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 | 6% |
Comedy | Insignificant |
Video codec: MPEG-4 AVC
Video resolution: 1080p
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
Single disc (1 BD)
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 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-A "locked".
Presented in its original aspect ratio of 1.85:1, encoded with MPEG-4 AVC and granted a 1080p transfer, Happiness arrives on Blu-ray courtesy of Criterion.
The release introduces an exclusive new 4K makeover of Happiness, supervised by its director of photography, Maryse Albert. The same 4K makeover is also present on 4K Blu-ray. You can see our listing and review of this release here. I viewed Happiness in its entirety in native 4K. After that, I compared various sections of the 4K and 1080p presentations of it.
The quality of the 4K makeover is so good that I cannot imagine a scenario where fans of Happiness are not enormously impressed by it. Delineation, clarity, and depth are exceptional, and colors, both primaries and supporting nuances, look absolutely terrific. I went back and forth between the 4K and 1080p presentations and only in a couple of darker sequences I think that the former looks marginally better. But the discrepancies are very, very small. There are no traces of any problematic digital corrections. As a result, from start to finish Happiness boasts a very even, very solid organic appearance. It is immaculate as well. (Note: This is a Region-A "locked" Blu-ray release. Therefore, you must have a native Region-A or Region-Free player in order to access its content).
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.
I viewed Happiness in its entirety in native 4K. After that, I compared various sections of the 4K and 1080p presentations of it. The following comments are from our review of the 4K Blu-ray release.
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.
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 Blu-ray release introduces a spectacular new 4K makeover of Happiness, supervised by its director of photography, Maryse Albert. A 4K Blu-ray/Blu-ray combo pack streets with it as well. RECOMMENDED to folks who want a definitive release of Happiness in their collections.
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