List of UHD catalogs that DON'T contain original audio

[wmv2001]

Or: How I Learned to Stop Worrying and Love the Laserdisc

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Amazingly, despite the incredible technologies that have developed to watch movies in ways never thought imaginable at home, some distributors (all of them large studios, with Sony being the exception most of the time) still choose to neglect the original theatrical audio for many of their most beloved classic films in favor of revisionism/remixes when it is completely unnecessary. And so I think it would be valuable, in tandem with the other thread of UHDs that do have their original audio, to also keep track of UHDs that only contain remixes.

Currently I have only added US releases, but will add more countries down the line. Also, I am mostly interested in older films. Please post additions with newer (1990s-now) titles, or older titles I may have missed. I will update OP periodically. Thanks, and hopefully someone finds this list helpful.

ETA: Some titles have been reviewed extensively by various people (at the moment, most of this information comes from Bad Audio on Blu-ray). For select titles, where the information is available, I have added in green the editions from previous formats with the best original audio option. For titles without A/B comparisons, in blue I will list the latest editions to include the original mix(es).

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1939
The Wizard of Oz - DTS-HD 5.1. Newest edition with original audio: WB UHD, 2019 (Dolby Digital Mono; only included on the Blu-ray!)

1956
The Ten Commandments - DTS-HD 5.1

1957
The Bridge on the River Kwai (first pressing only) - DTS:X, DTS-HD 5.1 (note: UK pressing has original mono) (note 2: has been reissued with the original mono in the US)

1959
Anatomy of a Murder - Dolby Atmos, Dolby TrueHD 7.1, DTS-HD 5.1, DTS-HD 2.0 Mono (downmix). Edition with the best audio: RCA/Columbia Laserdisc, 1992


1971
Willy Wonka and the Chocolate Factory - DTS-HD 5.1. Edition with the best audio: Warner Home Video Laserdisc, 1991

1973
The Sting - DTS-HD 5.1. Edition with the best audio: Universal DVD, 1998 (Dolby Digital 2.0)

1977
Smokey and the Bandit - Dolby Atmos, Dolby TrueHD 7.1. Newest edition with original audio: Universal UHD, 2021 (Dolby Digital 2.0 Mono; only included on the Blu-ray!)
Star Wars - Dolby Atmos, Dolby TrueHD 7.1

1978
Animal House - DTS:X, DTS-HD 7.1. Newest edition with original audio: Universal DVD, 2008 (Dolby Digital 2.0)

1979
Star Trek: The Motion Picture - Dolby TrueHD 7.1

1980
The Blues Brothers - DTS:X, DTS-HD 7.1
The Shining - DTS-HD 5.1. Edition with the best audio: WB DVD, 1999 (Dolby Digital Mono)
Star Wars: Episode V - The Empire Strikes Back - Dolby Atmos, Dolby TrueHD 7.1

1981
The Evil Dead - Dolby TrueHD 5.1
Raiders of the Lost Ark - Dolby Atmos, Dolby TrueHD 7.1
Mad Max: The Road Warrior - Dolby Atmos, Dolby TrueHD 7.1, Dolby Digital 5.1, Dolby Digital 2.0 (downmix)

1982
Blade Runner: The Final Cut - Dolby Atmos, Dolby TrueHD 7.1
The Dark Crystal - Dolby Atmos, Dolby TrueHD 7.1
First Blood - DTS-HD 5.1
Star Trek II: The Wrath of Khan - Dolby TrueHD 7.1
The Thing - DTS:X, DTS-HD 7.1. Edition with the best audio: Scream Factory Blu-ray, 2016 or Arrow Video Blu-ray, 2017

1983
Star Wars: Episode VI - Return of the Jedi - Dolby Atmos, Dolby TrueHD 7.1

1984
Beverly Hills Cop - DTS-HD 5.1
Ghostbusters - Dolby Atmos, Dolby TrueHD 7.1
Gremlins - DTS-HD 5.1
Indiana Jones and the Temple of Doom - Dolby Atmos, Dolby TrueHD 7.1
Star Trek III: The Search for Spock - Dolby TrueHD 7.1

1985
Back to the Future - Dolby Atmos, Dolby TrueHD 7.1
The Goonies - DTS-HD 5.1
Rambo: First Blood Part II - DTS-HD 5.1

1986
Howard the Duck - DTS:X, DTS-HD 7.1
Labyrinth (30th Anniversary Edition only) - Dolby Atmos, Dolby TrueHD 7.1
Star Trek IV: The Voyage Home - Dolby TrueHD 7.1
Top Gun - Dolby Atmos, Dolby TrueHD 7.1

1987
Full Metal Jacket - DTS-HD 5.1, Dolby Digital Mono (downmix). Edition with the best audio: WB DVD, 1999 (Dolby Digital Mono)

1988
Beetlejuice - Dolby Atmos, Dolby TrueHD 7.1
Coming to America - DTS-HD 5.1
Evil Dead 2 - DTS-HD 5.1
Rambo III - DTS-HD 5.1
Red Heat - DTS-HD 5.1
Who Framed Roger Rabbit - Dolby Atmos, Dolby TrueHD 7.1

1989
Back to the Future Part II - Dolby Atmos, Dolby TrueHD 7.1
Batman - Dolby Atmos, Dolby TrueHD 7.1, Dolby Digital 5.1
Do the Right Thing - DTS:X, DTS-HD 7.1
Field of Dreams - DTS:X, DTS-HD 7.1
Ghostbusters II - Dolby Atmos, Dolby TrueHD 7.1
The Little Mermaid - Dolby Atmos, Dolby TrueHD 7.1
Lock Up - DTS-HD 5.1
Indiana Jones and the Last Crusade - Dolby Atmos, Dolby TrueHD 7.1
Pet Sematary - DTS-HD 5.1

1990
Back to the Future Part III - Dolby Atmos, Dolby TrueHD 7.1
Goodfellas - DTS-HD 5.1
Home Alone - DTS-HD 5.1

1991
The Addams Family - DTS-HD 5.1
Backdraft - DTS:X, DTS-HD 7.1
Beauty and the Beast - Dolby Atmos, Dolby TrueHD 7.1
The Doors - Dolby Atmos, Dolby TrueHD 7.1
The Silence of the Lambs - DTS-HD 5.1, DTS 2.0 (downmix). Edition with the best audio: Criterion Blu-ray, 2018 (DTS-HD 2.0)
Terminator 2: Judgement Day - DTS-HD 5.1

1992
Aladdin - Dolby Atmos, Dolby TrueHD 7.1
Batman Returns - Dolby Atmos, Dolby TrueHD 7.1, Dolby Digital 5.1 (Atmos fold-down)
Bram Stoker's Dracula - Dolby Atmos, Dolby TrueHD 7.1
A Few Good Men - Dolby Atmos, Dolby TrueHD 7.1

1995
Batman Forever - Dolby Atmos, Dolby TrueHD 7.1, Dolby Digital 5.1 (Atmos fold-down)

1998
The Big Lebowski - DTS:X, DTS-HD 7.1

[edmoney]

Nice idea for a thread. One comment I have for The Bridge on the River Kwai is that Sony has quietly reissued the US disc and added the original mono to it (and possibly for other countries as well).

[wmv2001]

Interesting! Thank you for the information, I just amended the OP.

In the meantime, there are a few pre-1993 titles which I haven't determined if they include original audio or not:

First Blood Part 2
Rambo III
Batman / Batman Returns
Unforgiven
Terminator 2

None of these are on the other list, but are listed on IMDb as either 6-track (for 70mm prints) or Dolby Digital. T2 doesn't have any information about audio on the IMDb technical section for some reason. Anyways, if there's someone who could clarify the status of those I would really appreciate it.

[ZoetMB]

No vintage (pre-digital audio) film on disc has original audio because once converted to digital, it's not original analog audio anymore. In addition, many movies are remixed or remastered for close-field listening. And AFAIK, there are no 70mm 6-track films with the original mix because the pre-Dolby Todd-AO format was five screen channels and one surround channel and home systems are not configured for five discrete screen channels. Even if they did, on all films prior to Apocalypse Now, they would have mono surround. You think Star Wars fans (and fans of other such films) would be happy with mono surround?

Even on mono films produced after 1948, most had magnetic masters, but were released in standard mono optical. But optical has much higher distortion and noise than mag and has a much more limited frequency response, rolling off beginning at 2KHz. So which would you consider the original - the lower-quality optical or the mag master? For films in which the original negative and soundtrack exists, I'd prefer the mag master. But that's not originally how one would heard it in a theater.

For films originally mixed in 5.1, just because they're released in 7.1 doesn't mean they're actually mixed for 7.1. They could be sending the same audio to the rear surrounds as the side surrounds.

[jerclay]

Full Metal Jacket mono is most likely a downmix - Paint It Black song has always been a bit sped and pitched up but on the UHD it plays at the correct speed, like it does on a 5.1 audio.

[bleakassassin]

Along with notifying which releases do (and don't) have original audio tracks on them, we should also try to make note of the highest-quality versions of the original audio for all movie releases that don't have them. For a lot of older releases that's undoubtedly going to be a particular LaserDisc release, but there's also DVD - and even some Blu-ray - releases that do contain the original audio.

[Agent Kay]

Originally Posted by ZoetMB

No vintage (pre-digital audio) film on disc has original audio because once converted to digital, it's not original analog audio anymore. In addition, many movies are remixed or remastered for close-field listening. And AFAIK, there are no 70mm 6-track films with the original mix because the pre-Dolby Todd-AO format was five screen channels and one surround channel and home systems are not configured for five discrete screen channels. Even if they did, on all films prior to Apocalypse Now, they would have mono surround. You think Star Wars fans (and fans of other such films) would be happy with mono surround?

Even on mono films produced after 1948, most had magnetic masters, but were released in standard mono optical. But optical has much higher distortion and noise than mag and has a much more limited frequency response, rolling off beginning at 2KHz. So which would you consider the original - the lower-quality optical or the mag master? For films in which the original negative and soundtrack exists, I'd prefer the mag master. But that's not originally how one would heard it in a theater.

For films originally mixed in 5.1, just because they're released in 7.1 doesn't mean they're actually mixed for 7.1. They could be sending the same audio to the rear surrounds as the side surrounds.

Still not correct or original then, and an AVR can do that

[SpazeBlue]

Originally Posted by wmv2001

In the meantime, there are a few pre-1993 titles which I haven't determined if they include original audio or not:


Batman / Batman Returns

Those are remixes.

[DR Herbert West]

Originally Posted by wmv2001

In the meantime, there are a few pre-1993 titles which I haven't determined if they include original audio or not:

First Blood Part 2
Rambo III

Not original. The First Blood Part II remix is terrible.

[BNex99]

Originally Posted by wmv2001

In the meantime, there are a few pre-1993 titles which I haven't determined if they include original audio or not:

Unforgiven
Terminator 2

Terminator 2 is likely the ca. 2000 remix, along with whatever tweaks they made for the 3D release. (I sold the UHD not long after getting it since I was so disappointed with the picture quality, so I'm not sure.) But honestly, the remix isn't super revisionist; the differences between it and the original are very subtle.

And Unforgiven was originally released in matrixed Dolby Stereo, but the 5.1 on the UHD might just be the original 4-track master re-formatted, as a number of 5.1 tracks for older films are.

That's why what constitutes the "original audio" is a little tricky. Almost every movie's soundtrack is tweaked a little for home video, even when it's not an all-out revisionist remix like Batman.

But it's those of the latter variety that get us all bent out of shape.

[Agent Kay]

Originally Posted by wmv2001

Interesting! Thank you for the information, I just amended the OP.

In the meantime, there are a few pre-1993 titles which I haven't determined if they include original audio or not:

First Blood Part 2
Rambo III
Batman / Batman Returns
Unforgiven
Terminator 2

None of these are on the other list, but are listed on IMDb as either 6-track (for 70mm prints) or Dolby Digital. T2 doesn't have any information about audio on the IMDb technical section for some reason. Anyways, if there's someone who could clarify the status of those I would really appreciate it.

All remixes, the T2 is the gabage near field mess that Rydstrom did in a lunch break for the SE LD onwards

[Markgway]

Originally Posted by wmv2001

In the meantime, there are a few pre-1993 titles which I haven't determined if they include original audio or not:

First Blood Part 2
Rambo III
Batman / Batman Returns
Unforgiven
Terminator 2

The first four don't contain original audio.

For T2 it depends on whether the 5.1 is from the 70mm blow-up or is a new-fangled remix. I really don't know. I've avoided that disc like the plague!

EDIT: Just saw Agent Kay's post.

[Warm Gun]

Originally Posted by jerclay

Full Metal Jacket mono is most likely a downmix - Paint It Black song has always been a bit sped and pitched up but on the UHD it plays at the correct speed, like it does on a 5.1 audio.

A downmix of the 5.1? I don't think so. When the crazy guy is shooting the villagers from the helicopter, the chopper sounds much different. At 1:40:30, when Cowboy is dying, the fire crackles much more loudly on the mono. At 1:13:46, the pitch and rhythm of the music is different.

[Markgway]

Discs I own with 35mm audio missing:

Title/Distributor/Disc Audio/Original Audio

Above the Law (Warner) 5.1/4.0 Dolby Stereo
Ace Ventura: Pet Detective (Warner) 5.1/4.0 Dolby SR
Alien 3 (Fox) 5.1 (70mm)/4.0 Dolby Stereo SR
Basic Instinct (Lionsgate) 5.1/4.0 Dolby Stereo SR
Batman Returns (Warner UHD) Atmos/5.1 Dolby Digital Stereo or 2.0 Dolby Stereo
Beverly Hills Cop (Paramount UHD) 5.1/2.0 Dolby Stereo
Beverly Hills Cop II (Paramount) 5.1/2.0 Dolby Stereo
Black Rain (Paramount) 5.1 (70mm)/4.0 Dolby Stereo SR
The Bodyguard (Warner) 5.1/4.0 Dolby SR
Cape Fear (1991; Universal) 5.1/4.0 Dolby Stereo SR
Carlito's Way (Universal UHD) DTS:X/5.1 DTS
Casino (Universal UHD) DTS:X/5.1 DTS
Casualties of War (Sony) 5.1 (70mm)/2.0 Dolby Stereo
City Slickers (Koch) 5.1/2.0 Dolby Stereo (Shout apparently has 2.0)
Clerks (Miramax) 5.1/Not sure what the theatrical audio was for this.
Cliffhanger (Sony UHD) 5.1 (70mm)/4.0 Dolby Stereo SR
Cobra (Warner) 5.1 (70mm)/2.0 Eagle Stereo (Shout apparently has 2.0)
Commando – *Director’s Cut (Fox) 5.1/2.0 Dolby Stereo (*Not sure the DC has a stereo mix)
Coming to America (Paramount UHD) 5.1/2.0 Dolby Stereo
Cutthroat Island (Lionsgate) 7.1/5.1 DTS or Dolby Digital
Dazed and Confused (Criterion) 5.1/4.0 Dolby Stereo SR
Demolition Man (Warner) 5.1/4.0 Dolby Stereo
Die Hard 2 (Fox) 5.1 (70mm)/4.0 Dolby Stereo
Escape from Absolom/No Escape (Umbrella) 2.0/5.1 SR-Digital Dolby Stereo
A Few Good Men (Sony UHD) Atmos/2.0 Dolby Stereo
The Firm (Paramount) 5.1/2.0 Dolby Stereo
First Blood (Lionsgate UHD) 5.1/2.0 Dolby Stereo
The Fugitive – 20th Anniversary Ed. (Warner) 5.1/4.0 Dolby Stereo
Full Metal Jacket (Warner UHD) Mono (Possible Downmix or Alternate Mix)/Mono
Glengarry Glen Ross (Lionsgate) 5.1/2.0 Dolby Stereo (Shout apparently has 2.0)
Ghost Busters (Sony UHD) 5.1 (70mm)/2.0 Dolby Stereo
Ghostbusters II (Sony UHD) 5.1/4.0 Dolby Stereo SR
Groundhog Day (Sony UHD) Atmos/2.0 Dolby Stereo
Hard to Kill (Warner) 5.1/4.0 Dolby Stereo
The Hitcher (1986; Filmjuwelen) 5.1/4.0 Dolby Stereo
Hot Shots! (Fox) 5.1/4.0 Dolby Stereo SR
Hot Shots! Part Deux (Fox) 5.1/2.0 Dolby Stereo
The Hudsucker Proxy (Warner Archive) 2.0/5.1 Dolby Stereo Digital
Indiana Jones and the Last Crusade (UHD) Atmos/2.0 Dolby Stereo
Indiana Jones and the Temple of Doom (UHD) Atmos/2.0 Dolby Stereo
JFK (Warner) 5.1/4.0 Dolby Stereo SR
Kickboxer (1989; Lionsgate) 5.1/2.0 Ultra Stereo
The Last Boy Scout (Warner) 5.1 (70mm)/4.0 Dolby Stereo
The Last Supper (Sony) 2.0/5.1 Dolby Stereo Digital
Leon – The Professional (Sony UHD) Atmos/5.1 Dolby Stereo Digital
Lethal Weapon (Warner) 5.1 (70mm)/4.0 Dolby Stereo
Lethal Weapon 2 (Warner) 5.1 (70mm)/4.0 Dolby Stereo
Lethal Weapon 3 (Warner) 5.1 (70mm)/4.0 Dolby Stereo
Mad Max 2 – The Road Warrior (Warner) 5.1 (70mm)/2.0 Dolby Stereo
The Naked Gun (Paramount) 5.1/Mono
New Jack City (Warner) 5.1/2.0 Dolby Stereo
Night of the Living Dead (1990; Umbrella) 5.1/2.0 Ultra Stereo
Out for Justice (Warner) 5.1/4.0 Dolby Stereo
The Outlaw Josey Wales (Warner) 5.1/Mono
Passenger 57 (Warner) 5.1/4.0 Dolby Stereo SR
Platoon (MGM) 4.0/2.0 Dolby Stereo
Predator 2 (Fox UHD) 5.1 (70mm)/4.0 Dolby Stereo SR
Raiders of the Lost Ark (Paramount UHD) Atmos/2.0 Dolby Stereo
Rambo: First Blood, Part II (Lionsgate UHD) 5.1 (*not 70mm original)/4.0 Dolby Stereo
Rambo III (Lionsgate UHD) 5.1/4.0 Dolby Stereo SR
Raw Deal (1986; Optimum) 5.1/2.0 Dolby Stereo
Red Heat (1988; Lionsgate) 5.1/4.0 Dolby Stereo
Reservoir Dogs (Lionsgate) 5.1/2.0 Dolby Stereo
The Rocketeer (Disney) 5.1 (70mm)/2.0 Dolby Stereo
Sea of Love (Universal) 5.1/2.0 Dolby Stereo
The Silence of the Lambs (MGM) 5.1/2.0 Dolby Stereo (Criterion has original 2.0)
So I Married an Axe Murderer (Sony) 5.1 (SDDS?)/2.0 Dolby Stereo
The Spy Who Loved Me (MGM) 2.0/Mono* (there's debate over whether the surround mix is original)
Striking Distance (Sony) 5.1 (SDDS?)/2.0 Dolby Stereo
Tango & Cash (Warner) 5.1 (70mm)/4.0 Dolby Stereo
Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles (1990; New Line) 5.1/2.0 Dolby Stereo
Thunderball (MGM) 2.0 (downmix)/Mono
Tightrope (Warner) 5.1/Mono
Tombstone (Hollywood) 5.1/4.0 Dolby Stereo SR
Total Recall (Eagle UHD) 5.1 (70mm)/4.0 Dolby Stereo SR
Trading Places (Paramount) 5.1/Mono
Under Siege (Warner) 5.1/4.0 Dolby Stereo
Unforgiven (Warner UHD) 5.1/2.0 Dolby Stereo
The Untouchables (Paramount) 5.1 (70mm)/2.0 Dolby Stereo
Wayne’s World (Paramount) 5.1/4.0 Dolby Stereo SR
Wayne’s World 2 (Paramount) 5.1/4.0 Dolby Stereo SR
Witness (Paramount) 5.1/2.0 Dolby Stereo

[jerclay]

Originally Posted by Warm Gun

A downmix of the 5.1? I don't think so. When the crazy guy is shooting the villagers from the helicopter, the chopper sounds much different. At 1:40:30, when Cowboy is dying, the fire crackles much more loudly on the mono. At 1:13:46, the pitch and rhythm of the music is different.

Then it must be a new mono mix made from the available elements - like I said, the pitch for the final song is corrected, so that does not count as an original mix in my book.

[CreasyBear]

Originally Posted by Markgway

Total Recall (Eagle UHD) 5.1 (70mm)/4.0 Dolby Stereo SR

It's the Italian release that has the correct theatrical audio, right?

[Markgway]

Originally Posted by jerclay

Then it must be a new mono mix made from the available elements - like I said, the pitch for the final song is corrected, so that does not count as an original mix in my book.

Is it possible the speed-up was a mistake that's been corrected?

Originally Posted by CreasyBear

It's the Italian release that has the correct theatrical audio, right?

Yes, I believe so.

[jerclay]

Originally Posted by Markgway

Is it possible the speed-up was a mistake that's been corrected?

Well, that should be hard to prove, if the mistake was made bringing the movie to home video, say, LD. Somebody must check the optical mono of 35mm for that.

[BNex99]

Originally Posted by jerclay

Well, that should be hard to prove, if the mistake was made bringing the movie to home video, say, LD. Somebody must check the optical mono of 35mm for that.

Like I said...

[Kyle15]

My Fair Lady does contain the original 6-track audio. The 7.1 is not a "remix." See here:

https://blah-ray.blogspot.com/search...y%20%281964%29