UHD Review A Few Words About A few words about...™ - Scanners -- in 4k UHD (1 Viewer)

[Robert Harris]

David Cronenberg has many fans, and his films have always taken a different and interesting tack. His 1981 Scanners may have been the first to really generate world-wide appeal and interest.

Scanners has been around for decades in various home video incarnations, inclusive of a Criterion blu-ray c. 2018,

But Cronenberg fans have just found nirvana, as Second Sight has just released a magnificent boxed set - 4k UHD, 2k Blu-ray, a 120 page perfect bound book, and what is probably a full week's worth of extras, all ensconced within a solid hard box.

And all in superb fashion.

This is a limited edition, offered in addition to a standard issue 4k.

Visually, the presentation is superb, and beautifully mimics a 35mm print from the OCN.

Colors, densities, grain structure - everything appears proper, and one would presume that it would be as the work is Cronenberg Approved.

At a current street price of $72 here in the Colonies, fans will get their money's worth. For those on a tighter budget, the standard 4k will run about half that amount.

Hats off to Second Sight Films for this stellar release.

I'm impressed!


Image (Dolby Vision)

Forensic - 10
NSD - 10

Audio – 10 (DTS-HD MA 5.1 & 1.0)

Pass / Fail – Pass

Plays nicely with projectors - Yes

Makes use of and works well in 4k - 7

Upgrade from Blu-ray - Without a doubt

Worth your attention - Absolutely

Slipcover rating - Very solid box, beautifully designed - 9

Looks like Film - 10

Highly Recommended



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https://www.amazon.com/Scanners-UHD...1746884853&sprefix=scanners+4k,aps,120&sr=8-1

 

[Robert Harris]

I just visited the Second Sight store -

Pre-Orders & Latest Releases

Second Sight Films is a UK distributor of classic and cult films on Blu-ray, UHD and On-Demand. We specialise in collectors edition box sets with new restorations and bonus content presented in premium packaging.

secondsightfilms.co.uk

And found that their prices direct are far better than Amazon. Worth checking out.

 

[SD_Brian]

I got the movie-only version from The Atomic Movie Store, which tends to be less expensive on the shipping front since they aren't shipping from the UK. They also bubble-wrap and securely pack everything they ship, so they are another nice alternative to the Amazon.

 

[Will*B]

Such a good film. I absolutely adore Patrick MacGoohan's performance - the film is so much more powerful because of him, in my opinion.

It's a similar case with The Brood - it's made so much more striking thanks to Oliver Reed.

I love how Cronenberg managed to get these two huge actors to be in relatively low-budget 'exploitation' horror films; it reminds me of Argento and Fulci hiring slightly past-their-prime actors like David Hemmings and Richard Johnson to give their already-brilliant films the lift they needed to gain international distribution.

But yes, these Second Sight releases are utterly wonderful. Far better than the earlier Criterions, in my opinion.

 

[sbjork]

I just visited the Second Sight store -

Pre-Orders & Latest Releases

Second Sight Films is a UK distributor of classic and cult films on Blu-ray, UHD and On-Demand. We specialise in collectors edition box sets with new restorations and bonus content presented in premium packaging.

secondsightfilms.co.uk

And found that their prices direct are far better than Amazon. Worth checking out.

I only buy direct from them. You can sometimes get similar pricing from DiabolikDVD, and with cheaper shipping, but while I like DD, I still prefer going direct to SS on these limited editions.

 

[sbjork]

I watched the Second sight The Brood and have had a review of it brewing for two weeks now, but it keeps getting pushed aside by higher priority reviews. I'm hoping to get it done this weekend. I haven't even put Scanners in yet, but if The Brood is any indication, this one is going to be equally fantastic.

 

[Robert Harris]

I watched the Second sight The Brood and have had a review of it brewing for two weeks now, but it keeps getting pushed aside by higher priority reviews. I'm hoping to get it done this weekend. I haven't even put Scanners in yet, but if The Brood is any indication, this one is going to be equally fantastic.

The trick is to use fewer words

 

[Richard Kaufman]

I just visited the Second Sight store -

Pre-Orders & Latest Releases

Second Sight Films is a UK distributor of classic and cult films on Blu-ray, UHD and On-Demand. We specialise in collectors edition box sets with new restorations and bonus content presented in premium packaging.

secondsightfilms.co.uk

And found that their prices direct are far better than Amazon. Worth checking out.

Thanks for that, Robert. $20 for the blu is a great deal!

 

[bujaki]

I got the movie-only version from The Atomic Movie Store, which tends to be less expensive on the shipping front since they aren't shipping from the UK. They also bubble-wrap and securely pack everything they ship, so they are another nice alternative to the Amazon.

Upon your suggestion, I visited The Atomic Movie Store. Decent price, no tax, no shipping. It beat Amazon and Second Sight pricing; plus Second Sight has high shipping charges.

 

[sbjork]

The trick is to use fewer words

Good luck with that, in my case.

 

[Wes Candela]

I just visited the Second Sight store -

Pre-Orders & Latest Releases

Second Sight Films is a UK distributor of classic and cult films on Blu-ray, UHD and On-Demand. We specialise in collectors edition box sets with new restorations and bonus content presented in premium packaging.

secondsightfilms.co.uk

And found that their prices direct are far better than Amazon. Worth checking out.

Scanners
Your review alone Mr. Harris may finally push me to get the 4K and see it in 4K glory.

Second sight, website…
Session 9
Wow.
Finally respect for this masterpiece.
I’ll never watch Texas chainsaw again…
Genius and disturbing as F$&k horror film classic strikes a nerve in me.

I forget it’s a film within 20 mins.

Great site and work by Second Sight.

 

[B-ROLL]

The trick is to use fewer words

!

 

[titch]

Good luck with that, in my case.

Your reviews on The Digital Bits are amongst the most comprehensive, well-researched and interesting reviews written! I hadn't thought I'd be interested in Arrow Video's The Andromeda Strain 4K UHD - never seen it and most of the critical reviews are so-so. But after reading your review today, I decided I'd get it!

So please ignore the "fewer words" advice from Mr. Harris and keep on with the excellent work!

 

[Josh Dial]

Your reviews on The Digital Bits are amongst the most comprehensive, well-researched and interesting reviews written! I hadn't thought I'd be interested in Arrow Video's The Andromeda Strain 4K UHD - never seen it and most of the critical reviews are so-so. But after reading your review today, I decided I'd get it!

So please ignore the "fewer words" advice from Mr. Harris and keep on with the excellent work!

Not to get further off-topic, but I have the Arrow 4K of The Andromeda Strain and watched it last weekend. I thought it was fantastic. Video was great, and I didn't hear any "pushing the edge of distortion" issue with the sound. The movie is also an incredible piece of science fiction. For what it's worth I think you and I have similar sets ups (JVC NZ9).

Back to Scanners, I picked this up yesterday because of Robert's review. I probably won't watch it this weekend, but hopefully soon. I'm glad to read it's a great release.

 

[Richard Kaufman]

I saw the Andromeda Strain when it was first in theaters. Amazing tense film. Great then, great now. I thought it had always received good reviews.

 

[sbjork]

Not to get further off-topic, but I have the Arrow 4K of The Andromeda Strain and watched it last weekend. I thought it was fantastic. Video was great, and I didn't hear any "pushing the edge of distortion" issue with the sound. The movie is also an incredible piece of science fiction. For what it's worth I think you and I have similar sets ups (JVC NZ9).

Back to Scanners, I picked this up yesterday because of Robert's review. I probably won't watch it this weekend, but hopefully soon. I'm glad to read it's a great release.

It wasn't the sound in general, it was the music in particular, which sounds like it was recorded at the upper limits that the tape could handle. That may be the recording, or it may just be the electronic distortion that Mellé applied happens to sound that way. Either way, it's not a defect in Arrow's presentation, just the limitations of the original mix.

The Brood also has some minor audio issues that may simply be the nature of the original mix. I still haven't had a chance to put Scanners in, so we'll see about that. But the base tracks for that one in general were better than the extremely low-budget The Brood.

 

[Josh Dial]

It wasn't the sound in general, it was the music in particular, which sounds like it was recorded at the upper limits that the tape could handle. That may be the recording, or it may just be the electronic distortion that Mellé applied happens to sound that way. Either way, it's not a defect in Arrow's presentation, just the limitations of the original mix.

I'm pretty sensitive to that and didn't hear anything of the sort.