David Twohy’s now twenty year-old Pitch Black, which introduced Vin Diesel as Richard Riddick has apparently
been “re-mastered” in 4k, and I’m not quite certain what that means.
It was shot on film, S35, and has a very particular look to it.
This is where it gets interesting for me.
The odd colored and bleached “look” of the film is so unique that normally I’d be
wondering how accurate a new 4k release might be, as I have zero concept of what
the film actually looked like in 2000.
But here’s where Arrow’s secret weapon comes into play.
With 4k scans performed at Universal, the post for Arrow’s release was led by James
White, who is one of a small number of people doing this that I’d trust. Those folks can
be counted on the fingers of one hand.
Which means that I’m looking at all of these strange colors and densities, and just have
a feeling that all’s well.
Both versions of the film are included on the disc, in Dolby Vision. Audio is 5.1,
and among other things – loud.
The 4k Blu is relatively highly resolved, but don’t expect a large format look here.
It’s quite nice.
Is it a great film? Not really. Interesting? Certainly.
But it’s interesting, and for many, that “look” will carry it along, while stirring clear
of Mr. Riddick. Alternate title: The Chronicles of Riddick: Pitch Black, not to be
confused with The Chronicles of Riddick: Dark Fury (2004), or simply Riddick (2013).
Image – 5
Audio – 5
Pass / Fail – Pass
Recommended
RAH
Robert has been known in the film industry for his unmatched skill and passion in film preservation. Growing up around photography, his first home theater experience began at age ten with 16mm. Years later he was running 35 and 70mm at home.
His restoration projects have breathed new life into classic films like Lawrence of Arabia, Vertigo, My Fair Lady, Spartacus, and The Godfather series. Beyond his restoration work, he has also shared his expertise through publications, contributing to the academic discourse on film restoration. The Academy Film Archive houses the Robert A. Harris Collection, a testament to his significant contributions to film preservation.
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