7.6 | / 10 |
Users | 0.0 | |
Reviewer | 3.5 | |
Overall | 3.5 |
The lives of many individuals connected by the desire for happiness, often from sources usually considered dark or evil.
Starring: Jane Adams (II), Jon Lovitz, Philip Seymour Hoffman, Camryn Manheim, Dylan BakerDark humor | 100% |
Drama | 83% |
Comedy | Insignificant |
Video codec: HEVC / H.265
Video resolution: 4K (2160p)
Aspect ratio: 1.85:1
Original aspect ratio: 1.85:1
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 | 3.0 | |
Video | 5.0 | |
Audio | 5.0 | |
Extras | 2.0 | |
Overall | 3.5 |
Todd Solondz's "Happiness" (1998) arrives on 4K Blu-ray courtesy of Criterion. The supplemental features on the release include new program with Todd Solondz and Charlotte Wells; new program with actor Dylan Baker; and original trailer. In English, with optional English SDH subtitles for the main feature. Region-Free.
Criterion's release of Happiness is a 4K Blu-ray/Blu-ray combo pack. The 4K Blu-ray disc is Region-Free. However, the Blu-ray disc is Region-A "locked".
Please note that some of the screencaptures that appear with this article are taken from the 4K Blu-ray 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.
Screencaptures #1-19 are from the Blu-ray.
Screencaptures #22-30 are from the 4K Blu-ray.
The release introduces an exclusive new 4K makeover of Happiness, supervised by its director of photography, Maryse Albert. In native 4K, the 4K makeover can be viewed with Dolby Vision and HDR grades. I chose to view it with Dolby Vision. After that, I compared it to the 1080p presentation on the Blu-ray.
I do not have any DVD releases of Happiness in my library. However, even if I did, I almost certainly would not have used them for comparison purposes. The 4K makeover is an absolute stunner that instantly creates the impression that Happiness is only a few months old. On my system, every part of it, regardless of whether it feature darker indoor or bright daylight footage, looked sensational. Virtually all visuals looked razor-sharp and incredibly lush, boasting hugely impressive primaries and supporting nuances. Fluidity was excellent as well, so the consistency of the moving visuals is fantastic. There are no traces of any problematic digital corrections. The entire film looks immaculate. So, how does the 1080p presentation look? It looks very impressive, too. I think that in a couple of darker sequences, like the one where Philip Seymour Hoffman attempts to start a conversation with Lara Flynn Boyle in the hallway, the native 4K presentation performs marginally better, but these are very minor discrepancies because the overall quality of the 4K makeover is that good. Color reproduction is similarly satisfying in native 4K and 1080p.
There is only one standard audio track on this release: English DTS-HD Master Audio 2.0. Optional English SDH subtitles are provided for the main feature.
For a dialog-driven feature, Happiness surprises with plenty of diverse and quite effective music. In several areas, there are wonderful dynamic contracts. The dialog is crystal-clear, sharp, and very easy to follow. Stability is excellent, too. While viewing Happiness, I did not encounter any encoding anomalies to report.
4K BLU-RAY DISC
Happiness seeks humor in a place where there isn't any. It is why viewing it can be an unforgettably awkward experience. Regardless of what has been said and written about it, which is a lot and often contradicts itself, it is pretty obvious that it was supposed to scandalize. What isn't entirely clear is whether it was supposed to be anything else, like a meaningful film. Criterion's combo pack introduces a spectacular new 4K makeover of Happiness, supervised by its director of photography, Maryse Albert. A standard Blu-ray release streets with it as well. RECOMMENDED to folks who want a definitive release of Happiness in their collections.
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