Rating summary

Movie		4.0
Video		0.0
Audio		3.5
Extras		3.0
Overall		3.5

American Movie 4K Blu-ray Movie Review

Reviewed by Jeffrey Kauffman November 3, 2024

Even some well informed readers of this review may not realize that the apparent center of the known (and possibly unknown) universe is the tiny town of Menomonee Falls, Wisconsin. It's probably understandable that so few have become aware of this undeniable phenomenon, and I personally wasn't aware of it until I married a woman from that very village located on the outskirts of Milwaukee. It wasn't long before Divine Intervention or Synchronicity or some other Unseen Power starting pummeling me with clues about the focal role Menomonee Falls would play in my life, aside and apart from having a spouse from there. I'll share a couple of (hopefully) fun anecdotes about Menomonee Falls in my final comments below, but for those previously unaware of this rather scenic little suburb of Wisconsin's largest city, look no further than American Movie.

American Movie had a release on 1080 disc a couple of years ago, and those wanting a "plot" summary (if a quasi-documentary can be said to have a plot) are encouraged to read Martin Liebman's American Movie Blu-ray review of that release. For those who may have an interest in this film and who read Marty's original review, I'll mention "up front" here that while this new 4K UHD release of an obviously lo-fi viewing experience may engender a "why" or two, this version does include Coven, which Marty lamented had not been included as a supplement on the 1080 release.

American Movie 4K Blu-ray Movie, Video Quality 

Note: This release does not include a 1080 Blu-ray, so these screenshots are taken from the 4K UHD disc and downscaled to 1080 and SDR. Color space in particular is therefore not accurate, and I recommend those interested to look at some of the screenshots in Marty's American Movie Blu-ray review for a probably better representation of the palette. Because no 1080 disc is included, the 2K video score above has been intentionally left blank.

American Movie is presented in 4K UHD courtesy of Sony Pictures Classics with an HEVC / H.265 encoded 2160p transfer in 1.33:1. As I mentioned above, this release may generate a "why" or two, since the source is so obviously lo-fi. The 16mm source has inherent limitations that the increased resolution and Dolby Vision / HDR of this release may frankly not help, and in some cases, may actually work to the detriment of the presentation. Grain is expectedly heavy, but some of the same yellow and blue quasi-chroma effects that were already noticeable in the old 1080 edition are only increased here, and there are several passing moments where yellow grain in particular can almost overwhelm the imagery. There are still some variances on display, and a couple of well lit outdoor daytime scenes see grain resolve much more tightly, and perhaps not by coincidence, detail levels can also improve at least marginally. Fine detail is best in close-ups, but again has to be understood in the context of a smaller millimeter source format. I guess it can be argued that Dolby Vision / HDR offer a bit more shadow definition in some of the very darkest moments, but otherwise I really didn't notice a huge difference in the palette when stacked up against the 1080 release.

American Movie 4K Blu-ray Movie, Audio Quality 

This disc repeats the DTS-HD Master Audio 2.0 Mono track from the original 1080 release, and as Marty mentions in his review, there's really not a very complicated sound design on tap here, with only a few passing effects and the bulk of the sound design given over to spoken material, all of which is delivered cleanly and clearly. Optional English subtitles are available.

American Movie 4K Blu-ray Movie, Special Features and Extras 

More information on the legacy supplements is available in Marty's review, linked to above.

• Cast and Crew Commentary


• Deleted Scenes (HD; 36:56)


• Coven Short Film by Mark Borchardt (HD; 36:20)


• Theatrical Trailer (HD; 2:44)

Additionally, packaging features a slipcover.

American Movie 4K Blu-ray Movie, Overall Score and Recommendation 

Regular readers of my reviews may know of my personal and professional interest in music and music related Blu-ray and 4K UHD releases, and in that regard, one of the coolest Menomonee Falls connections for me personally occurred when a little bell went off after my soon to be wife told me about Menomonee Falls and I kind of stumbled into realizing it was the home base for a venerable and sadly now deceased man named Joel Whitburn. Whitburn's name should be immediately recognizable to anyone who, like me, loved (or loves) to pore over "chart data" of how various records did in the manifold listings offered weekly by Billboard, as Whitburn was famous for aggregating that data in a series of fantastic reference volumes which my wife, who worked for years in broadcast news, said were standard issue items for radio stations nationally, but which had already entered my personal library courtesy of my admittedly wonky interest in the subject. When I went back to Menomonee Falls to get married, I called Whitburn's office on a lark and the town being so small, it turned out everyone there knew my wife's family (who had owned the major grocery store in town for generations) and I was invited over for a private tour of Whitburn's "top secret" vault of extremely rare 45s. It wasn't much later that I also stumbled (hey, I'm not very athletic) across an absolutely fascinating documentary called Dr. Bronner's Magic Soap Box, about the famous soap and toiletry maker, and was absolutely gobsmacked to find out that family also ended up in Menomonee Falls after some perilous "adventures" in Nazi Germany and mental institutions. Even without any personal connection to this admittedly tucked away nook in Wisconsin, the general zeitgeist of the place will probably be instantly apparent to anyone who watches this engagingly sweet piece. While I'd probably be the first to join the "why" chorus in the release of this film in 4K UHD, if for no other reason than its inclusion of Coven, American Movie comes Recommended.