criterionforum.org

Having recently rewatched the still very good 1080p release for comparison, I was not expecting a significant visual upgrade with this new 4K restoration…I was wrong.

The slight darkening of the colour palette with the new WCG/HDR grades suddenly seems to add another layer of detail and immersion into the picture. Now, those dark night times punctured solely by neon or those dreary overcast half-light early mornings or dusks feel more alive with authenticity. Skin tones are gorgeous, the subtlety in colour detail of Hoskins’ atrocious leather jacket/Hawaiian shirt combo is sublime and those all-important blacks go deep. But it’s the now huge variations in colours that stand out – the reds of the Peep Show as Genesis’ classic In Too Deep plays now have a much richer, darker saturation to them than the previous 1080p SDR grade, helping them stand out so much more than those more neutral, toned down colours of the Brighton seaside against the morning skies. It’s a gorgeous colour reproduction from top to bottom.

Detailing is also tightened up significantly – again, the 2K picture was good, but this improves on that with keener lines, sharper edges and a greater sense of delineation in those finest of fine details that add an extra little touch of depth to the picture. Add to this another beautiful grain presentation – with organic looks and movement throughout - and it’s an image where its edges match the brilliance of its colouring.

To round things off, there’s not a hint of source damage (but there wasn’t on the previous 2K image) and the encode – courtesy of Fidelity in Motion – is absolutely rock solid. Hope were not high for this over the very good 2K edition, but I am very pleased to say that those hopes were well and truly exceeded: Mona Lisa on 4K looks absolutely stellar

Finch wrote: Thu May 07, 2026 11:01 pm I liked it better than the Fun City BD but I was disappointed by it too. I found the grading almost obnoxiously vibrant, and I'm ready to sell it on if or as soon as someone betters it with a UK release. I was also irritated with the occasional lobster skin tones on VS's Southern Comfort UHD (again hoping that either Second Sight or Arrow will eventually provide a more convincing grade), to the point that I'm not willing to blind buy any Vinegar Syndrome 4K anymore and going to wait for reviews instead.

nitin wrote: Tue May 12, 2026 5:35 pm is it just me or is the HDR grade on A New Leaf the typical VS overcooked grade?

The included blu ray has so much better colour balance IMHO(despite being flatter and not having as much dynamic range etc due to SDR).

Finch wrote: Tue May 12, 2026 7:16 pm TWWB, I didn't like the drab look of the Fun City Blu-Ray of Married either but I did feel very early on in my viewing of the 4K that Vinegar Syndrome overcorrected too much in the opposite direction. Their grades run too hot for my liking.

rberrios15 wrote: Sun May 17, 2026 2:51 pm Is there a consensus view on Almost Famous (Paramount)? Imagine the Sony import might be better but seems like only the extended cut is available these days.