Rating summary

Movie		4.0
Video		3.5
Audio		4.5
Extras		3.5
Overall		4.0

Murder by Decree 4K Blu-ray Movie Review

Reviewed by Dr. Svet Atanasov January 24, 2025

Bob Clark's "Murder by Decree" (1979) arrives on 4K Blu-ray courtesy of Kino Lorber. The supplemental features on the disc include archival audio commentary by Bob Clark; second archival audio commentary by film critics Howard S. Berger and Steve Mitchell; and vintage trailer. In English, with optional English SDH subtitles for the main feature. Region-Free.

How much of what is revealed in Bob Clark’s film is true? According to Spanish writer and handwriting expert Jose Luis Abad, not much. A couple of years ago, Abad published a fascinating book titled Jack the Ripper: The Most Intelligent Murderer in History, and in it, he argued that there is sufficient evidence now to conclude that the man who committed the murders in Whitechapel was in fact the same man who was in charge of their investigation, Inspector Abberline, whose handwriting apparently matches that in Jack the Ripper's diary. (The controversial diary was discovered in a house in Liverpool in 1992). But does it actually matter, since Clark’s film puts Jack the Ripper on a collision course with Sherlock Holmes? Now, this is a question that is very easy to answer after one has seen Clark’s film, and the answer is a very definitive no. How so? Because Clark’s film is essentially a Victorian fairy tale for adults, and as such it takes its atmosphere far more seriously than its facts.

Okay, now let’s look at this film from a slightly different angle. Forget about Jack the Ripper for a moment and focus on Sherlock Holmes and Dr. Watson. Now, ponder the following question: What other films are there where Sherlock Holmes and Dr. Watson look so perfect together and fit in the period environment where they are supposed to impress as well as they do in Clark’s film? A Study in Terror is a decent film and John Neville and Donald Houston are rather entertaining together, but they are not a match for Christopher Plummer and James Mason. Nicol Williamson and Robert Duvall in The Seven-Per-Cent Solution? Sorry, not even close. Robert Stephens and Colin Blakely in The Private Life of Sherlock Holmes? Too exotic to be taken seriously. Vasiliy Livanov and Vitali Solomin in the Soviet miniseries? Yes, this is a formidable couple, but hearing the great detective speaking Russian is rather distracting. Michael Caine and Ben Kingsley in Without a Clue? The former is great, but there is too much comedy in this film that hurts his image. So, could Clark’s film be the best about Sherlock Holmes and Dr. Watson?

The Victorian London that emerges in Clark’s film is the perfect playground for iconic characters like Jack the Ripper, Sherlock Holmes and Dr. Watson. During the day it looks cultured and safe, but at night, after the fog comes down, it evolves into a lawless jungle where shadows can kill. Sherlock Holmes is hired to solve a series of gruesome murders, but he needs the help of a psychic (Donald Sutherland) to describe his nemesis to him and then point him in the right direction. Inspector Foxborough (David Hemmings) is also tracking down the killer, but is on a mission to expose something bigger and far more dangerous that could bring down the monarchy.

The film plays with some quite wild possibilities, but at the end manages to produce an entirely coherent and actually plausible deconstruction of a timeless puzzle. On top of this, Clark and cinematographer Reginald H. Morris infuse it with a truly special atmosphere that makes viewing it an unforgettable experience.

*Murder by Decree was released theatrically in 1979. During the same year, Warner Bros. also released theatrically Nicholas Meyer’s Time After Time in which H.G. Wells pursues Jack the Ripper in the twentieth century after he manages to escape with his newly-built time machine. (In the United States, Time After Time is already out on Blu-ray courtesy of Warner Bros. Home Entertainment).

Murder by Decree 4K Blu-ray Movie, Video Quality 

Kino Lorber's release of Murder by Decree is a 4K Blu-ray/Blu-ray combo pack. The 4K Blu-ray is Region-Free. However, the Blu-ray is Region-A "locked".

Please note that some of the screencaptures included 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.

Screencaptures #1-32 are from the Blu-ray.
Screencaptures #35-40 are from the 4K Blu-ray.

The release introduces a brand new 4K makeover sourced from the film's original camera negative, prepared on behalf of StudioCanal. In native 4K, the 4K makeover cannot be viewed with Dolby Vision or HDR grades.

I have two other releases of this film that touted new restorations at different times. The first is this release, produced by Kino Lorber in 2020. The second is this Region-B release, produced by StudioCanal in 2021. The initial information circulated at the time indicated that these restorations were 4K makeovers. However, both releases were sourced from an identical old master, which was quite weak. The 4K makeover on this combo pack is real. As a result, the film looks different now.

Unfortunately, I cannot declare that it looks as great as I hoped it would. Why? For a couple of different reasons, so I am going to place my comments in two categories that will highlight what was done right and what could have been done better.

The good: The new 4K master that was prepared for the film is healthier. It is immediately obvious. On the previous presentation, there were plenty of noisy areas that produced many dated visuals with a video-ish quality. On a large screen, in areas where the noise would pulsate, some of these visuals were pretty distracting. Previously, delineation, clarity, and depth were quite inconsistent too, but now, for the most part, they are better. There are various improvements affecting color saturation and balance. I think that the overwhelming majority are most appropriate and convincing. A few are not, but I still think that there is more to like on the 4K makeover than on the previous presentation. Density levels are superior as well. So, in a lot of key areas, there are many small and bigger improvements that make a positive difference.

The bad: The 4K makeover has noise/grain corrections. While not prominent all over the film, they create anomalies in several areas. To be clear, these corrections and the anomalies they create have absolutely nothing to do with the special filters that are used to give the film its unique look. How do we know this? First, trained eyes can easily tell. Second, some of the detail that is lost on the new 4K makeover is present on the previous presentation. Third, the special filters that produce the hazy look do not introduce smearing. The digital corrections on the 4K makeover do. You can see obvious examples here and here. These anomalies are easier to recognize in 1080p on the Blu-ray, and slightly easier to tolerate in native 4K on the 4K Blu-ray. Why? The 1080p presentation could have used some encoding optimizations, so in delicate areas the anomalies are more obvious. In native 4K, the superior encoding and better density levels tend to hide, or protect, some of these anomalies better.

What is the final verdict on the new 4K makeover? And should you consider an upgrade if you already have one of the previous two Blu-ray releases, linked above? The 4K makeover is imperfect. Without the discussed corrections, the film would have looked outstanding on 4K Blu-ray and Blu-ray. This is unfortunate, but the previous presentation has more issues and a video-ish quality. So, while imperfect, the 4K makeover, and specifically its native 4K presentation, is, in my opinion, preferable. My score for the Blu-ray is 3.5/5.00. My score for the 4K Blu-ray is 3.75/5.00.

Murder by Decree 4K Blu-ray Movie, Audio Quality 

There are two standard audio track on this release: English DTS-HD Master Audio 2.0 and English DTS-HD Master Audio 5.1. Optional English SDH subtitles are provided for the main feature.

I have always wanted Murder by Decree to have a very impressive lossless track because its soundtrack is astonishing. It is, as you probably know already, very, very moody, and has terrific dynamic effects. The previous release of the film that I have in my library present it with lossless 2.0 track, but this release has a 5.1 track. The purist in me wanted to stay with the 2.0 track, but I viewed the entire film in the 5.1 track. I think that it is really good, though I do have some reservations about a few areas. What I liked was that it opens other areas pretty well. So, my advice is to experiment with the 5.1 track and see whether you like it more.

Murder by Decree 4K Blu-ray Movie, Special Features and Extras 

4K BLU-RAY DISC

• Audio Commentary One - in this archival audio commentary, director Bob Clark discusses in great detail how Murder by Decree was conceived and shot, the film's atmosphere, the contributions of different cast members and technicians, etc.

• Audio Commentary Two - in this archival audio commentary, film critics Howard S. Berger and Steve Mitchell discuss the stylistic identity of Murder by Decree, its characters and their relationships, the critical reception of the film, etc.

BLU-RAY DISC

• Audio Commentary One - in this archival audio commentary, director Bob Clark discusses in great detail how Murder by Decree was conceived and shot, the film's atmosphere, the contributions of different cast members and technicians, etc.

• Audio Commentary Two - in this archival audio commentary, film critics Howard S. Berger and Steve Mitchell discuss the stylistic identity of Murder by Decree, its characters and their relationships, the critical reception of the film, etc.

• Trailer - Presented here is a vintage trailer for Murder by Decree from StudioCanal. In English, not subtitled. (4 min).

Murder by Decree 4K Blu-ray Movie, Overall Score and Recommendation 

If not the best, Bob Clark's film is without a doubt the spookiest about Sherlock Holmes and Dr. Watson. Its Victorian atmosphere is absolutely incredible, and while hiding in its thick shadows, Jack the Ripper is quite the evil superstar. On top of this, the film produces a seriously intriguing conspiracy theory, which in its own way is pretty chilling, too. This combo pack introduces a new, real 4K makeover of the film. It is imperfect, but if seen in native 4K, it is undoubtedly the most satisfying presentation of the film to date. RECOMMENDED.