Chungking Express (1994) 4K UHD (Criterion Collection)

[Yiddo1981]

Originally Posted by Cremildo

The recycle bin is the destination of my UK AE Blu-ray.

Why? It looks great. Keeping it right next to my kino of fallen angels.

[starman15317]

Yes, finally! I didn't pick up the WKW set so I'll definitely be picking this up!

[Cremildo]

Originally Posted by Yiddo1981

Why? It looks great. Keeping it right next to my kino of fallen angels.

Dated master and incorrect aspect ratio.

[lemonlimebeats]

Happy to see more of these from the boxset get a standalone 4K release! I hope they keep going with these. Fallen Angels, Happy Together, 2046...I'm sure the boxset will do the job but I'm always in favor of bunded titles having individual releases too for those who don't want everything in the package.

[chrisandy007]

Any reason why this is a SDR only release?

[Zorba]

This was the Criterion announcement I have been waiting for so I will not complain about any of it.

Instead I will shout YES!!!!!!!!!!

[MifuneFan]

Originally Posted by chrisandy007

Any reason why this is a SDR only release?

The original 4K restoration supervised/approved by WKW was done in SDR.

[matt925]

Originally Posted by lemonlimebeats

Happy to see more of these from the boxset get a standalone 4K release! I hope they keep going with these. Fallen Angels, Happy Together, 2046...I'm sure the boxset will do the job but I'm always in favor of bunded titles having individual releases too for those who don't want everything in the package.

I would really like a 2046 4k on its own.

[Tony208]

Incredible news. Original was oop for so long. Sold mine for a nice amount lol

[LHT]

Originally Posted by backwater

No HDR for THIS movie? Come on!

Approved by the director himself.

[flyry]

sigh. so annoying their 2021 WKW set was standard blu-ray.

[Scottie]

I'm still not going to get over the subtitle changes.

[Rizor]

I would've bet that they'd have released this last year for its 30th anniversary. But maybe we're still within that window.

I have the German 4K and the quality of the transfer is very pleasing in my eyes. Will be interesting to see how this release fairs.

[OSHAN]

Originally Posted by Scottie

I'm still not going to get over the subtitle changes.

What's changed?

[PullBackCamera]

Originally Posted by MifuneFan

The original 4K restoration supervised/approved by WKW was done in SDR.

So you ask him to supervise an HDR pass... Not rocket science.

[mattaaron2112]

Originally Posted by PullBackCamera

So you ask him to supervise an HDR pass... Not rocket science.

I agree, the director should do what you want.

[MifuneFan]

Originally Posted by PullBackCamera

So you ask him to supervise an HDR pass... Not rocket science.

WKW did all of the restorations already and the SDR grade is exactly what he intends the film to look like (now at least, given the revisionist changes he did). There is a German release that applies HDR/DV to the SDR master, and it completely changes the colors/grading of the film. Some may prefer the richer colors of that grade but it's not what WKW approved.

[Warm Gun]

Only thing I didn't like about this restoration, without knowing what else is different with picture-in-picture while I watch, are the flashy new end credits. Doesn't match the time and movie at all.

[PullBackCamera]

Originally Posted by mattaaron2112

I agree, the director should do what you want.

OMG the simping never ends in this place, does it.

I can't imagine Wong would say no to bringing the masters up to modern technical standards.

[5meohd]

Originally Posted by PullBackCamera

OMG the simping never ends in this place, does it.

I can't imagine Wong would say no to bringing the masters up to modern technical standards.

I'll agree with you that the tone of responses around here is often tactless. Guilty as charged.

But, I can no longer fall in line with this idea of "HDR required".

I have finally lived with my professionally calibrated OLED for long enough to run the gamut of UHD disc experiences, and I am finding myself more and more preferring minimalist HDR grades and even 4K SDR.

Someone may educate me, but afaik HDR is an additive process altering most films that pre-date digital HDR capture. And in that case, it would actually be logically objectively worse to mandate across all UHD releases.

An example: The Wolf Man 1941. I think the glowing lamps is 'neat', but it doesn't look natural to me. Check the camp scene out and notice that the lamps are brighter than the campfire. I can't unsee that now. It's not terrible at all, there are MANY higher nit worse offenders. But that is my point. I genuinely, sincerely, personally believe that Criterions SDR's Night of the Living Dead is more of a filmic presentation than Universal's The Wolf Man. I'm not claimning to be a genuine expert, but I was, for a brief time, a projectionist for The Alamo Drafthouse. I did not handle the 35mm showings, but I watched many of them.

What I don't have much experience with is seeing this content properly tone mapped on mid-high end home theater projectors. I can totally imagine where that same scene of The Wolf Man might 'feel' totally different and amazing.

As long as the better compression, resolution, and color gamut of the UHD medium is used, I think I'm actually ok with SDR.

Maybe I'll buy this disc just to check that out for myself.