The Stunt Man 4K Blu-ray Movie

Rating summary

Movie		4.5
Video		4.0
Audio		4.0
Extras		4.5
Overall		4.5

The Stunt Man 4K Blu-ray Movie Review

Richard Rush's eleventh feature The Stunt Man (1980) was reviewed by my colleague Jeff Kauffman more than fifteen years ago. Jeff covered Severin Films' BD-50. For Jeff's thematic analysis of the film, as well as his assessment of Severin's a/v presentations and extras, please consult the linked review.

The stunt man, the starlet, and the director.

The Stunt Man 4K Blu-ray Movie, Video Quality 

The Stunt Man first became available on 4K earlier this year courtesy of Radiance Films. The UK boutique label's Transmission line released a Limited Edition (now sold out) and a Standard Edition. We did not review either. This two-disc 4K Ultra HD Blu-ray and regular Blu-ray from Shout Studios is housed with a slipcover with the film's original theatrical poster art. The UHD transfer is sourced from a 4K master made from the original 35 mm camera negative by Radiance Films. The UHD appears in Dolby Vision (HDR10 compatible).

Cinematographer Mario Tosi shot the picture in the spherical 1.85:1 ratio. I found an interview with Tosi that appears in the book, Masters of Light: Conversations with Contemporary Cinematographers (University of California Press, 1984). Co-authors Dennis Schaefer and Larry Salvato conducted the interview, which covers Tosi's career as a DP, including comments about The Stunt Man. Tosi remarks that he "wanted to do something soft, something that almost blends in with the rest of the film" (p. 243). He employed a lot of diffused lighting throughout the shoot. Both Shout's 4K and standard Blu-ray demonstrate a soft appearance that's appropriate to its maker's intent. Tosi also revealed that he incorporated fog filters, which were used along the beach at Hotel del Coronado where director Eli Cross (Peter O'Toole) and his crew are filming a battle scene. For close (or medium) shots of Nina Franklin (Barbara Hershey), Tosi utilized nets and bounce light (see Screenshot #s 2 and 7). Tosi brought up an important point about the filming conditions: "It was raining all the time. That scene [two characters in a biplane] was not a fake; the weather was actually like that...every time you see an overcast scene in the film, it was raining even though you can't really see it" (p. 244). For certain scenes (especially action ones), Tosi said that he employed the Steadicam several times, which became a burgeoning cinematographic trend.

I went far back to one of The Stunt Man's earliest home video versions, CBS/FOX Video 1983 LaserDisc (my copy is a 1988 pressing of that transfer), to investigate if Radiance's 4K restoration modernizes the film's color temperature in any way. I am very pleased to report that it does not! Art director James Shoppe and Tosi use a mint-green wall to light with florescents in a roadside diner scene (see screen capture #s 29-32). Tosi also favors a light pastel shade of green coming through windows in the cast/crew screening room (frame grab #s 17 and 18). Frank Holgate shot the underwater scenes. A late scene features seaweed-color water (or light sea green) on the LD (#33). Please notice that the water was re-timed as more of an ocean blue on the Anchor Bay DVD (#34). The transfers done for this year are closer to the LD, assuming shades of dark cyan (#s 35 and 36). The rich green grass shown in the background of Nina's grieving widow at a gravesite on the LD (#11) also looks resplendent on the 4K. Since capture #12 is downsampled to 1080 and converted to SDR, you don't see the green pop as much as the actual UHD.

The 4K and remastered Blu-ray are easily the best the movie has ever looked. The opening shot of the buzzard (#10) showcases a very fine grain structure that's visible during the main titles, particularly shots of the skies. It felt like I was watching a 35 mm print in the theaters ca. 1980. The grain never distracted my viewing experience. Colors are solid and well-saturated with no bleeding. I didn't see any overzealous processing with the use of HDR. Check out the deep blue sky above the low angle shot (#8) of Eli. (The sky also appears deep blue in the identical shot on the LD.) The Dolby Vision and HDR10 help to eradicate fuzziness on the midrange and long shots that Jeff cites is present on the Severin. Also, I didn't observe any edge enhancement, flickering, or ringing. (These are issues Jeff wrote that plague the Severin transfer.)

There are some minor markings and artifacts on the latest restoration. For example, I spotted several very small white specks while watching the UHD/Blu-ray and examining the 4K shot by shot on a separate screen. The remastered DVD boasts larger white speckles in different places than the Shout. The new restoration also has a few light tramlines which, in all fairness to Radiance, are difficult to remove. You'll notice one at the cast/crew dinner in #s 27-28. But note that the Anchor Bay, in an identical frame (#26), doesn't have the tramline. It should be pointed out, though, that transfer was probably struck from a different source (e.g., an interpositive or a 35 mm preservation master). On the Radiance/Shout transfers, there are very short color streaks (primarily brown and yellow) pop in along right side of frame starting at 1:04:16 and continuing till 1:04:27 (see Screenshot #s 23 and 24 for a few examples). I can all-but confirm that the color streaks were likely on the 35 mm circulation prints because they also pop up on the LD (see #21). The LD displays several reel-change marks which indicates that CBS/FOX used a recycled theatrical print.

Heavenly Movie Corporation carried out the picture restoration for The Stunt Man. Stephen C. Horne performed both HDR and SDR color grading. Fidelity in Motion handled authoring and encoding on the Transmission UHD, which carries a rough average video bitrate of 93.1 Mbps for the feature an overall bitrate of 99.1 Mbs for the whole disc. Shout's encode is similar but not the same as Transmission's, which indicates they employed a different encoder. The feature size on the UHD is 90.8 GB. The disc delivers a mean video bitrate of 86.9 Mbps for the feature and an overall bitrate of 99.5 Mbps for the full disc. So the bitrate for the feature is higher and a bit more robust on the Transmission. Shout's Blu-ray employs the MPEG-4 AVC encode and boasts a standard video bitrate of just 21000 kbps. My video score for Shout's UHD is 4.75/5.00 and 4.25/5.00 for the Blu-ray.

Screenshot #s 1-10, 12, 14, 16, 18, 20, 24, 28, 32, 36, & 40 = Shout Select 2026 4K Ultra HD BD-100 (downscaled to 1080p)
Screenshot #s 11, 13, 15, 17, 19, 21, 25, 29, 33, & 37 = CBS/FOX Video 1983 LaserDisc (open matte) (resized to 720p)
Screenshot #s 22, 26, 30, 34, & 38 = Anchor Bay Entertainment 2001 DVD (resized to 720p)
Screenshot #s 23, 27, 31, 35, & 39 = Shout Select 2026 BD-50 (from a 4K restoration)

Shout has provided ten chapter stops for the 131-minute feature.

The Stunt Man 4K Blu-ray Movie, Audio Quality 

Shout has supplied a DTS-HD Master Audio Dual Mono mix (1561 kbps, 16-bit), which is the default track, and a DTS-HD Master Audio 5.1 Surround upmix (1797 kbps, 16-bit). The 5.1 track originated on the AB DVD and was reused as a DTS-HD 5.1 on the Severin. I largely echo Jeff's aural impressions of the upmix. I would add that the rears make good use of gunshots and f/x during the action scenes. Dialogue sounds a bit low in the center channel, though. I need to make one correction for the official record from Jeff's review. The Dolby Digital 2.0 Stereo track is not the movie's original mix. This track also appeared on the AB disc and was upmixed courtesy of Chace Productions. It features well-placed split surrounds and dialogue that's quite strong along the fronts. Unfortunately, the stereo track is missing from the Transmission and Shout packages. But more importantly, the original monaural audio is present on both. To my knowledge, the 2014 Blu-ray from German label Explosive Media is the only post-DVD release to include the mono up until this year's presentations. I don't own the DE disc and can't confirm if it's merely a fold-down of the English stereo (also on the disc). I also don't know if it's also taken from OGA elements. The mono track here was first remastered by Radiance Films. It's presented on the UK disc as DTS-HD Master Audio 2.0 Mono (860 kbps, 24-bit). Spoken words sound consistently audible and intelligible along the center speaker on the Shout discs. While the LaserDisc's mono is only encoded in analog, I felt that the treble is very clear with fine enunciation and distinctiveness given to syllables and vowel sounds. I feel that at times it's even clearer than the remastered mono. Shout's mono shows some nice punchiness when the police are chasing Cameron (Steve Railsback) and also when the Duesenberg sedan is being driven along the bridge. The track lacks the strong bass as heard on the Intrada album of The Stunt Man for the song, "Bits & Pieces" sung by Dusty Springfield. My overall audio score is 4.25/5.00.

Shout's optional English SDH are complete and accurate sans any typographical errors. I know one user in our forum spotted typos in Transmission's subtitle track for the lyrics to "Bits & Pieces". Shout's track, however, doesn't contain any spelling or usage errors.

The Stunt Man 4K Blu-ray Movie, Special Features and Extras 

Shout has ported over the bonus features previously included on the Anchor Bay, Severin, and Radiance releases. For summaries of the legacy extras on the Severin, please refer to Jeff's review.

DISC ONE: 4K Ultra HD

• Audio Commentary with Writer/Director Richard Rush and Actors Peter O'Toole, Steve Railsback, Barbara Hershey, Alex Rocco, Sharon Farrell, and Chuck Bail (2001) - this group commentary track was recorded for the R1 Anchor Bay DVD. With the exception of O'Toole, it seems that the participants were recorded together. They all speak in English, not subtitled.

• Audio Commentary with Christina Newland and Monica Castillo (2025) - this feature-length commentary with film critics Newland and Castillo was recorded for the Radiance release. They provide an interpretive reading of The Stunt Man's characters, story events, and themes. The critics, who were recorded together, also explain why they believe Rush's movie is tied to 1970s American cinema rather than the '80s. More, they opine why they don't consider Nina Franklin a likeable character. Newland delivers substantially more remarks than Castillo, who often utters non-verbal affirmatives (e.g., "mm-hmm") in response to Newland's points and observations. Only occasionally does Castillo explicate Newland's statements by either expanding on them or explaining why she concurs. While Castillo sometimes brings up salient facts about the film's production and reception, Newland is considerably more insightful over the course of the track. Castillo frequently drops filler words. For example, she says, "You know" lots of times (many more than Newland, who uses the phrase on occasion.) Overall, this is a slightly above commentary. Both Newland and Castillo speak in English, not subtitled.

• Audio Commentary with Writer/Director Richard Rush and Actors Peter O'Toole, Steve Railsback, Barbara Hershey, Alex Rocco, Sharon Farrell, and Chuck Bail (2001) - this group commentary track was recorded for the R1 Anchor Bay DVD. With the exception of O'Toole, it seems that the participants were recorded together. They all speak in English, not subtitled.

• Audio Commentary with Christina Newland and Monica Castillo (2025) - this feature-length commentary with film critics Newland and Castillo was recorded for the Radiance release. They provide an interpretive reading of The Stunt Man's characters, story events, and themes. The critics, who were recorded together, also explain why they believe Rush's movie is tied to 1970s American cinema rather than the '80s. More, they opine why they don't consider Nina Franklin a likeable character. Newland delivers substantially more remarks than Castillo, who often utters non-verbal affirmatives (e.g., "mm-hmm") in response to Newland's points and observations. Only occasionally does Castillo explicate Newland's statements by either expanding on them or explaining why she concurs. While Castillo sometimes brings up salient facts about the film's production and reception, Newland is considerably more insightful over the course of the track. Castillo frequently drops filler words. For example, she says, "You know" lots of times (many more than Newland, who uses the phrase on occasion.) Overall, this is a slightly above commentary. Both Newland and Castillo speak in English, not subtitled.

• The Sinister Saga of Making THE STUNT MAN (2000) (1:54:21, 1080i) - this retrospective doc on the genesis and making-of The Stunt Man was produced and directed by Richard Rush. The Sinister Saga was initially issued on two separate AB DVD editions. The presentation was an interlaced transfer with a file size of under 3 GB altogether. It was shot on a prosumer camcorder in early DV. It appeared soft and compressed with macroblocking artifacts. I don't own the Severin Blu-ray but it's possible the doc was restored for the first time for that release. Its presentation here evinces a clear remastering with bolder and more solid colors and much less noise, too. It also doesn't seem to have as many artifacts as the SD transfer. Some light shimmering remains but that's inherent in the original source. The doc occupies about 7.9 GB of space on the BD-50. There's an important scene between Cameron and Nina that was cut very late following preview screenings that's shown in the program. All interviewees talk in English, not subtitled.

• Interview with Stuntman/Actor Chuck Bail (interview date unknown) (10:07, 1080p) - this very good interview with the late Chuck Bail was initially included on the Radiance release. The stunt performer talks about attending college in San Diego, participating in rodeos, his stint in the Navy, working on Wagon Train, his meeting with Richard Rush, filming in La Jolla and outside the Hotel del Coronado. The interview was conducted by Craig Railsback. The footage of Bail was originally shot for Rush: The Director's Cut, a still-unreleased doc on the career of Richard Rush. In English not subtitled.

• The Maverick Career of Richard Rush (2011) (34:19, 1080p)

• Peter O'Toole Recounts THE STUNT MAN (2011) (18:47, 1080p)

• Devil's Squadron: Steve Railsback and Alex Rocco (2011) (19:01, 1080p)

• Barbara Hershey on Nina Franklin (2011) (14:24, 1080p)

• Q&A with Richard Rush, Steve Railsback, and Barbara Hershey from a Screening at the New Beverly Cinema (2011) (17:19, 1080p)

• Deleted Scenes (5:56 altogether, 1080p) - this reel includes the excised scenes "Sand Pile" and "Police Station", which were omitted from the final cut. Each is 16x9 enhanced. The first displays lots of artifacts and scratches. The second appears fully restored as it's in much better shape. The DTS-HD Master Audio Dual Mono track (1561 kbps, 16-bit) is very good. In English, not subtitled.

• Theatrical Trailer (2:06, 1080p) - an official trailer for The Stunt Man courtesy of Melvin Simon Productions. It's presented in an anamorphic widescreen in the film's OAR and accompanied by an English DTS-HD Master Audio Dual Mono track (1557 kbps, 16-bit). The trailer has been restored. It sports heavy grain and only some artifacts.

• Teaser Trailer (0:49, 480i)

• Still Galleries - contains three galleries: "Production Stills" (97 images), "Behind-the-Scenes" (52 images), and "Production & Advertising Art" (51 images).

• DVD-ROM Content - the DVD-ROM folder contains three files: 23 pages of "structural notes" pertaining to Paul Brodeur's novel and Richard Rush's plan for a film adaptation; nearly 33 pages of notes Rush recorded in reaction to a film studio's notes about the first draft of The Stunt Man's script; and the 158-page shooting script.

• Optional Introduction by Director Richard Rush (4:24)

• 40-page Bound Book - contains essays by Adam Nayman and Brandon Streussnig as well as an archival interview between Kenneth Turan and Richard Rush.

• Pull-Out Poster and Six Lobby-Card Style Postcards

The Stunt Man 4K Blu-ray Movie, Overall Score and Recommendation 

The Stunt Man is highly effective in showing the frenzied nature of film sets and getting a movie made. It also dramatizes well problems the average Vietnam veteran faced after returning to America. O'Toole, Railsback, and Hershey each deliver great performances. The 4K restoration that Shout used from Radiance Films is wholly organic with color timing true to the film's origins. If you already own the Transmission LE or the simpler edition, then there's really no reason to pick up Shout's two-disc set. But if you didn't grab either of the UK releases, then definitely get this one. VERY HIGHLY RECOMMENDED!