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

ADDITION: Kino 4K UHD (November 2022): Kino are releasing Clint Eastwood's High Plains Drifter to 4K UHD. It is advertised as a "Brand New HDR/Dolby Vision Master – From a 4K Scan of the Original Camera Negative". A second disc, dual-layered, Blu-ray is included with the feature; "Brand New HD Master – From a 4K Scan of the Original Camera Negative" and supplements. This Blu-ray is a different transfer from its own 2020 1080P rendering. It does improve and we can see some warping now in the 2020 HD image. Flesh tones shift cooler and the overall image supports the darker sequences (notably the 2160P) ex. the bullwhipping... overall it's an easy bump in the image quality.

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.

We have reviewed the following 4K UHD packages to date: 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), 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).

On their 4K UHD, Kino again offer DTS-HD Master tracks in both the 2.0 channel and a very robust 5.1 surround in the original English language. But now they are 24-bit as opposed to 16-bit. This show in the bass and intensity of the gunfire effects, fire and score. The surround has some potent moments with rifle echoes and Colt gunfire. The score is by Dee Barton, the jazz trombonist, big band drummer, (who also composed on a couple of other Clint Eastwood films; Thunderbolt and Lightfoot, and Play Misty for Me.) It's not Morricone but it suits the films well with its own unique stylized expression. did the score which sounding a bit deeper with more consistent dialogue. It sounds quite effective. The 4K UHD disc offers optional English subtitles - and is, like all 4K UHD, region FREE, playable worldwide. The second disc Blu-ray with extras is Region 'A'-locked.

Extras add a new commentary, from Steve Mitchell and Nathaniel Thompson, as well as duplicating all the 2020 supplements (see below) including the Alex Cox commentary. Both are on the 4K UHD and included Blu-ray discs. Mitchell and Thompson cover a lot with excellent analyses referencing relatable films of Clint, Italian westerns or noir (John Alton), John Wayne's take on westerns etc. I always like hearing from these guys. The rest of the extras are related to the second disc Blu-ray and duplicate Kino's 2020 package (see below.)    

Clint Eastwood's High Plains Drifter is a huge fan favorite. It's a frequently harsh 'revenge western'. Clint, who directs, is the mysterious stranger who metes out justice in a corrupt frontier mining town filled with indifferent witnesses to a murder. There are strong influences from Sergio Leone and Don Siegel. Kudos to Kino for upgrading their own Blu-ray from only 2 years ago and adding a new, second, commentary - not to mention the 4K UHD transfer. The film's many fans will want this package - the best video, audio and extras.

***

ADDITION: Kino Blu-ray (October 2020): Kino, in a new Special Edition package, have transferred Clint Eastwood's High Plains Drifter to Blu-ray. It looks strong on a dual-layered disc with a max'ed out bitrate. Lines are tight, contrast and colors excellent. It looks flawless and exquisite on my system. Absolute top marks for the 1080P appearance, which supports the cinematography of Bruce Surtees (Dirty Harry, Play Misty for Me, The Beguiled) and the locational shooting on the shores of Mono Lake, California. This looks well above-average and a highly pleasant surprise.

NOTE: We have added 64 more large resolution Blu-ray captures (in lossless PNG format) for DVDBeaver Patrons HERE

On their Blu-ray, Kino give the option of a DTS-HD Master 5.1 surround bump or a lossless 2.0 channel - both 16-bit and both in the original English language.  Kino offer optional English subtitles on their Region 'A' Blu-ray.

The Kino Blu-ray offers a new commentary by filmmaker Alex Cox - and he is excellent being able to provide such a deep perspective on this western, it's relationship to Leone's films, how much Eastwood had learned from that master, the 'difficult-to-discuss' rape scene, Kurosawa and many fascinating details of the production, filmmaking and beyond including how he thought High Plains Drifter ran a little long. He's always great to listen to. There are new interviews with a philosophical Marianna Hill, actors Mitchell Ryan (Zoom'ed thanks to the lockdown) and William O'Connell, a video promo piece from A Man Named Eastwood, two 'Trailers From Hell' by Josh Olson and the second by Edgar Wright. There is a Poster and Image Gallery, two theatrical trailers, TV spots, and radios spots. The handsome package sports a limited edition O-Card slipcase and reversible art (see bottom of review.)

I thoroughly enjoyed the Kino Special Edition Blu-ray presentation, Alex Cox commentary and other extras. Strongly recommended!

Gary Tooze