ADDITION: Shout! Factory - Region 'A' - Blu-ray - February 2014':  The new Shout! Factory release is quite different. It appears to have some DNR-type softening and skin tones are significantly warmer. I was anticipating this transfer to be similar to the other 2, imperfect, Blu-rays, but it has moved in another direction - the extreme away from the, different flaws, of its US counterpart.  It also has a blue bias although colors are richer (ex. Baldwin's suit, ruby ring and the fire). Could this be how the film looked originally? It is certainly different from the other two 1080Ps and in a few ways it is superior.  It uses the AVC - as opposed to Universal's VC-1 encode. It is 1.78:1 (opened-up) and shows a shade more information at the top and bottom. The, thinness and, compression issues and edge-enhancement that I saw in the Universal are gone (and what appeared to be artifacts) as they have been smoothed over and we lose some detail (check out the sweat that has disappeared in the very last capture!) I'm confused but I might prefer the Universal's excessive digitization issues, to the SF softening and waxy look. Yet neither are ideal. Shout! Factory have transferred as robustly as the Universal, but I'm not a fan of the smoothing and lack of detail. The image has also lost depth. On the positive it seems to have lost the green/yellow tinge that both Koch and Universal share and the Shout! Factory issue is not blanketed - appearing heavier in some scenes and barely noticeable in others.

Perhaps the Shout! Factory only looks soft as compared to the 'sharpened' Universal? I'll leave it to the reader to decide.

I can't distinguish a differences in the 5.1 audios and there are also optional English subtitles. The Shout! Factory Blu-ray disc is region 'A'-locked. Shout! Factory add an interesting 23-minute featurette "Looking Back at The Shadow" with input from many of the cast (Baldwin, Miller, director Mulcahy and writer David Koepp.)  There is also a trailer and photo gallery.

A few years ago we didn't have a 1080P of The Shadow - now we have three, different, ones! Perhaps we'll have a third Blu-ray release in North America that could best these two.

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ADDITION: Universal - Region FREE - Blu-ray - May 2013':  The Universal (US) chooses the VC-1 encode and is dual-layered with a significant increase in the bitrate over the German Koch Media 1080P. It is darker, skin tones maybe be slightly warmer and I can only expect that it is the more accurate image although I do see what looks like, high frequency, edge-enhancement - with some associated artifacts when I zoom-in. It does look a bit fragile (compression issues) - colors are rich bordering on saturation. It isn't a huge difference from the region 'B' - which I still consider a, reasonably, strong image.

The audio is likewise more robust with a 5.1 via a DTS-HD Master at a whopping 4253 kbps. Separations are more evident and the wonderful "Shadow" theme has notable bass. Very nice. Optional subtitles arte available on the Region FREE Blu-ray disc.

There are no extras - nor even a static menu but it is still a film that I appreciate. Enjoy!  

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ADDITION: Koch Media - Region 'B' - Blu-ray - June 11':  I still really like this movie... and realize that I'm quite alone. It's been over 10 years since the SD discs and it's easy to see that there is vast improvement with the 1080P Blu-ray eclipsing the DVDs in every visual, aural and supplement area. I love the nice sheen of grain and the detail leaps up a few notable notches. Regarding the aspect ratio debate - it seems to be stated in most places that The Shadow was shot and shown at 1.85:1.

Jerry Goldsmith's score is dynamic and dramatically impacting in the lossless DTS-HD Master 5.1 at 2232 (a German uncompressed DUB is also available). There are plenty of small separation effects and it helps with the aura. There are optional German subtitles on the region 'B'-locked disc.

There are a lot of extras - mostly press stuff for the release with a 10-minute Making of..., 20-minute Behind the Scenes, TV spots and snapshot interviews with 4 of the cast and 3 of the 'filmmakers'. There are also trailers and 4 production and marketing galleries.

What I think this film does best is capture the 30's pulpy-feel with some super set direction and costumes. Penelope Ann Miller really does embody a kind of Jean Harlow-type in The Shadow. Younger Baldwin is right in his element as the confident Cranston. I only wish it was longer or a series of films. Where it probably failed with mainstream audiences is that it stuck more faithfully to the original without succumbing to modern frivolous trappings - more credit to director Mulcahy and writer David Koepp! Most aren't fans like me - but I say absolutely recommended for this Blu-ray for Region 'B'-locked audiences.

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ON THE DVDs: The R2 UK disc proves it was shown theatrically at 2.35:1.  The disc starts out as 2.35 and once the credits are over switches to 1.85:1.  I'm sure it's Open Matte and not cropped.  Probably shot Super 35. (Thanks Mark)

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