APOCALYPSE NOW 4K UHD Revisited Movie Collector 2025-06-27 | This is a second look at the fabulous 4K UHD Blu-ray disc of Francis Ford Coppola's masterpiece 'Apocalypse Now'. Glimpses of the film on screen are for illustrative purposes only.The reason for this second look is because I realized after making my recent Top Ten Films video that I hadn't actually put it on in this home cinema since moving house a few years ago. How well does it stand up to the bigger ten foot wide screen? The answer to that is that it's even better than in our last home cinema where we had a somewhat smaller screen. Add to that the fact that I think the special six disc set is one of the best 4K UHD releases of all time in terms of its value (cost me about £28), the quality on offer and the myriad special features across two packed Blu-ray discs. It all adds up to something extra special and I can't think of any other release that has quite matched it so far.
INCEPTION (2010) 4K UHD Blu-ray Review Movie Collector 2026-02-24 | Christopher Nolan's 2010 mind bender reviewed on 4K UHD home video. Image aspect ratio is approximately 2.40:1 and sound is DTS-HD but importantly, the soundtrack applied to the 4K UHD disc is the original theatrical soundtrack so prepare to feel the earth move during this one. There are three discs in the pack as the original release Blu-ray is also included along with the Blu-ray 'Special Features' disc.Glimpses of the film on screen are for illustrative purposes only.
DOUBLE IMPACT (1991) 4K UHD Blu-ray Review 88 Films Movie Collector 2026-02-19 | 4K UHD Blu-ray review of the 1991 action adventure starring Jean-Claude Van Damme and directed by Sheldon Lettich. 1.85:1 image aspect ratio and DTS-HD 5.1 sound but with an option of DTS 2.0 which is a matrixed four track stereo that should decode into Dolby Stereo through a suitable Dolby ProLogic decoder or A/V amplifier. Running time is 110 minutes and there are a wealth of extra features but only on the standard Blu-ray in this pack. The inlay is reversible and included a photo booklet. All is enclosed in tough slip box.This release is available direct from 88 Films for £30 (at the time of typing) here: 88-films.myshopify.com/products/double-impact-4k-uhdGlimpses of the film on screen are for illustrative purposes only.
ONE BATTLE AFTER ANOTHER 4K UHD Quick Review Movie Collector 2026-02-15 | 4K UHD Blu-ray quick review of Paul Thomas Anderson's 2025 VistaVision production which comes to home video disc with an aspect ratio of 1.78:1, Dolby Atmos sound and a running time of 2 hours and 42 minutes. There is only the UHD disc in this pack and no extra features are included on this UHD disc.Glimpses of the film on screen are for illustrative purposes only.
NIGHT OF THE LIVING DEAD (1968) SUPER 8 Watchalong Movie Collector 2026-02-08 | This is a Super 8 feature release of George A. Romero's classic zombie film. I'm projecting it just over 8 feet wide in our home cinema but have run the sound through a bit of processing to hopefully disguise it from any undesired copyright issues. The intention is to give an idea of what it is like to watch Night of the Living Dead on Super 8 film and hopefully the atmosphere of that has been captured. The image may look a little blue and white in this video but on screen in person it is black and white as black and white film stock always is. I talk about the first time I ever saw this great film and why I still love it to this day.Glimpses of the film on screen are for illustrative purposes only.Towards the end I detail the upcoming British Film Collectors Convention on Saturday 30th May 2026 at the Barn Theatre in Oxted (25 Bluehouse Lane, Oxted, Surrey RH8 0AA). This is just south of London and just outside of the M25. Direct trains are about 35 minutes from Victoria and London Bridge. Tickets from Ticket Source: ticketsource.co.uk/barn-theatre/50-years-of-celluloid-british-film-collectors-to-celebrate-golden-jubilee-at-oxted-s-barn/e-pdrjqoFor all the information: www.bfcc.biz/next.htmlTo join the BFCC Facebook group give this link a try: facebook.com/groups/1646293562283301BFCC 'X' (Twitter) page: https://x.com/FilmConventions
Christopher Nolans ODYSSEY: From 16mm to IMAX Movie Collector 2026-02-01 | The films of Christopher Nolan from his 1998 16mm feature debut 'Following' to his 2026 epic 'The Odyssey'. We trace Nolan's journey from his Super 8 and 16mm origin all the way to his historic first with the first film to ever be shot entirely in IMAX 15/65 for genuine IMAX 15/70 release. Unlike other film makers today, Christopher Nolan not only shoots his works on film but he also finishes them on film to ensure the maximum possible quality if you are lucky enough to see one of his films in a cinema that has had the foresight to retain film projection equipment and most notably, in a genuine IMAX house still capable of screening the ultimate projection format in the world today - 15/70 IMAX film.The Odyssey trailer I had on screen in this video is believed to be an artificially generated video. By the time I took a look at it closely I was actually getting the shots of it in our home cinema to finish the video and I would't have any more time to source stills or anything else for several days so I decided that because it looked to be stills and/or set photos brought to life it would serve the purpose and, importantly, it would avoid the inevitable copyright strike of using the official trailer. I think it filled a couple of gaps rather well and avoided too much of simply having my talking head on screen.Glimpses of films on screen in this video are for illustrative purposes only.
F1 The Movie 4K UHD Blu-ray Review Movie Collector 2026-01-27 | Joseph Kosinski's 2025 Formula 1 racing flick starring Brad Pitt. Image aspect ratio is 2.40:1. Sound is Dolby Atmos. Running time is 2 hours and 35 minutes. This movie was shot entirely with video cameras in a combination of 4K, 6K and 8.6K and then all shrunk down and output at 4K. This was passed off as a faux IMAX and did have 1.90:1 sequences in IMAX branded cinemas; none of these are present on either the UHD or the Blu-ray in this pack.Many extra featurettes are included on both discs but with the exception of one of them which runs for just over 9 minutes, they are all short at 5 to 6 minutes apiece.Glimpses of the film on screen are for illustrative purposes only.
LEON: THE PROFESSIONAL (1994) 4K UHD Blu-ray Review Movie Collector 2026-01-20 | Luc Besson's 1994 thriller starring Jean Reno, Natalie Portman and Gary Oldman. Image aspect ratio is 'Scope 2.40:1 approximately. Sound has been re-worked into Dolby Atmos for the UHD disc but the Blu-ray in this pack is DTS 7.1. The running time is 2 hours 12 minutes and 42 seconds. This means it is not the theatrical version of the film we saw here in the UK. France had a 2 hours and 16 minute version. I do not like this 'Director's Cut' - as far as I'm concerned it ruins a very good film. The original 1 hour 50 minute version is not included on the UHD in this pack so it is only available on the comparatively poor (too red) standard Blu-ray. I'm told the original theatrical version is included on the UHD disc in the Zone 1 USA 4K UHD release. If you can't get hold of that then my recommendation is the earlier standard Blu-ray release which has the original version available via the extras menu and the image quality on that Blu-ray is superior to that offered by the new standard Blu-ray in the 4K UHD pack. Sound on the older Blu-ray is DTS 5.1 or the original Dolby Stereo sound via the Setup menu.Glimpses of the film on screen are for illustrative purposes only.
CONVOY (1978) 4K UHD Blu-ray Review Movie Collector 2026-01-13 | Review of Sam Peckinpah's 1978 'Convoy' on 4K UHD Blu-ray home video. Image aspect ratio is approximately 2.40:1. Sound is two channel mono but of good quality. Running time is 1 hour and 51 minutes. Extras are all contained on both the UHD disc and the Blu-ray in this pack and there are a lot of them.Glimpses of the film on screen are for illustrative purposes only.
STAR TREK (2009) 4K UHD Blu-ray Review - Titans Of Cult Limited Edition Movie Collector 2026-01-06 | Review of the 4K UHD of J.J. Abrams 2009 re-imagining of Star Trek. Chris Pine is James T. Kirk and Zachary Quinto is Spock in this alternative timeline origin of the original Star Trek. This pack is the Titans Of Cult limited edition release from a few years ago that I found in a branch of CEX for just £12. Normally these days I don't purchase UHD discs from CEX any longer because my experience has been that many of the 4K home videos passed onto CEX are because the discs have 'The 4K Fault'. Because this was a rather nice, unique steelbook edition I decided to take a chance and thankfully it has not been afflicted by the dreaded 4K Fault. As I type this at the beginning of 2026, this Titans Of Cult special release is still available from HMV for £34.99 - hmv.com/store/film-tv/4k-ultra-hd-blu-ray/star-trek-titans-of-cult-steelbook?_gl=1*1jassg7*_up*MQ..*_ga*MjEyODkyOTUuMTc2NzUxOTQyMA..*_ga_WJW9FR9YBD*czE3Njc1MTk0MjAkbzEkZzEkdDE3Njc1MTk0NTckajIzJGwwJGgwImage aspect ratio is 2.40:1 (approximately) and sound is Dolby Atmos. On the Blu-ray included in this pack the sound is Dolby Digital 5.1 True HD. There are no extras other than a commentary and that is only available on the standard Blu-ray.Running time: 2 hours 7 minutes.Glimpses of the film on screen are for illustrative purposes only.
Top Five 4K UHD of 2025 + most other 2025 4K UHD added to my collection Movie Collector 2025-12-28 | This is a round-up of almost every 4K UHD releases added to my home video collection in 2025 that were issued in 2025 (but I did miss a few such as 'The Outlaw Josey Wales), plus some others from late in 2024 that could have featured in a top ten for 2025 if they'd have been issued just a little later.The countdown of my top five picks comes towards the end of this video.Link to David Quigley's excellent 'Wicked For Good' premiere video: youtube.com/watch?v=AwleaTCYdXU&t=38s&pp=ygUnbWVldGluZyBhcmlhbmEgZ3JhbmRlIGFuZCBjeW50aGlhIGVyaXZvDavid's video currently has 114,000 views as I type just before Christmas 2025.Glimpses of and films on screen in this video are for illustrative purposes only.
BARRY LYNDON (1975) 4K UHD Blu-ray Review Movie Collector 2025-12-21 | Ryan O'Neal stars in Stanley Kubrick's renowned 18th century period drama which follows the adventures of Barry Lyndon from Ireland to the far reaches of Europe, including his participation in the Seven Years War. Often described by those who love this film as 'Every frame is a painting' largely because the whole look of the film was influenced by the great oil paintings of the day. Apparently, only candlelight and natural light were used in the making of this film. That does mean that some scenes are slightly muddy to look at in spite of the special lenses and other things that were created at the time especially to facilitate the proposed shoot.The image aspect ratio is 1.66:1. Sound by default is DTS-HD 5.1 but the new soundtrack may give a bit too much of a modern impression for some and so the original mono sound is available via a menu option. Running time is 3 hours and 5 minutes but there is an 'Interval' midway through for those who wish to stop and then return to where they left off sometime later.Ignore me when I talk about the '1800's' in this video because it's the 1700's. I blame the script writer!Glimpses of the film on screen are for illustrative purposes only.
Latest Purchases 4K UHD, Blu-ray and LaserDisc incl. Hans Zimmer & Friends: Diamond In The Desert Movie Collector 2025-12-14 | CAV LaserDiscs of Dante's Peak and Twister feature in this video as well as the Blu-ray of Christopher Nolan's first film 'Following' released by 101 Films. A brilliant Blu-ray documentary on the life of top reggae artist Bob Marley titled 'Marley' for just £2 from CEX. And staying on the music theme, 'Hans Zimmer & Friends: Diamond In The Desert' was sent to me by David Quigley and it's a sensational video recording of Hans Zimmer concert in Dubai. Some of the greatest movie themes presented in the most amazing rock concert format. The sound on this release is among the best I have ever heard and so I talk about - and feature - this one quite extensively within this video.4K UHD's on show are the Titans Of Cult steelbook release of J.J. Abrams 'Star Trek', the BFI special pack release of the grounbreaking 1999 French film 'La Haine', Luc Besson's 'Leon', Sam Peckinpah's 'Convoy' and finally Stanley Kubrick's 1975 'Barry Lyndon'.First disc I show is actually the Arrow Films Blu-ray of 'Runaway Train' which I had a few requests from viewers for me to take a look at. It didn't disappoint!Glimpses from any of the home video discs within this video are for illustrative purposes only.
THE WILD GEESE (1978) 4K UHD Blu-ray Special Edition from Severin Films Movie Collector 2025-12-07 | Review of the new 'The Wild Geese' 4K UHD special edition from Severin Films. Directed by Andrew McClaglan and produced by Euan Lloyd. Based on the book by Daniel Carney.A very special pack which included both the UHD and Blu-ray containing full copies of the film but the Blu-ray is also where you'll find the extras. Probably around 2.5 to 3 hours of extras. I believe the publicity referred to something like 9 hours of extras so I expect this includes the myriad commentary tracks available. The Blu-ray did not play the audio to the film itself on one of my players but all the commentaries did play correctly. An incompatibility between Blu-ray disc and my rather elderly standard Panasonic Blu-ray player perhaps? I expect it needs a firmware update but as every other disc (so far) has played fine, I'd prefer not to risk that update procedure. All other tests of this release with other players were perfect so I'm confident it's a one-off.Running time is 2 hours and 14 minutes.Sound is matrixed four channel Dolby Stereo enveloped within a DTS 2.0 track.Image aspect ratio is 1.85:1.The hardback book included is a voluminous tome. More than 300 pages and it's a properly researched and written book all about the film by one author, Tony Earnshaw, and not the usual compilation of essays by different people usually rushed out for a special pack home video release. The overall size of the pack is quite substantially bigger than a normal Blu-ray or even DVD release which means the book is a bit taller than you might expect. The downside is that this pack does not fit on my disc collection shelves.The CD of the motion picture soundtrack is also included. The composer is Roy Budd who also scored 'Get Carter' in 1971.Also, six glossy card reproductions of the front of house set. Usually, films had eight of these 'lobby cards' so I suggest two have been omitted. They are slightly larger than usual owing to their being more room in this larger pack.This impressive release can be ordered direct from Severin here: severinfilms.co.uk/collections/new-releases/products/the-wild-geese-uhd-blu-ray-cd-combiI got my copy well before the release date because I have this moderately successful YouTube channel. Cost is £64.99.There are standard editions available too and the standard UHD is £26.99 with the standard Blu-ray costing £19.99.Standard UHD and Blu-ray combi pack is here: severinfilms.co.uk/collections/new-releases/products/the-wild-geese-4k-uhd-blu-ray-combi
HOME CINEMA: Fred Spoolbox, Tech. Manager Empire Leicester Square 1989-99 + Memories Of The Empire Movie Collector 2025-11-30 | Ben Wales and I visit Fred 'Spoolbox' to see his home cinema and also to discuss his lifelong career in cinema which saw him do a ten year stretch as the Technical Manager of The Empire, Leicester Square. The was from 1989 to 1999 and the exact time that I almost lived in that great cinema. The chance to get both Fred and Ben on camera together, two of our most experienced projectionists, was too good an opportunity to miss. Some wonderful stories and information come out within this video.To go to Fred's Spoolbox channel click here: youtube.com/@fp30eSpoolbox's full Reading Odeon projection rooms with double header sound video here: youtube.com/watch?v=c5jrUgyu2E8Spoolbox's full Sputnik Kino video here: youtube.com/watch?v=p3ysOxHcrk8Spoolbox's full Bali Kino video here: youtube.com/watch?v=_KUxYUKlrSQThe Empire is still a premiere house theatre today despite only having a maximum seating capacity of 723. My friend David Quigley was given access to the restricted area for the recent premiere of 'Wicked For Good' and his resultant, impressive first YouTube video of this occasion can be seen here: youtube.com/watch?v=AwleaTCYdXU&t=38s&pp=ygUdZGF2aWQgcXVpZ2xleSB3aWNrZWQgZm9yIGdvb2Q%3DThis video was mainly filmed by Susanne who is behind the camera during the discussion sequence. The remainder shot by Ben and John.
MISSION IMPOSSIBLE THE FINAL RECKONING 4K UHD Blu-ray Review Movie Collector 2025-11-25 | 4K UHD Blu-ray review of Christopher McQuarrie's 'Mission Impossible: The Final Reckoning' starring Tom Cruise. Image aspect ratio shifts between 2.40:1 (approx.) and 1.90:1. Sound is Dolby Atmos. Running time is 2 hours 50 mins (approx.).Extra features are two commentary tracks on the main UHD disc plus another track for the isolated score. The Blu-ray disc in the pack is an extras disc only (i.e does not contain an HD copy of the film) and the extras on this disc run for a total of around 58 minutes. These are:1) Behind The Scenes: five featurettes with a total running time of 17.03 minutes2) Editorial Content: Deleted Footage Montage 9.35minutes Olifants River Canyon 9.11 minutes Biplan Transfer 4.03 minutes3) Promo Spots: total running time 3.23 minutes4) Galleries: total running time 13.51 minutesGlimpses of Mission Impossible: The Final Reckoning on screen are for illustrative purposes only and there to help promote this movie's release on home video.The review by Electric Geek to Mission Impossible: The Final Reckoning on UHD home video as mentioned in this video can be seen here: youtube.com/watch?v=cgJeTGH7Now&t=99s
THE CRIMSON RIVERS (2000) 4K UHD Blu-ray Review Movie Collector 2025-11-18 | 4K UHD Blu-ray review of Mathieu Kassovitz's 2000 thriller 'The Crimson Rivers' starring Jean Reno, Vincent Cassel and Nadia Fares. Similar in tone to David Fincher's 'Seven' this is a classic French film with English subtitles. The DTS-HD soundtrack must be selected via menu option otherwise the matrixed Dolby Stereo four track will default but many modern systems cannot cope with this and will therefore play back in two channel stereo rather than decoding into 'ProLogic'.Image aspec ratio is 2.40:1 approximately. Extras are all on the included Blu-ray disc.Glimpses of the film on screen are for illustrative purposes only.
TRON 4K UHD Blu-ray Review Movie Collector 2025-11-11 | The 1982 groundbreaking classic written and directed by Steven Lisberger.Image aspect ratio is 2.20:1 denoting its black and white 65mm Super Panavision origin but much re-processing was done of the imagery during the production in 1981/82 so don't expect the best looking 70mm image quality you've ever seen. Sound has been re-worked into Dolby Atmos on this new UHD disc. On the standard Blu-ray it is actually DTS-HD 5.1 despite what the slip case and inlay may say to the contrary.Running time is 95 minutes.Glimpses of Tron on screen are for illustrative purposes only.
4K UHD New Releases 3rd Nov 2025 HMV Swindon Movie Collector 2025-11-04 | A look at the latest 4K UHD and Blu-ray releases, plus some recent releases and current 4K offers thanks to the assistance of the great HMV store in Swindon, Wiltshire.For up to date information on all the latest and forthcoming releases in the UK go to blu-ray.com/movies/releasedates.phpLink to 35mm Trailer Show video: youtu.be/yfbTsA8WSaQ
GATTACA 4K UHD Blu-ray Review Movie Collector 2025-11-03 | Review of the 2021 4K UHD Blu-ray home video release of Andrew Niccol's 'GATTACA' starring Ethan Hawke, Uma Thurman and Jude Law. Image aspect ratio is approximately 2.40:1. Sound is Dolby Atmos by default but with a menu option for DTS HD. The Blu-ray has Dolby TrueHD. Running time is 1 hour 46 minutes. Around 45 minutes of extras on the Blu-ray plus some deleted scenes but there are very poor quality. The 4K UHD has the trailer as the only extra.The review by Electric Geek to the latest Mission Impossible film on UHD home video mentioned in this video can be seen here: youtube.com/watch?v=cgJeTGH7Now&t=99s
MASTER & COMMANDER on Super 8 film with DTS sound on disc Movie Collector 2025-10-28 | Master & Commander The Far Side of the World was the last Super 8 feature film issued by Derann Film Services as part of their long running deal with 20th Century Fox. It's a 'Scope print and supplied with stereo sound. However, the stereo sound on my copy is not good and I've never re-recorded it as my first check on the leader of reel 1 revealed poor quality magnetic paste stripe. I decided that I would not attempt the re-recording and would always run the film in synchronization from the soundtracks on the PAL DVD. That DVD has Digital Theatre System (now known as 'Datasat') 5.1 sound and it's sensational.Sync pulse Super 8 sound is something I have been asked about many times and so this video features Master & Commander running in sync pulse mode to the DTS soundtrack of the DVD. I also give a full explanation of how the system works and, hopefully, the chance to see for yourself how the system locks video and film together for a seamless presentation of a favourite film in your home. This was the ultimate home cinema solution for many years.Glimpses of the film on screen are for illustrative purposes only.As I type this the next British Film Collectors Convention is to be held on Saturday 30th May 2026 at the Oxted Barn Theatre. We don't currently plan to run a sync pulse show but that may change. We will be screening Super 8, 35mm and 4K UHD home video. It will be a tight fit but we hope to be projecting onto the 24ft wide BFCC CinemaScope screen as usual. Keep a note of www.bfcc.biz and the 'Next Event' page for all the latest. More details will be uploaded the closer we get to the big day.
INDIANA JONES & THE TEMPLE OF DOOM 4K UHD Blu-ray Review Movie Collector 2025-10-19 | The sequel to Raiders of the Lost Ark directed by Steven Spielberg and released in 1984. The image aspect ratio is 2.40:1 (approximately) and the sound has been re-worked into Dolby Atmos so is not the original theatrical soundtrack. There is only the UHD disc in this case and this contains no extras features other than the teaser trailer and the theatrical trailer.Glimpses of the film on screen in this video are for illustrative purposes only.
THE FLORIDA PROJECT 4K UHD Blu-ray Review Second Sight Films Special Edition Movie Collector 2025-10-11 | Review of the 4K UHD Blu-ray special pack of Sean Baker's highly acclaimed 2017 drama from Second Sight Films, officially released on 13th October 2025. Includes the UHD disc and two Blu-rays with bonus features on both formats. Four and a half hours of all new extra features. Cost at time of typing is £44.99 for this substantially hefty pack.Image aspect ratio is 2.40:1 (approximately) and sound is DTS HD 5.1. Running time 1 hour and 51 minutes.To purchase the special pack direct from Second Sight Films, click here: secondsightfilms.co.uk/collections/latest-releases/products/the-florida-project-limited-edition-4k-uhd-blu-ray-pre-order-available-october-13th
THE FLORIDA PROJECT 4K UHD Second Sight Films Special Edition unboxing Movie Collector 2025-10-08 | This is the special pack of Sean Baker's highly acclaimed 2017 drama from Second Sight Films officially released on 13th October 2025. Includes the UHD disc and two Blu-rays with bonus features on both formats. Four and a half hours of all new extra features. Cost at time of typing is £44.99 for this substantially hefty pack.Image aspect ratio is 2.40:1 (approximately) and sound is DTS HD 5.1. Running time 1 hour and 51 minutes.To purchase the special pack direct from Second Sight Films, click here: secondsightfilms.co.uk/collections/latest-releases/products/the-florida-project-limited-edition-4k-uhd-blu-ray-pre-order-available-october-13th
ALIEN 35mm & Dolby Digital 5.1 Sound in a home cinema Movie Collector 2025-09-29 | This is my 2003 Director's Cut of Alien on 35mm. It is a 'Scope 2.40:1 image and has Dolby Digital 5.1 sound. The projector used for the screening is a Kinoton FP20 and the Dolby processor is a CP500.Glimpses of the film on screen are for illustrative purposes only.
HACKERS (1995) 4K UHD Blu-ray Review Movie Collector 2025-09-20 | 88 Films release of Iain Softley's 1995 Hackers starring Johnny Lee Miller and Angelina Jolie. This one comes with Dolby Atmos sound and Dolby Vision in addition to the standard HDR. However, in terms of the sound, there is also DTS 5.1 HD as well as DTS stereo and these may well be the original theatrical soundtracks as Hackers was released to cinemas with both DTS 5.1 and DTS stereo. The 5.1 track is sensational but I did dip into the Dolby Atmos track and that also sounds excellent so possibly a good idea to try both through your system early on in the movie to see which you may prefer.Aspect ratio is approximately 2.40:1 and the running time is about 1 hour 45 minutes.There is a documentary about the making of Hackers included on both the UHD disc and the Blu-ray and this runs for over an hour.
35mm Trailer Show including Twister and Batman (1989) Movie Collector 2025-09-13 | This is a trailer reel running on a Kinoton FP20 35mm projector with sound processed by a Dolby CP500 which is shown switching between Dolby SR and Dolby Digital for seamless failovers in cinemas. We are considering this reel as one of the shows at next year's (2026) British Film Collectors Convention at The Barn Theatre in Oxted, just outside of London and south of Croydon. All the details of this movie collecting event can be seen on the Next Event page of www.bfcc.biz.
ALIENS on LaserDisc Incl. Best Ever Extras Disc Plus More Great Titles Movie Collector 2025-09-06 | The 1991 Aliens CAV NTSC LaserDisc is the main focus of this video and in particular the amazing extras disc that formed part of this very special pack. The image quality of the main film across six sides is very good for LaserDisc and also taking into account the fact that Aliens was always regarded as a fairly coarse grain film originally. The wonderful extras disc is what makes this particular box set of Aliens but it needs to be said that it is not as impressive as the double sided extras disc that came with the 1992 special box set of Alien the following year.This is the third of my focus on LaserDisc videos and also features Dante's Peak, Twister (again), Cliffhanger, Star Trek: First Contact, Dances With Wolve, Wyatt Earp and also an update on the AC-3 LaserDisc of Apocalypse Now.Glimpses of the discs on screen are for illustrative and informative purposes only.The HiFi store mentioned in this video is Unilet and can be found at:Unilet Sound & Vision35 High StreetNew MaldenLondonKT3 4BYwww.unilet.net
LAWRENCE OF ARABIA 4K UHD: One of the best? Why does it look this good? Movie Collector 2025-08-30 | Lawrence of Arabia had a massive restoration and reconstruction in 1988 for a new 1989 theatrical release in 70mm. That work formed the basis of the 2012 Blu-ray but I found the image quality of that home video release to be somewhat disappointing. This 2022 4K UHD release used the same 8K cine transfer carried out of the 2012 Blu-ray but somehow the mastering process applied this time is far superior and more representative of the quality we are still able to enjoy with occasional 70mm screenings in cinemas.Image aspect ratio is 2.20:1. Sound is Dolby Atmos by default but with an option for DTS HD 5.1 via the menu. Running time is 227 minutes.
An Unbelievable Package In The Post - Apocalypse Now AC-3 LaserDisc Movie Collector 2025-08-23 | This was sent to me by David Quigley. It's an item I only learned about recently and immediately wanted a copy for myself. One of my favourite films on disc with a soundtrack I didn't know existed on any home video ever. A sort of 'holy grail' item for what I consider to be one of the greatest films ever made.David works at Unilet Sound & Vision and Unilet can be found at:Unilet Sound & Vision35 High StreetNew MaldenLondonKT3 4BYwww.unilet.net
The 2006 Film That Killed Cinema For Me... MIAMI VICE Movie Collector 2025-08-16 | After a series of increasingly poor cinema experiences leading up to this screening in the fabulous Empire Leicester Square, I decided that my cinema going days were effectively over. Too many disappointments had caused me to lose faith in the industry and with no one able, or willing, to tell me what was going wrong with image quality at that time, it was time to call it a day and limit cinema visits to when I knew for sure that something special was going to be on screen. What was the 2006 film in question? You'll have to watch to find out, but it's interesting that I've ended up with a fondness for this film and having just watched the Blu-ray of this title, I can see that my opinion of it in 2006 was spot on. It's a good Blu-ray though and is available from 88 Films: 88-films.myshopify.com
ALIEN on LaserDisc Incl. Best Ever Extras Disc Plus More Great Titles Movie Collector 2025-08-08 | Alien CAV NTSC LaserDisc is the main focus of this video and in particular the amazing extras disc that formed part of this very special pack. The image quality of the main film across four sides is sensational for LaserDisc and looks very good projected ten feet wide in this home cinema. But it's that wonderful extras disc that we take the closest look at in this video. We also take a look at the original NTSC LaserDisc release of Aliens which appears to be full width (i.e. open matte) 1.33:1, although the 35mm shoot would have been 1.20:1 originally.This is the second of my focus on LaserDisc videos and also features Stargate (again), Last Action Hero, Twister, Breakdown and Tombstone. Three of the titles featured come with AC-3 sound.Glimpses of the discs on screen are for illustrative and informative purposes only.
RAMBO FIRST BLOOD PART 2 4K UHD Blu-ray Review Movie Collector 2025-08-02 | 4K UHD Blu-ray review of the 1985 film 'Rambo First Blood Part II' which was directed by George P. Cosmatos and starred Sylvester Stallone.Image aspect ratio is stated as 2.35:1 but looked more like 2.20:1 in there. Sound is DTS 5.1 and the running time is 1 hour and 35 minutes.
SINNERS (2025) 4K UHD Blu-ray Review Movie Collector 2025-07-22 | 4K UHD Blu-ray review of Ryan Coogler's 2025 'Sinners'. This film was shot in a combination of Ultra Panavision 70 which translates to a 65mm shoot with a 1.25x anamorphic squeeze lens resulting in a final aspect ratio of 2.76:1 (approximately) and also genuine IMAX 15/65 for 15/70 IMAX release prints which has an aspect ratio of 1.43:1 for genuine IMAX cinemas but on this home video disc these sequences are presented in 1.78:1. The sound is Dolby Atmos but with a menu option for 5.1.
4K UHD & Blu-ray New Releases 21st July 2025 HMV Swindon Movie Collector 2025-07-21 | A look at the latest 4K UHD and Blu-ray releases, plus some recent releases and current 4K offers thanks to the assistance of the great HMV store in Swindon, Wiltshire. The main release on this day is/was Ryan Coogler's 'SINNERS'.
TERMINATOR 2: JUDGMENT DAY on Super 8 Movie Collector 2025-07-17 | Terminator 2: Judgment Day saw its Super 8 'Scope feature release in either late 1992 or early 1993. It was just one of many great titles that made it onto the home movie gauge around this time which was the golden age of Super 8 film. The image quality was quite sensational and although it was not offered with a stereo soundtrack, many of us quickly had our prints re-recorded from either the HiFi VHS tape release or, better still, the LaserDisc. This print has the sound from the LaserDisc and it sounds as good as anything ever heard on Super 8.Glimpses of the film on screen within this video are for illustrative purposes only.The projector being used to screen Terminator 2 is the unique Elmo GS1200 HTI which was a rare modification for any Super 8 projector to give the brightest possible projected image from the tiny gauge and this machine was modified by Bill Parsons, the highest regarded Super 8 projector man in the UK. The work was carried out for a special screening at the 50th British Film Collectors Convention in 2005 when the first film projected through it in the cavernous Victoria Hall at the Ealing Town Hall, was an extract from Terminator 2.
HOME CINEMA TOUR: DOLBY ATMOS THX with Andy Summers Movie Collector 2025-07-11 | The best sounding home cinema I've ever visited and in fact, better than most commercial cinemas. This is Andy Summers own private studio and he's assembled some impressive kit featuring both commercial and domestic equipment for the greatest combination to provide unrivalled home cinema sound. The Optoma laser video projector matched up to the audio excellence and fills the wall to wall screen for maximum impact.Andy and I were both big fans of the Empire Leicester Square from when it still had the beautiful 1500+ seater auditorium and boasted THX sound. Prior to each screening was a laser show, which is something we'd both rather like to reproduce, so all of this is discussed within this video including Star Trek VI The Undiscovered Country in 70mm with six track magnetic sound We both saw - and heard - this at The Empire and it made a big impression on us both.Andy's YouTube channel is here: youtube.com/@andysummersthxcinemaandmyc7748Fred's 'Spoolbox' video of the three variants of the Empire Leicester Square laser show can be seen here: youtube.com/watch?v=K6OsEyyynYs&pp=ygUiZW1waXJlIGxlaWNlc3RlciBzcXVhcmUgbGFzZXIgc2hvd9IHCQnBCQGHKiGM7w%3D%3DGaumont Kalee's video of the Empire Leicester Square which includes the laser show can be seen here: youtu.be/Zc2bthzW-2c?t=483
SPECIES (1995) & CRIME STORY (1993) 4K UHD Blu-rays Reviewed Movie Collector 2025-07-06 | Two irresistible special 4K UHD Blu-ray package releases from 88 Films. Species is first to be reviewed followed by Crime Story but both are mentioned and shown throughout this video. Both come with DTS HD 5.1 sound but in the case of Crime Story, this was originally mono sound and so that is also provided. Made in Hong Kong, you will probably have to watch with the English subtitles or give the English language dub a try. I watched both versions and surprisingly found the English dub the more successful. Image aspect ratio is 1.85:1 and running time is 1 hour and 47 minutes.Species has the 'Scope aspect ratio of 2.40:1 (approximately) and has a running time of 1 hour and 48 minutes (approximately).Both releases have 4K UHD disc and standard Blu-ray included. The extra featurettes are all on the Blu-ray in each pack.CORRECTION: Michael Madsen was in several Quentin Tarantino films but not Jackie Brown.WARNING: Do not have your display or projector too bright otherwise you risk making the imagery overly grainy. Ensure you have any 'sharpen' option minimized (as it should be for all viewing) and that HDR is not set too high. Because both titles do have evident film grain, and particularly so on Species, I put HDR and my projector laser lamp up full and the result spoiled the imagery.To purchase Crime Story from 88 Films, click here: 88-films.myshopify.com/products/crime-story-deluxe-collectors-edition-uhd-blu-rayTo purchase Species from 88 Films, click here: 88-films.myshopify.com/products/species-deluxe-limited-edition-uhd-blu-ray
JACKIE BROWN 4K UHD Blu-ray Review Movie Collector 2025-07-01 | 4K UHD Blu-ray review of Quentin Tarantino's 1997 'Jackie Brown'. An impressive UHD release boasting exceptionally good image quality - rich colour, deep density and pin sharp definition for all but a few shots. Sound is DTS HD 5.1 and that too is of high quality with much surround sound throughout but quite subtle in some places which matches the imagery on screen. Not much violence for one of Mr. Tarantino's films but plenty of bad language as usual. One sex scene but it's mild by modern standards.Link to Clark Teddles Pulp Fiction 35mm projection box video can be seen here: youtube.com/watch?v=t-0cMuZ3TDo&pp=ygUicHVscCBmaWN0aW9uIDM1bW0gcHJvamVjdGlvbiBib290aA%3D%3D
TERMINATOR 2 on LaserDisc Plus More Great Titles Movie Collector 2025-06-22 | Terminator 2 Judgment Day on LaserDisc is the main focus of this video but True Lies also features as do Aliens, Jaws, Timecop, Cutthroat Island, Backdraft, The Empire Strikes Back and Stargate. This is a guide to what you can expect from LaserDisc which I've made as a result of so many people leaving comments over the years asking to see my complete LaserDisc collection. I thought I'd try something a little more complicated and hopefully interesting to start with to see how popular LaserDisc coverage may be.Glimpses of the discs on screen are for illustrative purposes only.
Movie Collectors Event Sat 30th May 2026 - The British Film Collectors Convention Movie Collector 2025-06-15 | The 2026 British Film Collectors Convention is to be held as a stylish new venue - The Barn Theatre, Oxted, which is just outside of London, south of Croydon but importantly, just outside of all the London road taxing areas. The venue has its own substantial car parking with overflow on the Saturday into the school car park immediately next door. Oxted town centre is only a few minutes walk away and also has a mainline train station connecting to Croydon. Junction 6 of the M25 is just a few miles away.We plan to have all the usual attractions and as I type this, the dealer tables are selling out. The 24 foot wide BFCC CinemaScope screen is going to be a tight fit but we're confident we can have it in place for maximum impact from the Super 8, 35mm and 4K video projection shows. Film is fashionable once again now and this has helped to resurrect these conventions after the pandemic. Anyone interested in film and 4K home video projection will get the chance to see both projected onto that huge screen to enable close scrutiny and a good comparison to try to work out the little nuances that make both such a different viewing experience.Admission will be just £10 and once all the details are finalized advance tickets will be available from Ticket Source. This is still to be arranged but coming soon.It is expected that the Bring & Buy stall will return at this BFCC for anyone wanting to sell unwanted films.Put the date in your diary: Saturday, 30th May 2026.
Clint Eastwood THE OUTLAW JOSEY WALES 4K + Second Sight THE NICE GUYS + Sam Peckinpah classic Movie Collector 2025-06-10 | First up is the new Second Sight Films release of Shane Black's 2016 comedy, action thriller 'The Nice Guys'. Then the recent 4K UHD Blu-ray release of Clint Eastwood's 1976 trend setting western 'The Outlaw Josey Wales'. Finally, an HMV Premium Blu-ray of Sam Peckinpah's 'Ride The High Country' which bears similarities to Eastwood's 1976 film. Two great westerns and a great modern thriller, all in the 'Scope 2.40:1 frame and all look sensational on a big home cinema screen.To purchase the Second Sight Films special release of The Nice Guys: secondsightfilms.co.uk/collections/latest-releases/products/the-nice-guys-limited-edition-4k-uhd-and-blu-ray-pre-order-available-june-2nd
TO CATCH A THIEF 4K UHD: Why does it look so good? VistaVision & Technicolor Movie Collector 2025-06-03 | The VistaVision and dye-transfer Technicolor origins of this film once again prove their superiority over almost anything being produced today. This is not so much a review of the 4K UHD disc but an explanation regarding why it looks as good as it does. Too often, these top quality home video discs are explained as being due to 'the transfer' when that process actually has little to do with the end result.Link to Michael VistaVision's short film detailed towards the end of this video 'La Belle Dame Sans Merci' here: youtube.com/watch?v=_44rpssa_9A&t=817sLink to my own 'Spartacus' review video here: youtube.com/watch?v=qUuf0kez1F4&t=229s&pp=ygUTc3BhcnRhY3VzIDRrIHJldmlldw%3D%3DAnd my 'The Ten Commandments' review video here: youtube.com/watch?v=FRtu8QQMuAg&pp=ygUedGhlIHRlbiBjb21tYW5kbWVudHMgNGsgcmV2aWV3
TOP TEN FILMS of all time by Movie Collector Movie Collector 2025-05-25 | I've been asked what my ten favourite films are many times and each time I've replied with a list, it's been different. Hence, I set about having repeat screenings of many of my favourite films to try to comprehensively pin down the top ten and put them into some sort of order. It's proved to be impossible and so for this video I actually have three films in tenth place. That helped to give me a starting point but I am fairly confident that if I ever go through this process again, several of the films listed will be in a different position.I also mention some other great films after going through the top ten. If I were to have seen some of these particular titles when I was younger then it's possible they would be in my top ten today.Within this video you will see films presented on 35mm and Super 8 film gauges as well as 4K home video. LaserDisc, DVD, Blu-ray and VHS also feature. I've had a lifetime of film and video collecting as well as a love of cinema which means that there should be something of interest for everyone in this one.TOP TEN PLAYLIST - Complete Bespoke VideosA playlist of my individual reviews for every film, apart from the 1978 'Death On The Nile' which I haven't yet had the chance to create a bespoke video for, can be viewed here: youtube.com/watch?v=JV_9Ve3cUXM&list=PLlkbin2_0wh7pXFRVPZLycIWPgu6VQ9CZ&pp=gAQB
THE SIXTH SENSE 4K REVIEW Steelbook Movie Collector 2025-05-20 | Review of M. Night Shyamalan's 1999 thriller The Sixth Sense on 4K UHD Blu-ray home video. Image aspect ratio is 1.85:1 and sound is DTS 5.1. Running time in 1 hour 47 minutes.
THE BRUTALIST 4K UHD REVIEW + Latest 4K Purchases Movie Collector 2025-05-16 | This is a review of the 4K UHD Blu-ray of Brady Corbet's 2024 multi-award winning VistaVision production which runs for 3 hours 20 minutes. It actually ran about 15 minutes longer for its theatrical release but this has been confirmed in the comments as being for the full 15 minute intermission in the middle which only takes a minute on the home video release. Image aspect ratio is 1.66:1 and sound is Dolby 5.1.Also included are my latest UHD purchases, the first of which is Alfred Hitchcock's 'To Catch A Thief' which proudly displays the VistaVison logo on the cover inlay. My expectation is that the image quality of Hitchcock's film will be even better than The Brutalist as it was given the dye-transfer Technicolor treatment for the release prints and that must surely be replicated for this latest home video release version. The Sixth Sense steelbook and Willow are the two other titles in my latest visit to FOPP in the West End of London.
ANORA 4K REVIEW from Criterion Collection Movie Collector 2025-05-11 | 4K UHD Blu-ray review of Sean Baker's 2024 multi-award winning film starring Mikey Maddison as the titular character. This UHD release is from Criterion Collection and comes with the film on a 4K disc, the same on a Blu-ray disc and then a second Blu-ray containing the hours of extra features.Image aspect ratio is 2.40:1 approximately and sound is DTS 5.1. Running time is 2 hours and 19 minutes.
SINNERS Review IMAX 15/70 at the BFI IMAX including from the Projection Box Movie Collector 2025-05-06 | Ryan Coogler's 2025 unique film was shot entirely on large format film being a combination of Ultra Panavision 70 (with an aspect ratio of 2.78:1) and 15/65 IMAX (aspect ratio 1.43:1). There are only ten IMAX 15/70 prints of this film in the world with nine being in North America and one here in England at the BFI IMAX. I talk in some detail about the IMAX film format and illustrate the differences and nuances using IMAX and standard 70mm film frames.Three of us shot sequences for this video. Michael Karolus from Munich remained in the projection box to shoot the IMAX GT 15/70 projector and platter system working for us during the screening both myself and Michael Velykorodnyy (AKA Michael VistaVision) watched and then Michael Velykorodnyy assumed projection box filming duties while Michael Karolus was in the auditorium.Michael Ford (IMAX Technical Manager/Chief Projectionist) was on duty in the box. Surely one of the world's most experienced projectionist still working today.VariTimo has confirmed in the comments section that SINNERS was transferred to video at 8K resolution. This is, of course, nowhere near the computer equivalent resolution of 15/65 IMAX but it is four times as much as 4K.As I write this 'Sinners' has completed its first two week run at the BFI IMAX but is returning on Friday 16th May 2025. This link should take you to the relevant page of the BFI IMAX web site to book tickets for a screening: whatson.bfi.org.uk/imax/Online/default.asp?BOparam::WScontent::loadArticle::permalink=sinners
CHINATOWN (1974) 4K UHD BLU-RAY REVIEW Movie Collector 2025-04-30 | 4K UHD review of Roman Polanski's 1974 film noir set in 1937 starring Jack Nicholson, Faye Dunnaway and John Huston.Image aspect ratio is approximately 2.40:1.Sound is Dolby 5.1 by default but the original mono sound can be selected via a menu option.Total running time is 2 hours 10 minutes.At the opening of this video I included a split screen which shows the special 50th year edition of 'Chinatown' on the left side of the screen. This pack included a Blu-ray disc as well as the UHD disc and some other fripperies such as a miniature reproduction of the US one-sheet poster and a few stills on post cards.
AMADEUS 4K UHD BLU-RAY REVIEW Movie Collector 2025-04-20 | Review of the recent 4K UHD release of Milos Forman's 1984 film about composer Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart, based on Peter Shaffer's stage play. Mozart died at the age of just 35 and the majority of this film is set during the latter part of his life in the 1780's and a rivalry with fellow composer Salieri.Image aspect ratio is 2.40:1. Sound is DTS 5.0. Running time is 2 hours and 40 minutes.Also included in this video is an update about series 3 of the ongoing Star Wars opus, '[The Mandalorian' on 4K UHD disc. And finally, Star Trek Picard series 1 on Blu-ray disc.
