NOTE: The below Blu-ray captures were taken directly from the Blu-ray disc.

ADDITION: Arrow 4K UHD (November 2024): Arrow have transferred Sam Raimi's A Simple Plan to 4K UHD. It is cited as being from a "New 4K remaster from the original negative by Arrow Films, approved by director Sam Raimi". This presentation has Dolby Vision (HDR10 compatible.) The 2160P image is immaculate - darker tones dominate (as appropriate.) It looked beautiful on my system with fine detail in close-ups, deep, rich, colors and inky black levels. There is fine grain and a very impressive 4K UHD presentation. 

It is likely that the monitor you are seeing this review is not an HDR-compatible display (High Dynamic Range) or Dolby Vision, where each pixel can be assigned with a wider and notably granular range of color and light. Our capture software if simulating the HDR (in a uniform manner) for standard monitors. This should make it easier for us to review more 4K UHD titles in the future and give you a decent idea of its attributes on your system. So our captures may not support the exact same colors (coolness of skin tones, brighter or darker hues etc.) as the 4K system at your home. But the framing, detail, grain texture support etc. are, generally, not effected by this simulation representation.

NOTE: 54 more more  full resolution (3840 X 2160) 4K UHD captures, in lossless PNG format, for Patrons are available HERE

We have reviewed the following 4K UHD packages recently: Circus of Horrors, Fright, Elvira, Mistress of the Dark (software uniformly simulated HDR), The Tenant (software uniformly simulated HDR), Gummo, Demon Pond, Happiness, Cheeky (software uniformly simulated HDR), Produced By Val Lewton , The Long Good Friday, The Ladykillers (software uniformly simulated HDR), Torso (software uniformly simulated HDR), All of Us Strangers, Last Year at Marienbad (NO HDR applied to disc), Peril & Distress (And Soon the Darkness / Sudden Terror) (NO HDR applied to disc), The Case of the Bloody Iris (software uniformly simulated HDR), Reptilicus (software uniformly simulated HDR), Risky Business (software uniformly simulated HDR), The Conversation (software uniformly simulated HDR), Perfect Days, Invasion of the Body Snatchers (1956) (software uniformly simulated HDR), Le samouraï  (software uniformly simulated HDR), Castle of Blood (software uniformly simulated HDR), Pat Garret and Billy the Kid (HDR), Fist of Legend (HDR), American Gigolo (software uniformly simulated HDR), The Long Wait (no HDR,) Bound (software uniformly simulated HDR), The Valiant Ones (software uniformly simulated HDR), Mute Witness (software uniformly simulated HDR), Narc (software uniformly simulated HDR), Peeping Tom (software uniformly simulated HDR), Dr. Terrors House of Horrors (software uniformly simulated HDR), High Noon (software uniformly simulated HDR), Picnic at Hanging Rock (Criterion) (software uniformly simulated HDR), I Am Cuba (no HDR), The Demoniacs (software uniformly simulated HDR), The Nude Vampire (software uniformly simulated HDR), Nostalghia (no HDR), Werckmeister Harmonies (no HDR), Goin' South (software uniformly simulated HDR), La Haine (software uniformly simulated HDR,) All Ladies Do It (software uniformly simulated HDR), Old Henry  (software uniformly simulated HDR), To Die For (software uniformly simulated HDR), Snapshot (software uniformly simulated HDR), Phase IV (software uniformly simulated HDR), Burial Ground (software uniformly simulated HDR), Dark Water (software uniformly simulated HDR), Fear and Desire (software uniformly simulated HDR), Dr. Jekyll and the Werewolf (no HDR), Paths of Glory (software uniformly simulated HDR), Southern Comfort (software uniformly simulated HDR).

On their 4K UHD, Arrow offer the option of DTS-HD Master tracks in a 5.1 surround or stereo (24-bit) in the original English language. There are a few sharp separations that come across impressively. A Simple Plan has a car accident, gunfire, snowmobile etc. but action and suspense is really buoyed by the score from Danny Elfman (To Die For, Batman Returns American Hustle, Darkman, Pee Wee's Big Adventure, Edward Scissorhands, Good Will Hunting, Beetlejuice) sounding clean and supportive. Arrow offer optional English (SDH) subtitles on their Region FREE 4K UHD.

The Arrow 4K UHD offers two new commentaries. The first is by critics Glenn Kenny (Robert De Niro - Anatomy of an Actor) and Farran Smith Nehme (Missing Reels.) The second commentary is by production designer Patrizia von Brandenstein (Amadeus, The Untouchables, Limitless) with filmmaker Justin Beah (Filmmaker Focus - Martin Scorsese on Bringing Out the Dead). There are more new supplements. Of Ice and Men is an 8-minute newly filmed interview with cinematographer Alar Kivilo (The Lookout, The Lake House.) Standing Her Ground is a 6-minute newly filmed interview with actor Becky Ann Baker (Jacob's Ladder, War of the Worlds.) Dead of Winter, is a new 11-minute interview with actor Chelcie Ross (Basic Instinct, Hoosiers.) There are also a 1/4 hour's worth of 'On-set interviews' with Paxton, Thornton, Fonda, Raimi, and producer Jim Jacks. Included is 7-minutes of 'Behind-the-scenes footage' plus a theatrical trailer. The package has a reversible sleeve featuring original and newly commissioned artwork by Matt Griffin and an illustrated collectors’ booklet featuring new writing on the film by Bilge Ebiri and an excerpt from the book The Unseen Force: The Films of Sam Raimi by John Kenneth Muir.

Sam Raimi's A Simple Plan is a neo-noir masterpiece. It's a quarter of a century old film but the themes remain timeless; greed, trust, morality, dishonor... It is from Scott Smith's book of the same name. Three ordinary men in Minnesota; two brothers, Hank (Bill Paxton) and Jacob (Billy Bob Thorton), plus their friend Lou (Brent Briscoe) accidentally find the wreckage of a plane under the snow. The pilot is dead and there is a duffle bag containing 4.4 million dollars... in cash. They decide on 'a simple plan' to try to keep it. Fear of being caught, greed and fatal in-fighting create a deadly, gripping, thriller. I am extremely pleased with the Arrow 4K UHD - stunning a/v, two new commentaries, interviews, booklet etc. It gets our highest recommendation.

Gary Tooze