Rating summary

Movie		4.0
Video		5.0
Audio		5.0
Extras		5.0
Overall		4.5

Natural Born Killers 4K Director's Cut Blu-ray Movie Review

Reviewed by Dr. Stephen Larson November 20, 2023

Natural Born Killers was an original screenplay that Quentin Tarantino wrote in the late Eighties which, along with his script for True Romance, he hoped to direct. NBK was going to be produced by Rand Vossler with a budget under $1 million. Tarantino waited a year and a half for it to get off the ground and when it didn't, he opted to direct Reservoir Dogs (1994). Vossler, as well as producers Jane Hamsher and Don Murphy, pitched it to Oliver Stone after he finished Heaven and Earth (1993). Stone and fellow scribes David Veloz and Richard Rutowski performed a rewrite of Tarantino's script, reshaping the structure and making it into a dark satire. Tarantino opposed the changes of the revised screenplay, causing him to request that his name be removed from the official writing credits with only a story credit given to his name.

Tarantino was able to get his unproduced script published, first by UK-based Faber and Faber in 1995, and then five years later in US by Grove Press. It offers a fascinating counterpoint to the rewritten version by Veloz, Rutowski, and Stone. Although Tarantino's screenplay also begins in a New Mexican diner where Mickey and Mallory's murderous ways get the best of some local rednecks, several story events are told in a different order. For example, Det. Jack Scagnetti and Warden Dewight McClusky of the California Prison Board are introduced much earlier in Tarantino's version. While there is a Deputy Warden Wurlitzer in the film (who's played by Everett Quinton), he is the superintendent of the jail in the original script and probably given more coverage than McClusky. However, Stone gives several of Wurlitzer's scenes to Tommy Lee Jones's McClusky. In addition, Mickey and Mallory are each incarcerated at an early juncture in the unused script. However, Stone delays all the prison scenes (with the exception of Mallory visiting Mickey in jail during the first act) till the second half of the movie. I would argue that this makes better sense in terms of the story's arc and dramatically as well because the prison scenes build toward an explosive climax.

Mickey and Mallory are gunning for you.

Tarantino devotes more space to TV crime reporter Wayne Gale and his creative team producing a follow-up episode on Mickey and Mallory. Jim Smith, author of the book Tarantino (2005, Virgin Books), estimates that this comprises 30 percent of the script. Stone shows the footage from the first Mickey and Mallory episode and a reenactment depicting one of their murders in bits and pieces. Although Tarantino includes extended scenes of Gale with his TV crew in the studio, he did not pen the line about American Maniacs serving as "junk food for the brains." Stone and his two co-writers created one of the best lines of dialogue in the movie.

Added to the film that isn't in Tarantino's script are two scenes from the situational family comedy, I Love Mallory. It shows the abusive household Mallory (Juliette Lewis) grew up in where her father, Ed Wilson (Rodney Dangerfield), derisively makes misogynist and sexist remarks. Each utterance from Ed's vituperative mouth shockingly draws guffaws on the laugh track. This is Stone's way of demonstrating how dumbed-down American culture has become. The I Love Mallory scenes are especially prescient today because they presage the reality shows that are to come several years later. These scenes fit well with the rest of the film because, as exemplified by the Coca Cola polar bears' commercial, TV can condition its viewers to feel "cool." Stone also shows that this hasn't really changed throughout the ages. That's why he presents scenes of a happy 1950s American nuclear family gathered around the TV mindlessly absorbing the images. Moreover, the ultra-violence delivered on network TV has an almost desensitizing effect on its viewers. Rather than provoke shock and revulsion, the disturbing footage seems to inspire excitement and thrills.

Natural Born Killers 4K Director's Cut Blu-ray Movie, Video Quality 

Shout! Factory has released a three-disc set of Natural Born Killers that comes with a slipcover. The unrated version (aka Director's Cut), which restores 155 cuts that the MPAA made, is included on a BD-100 and a BD-50. The Theatrical Cut receives its own BD-50. Each disc was made from new 2023 4K-scanned transfers from the original negative and approved by Oliver Stone. The DC is presented in Dolby Vision (HDR10-compatible).

Before detailing these transfers, as well as older ones, it's important to discuss the cinematographic process and diverse film formats employed. I will rely on an excellent article by Stephen Pizzello, who interviewed Stone and DP Robert Richardson for a November 1994 article in American Cinematographer. The picture was shot with color and black & white 35 mm, black & white 16 mm, Super 8, Hi8 and Beta. The film also incorporates heavy-metal animation. Richardson filmed the 35 mm footage in the 1.85:1 aspect ratio using a Panavision camera and Primo prime lenses. (Apparently, he also utilized an Aaton 35 mm camera.) The 35 mm stocks included Kodak's 5248, 5293, 5296, a little of the 5297, and some 5298. His 16 mm package comprised an Arriflex camera and Zeiss lenses. His 16 mm stocks were Tri-X (high-speed) and Plus-X. Additionally, he incorporated some Kodachrome and a bit of Ektachrome. The Super 8 scenes were filmed with a Beaulieu system. Richardson shot primarily with Kodachrome with some Ektachrome. A Nikon camera was used to film scenes with Hi8.

Richardson told Pizzello that the opening diner sequence was filmed on both 35 mm and high­-speed 16 mm black & white stock. When Mallory dances on the car hood while pondering her spiritual connection to Mickey (Screenshot #s 26-30), Richardson aimed a Xenon light at the back of her head. Pacific Data Images later added dreamlike effects imagery to the evening sky. For four different scenes, Richardson employed a "sickly green hue" to the image. Stone states on the commentary track that Richardson bought 1,000 green fluorescent bulbs for the Drug Zone scene (frame grab #s 4, 31-35). But the DP actually purchased between 2,000 and 3,000 green bulbs for around $20,000 from General Electric, as he disclosed to Pizello. He shot the scene on 35 mm but coated it with "a veneer of repugnant color." The gas station se­quence also displays a green tint (#8), but this time, Richardson says he used gels on fluorescents. He also utilized Kino Flos with a kind of fluores­cent light that's typically used for lighting greenscreens in optical work. For the sitcom scenes, Richardson filmed with Ikegami cameras in the Beta format. The second sequence was shot at varying speeds (ranging from 6 fps to more than 24 fps). When they showed the American Maniacs program, Stone and Richardson sought to recreate a magazine-style TV show. The DP said he recorded Gale's intro in off-speed 35 mm at a rate of 6 fps. The footage was reprinted later at 24 fps. It still retains the element of sync dialogue but also gives it a jittery quality.

I have compiled a graphical comparison of five NBK transfers. The new transfers that Shout! did maintain the film's original colors. I used a 1995 CAV LaserDisc Warner Bros. did, which is presented in letterboxed 1.85:1, as a point of reference. A year after the Theatrical Cut's release, Pioneer put out a Director's Cut LD that restored 155 cuts. The Trimark DVD, which was authored in 1998, is a direct port of the Pioneer edition. Warners has issued NBK on Blu-ray thrice: a 2008 DigiBook of the TC, a "standard edition" of the DC in 2009, and a Diamond Luxe Edition of both cuts in 2014. WB employed the VC-1 video codec and opened the OAR slightly to 1.78:1. The 4K-scanned transfers on the three recent discs look the best of them all, especially the 4K UHD. Colors are rich, eye-popping, and very well-saturated without showing a hint of bleeding. Keep in mind that grain visible in B&W shots was added in post-production. The image sports a thick grain structure. For Shout!'s two Blu-rays, I watched one disc with the picture upscaled to 2160p and the other I viewed with the player set to 1080p. I did notice an uptick in detail when I upscaled one of the BD-50s to 4K. If I would rate the video when watching it in its native 1080p, I would score it 4.5/5.0. When viewing the UHD and Blu-ray transfers at full resolution, I would rate those a 5.0/5.0.

The feature carries a mean video bitrate of 85.0 Mbps and an overall bitrate of 94.6 Mbps on the BD-100. On the two Blu-rays, Shout! gives both cuts the MPEG-4 AVC encode. The TC boasts an average video bitrate of 35002 kbps and the DC delivers a rough average bitrate of 34999 kbps.

Screenshot #s 1-15, 20, 25, 30, 35, & 40 = Shout Select 2023 4K UHD Director's Cut BD-100 (downsampled to 1080p)
Screenshot #s 16, 21, 26, 31, & 36 = Warner Bros. 1995 Theatrical Cut LaserDisc
Screenshot #s 17, 22, 27, 32, & 37 = Trimark 2000 Director's Cut DVD
Screenshot #s 18, 23, 28, 33, & 38 = Warner Bros. 2008 Theatrical Cut VC-1 BD-50
Screenshot #s 19, 24, 29, 34, & 39 = Shout Select 2023 4K-scanned Director's Cut BD-50

Both cuts receive twelve scene selections.

Natural Born Killers 4K Director's Cut Blu-ray Movie, Audio Quality 

Shout! has supplied a DTS-HD Master Audio 5.1 Surround remix and a DTS-HD Master Audio 2.0 Stereo Surround track. On the 4K disc, the standard bitrate is 4227 kbps for the 5.1 and 2045 kbps for the 2.0. The audio bitrates on the Blu-ray are also over 4200 kbps for the 5.1 and around 2045 kbps for the 2.0. Although NBK was recorded in Dolby Digital, it was mainly presented in theaters with either Dolby Stereo or DTS Stereo, according to my research of archival newspaper adverts. The Pioneer LD is the first edition on home video to remix it into AC-3. Trimark retained the DD 5.1 for DVD and it sounds loud, hyperactive, and often aggressive in its delivery of surround f/x. The DTS-HD MA 5.1 track is even deeper, richer, and more dynamic. I listened to the DTS-HD MA 2.0 mix twice and compared it to the Dolby Stereo track on the LD using roughly the same volume levels. On all, I can clearly hear the rattlesnake hissing along the satellite speakers in the first reel. I found the uncompressed 2.0 deliver a more comprehensive mix of the matrixed stereo. There are more f/x coming out of the surrounds. The most audible f/x I heard on all the mixes are gunshots fired from shotguns and revolvers.

Stone played nearly ninety pieces of music on the sound track, which also includes an original underscore by composer Brent Lewis. Artists as diverse as Patsy Cline, Leonard Cohen, Dr. Dre, Bob Dylan, Duane Eddy, Peter Gabriel, Nusrat Fateh Ali Khan, Lou Reed, and Patti Smith are heard (mostly) on the non-diegetic track in the film. Shout! has also included Nine Inch Nails' ballad "Burn" on both cuts of the film.

Natural Born Killers 4K Director's Cut Blu-ray Movie, Special Features and Extras 

Shout! has produced four new interviews with NBK's crew members. It has also retained a majority of extras that were on the Pioneer LD as well as prior DVD and BD editions. In addition to the commentary with Stone, the seven additional scenes with Stone's introductions and the making-of doc Chaos Rising are rehashed here. Missing is a Nine Inch Nails music video. Featurettes from the 2008/09 and 2014 Blu-rays are also included. Scream has not retained Charlie Rose's sit-down interview with Stone, which can be found on Warners' DVDs and BDs. Also absent is a 42-page booklet that was part of Warners' 2008 DigiBook. It contains an intro by Stone, some production notes (some of which were not part of the film's original press kit), cast/director bios, trivia, a very good essay on NBK, and pre-release "Director's Notes" by Stone that's more of an essay. The booklet is fully illustrated. The '08 release is still worth getting.

DISC ONE (4K Ultra HD): DIRECTOR'S CUT (2:01:55, 2160p)

• Audio Commentary by Director/Co-Writer Oliver Stone - this archival feature-length commentary track with Stone was originally recorded for the '96 Pioneer LD. It is scene specific as he talks about how scenes were carried out, the film's cinematographic aspects, how effects shots were done, and much more. Stone talks till the conclusion of the end credits. In English, not subtitled.

DISC TWO (Blu-ray): DIRECTOR'S CUT (2:01:55, 1080p)

• Audio Commentary by Director/Co-Writer Oliver Stone - this archival feature-length commentary track with Stone was originally recorded for the '96 Pioneer LD. It is scene specific as he talks about how scenes were carried out, the film's cinematographic aspects, how effects shots were done, and much more. Stone talks till the conclusion of the end credits. In English, not subtitled.

• Introduction by Oliver Stone (3:43, 1080) - this archival intro was recorded for the Warner Bros. Director's Cut Blu-ray in 2009. Stone compares how mass media coverage has remained largely the same fifteen years later. He also quotes from Octavio Paz. In English, not subtitled.

• NEW On Dawn's Highway Bleeding – Editor Hank Corwin on Natural Born Killers (12:04, 1080p) - Corwin talks about editor Brian Berdan, who Stone brought in to mentor him. Corwin describes designing the background plates for the scenes of Mickey and Mallory driving on the road. He also delves into scenes that he edited and the rear-screen projection used. He recalls a sneak preview at a Seattle test screening. Corwin is appreciative of Stone and gives his thoughts on some of the critical backlash to the film. In English, not subtitled.

• NEW The Scream of the Butterfly – Producer Clayton Townsend on Natural Born Killers (11:50, 1080p) - Townsend recollects early discussions with Stone about televised news shows and true crime programs like Cops. He remembers a road trip that he took with Stone and the crew when they were planning the film. Townsend briefly talks about what Woody Harrelson, Juliette Lewis, and Tom Sizemore brought to each of their roles. Townsend has several memories of filming in the prison and the bridge at the Rio Grande. In English, not subtitled.

• NEW A Bloody Pail of Nitro – Special Makeup Effects Artist Gordon J. Smith on Natural Born Killers (11:14, 1080p) - Smith has done makeup work for Stone on five of the director's movies. Here he explains how Stone taught him the importance of film and the role it plays in shaping an audience's worldview about what's portrayed on screen. From this interview, it sounds like Smith was more of a supervising special makeup effects artist on NBK who was "just there" observing the other makeup artists. Smith details the one major scene he contributed to and also discusses the desert scene with the cobras. He draws parallels with NBK and what society is like today. In English, not subtitled.

• NEW Wilderness of Pain – Cinematographer Robert Richardson on Natural Born Killers (24:13, 1080p) - the longest and best in the new set of interviews produced for this release. The legendary DP begins by speaking about his AFI classmates, Juan Ruiz Anchía and Ramón Menéndez, who were slated to work in Mexico with Stone on Salvador. Anchía dropped out but Menéndez stayed on as AD and recommended Richardson to Stone. Richardson details the arduous film shoot while making Salvador. Making NBK also was painful, but on a more personal and familial level for Richardson. In addition, he addresses his reservations about the revised script (and gives Tarantino's reaction to the finished film), the improv approach he took while shooting NBK, the garage and prison scenes, and his reaction to the finished film when he saw it with a live audience. Perhaps the most valuable parts of the interview are when Richardson compares and contrasts the creative approaches of Stone, Scorsese, and, Tarantino, explaining how each one works. In English, not subtitled.

DISC THREE (Blu-ray): THEATRICAL CUT (1:58:55, 1080p)

• Audio Commentary by Director/Co-Writer Oliver Stone - this is essentially the same commentary track that was recorded for the DC. Because the TC is shorter, there have been edits. In English, not subtitled.

• Natural Born Killers: Method in the Madness (15:47, 1080i) - this featurette was produced for Warners' "Diamond Luxe Edition" to commemorate NBK's twentieth anniversary. Appearing before camera are Oliver Stone, Hank Corwin, and technical advisor Dale Dye. A majority of the interviews are with Stone and Corwin. Dye only offers some remarks at the beginning. Stone opens up about his intentions for NBK, his personal and familial life while making the film, the profit-making media empire, and working with his editors. Corwin goes into the stock footage he compiled for NBK, the different film stocks Richardson used to shoot the picture, working with Stone, what went on in the cutting room, and some of the first reactions to the movie. Some of the info is covered in other extras but other info sounds pretty fresh. In English, not subtitled.

• Natural Born Killers: How Would It All Go Down Now? (22:00, 1080i) - a 2009 featurette exploring how Mickey and Mallory could have been treated on social media in the late 2000s. Also, how NBK may have been received by audiences consuming it for the first time fifteen years later. Interviewed are Stone, Woody Harrelson, Juliette Lewis, A Current Affair's Steve Dunleavy, and Joey Buttafuoco. Also interviewed are Brandy Navarre, Xeni Jardin, social media star Tila Tequila, and moguls/high-ranking employees at various social media companies. All interviewees speak in English, not subtitled.

• Chaos Rising: The Storm Around Natural Born Killers (26:30, upconverted to 1080i) - this vintage making-of documentary was produced and directed by Charles Kiselyak in 1996. It explores the themes of NBK. The program includes interview with Oliver Stone, producers Jane Hamsher and Don Murphy, editor Hank Corwin, and cinematographer Robert Richardson. We also hear from actors Woody Harrelson, Juliette Lewis, Tom Sizemore, Robert Downey Jr., and Tommy Lee Jones. It also shows behind-the-scenes footage when NBK was in production. In English, not subtitled.

• Deleted Scenes With Optional Introductions by Oliver Stone (24:09, upconverted to 1080i) - six excised scenes: "The Desert," "The Courtroom," "The Drive-in," "Steven Wright," "The Hun Brothers," and "Denis Leary." These can be played with or without Stone's introductions. The director gives brief overviews of the scenes, explains where in the film they originally were placed, and why he cut them. They are presented in 1.33:1 with Dolby

• Alternate Ending With Introduction by Oliver Stone (4:54, upconverted to 1080i) - an alternative ending that was shot with Harrelson, Lewis, and Arliss Howard. Stone gives a possible meaning that can be gleaned from how the scene plays out. It's displayed in 1.33:1 with Dolby

• Theatrical Trailer (1:47, upconverted to 1080i) - an original teaser trailer for Natural Born Killers presented in 1.33:1.

Natural Born Killers 4K Director's Cut Blu-ray Movie, Overall Score and Recommendation 

In its incisive portrayal of sensationalist reporting of crime and murder across the mainstream media, Natural Born Killers (1994) remains as timely and relevant as it was when it first came out. It features the first adult dramatic performance by Robert Downey Jr., who masters an Australian accent. I would have considered Shout! Factory's three-disc set of NBK definitive had it also included the Theatrical Cut on a 4K UHD. Priority obviously was given to the unrated version, which is Stone's preferred cut. The movie looks and sounds as good as it ever has. VERY HIGHLY RECOMMENDED.