A Star Is Born Blu-ray Movie

Rating summary

Movie		4.5
Video		4.0
Audio		5.0
Extras		1.0
Overall		3.5

A Star Is Born Blu-ray Movie Review

Reviewed by Martin Liebman June 7, 2019

In less than four months since its Blu-ray debut, Warner Brothers has released the "Special Encore Edition" of the Oscar-winning film 'A Star Is Born.' This version adds nearly 12 minutes to the runtime, comprised of, per the packaging, 'extended music performances, intimate jam sessions with Jackson and Ally, and all-new scenes.' The theatrical cut is included on the same disc. Most of the supplements from the original release do not carry over.

Below is Warner Brothers' press release blurb on what's included with this release:

This special edition of the film contains extended performances of such songs as opener “Black Eyes,” “Alibi,” and Lady Gaga’s Ally in her impromptu a cappella performance of “Shallow,” which received the Oscar for Best Original Song at the 91st Annual Academy Awards, following Cooper and Gaga’s moving performance during the ceremony. Fans will also be treated to never-before-seen footage of Ally singing to Jack “Is That Alright?” in the wedding sequence, Jack in his studio singing “Too Far Gone,” Jack and Ally writing a new song together, entitled “Clover,” and much more, totaling nearly 12 additional minutes.

The "Special Encore Edition" has a runtime of 2:27:32. The theatrical cut, released previously, runs 2:15:45.

For a full film review, please click here.

A Star Is Born Blu-ray Movie, Video Quality 

There appears to be no discernible change in picture quality; the new scenes are added in seamlessly. For a full Blu-ray video review, please click here.

Unfortunately, there is no UHD release of this Encore cut of the film, as there was for the basic theatrical cut.

A Star Is Born Blu-ray Movie, Audio Quality 

The "Special Encore Edition" features only Dolby Atmos and DTS-HD Master Audio 5.1 lossless soundtracks (the latter of which is the default selection). Several additional options, including an audio descriptive track, are available with the theatrical cut.

For a full Atmos audio review, please click here.

A Star Is Born Blu-ray Movie, Special Features and Extras 

In a likely effort to save disc space and present both cuts of the film on the same disc rather than make use of two Blu-rays, Warner Brothers has ditched several extras which appear on the standalone release, including The Road to Stardom: Making 'A Star Is Born', Jam Sessions and Rarities, and Music Videos. The only supplements included with the "Special Encore Edition" are "Musical Moments." This supplement, which reproduces the film's musical scenes all in one easily accessible place, does include, in addition to those featured on the previous Blu-ray, the following new segments: Diggin' My Grave/Clover/Midnight Special (1080p, 3:18) and Is That Alright (1080p, 1:42). For a list of the other selections included, please click here.

A DVD copy of the film (which includes previously released extras in SD) and a Movies Anywhere digital copy code are included with purchase. This release ships with an embossed slipcover.

A Star Is Born Blu-ray Movie, Overall Score and Recommendation 

A Star Is Born's Encore Cut is, in a vacuum, a welcome addition that probably should have been released straight away, and in 4K. This release will likely only be attractive to hardcore fans of the film and/or audiences with little concern for special features because this disc ditches the majority of them. This cut, and the film, deserve more.

There is a silver lining. Per Warner Brothers' press release, "fans who have already purchased A Star Is Born on iTunes and Vudu will be able to watch A Star Is Born Encore under Extras of A Star Is Born starting June 4.