Rating summary

Movie		4.5
Video		3.5
Audio		4.0
Extras		5.0
Overall		4.5

The Man Who Fell to Earth 4K Blu-ray Movie Review

Reviewed by Jeffrey Kauffman April 27, 2023

Lionsgate continues to more than occasionally baffle the dedicated collector not only with its choices for 4K UHD treatment, but also deluxe packaging options. This might be another one of Lionsgate's so-called "stealth releases" in that it offers a 4K release of a rather notable film, with the added allure of SteelBook packaging, at least for those who like veritable shiny metal objects. However, much like many other 4K UHD releases by Lionsgate, either with or without SteelBook packaging, the 1080 disc in this set is for all intents and purposes the older Lionsgate release I reviewed many years ago. This review is therefore going to be multipurpose, so to speak, in that I'll address both packaging and 4K UHD transfer issues.

David Bowie's inimitable character in The Man Who Fell to Earth is often described as a quasi-Christ figure, and if a downward trajectory might not seem to instantly evoke images of resurrection, the film is in fact back for another Region A release. Those wanting my thoughts on the film as well as a plot recap can visit my The Man Who Fell to Earth Blu-ray review of Lionsgate's Limited Edition (1080) release, which looks like it's fetching some pretty big bucks as this review is being written.

The Man Who Fell to Earth 4K Blu-ray Movie, Video Quality 

The Man Who Fell to Earth is presented in 4K UHD courtesy of Lionsgate Films with an HEVC / H.265 encoded 2160p transfer in 2.35:1. I encourage those interested to visit the video section of my old The Man Who Fell to Earth Blu-ray review, as I detail quite a bit of information about the 4K restoration of the film, which I assumed then was the source for the 1080 release and which I'm again assuming provided the source for this somewhat strangely delayed 4K UHD version. (There is one interesting difference in the actual presentations, a brief warning on the 4K UHD version about "historical" perspectives in the film which may cause offense, something that isn't in the 1080 version.) This is a rather interesting 4K UHD presentation since it does offer a more consistent looking grain field than what I perceived in my review of the 1080 version, and while the up side is that there's texture and a filmic appearance, things can get pretty splotchy and yellow at times, especially during opticals, as in the kind of long opening credits scene. Much as with the 1080 version, color temperatures can vary pretty substantially along with detail levels, and HDR perhaps surprisingly ends up not contributing that much to what I noted in the 1080 review can be a kind of anemic looking palette. As I mentioned in the 1080 review, that version had a tendency toward yellow tones, and yellows were probably the biggest standout to me in the 4K UHD version as well, with everything from a yellow brick building to a dress Candy Clark wears offering some fairly bright pops of color, though considering the quasi-sci fi ambience of the film, aside from just a few moments (like the almost painterly morphing into the alien environment), things are really kind of drab throughout the film from a color perspective. HDR and/or Dolby Vision also arguably haven't materially aided some crush that is in evidence in darker scenes, notably some in a limousine with either Bowie or Bowie and Rip Torn. All of this said, I preferred the 4K UHD presentation to Lionsgate's 1080 presentation, even if some passing quibbles might crop up. My score is 4.25.

The Man Who Fell to Earth 4K Blu-ray Movie, Audio Quality 

The 4K UHD version offers LPCM 2.0 audio while the 1080 disc repeats the DTS-HD Master Audio 2.0 track from Lionsgate's original 1080 release. The two tracks struck my ears as interchangeable, and I'll note in passing that the Criterion 1080 release also sported an LPCM 2.0 track. As I mentioned in my original 1080 review, the film's sound design, including its interesting score, is one of its most distinctive features, and it's presented here with clarity and a fair amount of "oomph" in the lower registers. Dialogue and the relatively sparse "science fiction"-y sound effects are rendered cleanly and clearly, and there are no signs of age related damage like hiss, dropouts or crackling. Optional English and German subtitles are available on the 4K UHD disc, and optional English and Spanish subtitles are available on the 1080 disc.

The Man Who Fell to Earth 4K Blu-ray Movie, Special Features and Extras 

The 4K UHD disc sports no on disc supplementary content. The 1080 disc repeats the same supplements I detail in my The Man Who Fell to Earth Blu-ray review.

The SteelBook packaging should appeal to Bowie fans in particular, since it prominently features his face on the front and inside covers. Oranges and blues are the predominant tones on both inside and outside illustrations. A Mylar O ring kind of comically adds an "Aladdin Sane" lighting bolt overlay to Bowie's face, and also provides some information on the back.

Finally, a digital copy is included.

The Man Who Fell to Earth 4K Blu-ray Movie, Overall Score and Recommendation 

A number of things strike me as odd about this release, including the fact that Lionsgate once again kind of has snuck one in without any real advance notice (I never got a press release on this), and also with a rather long interim between the long ago announced 4K restoration which evidently resulted in that also long ago initial 1080 release, but which never provided a 4K UHD release until now. The 4K presentation is generally excellent with an understanding that there may not be a mind blowingly huge uptick in either detail or palette, but there are some differences, including a more substantial looking grain field in this version. The SteelBook packaging may appeal to collectors, especially Bowie completists. Recommended.