Rating summary

Movie		4.0
Video		5.0
Audio		5.0
Extras		4.5
Overall		4.5

Vampires 4K Blu-ray Movie Review

Three prior Blu-ray editions of John Carpenter's Vampires have been reviewed on our site: Twilight Time's 2015 BD-50, Powerhouse Films' 2017 limited-edition BD-50 + DVD combo with booklet (reissued here), and Scream Factory's 2019 "Collector's Edition". To read our thoughts and analyses of the film and those discs' a/v presentations and extras, please refer to the linked reviews.

Valek and his "magnificent seven" have risen!

Vampires 4K Blu-ray Movie, Video Quality 

Scream Factory's new 4K Ultra HD + standard Blu-ray combo of Vampires arrives in a two-disc "Collector's Edition" set, which comes with a slipcover featuring the same American original theatrical poster artwork as what appears on the front case. Both transfers are struck from a 4K restoration, which uses the original camera negative as their principal source. The UHD disc is presented in Dolby Vision (HDR10 compatible). The film appears in its native exhibition aspect ratio of 2.35:1.

The Scream transfer I reviewed about six years ago was based on a 2K scan that also appeared on the Twilight Time and Indicator Series discs. These boast a different transfer than the one used some years earlier by French label M6 Warner Bros., whose image transfer has a smoother and more processed look. Before delving into the 4K, I watched the US Superbit DVD released by Columbia TriStar on my QLED. I also examined it shot by shot on another screen. The Superbit boasts specks during the main titles along with a few other artifacts throughout but overall, it's a very clean transfer with video noise not being overly problematic except in some places. For example, I spotted what looks to be some chroma noise along a US West Communications banner on the side of a phone booth in Screenshot #29. In motion, pure grain graces that vintage phone banner on the Blu-rays and 4K.

When I began watching the 4K disc, it admittedly took me some time to get used to some of the color adjustments made starting with the opening titles. The UHD delivers Gary Kibbe's photography and his use of filters with a bit more panache than the other transfers. In an archival commentary, Carpenter points out the heavy-duty filters which imbue the New Mexico desert with a "reddish, dustish feel." The DVD and the prior Blu-ray retain those filters but notice on the UHD how the background behind Jack Crow (James Woods) is suffused with a tinge of dark amber (see Screenshot #s 23 and 24). This contrasts with the light sunlight behind and on the character in the previous SD and HD transfers. Additionally, the orange/reddish filter employed when we first see Jack and Anthony Montoya (Daniel Baldwin) together is considerably more pronounced on the 4K than what appears on the DVD and a previous Blu-ray (cf. capture #s 33-36). I also paid particular attention to this shot because on the Powerhouse Films Blu-ray, grain flickers. But on the recent Scream transfers, the grain has been stabilized. Kibbe incorporated filters for other parts of the location shoot. For example, producer Sandy King Carpenter told Fangoria writer Craig W. Chrissinger for the magazine's September 1998 cover story on Vampires that Kibbe used filters for a magic hour one-shot depicting Jan Valek (Thomas Ian Griffith) and seven master vampires rising from out of the ground. (You can see them proceeding in unison in capture #1.)

One other major difference I noted between the 4K and previous transfers is how nighttime shots and interior scenes are generally darker with crisper black levels on the UHD. For instance, notice how deep the blacks are around Jack in #3. You can also see how a dedicated weapon light atop Jack's crossbow helps to accent parts of his leather jacket and portions of his face with pretty sharp clarity. Detail and clarity are also phenomenal in very small spaces of certain shots. I could see how clear the center of Jack's face is when he peers through a porthole that was formerly a door knob (#16). I was likewise impressed with how the D.V. and HDR bring out a nice shine on the red leather couch in the Historic Plaza Hotel (see frame enlargement #14). The reds also stood out almost equally well on the 4K-scanned Blu-ray, which I upscaled on my Panasonic player. That disc also has no conspicuous flaws.

While the prior BDs showcased a solid grain structure, faces looked too sharp at times. The new transfer displays a nice amount of grain on the actors' faces. Grain on both the 4K and Blu-ray is very well-balanced throughout the frame.

The UHD delivers a mean video bitrate of 85.0 Mbps for the feature and an overall bitrate of 94.7 Mbps for the whole disc. Scream's 2025 Blu-ray encode is quite similar to the one used by Powerhouse Films. Both incorporated MPEG-4 AVC encodes with the UK disc sporting a standard video bitrate of 33300 kbps and a peak bitrate of 44.54 Mbps. Scream's latest BD-50 boasts an average video bitrate of 34990 kbps and a total bitrate of 44.03 Mbps for the full disc.

Screenshot #s 1-20, 24, 28, 32, 36, & 40 = Scream Factory 2025 4K Ultra HD (downscaled to 1080p)
Screenshot #s 21, 25, 29, 33, & 37 = Columbia TriStar Home Entertainment 2003 Superbit Region 1 DVD
Screenshot #s 22, 26, 30, 34, & 38 = Powerhouse Films 2017 BD-50
Screenshot #s 23, 27, 31, 35, & 39 = Scream Factory 2025 BD-50 (from 4K restoration)

A dozen scene selections accompany the 108-minute feature on Scream's discs.

Vampires 4K Blu-ray Movie, Audio Quality 

Scream has supplied two sound track options for Vampires (along with an archival commentary): a DTS-HD Master Audio 5.1 Surround track (4398 kbps, 24-bit) and a DTS-HD Master Audio 2.0 Stereo downmix (2025 kbps, 24-bit). The average audio bitrates are identical on the 4K disc and the Blu-ray. Unfortunately, the BD-100 and BD-50 are missing the previously issued isolated score, which were offered on the Twilight Time, Indicator Series, and Scream '19 discs. The omission is both a pro and a con, which I will address at the end.

I first listened to the DTS mix (754 kbps, 16-bit) on the Superbit so I could compare it to the recently remastered 5.1 mix. The DTS track on the '03 DVD is outstanding and practically sounds like a simulacrum of a true theatrical mix. Carpenter's score is a major highlight. His performance on rhythm guitar, as well as the performances from other guitarists of The Texas Toad Lickers band, are primarily heard along the front channels. Drums and percussion make their presence felt on the surrounds. The DTS also does an excellent job of capturing low-end sounds: e.g., frogs ribbiting and croaking; a few birds chirping. Dialogue is sufficiently delivered in clear audible ranges at normal listening levels for most scenes except for a couple. Dialogue begins sounding at a register lower when Cardinal Alba (Maximilian Schell) and Father Adam Guiteau (Tim Guinee) first meet with Jack. The German Schell's Italian accent and spoken lines are sometimes hard to decipher in this initial scene. When I listened to Powerhouse Films' DTS-HD Master Audio 5.1 Surround track (4202 kbps, 24-bit) and Scream's new 5.1 mix, Alba sounded a tiny bit louder at the same decibel range on my receiver. Spoken words are intentionally soft along the fronts when Montoya chats with Katrina (Sheryl Lee) in a hotel room in the scene that follows. They each speak with rather hushed cadences. Other than these scenes, the actors' delivery is sufficiently loud throughout the film.

In my review of the 5.1 on the '19 release, I emphasized that the track had terrific balance. Ditto for the 2025 mix as well, but this one opens up the upper registers of music and the f/x in action scenes even more than the older track. It sounds very similar to the surround mix on the Indicator disc but I feel Scream's is even better. I could really hear fires sizzle. There's an audible pan when a female vampire creeps up on the slayers. Overall, music and sound f/x create an enveloping environment from front to back.

On the one hand, it's understandable why Scream would drop the isolated score on the BD-50 so it could fully maximize the bitrate on the 5.1. But on the other hand, it could have easily fit it on the triple-layered disc without sacrificing the dynamic amplitude of the surround mix. I guess Scream wants uniformity when it comes to including the same audio mixes on both the UHD and BD but if it has another (or alternate) track for the film in its digital library, then why not include it on at least one disc?

I watched Vampires with the optional English SDH switched on and they deliver a complete transcription of all dialogue along with more than adequate descriptions of f/x. The only error I could detect is that Katrina seems to says, "It's there." to Montoya instead of "It's near."

Vampires 4K Blu-ray Movie, Special Features and Extras 

Scream has ported over all extras from its CE six years ago but hasn't added any new ones.

DISC ONE: 4K UHD

• Audio Commentary by Composer/Director John Carpenter - this commentary first appeared on Columbia TriStar's 2003 DVD and all the subsequent BDs. It features Carpenter on a solo track. I re-listened to the track for this release and it improves in the movie's second half mostly because there are seem to be more gaps in between the filmmaker's comments during the first half. It really gets good when Carpenter explains how Howard Hawks's work influenced some of the characters and themes in Vampires. A golden nugget occurs when he talks about how one of Dimitri Tiomkin's Mexican themes influenced one of his own compositions. Other highlights include on-location stories with he and his actors. The viewer also learns a little about his son (and future composer) Cody improvising on a synth. In English, not subtitled.

• Audio Commentary by Composer/Director John Carpenter - this commentary first appeared on Columbia TriStar's 2003 DVD and all the subsequent BDs. It features Carpenter on a solo track. I re-listened to the track for this release and it improves in the movie's second half mostly because there are seem to be more gaps in between the filmmaker's comments during the first half. It really gets good when Carpenter explains how Howard Hawks's work influenced some of the characters and themes in Vampires. A golden nugget occurs when he talks about how one of Dimitri Tiomkin's Mexican themes influenced one of his own compositions. Other highlights include on-location stories with he and his actors. The viewer also learns a little about his son (and future composer) Cody improvising on a synth. In English, not subtitled.

• Time to Kill Some Vampires – An Interview with Composer/Director John Carpenter, Producer Sandy King Carpenter, and Cinematographer Garry B. Kibbe (12:25, 1080p) - Carpenter and his wife discuss bringing John Steakley's novel to the screen, casting, and the score. Kibbe chimes in with his thoughts on related topics. In English, not subtitled.

• Jack the Slayer – An Interview with Actor James Woods (22:18, 1080p) - Woods is at his descriptive best here in the disc's longest interview. The two-time Oscar nominee reflects on the leeway Carpenter gave him to ad-lib his lines, his impressions on Carpenter as a true auteur, and the satisfaction he got playing the lead in an action picture. Woods makes a senior slip-up when referring to vigilante antiheroes in westerns. He says "Henry Ford" but meant to say Glenn Ford. In English, not subtitled.

• The First Vampire – An Interview with Actor Thomas Ian Griffith (9:38, 1080p) - Daniel's snake-oiled coach in The Karate Kid Part III talks about his martial art skills, his first meeting with Sandy King Carpenter at an audition, high-wire stunts, and the fun he enjoyed playing Valek. In English, not subtitled.

• Raising the Stakes – An Interview with Special Effects Artist Greg Nicotero (10:26, 1080p) - Carpenter and his wife offer introductory remarks about Nicotero, who later appears to discuss the film's bloody gags, colored contact lenses, and how he did the makeup for some of the most remarkably gruesome scenes. All speak in English, not subtitled.

• Padre – An Interview with Actor Tim Guinee (12:45, 1080p) - Guinee portrayed Father Adam. The actor talks about being in back-to-back vampire films (he had just appeared in Blade prior to acting in Vampires). The well-accomplished TV actors also speaks about his working relationships with Woods and Carpenter on set. He has a couple of great anecdotes and stories from the filming period to tell. In English, not subtitled.

• Vintage Making-of Featurette (23:41, upconverted to 1080i) - this full EPK featurette (6:10) by Columbia was initially included on the German VCL and Studio Canal BDs along with these interview snippets with the director and actors: John Carpenter (2:17), James Woods (2:26), Daniel Baldwin (2:03), and Sheryl Lee (2:03). The program is rounded off by B-roll footage (8:57) with Carpenter directing Woods. It's nice to hear from Baldwin and Lee (brief as they are) since more recent interviews weren't recorded with them. Spoken in English, not subtitled.

• Theatrical Trailer (2:06, 1080p) - a restored trailer of Vampires with Dolby Digital 5.1 Surround (448 kbps).

• TV Spots (3:16, upconverted to 1080i) - the first four American spots are taken from videocassette and considering the source, they look mediocre to average with tracking. The last spot looks better and was broadcast for the Japanese market. It may have been on a prior DVD. Spoken words are in English with Japanese subtitles.

• Still Gallery (6:11, 1080i) - a slide show consisting of eighty images showcasing Vampire's ad and marketing campaign from American and international film companies. The first thirty-nine images are high-res photos of the production (all in color except for one black-and-white snapshot), eight glossy B&W stills from Columbia's press kit, five more publicity photos, and twenty-eight poster sheets and lobby cards from US and foreign distributors.

Vampires 4K Blu-ray Movie, Overall Score and Recommendation 

Repeat viewings of Vampires affirm my observation of how deftly Carpenter successfully mixes horror, action, and comedy in arguably one of his best-directed films. The new HDR color grade on the Scream Factory 4K superbly accents Gary Kibbe's filters. The DTS-HD MA 5.1 is robust and a noticeable upgrade over the surround track on Scream's prior release. I was hoping for at least one new commentary from a critic or historian but we just get the same platter of extras from the maiden Collector's Edition. Still, if you own any of the previous Blu-rays, you'll want to pick up this 4K/BD set. STRONGLY RECOMMENDED.