Alien 4K Review
Alien 4K Picture
Panavision Panaflex, Panavision Panaflex, and Panavision PSR R-200 cameras used in Alien's 35mm film shooting. For this Ultra HD Bluray release, the original camera neg was used to create the source. The negative was scant at 4K resolution. The disc presents a native 4K 3840 x 2160p resolution image in the widescreen 2.35:1 aspect ratio, and uses 10-bit video depth, High Dynamic Range , and is encoded using the HEVC (H.265) codec for HDR10+ . Review of the Region free UK Ultra HD DVD Blu-ray release Alien took place on a Panasonic 65DX902B Ultra HD TV and a Panasonic DMP–UB400 Ultra HD Blue-ray player.
Oh my, oh my. The new scan doesn't reveal much about the film (the film had been well preserved on disk in the past). However, it highlights the picture quality giving the image a new and stunning appearance. The detail of things such skin texture (spider beads, white fluid running down Ash’s head, blood stains and Ripley’s nose) is sharper. Weave patterns in clothing are easier, regardless of whether it is uniforms or environmental suits. Furthermore, the Nostromo's many rooms (dining tables, corridors and sleeping area) are well-defined and sharp.
But it is with the HDR and WCG that the real revelation is; everything has so much depth now – the red behind the corridors' wall gratings has never looked so fine, the saturation of the lighting during the self-destruct sequence (oranges, greens and blues) as Ripley makes her escape. The lights in Ripley's console room and her screen depths are MU-THUR. Look at the heat generated by flame throwers and/or the pure ickiness of the interior features of the facial hugger.
The new black level is also a great addition. There are hidden depths in the frame, shadows below which enhance the colour, and I'm referring to the corridors. Another sublime level is white. Ripley’s space suit and stasis/hypersleep rooms, both in the same room, are stunning examples of new detail.
So with all this good, there has to be some bad right? Well, yeah, kind of. While there was a minor shift in the palette of colours, I don't think this is a significant one. This has allowed for more colors to be used and gives them a more authentic look. The grain is another aspect. Grain was always a part of the film. It gives it an organic look. But on occasions (especially in frames that are quite white such as the one in the start), the grain takes on a life all its own and looks suspiciously like noise. It has been this way for years, to be honest. However, UHD makes it more apparent, drawing your attention. It's possible that I'm exaggerating what is only a couple of seconds. But when the image is so good, it stands out. Is it a deal breaker, certainly not, indeed the image is, in all other regards, perfect and I am going to score it as such.
Alien's 40th Anniversary (Kuhd Blu Ray Reviews)
Alien has been a title that I've been eagerly awaiting on 4K Ultra HD Bluray for a while now. Prometheus Alien Covenant in 2013 was my first Alien movie. But alas, they were strategizing. It is the 40th Anniversary. The delay in releasing the 4K DVD format was for a reason. Okay, let's go. Let's just say that I was thrilled not only to see the movie in 4K but also to be among the very first Americans to give an advance review. This movie is a masterpiece. I will give it my all and do everything possible to honor it. But, truthfully it doesn’t need any extra love. You can't go wrong with a science-fiction masterpiece. It would be easy to give it a 5 doggie score. Then I can move onto the video and audio sections. That's what you all come here for. However, I will not simply do an unboxing of the film or say it is great. This is my expose. If you don't want to read the rest, scroll down two screenshots below to see what it looks like. Without further delay… I first reviewed the Alien Anthology Bluray boxset circa nine years ago. You can find my complete review archived HERE. The Alien Blu-ray Disc is one of my favorites sets. I have viewed it since April 26th, 2006. It's going to all change now that the movie has been released on 4K DVD. It will replace Blu-ray with the product. The annual Alien viewing on April 26th will now be possible in 4K Ultra HD (or until they produce an upscale 8K edition). Like my fellow A/V peers and geeks out there we always tend to re-purchase our favorite films in their finest presentations available. The 4K disc collection is enough for the moment. However, I digress. The feature must be discussed next. It's an obligation.
Unless you were raised in a basement cage, you have an inkling about what an Alien creature looks like. Heck, I remember having a huge 15" toy of one as a kid so there's really no excuse for you to not know what one looks like if my parents bought me one. An Alien is not something to play with. Even if an Alien is impaled, it's important to keep your eyes open for high pressure acid which acts as a blood vessel within the creature's systems. If the creature doesn't get you, their blood spill will! This is almost guaranteed. Aliens are fast adaptable hunters, much like Predator animals. They can quickly move to kill their prey.
The Ridley Scott directed film, Alien , stars Tom Skerritt, Sigourney Weaver, Veronica Cartwright, John Hurt and Gandalf's Ian Holm. Like it or not, Alien set the precedence for the sci-fi genre. Although the film's effects may be outdated, it is clear that Alien was a major breakthrough in sci-fi cinematography. The film was included in the National Film Registry of Congress, Library of Congress. In 2008 the American Film Institute ranked it as the seventh-best movie in the genre. Not too shabby, huh? But you don't need me to remind you of all this. Because you aren't sure if you like this movie or not, you probably won't be here to read this 4K Ultra HD DVD Blu-ray review.
Alien tells the tale of the crew of the starship Nostromo and their exploration of the planet LV-426 they stopped by unexpectedly on their way back home to Earth. This was one rude awakening. It was awful! Following orders from corporate executives, the crew investigates an alien wreckage discovered on LV-426. The strange, egg-shaped cocoons found in one of the rooms are discovered by Executive Officer Kane (John Hurt). A creature latches on to Kane's face and is also known as a Facehugger. That's when the fun really begins. You see that creature was literally using Kane as incubator to spawn a young Alien creature. In classic Alien franchise mythology, the infant Alien always explodes from its carriers' chest.
The Alien-hatched Alien ends up growing up quickly and going on an apocalyptic rampage. It kills crew members one at a time as they relentlessly try to eradicate the beast. Ripley is Sigourney Weber's character. Is she able to save the day on her own? We don't want you to know what the end result is, even if we already know it. LOL. Those people do exist. This was the 50+ year old man who sat beside me throughout my viewing. Oh okay…alright…SPOILER ALERT…Ripley blasts that beast out into the deepest regions of outer space, never to be seen again. Yeah, it is. That never-to-be seen again thing will be covered when Aliens is released on 4K disc. Let's just say that the 4K presentation's audio/video is what brought you all to this place.
The below video score and related critique of things here are based solely upon my viewing of the 4K Ultra HD Blu-ray presentation of Fox's Alien. FYI…The 4K restoration of the film was done by 20th Century Fox, Company 3/Deluxe Entertainment Services Group. The 4K scans were made at EFilm.
Encoding: HEVC / H.265
Is Alien 4K Good?
Fox offers a very good package as a 4K UHD set. The native 4K image is stunning in terms of colour and black levels.
Is Aliens Available In 4K?
EXCLUSIVE – Alien 3 & Alien Resurrection being remastered 4K Bluray/Disney+. Feb 23, 2021
Is Top Gun In 4K Worth It?
Fan favorite flew into 4K Ultra HD with an impressive Dolby Vision/Dolby Atmos presentation. The UHD package contains two additional featurettes to delight fans.
Is 4K Streaming True 4K?
These standards did not have the 4K resolution. However, it is 4000 pixels. Instead, 4K resolution is actually 3840 x 2360 pixels. This is four times more pixels than the 1080p resolution. Add the 3840p and 4K together, you get what everybody refers to as 4K resolution.