its huge screens and large auditoriums. We had the largest screen showing Toy Story with the first showing in video of the new very large and expensive Texas Instruments projector. Five other screens were showing standard 35mm prints. Again, the same story, the 4K video looked stunning, the 35mm prints looked soft focus, lacked detail. The word soon got around and people would only want to watch the 4K version. Once again, I was amazed how poor the 35mm prints were. Not an issue if you ONLY watched the 35mm copies Sorry, this has (almost) nothing to do with your review, just thought you might be interested.
That's really interesting Michael, particularly about the premiere print for the Bond film. One thing to bear in mind with video projection against film is that video projection is consistently brighter. I think that is why it looks so harsh to me and yet here at home I'm able to make video projection look like film. Death on the Nile in 70mm was a little disappointing as it was a 4K video used to create a 65mm negative (clearly nowhere near enough resolution to capture 65mm) but the film did still present the colour range and density of film. It wasn't as bright as the video projection of the trailers just before it but it was a relief for the eyes to take in something that looked so natural. John.
Disc rot used to concern me when it came to CDs. I probably have around 500, and have only had a very occasional one which wouldn't play at all. Usually it is damage to the disc that allows the reflective part to start oxidizing. I think there are anti-oxidizing elements these days, but a scratched disc is a scratched disc. It used to worry me a lot, but why waste any sleep over it? Great reviews, many thanks!
A few faulty discs isn't the end of the world Lee but it is a little annoying when you're enjoying a film and the damned this locks up. My theory (which may be complete tosh) is that the reflective layer has been faulty from manufacture and the heat from the laser has finished off the faulty sections leading to image break up and lock up. The data the laser is trying to read on a 4K must be so tiny that any problem is exacerbated unlike with previous formats which weren't so miniscule on the disc. If I ever get to the bottom of the problem, I'll report in a future video. John.
@@moviecollector5920 In reading many reviews of UHD 4K Blu-ray players, as well as comments about the experiences other film enthusiasts have had with various players, saw a number of mentions made about the mid-priced Panasonic UB-820 player, being one of the few on the market that simply avoids 1 type of freeze up that seems to occur with many players when trying to cope with a 3rd layer on 4K discs, that's ONLY found on very LONG movies that exceed running times of about 2.5-3 hrs, or LONGER. Anyway, in using the UB-820 in the year since acquiring it, in March 2021, I've yet to have any 4K Blu-ray freeze up. Hope this info may be helpful to some of my fellow home theater enthusiasts. And Movie Collector, thank you SO MUCH for the terrific info that you provide for us fellow film fans with your fascinating videos! I greatly appreciate all of your efforts!
@@mrb0775 Thank you Mike. That's just the sort of information I'll need to tell fellow enthusiasts in the future if they don't see your post here. I don't suppose it's a third layer problem on 2001 as it's about an hour into the movie. I think the other two discs around about 30 minutes to 45 minutes in and one of them is only about 90 minutes long (Apollo 11). John.
@@moviecollector5920 John, I much appreciate you having taken the time to provide your kind reply. And you're more than welcome as I could only hope to be able to supply a tiny fraction of the very useful info that you regularly share with all of us who visit your channel. As a now retired guy, I'm really looking forward to enjoying hours of learning about cinema and the 4K medium (and even picking up tidbits about 1080p Blu-ray) thanks to the insights & experience of a film and cinema professional, such as yourself. You & yours stay safe during these extraordinary times in which we all live. Mike.
@@mrb0775 Ho ho. We actually decided to contract Omicron Covid-19 recently as it seems to be the only way to get decent long term immunity. We had to get it when we did as the stories of waning immunity from the vaccines were a little concerning and the longer we left it the greater the risk of serious illness. We only had a couple of days of feeling ill and about 10 to 14 days feeling fatigued; that was all that Omicron did for us. If the Hong Kong evidence was anything to go byIt seems to be more serious for the unvaccinated or previously uninfected though. I can't recommend what is right for anyone else but my thinking was - and is - that the only way we can avoid more problems in the future is to get as many of us younger people exposed as possible (and therefore hopefully immune) to protect those who are most at risk. John.
Perfect timing. I just bought an OLED TV because your channel revitalised my interest in film. My next purchase was going to be a 4K Blu-ray player, so I'm very pleased to see this list, thank you.
@@mikefisher2673 There's nothing like being able to go to look at a film collection on your own shelves Mike. There is always something to watch and you don't have to mess around with a computer or a smart TV to find it - just pick the disc out and stick it in the player. I hope you get back into it and it gives you many years of enjoyment. John.
@@moviecollector5920 so true, went from dvd to blu ray was a whole new experience. Watching the Pacific on my system years ago on 5.1, compared to the horrible TV sound made appreciate movies again. Following your show and others listening which disc have the better standards is really helpful.
You are an exemplar of dedication to a favorite craft, an encyclopedia of cinematography! ) The way you explain all the intricate details is very captivating and interesting! It makes me want to major in this art/engineering! Thank you kindly! Wonderful video!
Thanks Dmitri. Hope you and the family are doing well over there. By the way, I didn't realize I was going into detail - I just sat down, looked at the first film in the pile and thought "What am i going to say about this one?" Then it all just seemed to flow out. John.
I missed out the James Bond film 'No Time To Die' which probably would have featured somewhere. Apart from that there have been a couple of other potentials which are 'NOPE' and TOP GUN: Maverick but I'd have to take a very close look at them to compare them to all the other greats. John.
Nice, i think i may have to get the 6 disc package of Apocalypse Now , its available on Amazon. I watched it 20 years ago and held off as of late for the 4k. Also i definitely must get the Ten Commandments. It sells fast. Thx again John.
Apocalypse Now is one of my favourite 4K discs. It's not quite the best you'll see owing to it being a 35mm shoot but The Ten Commandments is up there with the best. It has optical effects shots where the downgrade in quality is usually obvious but it's fabulous to be able to see it in such quality and with the vivid Technicolor never having looked quite so good. There is a steelbook of the 4K for that one and I was tempted when it suddenly appeared even though I had the normal release already. John.
A great list, in my opinion. Fully agree with your number 1 pick, it is proof that photochemical film can still be of top-tier quality in the twenty-first century.
I haven't seen every 4K disc Boss but nothing I've seen so far comes up to the standard of the 70mm films transferred to video so if confirmation were needed that film is still the king then I think 70mm is it. John.
Great choices. Some standouts for me in no particular order are; MI Fallout IMAX shots are amazing. Pacific Rim looks awesome. Sony disks sound fantastic, can't go wrong. Godzilla vs Kong is great. Dunkirk is for sure on my list!
Mission Impossible: Fallout is another excellent 4K Roger but I haven't seen Pacific Rim nor Godzilla vs. Kong. I find it increasingly hard to get through special effects laden movies largely done in a computer. There have been exceptions though so maybe one day I'll give that one a try. John.
John, what a fun list. I have them all in my collection and it's hard to disagree with any of your choices. Murder on the Orient Express is the reference disc in my collection and sits at number one here as well. I'm intrigued that you've approached your recommendations from a purely visual perspective. I'd add Vertigo (VistaVision), Alita: Battle Angel, Bladerunner, Bladerunner 2049, Spider-Man into the Spider-Verse, Ma Max Fury Road and Mission Impossible (most recent movie). All that said, the Vistavisions and 65mm sources seem to make the best 4Ks. One note of frustration for me is that I missed the original Columbia set and cannot find Lawrence of Arabia on 4K.
Evening Rob. Fear not for Lawrence of Arabia is coming out as an individual release on 4K soon. I'd prefer a 70mm print but I guess I'll have to wait a while longer for that! Blade Runner is a fabulous disc but I found the sequel a little drab so I think the image for that one may be optimized for Dolby Vision rather than standard HDR. I don't have Vertigo but one day I'll get that one. VistaVision is a big incentive when it comes to these 4K releases as is 65mm. Having said that, any film made on 35mm today should look better than most because video often just doesn't cut it... unless it's Le Mans '66! John.
@@moviecollector5920 LOA would be a must buy for me. I'll never forget seeing it in 70/65mm years ago. I really need to add Lemans to my collection. Thanks Jon, best to your seamstress 😊
That one was a Technicolor tour de force Ian. I only ever saw a reel of it many years ago but that looked fabulous too so I can imagine how good the 4K disc release looks. Just not a film I can get into for whatever reason. John.
@JamieNelsonsPool I think I only ever saw an extract from The Red Shoes and that really turned me off wanting to see it. I need to try again one day. John.
I usually can't bear musicals Master Yoda but I will take a look at the trailer and see if I think I will like it. I never saw the original version and that was 65mm if I remember correctly. But this one is from Mr. Spielberg and that gives me an extra push to look into it. Good to know he used film too which should mean it looks better than a video. John.
i also don't like musicals but this one is filmed and crafted so beatifully. They used giant real set builds, real locations and unlike the movie from the 60s the actors sang by themselves. And if you love filmic look it's just fantastic to look at.
@@davidsal28 HMV have West Side Story in the two for £30 right now so if I happen to visit a store before that offer runs out you never know. But I have My Fair Lady because so many people asked me to look at it and it was always one of my mother's favourites. John.
I have about 90 percent of all those titles John, the majority bought on your recommendation. I think The Shining and The Revenant are also reference quality too though but if it's a Top Ten some have to be discounted. I just hope this format can survive but with vinyl, CD and cassette making a comeback it gives me hope for all physical media!!
On another day I might have mentioned The Shining as one just outside of the top ten Gary. I did pull it out to consider it but looked at the large stack of titles already and decided against it. I did completely overlook No Time To Die and that certainly should have been in there. You just can't get the staff these days! John.
Hi John. The problem with discs freezing isn’t laser rot, it’s residue on the discs during manufacturing, especially 66/100gig discs. Thoroughly wipe with a microfibre cloth and your problems are over.
@@moviecollector5920 I only say that as I had the same issue with 2001 and a lot of the other discs people have complained about and a wipe down with a cloth has always solved the issue. On 2001 it would always freeze around the scene where Hal is singing Daisy while Dave is shutting him down and now there as no issues with the disc. It appears that if you've already done this there is indeed a separate issue at play. Put of interest, the other discs recently heavy with residue post production that have worked for me after a wipe down with a microfiber cloth have been The Thing and Dune (original version). It seems to affect Warner and Arrow discs more and never Sony discs.
@@benpascall4297 That's really interesting Ben. I did have the residue problem with a DVD once and that was either The Terminator or Predator, I can't recall which one now. But I've not come across it again since then. 2001 starts playing up about an hour into it. When I get another player in the future I'll give these discs another try because it's possible a newer player will come with better error correction and be able to get through them. But I won't hold my breath! John.
@@moviecollector5920 it's largely an isolated problem with the production of 4k discs and a quality control issue... Only affecting certain manufacturing facilities on behalf of Warner/Arrow and a few others. Whether this can be attributed to the decline in physical media to 10/15 years ago I'm not sure, but it's a clear QC issue. Sadly not a lot of people are aware of the residue and what a quick fix it is and the forums are full of people complaining about skipping and freezing discs... It doesn't appear the be the case in your instance John, but I thought it was worth documenting anyway in case you wanted to mention it in one of your videos for people's general awareness.
@@benpascall4297 Thank you for doing so Ben. Eventually I should come across a disc with the residue issue and then I can put people onto it. On the DVD that had the issue years ago I could clearly see the milky film covering that had formed. John.
I’d love to hear your thoughts on the Batman v Superman Ultimate Edition 4k release from very recently. It was supervised by Zack Snyder himself and it includes the original full frame IMAX 70mm sequences. It shifts to 1.43:1 ratio for them too. Absolutely superb and probably the best 4K transfer I’ve ever seen.
Rewatched this video. Note that I am not a particular car racing fan and never watch any Formula1 racing on tv, BUT.... Le mans '66 is an absolute stunning good film and has exceptional Atmos audio on the 4k disc. It surprised me taht i could enjoy a car racing film this much. Also , TENET is indeed an amazing film. I saw it in the cinema inbetween covid lockdown periods. I did not see it in IMAX but on a very large screen with good audio. Stunning. I bought the 4k disc immediately when it came out in NL (holland / The Netherlands) where i live, and watched it the same day. I might rewatch one of these days . One of my favourites of director Christopher Nolan's films. I am very much hoping for a good quality 4k release of James Cameron's ALIENS (1986) in 2024 so maybe next list video, it could be on your list.... IF Mr. Cameron eases up on the DNR he plops onty some of his classic 4k releases. Aliens is still my no 1 fav film ever. Thank you John, for your always insightful and well informed and calmly and clearly spoken (what a joy!) videos. (Some other bluray reviewers on YT tend to wear you out after a while with a over-excited , sensationalyzed way of presenting reviews) Regards. Roland.
Evening Roland. I have Aliens on Super 8 and it's a pretty grainy film, but I did see the 70mm blow-up at the Odeon Leicester Square three times and I don't recall the image quality being very like the Super 8 prints (I have two of them). That's possibly a good sign that the forthcoming home video version will be rather good but probably best not to expect too much. With regard to Le Mans '66 a good film is a good film. Ken Miles's story is wonderful so combine that with Carroll Shelby and the Ford GT40 programme and it was a recipe for success on screen. TENET is a great film but it was always going to bamboozle most people and therefore be written off on that basis. I enjoy a challenge though and with image quality like the 4K I simply had to work it all out. To see something looking that good on home video suggested the 15/70 negative was almost unlike anything we'd ever enjoyed before and now having seen one of the 15/70 prints I can confirm that it was. One day it will get the credit it deserves. To excuse other RUclipsrs who do home movie reviews it can be difficult to sit in front of camera and create something that some people around the world whom you have never met will see. Most haven't done anything like it before so the whole thing can be a little daunting or overwhelming and so the defence for this is to become someone else while the camera is on. I don't feel the need to put a disguise but I can understand why some others do. John.
Finally, got a copy of Murder on the Orient Express and Death on the Nile. Both of these are just amazing and are definitely demo worthy to show someone what 4K is all about. Gorgeous, just gorgeous.
Funnily enough, I had both of them on a few days ago as part of a comparison to the new 4K of OPPENHEIMER for my latest video. Glad you like them. John.
I love that it's becoming quite difficult to form a list like this. We are building quite a reserve of beautiful transfers on this format! I'll gladly share the titles in my collection which stand out to me: Spartacus, My Fair Lady, Jaws, Suspiria, Django, Casino, Apocalypse Now, Tremors, Angel Heart, The Wizard of Oz, and In The Line of Fire.
That's a good list Mozart. I used to do a lot of Super 8 film reviews and it was easier to differentiate the good from the not so good with the biggest screen possible and now that we've moved and are projecting a bit wider than we were able to in our last home I can confirm that the same is true of video projection. If we do manage to get builders in to enlarge the cinema room then I hope to go considerably wider still. Should make the whole process quite a lot easier in the future. John.
Elysium Eastwood Westerns also by Sony is an excellent 4k tranfer- Also 65 and Prey- Life is excellent for Sci- FI Fans - Waiting for 4ks of RED Planet- Val Kilmer and Underwater - Clint Eastwood Westerns also look great
Thanks John - really interesting. I do have Jaws in 4K in my iTunes collection and (before for some odd reason it stopped playing in 4K and only in standard def - prompting me to buy the 4k BR - I was really blown away. All the others I have in 4k in iTunes and they all look better than previous BR discs
The bit rate should be lower than a Blu-ray so assuming that's the case then there is something else going on. Many see a brighter image and consider it better and you only have to listen to what reviewers say all the time when reviewing tellies and projectors because they're obsessed with a bright image. I find myself reining my video projector in all the time because it's often too bright to the detriment of the image as a result. 4K discs are more like film and therefore tend to be darker so that's a big thing in their favour over a standard Blu-ray. Jaws is probably still the best 35mm video transfer I've seen. The 5.6K transfer seems to have been closer to the mark. John.
Thank You for this. I agree that scanning 4k movies in a larger resolution like 8k or 5.6k really benefits the quality. I had a couple of 35mm Kodak vision 3 still films scanned in Germany in very large resolution and they look really amazing.
That transfer of Jaws did seem to point the best way forward but I expect it took half as long again as transferring at 4K and that's possibly why 4K is the chosen compromise. John.
Thanks great top 10 I have most of them. Discs that play fine then next time don't could be disc rot I have had a few titles with this issue. I bought The World at war boxset at CEX and none of the discs played, when I returned it they examined discs and said it was disc rot. I have backups of both blu Ray and 4k discs stored on hard drives on PC I am not shelling out twice for them.
It's a good idea to keep copies of the 4K discs. That will take up a lot of disc space though and I'm already storing so much of my own archive video that I'd need a massive SAN or NAS to make it all work and that would cost many thousands. If I see replacements for any of the faulty discs going cheap I think I'll snap them up because it can't be all of them that are faulty... famous last words! John.
@@moviecollector5920 yes it's not cheap although I have gradually added drives to my hcpc I think I have 9 drives now ranging from 3tb to 6tb and even this isn't foolproof as I don't have it in a raid erray to protect files if a drive dies. I do use monitoring software to keep an eye on them. I think some issues with disc rot is how they are stored perhaps that copy I bought had been sitting in the boot of a car for weeks with massive changes in temps affecting it prior ending up in CEX.
Sadly not many will ever see that masterpiece in genuine IMAX ever again Tom but if I can re-educate the world of the merits of IMAX film (cue maniacal laughter) over projected video in genuine IMAX cinemas then there's just a chance. John.
Excellent list, I have just started collecting 4K last year after upgrading my TV and audio setup. So far I'd say Nolans films, The Matrix, and Skyfall are my top films out of my relatively small 4K collection of around 17 movies so far. I recently picked up Murder on the Orient Express and the picture was spectacular on my display. I much prefer when studios give us proper 4K mastered discs rather than the upscaled digital 2K discs that are common among recent films
A few recent releases such as Last Night In Soho were shot 35mm but then all that effort was downgraded to 2K video for general release. I believe that even the film prints of that one were struck via the 2K video master but I may be wrong. It still looks pretty good though, just not as good as it would have been. Mainly the image quality comes down to the lenses used to shoot the film and in the case of a genuine film, how sensitive and fine grain the negative stock is. John.
I have heard that Gemini Man is a reference 4k disc. I recently purchased it but have not gotten a chance to watch it yet. It is shot digitally since it is a recent movie.
Gemini Man is more a video game than a movie. I don't like computer games and the unrealistic motion combined with the cartoon look makes it the worst 4K of the lost for me. But I hope you find the complete opposite as it's probably an age thing and if you've grown up playing computer games then you might love it. John.
Thanks for the list - it's obvious you are a Nolan fan. He really does put all his effort into the technical aspects of his movies, which I really appreciate.
I've only really become a Nolan fan recently Mandeep. Anyone who makes good films consistently is going to be someone I appreciate. Kenneth Branagh and Christopher Nolan are probably at the head of the list as far as I'm concerned right now but Clint Eastwood is still up there too. Ridley Scott and Steven Spielberg too. John.
Grand Prix from 1966 is made for 4k. Someone, please. Shot on 65mm, and imo the best racing movie ever. Great top 10, great video, thank you. My personal favorite 4k disc so far is The Revenant; this movie couldn't have been duplicated on film I bet....so much was shot during dawn and dusk in natural lighting,
I completely agree about Grand Prix. The Blu-ray is pretty fabulous already. How about Ice Station Zebra and How The West Was Won for the 4K wish list too? I have The Revenant on Blu-ray so haven't invested in the 4K. I didn't realize it wasn't shot on film but haven't watched it for a few years. I'll have to take another look. John.
@@moviecollector5920 How The West Was Won, on yea! Speaking of a film already looking good on Blu Ray, re Grand Prix, I saw Skyfall last night for first time on Blu Ray and thought it fabulous already:) I'm older than you and actually have never seen Ice Station Zebra, lol. I believe it's the film Howard Hughes watched over and over from his Las Vegas high rise apt. as his mental decline accelerated. I should check it out.
@@pete49327 Skyfall is modern 35mm which means it's very fine grain. Anything shot 35mm today should look outstanding for that reason but 35mm is obviously not up to anything shot 65mm or genuine IMAX. As for Ice Station Zebra, it's incredibly sharp but a lot of the film is clearly a studio set which lets it down a bit but because it's as sharp as it is it doesn't seem to matter as much as it should. John.
Only thing I noticed with some 4K on a Sony 800 is that definitely run louder a kinder hum that gets quieter as the film goes on. Only running a sound bar ( a temporary measure ) but God knows why the sound drops out for a second twice in a film. Anyway MY personal favourites in no order are. Passengers, Murder on the Orient express, Dune, Interstellar,Tenet, Blade runner 2049, Green Mile ( brilliant 4k ),Alita battle angel, Bridge on the river Kwai and Bad Times at the El Royal , or maybe Oblivion. Hard to choose but Passengers and Green Mile are exceptional.👍
I have Passengers on Blu-ray and that's excellent too. It was shot in high quality video and really did have a 4K video master and not a 2K upscale which is unusual for a film with computer animation in it. The Green Mile was a 35mm shoot so once you start projecting you'll probably see that the definition is not quite as good as you currently think it is. A few 35mm 4K releases have been mistaken for being better than 70mm films but this is because our home screens are tiny and it's often hard to differentiate. What we really need is 24 foot wide screens at home! John.
@@moviecollector5920 yep passengers I think was shot 6.5K. Just this second saw moonfall , probably not my cuppa being a Roland Emmerich CGI destruction fest ,but they say it's got the best Atmos mix and got a 9.9 on one channel, visuals only 7 due to CGI ,green screen and digital touch up, personally ends up like a video game. Looking FWD to Lawrence of Arabia , just hope the cover advitised is yet to be done, on Zavvi looks like a pre school effort 🤔
@@rikaardyyz3039 I rarely purchase from Zavvi now that they don't have physical shops. The steelbook of Super 8 is the only on-line order I think I've ever given them and that was only because it looked so darned good. Usually all my money goes down the HMV route. But whatever Lawrence or Arabia comes in, the 4K disc should be one of the best just like all the other 70mm releases we've enjoyed so far. I was only thinking that I might look at the Blu-ray before it's out just to remember how good that is. John.
Very nice, John. For the record (and for those of us on the other side of "the pond"): _Le Mans '66_ was released in the USA under the title _Ford v Ferrari._
And that was because the great 'Le Mans' name doesn't hold the same recognition across the USA where Daytona, Sebring and Indianapolis are the top dogs. Such a shame because Le Mans '66 is such a great title. A great film with a great title... over here at least! But other opinions are available. John.
I don't know how widespread the use of the famous games console is for watching video discs now but maybe if you get the chance, or the urge, to check out Murder on the Orient Express and a few of the other best 4K discs so far you could test them against some more ordinary [but still great] looking discs such as those I listed in my top ten movies shot on video upload and let us know if the best are still the best on your system. A lot depends on the display of course and the bigger that display is the easier it is to tell the difference. It would be good to know that the Playstation was a viable option for those who like playing video games as well as watching movies. John.
@@JONACAN Well, I'm not a fan of watching films on a telly but some people only project about five or six feet wide so a five foot wide telly certainly isn't a bad starting point. Size differential when reviewing a movie certainly makes things easier. The bigger you go the easier it is. John.
I had the same fault on a brand new disc last weekend Stephen - Plane. So that's going back this time. Usually the fault is apparent after the laser has heated the poor surface of the disc around a layer change at least once but this time the problem was already there. That's five knackered 4K discs that I've found now but I would expect more to be hiding away as i go for years between repeat screenings. John.
There are so many great UHD Disks. One of my favorite is "Joker". It's a masterpiece of a movie anyway, but the full frame imager Alexa Mini LF 4.4k Raw master, really does make a beautiful image with shallow depth of field. The UHD BluRay looks outstanding. Part of the problem with movies like Jaws, is that they've added so much noise reduction, it smears the image a bit. It looked like that in the theater for the 4k re-release AND on the UHD BluRay. I wouldn't even put that on a list because even though I love the movie and the transfer isn't bad, the de-grain was too much. Another "contender" for top UHD disk is the remaster of Vertigo. It's simply outstanding. Full photochemical finish on that one, with a beautiful transfer. Having seen the 70mm print several times, the UHD BluRay really does hold up. I haven't watched the other Hitchcock films on UHD yet, I have some of them, need to sit and watch, but Vertigo just stood out as a real gem. Anyway, keep up the great videos!
Vertigo is VistaVision so it's no surprise that so many people tell me it's an outstanding 4K disc. If the Hitchcock set wasn't so expensive then I'd have seen it by now. But I'm not the biggest fan of Hitchcock's films so that set hasn't quite tempted me enough yet. Make sure you've got all the digital 'enhancements' switched off or minimized on your system as that could be what is giving you the waxy look to some films. Jaws doesn't have those looks on my main system but the film grain is certainly visible so it's another example of all our systems being different. Scanning a film does exacerbate film grain though so it's highly likely some transfers have to go through a bit of computer editing software jiggery pokery to make them look a little less coarse at times. Many people report that the Terminator 2: Judgment Day is the worst offender for this but others report they don't get the waxy look at all. It seems to be down to different systems and how the computer information coming off the disc is interpreted by those systems. 'Sharpen' on the 4K players is the worst offender and I always advise that that is put onto the lowest setting of off altogether if possible. John.
Discovered your channel a while back and was happy that you went into detail with all the films you discuss. Love movies shot on film but i also have an appreciation for good looking films shot on digital. I've just started discussing physical media, and while i don't have the equipment to review the quality as in-depth, i hope to grow to your level of expertise.
I'll have to keep an eye on what you upload so drop me a comment each time with a direct link so can't possibly miss it. You'll find that I rarely refer to anything as 'digital' because I've always considered that to be the wrong word. Digital is a way to make 'binary' sound like it's something special but also used to make us all think that something shot on video is not video to disguise that it's not film. I have professional video cameras but there's no way I'd ever tell anyone I was shooting on digital because that's pretty much what we all do now. John.
I've replied to quite a few comments that I should have included No Time To Die in the top ten Conor. Don't know how I missed it. Still, seems like a good excuse to do another top ten sometime soon. John.
Amazing list, John! Loved the emphasis on movies shot on film. Great choices all around. I haven't encountered the laser rot issue yet and hope that I don't. Sorry to hear your copy of 2001 has been corrupted by it.
The Blu-ray of 2001 is almost as good Andrew so if I don't snag a copy of 2001 on special offer sometime I'll just have to watch the Blu-ray... or better still, my old Super 8 copy. John.
@@moviecollector5920 I remember your video which highlighted the super 8 version. Must look terrific. I agree, the Blu-ray is very close in quality but the HDR on the UHD is stunning. Best - Andrew
Great 10 Top, yes I knew what your #1 would be and you were 100% correct. I learned from all your individual reviews of the movies you listed here. Own all of your Top 10, except for "My Fair Lady". Bought it on DVD 20 years ago and I really need to upgrade it to 4K. As we have all said before, thanks for you videos, they have helped us understand and enjoy the movies even more then we have before. And, there have been a few movies I have bought because of your recommendations...yet to be disappointed. Have a good day.
Thank you Bob. Musicals aren't really my thing but I do make the occasional exception and My Fair Lady is one of them. I also made an exception for Grease because few people thought it was among the best 4K disc they'd seen but it's not quite that good. A lot of out of focus scenes from the original shoot don't exactly help it but that's nothing to do with the cine to video transfer. John.
Thanks for making this list. I was surprised not to see Blade Runner on it (or even mentioned), since you were very positive about it in your review of that film on 4K.
Blade Runner is fabulous but we need to bear in mind that it was a 35mm shoot so will never match the quality of the 65mm and genuine IMAX shoots. It's probably up there around Apocalypse Now so it's not too far off the top ten. I've got a lot of discs to choose from but I did consider pulling Blade Runner out to take another look at it but the pile of discs for another viewing was already up to 12 by that point so I decided against it. John.
It compares well to my 35mm print Zero. It's a 35mm shoot though so will never come up to the standard of movies shot on 70mm, VistaVision or any of the other large film formats. I did see a 70mm blow-up print years ago at the Odeon Marble Arch. The screen there was 58 feet wide. John.
Say what you want about the plot, but Gemini Man and Transformers: The Last Knight are two of the best 4k pictures ever! TTLK literally has every action scenario on display (space, dark ages war, high speed chases, water battles, exploration, live action, air combat…etc). All of it is immaculate and demo worthy!!
I know a lot of people really like the look of Gemini Man but I think it's the worst quality video I've ever seen. Okay, that's a bit of an exaggeration and I can see what the film makers were trying to achieve. I haven't played computer games for many, many years and don't like the way they look so Gemini Man was never going to appeal to me in terms of picture quality. I don't tend to like live action cartoons but there are exceptions occasionally. I expect Gemini Man in liquid crystal 3D would be just about the best 3D ever irrespective of what I've said above. Transformers is for youngsters though and I'm far too old now. I have seen bits and pieces of the Transformers films and series over the years but I left school a long time ago! John.
@@moviecollector5920 it all boils down to preference I guess. I mentioned these, specifically TTLK for video quality and the gamut of reference quality scenes on offer. While I don’t mind film grain at times, I appreciate the cleanest and clearest picture quality more in my 4k content. Cheers.
@@nwilkerson2365 Well there have been some very good movies made on video. I considered a few of them for this video but my preference is the filmic look so that rather knocked 'em all out. 'Lucy' is another cracking disc. John.
Viewing your site for the first time. Extremely informative. I'm a huge collector of DVDS and Blu-rays. Considering getting into 4k. I also like viewing movies through my Emerson projector. You did make a mention of a 4k projector. So, I have to upgrade and purchase a separate 4k projector in order to view my 4k movies? The projector I have projects Blu-ray. Not good enough?
Good morning Christopher. Blu-ray is exceptional quality and in terms of clarity if the 4K disc and the Blu-ray disc have been created from the same video master file you will not be able to discern a difference in terms of clarity. Where you will see the difference is in the superior colour capabilities and density (contrast) of the 4K. To achieve this on your screen will require a 4K video projector. I have two of them, the older model has a bigger chip and is therefore more 4K than the new model (pixel shifting is what goes on in order to use the 4K label) but I'll be darned if I can tell which has the superior clarity because they are both brilliant. Trevor at Double Bill Movies got an entry level 4K (pixel shifting) Optoma video projector for well under a grand and he's achieving exceptional results from it. John.
Shining, interstellar, Gemini man, wizard of oz, revanant, tremors, green knight, dark knight, mission Impossible fallout are all some of my favorites to view. Older classics are always what I anticipate viewing the most when new transfers are announced.
I haven't seen all of those in 4K Ray but I think Gemini Man is the worst looking video I've ever seen. I expect it would have been a showstopper in LCD 3D and given that it was reportedly 120fps in cinemas I suppose that was what it was made for. John.
Thrilled to see you rate Murder on the Orient Express so highly. I was flabbergasted when I bought that disc. One of the best for sure. On the Dark Knight Rises subject, there’s certainly an argument it’s stronger from beginning to end than even its predecessor. The second movie peaks to such a degree in the second act that it’s almost got nowhere to go. Where as Rises absolutely builds to an exciting conclusion where anything could happen. Bruce climbing out of the pit it as euphoric as anything in the trilogy.
I too could not believe what I was seeing when I first put the 4K disc of Murder on the Orient Express in the player. I still can't quite believe how good it is today. Let's hope Death on the Nile looks almost as good when it comes to market next month. As for the Dark Knight trilogy of films I'd actually avoided them for years because I had become disillusioned with Batman on the big screen. That turned out to be a rather good thing because when I did see them is was on 4K disc. What an absolute treat! John.
This isn't exactly super relevant to this particular video, but I thought it the least obtrusive. I was sifting through and picking a movie from every year with a very nice 4K transfer to keep. Figured I'd get your take. Weighing in film quality and visuals, would you rather recommend Dunkirk or Murder on the Orient Express for the 2017 pick? I'm having a tough time deciding.
That's difficult Kolton and both have arguments in their favour. Orient Express is the best image quality on 4K disc but I would probably struggle if I'd seen them both at a cinema, particularly when you consider Dunkirk is genuine IMAX and the extract I saw of that at the BFI IMAX was one of the most memorable things I've ever seen in a cinema. Given we're talking 4K discs here though, Murder on the Orient Express just has the edge. If in any doubt, take a look at the wailing wall sequence near the beginning and in particular, where the elevated camera is looking down on the crowd. There you will see distant faces that are still pin sharp. I've not seen definition on video like that ever before. John.
@@moviecollector5920 Thank you. Your input is much appreciated! Also I love how even with approaching 21K subscribers, you make time for so many comments and interact with your audience. It's very cool.
4K Death on the Nile just announced in the US - Video - Captured on Panavision Super 70 film stock 2:39:1 aspect ratio, and was mastered in 4K. HDR10 grading for the disc and Dolby Vision available on digital. Looks priming John!
Morning Rob. Death on the Nile should have an aspect ratio of 2.20:1 but there was so much messing around to generate 70mm prints that I wouldn't be surprised if it's been cropped a little. I rather expect that it's going to look more impressive at home than it did at the Odeon but I may be wrong. John.
Some of my favorite 4K discs are films that had poor or mediocre Blu-ray transfers, just because the upgrade is so huge. Examples off the top of my head are Predator, The Matrix (the Blu-ray was recolored with a heavy green tint and looked more like video), and Arrow’s excellent release of Tremors.
@@tsloan2100 oh yeah it’s amazing and very filmic. Predator 2 as well. The exact opposite of the last Blu-ray release, which I’m pretty sure qualifies as the worst transfer of all time, with laughably heavy noise reduction to the point where it practically looked like a Pixar remake.
Predator was issued on Super 8 in about 1991 and it was one of the best ever Super 8 prints. I'm amazed that it was messed up for Blu-ray release for that reason because if anyone had have asked me about it for a 4K release I'd have confidently predicted that it would look excellent. However, it was a 35mm shoot so it was never going to be up there with the best offered by 65mm shoots for 70mm release. I still have the Super 8 print by the way and it still looks fantastic. John.
I recieved my 4K copy of Suspiria released by Synapse Films. It is by far the cleanest, sharpest and richest colored 4K i have yet watched. I highly recommend for you to get it if you haven't yet!
I keep forgetting to see if I can get hold of a copy of Suspiria Pedro. I'm pretty sure it was a 35mm shoot so it may be up there with the likes of Jaws but unless something was done that I don't know about it isn't going to match the 70mm films. I don't think I've seen Suspiria since I was a child... sounds nuts really but my brother and I used to watch every horror film that was around. Even had The Exorcist on Super 8 which we showed to all our school friends. Biggest success we ever had for a film show with our school friends was The Texas Chainsaw Massacre. I think I'm living proof that video nasties don't turn you into a psychopath! John.
I agree. I had to shell out close to £40 for it but worth every penny. I've never seen it look (or sound) better than the Synapse release. An essential purchase.
Great top ten list. I was struck by one of the closing statements of 4k disc's packing in? What has caused this? I hear a lot about the production factory's struggling to produce the volumes needed with a fraction of staff due to shrinking sales. So mixed up disc's in box sets. Audio tracks on the masters not right and now disc's that stop working?
I think it's the miniscule data that the laser is trying to read Martyn and a few discs having faulty silver reflective layers that get a little more distorted by the heat from the laser so that the next time the disc is played the fault has made itself known. But I may be completely wrong. John.
@@moviecollector5920 thank you John for your video and your responses. I've yet to take the 4k plunge as my THX calibrated plasma is pulling out some wow moments for not only 1080p streaming and Blu Ray, but is pulling upscale duties for DVD and Laserdisc. I follow all great videos like yours as well as classic AV forums to brush up on UHD/4k and the various HDR meta data formats ready for the day I might need to bite the 4k OLED apple
@@jefffan171 The solution there Martyn is to keep the telly and get a 4K video projector. Then you'll have the best of both worlds. And before anyone tries to tell you that you'll have to spend a fortune on a screen all you really need to do is paint a wall white. It's better if you have black masking around the projected image of course but that can be blu-tacked to the wall when you have a big screen show. Easy peasy, lemon squeezy! John.
Great review. I agree that the older movies are never going to match new Imax. I do however love seeing restorations of the old films. Having seen most of them on television in standard definition the improvements now are phenomanal. It’s like seeing a whole new movie. Django, Spartacus, Lawrence of Arabia, Goldfinger, Zulu, Vertigo, The Ladykillers, Jaws, Taxi Driver, It’s a mad mad mad world, Good the Bad and the Ugly. I will stop there but could quote many more 😀
Funny that you should mention 'The Good, The Bad & The Ugly' Simon because that one was shot Techniscope. To save you looking up that process it was 35mm at an aspect ratio of about 2.40:1, but - and it's a big BUT - Techniscope was only two sprockets high! this means it is half the quality of an anamorphic 35mm film. It was blown up optically to make 2x squeeze release prints for cinemas. It is amazing that it should look any good at all but I suppose even Techniscope is a slight upgrade over 16mm quality so it probably illustrates just how good film is and why it is still superior to this day. Zulu would make for an excellent 4K release. Just like Spartacus it was Super Technirama 70. John.
@@moviecollector5920 Thanks John, I suspect I am being a little biased with The Good Bad and the Ugly as it’s one of my favourite films. Definitely a good step up from the Blu Ray though. Can’t wait to see The Godfather trilogy. Great channel, i’m going to subscibe.
@@simonmcpartlin6547 All three of the Dollars trilogy were shot Techniscope and it was just a money saving exercise to do it. It is possible to get very good results from it though because if you think about it some movies were shot 16mm and blown up and no one seemed to notice the difference with them. The Texas Chainsaw Massacre isn't the best example as it looked pretty awful at the time but I bet even that looks pretty good from the latest 4K transfer of the 16mm camera negative. Film has greater resolution than the industry seems to want to have us believe. John.
I have Spartacus The Dark Knight (don’t have Dark Knight Roses yet) and Orient Express and the picture quality on all of those really is exceptional. The IMAX scenes in Dark Knight are stunning, so I might seek out Dunkirk next. Tenet for me is just such an impenetrable movie I cannot face watching it again!
Tenet takes some working out Darth but I've grown to really like films that make me think. I don't think I've ever had to think so hard about a film as Tenet but fortunately I worked it all out and incorporated it in my review video so if you do ever dare to sit through it again, have a look at my video first and then it just might all make a bit of sense. John.
Excellent channel and video! The 4K movies that I enjoy most are: Top 10 Shot on film: Jaws, Alien, The Shining, Scarface, Die Hard, Groundhog Day, The Shawshank Redemption, Braveheart, Gladiator and Black Hawk Down. Top 10 Digital: The Avengers, 13 Hours, The Revenant, Sicario, Logan, Dunkirk, 1917 and John Wick trilogy. Overall top 10: Jaws, The Shining, Scarface, Groundhog Day, The Shawhank Redemption, Braveheart, Black Hawk Down, The Revenant, Sicario and 1917.
That's a darned good list John Rambo. A few of them I haven't actually seen at all let alone on 4K so I must do better in future. Dunkirk was shot on film though - 70mm IMAX film so that's why it looks so good. What a wonderful hobby this love of film is and the best part of all is we can all talk about it with like-minded folk on here. John.
@@moviecollector5920 Thanks for the answer and I'm glad you liked my list! You're right, I missed the point that Dunkirk was filmed in analog format (Nolan is a staunch defender of it). In accordance with everything you say, thanks again for the answer and continue with your channel. PD: It would be great to see a future list of your top 10 or top 15 best transfers after you have seen some titles pending review.
@@jorgeiramain There are so many great 4K discs that I've already been thinking that a video along the lines of 'Another Ten Best 4K Ultra HD In My Collection' so I'll see if I get the time to find another ten best. Another one people sometimes ask for is my top ten favourite films. I usually reply that I hope I haven't seen them yet but I do have ten to fifteen films that I think are my current favourites so it might be fun to go through them. Cue a lot of Super 8 and LaserDiscs in that one as it would be a good excuse to show previous home movie releases of some great films. John.
@@moviecollector5920 I would love to see part 2 of the top 10 4K transfers (thank God there are so many good ones available). A video with your list of 10 or 15 favorite movies would be great too. In this regard, I have to point out that your answer "I hope I haven't seen them yet" is very clever.
@@jorgeiramain I have to admit that the late film critic Barry Norman gave a similar answer when asked to name his favourite films and that stuck with me so I rather borrowed my answer from him. I hope to get to HMV and CEX today to see if there's anything available that is suitable for a review video but I'll keep the top ten type of videos in mind for when/if there's nothing worthwhile to review. John.
I hate to be the bearer of bad news, but Ford v ferrari is a 2K Di upscale. The appearance of grain is actually digital noise, due to it being blown up to 4K. And then of course, what is the screen size equivalent standard they use? I don't know, I believe it was 42 @ one point. But I hear with 4K it's around 10ft and up, where you start to get that compression noise. I haven't seen FvF yet. So it's that, and maybe they added regrain to it to give it a film like look. But since I know, you roll big style, it's probably just the blow up.
Thank you Grant. If it's video noise then it's duplicated the look of film grain so well that it's actually done the film a favour. It looks fabulous and proves that video can be made to work. John.
I've been looking to upgrade to a 4k display and in the interim I have been upgrading from DVD, etc. to 4k for certain films. I am not going to get everything in 4k when a Blu-ray is fine. Disney stuff in general from everything I have read is a bit of a mixed bag when it comes to 4k releases. I recently did pick up a few of the films you highlighted in regular 4k or even in Steelbook. Apocalypse Now (Steelbook 4k) 1917 (Steelbook 4k) Ten Commandments (Steelbook 4k) I picked up the Dark Knight Trilogy on 4k as single releases each for about $10 a piece on a Black Friday sale. I have yet to pick up Dunkirk in 4k but I did see it in Theaters and it was amazing. More recently I picked up the 4k of Who Framed Roger Rabbit. I have been wanting to get both of the Bladerunner films as I have read nothing but good things about the 4k releases of those.
Blu-ray is indeed excellent Linkman and a lot of the time you won't seen much difference between a 4K and a Blu-ray, particularly if they're both taken from the same master. The sequel to Blade Runner doesn't look very good on either of my systems but a lot of people think it's among the best quality they've seen. Something about the Denis Villeneuve films doesn't seem to agree with my equipment as Dune looked pretty drab too. Those steelbooks you purchased must be nice. I did spot The Ten Commandments on the shelves of FOPP when I was in there five or six weeks ago but it was £40 and I already had the standard release that cost me £30 when it first came out. I have both versions of Apocalypse Now - the three disc and the six disc - but that's because I thought that because I had the original version of the film on Blu-ray I'd be able to put up with the latest version on 4K. But the 4K quality was so good and put the Blu-ray to shame so I had to get the six disc set just so I could see that original version of the film in quality at least as good as I'd seen in the cinema in 1979. John.
Great review as always. I am glad to say that I have all these films on 4K - thanks for the heads up about 6 disc Apocalypse now set which I have now ordered from HMV and should get next week. I now have a 4K projector too and a reasonable size screen - not as big as yours though.
Well done Paul. That six disc Apocalypse Now is one of the best releases ever as far as I'm concerned. I only really like the original version of the film but if you like all three then you have a lot of film to watch and hours upon hours of extras too. It's a film enthusiasts treat. John.
I just wanted to say this is the first video from your channel I’ve seen so far and you did a wonderful job. I’ll definitely leave a follow and wish you the best:)
The Godfather movies are great films, I just didn't enjoy them the one time I ever watched them. The upshot is that I doubt I'll be getting that new 4K set Andy. Well, not any time soon anyway. John.
great review I saw2001 in London on giant Cinerama screen although it was shot in super Panavison70 it looked great on the giant curved screen yes please keep making the review s
Supposedly, according to many 4K aficionados, Lawrence of Arabia is the best 4K disc, but it’s only available in an out of print boxed set. Have you gotten a chance to review that one? Of the 4K restorations I’ve seen, I’ve been most impressed by Vertigo. Vertigo, My Fair Lady, Spartacus, and Lawrence of Arabia were restored originally by Robert Harris. It’s his efforts which were built upon.
I don't have the 4K disc of Lawrence of Arabia but I have the Blu-ray and as I recall even that looked pretty fabulous. But then it should as it was a 65mm shoot and the restoration it went through in 1989 was extremely thorough. That restoration was done in time too which meant Robert Harris and his team were able to reconstruct the film even though some elements and complete scenes were missing from the original camera negative when they started. As for the other films you've mentioned, they're all large format films with Vertigo being VistaVision in case the format of that one was a bit of a mystery to you. The use of the large format films has consistently resulted in the best quality video discs today so it's just a shame more films aren't shot on those formats today. It's all about the expense of it really and the fact that most people don't even notice the outstanding image quality they give. John.
Morning Gurdip. The shelves were ordered and delivered by Argos. As you see them behind me it is two shelving units mounted on top of one another with the top one being placed upside down. I've done this for years but now we have a room to put all of the discs out on display I ordered a few more of these shelving units. I think they are £18 each so an absolute bargain really. John.
@@gurdipvirdee9194 I put them on the shelf in the order of the video last watched. However, when we moved I separated the DVDs as we don't put DVDs on very often any longer. Putting them on the shelf in order of when they're watched does mean I have to shift a lot of discs along each time we spin a disc but it does mean we don't have to keep a written record of which title was watched when. John.
Are you planning on doing a review of the Godfather movies on 4K John? It's my 50th birthday and so I made myself an offer I could not refuse and got the 50th special edition of the three films yesterday - have watched the beginning of part one - looks really good and although I do not have a trained eye for this stuff - simple things like the red flower on Brando's wedding suit or Dianne Keaton's dress looks better than before colour wise so it all stands out, but feels kind of grainy at the same time plus the sound is great. One to look forward to.
Happy 50th birthday James. Your going to have a great time enjoying The Godfather films all over again. I only ever saw the first two films (I have them on LaserDisc but only ever ran them once) but didn't particularly like them. I don't think I've ever seen a mob film I've really enjoyed so it's not the Godfather films per se, I think I just don't like all that double-crossing, murderous thuggery. I can see that they are great films though despite the fact that I don't particularly enjoy them. John.
Hi John thank you for what u do! With the pic of the theatres ( here the Pictureville in Bradford) it wets the appetite to watch a film lol. It's fun to agree and disagree, keeps us on our toes for more ideas. These lists are tough either way and will always be challenged hence the fun. I gained some new ideas from this list so will check out The Dark Knight Films and Orient Express. Any talk of Casablanca some day? Just curious if it will find it's way to 4k. Cheers Dave BC!
Greetings Dave. I only finally decided to do this video because nothing much has been coming out worthy of review lately and so many people had asked me to do it. There seems to be quite a bit of agreement on many of the titles in the list which I wasn't really expecting. Gemini Man has been pointed out to me a few times in these comments but I think that's the worst 4K I've seen so that was never likely to make the top ten... it will make the bottom ten though! As for Casablanca, I don't think that will benefit much from a 4K release but you never know if it is ever done it might look spectacular. Black and white has always been sharper than colour on film owing to the silver content of the film stock. John.
@@moviecollector5920 "the silver content of the film stock", very interesting. Just a lover of B@W. Psycho I felt looked pretty darn good. Out of interest in slim pickings for new content I see the Godfather films are now released here. My notifications are turned if you put in a review I'll be excited to read. I imagine a tone of us will almost automatically be adding this collection by default maybe lol. Many regards to you and all over in England. Really enjoy your channel ! Dave. PS. agree on the SOHO poster .. very very sweet! Cheers D in BC
@@davemillage6129 I'd like to be able to say that I am going to review The Godfather films but unfortunately I never got on with them. I have the first two films on LaserDisc but have only ever run them once. Something about gangsters, mafia and the double-crossing murderous violence doesn't appeal to me. I can't imagine why! But I can see that they are great films, they're just no my cup of tea. Don't know what I'll do as a video next but I'll come up with something. Many people have suggested a video of my favourite films and if I did that one cue lots of Super 8 features and LaserDiscs. John.
I have to agree there are issues with the 4K format. I'd say 1 or 2 out of 10 discs I've bought will freeze on me at some point in the last quarter of the film. Sometimes I can skip the chapter and it will keep playing but most times, once it reaches that point it's unwatchable. None of them have been recognised as botched discs that have needed to be recalled (that's another problem entirely), so I think there's an issue of having so much data packed onto a disc at such a high bit rate, that the smallest encoding issue on a single disc can render them essentially useless.
Well done Luke because your conclusion about the tiny data on the disc is my current thinking. The laser is having to read something so miniscule that the slightest damage caused by the heat from the laser could cause the disc to freeze the next time it's pulled off the shelf and put in a player. A few commenters on here have again told me Dune is one of the best 4K discs in their collection. Dune may have been a bit of a disappointment for me but it would get the number one spot for the most interesting discussion on a single title so far. John.
@@moviecollector5920 The 3rd disc layer of 4K Blu-rays that's only found on discs of VERY LONG movies, simply presents too difficult of a challenge for many UHD 4K BD player models to be able to handle without freezing. So I'm glad that a year ago, when being ready to upgrade my home theater to 4K, I was advised to get the Panasonic UB-820 UHD 4K BD player, so as to avoid freeze ups with lengthy films on 4K discs which require 3 layers. That truly was the best 399 dollars I ever spent, since no 4K BD, including "2001", has even had an unintended 2 second pause as the film played. And Movie Collector, thanks SO MUCH again, for all of your efforts that you put forward, in helping other film fans, by sharing your vast knowledge!!
@@mrb0775 Thank YOU Mike. And thank you again for your guidance on 4K players. I've had it in mind for quite a while to get the top end Panny model the next time around and have it chipped for all region DVD and all zone Blu-ray. John.
Love LOVE the A-Now Redux 6 Disc collector's edition. Was so glad to have that in my collection. Redux is still my Favorite version. Final Cut is great too, but Redux still remains my favorite version. Really nice list, enjoyed the commentary.
That six disc set is very special. I have only ever seen Redux once when it was first released. I do prefer The Final Cut but my preference is still the original version of the film and that was why I had to get the six disc set in the end. Basically I wanted to see the original film in the same quality as the 4K disc of The Final Cut. John.
I'd love to be able to bring myself to watch Tenet or MOTOE to see the quality 4K transfer you speak of, but having watched 1000's of movies in my lifetime and having my own Cinema at home, Tenet is one of the worst films I've ever watched in my puff, and I came very close to turning it off at one point. As for MOTOE, I almost fell asleep. I picked up Top Gun in 4k recently and it was one of the best movie experiences since Interstellar and Annihilation. Picture and sound blew me away.
Top Gun is a real surprise as it was only a Super 35 production. It really has no business looking that good but so many Super 35 shoots do look pretty terrific. Backdraft is another. Tenet takes some comprehending but I did work it all out so if you haven't seen that review video yet, I go through all the confusion and hopefully you'll be able to make sense of it next time around. Murder on the Orient Express is more of an oldies film as it's not a wham, bam, thank you ma'am type of film so it may just be that you're just not completely past it yet! Once you've got a zimmerframe you'll probably really enjoy it. John.
Technicolor does not have to be blurry. Criterion always does an exceptional job lining up the three Technicolor negatives to prevent and shimmer, outlining or blurring from mismatched negative strips in the transfer.
It's the vagaries it the original matrices Randy. They were often there and not even a computer seems able to match the three elements up entirely when they didn't match in the first place. Not many people would ever notice because it isn't really noticeable but I pick up on things like this because I know to look for them. John.
Great video as always John. I love a top ten. Jaws has always been a favourite of mine and I think it looks amazing for such an old film. Theres a deal on Amazon UK at the moment on 2001 in 4K. Its currently £13.99 which is pretty cheap for such a great transfer
Cor, £13.99 is a bargain. I always try to avoid Amazon for everything though and I have paid quite a lot more from alternative shops and suppliers just to avoid them. Well, Amazon are killing our high streets after all. But with this one, I may just succumb! John.
@@moviecollector5920 Sorry John, only just saw your reply. I only buy off Amazon when I cant get it in HMV to be fair. They always have some great deals especially the 3 for 30 they did recently. I managed to pick up Le Mans 66 in the deal. Was the first time I had seen it and thought it was a great film. I did however use amazon for the new Robocop special edition as they offered me a £10 voucher so got it for 25. Brilliant package all round and looks great in 4k. Sharp picture and a nice amount of grain
@@chrissyboy7047 I nearly purchased 2001 in HMV a few days ago as they had it on offer too - I think it was £15. Funnily enough I'm preparing for my next video and it will be the 4K of Robocop which I bought in HMV on the same visit. I've watched both versions of the film and almost all of the extras, plus I've read the book which is a really interesting read. I need to give one of the discs another spin because at no time did I select the Dolby Atmos audio to check that one was okay because the 4.0 and 5.1 are not exactly top-notch. The best sound of the three I've checked so far is the Dolby Stereo/ProLogic track which is worth a try if you run it again. The dialogue was getting drowned out a little too much in places (a common problem with modern movies) but the Dolby Stereo tracks put the dialogue back to the correct level and still gave very effective surround sound. I think some miss the fact that the volume usually requires turning up a little for the Dolby Stereo tracks to get everything back to where is tends to be with Dolby Digital and as a result we've forgotten how good those matrixed surround soundtracks really were. Today I'll be looking at Robocop on Super 8 to see how it matches up to the new 4K and them perhaps tomorrow I can get on with recording the video. Stand by! John.
@@moviecollector5920 Thats brilliant timing John. I really enjoyed it again. Ive only watched the directors cut and will be watching the theatrical version so I'll give the stereo soundtrack a go. Have you seen Oliver Harpers retrospective review? Its really interesting and he goes into detail about the soundtrack. Apparently it was remastered at a later date and the music was enhanced so it drowns out the sfx. The drug den shoot out being a prime example. I watched it originally with the Atmos soundtrack and whilst it was good, it wasnt amazing. Overall Im pleased with it. Havent read the book fully yet but its a very nice little thing
@@chrissyboy7047 Well I've just been going through quite a few things on Robocop again and the Dolby Stereo tracks are better than the Dolby Atmos. I don't have an Atmos decoder but it splits down into 5.1 and assuming it's similar on most systems out there it rather makes sense why the '2.0' soundtrack is left as the default because it's the best. Just turn it up a few notches to match the level of the other soundtracks. Surround sound seemed a little better too but I may have been imagining that. I did watch a few Oliver Harper videos a while back but I didn't get on particularly well with them. I'll have to try him again sometime. Before this evening's movie I want to have a look at the Director's disc again to make sure there is a little image degradation in the added sequences. I was enjoying the film too much and they're mainly such quick cuts that I didn't really take it in. Interestingly the extra on the theatrical disc 'Robocop: Edited For Television' has a much nicer look that the 4K versions of the film. These sequences were from 35mm prints prepared for television and the colour is more natural rather than the more colourless look of the theatrical version. Mabye the Arrow Blu-ray release of Robocop will look the same as these 35mm for television graded sequences, but I doubt it. John.
An interesting video would be a Top 10 4K wish list, Jeff at Films at Home did one recently, I certainly agree with him that Baraka and Samsara should be transferred, as well as Koyaanisqatsi
I think the best 4Ks so far have told us all that it's the genuine 65mm productions for 70mm release that look the best Luke so Baraka certainly should be on the list. Another would have to be Grand Prix, then How The West Was Won (three-strip Cinerama), Ice Station Zebra... anything 70mm basically. Maybe it's something I'll look into for a video down the line but I don't want to copy anyone because that wouldn't be right. So many people had asked me for this one that I finally just got on with it. John.
@@moviecollector5920 that's fair enough! I think if we were living in a perfect world, Breakfast at Tiffany's and Amelie would be instant pick ups for me, but I'm not sure how they were filmed
@@lukekingsland5851 I'm fairly sure that both Breakfast At Tiffany's and Amelie were 35mm shoots. They should therefore both look pretty fabulous on 4K but not up to the same level of the 65mm, VistaVision, Technirama or any other large film formats that have been used down the years. John.
The film grain is the film grain. If we weren’t seeing it before, it’s because it was filtered out or because the media obscured it. Seeing grain in film is like seeing pores and skin texture in photos. (Incidentally, many retouches smooth out skin and then overlay back texture for idealized skin)
Film grain does get exacerbated by the scanning process for home video. It's been confirmed by two of the major studios now, Paramount and Universal if I remember correctly. It's still brilliant to see it though even if it has been reined in a little to make it look more like we see on a real film print. John.
@@moviecollector5920 I’ve scanned over a hundred thousand frames of film, mostly still images in 35mm, 120, and 4x5, with some super35 movie footage, and I’ve rarely had an issue with grain becoming unmanageable or exaggerated. What grain is there can be managed using filters, lenses, and light source properties. Having said that, there is a stacking of contrast and grain during the duping process, but that would not account for massive increases in grain in some 4k films. If I had to guess, it would be a combination of previous scans for VHS, DVD, and even Blu-ray having received some denousing and filtering to soften the noise, in addition to the lower resolution formats. Going “back to the source” reverses that, and begs the question “what source?” We could be seeing the actual grain, without all the subsequent manipulation, or it could be exacerbated grain because the “source” is an internegative of a copy of a copy and, like you said, copying has increased the grain. Having said all that, the grain varies from take to take, scene to scene, and reel to reel.
Hello friend. Excellent video with great input on all selections. I agree on all Christopher Nolan selections I was lucky enough to see both Inception and Interstellar in true 70 mm IMAX and yes it is quite a spiritual experience. For me though the film I would like to see transferred to a 4K release would be Last of the Mohicans. One of my favorite films and I truly enjoy how Michael Man shoots with natural light. Your thoughts? Please and thank you and always enjoying your Channel.
Thank you for your kind words. I haven't seen The Last of the Mohicans for many years but I think we're talking about the Daniel Day Lewis version which was pretty terrific as I recall. I also very much enjoyed a television series as a child so it's a great story that lends itself well to film. If it gets issued on 4K I'll be the one in front of you in the queue to buy it! As for Christopher Nolan, he's one of the greatest film makers in the world today. In terms of how he shoots his films he's probably at the top of the list followed by Kenneth Branagh. Let's hope more directors become powerful enough to insist on large format film for their productions. John.
Love your list, info, and comments as always. I think The Shinning, Blade Runner, and Dune 2021 also deserve mention. Great transfers, great sound, great movies!!!
The Shining is excellent James but it's a 35mm and they struggle up against the 70mm films. Blade Runner is fabulous but for it's also a 35mm. Dune looked pretty awful on both my systems but all the reports came in on the comments for that video review and it seems more people had trouble with it than didn't and apparently it was the same at cinemas. There's a lot of discussion on the comments for that Dune video that might make for interesting reading. John.
@@FRandAI Thank you for reminding me Forrest. The original version of Dune was a 35mm of course so that's why it looks so good as a 4K disc. Not all the 35mm transfers look as good but that's usually down to the film stock used and how any film was shot on the day. My recollection of the 1984 films is a lot of bright, colourful scenes... and someone riding on the back of a giant worm! But I'm hoping to get into an HMV today (the Newbury branch) so I might see if it's affordable as I'd like to see it again... haven't seen it since 1984. John.
That’s a very nice 4K collection. Unfortunately I do not have the upgraded equipment for 4K but do have two 4K discs from which in my opinion “Valerian” is the best looking one.
When I saw jaws on blu ray for the first time that was the most amazing picture upgrad I’ve ever seen. Is the 4k that much better looking? I can’t imagine that.
It really is much better J T but it's not going to be increased resolution you see, it's richer colour and deeper density. The Blu-ray is fabulous though. John.
@@kthx1138 Jaws is a great 4K release Mike. It's pretty darned good on Blu-ray but the addition of HDR to the 4K is what makes the difference. That's something I spoke about in my review of the Jaws 4K which Universal have claimed for themselves now as they didn't like me demonstrating the anamorphic process using their trailer on Super 8 film. Lesson learned there and I'm extra careful with anything Universal now. John.
I never actually heard of 2.2 by 1 before so thank you for making me aware of it. I'll make sure I never make that mistake. Good to have you here. John.
Many have cited the Blade Runner sequel Ghetti but it actually looked rather drab on both my systems but perhaps you have Dolby Vision and that's pulling more out of it. Denis Villeneuve films tend to look a little colourless so it's may be just the look he likes. By contrast, the original Blade Runner looks fabulous just not up to the standard of the 70mm films but that's no surprise. One I missed which probably would have been in the top ten is the recent James Bond 'No Time To Die'. Another film with a lot of 70mm in it. John.
@@yeaboy707 Leon is an excellent film. I saw it at The Empire upon first release and have had it on Blu-ray for many years. It was a 35mm shoot so as good as it looks it won't come up to 65mm and genuine IMAX standards. A lot of the 1990s 35mm productions look fantastic and that's because as far as I'm concerned it's when picture quality at the cinema peaked. The downturn started late 90s and was really set on its way with the Star Wars Attack of the Clones video which foisted video projection on the Odeon Leicester Square. To this day that is the worst image quality I have ever seen in a cinema. John.
Many have asked me for that one but I struggle to think of a list. I think the problem is that I have all my favourite films on Super 8 and for me nothing will ever replace them on that format. Many apparently want The Abyss on 4K but I have a beautiful 'Scope Super 8 print so that's about as good as it gets even if the 4K will undoubtedly look better. John.
I've tried to make them all as professional as possible J J so hopefully you'll find a few of interest. Biggest one in terms of views so far is 2001: A Space Odyssey in 4K - Why Does It Look So Good? John.
It's been a wonderful hobby for me Darrin. Take a look a my 'The Super 8 Gauge' video I did about 18 months ago and you'll see how it all started for me. I've never lost my fascination for the moving image but shooting movies on video just doesn't hold the same appeal even though it's how I made a living for about 15 years before Covid-19 came along and pretty much killed my little business overnight. John.
Well if you do get Tenet and you can decipher it, I'll send you a medal!!! Orient Express is the best video quality I've ever seen and I am still astounded by it when I put it on as I did for this video. John.
That would be interesting Jeff. The trouble is I have most of the best films of the last century on Super 8 so probably won't see too many of them on 4K. It's been great to be able to watch them on a big screen over the past 50 years though. John.
I'll keep my eyes open and get another copy of 2001 Roy. I feel that I need to go through all my 4K discs now that I've found a third one with the same fault but that's well over 100 discs now so it's not something I'll be able to do quickly. Maybe we'll try to watch a couple every week from now on and see how it goes. John.
Love your channel! I still havent upgraded my blu ray of Dunkirk to 4K. Is there really much difference in image quality? Sicario is another 4K that has excellent image quality along with Life of Pi, District 9 and Hacksaw Ridge. Just a few more for you to check out! 👍
Morning Mike. It's HDR that makes the difference between Blu-ray and 4K so you probably won't see any difference in resolution on our tiny home screens but colour and density makes the investment worthwhile. Having said that, it's probably only worth shelling out again if you love the film. A few people have mentioned Life of Pi but I saw a preview somewhere when it was still in post production and that put me off. I don't like live action films that are made to look like cartoons and that had it in spades. Avatar is another of that ilk that I still haven't managed to see owing to the look of it. One day. John.
Thank you Mark. The problem with 2001 is the most extreme I've come across so far and I can only get through it if I skip two chapters ahead before the fault appears otherwise it's a complete lock-up. Still, the disc will make a nice beer mat! John.
@@robertt9342 I think it's developed the errors on the menu too now so it's a silver layer deterioration by the look of it. This was known as 'laser rot' on LaserDiscs but they would keep playing, just with a load of interference like imagery until the damaged area was passed. I've come across five 4K discs with this issue now and one that had the fault from new. I've replaced three of them but another I purchased a replacement for had the same error in almost the same location, just a couple of minutes sooner. John.
This is the video I'm most excited for. Great list John and thanks to you I now have several in my collection. Still a couple more I'd like to add also.
NiceGuyAidey just reminded me how good No Time To Die is too which I had completely forgotten about so if you don't have that one, there's another one for the list! Whatever you do and whichever titles you end up purchasing Darren I hope you have a great time with them. There's nothing quite like having a great movie in great quality to watch in the home. John.
@@moviecollector5920 No time to die is a purchase that will be done soon for me. I'd rather get it at HMV when it's in a deal which I'm sure it will be soon. I know it's cheaper at Amazon but like you I want to support the high street shops. You're 100% right. Nothing compares to watching something on a big screen. Mines only 100" so doesn't compare to a cinema but still not bad. Maybe one day soon I'll be able to go even bigger
@@Darrenlovesmovies This evening I think we're going to be sticking an old DVD on. I don't think it's going to come up to the standard of the best 4K discs but it's still really enjoyable to watch a favourite film on a big(ish) screen even if the image quality isn't quite the best. John.
Sir, I thought there will be the movie "Mackenna's gold" among your best 4k collection, which has got , breath taking views of Grand Canyon parts, hope they have not released in 4k? Can we play 4k discs in the blue ray disc player? Or another 4 k player?
Good morning Shashidhar. I think there is a Grand Canyon film released on 4K disc and if I'm right it may have originally been a genuine 70mm IMAX so that should look absolutely fabulous. But if you're asking if you can play a 4K disc in a standard Blu-ray player then the answer is no, it has to be a 4K UHD Blu-ray player. They start at around £100 over here in the UK so they're not prohibitively expensive. You do need a 4K telly or video projector to screen them in 4K and HDR though. John.
@@moviecollector5920 sir, thanks for the quick reply,& the enlightenment.plz.give me the name of the other Grand canyon movie on 4k disc, thanking you sir.
@@shashidharmurthy2226 I may be completely wrong Shashidar but I'm pretty sure there was an early 4K release with some IMAX documentaries on it. It may have only been available in North America though and it's possible what I remember was actually a Blu-ray but I would put money on it still looking spectacular. Our home screens are so tiny that it's difficult to see any difference in resolution between Blu-ray and 4K. John.
We watched In The Line Of Fire on Saturday evening Erhard and it is very good but it's a 35mm and therefore will always struggle when compared to 65mm and genuine IMAX. Lawrence of Arabia was 65mm so I know that's going to be one of the best, that's just the way it is. John.
Really interesting stuff in this particular video, but it left me wondering if you've ever seen Gladiator in 4k, or Spider-Man into the Spidervrse,or Blade Runner 2049. These are some of the few that I own, and I would like very much to know what you think of them, since they usually enter other people's top ten list. On another topic..Have you seen the new Spider-Man film?, if so, what do you think of it?
I saw the premiere print of Gladiator Timothy and it looked very good but it is 35mm so like all 35mm and video productions, it would struggle to get into any top ten if really scrutinized on a big screen. Having said that, I haven't seen the 4K but my colleague has got a 35mm general release print so I've rather watched it to death. I haven't seen Spider-Man Into the Spiderverse as I'm not really into modern cartoons. As it's a cartoon it will have lines around everything and that does mean it will give the appearance of superior definition so that's always something to bear in mind with cartoons. Blade Runner 2049 looks fairly poor on both my systems and it's more or less the same as other Denis Villeneuve films in that regard. This seems to happen on various systems with movies shot on video whereas we seem to get greater consistency with movies shot on film. It's certainly all very interesting. But there are some great looking videos out there - Le Mans '66 for one and 1917 but how about Lucy? That one's a cracker and there are plenty of others too. Might have to do a follow up to include some of the better videos. I haven't seen the new Spider-Man yet but I will because Tobey Maguire makes an appearance once more. I have seen the previous two films but I don't think they're particularly good. Enjoyable tosh though. John.
@@parrisprice5892 I think the steelbook over here in the UK is going to be a Zavvi exclusive so I'll be getting whatever is available from HMV as they still have shops on our high streets which Zavvi don't. I could import a steelbook from the US though.... hmmmm.
I only ever saw Robocop once Doug but I may actually give it a second try now it's coming to 4K. The fact that it's an 80s film seems to give me an extra incentive somehow. John.
@@moviecollector5920 It's a fantastic film. Easily one of my all time favourites. If you get the opportunity, check out the recent Running man transfer. They've done a fabulous job.
@@dougquaid570 If The Running Man appears over here then I will certainly get that one. A load of tosh but I love it. I'm one of the few who has read the book too but the book bears hardly any relationship to what ended up on screen. John.
Funny how a good number of films on your list I haven't seen, just as in your description they don't appeal to me, but just curious is this top 10 list based on 4K transfers alone, or both with as your fave movies as well? I saw Murder on the Orient Express and really didn't care much for it. Much prefer the Albert Finney version and would love to see a remastered 4K of it. Similarly, LOVED Death on the Nile with Peter Ustinov, Bette Davis, Maggie Smith, Angela Lansbury and others. This new version was good, just not as good as the original. Just don't see Branagh as Poirot. Don't know what it is, but just find him in the role a bit annoying. But hey, if we all liked the same things and agreed all the time, this world would be pretty boring. ;) Thanks for your review and picks, always good to watch. P.S. the one movie I hope will get a 4K treatment is Cleopatra with Liz Taylor. The 50th anniversary edition was incredible so it has to be close to getting the 4K treatment.
Cleopatra nearly bankrupted 20th Century Fox so although it's not got the greatest film reputation in history it surely has to get a 4K release. Put me down for that one. I based the list on image quality alone but Tenet and Dunkirk may be interchangeable at number 2 and 3 so I put Tenet there largely on a hunch because I really like how that film made me think and think and think to try to work it all out. If I were to work out a top ten next week the same films would be listed but in a slightly different order perhaps. I did manage to overlook 'No Time To Die' which was probably number 6 but you can't win 'em all. I somehow glossed over it on the shelf so sorry about that. As for the 1978 Death on the Nile, that is one of my all-time favourite films. I didn't care anywhere as near as much for the Albert Finney 'Murder on the Orient Express' but I do very much like it. Peter Ustinov is the best ever Hercule Poirot but I also like Kenneth Branagh. That could be the main problem you have with his two films because if you don't appreciate him in the role I can imagine it would rather spoil the films. I never got into the television series which I found a little dull but that may have a bearing too because a lot of people can't see anyone but Mr. Suchet in the lead role as a result. Let's see how good the 4K disc of Death on the Nile is. I don't think it will come up to Orient Express standards but I'll happily be wrong on that one. John.
Fantastic Ranking, John! I need to give all these 4K discs a re-run on my tv, perhaps I may watching one this weekend, tenet maybe. seems that 65mm just makes a 4K disc instantly great (I can't wait to see the Death on the nile 4K disc, I wonder what it will look like compared to the shotty-70mm print) I actually haven't seen Death on the nile yet, I was going to wait for a 70mm screening here in sydney, but non have showed up yet, so I'll just buy the 4K, and if in the future, a 70mm print does visit sydney, I'll be sure to attend that screening! Thanks! Have a great day!
Greetings Clark. I have my suspicions that Death on the Nile will be more impressive at home than it was at the Odeon but I don't know for sure. Whether or not the 4K will come up to the standard of Murder on the Orient Express remains to be seen but it should be a treat however good it is. Tenet may be Nolan's second masterpiece but I doubt it will ever get the credit it deserves owing to the fact that it's almost incomprehensible to most viewers. I'll have to watch my own review video before I watch it again just so I can remember what the hell it's all about! John.
I've seen The Revenant a couple of times on Blu-ray Clive. It's very good to look at on Blu-ray. Sadly I saw a preview for Life of Pi before it was released and the preview completely turned me off the film so that's one I'm unlikely to see for a while. I don't tend to like movies that look a bit cartoonish such as Life of Pi and Avatar which is another that I still haven't seen for that reason. No doubt when I do finally see both of them I'll wonder what the hell I was trying to avoid! John.
Great Top Ten, I have all the Nolan Films on 4k Disc , its good to get the imax scenes , something thats missing on the streaming versions.... I'm patiently waiting for a new Oled to be released so i can enjoy my collection again.. I think No Time to Die would of been in my top ten, not for the film but for the 4k disc quality , thought it was superb...
@@moviecollector5920 Yes it is a stunner of a transfer imo, maybe as the film was not to everyone's taste's its overlooked , look forward to the next video John
The problem with 2001 is probably because it's so long they need to go three layers on the disc. Many players struggle to read from the third layer and will freeze. Just a guess.
A few people have suggested that Steven. The affected three discs I have with the problem are of varying lengths but all played through fine the first time around. I guess I'll find out if it's a player issue or disc issue or both when another 4K player has to be purchased.
Part of the fun in collecting 4K for is seeing how good older films look.
Hear hear Steve! John.
THANK YOU John, you are a RUclips movie buff's dream. Insightful, knowledgeable and always entertaining. Long may your channel grow! Michael - SA
You're a RUclips movie buffs ideal subscriber Michael. Long may we communicate on this channel. John
100% agree - Thank you John for sharing your insights.
Thanks again, John. I love rewatching your videos. Your enthusiasm for film is infectious and your knowledge and delivery makes them so rewatchable. 👌
I find I'm enjoying films more and more as the years go on Matt. I suppose we're able to have bigger home collections for far less money now and that's probably why.
John.
Django 4K UHD is still the best looking 4K transfer on the format in my opinion. I'm not sure if you're judging it by transfer quality or just how movies look. But Django is superb.
Just judging by how good the image looks. If you're talking about the 1966 film Django then that one was 35mm. Some of them do look pretty terrific but I haven't seen any so far that compare with anything shot 65mm or genuine IMAX. Happy to be proved wrong at any time though.
John.
I honestly fast-forwarded through the last 2/3 of the movie -- it's was just so boring, I couldn't take it anymore.
@@hxhdfjifzirstc894 Ah, the tiktok fast band furious generation
@@hxhdfjifzirstc894 go away.
@@BlurayBinge We all have differing opinions Lee and sometimes I find that even if I've really wound someone up by saying that I think a particular film is great and that someone hates it, a quick conversation in the comments and we discover that there are other films we both love. Debate and conversation is vital in all subjects methinks. John.
I’d say Leon is one of the best looking 4ks I’ve seen. The street scenes look incredible. So much detail and colour is fantastic. It’s like a visual time capsule of what a part of New York looked like in the mid 90s.
I haven't seen it on 4K disc Ultrawide but it should look good as it was 35mm. That does mean it won't be as good as the 70mm releases though but maybe someone needs to compare it against the 4K of Jaws to see if it's knocked it off the top spot! John.
Leon is definitely a stunning disc, but Jaws knocks it's socks off.
@@colinbooth531 I think the 5.6K transfer of Jaws may be a part of the reason why it turned out so well. 4K never did seem to be quite enough for full frame 35mm negative stock given that the estimate of what was required per frame in the 1990s was 90mb. Try projecting that sort of data size uncompressed. No chance! John.
@@moviecollector5920 I'm streaming through net but I would have to research what's top DVD 4k player and the other important thing of having a genuine 4k leader to connect the player to the tv.
@@deputyvanhalen6386 Poundland used to sell HDMI leads that handled 4K and yes, they were £1 each. In terms of best 4K players many commenters on this channel have cited the top of the line Panasonic's because they have programmable HDR output and that has turned out to be an important factor because some 4K HDR mastering has not been entirely consistent. Most Panasonic models have basic HDR tuning but the top models are the ones to look at to ensure you can get the best out of the discs.
John.
When the UCI cinemas opened in Whiteley's new shopping centre . It was UCIs first multiplex in London. By UCIs standards the screens were quite small due to hight restraints. I remember opening with one of the Bond films. Because royalty came to the premier, we had a master print for screen 1 and standard prints in all the other screens. It's not often many people get to do a direct comparison. When going round the screens doing final checks, I really thought we had some issues with lens. The difference in detail and general picture quality hit you like a brick. I was amazed how poor the standard print picture quality really was.
A similar, but different experience happened when at Manchester's Printworks multiplex with its huge screens and large auditoriums. We had the largest screen showing Toy Story with the first showing in video of the new very large and expensive Texas Instruments projector. Five other screens were showing standard 35mm prints. Again, the same story, the 4K video looked stunning, the 35mm prints looked soft focus, lacked detail. The word soon got around and people would only want to watch the 4K version. Once again, I was amazed how poor the 35mm prints were. Not an issue if you ONLY watched the 35mm copies
Sorry, this has (almost) nothing to do with your review, just thought you might be interested.
That's really interesting Michael, particularly about the premiere print for the Bond film. One thing to bear in mind with video projection against film is that video projection is consistently brighter. I think that is why it looks so harsh to me and yet here at home I'm able to make video projection look like film. Death on the Nile in 70mm was a little disappointing as it was a 4K video used to create a 65mm negative (clearly nowhere near enough resolution to capture 65mm) but the film did still present the colour range and density of film. It wasn't as bright as the video projection of the trailers just before it but it was a relief for the eyes to take in something that looked so natural.
John.
Disc rot used to concern me when it came to CDs. I probably have around 500, and have only had a very occasional one which wouldn't play at all. Usually it is damage to the disc that allows the reflective part to start oxidizing. I think there are anti-oxidizing elements these days, but a scratched disc is a scratched disc. It used to worry me a lot, but why waste any sleep over it? Great reviews, many thanks!
A few faulty discs isn't the end of the world Lee but it is a little annoying when you're enjoying a film and the damned this locks up. My theory (which may be complete tosh) is that the reflective layer has been faulty from manufacture and the heat from the laser has finished off the faulty sections leading to image break up and lock up. The data the laser is trying to read on a 4K must be so tiny that any problem is exacerbated unlike with previous formats which weren't so miniscule on the disc. If I ever get to the bottom of the problem, I'll report in a future video.
John.
@@moviecollector5920 In reading many reviews of UHD 4K Blu-ray players, as well as comments about the experiences other film enthusiasts have had with various players, saw a number of mentions made about the mid-priced Panasonic UB-820 player, being one of the few on the market that simply avoids 1 type of freeze up that seems to occur with many players when trying to cope with a 3rd layer on 4K discs, that's ONLY found on very LONG movies that exceed running times of about 2.5-3 hrs, or LONGER. Anyway, in using the UB-820 in the year since acquiring it, in March 2021, I've yet to have any 4K Blu-ray freeze up. Hope this info may be helpful to some of my fellow home theater enthusiasts. And Movie Collector, thank you SO MUCH for the terrific info that you provide for us fellow film fans with your fascinating videos! I greatly appreciate all of your efforts!
@@mrb0775 Thank you Mike. That's just the sort of information I'll need to tell fellow enthusiasts in the future if they don't see your post here. I don't suppose it's a third layer problem on 2001 as it's about an hour into the movie. I think the other two discs around about 30 minutes to 45 minutes in and one of them is only about 90 minutes long (Apollo 11). John.
@@moviecollector5920 John, I much appreciate you having taken the time to provide your kind reply. And you're more than welcome as I could only hope to be able to supply a tiny fraction of the very useful info that you regularly share with all of us who visit your channel. As a now retired guy, I'm really looking forward to enjoying hours of learning about cinema and the 4K medium (and even picking up tidbits about 1080p Blu-ray) thanks to the insights & experience of a film and cinema professional, such as yourself. You & yours stay safe during these extraordinary times in which we all live. Mike.
@@mrb0775 Ho ho. We actually decided to contract Omicron Covid-19 recently as it seems to be the only way to get decent long term immunity. We had to get it when we did as the stories of waning immunity from the vaccines were a little concerning and the longer we left it the greater the risk of serious illness. We only had a couple of days of feeling ill and about 10 to 14 days feeling fatigued; that was all that Omicron did for us. If the Hong Kong evidence was anything to go byIt seems to be more serious for the unvaccinated or previously uninfected though. I can't recommend what is right for anyone else but my thinking was - and is - that the only way we can avoid more problems in the future is to get as many of us younger people exposed as possible (and therefore hopefully immune) to protect those who are most at risk.
John.
Perfect timing. I just bought an OLED TV because your channel revitalised my interest in film.
My next purchase was going to be a 4K Blu-ray player, so I'm very pleased to see this list, thank you.
Thank you Irochfort and enjoy your new telly. Next purchase after a 4K player will have to be a 4K projector!!! John.
Same here, hope next month to get a player and revisit my interest in film.
@@moviecollector5920 Thanks, John. I'll be sure to tell my girlfriend you said so!
@@mikefisher2673 There's nothing like being able to go to look at a film collection on your own shelves Mike. There is always something to watch and you don't have to mess around with a computer or a smart TV to find it - just pick the disc out and stick it in the player. I hope you get back into it and it gives you many years of enjoyment. John.
@@moviecollector5920 so true, went from dvd to blu ray was a whole new experience. Watching the Pacific on my system years ago on 5.1, compared to the horrible TV sound made appreciate movies again. Following your show and others listening which disc have the better standards is really helpful.
You are an exemplar of dedication to a favorite craft, an encyclopedia of cinematography! ) The way you explain all the intricate details is very captivating and interesting! It makes me want to major in this art/engineering! Thank you kindly! Wonderful video!
Thanks Dmitri. Hope you and the family are doing well over there. By the way, I didn't realize I was going into detail - I just sat down, looked at the first film in the pile and thought "What am i going to say about this one?" Then it all just seemed to flow out. John.
this was 11 months ago. new list coming? 😉 enjoy your channel a lot. thanks for the insights
I missed out the James Bond film 'No Time To Die' which probably would have featured somewhere. Apart from that there have been a couple of other potentials which are 'NOPE' and TOP GUN: Maverick but I'd have to take a very close look at them to compare them to all the other greats. John.
Nice, i think i may have to get the 6 disc package of Apocalypse Now , its available on Amazon. I watched it 20 years ago and held off as of late for the 4k. Also i definitely must get the Ten Commandments. It sells fast. Thx again John.
Apocalypse Now is one of my favourite 4K discs. It's not quite the best you'll see owing to it being a 35mm shoot but The Ten Commandments is up there with the best. It has optical effects shots where the downgrade in quality is usually obvious but it's fabulous to be able to see it in such quality and with the vivid Technicolor never having looked quite so good. There is a steelbook of the 4K for that one and I was tempted when it suddenly appeared even though I had the normal release already.
John.
A great list, in my opinion. Fully agree with your number 1 pick, it is proof that photochemical film can still be of top-tier quality in the twenty-first century.
I haven't seen every 4K disc Boss but nothing I've seen so far comes up to the standard of the 70mm films transferred to video so if confirmation were needed that film is still the king then I think 70mm is it. John.
Great choices. Some standouts for me in no particular order are; MI Fallout IMAX shots are amazing. Pacific Rim looks awesome. Sony disks sound fantastic, can't go wrong. Godzilla vs Kong is great. Dunkirk is for sure on my list!
Mission Impossible: Fallout is another excellent 4K Roger but I haven't seen Pacific Rim nor Godzilla vs. Kong. I find it increasingly hard to get through special effects laden movies largely done in a computer. There have been exceptions though so maybe one day I'll give that one a try. John.
John, what a fun list. I have them all in my collection and it's hard to disagree with any of your choices. Murder on the Orient Express is the reference disc in my collection and sits at number one here as well. I'm intrigued that you've approached your recommendations from a purely visual perspective. I'd add Vertigo (VistaVision), Alita: Battle Angel, Bladerunner, Bladerunner 2049, Spider-Man into the Spider-Verse, Ma Max Fury Road and Mission Impossible (most recent movie). All that said, the Vistavisions and 65mm sources seem to make the best 4Ks. One note of frustration for me is that I missed the original Columbia set and cannot find Lawrence of Arabia on 4K.
Evening Rob. Fear not for Lawrence of Arabia is coming out as an individual release on 4K soon. I'd prefer a 70mm print but I guess I'll have to wait a while longer for that!
Blade Runner is a fabulous disc but I found the sequel a little drab so I think the image for that one may be optimized for Dolby Vision rather than standard HDR. I don't have Vertigo but one day I'll get that one. VistaVision is a big incentive when it comes to these 4K releases as is 65mm. Having said that, any film made on 35mm today should look better than most because video often just doesn't cut it... unless it's Le Mans '66!
John.
@@moviecollector5920 LOA would be a must buy for me. I'll never forget seeing it in 70/65mm years ago. I really need to add Lemans to my collection. Thanks Jon, best to your seamstress 😊
The Red Shoes (Criterion) is another essential 4K title with stunning picture quality.
That one was a Technicolor tour de force Ian. I only ever saw a reel of it many years ago but that looked fabulous too so I can imagine how good the 4K disc release looks. Just not a film I can get into for whatever reason.
John.
@JamieNelsonsPool I think I only ever saw an extract from The Red Shoes and that really turned me off wanting to see it. I need to try again one day. John.
i highly recommend the new west side story from steven spielberg, it was captured on 35mm, and it looks fantastic
I usually can't bear musicals Master Yoda but I will take a look at the trailer and see if I think I will like it. I never saw the original version and that was 65mm if I remember correctly. But this one is from Mr. Spielberg and that gives me an extra push to look into it. Good to know he used film too which should mean it looks better than a video.
John.
i also don't like musicals but this one is filmed and crafted so beatifully. They used giant real set builds, real locations and unlike the movie from the 60s the actors sang by themselves.
And if you love filmic look it's just fantastic to look at.
@@masteryoda268 Well that's a darned fine advert for it Master Yoda.
@@moviecollector5920 And yet you have My Fair Lady on your list. West Side Story I think you'll like, if nothing for the Spielberg touch all over it.
@@davidsal28 HMV have West Side Story in the two for £30 right now so if I happen to visit a store before that offer runs out you never know. But I have My Fair Lady because so many people asked me to look at it and it was always one of my mother's favourites. John.
I have about 90 percent of all those titles John, the majority bought on your recommendation. I think The Shining and The Revenant are also reference quality too though but if it's a Top Ten some have to be discounted. I just hope this format can survive but with vinyl, CD and cassette making a comeback it gives me hope for all physical media!!
On another day I might have mentioned The Shining as one just outside of the top ten Gary. I did pull it out to consider it but looked at the large stack of titles already and decided against it. I did completely overlook No Time To Die and that certainly should have been in there. You just can't get the staff these days! John.
Hi John. The problem with discs freezing isn’t laser rot, it’s residue on the discs during manufacturing, especially 66/100gig discs. Thoroughly wipe with a microfibre cloth and your problems are over.
Not even alcohol solved the problem on these discs Ben. There may be a solution that dispels my laser rot theory but I haven't found it yet. John.
@@moviecollector5920 I only say that as I had the same issue with 2001 and a lot of the other discs people have complained about and a wipe down with a cloth has always solved the issue.
On 2001 it would always freeze around the scene where Hal is singing Daisy while Dave is shutting him down and now there as no issues with the disc.
It appears that if you've already done this there is indeed a separate issue at play.
Put of interest, the other discs recently heavy with residue post production that have worked for me after a wipe down with a microfiber cloth have been The Thing and Dune (original version). It seems to affect Warner and Arrow discs more and never Sony discs.
@@benpascall4297 That's really interesting Ben. I did have the residue problem with a DVD once and that was either The Terminator or Predator, I can't recall which one now. But I've not come across it again since then. 2001 starts playing up about an hour into it. When I get another player in the future I'll give these discs another try because it's possible a newer player will come with better error correction and be able to get through them. But I won't hold my breath! John.
@@moviecollector5920 it's largely an isolated problem with the production of 4k discs and a quality control issue... Only affecting certain manufacturing facilities on behalf of Warner/Arrow and a few others. Whether this can be attributed to the decline in physical media to 10/15 years ago I'm not sure, but it's a clear QC issue. Sadly not a lot of people are aware of the residue and what a quick fix it is and the forums are full of people complaining about skipping and freezing discs...
It doesn't appear the be the case in your instance John, but I thought it was worth documenting anyway in case you wanted to mention it in one of your videos for people's general awareness.
@@benpascall4297 Thank you for doing so Ben. Eventually I should come across a disc with the residue issue and then I can put people onto it. On the DVD that had the issue years ago I could clearly see the milky film covering that had formed. John.
I’d love to hear your thoughts on the Batman v Superman Ultimate Edition 4k release from very recently. It was supervised by Zack Snyder himself and it includes the original full frame IMAX 70mm sequences. It shifts to 1.43:1 ratio for them too. Absolutely superb and probably the best 4K transfer I’ve ever seen.
I'll answer on your same question on The Flash video Yanal as I think it's more relevant on there. John.
Rewatched this video. Note that I am not a particular car racing fan and never watch any Formula1 racing on tv, BUT.... Le mans '66 is an absolute stunning good film and has exceptional Atmos audio on the 4k disc. It surprised me taht i could enjoy a car racing film this much. Also , TENET is indeed an amazing film. I saw it in the cinema inbetween covid lockdown periods.
I did not see it in IMAX but on a very large screen with good audio. Stunning. I bought the 4k disc immediately when it came out in NL (holland / The Netherlands) where i live, and watched it the same day. I might rewatch one of these days . One of my favourites of director Christopher Nolan's films.
I am very much hoping for a good quality 4k release of James Cameron's ALIENS (1986) in 2024 so maybe next list video, it could be on your list.... IF Mr. Cameron eases up on the DNR he plops onty some of his classic 4k releases. Aliens is still my no 1 fav film ever.
Thank you John, for your always insightful and well informed and calmly and clearly spoken (what a joy!) videos. (Some other bluray reviewers on YT tend to wear you out after a while with a over-excited , sensationalyzed way of presenting reviews)
Regards. Roland.
Evening Roland. I have Aliens on Super 8 and it's a pretty grainy film, but I did see the 70mm blow-up at the Odeon Leicester Square three times and I don't recall the image quality being very like the Super 8 prints (I have two of them). That's possibly a good sign that the forthcoming home video version will be rather good but probably best not to expect too much. With regard to Le Mans '66 a good film is a good film. Ken Miles's story is wonderful so combine that with Carroll Shelby and the Ford GT40 programme and it was a recipe for success on screen. TENET is a great film but it was always going to bamboozle most people and therefore be written off on that basis. I enjoy a challenge though and with image quality like the 4K I simply had to work it all out. To see something looking that good on home video suggested the 15/70 negative was almost unlike anything we'd ever enjoyed before and now having seen one of the 15/70 prints I can confirm that it was. One day it will get the credit it deserves.
To excuse other RUclipsrs who do home movie reviews it can be difficult to sit in front of camera and create something that some people around the world whom you have never met will see. Most haven't done anything like it before so the whole thing can be a little daunting or overwhelming and so the defence for this is to become someone else while the camera is on. I don't feel the need to put a disguise but I can understand why some others do.
John.
Finally, got a copy of Murder on the Orient Express and Death on the Nile. Both of these are just amazing and are definitely demo worthy to show someone what 4K is all about. Gorgeous, just gorgeous.
Funnily enough, I had both of them on a few days ago as part of a comparison to the new 4K of OPPENHEIMER for my latest video. Glad you like them. John.
I love that it's becoming quite difficult to form a list like this. We are building quite a reserve of beautiful transfers on this format!
I'll gladly share the titles in my collection which stand out to me:
Spartacus, My Fair Lady, Jaws, Suspiria, Django, Casino, Apocalypse Now, Tremors, Angel Heart, The Wizard of Oz, and In The Line of Fire.
That's a good list Mozart. I used to do a lot of Super 8 film reviews and it was easier to differentiate the good from the not so good with the biggest screen possible and now that we've moved and are projecting a bit wider than we were able to in our last home I can confirm that the same is true of video projection. If we do manage to get builders in to enlarge the cinema room then I hope to go considerably wider still. Should make the whole process quite a lot easier in the future.
John.
Elysium Eastwood Westerns also by Sony is an excellent 4k tranfer- Also 65 and Prey- Life is excellent for Sci- FI Fans
- Waiting for 4ks of RED Planet- Val Kilmer and Underwater - Clint Eastwood Westerns also look great
Thanks John - really interesting. I do have Jaws in 4K in my iTunes collection and (before for some odd reason it stopped playing in 4K and only in standard def - prompting me to buy the 4k BR - I was really blown away. All the others I have in 4k in iTunes and they all look better than previous BR discs
The bit rate should be lower than a Blu-ray so assuming that's the case then there is something else going on. Many see a brighter image and consider it better and you only have to listen to what reviewers say all the time when reviewing tellies and projectors because they're obsessed with a bright image. I find myself reining my video projector in all the time because it's often too bright to the detriment of the image as a result. 4K discs are more like film and therefore tend to be darker so that's a big thing in their favour over a standard Blu-ray. Jaws is probably still the best 35mm video transfer I've seen. The 5.6K transfer seems to have been closer to the mark.
John.
Thank You for this. I agree that scanning 4k movies in a larger resolution like 8k or 5.6k really benefits the quality. I had a couple of 35mm Kodak vision 3 still films scanned in Germany in very large resolution and they look really amazing.
That transfer of Jaws did seem to point the best way forward but I expect it took half as long again as transferring at 4K and that's possibly why 4K is the chosen compromise. John.
Thanks great top 10 I have most of them. Discs that play fine then next time don't could be disc rot I have had a few titles with this issue. I bought The World at war boxset at CEX and none of the discs played, when I returned it they examined discs and said it was disc rot. I have backups of both blu Ray and 4k discs stored on hard drives on PC I am not shelling out twice for them.
It's a good idea to keep copies of the 4K discs. That will take up a lot of disc space though and I'm already storing so much of my own archive video that I'd need a massive SAN or NAS to make it all work and that would cost many thousands. If I see replacements for any of the faulty discs going cheap I think I'll snap them up because it can't be all of them that are faulty... famous last words!
John.
@@moviecollector5920 yes it's not cheap although I have gradually added drives to my hcpc I think I have 9 drives now ranging from 3tb to 6tb and even this isn't foolproof as I don't have it in a raid erray to protect files if a drive dies. I do use monitoring software to keep an eye on them. I think some issues with disc rot is how they are stored perhaps that copy I bought had been sitting in the boot of a car for weeks with massive changes in temps affecting it prior ending up in CEX.
I was delighted when you said watching Interstellar was like a religious experience. This was my experience as well.
Sadly not many will ever see that masterpiece in genuine IMAX ever again Tom but if I can re-educate the world of the merits of IMAX film (cue maniacal laughter) over projected video in genuine IMAX cinemas then there's just a chance. John.
Excellent list, I have just started collecting 4K last year after upgrading my TV and audio setup. So far I'd say Nolans films, The Matrix, and Skyfall are my top films out of my relatively small 4K collection of around 17 movies so far. I recently picked up Murder on the Orient Express and the picture was spectacular on my display. I much prefer when studios give us proper 4K mastered discs rather than the upscaled digital 2K discs that are common among recent films
A few recent releases such as Last Night In Soho were shot 35mm but then all that effort was downgraded to 2K video for general release. I believe that even the film prints of that one were struck via the 2K video master but I may be wrong. It still looks pretty good though, just not as good as it would have been. Mainly the image quality comes down to the lenses used to shoot the film and in the case of a genuine film, how sensitive and fine grain the negative stock is.
John.
I have heard that Gemini Man is a reference 4k disc. I recently purchased it but have not gotten a chance to watch it yet. It is shot digitally since it is a recent movie.
Gemini Man is more a video game than a movie. I don't like computer games and the unrealistic motion combined with the cartoon look makes it the worst 4K of the lost for me. But I hope you find the complete opposite as it's probably an age thing and if you've grown up playing computer games then you might love it.
John.
Thanks for the list - it's obvious you are a Nolan fan. He really does put all his effort into the technical aspects of his movies, which I really appreciate.
I've only really become a Nolan fan recently Mandeep. Anyone who makes good films consistently is going to be someone I appreciate. Kenneth Branagh and Christopher Nolan are probably at the head of the list as far as I'm concerned right now but Clint Eastwood is still up there too. Ridley Scott and Steven Spielberg too. John.
Grand Prix from 1966 is made for 4k. Someone, please. Shot on 65mm, and imo the best racing movie ever. Great top 10, great video, thank you. My personal favorite 4k disc so far is The Revenant; this movie couldn't have been duplicated on film I bet....so much was shot during dawn and dusk in natural lighting,
I completely agree about Grand Prix. The Blu-ray is pretty fabulous already. How about Ice Station Zebra and How The West Was Won for the 4K wish list too?
I have The Revenant on Blu-ray so haven't invested in the 4K. I didn't realize it wasn't shot on film but haven't watched it for a few years. I'll have to take another look. John.
@@moviecollector5920 How The West Was Won, on yea! Speaking of a film already looking good on Blu Ray, re Grand Prix, I saw Skyfall last night for first time on Blu Ray and thought it fabulous already:) I'm older than you and actually have never seen Ice Station Zebra, lol. I believe it's the film Howard Hughes watched over and over from his Las Vegas high rise apt. as his mental decline accelerated. I should check it out.
@@pete49327 Skyfall is modern 35mm which means it's very fine grain. Anything shot 35mm today should look outstanding for that reason but 35mm is obviously not up to anything shot 65mm or genuine IMAX. As for Ice Station Zebra, it's incredibly sharp but a lot of the film is clearly a studio set which lets it down a bit but because it's as sharp as it is it doesn't seem to matter as much as it should. John.
Only thing I noticed with some 4K on a Sony 800 is that definitely run louder a kinder hum that gets quieter as the film goes on.
Only running a sound bar ( a temporary measure ) but God knows why the sound drops out for a second twice in a film.
Anyway MY personal favourites in no order are.
Passengers, Murder on the Orient express, Dune, Interstellar,Tenet, Blade runner 2049, Green Mile ( brilliant 4k ),Alita battle angel, Bridge on the river Kwai and Bad Times at the El Royal , or maybe Oblivion.
Hard to choose but Passengers and Green Mile are exceptional.👍
I have Passengers on Blu-ray and that's excellent too. It was shot in high quality video and really did have a 4K video master and not a 2K upscale which is unusual for a film with computer animation in it. The Green Mile was a 35mm shoot so once you start projecting you'll probably see that the definition is not quite as good as you currently think it is. A few 35mm 4K releases have been mistaken for being better than 70mm films but this is because our home screens are tiny and it's often hard to differentiate. What we really need is 24 foot wide screens at home!
John.
@@moviecollector5920 yep passengers I think was shot 6.5K.
Just this second saw moonfall , probably not my cuppa being a Roland Emmerich CGI destruction fest ,but they say it's got the best Atmos mix and got a 9.9 on one channel, visuals only 7 due to CGI ,green screen and digital touch up, personally ends up like a video game.
Looking FWD to Lawrence of Arabia , just hope the cover advitised is yet to be done, on Zavvi looks like a pre school effort 🤔
@@rikaardyyz3039 I rarely purchase from Zavvi now that they don't have physical shops. The steelbook of Super 8 is the only on-line order I think I've ever given them and that was only because it looked so darned good. Usually all my money goes down the HMV route. But whatever Lawrence or Arabia comes in, the 4K disc should be one of the best just like all the other 70mm releases we've enjoyed so far. I was only thinking that I might look at the Blu-ray before it's out just to remember how good that is. John.
Very nice, John. For the record (and for those of us on the other side of "the pond"): _Le Mans '66_ was released in the USA under the title _Ford v Ferrari._
And that was because the great 'Le Mans' name doesn't hold the same recognition across the USA where Daytona, Sebring and Indianapolis are the top dogs. Such a shame because Le Mans '66 is such a great title. A great film with a great title... over here at least! But other opinions are available. John.
I use the PlayStation 5 for my UHD Blu Ray player: Sony seem to quite well at upscaling as well.
I don't know how widespread the use of the famous games console is for watching video discs now but maybe if you get the chance, or the urge, to check out Murder on the Orient Express and a few of the other best 4K discs so far you could test them against some more ordinary [but still great] looking discs such as those I listed in my top ten movies shot on video upload and let us know if the best are still the best on your system. A lot depends on the display of course and the bigger that display is the easier it is to tell the difference. It would be good to know that the Playstation was a viable option for those who like playing video games as well as watching movies.
John.
@@moviecollector5920 yes, my TV is a 75 inch full array. Opted out of OLED
@@JONACAN That must be getting on for five feet wide which is certainly a big television. Should help to sort the wheat from the chaff.
@@moviecollector5920 meet your approval?
@@JONACAN Well, I'm not a fan of watching films on a telly but some people only project about five or six feet wide so a five foot wide telly certainly isn't a bad starting point. Size differential when reviewing a movie certainly makes things easier. The bigger you go the easier it is. John.
I've not found similar faults in my (albeit limited) 4K collection, but what you described, I do see that happening in around 3% of my 3D Blu Rays
I had the same fault on a brand new disc last weekend Stephen - Plane. So that's going back this time. Usually the fault is apparent after the laser has heated the poor surface of the disc around a layer change at least once but this time the problem was already there. That's five knackered 4K discs that I've found now but I would expect more to be hiding away as i go for years between repeat screenings. John.
There are so many great UHD Disks. One of my favorite is "Joker". It's a masterpiece of a movie anyway, but the full frame imager Alexa Mini LF 4.4k Raw master, really does make a beautiful image with shallow depth of field. The UHD BluRay looks outstanding. Part of the problem with movies like Jaws, is that they've added so much noise reduction, it smears the image a bit. It looked like that in the theater for the 4k re-release AND on the UHD BluRay. I wouldn't even put that on a list because even though I love the movie and the transfer isn't bad, the de-grain was too much.
Another "contender" for top UHD disk is the remaster of Vertigo. It's simply outstanding. Full photochemical finish on that one, with a beautiful transfer. Having seen the 70mm print several times, the UHD BluRay really does hold up. I haven't watched the other Hitchcock films on UHD yet, I have some of them, need to sit and watch, but Vertigo just stood out as a real gem.
Anyway, keep up the great videos!
Vertigo is VistaVision so it's no surprise that so many people tell me it's an outstanding 4K disc. If the Hitchcock set wasn't so expensive then I'd have seen it by now. But I'm not the biggest fan of Hitchcock's films so that set hasn't quite tempted me enough yet. Make sure you've got all the digital 'enhancements' switched off or minimized on your system as that could be what is giving you the waxy look to some films. Jaws doesn't have those looks on my main system but the film grain is certainly visible so it's another example of all our systems being different. Scanning a film does exacerbate film grain though so it's highly likely some transfers have to go through a bit of computer editing software jiggery pokery to make them look a little less coarse at times. Many people report that the Terminator 2: Judgment Day is the worst offender for this but others report they don't get the waxy look at all. It seems to be down to different systems and how the computer information coming off the disc is interpreted by those systems. 'Sharpen' on the 4K players is the worst offender and I always advise that that is put onto the lowest setting of off altogether if possible.
John.
Discovered your channel a while back and was happy that you went into detail with all the films you discuss. Love movies shot on film but i also have an appreciation for good looking films shot on digital. I've just started discussing physical media, and while i don't have the equipment to review the quality as in-depth, i hope to grow to your level of expertise.
I'll have to keep an eye on what you upload so drop me a comment each time with a direct link so can't possibly miss it. You'll find that I rarely refer to anything as 'digital' because I've always considered that to be the wrong word. Digital is a way to make 'binary' sound like it's something special but also used to make us all think that something shot on video is not video to disguise that it's not film. I have professional video cameras but there's no way I'd ever tell anyone I was shooting on digital because that's pretty much what we all do now. John.
thanks John! recently, i was really impressed with the sound quality on 4k No Time To Die (dolby Atmos)
I've replied to quite a few comments that I should have included No Time To Die in the top ten Conor. Don't know how I missed it. Still, seems like a good excuse to do another top ten sometime soon. John.
Good to see plenty of Nolan in your list. The air plane scene in Dark Knight Rises is unbelievably clean. One of the best showings of 4k Bluray.
I certainly agree with that Justin. Pretty brave to be up there with genuine IMAX cameras. John.
Amazing list, John! Loved the emphasis on movies shot on film. Great choices all around. I haven't encountered the laser rot issue yet and hope that I don't. Sorry to hear your copy of 2001 has been corrupted by it.
The Blu-ray of 2001 is almost as good Andrew so if I don't snag a copy of 2001 on special offer sometime I'll just have to watch the Blu-ray... or better still, my old Super 8 copy. John.
@@moviecollector5920 I remember your video which highlighted the super 8 version. Must look terrific. I agree, the Blu-ray is very close in quality but the HDR on the UHD is stunning. Best - Andrew
Great 10 Top, yes I knew what your #1 would be and you were 100% correct. I learned from all your individual reviews of the movies you listed here.
Own all of your Top 10, except for "My Fair Lady". Bought it on DVD 20 years ago and I really need to upgrade it to 4K.
As we have all said before, thanks for you videos, they have helped us understand and enjoy the movies even more then we have before. And, there have been a few movies I have bought because of your recommendations...yet to be disappointed.
Have a good day.
Thank you Bob. Musicals aren't really my thing but I do make the occasional exception and My Fair Lady is one of them. I also made an exception for Grease because few people thought it was among the best 4K disc they'd seen but it's not quite that good. A lot of out of focus scenes from the original shoot don't exactly help it but that's nothing to do with the cine to video transfer. John.
Thanks for making this list. I was surprised not to see Blade Runner on it (or even mentioned), since you were very positive about it in your review of that film on 4K.
Blade Runner is fabulous but we need to bear in mind that it was a 35mm shoot so will never match the quality of the 65mm and genuine IMAX shoots. It's probably up there around Apocalypse Now so it's not too far off the top ten. I've got a lot of discs to choose from but I did consider pulling Blade Runner out to take another look at it but the pile of discs for another viewing was already up to 12 by that point so I decided against it. John.
I really love the look of my Alien 4k disc. I've watched it over and over, and absolutely love the quality.
It compares well to my 35mm print Zero. It's a 35mm shoot though so will never come up to the standard of movies shot on 70mm, VistaVision or any of the other large film formats. I did see a 70mm blow-up print years ago at the Odeon Marble Arch. The screen there was 58 feet wide. John.
@@moviecollector5920 now that must have been an experience!
Say what you want about the plot, but Gemini Man and Transformers: The Last Knight are two of the best 4k pictures ever! TTLK literally has every action scenario on display (space, dark ages war, high speed chases, water battles, exploration, live action, air combat…etc). All of it is immaculate and demo worthy!!
I know a lot of people really like the look of Gemini Man but I think it's the worst quality video I've ever seen. Okay, that's a bit of an exaggeration and I can see what the film makers were trying to achieve. I haven't played computer games for many, many years and don't like the way they look so Gemini Man was never going to appeal to me in terms of picture quality. I don't tend to like live action cartoons but there are exceptions occasionally. I expect Gemini Man in liquid crystal 3D would be just about the best 3D ever irrespective of what I've said above. Transformers is for youngsters though and I'm far too old now. I have seen bits and pieces of the Transformers films and series over the years but I left school a long time ago!
John.
@@moviecollector5920 it all boils down to preference I guess. I mentioned these, specifically TTLK for video quality and the gamut of reference quality scenes on offer. While I don’t mind film grain at times, I appreciate the cleanest and clearest picture quality more in my 4k content. Cheers.
@@nwilkerson2365 Well there have been some very good movies made on video. I considered a few of them for this video but my preference is the filmic look so that rather knocked 'em all out. 'Lucy' is another cracking disc. John.
Viewing your site for the first time. Extremely informative. I'm a huge collector of DVDS and Blu-rays. Considering getting into 4k. I also like viewing movies through my Emerson projector. You did make a mention of a 4k projector. So, I have to upgrade and purchase a separate 4k projector in order to view my 4k movies? The projector I have projects Blu-ray. Not good enough?
Good morning Christopher. Blu-ray is exceptional quality and in terms of clarity if the 4K disc and the Blu-ray disc have been created from the same video master file you will not be able to discern a difference in terms of clarity. Where you will see the difference is in the superior colour capabilities and density (contrast) of the 4K. To achieve this on your screen will require a 4K video projector. I have two of them, the older model has a bigger chip and is therefore more 4K than the new model (pixel shifting is what goes on in order to use the 4K label) but I'll be darned if I can tell which has the superior clarity because they are both brilliant. Trevor at Double Bill Movies got an entry level 4K (pixel shifting) Optoma video projector for well under a grand and he's achieving exceptional results from it.
John.
Thank you very much for your time.
@@christopherhawley5001 Anytime Christopher. I think we're all film enthusiasts together on here. John.
Shining, interstellar, Gemini man, wizard of oz, revanant, tremors, green knight, dark knight, mission Impossible fallout are all some of my favorites to view. Older classics are always what I anticipate viewing the most when new transfers are announced.
I haven't seen all of those in 4K Ray but I think Gemini Man is the worst looking video I've ever seen. I expect it would have been a showstopper in LCD 3D and given that it was reportedly 120fps in cinemas I suppose that was what it was made for. John.
Thrilled to see you rate Murder on the Orient Express so highly. I was flabbergasted when I bought that disc. One of the best for sure.
On the Dark Knight Rises subject, there’s certainly an argument it’s stronger from beginning to end than even its predecessor. The second movie peaks to such a degree in the second act that it’s almost got nowhere to go. Where as Rises absolutely builds to an exciting conclusion where anything could happen. Bruce climbing out of the pit it as euphoric as anything in the trilogy.
I too could not believe what I was seeing when I first put the 4K disc of Murder on the Orient Express in the player. I still can't quite believe how good it is today. Let's hope Death on the Nile looks almost as good when it comes to market next month. As for the Dark Knight trilogy of films I'd actually avoided them for years because I had become disillusioned with Batman on the big screen. That turned out to be a rather good thing because when I did see them is was on 4K disc. What an absolute treat! John.
This isn't exactly super relevant to this particular video, but I thought it the least obtrusive. I was sifting through and picking a movie from every year with a very nice 4K transfer to keep. Figured I'd get your take. Weighing in film quality and visuals, would you rather recommend Dunkirk or Murder on the Orient Express for the 2017 pick? I'm having a tough time deciding.
That's difficult Kolton and both have arguments in their favour. Orient Express is the best image quality on 4K disc but I would probably struggle if I'd seen them both at a cinema, particularly when you consider Dunkirk is genuine IMAX and the extract I saw of that at the BFI IMAX was one of the most memorable things I've ever seen in a cinema. Given we're talking 4K discs here though, Murder on the Orient Express just has the edge. If in any doubt, take a look at the wailing wall sequence near the beginning and in particular, where the elevated camera is looking down on the crowd. There you will see distant faces that are still pin sharp. I've not seen definition on video like that ever before. John.
@@moviecollector5920 Thank you. Your input is much appreciated!
Also I love how even with approaching 21K subscribers, you make time for so many comments and interact with your audience. It's very cool.
@@koltonknox9836 The dscussions about movies with everyone on here is the best part of it Kolton. John.
4K Death on the Nile just announced in the US - Video - Captured on Panavision Super 70 film stock 2:39:1 aspect ratio, and was mastered in 4K. HDR10 grading for the disc and Dolby Vision available on digital. Looks priming John!
Morning Rob. Death on the Nile should have an aspect ratio of 2.20:1 but there was so much messing around to generate 70mm prints that I wouldn't be surprised if it's been cropped a little. I rather expect that it's going to look more impressive at home than it did at the Odeon but I may be wrong. John.
@@moviecollector5920 certainly on our big screens.
@@Celestialrob Too bloody right!
Some of my favorite 4K discs are films that had poor or mediocre Blu-ray transfers, just because the upgrade is so huge. Examples off the top of my head are Predator, The Matrix (the Blu-ray was recolored with a heavy green tint and looked more like video), and Arrow’s excellent release of Tremors.
The original Predator has a good quality 4k release?! I'd have to get that.
@@tsloan2100 oh yeah it’s amazing and very filmic. Predator 2 as well. The exact opposite of the last Blu-ray release, which I’m pretty sure qualifies as the worst transfer of all time, with laughably heavy noise reduction to the point where it practically looked like a Pixar remake.
@@Motorheadache95 thanks for the heads up!
I cant believe how fantastic Tremors looked! Arrow is awesome.
Predator was issued on Super 8 in about 1991 and it was one of the best ever Super 8 prints. I'm amazed that it was messed up for Blu-ray release for that reason because if anyone had have asked me about it for a 4K release I'd have confidently predicted that it would look excellent. However, it was a 35mm shoot so it was never going to be up there with the best offered by 65mm shoots for 70mm release. I still have the Super 8 print by the way and it still looks fantastic. John.
I recieved my 4K copy of Suspiria released by Synapse Films. It is by far the cleanest, sharpest and richest colored 4K i have yet watched. I highly recommend for you to get it if you haven't yet!
I keep forgetting to see if I can get hold of a copy of Suspiria Pedro. I'm pretty sure it was a 35mm shoot so it may be up there with the likes of Jaws but unless something was done that I don't know about it isn't going to match the 70mm films. I don't think I've seen Suspiria since I was a child... sounds nuts really but my brother and I used to watch every horror film that was around. Even had The Exorcist on Super 8 which we showed to all our school friends. Biggest success we ever had for a film show with our school friends was The Texas Chainsaw Massacre. I think I'm living proof that video nasties don't turn you into a psychopath!
John.
I agree. I had to shell out close to £40 for it but worth every penny. I've never seen it look (or sound) better than the Synapse release. An essential purchase.
@@67eamonn I'll give you a tenner for it Eamonn!!!
Seriously, where did you purchase your copy from?
John.
Great top ten list. I was struck by one of the closing statements of 4k disc's packing in? What has caused this? I hear a lot about the production factory's struggling to produce the volumes needed with a fraction of staff due to shrinking sales. So mixed up disc's in box sets. Audio tracks on the masters not right and now disc's that stop working?
I think it's the miniscule data that the laser is trying to read Martyn and a few discs having faulty silver reflective layers that get a little more distorted by the heat from the laser so that the next time the disc is played the fault has made itself known. But I may be completely wrong.
John.
@@moviecollector5920 thank you John for your video and your responses. I've yet to take the 4k plunge as my THX calibrated plasma is pulling out some wow moments for not only 1080p streaming and Blu Ray, but is pulling upscale duties for DVD and Laserdisc. I follow all great videos like yours as well as classic AV forums to brush up on UHD/4k and the various HDR meta data formats ready for the day I might need to bite the 4k OLED apple
@@jefffan171 The solution there Martyn is to keep the telly and get a 4K video projector. Then you'll have the best of both worlds. And before anyone tries to tell you that you'll have to spend a fortune on a screen all you really need to do is paint a wall white. It's better if you have black masking around the projected image of course but that can be blu-tacked to the wall when you have a big screen show. Easy peasy, lemon squeezy! John.
Great review. I agree that the older movies are never going to match new Imax. I do however love seeing restorations of the old films. Having seen most of them on television in standard definition the improvements now are phenomanal. It’s like seeing a whole new movie. Django, Spartacus, Lawrence of Arabia, Goldfinger, Zulu, Vertigo, The Ladykillers, Jaws, Taxi Driver, It’s a mad mad mad world, Good the Bad and the Ugly. I will stop there but could quote many more 😀
Funny that you should mention 'The Good, The Bad & The Ugly' Simon because that one was shot Techniscope. To save you looking up that process it was 35mm at an aspect ratio of about 2.40:1, but - and it's a big BUT - Techniscope was only two sprockets high! this means it is half the quality of an anamorphic 35mm film. It was blown up optically to make 2x squeeze release prints for cinemas. It is amazing that it should look any good at all but I suppose even Techniscope is a slight upgrade over 16mm quality so it probably illustrates just how good film is and why it is still superior to this day.
Zulu would make for an excellent 4K release. Just like Spartacus it was Super Technirama 70.
John.
@@moviecollector5920 Thanks John, I suspect I am being a little biased with The Good Bad and the Ugly as it’s one of my favourite films. Definitely a good step up from the Blu Ray though. Can’t wait to see The Godfather trilogy. Great channel, i’m going to subscibe.
@@simonmcpartlin6547 All three of the Dollars trilogy were shot Techniscope and it was just a money saving exercise to do it. It is possible to get very good results from it though because if you think about it some movies were shot 16mm and blown up and no one seemed to notice the difference with them. The Texas Chainsaw Massacre isn't the best example as it looked pretty awful at the time but I bet even that looks pretty good from the latest 4K transfer of the 16mm camera negative. Film has greater resolution than the industry seems to want to have us believe. John.
I have Spartacus The Dark Knight (don’t have Dark Knight Roses yet) and Orient Express and the picture quality on all of those really is exceptional. The IMAX scenes in Dark Knight are stunning, so I might seek out Dunkirk next. Tenet for me is just such an impenetrable movie I cannot face watching it again!
Tenet takes some working out Darth but I've grown to really like films that make me think. I don't think I've ever had to think so hard about a film as Tenet but fortunately I worked it all out and incorporated it in my review video so if you do ever dare to sit through it again, have a look at my video first and then it just might all make a bit of sense. John.
Excellent channel and video! The 4K movies that I enjoy most are:
Top 10 Shot on film: Jaws, Alien, The Shining, Scarface, Die Hard, Groundhog Day, The Shawshank Redemption, Braveheart, Gladiator and Black Hawk Down.
Top 10 Digital: The Avengers, 13 Hours, The Revenant, Sicario, Logan, Dunkirk, 1917 and John Wick trilogy.
Overall top 10: Jaws, The Shining, Scarface, Groundhog Day, The Shawhank Redemption, Braveheart, Black Hawk Down, The Revenant, Sicario and 1917.
That's a darned good list John Rambo. A few of them I haven't actually seen at all let alone on 4K so I must do better in future. Dunkirk was shot on film though - 70mm IMAX film so that's why it looks so good. What a wonderful hobby this love of film is and the best part of all is we can all talk about it with like-minded folk on here. John.
@@moviecollector5920 Thanks for the answer and I'm glad you liked my list! You're right, I missed the point that Dunkirk was filmed in analog format (Nolan is a staunch defender of it). In accordance with everything you say, thanks again for the answer and continue with your channel. PD: It would be great to see a future list of your top 10 or top 15 best transfers after you have seen some titles pending review.
@@jorgeiramain There are so many great 4K discs that I've already been thinking that a video along the lines of 'Another Ten Best 4K Ultra HD In My Collection' so I'll see if I get the time to find another ten best. Another one people sometimes ask for is my top ten favourite films. I usually reply that I hope I haven't seen them yet but I do have ten to fifteen films that I think are my current favourites so it might be fun to go through them. Cue a lot of Super 8 and LaserDiscs in that one as it would be a good excuse to show previous home movie releases of some great films. John.
@@moviecollector5920 I would love to see part 2 of the top 10 4K transfers (thank God there are so many good ones available). A video with your list of 10 or 15 favorite movies would be great too. In this regard, I have to point out that your answer "I hope I haven't seen them yet" is very clever.
@@jorgeiramain I have to admit that the late film critic Barry Norman gave a similar answer when asked to name his favourite films and that stuck with me so I rather borrowed my answer from him. I hope to get to HMV and CEX today to see if there's anything available that is suitable for a review video but I'll keep the top ten type of videos in mind for when/if there's nothing worthwhile to review. John.
I hate to be the bearer of bad news, but Ford v ferrari is a 2K Di upscale. The appearance of grain is actually digital noise, due to it being blown up to 4K. And then of course, what is the screen size equivalent standard they use? I don't know, I believe it was 42 @ one point. But I hear with 4K it's around 10ft and up, where you start to get that compression noise.
I haven't seen FvF yet. So it's that, and maybe they added regrain to it to give it a film like look. But since I know, you roll big style, it's probably just the blow up.
Thank you Grant. If it's video noise then it's duplicated the look of film grain so well that it's actually done the film a favour. It looks fabulous and proves that video can be made to work. John.
@@moviecollector5920 probably regrain. I do love me some grain.
I've been looking to upgrade to a 4k display and in the interim I have been upgrading from DVD, etc. to 4k for certain films. I am not going to get everything in 4k when a Blu-ray is fine. Disney stuff in general from everything I have read is a bit of a mixed bag when it comes to 4k releases.
I recently did pick up a few of the films you highlighted in regular 4k or even in Steelbook.
Apocalypse Now (Steelbook 4k)
1917 (Steelbook 4k)
Ten Commandments (Steelbook 4k)
I picked up the Dark Knight Trilogy on 4k as single releases each for about $10 a piece on a Black Friday sale.
I have yet to pick up Dunkirk in 4k but I did see it in Theaters and it was amazing.
More recently I picked up the 4k of Who Framed Roger Rabbit. I have been wanting to get both of the Bladerunner films as I have read nothing but good things about the 4k releases of those.
Blu-ray is indeed excellent Linkman and a lot of the time you won't seen much difference between a 4K and a Blu-ray, particularly if they're both taken from the same master. The sequel to Blade Runner doesn't look very good on either of my systems but a lot of people think it's among the best quality they've seen. Something about the Denis Villeneuve films doesn't seem to agree with my equipment as Dune looked pretty drab too. Those steelbooks you purchased must be nice. I did spot The Ten Commandments on the shelves of FOPP when I was in there five or six weeks ago but it was £40 and I already had the standard release that cost me £30 when it first came out. I have both versions of Apocalypse Now - the three disc and the six disc - but that's because I thought that because I had the original version of the film on Blu-ray I'd be able to put up with the latest version on 4K. But the 4K quality was so good and put the Blu-ray to shame so I had to get the six disc set just so I could see that original version of the film in quality at least as good as I'd seen in the cinema in 1979. John.
Great review as always. I am glad to say that I have all these films on 4K - thanks for the heads up about 6 disc Apocalypse now set which I have now ordered from HMV and should get next week.
I now have a 4K projector too and a reasonable size screen - not as big as yours though.
Well done Paul. That six disc Apocalypse Now is one of the best releases ever as far as I'm concerned. I only really like the original version of the film but if you like all three then you have a lot of film to watch and hours upon hours of extras too. It's a film enthusiasts treat. John.
I really enjoy your content. Please keep on, thanks!
Will do Federico and thank you. John.
Watched Dunkirk for the first time with my new projector, phenomenal!
One of the best 4K discs available Gary. And a fabulous film too. John.
I just wanted to say this is the first video from your channel I’ve seen so far and you did a wonderful job. I’ll definitely leave a follow and wish you the best:)
Thank you Cheffchen. I do put quite a lot of time into each upload. John.
There's a great bunch there John looking forward to you doing THE GOD FATHER after the new 4k restoration
The Godfather movies are great films, I just didn't enjoy them the one time I ever watched them. The upshot is that I doubt I'll be getting that new 4K set Andy. Well, not any time soon anyway. John.
great review I saw2001 in London on giant Cinerama screen although it was shot in super Panavison70 it looked great on the giant curved screen yes please keep making the review s
If you haven't already seen my video '2001 A Space Odyssey in 4K, why does it look so good?' then I think you might enjoy it Philip. John.
Supposedly, according to many 4K aficionados, Lawrence of Arabia is the best 4K disc, but it’s only available in an out of print boxed set. Have you gotten a chance to review that one?
Of the 4K restorations I’ve seen, I’ve been most impressed by Vertigo.
Vertigo, My Fair Lady, Spartacus, and Lawrence of Arabia were restored originally by Robert Harris. It’s his efforts which were built upon.
I don't have the 4K disc of Lawrence of Arabia but I have the Blu-ray and as I recall even that looked pretty fabulous. But then it should as it was a 65mm shoot and the restoration it went through in 1989 was extremely thorough. That restoration was done in time too which meant Robert Harris and his team were able to reconstruct the film even though some elements and complete scenes were missing from the original camera negative when they started. As for the other films you've mentioned, they're all large format films with Vertigo being VistaVision in case the format of that one was a bit of a mystery to you. The use of the large format films has consistently resulted in the best quality video discs today so it's just a shame more films aren't shot on those formats today. It's all about the expense of it really and the fact that most people don't even notice the outstanding image quality they give. John.
Love the shelving behind you that you are using for your collection. Could you plesse let me know where you purchased it. Thank you.
Morning Gurdip. The shelves were ordered and delivered by Argos. As you see them behind me it is two shelving units mounted on top of one another with the top one being placed upside down. I've done this for years but now we have a room to put all of the discs out on display I ordered a few more of these shelving units. I think they are £18 each so an absolute bargain really. John.
@@moviecollector5920 John, Thank you. Is there any particular order you arrange your collection.
@@gurdipvirdee9194 I put them on the shelf in the order of the video last watched. However, when we moved I separated the DVDs as we don't put DVDs on very often any longer. Putting them on the shelf in order of when they're watched does mean I have to shift a lot of discs along each time we spin a disc but it does mean we don't have to keep a written record of which title was watched when. John.
Are you planning on doing a review of the Godfather movies on 4K John? It's my 50th birthday and so I made myself an offer I could not refuse and got the 50th special edition of the three films yesterday - have watched the beginning of part one - looks really good and although I do not have a trained eye for this stuff - simple things like the red flower on Brando's wedding suit or Dianne Keaton's dress looks better than before colour wise so it all stands out, but feels kind of grainy at the same time plus the sound is great. One to look forward to.
Happy 50th birthday James. Your going to have a great time enjoying The Godfather films all over again. I only ever saw the first two films (I have them on LaserDisc but only ever ran them once) but didn't particularly like them. I don't think I've ever seen a mob film I've really enjoyed so it's not the Godfather films per se, I think I just don't like all that double-crossing, murderous thuggery. I can see that they are great films though despite the fact that I don't particularly enjoy them. John.
Hi John thank you for what u do! With the pic of the theatres ( here the Pictureville in Bradford) it wets the appetite to watch a film lol. It's fun to agree and disagree, keeps us on our toes for more ideas. These lists are tough either way and will always be challenged hence the fun. I gained some new ideas from this list so will check out The Dark Knight Films and Orient Express. Any talk of Casablanca some day? Just curious if it will find it's way to 4k. Cheers Dave BC!
Greetings Dave. I only finally decided to do this video because nothing much has been coming out worthy of review lately and so many people had asked me to do it. There seems to be quite a bit of agreement on many of the titles in the list which I wasn't really expecting. Gemini Man has been pointed out to me a few times in these comments but I think that's the worst 4K I've seen so that was never likely to make the top ten... it will make the bottom ten though! As for Casablanca, I don't think that will benefit much from a 4K release but you never know if it is ever done it might look spectacular. Black and white has always been sharper than colour on film owing to the silver content of the film stock. John.
@@moviecollector5920 "the silver content of the film stock", very interesting. Just a lover of B@W. Psycho I felt looked pretty darn good. Out of interest in slim pickings for new content I see the Godfather films are now released here. My notifications are turned if you put in a review I'll be excited to read. I imagine a tone of us will almost automatically be adding this collection by default maybe lol. Many regards to you and all over in England. Really enjoy your channel ! Dave. PS. agree on the SOHO poster .. very very sweet! Cheers D in BC
@@davemillage6129 I'd like to be able to say that I am going to review The Godfather films but unfortunately I never got on with them. I have the first two films on LaserDisc but have only ever run them once. Something about gangsters, mafia and the double-crossing murderous violence doesn't appeal to me. I can't imagine why! But I can see that they are great films, they're just no my cup of tea. Don't know what I'll do as a video next but I'll come up with something. Many people have suggested a video of my favourite films and if I did that one cue lots of Super 8 features and LaserDiscs.
John.
I have to agree there are issues with the 4K format. I'd say 1 or 2 out of 10 discs I've bought will freeze on me at some point in the last quarter of the film. Sometimes I can skip the chapter and it will keep playing but most times, once it reaches that point it's unwatchable. None of them have been recognised as botched discs that have needed to be recalled (that's another problem entirely), so I think there's an issue of having so much data packed onto a disc at such a high bit rate, that the smallest encoding issue on a single disc can render them essentially useless.
Well done Luke because your conclusion about the tiny data on the disc is my current thinking. The laser is having to read something so miniscule that the slightest damage caused by the heat from the laser could cause the disc to freeze the next time it's pulled off the shelf and put in a player.
A few commenters on here have again told me Dune is one of the best 4K discs in their collection. Dune may have been a bit of a disappointment for me but it would get the number one spot for the most interesting discussion on a single title so far. John.
@@moviecollector5920 The 3rd disc layer of 4K Blu-rays that's only found on discs of VERY LONG movies, simply presents too difficult of a challenge for many UHD 4K BD player models to be able to handle without freezing.
So I'm glad that a year ago, when being ready to upgrade my home theater to 4K, I was advised to get the Panasonic UB-820 UHD 4K BD player, so as to avoid freeze ups with lengthy films on 4K discs which require 3 layers. That truly was the best 399 dollars I ever spent, since no 4K BD, including "2001", has even had an unintended 2 second pause as the film played. And Movie Collector, thanks SO MUCH again, for all of your efforts that you put forward, in helping other film fans, by sharing your vast knowledge!!
@@mrb0775 Thank YOU Mike. And thank you again for your guidance on 4K players. I've had it in mind for quite a while to get the top end Panny model the next time around and have it chipped for all region DVD and all zone Blu-ray. John.
Love LOVE the A-Now Redux 6 Disc collector's edition. Was so glad to have that in my collection. Redux is still my Favorite version. Final Cut is great too, but Redux still remains my favorite version. Really nice list, enjoyed the commentary.
That six disc set is very special. I have only ever seen Redux once when it was first released. I do prefer The Final Cut but my preference is still the original version of the film and that was why I had to get the six disc set in the end. Basically I wanted to see the original film in the same quality as the 4K disc of The Final Cut.
John.
I'd love to be able to bring myself to watch Tenet or MOTOE to see the quality 4K transfer you speak of, but having watched 1000's of movies in my lifetime and having my own Cinema at home, Tenet is one of the worst films I've ever watched in my puff, and I came very close to turning it off at one point. As for MOTOE, I almost fell asleep. I picked up Top Gun in 4k recently and it was one of the best movie experiences since Interstellar and Annihilation. Picture and sound blew me away.
Top Gun is a real surprise as it was only a Super 35 production. It really has no business looking that good but so many Super 35 shoots do look pretty terrific. Backdraft is another. Tenet takes some comprehending but I did work it all out so if you haven't seen that review video yet, I go through all the confusion and hopefully you'll be able to make sense of it next time around. Murder on the Orient Express is more of an oldies film as it's not a wham, bam, thank you ma'am type of film so it may just be that you're just not completely past it yet! Once you've got a zimmerframe you'll probably really enjoy it. John.
Technicolor does not have to be blurry.
Criterion always does an exceptional job lining up the three Technicolor negatives to prevent and shimmer, outlining or blurring from mismatched negative strips in the transfer.
It's the vagaries it the original matrices Randy. They were often there and not even a computer seems able to match the three elements up entirely when they didn't match in the first place. Not many people would ever notice because it isn't really noticeable but I pick up on things like this because I know to look for them.
John.
Great video as always John. I love a top ten. Jaws has always been a favourite of mine and I think it looks amazing for such an old film.
Theres a deal on Amazon UK at the moment on 2001 in 4K. Its currently £13.99 which is pretty cheap for such a great transfer
Cor, £13.99 is a bargain. I always try to avoid Amazon for everything though and I have paid quite a lot more from alternative shops and suppliers just to avoid them. Well, Amazon are killing our high streets after all. But with this one, I may just succumb! John.
@@moviecollector5920 Sorry John, only just saw your reply. I only buy off Amazon when I cant get it in HMV to be fair. They always have some great deals especially the 3 for 30 they did recently. I managed to pick up Le Mans 66 in the deal. Was the first time I had seen it and thought it was a great film.
I did however use amazon for the new Robocop special edition as they offered me a £10 voucher so got it for 25. Brilliant package all round and looks great in 4k. Sharp picture and a nice amount of grain
@@chrissyboy7047 I nearly purchased 2001 in HMV a few days ago as they had it on offer too - I think it was £15. Funnily enough I'm preparing for my next video and it will be the 4K of Robocop which I bought in HMV on the same visit. I've watched both versions of the film and almost all of the extras, plus I've read the book which is a really interesting read. I need to give one of the discs another spin because at no time did I select the Dolby Atmos audio to check that one was okay because the 4.0 and 5.1 are not exactly top-notch. The best sound of the three I've checked so far is the Dolby Stereo/ProLogic track which is worth a try if you run it again. The dialogue was getting drowned out a little too much in places (a common problem with modern movies) but the Dolby Stereo tracks put the dialogue back to the correct level and still gave very effective surround sound. I think some miss the fact that the volume usually requires turning up a little for the Dolby Stereo tracks to get everything back to where is tends to be with Dolby Digital and as a result we've forgotten how good those matrixed surround soundtracks really were.
Today I'll be looking at Robocop on Super 8 to see how it matches up to the new 4K and them perhaps tomorrow I can get on with recording the video. Stand by!
John.
@@moviecollector5920 Thats brilliant timing John. I really enjoyed it again. Ive only watched the directors cut and will be watching the theatrical version so I'll give the stereo soundtrack a go. Have you seen Oliver Harpers retrospective review? Its really interesting and he goes into detail about the soundtrack. Apparently it was remastered at a later date and the music was enhanced so it drowns out the sfx. The drug den shoot out being a prime example.
I watched it originally with the Atmos soundtrack and whilst it was good, it wasnt amazing. Overall Im pleased with it. Havent read the book fully yet but its a very nice little thing
@@chrissyboy7047 Well I've just been going through quite a few things on Robocop again and the Dolby Stereo tracks are better than the Dolby Atmos. I don't have an Atmos decoder but it splits down into 5.1 and assuming it's similar on most systems out there it rather makes sense why the '2.0' soundtrack is left as the default because it's the best. Just turn it up a few notches to match the level of the other soundtracks. Surround sound seemed a little better too but I may have been imagining that.
I did watch a few Oliver Harper videos a while back but I didn't get on particularly well with them. I'll have to try him again sometime.
Before this evening's movie I want to have a look at the Director's disc again to make sure there is a little image degradation in the added sequences. I was enjoying the film too much and they're mainly such quick cuts that I didn't really take it in. Interestingly the extra on the theatrical disc 'Robocop: Edited For Television' has a much nicer look that the 4K versions of the film. These sequences were from 35mm prints prepared for television and the colour is more natural rather than the more colourless look of the theatrical version. Mabye the Arrow Blu-ray release of Robocop will look the same as these 35mm for television graded sequences, but I doubt it.
John.
An interesting video would be a Top 10 4K wish list, Jeff at Films at Home did one recently, I certainly agree with him that Baraka and Samsara should be transferred, as well as Koyaanisqatsi
I think the best 4Ks so far have told us all that it's the genuine 65mm productions for 70mm release that look the best Luke so Baraka certainly should be on the list. Another would have to be Grand Prix, then How The West Was Won (three-strip Cinerama), Ice Station Zebra... anything 70mm basically. Maybe it's something I'll look into for a video down the line but I don't want to copy anyone because that wouldn't be right. So many people had asked me for this one that I finally just got on with it. John.
@@moviecollector5920 that's fair enough! I think if we were living in a perfect world, Breakfast at Tiffany's and Amelie would be instant pick ups for me, but I'm not sure how they were filmed
@@lukekingsland5851 I'm fairly sure that both Breakfast At Tiffany's and Amelie were 35mm shoots. They should therefore both look pretty fabulous on 4K but not up to the same level of the 65mm, VistaVision, Technirama or any other large film formats that have been used down the years. John.
The film grain is the film grain. If we weren’t seeing it before, it’s because it was filtered out or because the media obscured it. Seeing grain in film is like seeing pores and skin texture in photos. (Incidentally, many retouches smooth out skin and then overlay back texture for idealized skin)
Film grain does get exacerbated by the scanning process for home video. It's been confirmed by two of the major studios now, Paramount and Universal if I remember correctly. It's still brilliant to see it though even if it has been reined in a little to make it look more like we see on a real film print.
John.
@@moviecollector5920 I’ve scanned over a hundred thousand frames of film, mostly still images in 35mm, 120, and 4x5, with some super35 movie footage, and I’ve rarely had an issue with grain becoming unmanageable or exaggerated. What grain is there can be managed using filters, lenses, and light source properties. Having said that, there is a stacking of contrast and grain during the duping process, but that would not account for massive increases in grain in some 4k films.
If I had to guess, it would be a combination of previous scans for VHS, DVD, and even Blu-ray having received some denousing and filtering to soften the noise, in addition to the lower resolution formats. Going “back to the source” reverses that, and begs the question “what source?” We could be seeing the actual grain, without all the subsequent manipulation, or it could be exacerbated grain because the “source” is an internegative of a copy of a copy and, like you said, copying has increased the grain.
Having said all that, the grain varies from take to take, scene to scene, and reel to reel.
Hello friend. Excellent video with great input on all selections. I agree on all Christopher Nolan selections I was lucky enough to see both Inception and Interstellar in true 70 mm IMAX and yes it is quite a spiritual experience. For me though the film I would like to see transferred to a 4K release would be Last of the Mohicans. One of my favorite films and I truly enjoy how Michael Man shoots with natural light. Your thoughts? Please and thank you and always enjoying your Channel.
Thank you for your kind words. I haven't seen The Last of the Mohicans for many years but I think we're talking about the Daniel Day Lewis version which was pretty terrific as I recall. I also very much enjoyed a television series as a child so it's a great story that lends itself well to film. If it gets issued on 4K I'll be the one in front of you in the queue to buy it! As for Christopher Nolan, he's one of the greatest film makers in the world today. In terms of how he shoots his films he's probably at the top of the list followed by Kenneth Branagh. Let's hope more directors become powerful enough to insist on large format film for their productions.
John.
I saw Interstellar in imax 70mm at the TCL Chinese theater. Was impressive.
Love your list, info, and comments as always. I think The Shinning, Blade Runner, and Dune 2021 also deserve mention. Great transfers, great sound, great movies!!!
The Shining is excellent James but it's a 35mm and they struggle up against the 70mm films. Blade Runner is fabulous but for it's also a 35mm. Dune looked pretty awful on both my systems but all the reports came in on the comments for that video review and it seems more people had trouble with it than didn't and apparently it was the same at cinemas. There's a lot of discussion on the comments for that Dune video that might make for interesting reading. John.
The Arrow 4K restoration of David Lynch’s Dune on the other hand looks incredible.
@@FRandAI Thank you for reminding me Forrest. The original version of Dune was a 35mm of course so that's why it looks so good as a 4K disc. Not all the 35mm transfers look as good but that's usually down to the film stock used and how any film was shot on the day. My recollection of the 1984 films is a lot of bright, colourful scenes... and someone riding on the back of a giant worm! But I'm hoping to get into an HMV today (the Newbury branch) so I might see if it's affordable as I'd like to see it again... haven't seen it since 1984. John.
That’s a very nice 4K collection. Unfortunately I do not have the upgraded equipment for 4K but do have two 4K discs from which in my opinion “Valerian” is the best looking one.
Oh yes, Valerian is wonderful Mobey. I seem to recall that it's mastered at 2K really but that's not unusual for heavy computer animation films. John.
When I saw jaws on blu ray for the first time that was the most amazing picture upgrad I’ve ever seen. Is the 4k that much better looking? I can’t imagine that.
It really is much better J T but it's not going to be increased resolution you see, it's richer colour and deeper density. The Blu-ray is fabulous though. John.
The HDR makes the day-for-night scenes in Jaws look light NIGHT, DARK, as they should be.
@@kthx1138 Jaws is a great 4K release Mike. It's pretty darned good on Blu-ray but the addition of HDR to the 4K is what makes the difference. That's something I spoke about in my review of the Jaws 4K which Universal have claimed for themselves now as they didn't like me demonstrating the anamorphic process using their trailer on Super 8 film. Lesson learned there and I'm extra careful with anything Universal now. John.
Just subscribed. Simply because you said 2.2 TO 1 aspect ratio and not 2.2 by 1 aspect ratio. Respect.
I never actually heard of 2.2 by 1 before so thank you for making me aware of it. I'll make sure I never make that mistake. Good to have you here.
John.
Nice list, I personally put blade runner final cut, 2049, Leon the professional & The Suicide squad in my top 10 as well.
Many have cited the Blade Runner sequel Ghetti but it actually looked rather drab on both my systems but perhaps you have Dolby Vision and that's pulling more out of it. Denis Villeneuve films tend to look a little colourless so it's may be just the look he likes. By contrast, the original Blade Runner looks fabulous just not up to the standard of the 70mm films but that's no surprise. One I missed which probably would have been in the top ten is the recent James Bond 'No Time To Die'. Another film with a lot of 70mm in it. John.
Leon is the best 90’s movie on the format. Keeps the film look, but looks very detailed. I love it!
@@yeaboy707 Leon is an excellent film. I saw it at The Empire upon first release and have had it on Blu-ray for many years. It was a 35mm shoot so as good as it looks it won't come up to 65mm and genuine IMAX standards. A lot of the 1990s 35mm productions look fantastic and that's because as far as I'm concerned it's when picture quality at the cinema peaked. The downturn started late 90s and was really set on its way with the Star Wars Attack of the Clones video which foisted video projection on the Odeon Leicester Square. To this day that is the worst image quality I have ever seen in a cinema. John.
Make a video on
The top 10 or 15 movies that need a 4k release
Many have asked me for that one but I struggle to think of a list. I think the problem is that I have all my favourite films on Super 8 and for me nothing will ever replace them on that format. Many apparently want The Abyss on 4K but I have a beautiful 'Scope Super 8 print so that's about as good as it gets even if the 4K will undoubtedly look better. John.
Just found your channel and I wish I found it earlier! Got a lot of videos to go through :D
I've tried to make them all as professional as possible J J so hopefully you'll find a few of interest. Biggest one in terms of views so far is 2001: A Space Odyssey in 4K - Why Does It Look So Good? John.
Now I am interested in learning about the different elements of film. Great video!
It's been a wonderful hobby for me Darrin. Take a look a my 'The Super 8 Gauge' video I did about 18 months ago and you'll see how it all started for me. I've never lost my fascination for the moving image but shooting movies on video just doesn't hold the same appeal even though it's how I made a living for about 15 years before Covid-19 came along and pretty much killed my little business overnight. John.
Thanks for sharing John I really enjoyed watching this review,I don’t have Tenet but do have Murder On The Orient Express.
Well if you do get Tenet and you can decipher it, I'll send you a medal!!! Orient Express is the best video quality I've ever seen and I am still astounded by it when I put it on as I did for this video. John.
@@moviecollector5920 Yes John I will hope to I’ve thought about that film in the past I’ve never seen it.
Nice one. Would love a top 10 list of best 20th century ones (less chance of Nolan dominating ;)
That would be interesting Jeff. The trouble is I have most of the best films of the last century on Super 8 so probably won't see too many of them on 4K. It's been great to be able to watch them on a big screen over the past 50 years though.
John.
Perhaps you should do a video on the best cinema screens in the UK
Already done that as an extra on the end of the 70mm Death on the Nile video. John.
Great video 👍👍 IV the same Italian release of 2001...and don't have any problems with the disk.
I'll keep my eyes open and get another copy of 2001 Roy. I feel that I need to go through all my 4K discs now that I've found a third one with the same fault but that's well over 100 discs now so it's not something I'll be able to do quickly. Maybe we'll try to watch a couple every week from now on and see how it goes.
John.
Love your channel! I still havent upgraded my blu ray of Dunkirk to 4K. Is there really much difference in image quality? Sicario is another 4K that has excellent image quality along with Life of Pi, District 9 and Hacksaw Ridge. Just a few more for you to check out! 👍
Morning Mike. It's HDR that makes the difference between Blu-ray and 4K so you probably won't see any difference in resolution on our tiny home screens but colour and density makes the investment worthwhile. Having said that, it's probably only worth shelling out again if you love the film.
A few people have mentioned Life of Pi but I saw a preview somewhere when it was still in post production and that put me off. I don't like live action films that are made to look like cartoons and that had it in spades. Avatar is another of that ilk that I still haven't managed to see owing to the look of it. One day.
John.
Great review john my 2001 was perfect but I had your problem with the new dune kept stopping at scene 12 I had to skip to 13 and rewind
Thank you Mark. The problem with 2001 is the most extreme I've come across so far and I can only get through it if I skip two chapters ahead before the fault appears otherwise it's a complete lock-up. Still, the disc will make a nice beer mat!
John.
@@moviecollector5920. Sounds like a layer transition error.
@@robertt9342 I think it's developed the errors on the menu too now so it's a silver layer deterioration by the look of it. This was known as 'laser rot' on LaserDiscs but they would keep playing, just with a load of interference like imagery until the damaged area was passed. I've come across five 4K discs with this issue now and one that had the fault from new. I've replaced three of them but another I purchased a replacement for had the same error in almost the same location, just a couple of minutes sooner. John.
This is the video I'm most excited for. Great list John and thanks to you I now have several in my collection. Still a couple more I'd like to add also.
NiceGuyAidey just reminded me how good No Time To Die is too which I had completely forgotten about so if you don't have that one, there's another one for the list! Whatever you do and whichever titles you end up purchasing Darren I hope you have a great time with them. There's nothing quite like having a great movie in great quality to watch in the home. John.
@@moviecollector5920 No time to die is a purchase that will be done soon for me. I'd rather get it at HMV when it's in a deal which I'm sure it will be soon. I know it's cheaper at Amazon but like you I want to support the high street shops. You're 100% right. Nothing compares to watching something on a big screen. Mines only 100" so doesn't compare to a cinema but still not bad. Maybe one day soon I'll be able to go even bigger
@@Darrenlovesmovies This evening I think we're going to be sticking an old DVD on. I don't think it's going to come up to the standard of the best 4K discs but it's still really enjoyable to watch a favourite film on a big(ish) screen even if the image quality isn't quite the best. John.
@@moviecollector5920 enjoy John 😊
Sir, I thought there will be the movie "Mackenna's gold" among your best 4k collection, which has got , breath taking views of Grand Canyon parts, hope they have not released in 4k? Can we play 4k discs in the blue ray disc player? Or another 4 k player?
Good morning Shashidhar. I think there is a Grand Canyon film released on 4K disc and if I'm right it may have originally been a genuine 70mm IMAX so that should look absolutely fabulous. But if you're asking if you can play a 4K disc in a standard Blu-ray player then the answer is no, it has to be a 4K UHD Blu-ray player. They start at around £100 over here in the UK so they're not prohibitively expensive. You do need a 4K telly or video projector to screen them in 4K and HDR though. John.
@@moviecollector5920 sir, thanks for the quick reply,& the enlightenment.plz.give me the name of the other Grand canyon movie on 4k disc, thanking you sir.
@@shashidharmurthy2226 I may be completely wrong Shashidar but I'm pretty sure there was an early 4K release with some IMAX documentaries on it. It may have only been available in North America though and it's possible what I remember was actually a Blu-ray but I would put money on it still looking spectacular. Our home screens are so tiny that it's difficult to see any difference in resolution between Blu-ray and 4K. John.
@@moviecollector5920 thanks sir.
@@shashidharmurthy2226 Just found it: store.hmv.com/store/film-tv/4k-ultra-hd-blu-ray/extreme-adventure-collection
i was blown away by the UHDs of spartacus, in the line of fire and lawrence of arabia.
We watched In The Line Of Fire on Saturday evening Erhard and it is very good but it's a 35mm and therefore will always struggle when compared to 65mm and genuine IMAX. Lawrence of Arabia was 65mm so I know that's going to be one of the best, that's just the way it is. John.
Really interesting stuff in this particular video, but it left me wondering if you've ever seen Gladiator in 4k, or Spider-Man into the Spidervrse,or Blade Runner 2049. These are some of the few that I own, and I would like very much to know what you think of them, since they usually enter other people's top ten list. On another topic..Have you seen the new Spider-Man film?, if so, what do you think of it?
I saw the premiere print of Gladiator Timothy and it looked very good but it is 35mm so like all 35mm and video productions, it would struggle to get into any top ten if really scrutinized on a big screen. Having said that, I haven't seen the 4K but my colleague has got a 35mm general release print so I've rather watched it to death. I haven't seen Spider-Man Into the Spiderverse as I'm not really into modern cartoons. As it's a cartoon it will have lines around everything and that does mean it will give the appearance of superior definition so that's always something to bear in mind with cartoons. Blade Runner 2049 looks fairly poor on both my systems and it's more or less the same as other Denis Villeneuve films in that regard. This seems to happen on various systems with movies shot on video whereas we seem to get greater consistency with movies shot on film. It's certainly all very interesting. But there are some great looking videos out there - Le Mans '66 for one and 1917 but how about Lucy? That one's a cracker and there are plenty of others too. Might have to do a follow up to include some of the better videos.
I haven't seen the new Spider-Man yet but I will because Tobey Maguire makes an appearance once more. I have seen the previous two films but I don't think they're particularly good. Enjoyable tosh though.
John.
@@moviecollector5920 thanks for the response
Lawrence of Arabia is being sold in a steelbook by best buy, amazon, target. Bridge over kwai too. Release in june ,ive preordered both.
@@parrisprice5892 I think the steelbook over here in the UK is going to be a Zavvi exclusive so I'll be getting whatever is available from HMV as they still have shops on our high streets which Zavvi don't. I could import a steelbook from the US though.... hmmmm.
Great stuff, John. I'm really looking forward to the Robocop release. Hopefully break into my top 10.
I only ever saw Robocop once Doug but I may actually give it a second try now it's coming to 4K. The fact that it's an 80s film seems to give me an extra incentive somehow.
John.
@@moviecollector5920 It's a fantastic film. Easily one of my all time favourites.
If you get the opportunity, check out the recent Running man transfer. They've done a fabulous job.
@@dougquaid570 If The Running Man appears over here then I will certainly get that one. A load of tosh but I love it. I'm one of the few who has read the book too but the book bears hardly any relationship to what ended up on screen. John.
Me too I love robocop can't wait to get it
@@markhempenstall5379 I suspect Robocop will have improved with age just like a lot of the 1980s films have. John.
Wow the details from you are incredible. Really interesting thank you!!!!
Thank you Scott. I'm glad you enjoyed it. John.
Funny how a good number of films on your list I haven't seen, just as in your description they don't appeal to me, but just curious is this top 10 list based on 4K transfers alone, or both with as your fave movies as well? I saw Murder on the Orient Express and really didn't care much for it. Much prefer the Albert Finney version and would love to see a remastered 4K of it. Similarly, LOVED Death on the Nile with Peter Ustinov, Bette Davis, Maggie Smith, Angela Lansbury and others. This new version was good, just not as good as the original. Just don't see Branagh as Poirot. Don't know what it is, but just find him in the role a bit annoying. But hey, if we all liked the same things and agreed all the time, this world would be pretty boring. ;) Thanks for your review and picks, always good to watch. P.S. the one movie I hope will get a 4K treatment is Cleopatra with Liz Taylor. The 50th anniversary edition was incredible so it has to be close to getting the 4K treatment.
Cleopatra nearly bankrupted 20th Century Fox so although it's not got the greatest film reputation in history it surely has to get a 4K release. Put me down for that one.
I based the list on image quality alone but Tenet and Dunkirk may be interchangeable at number 2 and 3 so I put Tenet there largely on a hunch because I really like how that film made me think and think and think to try to work it all out. If I were to work out a top ten next week the same films would be listed but in a slightly different order perhaps. I did manage to overlook 'No Time To Die' which was probably number 6 but you can't win 'em all. I somehow glossed over it on the shelf so sorry about that.
As for the 1978 Death on the Nile, that is one of my all-time favourite films. I didn't care anywhere as near as much for the Albert Finney 'Murder on the Orient Express' but I do very much like it. Peter Ustinov is the best ever Hercule Poirot but I also like Kenneth Branagh. That could be the main problem you have with his two films because if you don't appreciate him in the role I can imagine it would rather spoil the films. I never got into the television series which I found a little dull but that may have a bearing too because a lot of people can't see anyone but Mr. Suchet in the lead role as a result.
Let's see how good the 4K disc of Death on the Nile is. I don't think it will come up to Orient Express standards but I'll happily be wrong on that one.
John.
Fantastic Ranking, John! I need to give all these 4K discs a re-run on my tv, perhaps I may watching one this weekend, tenet maybe.
seems that 65mm just makes a 4K disc instantly great (I can't wait to see the Death on the nile 4K disc, I wonder what it will look like compared to the shotty-70mm print)
I actually haven't seen Death on the nile yet, I was going to wait for a 70mm screening here in sydney, but non have showed up yet, so I'll just buy the 4K, and if in the future, a 70mm print does visit sydney, I'll be sure to attend that screening!
Thanks! Have a great day!
Greetings Clark. I have my suspicions that Death on the Nile will be more impressive at home than it was at the Odeon but I don't know for sure. Whether or not the 4K will come up to the standard of Murder on the Orient Express remains to be seen but it should be a treat however good it is.
Tenet may be Nolan's second masterpiece but I doubt it will ever get the credit it deserves owing to the fact that it's almost incomprehensible to most viewers. I'll have to watch my own review video before I watch it again just so I can remember what the hell it's all about!
John.
Hi John, Great review, if you ever get the time or the inclination, try The Revenant or Life of Pi 4k's. They are exceptional.
I've seen The Revenant a couple of times on Blu-ray Clive. It's very good to look at on Blu-ray. Sadly I saw a preview for Life of Pi before it was released and the preview completely turned me off the film so that's one I'm unlikely to see for a while. I don't tend to like movies that look a bit cartoonish such as Life of Pi and Avatar which is another that I still haven't seen for that reason. No doubt when I do finally see both of them I'll wonder what the hell I was trying to avoid!
John.
Life of Pi and Avatar are must see, you are cheating yourself John by discounting them before watching. I just had to chime in with my 2 cents.
@@gilbertrios5283 One day. I do usually have trouble with motion capture cartoons but there have been one or two exceptions over the years. John.
Great Top Ten, I have all the Nolan Films on 4k Disc , its good to get the imax scenes , something thats missing on the streaming versions.... I'm patiently waiting for a new Oled to be released so i can enjoy my collection again.. I think No Time to Die would of been in my top ten, not for the film but for the 4k disc quality , thought it was superb...
Good point about No Time To Die Aidey. I probably shouldn't have overlooked that one. Next time maybe. John.
@@moviecollector5920 Yes it is a stunner of a transfer imo, maybe as the film was not to everyone's taste's its overlooked , look forward to the next video John
The problem with 2001 is probably because it's so long they need to go three layers on the disc. Many players struggle to read from the third layer and will freeze. Just a guess.
A few people have suggested that Steven. The affected three discs I have with the problem are of varying lengths but all played through fine the first time around. I guess I'll find out if it's a player issue or disc issue or both when another 4K player has to be purchased.
Still hoping that Branagh will release Hamlet on 4k. That should look incredible.
True. And I was thinking Ben-Hur would be another one and I think that would be quite a success in terms of sales too.
John.