The Others 4K UHD - Nicole Kidman

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

(aka "The Darkness")

Directed by Alejandro Amenábar
Spain / United States / France / Italy 2001

A remote manor; hushed, candlelit atmosphere; and shivery, supernatural menace. With his first English-language feature, Chilean Spanish writer-director-composer Alejandro Amenábar resurrected the classic gothic chiller to create a ghost story of uncommon emotional resonance. Nicole Kidman stars as a World War II–era mother whose imperiousness masks a terrifying pain, as she keeps her light-sensitive children enshrouded in darkness on her country estate. The arrival of three new servants punctures her insular world—and seems to disturb the balance between the living and the dead. With each stunning twist and turn, Amenábar immerses us more deeply in a realm haunted not only by spirits but also by guilt, trauma, and repression.

***

In 1945, immediately following the end of Second World War, a woman who lives with her two photosensitive children on her darkened old family estate in the Channel Islands becomes convinced that the home is haunted.

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Theatrical Release: August 2nd, 2001

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Review: Criterion - Region FREE - 4K UHD

Box Cover		CLICK to order from: Recently Released on 4K UHD in the UK by Studiocanal: Also coming to Criterion on Blu-ray: Bonus Captures:
Distribution	Criterion Spine #1195 - Region FREE - 4K UHD
Runtime	1:44:58.166
Video	1.85:1 2160P 4K Ultra HD Disc Size: 81,961,997,531 bytes Feature: 81,005,522,688 bytes Video Bitrate: 92.68 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	Dolby TrueHD/Atmos Audio English 4317 kbps 7.1 / 48 kHz / 3677 kbps / 24-bit (AC3 Embedded: 5.1 / 48 kHz / 640 kbps / DN -30dB) Commentary: Dolby Digital Audio Spanish 192 kbps 2.0 / 48 kHz / 192 kbps / DN -31dB
Subtitles	English (SDH), English for commentary, None
Features	Release Information: Studio: Criterion 1.85:1 2160P 4K Ultra HD Disc Size: 81,961,997,531 bytes Feature: 81,005,522,688 bytes Video Bitrate: 92.68 Mbps Codec: HEVC Video Edition Details: 4K Ultra HD disc • Audio commentary featuring Amenábar Criterion - Region 'A' - Blu-ray • Audio commentary featuring Amenábar • New conversation between Amenábar and film critic Pau Gómez (36:32) • New making-of program from Studiocanal UK featuring Amenábar, actors Nicole Kidman and Christopher Eccleston, and producer Fernando Bovaira (51:05) • "A Look Back at The Others" (29:00) • Archival programs about the film’s production, soundtrack, and visual effects, featuring interviews and footage recorded on the set (4:30) (2:27) (7:01) (5:56) (3:05) • Audition footage of actors Alakina Mann and James Bentley and photography from the “Book of the Dead” (3:10) • Seven deleted scenes (8:09) • Trailer (2:33) PLUS: An essay by scholar Philip Horne 4K Ultra HD Release Date: October 24th, 2023 Transparent 4K Ultra HD Case Chapters 17

Comments:

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

ADDITION: Criterion 4K UHD (October 2023): Criterion's are releasing Alejandro Amenábar's The Others to 4K UHD. it described as a "New 4K digital restoration, approved by director Alejandro Amenábar, with Dolby Atmos soundtrack." The package has one 4K UHD disc of the film and one Blu-ray with the film and special features.

Like Umbrella's 4K UHD transfer of Peter Weir's The Last Wave and Criterion's 4K UHD transfers of Rules of the Game, Branded to Kill, In the Mood For Love, Night of the Living Dead and ex. Masters of Cinema's The Cabinet of Dr. Caligari, ClassicFlix's I, the Jury, and Kino's 4K UHDs of The Apartment, For a Few Dollars More, A Fistful of Dollars, In the Heat of the Night, The Good, the Bad and the Ugly as well as Koch Media's Neon Demon + one of the 4K UHD transfers of Dario Argento's Suspiria, this does not have HDR applied (no HDR10, HDR10+, nor Dolby Vision.)

Over a decade ago, we compared a 2002 DVD, 2009 (Alliance) and 2011 (Miramax) single-layered Blu-rays, HERE. The Alliance was interlaced and the Miramax was a bastardized 1.78:1. There are some frame matches below with the 2160P. The triple-layered UHD disc image is absolutely immaculate. It has a stratospheric bitrate, exceptional color balance (cooler, more natural flesh tones,) pristine contrast, consistent fine grain textures and my only query is that it has a green/sepia bias in some sequences which I presume was fully intentional. Still, this is one of the best HD presentations I have seen in a while. Spectacular even without an HDR pass.

NOTE: 72 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: It Came From Outer Space (software uniformly simulated HDR), Don't Look Now, Rosemary's Baby (software uniformly simulated HDR), The Last Wave (no HDR), The Train (software uniformly simulated HDR), The Trial (software uniformly simulated HDR), The Walkabout (software uniformly simulated HDR), Black Magic Rites, The Night of the Hunted (software uniformly simulated HDR), The Rape of the Vampire (software uniformly simulated HDR), Gorgo (software uniformly simulated HDR), Akira Kurosawa's Dreams (software uniformly simulated HDR), The Man From Hong Kong (software uniformly simulated HDR), One False Move, The Tall T (software uniformly simulated HDR), Cold Eyes of Fear (software uniformly simulated HDR), Rules of the Game (no HDR), The Manchurian Candidate (software uniformly simulated HDR), After Hours, Rain Man (software uniformly simulated HDR), The Changeling (software uniformly simulated HDR), The Night of the Hunter (software uniformly simulated HDR), 12 Angry Men (software uniformly simulated HDR), Branded to Kill (no HDR), Picnic at Hanging Rock (software uniformly simulated HDR), Two Orphan Vampires, The Shiver of the Vampires, Drowning By Number (software uniformly simulated HDR), Serpico (software uniformly simulated HDR), Cool Hand Luke (software uniformly simulated HDR), The Seventh Seal (software uniformly simulated HDR), The Maltese Falcon (software uniformly simulated HDR), Mildred Pierce (software uniformly simulated HDR), Tár (software uniformly simulated HDR), Marathon Man (software uniformly simulated HDR), Dazed and Confused (software uniformly simulated HDR), Three Colors: Blue (software uniformly simulated HDR), Invaders From Mars (software uniformly simulated HDR), Death Wish (software uniformly simulated HDR), The Taking of Pelham One Two Three, The Cabinet of Dr. Caligari (no HDR), High Plains Drifter (software uniformly simulated HDR), Mystery Men (software uniformly simulated HDR), Silent Running (software uniformly simulated HDR), 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).

On their 4K UHD, Criterion use a robust Dolby Atmos 7.1 track (24-bit) in the original English language. The sound is an integral part of the creepy aura. We have crisp, surprising, separations bursting forth spookily in hidden corners of the room. The music in the film is credited to Alejandro Amenábar and there is also Nicole Kidman singing I Only Have Eyes for You a cappella and French pianist Jean-Marc Luisada performing Chopin's Vals Opus 69 No.1 (Op. Posth.) The audio is an equal match to the stellar video exported highly effectively. Criterion go Dolby Atmos and this comes through on non-Atmos systems as True HD 7.1. It is significantly more robust than the ancient Blu-rays.

NOTE: For Atmos many non-compliant systems will recognizes it as TrueHD 7.1, but from Wikipedia: "Because of limited bandwidth and lack of processing power, Atmos in home theaters is not a real-time mix rendered the same way as in cinemas. The substream is added to Dolby TrueHD or Dolby Digital Plus. This substream only represents a losslessly encoded fully object-based mix. This substream does not include all 128 objects separated. This is not a matrix-encoded channel, but a spatially-encoded digital channel. Atmos in home theaters can support 24.1.10 channel, but it is not an object-based real-time rendering. Filmmakers need to remix and render the TrueHD and Dolby Digital Plus soundtracks with Dolby Media Producer."

Criterion include optional English (SDH) subtitles - and this is, like all 4K UHD discs, region FREE, playable worldwide. The second disc Blu-ray is region 'A'-locked.

On both 4K UHD and Blu-ray discs is a 2022 audio commentary featuring Amenábar, in Spanish, with optional English subtitles. The rest of the supplements are relegated to the second disc Blu-ray. There is a new 37-minute conversation as Amenábar talks with film critic Pau Gómez about The Others, including its themes of religious faith and belief in the supernatural. "A Look Back at The Others" is a new making-of program from Studiocanal UK featuring Amenábar, actors Nicole Kidman and Christopher Eccleston, and producer Fernando Bovaira who reflect for over 50-minutes on the production of The Others. The Making of The Others is a 2002 behind-the-scenes feature with footage of interviews with Alejandro Amenábar, Nicole Kidman, cinematographer Javier Aguirresarobe, and other key crew members. It runs shy of 1/2 hour. There are five archival programs about the film’s production; set, soundtrack, art direction, visual effects etc., featuring interviews and footage recorded on the set - they run, in total just over 20-minutes. Also included is brief audition footage of actors Alakina Mann and James Bentley and photography from the “Book of the Dead”. Lastly are seven deleted scenes and a trailer. The package contains a liner notes leaflet with an essay by scholar Philip Horne.

The Others is brilliant. Labeled as a "gothic supernatural psychological horror" - it is written, directed, and scored by Chilean-Spanish filmmaker Alejandro Amenábar. In 1945, immediately following the end of the Second World War, a woman (Kidman) who lives with her two photosensitive children on her darkened old family estate in the Channel Islands becomes convinced that the home is haunted. It is a Masterclass in atmosphere and suspense with exquisite art direction and a remarkable performances by Nicole Kidman and Fionnula Flanagan. It carries the viewer through cemetery headstone clues, a séance, historical murder–suicide with hauntings from the dead. The Others was the first English-language film ever to receive the 'Best Film Award' at the Goyas (Spain's main national annual film awards), without a single word of Spanish dialogue. After its release schedule it achieved the status as the highest-grossing Spanish film of all-time. This is a fabulous choice to bring to Criterion 4K UHD as the previous Blu-rays were in dire need of upgrade. A superbly compelling and atmospheric film, great performances, exquisite a/v transfer (pristine 2160P and enveloping Atmos,) new extras including a director commentary. It will get year-end poll votes. Our highest recommendation!

Gary Tooze

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