7.8 | / 10 |
Users | 0.0 | |
Reviewer | 4.0 | |
Overall | 4.0 |
A gang of thieves rent a room upstairs from an old woman, who thinks they're a musical band. Somehow, the woman inadvertently gets mixed up in their scheme without knowing it and then the gang must debate on whether to kill her or not, especially when they all like the poor old dame.
Starring: Alec Guinness, Cecil Parker, Herbert Lom, Peter Sellers, Danny Green (I)Crime | Insignificant |
Comedy | Insignificant |
Thriller | Insignificant |
Video codec: HEVC / H.265
Video resolution: 4K (2160p)
Aspect ratio: 1.37:1, 1.66:1
Original aspect ratio: 1.75:1
English: DTS-HD Master Audio 2.0 Mono (48kHz, 24-bit)
English SDH
Blu-ray Disc
Two-disc set (2 BDs)
4K Ultra HD
Slipcover in original pressing
Region A (locked)
Movie | 4.5 | |
Video | 5.0 | |
Audio | 5.0 | |
Extras | 4.5 | |
Overall | 4.0 |
Alexander Mackendrick's "The Ladykillers" (1955) arrives on 4K Blu-ray courtesy of Kino Lorber. The supplemental features on the release include archival audio commentary with author and critic Philip Kemp; new audio commentary by critics David Del Valle and Dan Marino; archival program with screenwriter Ronald Harwood; vintage documentary about Ealing Studios; restoration comparison; trailer; and more. In English, with optional English SDH subtitles for the main feature. Region-Free.
Kino Lorber's release of The Ladykillers 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 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 #1-20 are from the Blu-ray.
Screencaptures #23-31 are from the 4K Blu-ray.
The combo pack release introduces StudioCanal's recent 4K restoration of The Ladykillers. In native 4K, the 4K restoration can be viewed with Dolby Vision and HDR grades. However, in native 4K, the film can be viewed only in the 1.37:1 aspect ratio. On the Blu-ray, the film can be viewed in the 1.37:1 and 1.66:1 aspect ratios. I chose to view the film in native 4K with Dolby Vision. Later, I spent time with the 1080p presentations of the two versions of it on the Blu-ray.
If you have seen our review of StudioCanal's combo pack, you already know that I like the 4K restoration a lot. I think that it is wonderful and just beautiful to look at. However, I have to immediately point out that the decision to present it in native 4K only in the 1.37:1 ratio is disappointing. It is puzzling too because if only one native presentation were to be included on the 4K Blu-ray, then it should have been the one in the 1.66:1 ratio. Yes, you can still view the 1.66:1 version on the Blu-ray, which looks fantastic, but film collectors would have preferred to have the widescreen version on 4K Blu-ray.
Delineation, clarity, and depth range from excellent to outstanding. If you have seen the previous presentation of the film on Blu-ray, you will very quickly discover that the density levels of the visuals are vastly improved as well. Needless to say, even on a very large screen, the visuals look terrific. There are no traces of any problematic digital corrections. Grain is very evenly exposed and nicely resolved. Color reproduction and balance are outstanding. In many areas, but especially during the daylight footage, there are entire ranges of new, healthy, and very nicely balanced primaries and supporting nuances that easily give the entire film a tremendously lush, very attractive appearance. In comparison, the previous presentation of the film on Blu-ray looks quite soft and anemic, boasting a borderline video-esque appearance. The entire film looks spotless as well.
I spent quite a bit of time with the 1.66:1 version on the Blu-ray. I think that if you upscale it to 4K, you would get an excellent presentation of the film. Its quality will be very similar to that of the native 4K presentation of the 1.37:1 version. However, I feel that in several darker areas the Dolby Vision grade produces marginally richer and therefore superior visuals. Most of the brighter footage conveys outstanding colors too, though the difference between the native 4K and 1080p presentations is indeed rather small. When upscaled to 4K, the 1.66:1 version boasts great density levels as well.
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.
The dual Mono track is a replica of the restored Mono track that is included on the StudioCanal release, so all of its native characteristics are the same. The dialog is exceptionally clean, sharp, and very easy to follow. There are no balance issues to report. However, in a few areas, you may notice some minor unevenness, which is inherited. I did not encounter any encoding issues to report in our release.
4K BLU-RAY DISC
This combo pack release presents StudioCanal's recent 4K restoration of The Ladykillers, which is gorgeous. However, in native 4K, the 4K restoration can be viewed only in the 1.37:1 aspect ratio, not in the more appropriate 1.67:1 aspect ratio, and this will likely frustrate some viewers. The Blu-ray disc has both versions of the film, and they look outstanding, especially when they are upscaled, but I think that it would have been more much better to have the 1.66:1 version on the 4K Blu-ray and the 1.37:1 version added as a bonus on the Blu-ray. Regardless, the 4K restoration is a stunner, so the combo pack should be on your radar. RECOMMENDED.
1970
1951
2000
1962
Micmacs à tire-larigot
2009
1958
Slipcover in Original Pressing
1991
2015
1974
1949
1940
1947
1931
1966
Cold Cuts
1979
1920
1968
2-Disc Special Edition
2008
2012
1973