GoodFellas 4K Blu-ray Movie

Rating summary

Movie		5.0
Video		4.5
Audio		4.0
Extras		4.0
Overall		3.0

GoodFellas 4K Blu-ray Movie Review

What's So Hi-Res About ME?

Although Goodfellas is just now appearing on UHD, it was one of the first Warner Brothers titles to be encoded for 4K with HDR, which is why it has been available on the Vudu streaming service since early this year. Warner deferred releasing the film on UHD until triple-layer BD-100s became available, so that the 145-minute feature would have adequate space. The new disc is the first opportunity for a broader public to get a look at how Goodfellas fares when subjected to the latest enhancements in video presentation. I wish I could report that the results are spectacular, but they're not. Indeed, on a properly calibrated system, the UHD is a step backwards from the 25th Anniversary Edition released just last year. Accordingly, the UHD has received a lower video score than the Blu-ray and a rock-bottom score for its 4K treatment.

The issue of calibration for 4K and HDR has been a frequent topic of discussion since UHD first hit the market in March, but accurate calibration is only just now becoming a reality. For further discussion, please refer to the "Video" section below.

GoodFellas 4K Blu-ray Movie, Video Quality 

The UHD disc of Goodfellas is based on the same 4K scan of the original camera negative that was used to generate the 25th Anniversary Edition Blu-ray. This new version is something of a landmark for Warner Brothers, because Goodfellas is its first "deep catalog" release in what remains a fledgling format. All of Warner's previous 4K discs to date are 21st Century films completed on digital intermediates, but Goodfellas is entirely a product of the analog era, which constitutes the bulk of cinema history. This makes it an informative preview (along with such Sony titles as Ghostbusters and Ghostbusters II) of how older titles originated on film and completed photochemically may fare in the brave new world of 4K and High Dynamic Range.

Before turning to the UHD of Goodfellas, let me take a short detour to discuss calibration. The gold standard of calibration has been set by the Imaging Science Foundation (or "ISF"), which was created in 1994 to establish standardization in electronic imaging. Calibrators trained and certified by the ISF are routinely retained to adjust and confirm the accuracy of the displays used in post houses and DI suites, and they are also hired by home theater installers and enthusiasts to provide the same services for consumer equipment. ISF calibration requires several key components. These include a colorimeter for measuring a display's light output, color values and wavelengths; and a signal generator to feed the display standardized test patterns that can be measured by the colorimeter. Top quality colorimeters are expensive devices that cost more than the average home theater, and their proper use depends on an intimate understanding of the underlying technology—which is why accurate calibration requires the hiring of a properly trained and equipped professional.

The challenge of 4K and HDR at the moment is that no signal generator currently on the market is capable of supplying the requisite test patterns. Most importantly for present purposes, these test signals would include an HDR-graded PLUGE pattern, which is an essential tool for setting black levels. In the absence of any standardization, calibration for 4K and HDR has remained a moving target, and this limitation affects the entire UHD chain, from creation to playback.

A small group of technicians has coordinated with industry representatives to develop a 4K/HDR test disc that can be used for ISF calibration. Although the disc is not yet widely available, I am fortunate enough to work with one of its creators, Kevin Miller, who is both a charter member of the ISF and its officially designated Technical Consultant. Recently, Mr. Miller used this disc to re-calibrate my system for HDR color and black levels. All of my UHD reviews written since that procedure bear the paragraph in italics below, specifying the calibration equipment and methodology.

Even before the latest calibration, it was obvious that the 2160p, HEVC/H.265-encoded UHD of Goodfellas suffered from black-level issues. Since the procedure, I have rewatched the disc several times. In comparison to the Blu-ray, the UHD reveals a slight (a very slight) increase in visible detail and grain, but the improvement continues to be overshadowed (literally) by improper black levels that cast a haze of overbrightening across the entire frame. The effect is most pronounced in scenes set in darkened interiors such as clubs and bars—and there are many such scenes in Goodfellas. A good example is the bar scene (chapter 33) in which Henry Hill (Ray Liotta) narrates the planning for the Lufthansa heist, while the camera picks up each member of the crew being assembled by Jimmy Conway (Robert De Niro). The last to enter is "Stacks" Edwards (Samuel L. Jackson), and as he walks away from the camera into the back of the bar, the outline of his figure softens and the details fade. The same phenomenon can be observed after the heist, when Jimmy is celebrating at the same bar, but his jubilation turns to fury when he discovers that members of the crew have disobeyed his orders not to attract attention with luxury purchases. In scenes such as these, the UHD's image is routinely less distinct and detailed than the Blu-ray's, because the blacks are too bright. The UHD's colors appear to have been slightly intensified compared to the Blu-ray, with reds and blues the chief beneficiary, but here again the overbrightening tends to undercut any improvements by dampening color intensity.

Is the UHD unwatchable? Not at all. As with many video phenomena, the eye quickly adjusts to the presentation, and the elevated black levels become routine. But having watched Goodfellas repeatedly on both UHD and the 25th Anniversary Edition Blu-ray, I find the Blu-ray to be a better viewing experience. (And yes, my setup is also ISF-calibrated for 1080p.)

Like other studios, Warner touts HDR as a major enhancement, but the UHD presentation of Goodfellas demonstrates that the HDR sticker prominently affixed to every 4K title does not necessarily guarantee a superior image. While the 4K image could no doubt be re-graded with accurate black levels, it is uncertain whether and how much the corrected image would offer any meaningful improvement over the Blu-ray. Regardless, Goodfellas stands as a demonstration of why HDR is not automatically a benefit. As UHD progresses, it may turn out that some—possibly many—older films should be left in SDR, without any attempt to "enhance" their blacks, contrast or colors.

[Viewed on a system calibrated using a Klein K10-A Colorimeter with a custom profile created with a Colorimetry Research CR250 Spectraradiometer, powered by SpectraCal CalMAN 2016 5.7, using the Samsung Reference 2016 UHD HDR Blu-ray test disc authored by Florian Friedrich from AV Top in Munich, Germany. Calibration performed by Kevin Miller of ISFTV.]

GoodFellas 4K Blu-ray Movie, Audio Quality 

The UHD of Goodfellas features the same lossless DTS-HD MA 5.1 track previously reviewed.

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

The 4K disc features the commentaries previously reviewed here. The accompanying pair of standard Blu-ray discs are identical to those supplied with the 25th Anniversary Edition. They include the film in 1080p, along with the commentaries and all of the extras from the 2010 DigiBook release, plus the new documentary, "Scorsese's Goodfellas", which is reviewed here.

The only items from the 25th Anniversary Edition that have been omitted are the 36-page book and the letter from the director.

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

I am very much aware that the UHD of Goodfellas has been favorably reviewed elsewhere and that my low score for 4K (and lowered score for Video) will no doubt be controversial. However, as explained above, my assessments have not been arrived at casually or without substantial effort to apply standards that are as objectively accurate as existing resources will allow. Anyone who remembers the early days of Blu-ray will recall the widely varying quality of those initial releases, as studios and mastering facilities explored the new format's capabilities. UHD is undergoing a similar shakeout, and Goodfellas is one of its casualties.