8.3 | / 10 |
Users | 5.0 | |
Reviewer | 5.0 | |
Overall | 5.0 |
Jeffery Beaumont is a naive young man who becomes involved in murder, voyeurism, sado-masochism and a terrifying evil after he discovers a severed ear in a deserted field. He discovers and follows a nightclub singer, who is ensnared in a brutal relationship with the psychopathic Frank Booth.
Starring: Kyle MacLachlan, Isabella Rossellini, Dennis Hopper, Laura Dern, Hope LangeDrama | 100% |
Psychological thriller | 36% |
Surreal | 35% |
Mystery | 28% |
Film-Noir | 23% |
Crime | 15% |
Erotic | 14% |
Video codec: HEVC / H.265
Video resolution: 4K (2160p)
Aspect ratio: 2.35:1
Original aspect ratio: 2.39:1
English: DTS-HD Master Audio 5.1 (48kHz, 24-bit)
English: DTS-HD Master Audio 2.0 (48kHz, 24-bit)
English SDH
Blu-ray Disc
Two-disc set (2 BDs)
4K Ultra HD
Region A (locked)
Movie | 4.5 | |
Video | 5.0 | |
Audio | 5.0 | |
Extras | 5.0 | |
Overall | 5.0 |
David Lynch's "Blue Velvet" arrives on 4K Blu-ray courtesy of Criterion. The supplemental features on the release include large collection of deleted scenes and alternate takes compiled by the director; interview with composer Angelo Badalamenti; Peter Braatz's documentary "Blue Velvet Revisited"; and more. In English, with optional English SDH subtitles for the main feature. Region-Free.
Criterion's release of Blue Velvet is a 4K Blu-ray/Blu-ray combo pack. The 4K Blu-ray is Region-Free. However, the Blu-ray is Region-A "locked".
Please note that all screencaptures that appear with this article are taken from the 4K Blu-ray disc and downscaled to 1080p. Therefore, they do not accurately reflect the quality of the 4K content on the 4K Blu-ray disc, including the actual color values of this content.
In 2019, Criterion introduced a 4K restoration of Blue Velvet with this Blu-ray release. The entire makeover, which was supervised by David Lynch, is excellent and looks terrific on Blu-ray. The 4K Blu-ray offers a native 4K presentation of the makeover, which can be viewed with Dolby Vision and HDR grades. I viewed it in its entirety with Dolby Vision.
I pulled out my Blu-ray release and spent a lot of time comparing various areas of the film with darker footage because I wanted to see how the Dolby Vision grade handles it. (In case you are wondering, the 4K Blu-ray disc does not have chapters either). I liked everything that I saw. However, I immediately must mention that the discrepancies between the native 4K and 1080p presentations are quite small. In native 4K, some darker nuances are expanded and backgrounds look better defined, but my overall impression is that the Dolby Vision grade is very gentle. The daylight looks better balanced, with a superior dynamic range, which is to be expected, but I still like the 1080p presentation a lot. Fluidity is exceptional. When the camera moves, now all visuals have a very cinematic feel, so on a large screen, you will see some truly breathtaking visuals. What about color reproduction? It is fantastic. All primaries and supporting nuances looked exceptional on my screen. In fact, twice I went back to the scene where Isabella Rossellini performs on the stage because I thought that it looked incredible. Image stability is outstanding. The entire film looks spotless as well.
So, should you upgrade if you already have the Blu-ray release of the 4K restoration of Blue Velvet? Yes. This film looks stunning in native 4K. You do not even need to have a very big screen to appreciate the strength of the native 4K presentation. I think that the way in which Lynch shot Blue Velvet makes a lot of the subtle improvements quite significant.
There are two standard audio tracks on this release: English DTS-HD Master Audio 5.1 and DTS-HD Master Audio 2.0. Optional English SDH subtitles are provided for the main feature. When turned on, they appear inside the image frame.
Both tracks are replicas of the restored tracks that were offered on the Blu-ray release of Blue Velvet. Once again, I viewed the entire film with the DTS-HD Master Audio 5.1 track, which I like a lot. I did not encounter any technical anomalies to report in our review.
4K BLU-RAY DISC
Even if you already have Criterion's Blu-ray release of the recent 4K restoration of David Lynch's Blue Velvet and are very happy with it, you should plan to pick up this upcoming 4K Blu-ray/Blu-ray combo pack for your library. The entire film looks sensational in native 4K. There is nothing else for me to add, really. This is exactly the type of impeccable and definitive quality I think collectors expect 4K Blu-ray releases to deliver. VERY HIGHLY RECOMMENDED.
1955
1992
Includes They Call Me MISTER Tibbs! and The Organization on standard BD
1967-1971
1990-1992
Limited Edition to 3000 - SOLD OUT
1950
1997
1997
1946
2006
1944
2002
Masterpiece Mystery
2019
1954
Encore Edition | Limited Edition to 3000 - SOLD OUT
1953
1981
2024
2014
2014
1995
1971