Alien: 40th Anniversary | Blu-ray 4K Review
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Alien: 40th Anniversary | Blu-ray 4K Review
20th Century Fox 1979
R | 1hr 57 mins | Action | Adventure | Sci-Fi
HD | 1080P | DTS HD Master Audio 5.1 | Dolby Digital 5.1/4.1/2.0
Native 4K | 2160P | HDR10+ | DTS HD Master Audio 5.1/4.1/2.0
2.39:1 | Aspect Ratio
Staring: Tom Skerritt, Sigourney Weaver, Veronica Cartwright, Harry Dean Stanton, John Hurt, Ian Holm
Directed by: Ridley Scott
Ratings & Reviews
Please see here for my comments on reviewing movies.
My ratings are simple being marked out of a maximum of 5+. My reviews are biased towards the technical production aspects of the film with brief comments about the story line. Extras, sorry, that’s just not my ‘bag’.
Not having immersive audio yet, what did the 5.1 soundtrack sound like? Excellent in all respects, and the 4K HDR10 video? A worthwhile improvement over the HD version.
Entertainment: 5+
Video: 5-
Audio: 5-
Technical Review – 4K UHD HDR10
From Fox PR:
“The film was restored in 4K in 2018 by 20th Century Fox at Company 3/Deluxe Entertainment Services Group, supervised by Ridley Scott and Pam Dery, with the 4K scans done at EFilm.”
Alien was originally shot in 1978 on 35mm film using Panavision cameras and anamorphic lenses and was finished in the 2.39:1 aspect ratio. For this 4K version, the Theatrical Version was scanned in native 4K from the original camera negative, was restored by Fox, finished as a 4K Digital Intermediate, and graded for high dynamic range in HDR10 and HDR10+. The 4K disc includes both the Theatrical Version and the 2003 Director’s Cut via seamless branching. The Director’s Cut material is not all 4K material and was probably just upsampled from the 2003 scan, generally having a lower resolution and looking a little soft on occasions.
This is a largely an excellent looking upgrade, especially in the areas of clarity, overall detail levels, especially shadow detail and white levels. There is a whole host of new details noticeable now in previously hidden nooks and crannies. Overall clarity is also materially improved throughout the presentation, with a really solid increase in fine detail levels, even when lighting conditions aren’t optimal. Texturing of surfaces, faces, and clothing is much more refined now, with both greater and tighter detailing. This extending to the ability to clearly read beer can labels and Mothers LED lettering . Color grading is significantly improved with more saturated colors, look at the clothing Nostromo patches, and a broader range of hues with more subtelties. Metal and wet surfaces showed a heightened gleem to them, with the landing gear bay shots showing more brassy rather than golden hues. This improvement in color is exemplified in Ripley’s final showdown sequence with the Alien that provide some very vivid reds and oranges when compared to the HD version. While there are many improvements to the image quality I did note a few distractions, all be they minor. The film’s grain structure remains moderate to strong, and is generally acceptable having always been part of the look of Alien. However, there are several occasions where the grain structure looked a little odd and appeared very coarse, notably some of the Medbay scenes, the ‘awakening’ scene and a couple of misty external dark shots. These are probably compression artifacts resulting from dealing with the frame to frame moving film grain. I saw no blocking at any time.
That being said, this 4K version is undeniably a worthwhile upgrade in video quality, with significant increases in detail levels and a really solid saturated palette over its HD version. One of the most notable improvements being that of shadow detail, which is much improved in this version. Never have I seen this movie looking better, and I have almost all the previous versions from tape to laser disc to DVD to HD Blu-ray.
While the the movie is not perfect throughout, notably the film grain structure, all can all be forgiven and ignored for this classic, one of a kind, Sci-Fi Horror movie that is now 40 years old.
Audio – DTS HD Master Audio 5.1
Alien, 40th Anniversary 4K UHD versions’ primary audio mix is the original excellent mix that was created for the 2010 Alien Anthology HD Blu-ray release. I am sure that some audiophiles may feel a bit let down by this as apparently Ridley Scott decided not to do a new DTS-X or Dolby Atmos mix. There is also the original DTS-HD Master Audio 4.1 mix for those purists amongst you.
The mix is not a sonic extravaganza but a subtle blend of effects to keep your senses peeled. There is nothing to criticize regarding this soundtrack, providing as it does, a nicely atmospheric and moody mix immersing you in the various directional and locale effects. The rear channels are used extensively to support various directional and atmospheric cues. Low frequency effects are quite solid with enough heft in both mixes. Dialogue was always clear and detailed with solid front-center imaging and prioritization. The haunting score by Jerry Goldsmith, as always, providing the viewer with those heightened phrases just to stretch the tension that little bit further as the terrors approach.
An isolated music track, in Dolby Digital 5.1, of the original 1979 Theatrical Score is also available.
Story Overview
“In space, no one can hear you scream…”
In the distant future mankind has found a wealth of rare minerals distributed throughout the galaxy. Mining these provides huge profits for the associated companies. They are loaded into gargantuan deep-space tug refineries and returned over the vast distances to earth for processing. One such ship, the Nostromo, owned by theWeyland-Yutani Corporation, is in the middle of such a return trip when Mother, the ships computer, detects a distress call from a local moon, LV426. Unknown to most of Nostromo’s crew their contract requires them to investigate all such alerts, so Mother wakes them all from their hibernation sleep. After reaching the moon and parking the tug in orbit several crew are dispatched in the Sulacco, the tugs small spacecraft, down to the planets surface. What they discover, they were totally unprepared for, an alien spaceship. Their investigations of the ship unleash a terror unknown to mankind, and so starts the battle to save not only their lives, but those of mankind and possibly the galaxy.
No movie has impacted me more than this one did. To this day I remember seeing the 1979 screening of this movie in central Manchester, UK. It moved me to the core. I am sure that I left nail marks in my seats arms and if I had sweated anymore you could have rung my clothes out. I left exhausted and at the same time exhilarated and elated (it was over).
My wife and I have viewed this movie more times than either of us can remember. We got the script, remembered all the lines and for much of our lives used them in our day to day conversations……….. Yes I know, really lame! We were both instant fans of the Alien series; and now so is our daughter.
By modern day standards of production the special effects aren’t stellar, but as a production, script, idea and concept it was stunning for its time and has stood that test of time exceptionally well.
If you have never seen this movie and you are not too jaded by modern day techniques and special effects this is one “hell of a movie”. This 4K scan of the original 75mm movie provides you with the very best of what I saw, and heard, on that fateful day in the UK.
Yes the movie looks and sounds great. Fox did a stellar job of recreating my original movie going experience….and my wife just couldn’t watch it this time around!
AND yes, all five sequels also provide a tense and terrific viewing and listening experience to.
Buy this movie, if only for posterity.
