Color Out of Space 4K Blu-ray Movie

Rating summary

Movie		4.0
Video		4.0
Audio		5.0
Extras		2.0
Overall		4.0

Color Out of Space 4K Blu-ray Movie Review

SPOILER ALERT: It's still pink.

RLJ Entertainment has recently been issuing Steelbook variants for many of their more popular catalog titles, and one of their best arrives with this 4K combo pack of Richard Stanley's Color Out of Space, a surprisingly solid adaptation of H.P. Lovecraft's 1927 short story. Though reasonably priced as of this writing ($6 more than the standard edition), it's an "upgrade" for die-hard packaging collectors only -- all disc contents are exactly the same as before.

Color Out of Space 4K Blu-ray Movie, Video Quality 

For my thoughts on both the included transfers, see my review of the standard 4K/Blu-ray combo pack. Please note that the 4K transfer is still SDR only -- a shame they couldn't have "sweetened the pot" with a new HDR pass.

Color Out of Space 4K Blu-ray Movie, Audio Quality 

For my thoughts on the DTS-HD 5.1 MA mix, see my 2020 review of the standard 4K/Blu-ray combo pack.

Color Out of Space 4K Blu-ray Movie, Special Features and Extras 

This two-disc set ships in Steelbook packaging, going all-in on the film's dominant color with an electric pink design that's slightly reflective -- a bit of spot-gloss or other highlights would've been nice, though. The back cover follows suit with an image of the buried meteor, while the interior features Nicolas Cage's character in silhouette, standing outside his parked car in the woods. Both similarly pink-hued discs sit on overlapping hubs on the right side.

On-disc extras are the same as those from the earlier combo pack and are identical on both discs.

• The Making of Color Out of Space (20:12) - This short but well-rounded behind-the-scenes piece includes comments from producers Josh Wallers, Elijah Wood, Lisa Whalen, and Michael McGuire; director Richard Stanley; head of development Daniel Noah; second unit director Jonas Govaerts; all of the primary actors; and several other participants. Topics of interest include the script, casting Nicolas Cage, the disastrous Island of Dr. Moreau and Stanley's return to directing, stories from the set, future Lovecraft adaptations, and more.

• Deleted and Extended Scenes (8 clips, 12:57 total) - "Ward Meets Ezra", "Ward Attempts to Warn the Mayor", "Nathan Drags Lavinia Upstairs", "Bedtime Story", "Benny Walks the Alpacas", "Nathan Begins to Act Strange", "Lavinia Feels Sick", and "Nathan Milks Alpacas". Nothing major, but a few nice moments.

• Photo Gallery: The Gardners' Farm - 25 images are included in this manually-navigated gallery.

Color Out of Space 4K Blu-ray Movie, Overall Score and Recommendation 

H.P. Lovecraft's influential work has been notoriously difficult to translate on film, but Richard Stanley's Color Out of Space adapts its 92-year-old source material quite well. Nicolas Cage is perfect for the lead role and the supporting performances range from good to excellent, while its measured pace and heady, hallucinogenic effects create an effectively off-balance atmosphere. This new Steelbook edition from RLJ Entertainment simply repurposes their 2020 4K/Blu-ray combo pack in collectable packaging, but it's firmly recommended to fans and first-timers alike.