Ultra HD Blu-ray Movie Reviews

Arrow’s January slate of new 4K discs includes three eclectic films in elegant limited editions. We took them for a spin to see if they have the goods under the hood.

Inglourious Basterds Limited Edition 4K
The news that Quentin Tarantino’s violent, brilliant World War II epic Inglourious Basterds was coming to Arrow 4K is, for me at least, a perfect example of mixed emotions. On the one hand, Arrow’s treatment of catalog films is always next-level; on the other, Universal had already dropped this one on 4K back in 2021. Then again, that disc was born of the movie’s original 2K digital intermediate which showed room for improvement, but Arrow soon noted that they would be using Universal’s “4K” video master.

The new Ultra HD disc does boast a higher video bitrate than the previous release, although I didn’t notice any significant step up in quality, so I’ll double down on what I said four years ago: The movie is set mostly indoors and although the period costumes sometimes reveal pleasing details, too often the actors’ faces do not. Outdoors scenes can be well-defined but bright areas of the 2.39:1 frame can appear harsh and poorly resolved. Worth noting, the Universal disc utilized HDR10+, here the high dynamic range is HDR10.

Audio too appears to be a straightforward port of what came before, DTS-HD Master Audio 5.1 which dates back to the 2009 HD Blu-ray. Mr. T’s penchant for needle-dropping is indulged with high fidelity and high volume, voices are clear and natural to their environments, and gunfire and explosions are sharp and powerful.

The main reasons to consider picking up this limited edition are the packaging and the extras. Audio commentaries on Tarantino films are rare but critic Tim Lucas provides a welcome new track. Three substantial new interviews with key collaborators are also provided, along with three additional new programs with insights from some very smart people. Some (not all) of the on-disc extras from prior editions are also included. Physically, this is the most elaborate of the three releases covered here, with a wonderfully themed book, a clever two-sided coaster from La Louisiane, a programme for the movie-within-the-movie, photocards and more. This is the only one of the three Arrows in this quiver to arrive in one of their rigid slipcases.

EDITOR’S NOTE: This limited edition has already become hard to find, but Arrow has announced a standard version available on March 4 in simpler packaging and without all the goodies.

Incubus Limited Edition 4K
Why was the folk horror movie Incubus made in Esperanto, the proposed universal language that never caught on? To give it a weird feel, and they certainly succeeded. Right before he embarked on his five-year mission, handsome young William Shatner starred as the target of a cult member, weary of murdering the wicked, who wants to lure someone with a good and pure soul to his doom.

It’s a low-budget effort from a director mainly known for his television work so it can feel a bit slow, even at only 74 minutes. The movie was shot by three-time Oscar-winner Conrad Hall (Butch Cassidy and the Sundance Kid), and Arrow’s 4K Dolby Vision presentation comes from a third-party master scanned from the only known surviving print, with burned-in subtitles. There’s some damage in evidence, yet the 1.85:1 black-and-white image can sometimes surprise with its clarity and detail and the use of shadows makes for some bold, lovely contrast, although in general the picture tends to look hard and flat. A 1.37:1 version in 1080p and standard dynamic range is also included on this set’s single disc.

This is largely a dialogue-driven movie with a very sparse sound mix and every Esperanto word — to my ear, it sounds a lot like Italian — is passably if not spectacularly conveyed on this true mono LPCM track. Interestingly, Dominic Frontiere’s musical score, borrowed extensively from his work on The Outer Limits, has been reconstructed here for isolated enjoyment, in stereo.

Shatner’s DVD commentary and another with Hall and others have thankfully been ported, augmented with a new track from expert David Schow. Two new featurettes explore the history of the unusual language, while an older on-camera interview with three of the filmmakers gives a glimpse into the making of this bizarre film. A booklet and reversible cover insert are inside, too.

The Cell Limited Edition 4K
Director Tarsem Singh is a gifted visual stylist and his talents are on full display in The Cell, his first feature film. The premise and some of the casting choices require some suspension of disbelief, as Jennifer Lopez portrays a singularly skillful psychologist with a knack for communicating with people in their unconscious state via a futuristic apparatus. She alone can enter the mind of a comatose serial killer (Vincent D'Onofrio) to unlock his secrets before he claims his final victim.

Approved by both Tarsem and his D.P. Paul Laufer, this new 4K/16-bit scan presents the film as intended, with the arty sets, costumes and makeup bordering on nightmare fuel now more than ever. I was a little let down though as I frequently found the 2.39:1 image to be softer than expected, with inconsistent grain and even a touch of video noise, all of which distracted from the surreal journey of it all. Both the theatrical and director’s cuts are included, the latter running about two minutes longer and reinstating some potentially disturbing behavior by our antagonist.

The accompanying lossless 5.1 audio showcases some impressive helicopter flyovers in addition to inspired sonic transitions as we move into, out of and around the conscious and unconscious realms, enhancing the visual experience. Voices and effects in the dreamworld can also take on a phased quality which suits the off-kilter mood.

There are now a total of four commentaries, including a new one with the screenwriter and a new critics track, alongside an archival director commentary and a jam session with a wide range of the original talent. Over on Disc Two is a fresh 90-minute interview with Tarsem and another good, shorter one with Laufer that also serves as an introduction to the newly, alternately color-graded 16:9 HD version of the theatrical cut that we’ll find here. Despite its technical limitations, I actually found this to be the more striking presentation. A booklet, two-sided poster and reversible cover art are also supplied.

While none of these Arrows quite hit the bullseye for me, I can honestly call these the finest editions overall of Inglourious Basterds, Incubus and The Cell, with at least modestly and in some cases significantly upgraded audio, video and/or extras. If you’re a fan of any or all, you might want to grab them before they sell out.

Chris Chiarella