Dr. Strangelove or: How I Learned to Stop Worrying and Love the Bomb 4K Blu-ray Movie

Rating summary

Movie		5.0
Video		4.0
Audio		4.5
Extras		5.0
Overall		5.0

Dr. Strangelove or: How I Learned to Stop Worrying and Love the Bomb 4K Blu-ray Movie Review

Sony has released Director Stanley Kubrick's legendary 1964 film 'Dr. Strangelove or: How I Learned to Stop Worrying and Love the Bomb' to the UHD format. The 4K presentation is currently exclusive to the studio's prestigious Columbia Classics Collection boxed set. New specifications include 2160p/HDR video and 5.1 channel lossless audio. Several new supplements are included on the UHD disc and the bundled Blu-ray disc is identical to that which Sony originally released in 2009; it brings with it a nice assortment of bonus content.

Dr. Strangelove or: How I Learned to Stop Worrying and Love the Bomb 4K Blu-ray Movie, Video Quality 

The included screenshots are sourced from a 1080p Blu-ray disc.

Note: Comparisons with the Blu-ray are made with Sony's original DigiBook release. I do not own a copy of the Criterion disc and cannot comment on how the UHD stacks up to that presentation.

After witnessing the majesty of Mr. Smith Goes to Washington, expectations were high for another black-and-white production releasing to 4K via the Columbia Classics Collection, and Dr. Strangelove does not disappoint. It's truly amazing to see the image transformed -- in all the right ways -- and how much difference resolution and HDR truly bring to the table for vintage colorless productions. Both are equally impressive. Textural excellence is above reproach. The image holds fast to a perfect grain structure. It's more robust than that seen on the Sony Blu-ray but it's also here more flattering and filmic, a very capable field that dazzles in practically every frame. Clarity is boosted quite a bit. Sharpness is greatly improved, boasting fully revealing skin textures well beyond Blu-ray's limits. Likewise, military uniforms -- whether worn by pilots in the sky or the more formal attire employed by those in the war room -- boast superior textural definition, both fabric and various adornments scattered along chests and shoulders. Additionally, location elements excel, notably dense bomber interior panels both in broader shots within the close confines and in close-up. Everything here is worlds superior to the Blu-ray, and that extends to the HDR color grading, too.

HDR brings about a radical change in tonal clarity, accuracy, brightness, and detail. The white opening text -- the familiar big, scrawling letters -- just leaps off the screen with newfound integrity and luminance, and the grayscale sky elements behind the planes is breathtaking for brightness. On the opposite side, black levels are meticulously presented, boasting superior shadow detail and an inky, true richness the Blu-ray could not hope to replicate. In the middle, various gradations are carefully maximized for full separation and tonal definition. Look at a shot of a parked plane at night at the 3:26 mark. The light sources in the background -- three of them -- blare with remarkable, transformative intensity while the shadowy dark sides of the buildings in front hold much deeper and denser compared to the Blu-ray, which altogether here and elsewhere has a comparatively creamy, at times almost hazy, look about it. Inside Mandrake's location, bright floor tiles, computer paper, overhead light fixtures, and computer banks as seen in the opening minutes absolutely dazzle. That holds throughout, whether in similarly well-lit interiors, low light bomber hulls illuminated by small lights and instrument clusters, or the main location "war room" where a bank of circular lights perform most of the illuminating work.

The UHD image in total is surgically precise. One might spot an errant speckle here and there but this is a superior presentation, one of extreme excellence and every bit worthy of the film it supports.

Dr. Strangelove or: How I Learned to Stop Worrying and Love the Bomb 4K Blu-ray Movie, Audio Quality 

Dr. Strangelove's UHD release includes no Atmos or DTS:X mix but does feature a DTS-HD Master Audio 5.1 lossless soundtrack, replacing the Blu-ray's TrueHD 5.1 lossless presentation. There's not really any radical differences between the mixes. It's generally front heavy and perfectly capable of carrying the movie's modest sound needs. Dialogue dominates the experience, primarily within quiet offices or in the "war room" where extremely fine reverberation carries across the front but rarely engages the surrounds in any meaningful ways. There is a nice presence to flying bombers, a low humming rumble heard both outside and inside, which represents the most steady ambient sound in the film. Gunfire in chapter seven, and also in chapter nine and a couple of other places, offers a decent sense of rat-a-tat efficiency while a couple of explosions deliver a hearty, though hardly noteworthy, low end response. There's some gentle surround activity to be heard here but the majority of the content remains the property of the front three speakers. Militaristic beats and other style of score accompany several scenes and find rich instrumental detail, quality front side spacing, and a decent low end accompaniment. Dialogue drives the majority and is clear and well prioritized from its front-center location.

Dr. Strangelove or: How I Learned to Stop Worrying and Love the Bomb 4K Blu-ray Movie, Special Features and Extras 

Dr. Strangelove includes all of the legacy Blu-ray extras on the Blu-ray disc, outlined below but reviewed in full here. The UHD disc also includes several additional bonuses, listed below and reviewed, that did not appear on the previous Blu-ray. As it ships in the Columbia Classics boxed set, a non-embossed slipcover and a Movies Anywhere digital copy code are included with purchase.

UHD:

• Stanley Kubrick Considers the Bomb (1080p, 5:38): A look back at the terrifying prospects of nuclear war and mutually assured destruction during the Cold War years. The supplement includes Kubrick's own recorded thoughts on the subject as well as interviews with his family and collaborators.
• Mick Broderick Interview (1080p, 19:14): The author of Reconstructing Strangelove explores the film, the filmmakers, the story, the style, and its history -- production and real historical -- in detail.
• Joe Dunton and Kelvin Pike Interview (1080p, 12:13): A discussion of Kubrick's photographic eye and exacting attention to detail. The piece also covers the dynamics of black-and-white photography, the stylistic positives of shooting this film in black-and-white, and additional technical details.
• Richard Daniels Interview (1080p, 14:15): A closer look at the filmmaker's life, style, and career with Kubrick Archivist Richard Daniels.
• David George Interview (1080p, 10:56): In discussion of George and his Red Alert, which greatly influenced this film.
• Rodney Hill Interview (1080p, 17:25): Hofstra University's Rodney Hill explores Kubrick, the film, themes and psychology in Kubrick's films, the filmmaker's literary influences, the story's dramatic particulars, and more.
• Archival Stanley Kubrick Audio Interview (1080p, 2:50): A brief snippet in which Kubrick explores his interest in nuclear annihilation, leading to this film.
• The Today Show Clips (1080p, 4x3): Included are interviews with Peter Sellers (10:37) and George C. Scott (6:01).
• Exhibitor Trailer (1080p, 16:53): A lengthy sneak peek of the film.
• Theatrical Trailer (1080p, 3:23).

• The Cold War: Picture-In-Picture and Pop-Up Trivia Track
• No Fighting In the War Room: Dr. Strangelove and the Nuclear Threat
• Inside Dr. Strangelove or: How I Learned to Stop Worrying and Love the Bomb
• Best Sellers Or: Peter Sellers and Dr. Strangelove
• The Art of Stanley Kubrick: From Short Films to Strangelove
• An Interview with Robert McNamara
• Split Screen Interviews with Peter Sellers and George C. Scott

Dr. Strangelove or: How I Learned to Stop Worrying and Love the Bomb 4K Blu-ray Movie, Overall Score and Recommendation 

Once again Sony delivers a dazzling UHD experience for a classic, this time the timeless Cold War film Dr. Strangelove or: How I Learned to Stop Worrying and Love the Bomb. The UHD's 2160p/HDR picture quality is fantastic. Some fans may lament the absence of a more expansive soundtrack, but the 5.1 presentation carries the material as well as is necessary within the original element constraints. A nice array of new and carryover bonus content is included. As this ships with the Columbia Classics Collection, it earns my highest recommendation.