Silent Running 4K UHD

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S E A R C H D V D B e a v e r

Directed by Douglas Trumbull
USA 1972

In 1968, visual effects pioneer Douglas Trumbull (The Andromeda Strain, Close Encounters of the Third Kind) contributed to the ground-breaking special photographic effects of Stanley Kubrick’s 2001: A Space Odyssey. Four years later, he stamped his own indelible mark on the science fiction genre with his mesmerising directorial debut – Silent Running.

In the not-so-distant future, Earth is barren of all flora and fauna, with what remains of the planet’s former ecosystems preserved aboard a fleet of greenhouses orbiting in space. When the crews are ordered to destroy the remaining specimens, one botanist, Freeman Lowell (Bruce Dern, The ’Burbs), rebels and flees towards Saturn in a desperate bid to preserve his own little piece of Earth that was, accompanied only by the ship’s three service robots.

The movie's themes of environmental concern and rebellion against wrongheaded authority fit very well with the time it was released (enhanced by Joan Baez's folksy soundtrack). The story is set in the year 2008, when Earth's natural environment has been destroyed. All that remains are samples of forests and waterlands preserved in space-station greenhouses orbiting Saturn until the day our planet is able to support plants and animals again. Freeman Lowell is one of the guardians of these microcosmic environments, and when official word comes that the project is too expensive to be carried on - in fact, Earthlings now seem content with their totally man-made surroundings - he quickly hatches a plan to avert orders to destroy the pod carrying his most beloved forest site. He kills his three colleagues and heads deeper into space, radioing home that an explosion has disabled his spacecraft and sent it on a trajectory where he may never be found again. Alone somewhere inside the rings of Saturn, he forms a relationship with his remaining "drone" robots, teaching them about the abundant life in their care. When a craft from home approaches to "rescue" him, he must take one last drastic step and make an even greater sacrifice to save the land in his care.

Excerpt from TCM located HERE

Posters (animated .gif poster credited to Guy Stauber)

Theatrical Release: March 10th, 1972

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Review: Arrow - Region FREE - 4K UHD

Box Cover		CLICK to order from: Bonus Captures:
Distribution	Arrow - Region FREE - 4K UHD
Runtime	1:29:31.866
Video	1.85:1 2160P 4K Ultra HD Disc Size: 86,866,725,069 bytes Feature: 69,501,986,304 bytes Video Bitrate: 94.72 Mbps Codec: HEVC Video
	NOTE: The Vertical axis represents the bits transferred per second. The Horizontal is the time in minutes.
Bitrate 4K Ultra HD:
Audio	DTS-HD Master Audio English 1055 kbps 1.0 / 48 kHz / 1055 kbps / 24-bit (DTS Core: 1.0 / 48 kHz / 768 kbps / 24-bit) Commentaries: Dolby Digital Audio English 320 kbps 2.0 / 48 kHz / 320 kbps / DN -31dB Isolated Score: LPCM Audio Undetermined 2304 kbps 2.0 / 48 kHz / 2304 kbps / 24-bit
Subtitles	English (SDH), None
Features	Release Information: Studio: Arrow 1.85:1 2160P 4K Ultra HD Disc Size: 86,866,725,069 bytes Feature: 69,501,986,304 bytes Video Bitrate: 94.72 Mbps Codec: HEVC Video Edition Details: 4K Ultra HD disc • Audio commentary by critics Kim Newman and Barry Forshaw • Original audio commentary by Douglas Trumbull and actor Bruce Dern • Isolated music and effects track • No Turning Back, a new interview with film music historian Jeff Bond on the film's score (13:48) • First Run, a new visual essay by writer and filmmaker Jon Spira exploring the evolution of Silent Running's screenplay (14:03) • The Making of Silent Running, an archival 1972 on-set documentary (49:17) • Silent Running by Douglas Trumbull and Douglas Trumbull: Then and Now, two archival interviews with the film s director (30:09) • A Conversation with Bruce Dern, an archival interview with the film s lead actor (10:57) • Theatrical trailer (02:58) • Extensive behind-the-scenes gallery • Reversible sleeve featuring original and newly commissioned artwork by Arik Roper FIRST PRESSING ONLY: Illustrated collector's booklet featuring new writing on the film by Barry Forshaw and Peter Tonguette 4K Ultra HD Release Date: December 12th, 2022 Black 4K Ultra HD Case inside slipcase Chapters 12

Comments:

NOTE: The below Blu-ray and 4K UHD captures were taken directly from the respective discs.

ADDITION: Arrow 4K UHD (November 2022): Arrow are releasing Douglas Trumbull's "Silent Running" to 4K UHD. It is described as a "Brand new 4K restoration by Arrow Films from the original camera negative." It has a, reasonably modest, Dolby Vision pass (HDR10 compatible.) We compared three Blu-rays of Silent Running HERE; the 2011 Masters of Cinema, 2015 Universal and the 2020 Arrow (via a 2K restoration from a 4K scan of the film.) In each edition the 1080P transfer generally had richer, balanced, more prominent colors. This 2160P supports that and is most in-line with the 2020 Arrow - vibrant green foliage, pale blue uniform etc. Whites are brighter, skin tones warm (as compared to the first two BDs) and there is a thick texture supporting a strong film-like representation.

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: 24 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 to date: Dressed to Kill (software uniformly simulated HDR), The Power of the Dog (software uniformly simulated HDR), Escape From Alcatraz (software uniformly simulated HDR), I, the Jury (no HDR), Casablanca (software uniformly simulated HDR), In the Mood For Love (NO HDR applied to disc), The Werewolf vs. the Vampire Woman (software uniformly simulated HDR), Blow Out (software uniformly simulated HDR), Night of the Living Dead (NO HDR applied to disc), Lost Highway (software uniformly simulated HDR), Videodrome (software uniformly simulated HDR), The Last Picture Show (software uniformly simulated HDR), It Happened One Night (software uniformly simulated HDR), The Mummy (1932)(software uniformly simulated HDR), Creature From the Black Lagoon (software uniformly simulated HDR), Bride of Frankenstein (software uniformly simulated HDR), The Amityville Horror (software uniformly simulated HDR), The War of the Worlds (1953) (software uniformly simulated HDR), The Incredible Melting Man (software uniformly simulated HDR), Event Horizon (software uniformly simulated HDR), The Power of the Dog (software uniformly simulated HDR), Escape From Alcatraz (software uniformly simulated HDR), I, the Jury (no HDR), Casablanca (software uniformly simulated HDR), In the Mood For Love (NO HDR applied to disc), The Werewolf vs. the Vampire Woman (software uniformly simulated HDR), Blow Out (software uniformly simulated HDR), Night of the Living Dead (NO HDR applied to disc), Lost Highway (software uniformly simulated HDR), Videodrome (software uniformly simulated HDR), The Last Picture Show (software uniformly simulated HDR), It Happened One Night (software uniformly simulated HDR), The Mummy (1932)(software uniformly simulated HDR), Creature From the Black Lagoon (software uniformly simulated HDR), Bride of Frankenstein (software uniformly simulated HDR), The Amityville Horror (software uniformly simulated HDR), The War of the Worlds (1953) (software uniformly simulated HDR), The Incredible Melting Man (software uniformly simulated HDR), Get Carter (software uniformly simulated HDR), The Killing (software uniformly simulated HDR), Killer's Kiss (software uniformly simulated HDR), Out of Sight (software uniformly simulated HDR), Raging Bull (software uniformly simulated HDR), Shaft (1971), (software uniformly simulated HDR), Double Indemnity (software uniformly simulated HDR), The Untouchables (software uniformly simulated HDR), For a Few Dollars More (no HDR), Saboteur (software uniformly simulated HDR), Marnie (software uniformly simulated HDR), Shadow of a Doubt (software uniformly simulated HDR), The Man Who Shot Liberty Valance (software uniformly simulated HDR), A Fistful of Dollars (no HDR), In the Heat of the Night (no HDR), Jack Reacher (software uniformly simulated HDR), Death Wish II (software uniformly simulated HDR), The Apartment (no HDR), The Proposition (software uniformly simulated HDR), Nightmare Alley (2021) (software uniformly simulated HDR), Mary Shelley's Frankenstein (software uniformly simulated HDR), The Godfather (software uniformly simulated HDR), Le Crecle Rouge (software uniformly simulated HDR), An American Werewolf in London (software uniformly simulated HDR), A Hard Day's Night (software uniformly simulated HDR), The Piano (software uniformly simulated HDR), The Great Escape (software uniformly simulated HDR), The Red Shoes (software uniformly simulated HDR), Citizen Kane (software uniformly simulated HDR), Unbreakable (software uniformly simulated HDR), Mulholland Dr. (software uniformly simulated HDR), Invasion of the Body Snatchers (software uniformly simulated HDR), The Hills Have Eyes (software uniformly simulated HDR), The Servant (software uniformly simulated HDR), Anatomy of a Murder (software uniformly simulated HDR), Taxi Driver (software uniformly simulated HDR), The Wolf Man (1941) (software uniformly simulated HDR), Frankenstein (1931) (software uniformly simulated HDR), Deep Red (software uniformly simulated HDR), Misery (software uniformly simulated HDR), The Silence of the Lambs (software uniformly simulated HDR), John Carpenter's "The Thing" (software uniformly simulated HDR), The Cat' o'Nine Tails (software uniformly simulated HDR), The Bird With the Crystal Plumage (software uniformly simulated HDR), Dr. Strangelove or: How I Learned to Stop Worrying and Love the Bomb (software uniformly simulated HDR), Perdita Durango (software uniformly simulated HDR), Django (software uniformly simulated HDR), Fanny Lye Deliver'd (software uniformly simulated HDR), The Good, the Bad and the Ugly, (NO HDR applied to disc), Rollerball (software uniformly simulated HDR), Chernobyl (software uniformly simulated HDR), Daughters of Darkness (software uniformly simulated HDR), Vigilante (software uniformly simulated HDR), Tremors (software uniformly simulated HDR), Cinema Paradiso (software uniformly simulated HDR), The Bourne Legacy (software uniformly simulated HDR), Full Metal Jacket (software uniformly simulated HDR), Psycho (software uniformly simulated HDR), The Birds (software uniformly simulated HDR), Rear Window (software uniformly simulated HDR), Vertigo (software uniformly simulated HDR), Spartacus (software uniformly simulated HDR), Jaws (software uniformly simulated HDR), The Invisible Man, (software uniformly simulated HDR), Steven Spielberg's War of the Worlds (software uniformly simulated HDR), Lucio Fulci's 1979 Zombie (software uniformly simulated HDR),, 2004's Van Helsing (software uniformly simulated HDR), The Shallows (software uniformly simulated HDR), The Bridge on the River Kwai (software uniformly simulated HDR), The Deer Hunter (software uniformly simulated HDR), The Elephant Man (software uniformly simulated HDR), A Quiet Place (software uniformly simulated HDR), Easy Rider (software uniformly simulated HDR), Suspiria (software uniformly simulated HDR), Pan's Labyrinth (software uniformly simulated HDR), The Wizard of Oz, (software uniformly simulated HDR), The Shining, (software uniformly simulated HDR), Batman Returns (software uniformly simulated HDR), Don't Look Now (software uniformly simulated HDR), The Man Who Killed Killed and then The Bigfoot (software uniformly simulated HDR),, Bram Stoker's Dracula (software uniformly simulated HDR), Lucy (software uniformly simulated HDR), They Live (software uniformly simulated HDR), Shutter Island (software uniformly simulated HDR), The Matrix (software uniformly simulated HDR), Alien (software uniformly simulated HDR), Toy Story (software uniformly simulated HDR), A Few Good Men (software uniformly simulated HDR), 2001: A Space Odyssey (HDR caps udated), Schindler's List (simulated HDR), The Neon Demon (No HDR), Dawn of the Dead (No HDR), Saving Private Ryan (simulated HDR and 'raw' captures), Suspiria (No HDR), The Texas Chain Saw Massacre (No HDR), The Big Lebowski, and I Am Legend (simulated and 'raw' HDR captures).

The 4K UHD, rendition boasts the same 1.0 mono-track, in 24-bit DTS-HD Master audio as on the 2020 Arrow Blu-ray. It also has the Dolby commentaries and a liner PCM 2.0 channel isolated score option. The film has authentically flat effects (the drones) and the music by Peter Schickele (a bassoonist who also composes comedy music under the name P. D. Q. Bach) including the Silent Running (theme) and Rejoice in the Sun both performed by Joan Baez. It sounds clear and consistent in the lossless carrying buoyancy with the poetically beautiful space visuals (trip around Saturn etc.) The disc offers optional English (SDH) subtitles - and is, like all 4K UHD, region FREE, playable worldwide.

The extras on the 4K UHD disc - are duplicated from the 2020 Blu-ray, as described by Colin: "Starting off the special features is an audio commentary by critics Kim Newman (author of "Nightmare Movies'') and Barry Forshaw (author of "British Crime Film", "British Gothic Cinema"). The two start off discussing the use of science-fiction as fable/social commentary, and how sci-fi has changed over the decades. The two have a great rapport, and even discuss at one point how one problem with the film's reception could have been the use of a title that brings to mind submarines. I could listen to Newman and Forshaw for hours on end, and I highly recommend checking out this track. Thankfully the original audio commentary by Douglas Trumbull and actor Bruce Dern is also an option here, as is the superb isolated music and effects track. "No Turning Back" is a 14-minute piece with film music historian Jeff Bond on the film's score. Bond discusses how a Joan Baez Christmas album and Peter Schickele's character P. D. Q. Bach, led to his work on this film. He goes on to discuss the clever use of synthesizers to mimic machine noises, and much more. Bond is heard while scenes from the film play with the score. Well worth a listen. "First Run'' is a 14-minute new visual essay by writer and filmmaker Jon Spira. The visual essay explores the evolution of Silent Running's screenplay drafts throughout the film's development. An archival submenu in the Special Features shows many of the documentaries and interviews included on previous Blu-ray incarnations. These include the 49-minute "The Making of Silent Running", "Silent Running by Douglas Trumbull and Douglas Trumbull: Then and Now" running 30-minutes, and the 11-minute "A Conversation with Bruce Dern." The film's theatrical trailer is also here, as is a mammoth behind-the-scenes gallery. There is a reversible sleeve featuring original and newly commissioned artwork by Arik Roper, and for the 1st pressing only, an illustrated collector's booklet featuring new writing on the film by Barry Forshaw and Peter Tonguette."

Arrow's 4K UHD release of Douglas Trumbull's "Silent Running" offers the image in the higher resolution and notably the best representation of the film, visually, to date - on digital. It has the same audio and extensive extras as the previous Arrow release. Silent Running is described as an "environmental-themed post-apocalyptic science fiction". Yes, it is dated in some respects but prescient (fanatical environmentalism frequently in today's news, synthetic food replacements etc.) in others. The three drones, Dewey, Huey and Louie were played by four bilateral amputees. The geodesic space domes were based on the Climatron dome of the Missouri Botanical Garden. "Silent Running" remains a thinking man's space-feature rather than an action/adventure epic set in the stars (subtleties like Dern's character's name is 'Freeman'). Fans of the film will want this complete 4K UHD package of a film that still holds great interest.