ADDITION: Criterion - Region 'A' Blu-ray - September 2014: Almost predictably (at this stage) Criterion opt for a darker transfer. I'm sure this is more theatrically accurate. I can't be sure, but I can say the Criterion looks marvelous in-motion. It shows a little less at the top of the frame but more at the bottom. I didn't find the disparity significant. On my system the Criterion visuals look very strong - with a real sense of depth.

Criterion also use a linear PCM for the audio. It may be slightly more robust than the Japanese lossless transfer - (repeating) "I couldn't put it better than what Dean Carlson said:" With renowned sound designer Alan Splet, Lynch developed any technique he could conjure up -- from recording with pieces of glass tubing, pneumatic engines, or water-based pieces of machinery -- to produce sounds never heard before (or since) in any medium. Pieces of Fats Waller filter in through the unsettling haze. The sounds of the unimaginably horrific baby are nothing less than ghastly. Few directors could have realized such a potent vision only a first time out. Disturbing, haunting, and -- decades later -- still one of the most compelling sonic creations in the history of film. " The uncompressed transfer handles the aural aspects well - creepy depth and odd reverbs make the sound a strong part of the film presentation." There are optional English subtitles and the US Blu-ray disc is region 'A'-locked.

Like the first Blu-ray from 2012 we get the 2001 “Eraserhead” Stories, documentary by David Lynch on the making of the film (as part of the supplements) and new high-definition restorations of six short films by Lynch: Six Figures Getting Sick (1967 4:02), The Alphabet (1968 - 3:46), The Grandmother (1970 - 33:48), The Amputee, Part 1 (5:11) and Part 2 (4:06) (1974), and Premonitions Following an Evil Deed (1995 - 1:03), all with video shortish introductions by Lynch. Criterion add more. Under the 'Supplements' menu button we get listed years - '1977' (which is the trailer). Next is '1979' where we get 17-minutes of an interview with director David Lynch and cinematographer Frederick Elmes by filmmaker Tom Christie for his television production class at UCLA. It takes place at one of Eraserhead's locations in Los Angeles, where the Beverly Center shopping mall now stand. '1982' is only 1.5 minutes of another trailer for Eraserhead preceding the film at the Nuart Theatre in Los Angeles for the several years it played there to sold-out Friday night movie audiences. '1988' runs 6:47 and has David Lynch and actor Jack Nance taking a drive to one of the locations of Eraserhead - it is an excerpt from an episode of the French television program Cinema de notre temps - recorded in 1988 and broadcast on April 23rd of 1993. '1997' has 16-minutes of footage featuring David Lynch, actors Jack Nance and Charlotte Stewart, and director's assistant Catherine Coulson revisiting the locations at the AFU in Los Angeles where they made Eraserhead over the course of four years. The interviews were conducted by Toby Keeler for his 1997 documentary Pretty as a Picture: The Art of David Lynch. '2001' has the, 85-minute, “Eraserhead” Stories and '2014' shares interviews with director's assistant Charlotte Stewart and Judith Anna Roberts, and cinematographer Frederick Elmes - they were conducted by Criterion.

This is the definitive release with the added supplements and strong a/v. Lynch fans shouldn't hesitate. Absolutely recommended!

***

\ADDITION: Universal (Japan) - Region 'A' Blu-ray - May 2012: Firstly, I am making the assumption that this is released by Universal although the Absurda logo, Comstock Group, MK2 and even what looks like small Paramount logo appear either at the beginning of Eraserhead or on the Japanese boxcover spine. Regardless , I suspect this will be the same transfer as offered on other Blu-ray editions across the globe - although each country may play some mix-n-match with the extras.

It looks good on the single-layered Blu-ray disc - improving in more-layered contract and an up-tick in detail. The film textures rise to more prominence, the visuals are a shade brighter and the image is exceptionally clean. It is advertised as "Newly remastered by David Lynch himself for this 35th Anniversary release, his feature-film debut is a masterpiece of the macabre and grotesque."

Audio is in lossless stereo 2.0 channel. I couldn't put it better than what Dean Carlson said:" With renowned sound designer Alan Splet, Lynch developed any technique he could conjure up -- from recording with pieces of glass tubing, pneumatic engines, or water-based pieces of machinery -- to produce sounds never heard before (or since) in any medium. Pieces of Fats Waller filter in through the unsettling haze. The sounds of the unimaginably horrific baby are nothing less than ghastly. Few directors could have realized such a potent vision only a first time out. Disturbing, haunting, and -- decades later -- still one of the most compelling sonic creations in the history of film. " The uncompressed transfer handles the aural aspects well - creepy depth and odd reverbs make the sound a strong part of the film presentation. There are optional Japanese subtitles on this region 'A' Blu-ray disc.

There is a trailer accessible on the feature Blu-ray . There is a second disc - a DVD included in the package with "Stories" - the 1.5 hour feature of David Lynch discussing various aspects of the film and why his labor of love debut represents such a special place in his ouvre. There are also six short Lynch films: Six Men Getting Sick - (3:54, 1966), The Alphabet - (3:44, 1968), The Grandmother (33:46, 1970), The Amputee Take 1 + 2 - (8:56, 1974), and Lumiere (:58 - 1995). Quality is about as good as it gets for these shorts but the production limitations are evident.