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Thank You — The Support Has Kept Us Alive!
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There's a 'listing page' debuting today: The Re-Watchables. Be kind, I'm sure I'm opening myself up for some head-scratching judgement. Calendar Updates and new reviews forthcoming.
With sincere thanks,
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DVDBeaver.com
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OUT TODAY!
The Complete Kubrick [4K UHD] - Tom Cruise, Nicole Kidman, Jack Nicholson, Kirk Douglas, Peter Sellers, Laurence Olivier, James Mason, George C. Scott, Sterling Hayden, Malcolm McDowell, Ryan O’Neal, Shelley Duvall @Criterion
US: link.amazon/B06ryq1id
CAN: link.amazon/B0cMELQ8O
OUR REVIEW:
dvdbeaver.com/subsite/film3/…
Killer’s Kiss (1955) / The Killing (1956) / Paths of Glory (1957) / Spartacus (1960) / Lolita (1962) / Dr. Strangelove, or: How I Learned to Stop Worrying and Love the Bomb (1964) / 2001: A Space Odyssey (1968) / A Clockwork Orange (1971) / Barry Lyndon (1975) / The Shining (1980) / Full Metal Jacket (1987) / Eyes Wide Shut (1999) Criterion
The Masters:
All features are presented in Dolby Vision HDR on the 4K UHD discs and in SDR on the Blu-rays. Criterion’s “About the Masters” notes show that nearly every title was restored from its original camera negative, though the restorations come from a mix of sources. Some are Criterion’s own, some are carried over from studio restorations of recent years, and some were done by partner archives.
The three independently produced early features had their 4K debuts on Kino Lorber UHDs, but here they are presented in masters made for Criterion by Duplitech. Killer’s Kiss (1.37:1) comes from the 35mm original camera negative, with a composite fine-grain used for some sections. The Killing and Paths of Glory (both 1.66:1) are also drawn from their camera negatives. The Paths of Glory mono was remastered at 24-bit from UCLA archivist Robert Gitt’s 35mm magnetic track. Fear and Desire (1.37:1) is the exception: it is Kino Lorber’s 4K restoration, made from the camera negative and a Library of Congress fine-grain. The three shorts are new Criterion 4K restorations from Library of Congress elements. These were 35mm prints and a duplicate negative for Day of the Fight and Flying Padre, and the 16mm original reversal for The Seafarers.
The studio-era films largely use existing restorations. Spartacus (2.20:1) is Universal’s 4K restoration from a 6K scan of the original Technirama elements, with Robert A. Harris consulting, and its 7.1 track was remastered from the 70mm six-track printmaster. Dr. Strangelove (1.66:1) is Sony’s 4K restoration, supervised by Grover Crisp and assembled from a fine-grain master, a duplicate negative and a 35mm print. 2001: A Space Odyssey (2.20:1) is Warner’s 4K from an 8K scan of the 65mm camera negative, supervised by Ned Price and Leon Vitali with input from Christopher Nolan and Hoyte van Hoytema. Its original 70mm six-track 5.1 mix is joined by the 35mm general-release mono, which Kubrick mixed without the overture, intermission and exit music, so those passages are silent on that track. A Clockwork Orange (1.66:1), The Shining (1.85:1) and Full Metal Jacket (1.85:1) are Warner 4K restorations from their camera negatives, with Full Metal Jacket graded against both an answer print and Kubrick’s own personal 35mm reference print.
Barry Lyndon and Eyes Wide Shut match Criterion’s own recent 4K editions. Barry Lyndon is framed at 1.66:1 per Kubrick’s December 8th, 1975 letter to projectionists, and was graded against Vitali’s 2000 HD transfer. Eyes Wide Shut (1.85:1) is presented in its international cut, supervised and approved by cinematographer Larry Smith. Its look stems from Kubrick’s deliberate decision to have the negative force-developed by two stops, which accounts for the film’s distinctive grain and glowing low-light palette.
Two presentations are new to 4K UHD. Lolita (1.66:1) is a new 4K restoration from the 35mm original camera negative, using a Warner 35mm print as color reference, with its mono remastered from the original DME magnetic track. Kubrick’s international version of The Shining (119 minutes, against 144 for the U.S. theatrical) comes from the same Warner restoration of the camera negative, with its own mono track remastered from the original magnetic elements.
Since most of these masters have been reviewed before on DVDBeaver, we have used our existing captures from those earlier 4K UHD releases where applicable. New captures will eventually be taken for Lolita and the international version of The Shining.
Audio:
Criterion’s audio approach across the set is admirably purist. Every film is offered with its original soundtrack, and for the mono-era titles that means uncompressed linear PCM mono remastered from the original magnetic elements. Paths of Glory’s was remastered at 24-bit from UCLA archivist Robert Gitt’s 35mm track. For Dr. Strangelove, A Clockwork Orange, Barry Lyndon, both versions of The Shining and Full Metal Jacket, Criterion also includes alternate 5.1 DTS-HD Master Audio remixes, so purists and surround enthusiasts are both served. The early independent features and Lolita are presented in their original mono alone. This is a notable step up from earlier editions. Warner’s 4K UHD of The Shining offered only a 5.1 remix with no mono at all, its Full Metal Jacket UHD relegated the mono to a lossy track, and Sony’s Dr. Strangelove UHD carried only 16-bit lossless tracks. The three large-format productions get special treatment. Spartacus is presented in 7.1 DTS-HD MA remastered from its 70mm six-track printmaster, and it retains the overture, entr’acte and intermission music. 2001: A Space Odyssey is the most generous of all, with its original 70mm six-track theatrical mix in 5.1, an alternate 5.1 remix and the original 35mm general-release mono, which, true to Kubrick’s own 35mm prints, is silent during the overture, intermission and exit music. Eyes Wide Shut is presented in its original theatrical 5.1, remastered from the 35mm magnetic track. Optional English (SDH) subtitles are offered on every feature, and the set is region free. From the portions we have sampled so far, the tracks sound exceptional, clean and faithful to their sources, with the dynamic range of the scores and Kubrick’s carefully chosen music coming through with clarity and weight.
About the Captures
Because of the size of this set and its release date, none of the screen captures in this review are taken from The Complete Kubrick discs. Instead, we have included a single capture per film from our earlier reviews, taken from previous 4K UHD editions or, where none exist, Blu-ray. Several of those editions share their restoration with this set, while others come from different transfers. The captures should therefore be taken as representative of each film’s presentation, not as exact reproductions of the Criterion discs.
Fear and Desire is represented by Kino’s 2024 4K UHD, which uses the same Kino Lorber restoration found in this set. Killer’s Kiss and The Killing come from Kino’s 2022 4K UHDs, and Paths of Glory from the 2024 Masters of Cinema (Eureka) 4K UHD. All three of those earlier discs were scanned from the original camera negatives, but Criterion presents new Duplitech masters here, so the grading and framing may differ.
Spartacus is from Universal’s 2020 4K UHD, which uses the same 2015 restoration from the large-format Technirama elements. Dr. Strangelove is from Sony’s 2021 4K UHD, drawn from the same Sony restoration. 2001: A Space Odyssey comes from Warner’s 2018 4K UHD. The Shining and Full Metal Jacket come from Warner’s 2019 and 2020 4K UHDs respectively. Our Shining capture is from the U.S. theatrical version and serves for both cuts, which share the same restoration in this set. Note that both of those Warner discs were framed at 1.78:1, whereas Criterion presents both films at 1.85:1. Barry Lyndon is from Criterion’s own 2025 4K UHD, which matches the restoration in this set.
For Eyes Wide Shut, our capture is from Criterion’s 2025 Blu-ray of the same Larry Smith–approved restoration, as we were unable to capture from that 4K UHD disc at the time. Lolita and A Clockwork Orange are represented by Warner’s 2011 Blu-rays (the latter its 40th Anniversary Edition). Lolita receives a new 4K restoration in this set, so that capture predates it entirely.
OUR PAST REVIEWS:
Fear and Desire, Killer's Kiss, The Killing, Paths of Glory, Spartacus, Lolita, Dr. Strangelove, 2001: A Space Odyssey, A Clockwork Orange, Barry Lyndon, The Shining, Full Metal Jacket, Eyes Wide Shut
Seen together, Stanley Kubrick's films reveal a remarkably consistent sensibility beneath their wildly varied surfaces. There is the dehumanizing machinery of war, from the trenches of Paths of Glory to the War Room farce of Dr. Strangelove and the Parris Island crucible of Full Metal Jacket. There is the individual crushed or remade by institutional authority in A Clockwork Orange and Barry Lyndon, and there are the hidden currents of desire and power in Lolita and Eyes Wide Shut. Running through all of it is an ironic, coolly precise eye that turned every genre he touched, whether noir, epic, satire, science fiction, horror or costume drama, into something unmistakably his own. Watching the arc from the self-financed Fear and Desire and the gritty New York of Killer's Kiss through to the monumental achievements of 2001: A Space Odyssey and The Shining is a privilege few box sets can offer. Criterion's The Complete Kubrick is a staggering undertaking. Its 30 discs (13 4K UHD and 17 Blu-ray) hold every finished film Kubrick directed, all restored in 4K and presented in Dolby Vision HDR, many from their original camera negatives. It includes Lolita's 4K debut, Kubrick's international cut of The Shining, both versions of Day of the Fight, original soundtracks alongside remixes, over twenty-five hours of supplements, and archive-inspired packaging filled with Kubrick's own notes, slates and correspondence. We are still working our way through the set, but everything we have sampled so far has looked and sounded exceptional. This is the definitive presentation of one of cinema's most exacting artists and an essential acquisition for any serious film collection. Set of the Year - our very highest recommendation!
Takashi Miike's "Visitor Q" Blu-ray - Shungiku Uchida, Kazushi Watanabe, Ken'ichi Endo, Fujiko, Jun Muto, Shoko Nakahara, Ikko Suzuki @FilmsRadiance
US: link.amazon/B01ZMjrQB
CAN: link.amazon/B03CnqVom
UK: amazon.co.uk/exec/obidos/ASI…
BONUS CAPTURES:
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OUR REVIEW:
dvdbeaver.com/subsite/film3/…
Takashi Miike's Visitor Q is one of the more distasteful films we have covered recently. It is a parade of incest, necrophilia, dismemberment and lactation gags, each designed to top the last, with its supposed satire of the Japanese home drama serving mostly as an alibi. It has its defenders, and a small, devoted cult, but very few viewers will find any reward on the other side of it. Kenichi Endo, seen in The Happiness of the Katakuris, Agitator, Nobody Knows, Demon Pond, Sakuran, Violent Cop, plays the pathetic father without winking, and Shungiku Uchida, from Gemini, gives the mother's transformation more conviction than the material deserves. Composer Koji Endō, who scored Agitator, Rainy Dog, Ley Lines, Audition, 13 Assassins, Gozu, The Bird People in China, The Happiness of the Katakuris, Three... Extremes, Sukiyaki Western Django, The City of Lost Souls, uses his music sparingly here, and cinematographer Hideo Yamamoto, who shot Graveyard of Honor, The Happiness of the Katakuris, Audition, The Bird People in China, Fireworks, works within the flat, harsh limits of consumer digital video. The Radiance Blu-ray, transferred from the original master beta tape with a very high bitrate, is surely the best this source can look, and it comes with a Tom Mes commentary, new interviews with Miike, Endo and Showko Nakahara, a Kat Ellinger visual essay, and handsome limited-edition packaging. For Miike completists and devotees of transgressive cinema, this is the definitive edition. For everyone else, the film itself is very difficult to recommend.
Luigi Zampa's "The Monster" Blu-ray - Johnny Dorelli, Enzo Santaniello, Sydne Rome, Renzo Palmer @FilmsRadiance
US: link.amazon/B0ehqC8tf
CAN: link.amazon/B0dvmuxkF
UK: amazon.co.uk/exec/obidos/ASI…
BONUS CAPTURES:
patreon.com/dvdbeaver/posts/…
OUR REVIEW:
dvdbeaver.com/subsite/film3/…
Luigi Zampa's The Monster is a rare beast: a giallo that is really a black-comedy indictment of the press, written by Sergio Donati as a nastier reworking of the story he felt Bellocchio's Slap the Monster on Page One hadn't gotten right. It opens with its hero walking out of Spasmo complaining the plot makes no sense, and it never loses that sardonic wink. Johnny Dorelli is excellent as the frustrated hack who becomes a monster nearly as bad as the one he's covering. Sydne Rome, in a small role, can also be seen in What?, and Some Girls Do. Mario Vulpiani's unglamorous, workaday photography suits the satire. He also shot The .44 Specialist, How to Kill a Judge, The Grand Duel, Dillinger Is Dead. Ennio Morricone's catchy, ironic score keeps the film humming. His massive other work includes Hitch-Hike, The Key, For a Few Dollars More, A Fistful of Dollars, Violent City, Grand Slam, Revolver, The Great Silence, Who Saw Her Die?, The Black Belly of the Tarantula, The Fifth Cord, Luna, Danger Diabolik, Two Mules For Sister Sara, A Bullet for the General, Tie Me Up! Tie Me Down!, Investigation of a Citizen Above Suspicion, The French Conspiracy, U Turn, Stay As You Are, Short Night of Glass Dolls. The Radiance Blu-ray offers a superb 2K restoration from the original negative at a very high bitrate, lossless 24-bit mono, a new commentary, an hour and a quarter of interview and documentary material, and a substantial booklet. For a film that has never been available on home video outside Italy, this is an easy recommendation and one of the more unusual genre discoveries of the year.
DVDBeaver retweeted
OUT TODAY!
The Complete Kubrick [4K UHD] - Tom Cruise, Nicole Kidman, Jack Nicholson, Kirk Douglas, Peter Sellers, Laurence Olivier, James Mason, George C. Scott, Sterling Hayden, Malcolm McDowell, Ryan O’Neal, Shelley Duvall @Criterion
US: link.amazon/B06ryq1id
CAN: link.amazon/B0cMELQ8O
OUR REVIEW:
dvdbeaver.com/subsite/film3/…
Killer’s Kiss (1955) / The Killing (1956) / Paths of Glory (1957) / Spartacus (1960) / Lolita (1962) / Dr. Strangelove, or: How I Learned to Stop Worrying and Love the Bomb (1964) / 2001: A Space Odyssey (1968) / A Clockwork Orange (1971) / Barry Lyndon (1975) / The Shining (1980) / Full Metal Jacket (1987) / Eyes Wide Shut (1999) Criterion
The Masters:
All features are presented in Dolby Vision HDR on the 4K UHD discs and in SDR on the Blu-rays. Criterion’s “About the Masters” notes show that nearly every title was restored from its original camera negative, though the restorations come from a mix of sources. Some are Criterion’s own, some are carried over from studio restorations of recent years, and some were done by partner archives.
The three independently produced early features had their 4K debuts on Kino Lorber UHDs, but here they are presented in masters made for Criterion by Duplitech. Killer’s Kiss (1.37:1) comes from the 35mm original camera negative, with a composite fine-grain used for some sections. The Killing and Paths of Glory (both 1.66:1) are also drawn from their camera negatives. The Paths of Glory mono was remastered at 24-bit from UCLA archivist Robert Gitt’s 35mm magnetic track. Fear and Desire (1.37:1) is the exception: it is Kino Lorber’s 4K restoration, made from the camera negative and a Library of Congress fine-grain. The three shorts are new Criterion 4K restorations from Library of Congress elements. These were 35mm prints and a duplicate negative for Day of the Fight and Flying Padre, and the 16mm original reversal for The Seafarers.
The studio-era films largely use existing restorations. Spartacus (2.20:1) is Universal’s 4K restoration from a 6K scan of the original Technirama elements, with Robert A. Harris consulting, and its 7.1 track was remastered from the 70mm six-track printmaster. Dr. Strangelove (1.66:1) is Sony’s 4K restoration, supervised by Grover Crisp and assembled from a fine-grain master, a duplicate negative and a 35mm print. 2001: A Space Odyssey (2.20:1) is Warner’s 4K from an 8K scan of the 65mm camera negative, supervised by Ned Price and Leon Vitali with input from Christopher Nolan and Hoyte van Hoytema. Its original 70mm six-track 5.1 mix is joined by the 35mm general-release mono, which Kubrick mixed without the overture, intermission and exit music, so those passages are silent on that track. A Clockwork Orange (1.66:1), The Shining (1.85:1) and Full Metal Jacket (1.85:1) are Warner 4K restorations from their camera negatives, with Full Metal Jacket graded against both an answer print and Kubrick’s own personal 35mm reference print.
Barry Lyndon and Eyes Wide Shut match Criterion’s own recent 4K editions. Barry Lyndon is framed at 1.66:1 per Kubrick’s December 8th, 1975 letter to projectionists, and was graded against Vitali’s 2000 HD transfer. Eyes Wide Shut (1.85:1) is presented in its international cut, supervised and approved by cinematographer Larry Smith. Its look stems from Kubrick’s deliberate decision to have the negative force-developed by two stops, which accounts for the film’s distinctive grain and glowing low-light palette.
Two presentations are new to 4K UHD. Lolita (1.66:1) is a new 4K restoration from the 35mm original camera negative, using a Warner 35mm print as color reference, with its mono remastered from the original DME magnetic track. Kubrick’s international version of The Shining (119 minutes, against 144 for the U.S. theatrical) comes from the same Warner restoration of the camera negative, with its own mono track remastered from the original magnetic elements.
Since most of these masters have been reviewed before on DVDBeaver, we have used our existing captures from those earlier 4K UHD releases where applicable. New captures will eventually be taken for Lolita and the international version of The Shining.
Audio:
Criterion’s audio approach across the set is admirably purist. Every film is offered with its original soundtrack, and for the mono-era titles that means uncompressed linear PCM mono remastered from the original magnetic elements. Paths of Glory’s was remastered at 24-bit from UCLA archivist Robert Gitt’s 35mm track. For Dr. Strangelove, A Clockwork Orange, Barry Lyndon, both versions of The Shining and Full Metal Jacket, Criterion also includes alternate 5.1 DTS-HD Master Audio remixes, so purists and surround enthusiasts are both served. The early independent features and Lolita are presented in their original mono alone. This is a notable step up from earlier editions. Warner’s 4K UHD of The Shining offered only a 5.1 remix with no mono at all, its Full Metal Jacket UHD relegated the mono to a lossy track, and Sony’s Dr. Strangelove UHD carried only 16-bit lossless tracks. The three large-format productions get special treatment. Spartacus is presented in 7.1 DTS-HD MA remastered from its 70mm six-track printmaster, and it retains the overture, entr’acte and intermission music. 2001: A Space Odyssey is the most generous of all, with its original 70mm six-track theatrical mix in 5.1, an alternate 5.1 remix and the original 35mm general-release mono, which, true to Kubrick’s own 35mm prints, is silent during the overture, intermission and exit music. Eyes Wide Shut is presented in its original theatrical 5.1, remastered from the 35mm magnetic track. Optional English (SDH) subtitles are offered on every feature, and the set is region free. From the portions we have sampled so far, the tracks sound exceptional, clean and faithful to their sources, with the dynamic range of the scores and Kubrick’s carefully chosen music coming through with clarity and weight.
About the Captures
Because of the size of this set and its release date, none of the screen captures in this review are taken from The Complete Kubrick discs. Instead, we have included a single capture per film from our earlier reviews, taken from previous 4K UHD editions or, where none exist, Blu-ray. Several of those editions share their restoration with this set, while others come from different transfers. The captures should therefore be taken as representative of each film’s presentation, not as exact reproductions of the Criterion discs.
Fear and Desire is represented by Kino’s 2024 4K UHD, which uses the same Kino Lorber restoration found in this set. Killer’s Kiss and The Killing come from Kino’s 2022 4K UHDs, and Paths of Glory from the 2024 Masters of Cinema (Eureka) 4K UHD. All three of those earlier discs were scanned from the original camera negatives, but Criterion presents new Duplitech masters here, so the grading and framing may differ.
Spartacus is from Universal’s 2020 4K UHD, which uses the same 2015 restoration from the large-format Technirama elements. Dr. Strangelove is from Sony’s 2021 4K UHD, drawn from the same Sony restoration. 2001: A Space Odyssey comes from Warner’s 2018 4K UHD. The Shining and Full Metal Jacket come from Warner’s 2019 and 2020 4K UHDs respectively. Our Shining capture is from the U.S. theatrical version and serves for both cuts, which share the same restoration in this set. Note that both of those Warner discs were framed at 1.78:1, whereas Criterion presents both films at 1.85:1. Barry Lyndon is from Criterion’s own 2025 4K UHD, which matches the restoration in this set.
For Eyes Wide Shut, our capture is from Criterion’s 2025 Blu-ray of the same Larry Smith–approved restoration, as we were unable to capture from that 4K UHD disc at the time. Lolita and A Clockwork Orange are represented by Warner’s 2011 Blu-rays (the latter its 40th Anniversary Edition). Lolita receives a new 4K restoration in this set, so that capture predates it entirely.
OUR PAST REVIEWS:
Fear and Desire, Killer's Kiss, The Killing, Paths of Glory, Spartacus, Lolita, Dr. Strangelove, 2001: A Space Odyssey, A Clockwork Orange, Barry Lyndon, The Shining, Full Metal Jacket, Eyes Wide Shut
Seen together, Stanley Kubrick's films reveal a remarkably consistent sensibility beneath their wildly varied surfaces. There is the dehumanizing machinery of war, from the trenches of Paths of Glory to the War Room farce of Dr. Strangelove and the Parris Island crucible of Full Metal Jacket. There is the individual crushed or remade by institutional authority in A Clockwork Orange and Barry Lyndon, and there are the hidden currents of desire and power in Lolita and Eyes Wide Shut. Running through all of it is an ironic, coolly precise eye that turned every genre he touched, whether noir, epic, satire, science fiction, horror or costume drama, into something unmistakably his own. Watching the arc from the self-financed Fear and Desire and the gritty New York of Killer's Kiss through to the monumental achievements of 2001: A Space Odyssey and The Shining is a privilege few box sets can offer. Criterion's The Complete Kubrick is a staggering undertaking. Its 30 discs (13 4K UHD and 17 Blu-ray) hold every finished film Kubrick directed, all restored in 4K and presented in Dolby Vision HDR, many from their original camera negatives. It includes Lolita's 4K debut, Kubrick's international cut of The Shining, both versions of Day of the Fight, original soundtracks alongside remixes, over twenty-five hours of supplements, and archive-inspired packaging filled with Kubrick's own notes, slates and correspondence. We are still working our way through the set, but everything we have sampled so far has looked and sounded exceptional. This is the definitive presentation of one of cinema's most exacting artists and an essential acquisition for any serious film collection. Set of the Year - our very highest recommendation!
DVDBeaver retweeted
OUT TODAY!
The Complete Kubrick [4K UHD] - Tom Cruise, Nicole Kidman, Jack Nicholson, Kirk Douglas, Peter Sellers, Laurence Olivier, James Mason, George C. Scott, Sterling Hayden, Malcolm McDowell, Ryan O’Neal, Shelley Duvall @Criterion
US: link.amazon/B06ryq1id
CAN: link.amazon/B0cMELQ8O
OUR REVIEW:
dvdbeaver.com/subsite/film3/…
Killer’s Kiss (1955) / The Killing (1956) / Paths of Glory (1957) / Spartacus (1960) / Lolita (1962) / Dr. Strangelove, or: How I Learned to Stop Worrying and Love the Bomb (1964) / 2001: A Space Odyssey (1968) / A Clockwork Orange (1971) / Barry Lyndon (1975) / The Shining (1980) / Full Metal Jacket (1987) / Eyes Wide Shut (1999) Criterion
The Masters:
All features are presented in Dolby Vision HDR on the 4K UHD discs and in SDR on the Blu-rays. Criterion’s “About the Masters” notes show that nearly every title was restored from its original camera negative, though the restorations come from a mix of sources. Some are Criterion’s own, some are carried over from studio restorations of recent years, and some were done by partner archives.
The three independently produced early features had their 4K debuts on Kino Lorber UHDs, but here they are presented in masters made for Criterion by Duplitech. Killer’s Kiss (1.37:1) comes from the 35mm original camera negative, with a composite fine-grain used for some sections. The Killing and Paths of Glory (both 1.66:1) are also drawn from their camera negatives. The Paths of Glory mono was remastered at 24-bit from UCLA archivist Robert Gitt’s 35mm magnetic track. Fear and Desire (1.37:1) is the exception: it is Kino Lorber’s 4K restoration, made from the camera negative and a Library of Congress fine-grain. The three shorts are new Criterion 4K restorations from Library of Congress elements. These were 35mm prints and a duplicate negative for Day of the Fight and Flying Padre, and the 16mm original reversal for The Seafarers.
The studio-era films largely use existing restorations. Spartacus (2.20:1) is Universal’s 4K restoration from a 6K scan of the original Technirama elements, with Robert A. Harris consulting, and its 7.1 track was remastered from the 70mm six-track printmaster. Dr. Strangelove (1.66:1) is Sony’s 4K restoration, supervised by Grover Crisp and assembled from a fine-grain master, a duplicate negative and a 35mm print. 2001: A Space Odyssey (2.20:1) is Warner’s 4K from an 8K scan of the 65mm camera negative, supervised by Ned Price and Leon Vitali with input from Christopher Nolan and Hoyte van Hoytema. Its original 70mm six-track 5.1 mix is joined by the 35mm general-release mono, which Kubrick mixed without the overture, intermission and exit music, so those passages are silent on that track. A Clockwork Orange (1.66:1), The Shining (1.85:1) and Full Metal Jacket (1.85:1) are Warner 4K restorations from their camera negatives, with Full Metal Jacket graded against both an answer print and Kubrick’s own personal 35mm reference print.
Barry Lyndon and Eyes Wide Shut match Criterion’s own recent 4K editions. Barry Lyndon is framed at 1.66:1 per Kubrick’s December 8th, 1975 letter to projectionists, and was graded against Vitali’s 2000 HD transfer. Eyes Wide Shut (1.85:1) is presented in its international cut, supervised and approved by cinematographer Larry Smith. Its look stems from Kubrick’s deliberate decision to have the negative force-developed by two stops, which accounts for the film’s distinctive grain and glowing low-light palette.
Two presentations are new to 4K UHD. Lolita (1.66:1) is a new 4K restoration from the 35mm original camera negative, using a Warner 35mm print as color reference, with its mono remastered from the original DME magnetic track. Kubrick’s international version of The Shining (119 minutes, against 144 for the U.S. theatrical) comes from the same Warner restoration of the camera negative, with its own mono track remastered from the original magnetic elements.
Since most of these masters have been reviewed before on DVDBeaver, we have used our existing captures from those earlier 4K UHD releases where applicable. New captures will eventually be taken for Lolita and the international version of The Shining.
Audio:
Criterion’s audio approach across the set is admirably purist. Every film is offered with its original soundtrack, and for the mono-era titles that means uncompressed linear PCM mono remastered from the original magnetic elements. Paths of Glory’s was remastered at 24-bit from UCLA archivist Robert Gitt’s 35mm track. For Dr. Strangelove, A Clockwork Orange, Barry Lyndon, both versions of The Shining and Full Metal Jacket, Criterion also includes alternate 5.1 DTS-HD Master Audio remixes, so purists and surround enthusiasts are both served. The early independent features and Lolita are presented in their original mono alone. This is a notable step up from earlier editions. Warner’s 4K UHD of The Shining offered only a 5.1 remix with no mono at all, its Full Metal Jacket UHD relegated the mono to a lossy track, and Sony’s Dr. Strangelove UHD carried only 16-bit lossless tracks. The three large-format productions get special treatment. Spartacus is presented in 7.1 DTS-HD MA remastered from its 70mm six-track printmaster, and it retains the overture, entr’acte and intermission music. 2001: A Space Odyssey is the most generous of all, with its original 70mm six-track theatrical mix in 5.1, an alternate 5.1 remix and the original 35mm general-release mono, which, true to Kubrick’s own 35mm prints, is silent during the overture, intermission and exit music. Eyes Wide Shut is presented in its original theatrical 5.1, remastered from the 35mm magnetic track. Optional English (SDH) subtitles are offered on every feature, and the set is region free. From the portions we have sampled so far, the tracks sound exceptional, clean and faithful to their sources, with the dynamic range of the scores and Kubrick’s carefully chosen music coming through with clarity and weight.
About the Captures
Because of the size of this set and its release date, none of the screen captures in this review are taken from The Complete Kubrick discs. Instead, we have included a single capture per film from our earlier reviews, taken from previous 4K UHD editions or, where none exist, Blu-ray. Several of those editions share their restoration with this set, while others come from different transfers. The captures should therefore be taken as representative of each film’s presentation, not as exact reproductions of the Criterion discs.
Fear and Desire is represented by Kino’s 2024 4K UHD, which uses the same Kino Lorber restoration found in this set. Killer’s Kiss and The Killing come from Kino’s 2022 4K UHDs, and Paths of Glory from the 2024 Masters of Cinema (Eureka) 4K UHD. All three of those earlier discs were scanned from the original camera negatives, but Criterion presents new Duplitech masters here, so the grading and framing may differ.
Spartacus is from Universal’s 2020 4K UHD, which uses the same 2015 restoration from the large-format Technirama elements. Dr. Strangelove is from Sony’s 2021 4K UHD, drawn from the same Sony restoration. 2001: A Space Odyssey comes from Warner’s 2018 4K UHD. The Shining and Full Metal Jacket come from Warner’s 2019 and 2020 4K UHDs respectively. Our Shining capture is from the U.S. theatrical version and serves for both cuts, which share the same restoration in this set. Note that both of those Warner discs were framed at 1.78:1, whereas Criterion presents both films at 1.85:1. Barry Lyndon is from Criterion’s own 2025 4K UHD, which matches the restoration in this set.
For Eyes Wide Shut, our capture is from Criterion’s 2025 Blu-ray of the same Larry Smith–approved restoration, as we were unable to capture from that 4K UHD disc at the time. Lolita and A Clockwork Orange are represented by Warner’s 2011 Blu-rays (the latter its 40th Anniversary Edition). Lolita receives a new 4K restoration in this set, so that capture predates it entirely.
OUR PAST REVIEWS:
Fear and Desire, Killer's Kiss, The Killing, Paths of Glory, Spartacus, Lolita, Dr. Strangelove, 2001: A Space Odyssey, A Clockwork Orange, Barry Lyndon, The Shining, Full Metal Jacket, Eyes Wide Shut
Seen together, Stanley Kubrick's films reveal a remarkably consistent sensibility beneath their wildly varied surfaces. There is the dehumanizing machinery of war, from the trenches of Paths of Glory to the War Room farce of Dr. Strangelove and the Parris Island crucible of Full Metal Jacket. There is the individual crushed or remade by institutional authority in A Clockwork Orange and Barry Lyndon, and there are the hidden currents of desire and power in Lolita and Eyes Wide Shut. Running through all of it is an ironic, coolly precise eye that turned every genre he touched, whether noir, epic, satire, science fiction, horror or costume drama, into something unmistakably his own. Watching the arc from the self-financed Fear and Desire and the gritty New York of Killer's Kiss through to the monumental achievements of 2001: A Space Odyssey and The Shining is a privilege few box sets can offer. Criterion's The Complete Kubrick is a staggering undertaking. Its 30 discs (13 4K UHD and 17 Blu-ray) hold every finished film Kubrick directed, all restored in 4K and presented in Dolby Vision HDR, many from their original camera negatives. It includes Lolita's 4K debut, Kubrick's international cut of The Shining, both versions of Day of the Fight, original soundtracks alongside remixes, over twenty-five hours of supplements, and archive-inspired packaging filled with Kubrick's own notes, slates and correspondence. We are still working our way through the set, but everything we have sampled so far has looked and sounded exceptional. This is the definitive presentation of one of cinema's most exacting artists and an essential acquisition for any serious film collection. Set of the Year - our very highest recommendation!
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OUT TODAY!
The Complete Kubrick [4K UHD] - Tom Cruise, Nicole Kidman, Jack Nicholson, Kirk Douglas, Peter Sellers, Laurence Olivier, James Mason, George C. Scott, Sterling Hayden, Malcolm McDowell, Ryan O’Neal, Shelley Duvall @Criterion
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OUR REVIEW:
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Killer’s Kiss (1955) / The Killing (1956) / Paths of Glory (1957) / Spartacus (1960) / Lolita (1962) / Dr. Strangelove, or: How I Learned to Stop Worrying and Love the Bomb (1964) / 2001: A Space Odyssey (1968) / A Clockwork Orange (1971) / Barry Lyndon (1975) / The Shining (1980) / Full Metal Jacket (1987) / Eyes Wide Shut (1999) Criterion
The Masters:
All features are presented in Dolby Vision HDR on the 4K UHD discs and in SDR on the Blu-rays. Criterion’s “About the Masters” notes show that nearly every title was restored from its original camera negative, though the restorations come from a mix of sources. Some are Criterion’s own, some are carried over from studio restorations of recent years, and some were done by partner archives.
The three independently produced early features had their 4K debuts on Kino Lorber UHDs, but here they are presented in masters made for Criterion by Duplitech. Killer’s Kiss (1.37:1) comes from the 35mm original camera negative, with a composite fine-grain used for some sections. The Killing and Paths of Glory (both 1.66:1) are also drawn from their camera negatives. The Paths of Glory mono was remastered at 24-bit from UCLA archivist Robert Gitt’s 35mm magnetic track. Fear and Desire (1.37:1) is the exception: it is Kino Lorber’s 4K restoration, made from the camera negative and a Library of Congress fine-grain. The three shorts are new Criterion 4K restorations from Library of Congress elements. These were 35mm prints and a duplicate negative for Day of the Fight and Flying Padre, and the 16mm original reversal for The Seafarers.
The studio-era films largely use existing restorations. Spartacus (2.20:1) is Universal’s 4K restoration from a 6K scan of the original Technirama elements, with Robert A. Harris consulting, and its 7.1 track was remastered from the 70mm six-track printmaster. Dr. Strangelove (1.66:1) is Sony’s 4K restoration, supervised by Grover Crisp and assembled from a fine-grain master, a duplicate negative and a 35mm print. 2001: A Space Odyssey (2.20:1) is Warner’s 4K from an 8K scan of the 65mm camera negative, supervised by Ned Price and Leon Vitali with input from Christopher Nolan and Hoyte van Hoytema. Its original 70mm six-track 5.1 mix is joined by the 35mm general-release mono, which Kubrick mixed without the overture, intermission and exit music, so those passages are silent on that track. A Clockwork Orange (1.66:1), The Shining (1.85:1) and Full Metal Jacket (1.85:1) are Warner 4K restorations from their camera negatives, with Full Metal Jacket graded against both an answer print and Kubrick’s own personal 35mm reference print.
Barry Lyndon and Eyes Wide Shut match Criterion’s own recent 4K editions. Barry Lyndon is framed at 1.66:1 per Kubrick’s December 8th, 1975 letter to projectionists, and was graded against Vitali’s 2000 HD transfer. Eyes Wide Shut (1.85:1) is presented in its international cut, supervised and approved by cinematographer Larry Smith. Its look stems from Kubrick’s deliberate decision to have the negative force-developed by two stops, which accounts for the film’s distinctive grain and glowing low-light palette.
Two presentations are new to 4K UHD. Lolita (1.66:1) is a new 4K restoration from the 35mm original camera negative, using a Warner 35mm print as color reference, with its mono remastered from the original DME magnetic track. Kubrick’s international version of The Shining (119 minutes, against 144 for the U.S. theatrical) comes from the same Warner restoration of the camera negative, with its own mono track remastered from the original magnetic elements.
Since most of these masters have been reviewed before on DVDBeaver, we have used our existing captures from those earlier 4K UHD releases where applicable. New captures will eventually be taken for Lolita and the international version of The Shining.
Audio:
Criterion’s audio approach across the set is admirably purist. Every film is offered with its original soundtrack, and for the mono-era titles that means uncompressed linear PCM mono remastered from the original magnetic elements. Paths of Glory’s was remastered at 24-bit from UCLA archivist Robert Gitt’s 35mm track. For Dr. Strangelove, A Clockwork Orange, Barry Lyndon, both versions of The Shining and Full Metal Jacket, Criterion also includes alternate 5.1 DTS-HD Master Audio remixes, so purists and surround enthusiasts are both served. The early independent features and Lolita are presented in their original mono alone. This is a notable step up from earlier editions. Warner’s 4K UHD of The Shining offered only a 5.1 remix with no mono at all, its Full Metal Jacket UHD relegated the mono to a lossy track, and Sony’s Dr. Strangelove UHD carried only 16-bit lossless tracks. The three large-format productions get special treatment. Spartacus is presented in 7.1 DTS-HD MA remastered from its 70mm six-track printmaster, and it retains the overture, entr’acte and intermission music. 2001: A Space Odyssey is the most generous of all, with its original 70mm six-track theatrical mix in 5.1, an alternate 5.1 remix and the original 35mm general-release mono, which, true to Kubrick’s own 35mm prints, is silent during the overture, intermission and exit music. Eyes Wide Shut is presented in its original theatrical 5.1, remastered from the 35mm magnetic track. Optional English (SDH) subtitles are offered on every feature, and the set is region free. From the portions we have sampled so far, the tracks sound exceptional, clean and faithful to their sources, with the dynamic range of the scores and Kubrick’s carefully chosen music coming through with clarity and weight.
About the Captures
Because of the size of this set and its release date, none of the screen captures in this review are taken from The Complete Kubrick discs. Instead, we have included a single capture per film from our earlier reviews, taken from previous 4K UHD editions or, where none exist, Blu-ray. Several of those editions share their restoration with this set, while others come from different transfers. The captures should therefore be taken as representative of each film’s presentation, not as exact reproductions of the Criterion discs.
Fear and Desire is represented by Kino’s 2024 4K UHD, which uses the same Kino Lorber restoration found in this set. Killer’s Kiss and The Killing come from Kino’s 2022 4K UHDs, and Paths of Glory from the 2024 Masters of Cinema (Eureka) 4K UHD. All three of those earlier discs were scanned from the original camera negatives, but Criterion presents new Duplitech masters here, so the grading and framing may differ.
Spartacus is from Universal’s 2020 4K UHD, which uses the same 2015 restoration from the large-format Technirama elements. Dr. Strangelove is from Sony’s 2021 4K UHD, drawn from the same Sony restoration. 2001: A Space Odyssey comes from Warner’s 2018 4K UHD. The Shining and Full Metal Jacket come from Warner’s 2019 and 2020 4K UHDs respectively. Our Shining capture is from the U.S. theatrical version and serves for both cuts, which share the same restoration in this set. Note that both of those Warner discs were framed at 1.78:1, whereas Criterion presents both films at 1.85:1. Barry Lyndon is from Criterion’s own 2025 4K UHD, which matches the restoration in this set.
For Eyes Wide Shut, our capture is from Criterion’s 2025 Blu-ray of the same Larry Smith–approved restoration, as we were unable to capture from that 4K UHD disc at the time. Lolita and A Clockwork Orange are represented by Warner’s 2011 Blu-rays (the latter its 40th Anniversary Edition). Lolita receives a new 4K restoration in this set, so that capture predates it entirely.
OUR PAST REVIEWS:
Fear and Desire, Killer's Kiss, The Killing, Paths of Glory, Spartacus, Lolita, Dr. Strangelove, 2001: A Space Odyssey, A Clockwork Orange, Barry Lyndon, The Shining, Full Metal Jacket, Eyes Wide Shut
Seen together, Stanley Kubrick's films reveal a remarkably consistent sensibility beneath their wildly varied surfaces. There is the dehumanizing machinery of war, from the trenches of Paths of Glory to the War Room farce of Dr. Strangelove and the Parris Island crucible of Full Metal Jacket. There is the individual crushed or remade by institutional authority in A Clockwork Orange and Barry Lyndon, and there are the hidden currents of desire and power in Lolita and Eyes Wide Shut. Running through all of it is an ironic, coolly precise eye that turned every genre he touched, whether noir, epic, satire, science fiction, horror or costume drama, into something unmistakably his own. Watching the arc from the self-financed Fear and Desire and the gritty New York of Killer's Kiss through to the monumental achievements of 2001: A Space Odyssey and The Shining is a privilege few box sets can offer. Criterion's The Complete Kubrick is a staggering undertaking. Its 30 discs (13 4K UHD and 17 Blu-ray) hold every finished film Kubrick directed, all restored in 4K and presented in Dolby Vision HDR, many from their original camera negatives. It includes Lolita's 4K debut, Kubrick's international cut of The Shining, both versions of Day of the Fight, original soundtracks alongside remixes, over twenty-five hours of supplements, and archive-inspired packaging filled with Kubrick's own notes, slates and correspondence. We are still working our way through the set, but everything we have sampled so far has looked and sounded exceptional. This is the definitive presentation of one of cinema's most exacting artists and an essential acquisition for any serious film collection. Set of the Year - our very highest recommendation!
DVDBeaver retweeted
Leni Riefenstahl's "Tiefland" Blu-ray - Bernhard Minetti, Leni Riefenstahl, Aribert Wascher, Karl Skraup, Maria Koppenhofer @KinoLorber
US: link.amazon/B00wVMBNm
CAN: link.amazon/B007dGmqS
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Leni Riefenstahl’s Tiefland (Lowlands) is one of the strangest objects in German film history: a melodrama that took two decades to reach the screen and whose reputation rests almost entirely on the circumstances of its making. Riefenstahl had wanted to adapt Eugen d’Albert’s 1903 opera, itself drawn from Àngel Guimerà’s Catalan play Terra baixa, since the mid-1930s. Production finally began in 1940, with location work in the Bavarian and Tyrolean Alps standing in for the Spanish Pyrenees and interiors shot at Babelsberg and Barrandov. Shooting dragged on through the war, and the material was seized by French authorities afterward. Riefenstahl regained it only in the early 1950s, with some footage missing, and finished the film for a 1954 premiere. It was her last completed narrative feature and the only one she directed after Das blaue Licht more than twenty years earlier.
***
Tiefland is a deeply compromised film, a pastoral melodrama of mountain purity and lowland greed made by the Third Reich's most celebrated filmmaker while that regime was at war, and completed only after the footage spent years in Allied hands. Its story is creaky and its pacing uneven, but Bernhard Minetti's (The Kaiser of California) decadent Don Sebastian and Albert Benitz's (The Holy Mountain,) cloud-wrapped Alpine photography still command attention, and Riefenstahl's dances carry the same fascination with movement that defined her documentaries. It also cannot be watched apart from the Sinti and Roma extras whose faces fill its village scenes, many of whom did not survive the war. Leni Riefenstahl, as star or director, also appears in The Holy Mountain, The Great Leap, The Blue Light, Triumph of the Will, Olympia. Kino Lorber's Blu-ray, restored in 4K from the original negative, is a revelation, with a pristine, richly detailed image, a clean lossless German track, a commentary by Anthony Slide, and a feature-length reel of outtakes that is a remarkable document in its own right. For students of Riefenstahl, of German wartime cinema, or of the uneasy relationship between artistry and complicity, this edition is essential. Strongly recommended!
Leni Riefenstahl's "Tiefland" Blu-ray - Bernhard Minetti, Leni Riefenstahl, Aribert Wascher, Karl Skraup, Maria Koppenhofer @KinoLorber
US: link.amazon/B00wVMBNm
CAN: link.amazon/B007dGmqS
BONUS CAPTURES:
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OUR REVIEW:
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Leni Riefenstahl’s Tiefland (Lowlands) is one of the strangest objects in German film history: a melodrama that took two decades to reach the screen and whose reputation rests almost entirely on the circumstances of its making. Riefenstahl had wanted to adapt Eugen d’Albert’s 1903 opera, itself drawn from Àngel Guimerà’s Catalan play Terra baixa, since the mid-1930s. Production finally began in 1940, with location work in the Bavarian and Tyrolean Alps standing in for the Spanish Pyrenees and interiors shot at Babelsberg and Barrandov. Shooting dragged on through the war, and the material was seized by French authorities afterward. Riefenstahl regained it only in the early 1950s, with some footage missing, and finished the film for a 1954 premiere. It was her last completed narrative feature and the only one she directed after Das blaue Licht more than twenty years earlier.
***
Tiefland is a deeply compromised film, a pastoral melodrama of mountain purity and lowland greed made by the Third Reich's most celebrated filmmaker while that regime was at war, and completed only after the footage spent years in Allied hands. Its story is creaky and its pacing uneven, but Bernhard Minetti's (The Kaiser of California) decadent Don Sebastian and Albert Benitz's (The Holy Mountain,) cloud-wrapped Alpine photography still command attention, and Riefenstahl's dances carry the same fascination with movement that defined her documentaries. It also cannot be watched apart from the Sinti and Roma extras whose faces fill its village scenes, many of whom did not survive the war. Leni Riefenstahl, as star or director, also appears in The Holy Mountain, The Great Leap, The Blue Light, Triumph of the Will, Olympia. Kino Lorber's Blu-ray, restored in 4K from the original negative, is a revelation, with a pristine, richly detailed image, a clean lossless German track, a commentary by Anthony Slide, and a feature-length reel of outtakes that is a remarkable document in its own right. For students of Riefenstahl, of German wartime cinema, or of the uneasy relationship between artistry and complicity, this edition is essential. Strongly recommended!
DVDBeaver retweeted
OUT TODAY!
The Complete Kubrick [4K UHD] - Tom Cruise, Nicole Kidman, Jack Nicholson, Kirk Douglas, Peter Sellers, Laurence Olivier, James Mason, George C. Scott, Sterling Hayden, Malcolm McDowell, Ryan O’Neal, Shelley Duvall @Criterion
US: link.amazon/B06ryq1id
CAN: link.amazon/B0cMELQ8O
OUR REVIEW:
dvdbeaver.com/subsite/film3/…
Killer’s Kiss (1955) / The Killing (1956) / Paths of Glory (1957) / Spartacus (1960) / Lolita (1962) / Dr. Strangelove, or: How I Learned to Stop Worrying and Love the Bomb (1964) / 2001: A Space Odyssey (1968) / A Clockwork Orange (1971) / Barry Lyndon (1975) / The Shining (1980) / Full Metal Jacket (1987) / Eyes Wide Shut (1999) Criterion
The Masters:
All features are presented in Dolby Vision HDR on the 4K UHD discs and in SDR on the Blu-rays. Criterion’s “About the Masters” notes show that nearly every title was restored from its original camera negative, though the restorations come from a mix of sources. Some are Criterion’s own, some are carried over from studio restorations of recent years, and some were done by partner archives.
The three independently produced early features had their 4K debuts on Kino Lorber UHDs, but here they are presented in masters made for Criterion by Duplitech. Killer’s Kiss (1.37:1) comes from the 35mm original camera negative, with a composite fine-grain used for some sections. The Killing and Paths of Glory (both 1.66:1) are also drawn from their camera negatives. The Paths of Glory mono was remastered at 24-bit from UCLA archivist Robert Gitt’s 35mm magnetic track. Fear and Desire (1.37:1) is the exception: it is Kino Lorber’s 4K restoration, made from the camera negative and a Library of Congress fine-grain. The three shorts are new Criterion 4K restorations from Library of Congress elements. These were 35mm prints and a duplicate negative for Day of the Fight and Flying Padre, and the 16mm original reversal for The Seafarers.
The studio-era films largely use existing restorations. Spartacus (2.20:1) is Universal’s 4K restoration from a 6K scan of the original Technirama elements, with Robert A. Harris consulting, and its 7.1 track was remastered from the 70mm six-track printmaster. Dr. Strangelove (1.66:1) is Sony’s 4K restoration, supervised by Grover Crisp and assembled from a fine-grain master, a duplicate negative and a 35mm print. 2001: A Space Odyssey (2.20:1) is Warner’s 4K from an 8K scan of the 65mm camera negative, supervised by Ned Price and Leon Vitali with input from Christopher Nolan and Hoyte van Hoytema. Its original 70mm six-track 5.1 mix is joined by the 35mm general-release mono, which Kubrick mixed without the overture, intermission and exit music, so those passages are silent on that track. A Clockwork Orange (1.66:1), The Shining (1.85:1) and Full Metal Jacket (1.85:1) are Warner 4K restorations from their camera negatives, with Full Metal Jacket graded against both an answer print and Kubrick’s own personal 35mm reference print.
Barry Lyndon and Eyes Wide Shut match Criterion’s own recent 4K editions. Barry Lyndon is framed at 1.66:1 per Kubrick’s December 8th, 1975 letter to projectionists, and was graded against Vitali’s 2000 HD transfer. Eyes Wide Shut (1.85:1) is presented in its international cut, supervised and approved by cinematographer Larry Smith. Its look stems from Kubrick’s deliberate decision to have the negative force-developed by two stops, which accounts for the film’s distinctive grain and glowing low-light palette.
Two presentations are new to 4K UHD. Lolita (1.66:1) is a new 4K restoration from the 35mm original camera negative, using a Warner 35mm print as color reference, with its mono remastered from the original DME magnetic track. Kubrick’s international version of The Shining (119 minutes, against 144 for the U.S. theatrical) comes from the same Warner restoration of the camera negative, with its own mono track remastered from the original magnetic elements.
Since most of these masters have been reviewed before on DVDBeaver, we have used our existing captures from those earlier 4K UHD releases where applicable. New captures will eventually be taken for Lolita and the international version of The Shining.
Audio:
Criterion’s audio approach across the set is admirably purist. Every film is offered with its original soundtrack, and for the mono-era titles that means uncompressed linear PCM mono remastered from the original magnetic elements. Paths of Glory’s was remastered at 24-bit from UCLA archivist Robert Gitt’s 35mm track. For Dr. Strangelove, A Clockwork Orange, Barry Lyndon, both versions of The Shining and Full Metal Jacket, Criterion also includes alternate 5.1 DTS-HD Master Audio remixes, so purists and surround enthusiasts are both served. The early independent features and Lolita are presented in their original mono alone. This is a notable step up from earlier editions. Warner’s 4K UHD of The Shining offered only a 5.1 remix with no mono at all, its Full Metal Jacket UHD relegated the mono to a lossy track, and Sony’s Dr. Strangelove UHD carried only 16-bit lossless tracks. The three large-format productions get special treatment. Spartacus is presented in 7.1 DTS-HD MA remastered from its 70mm six-track printmaster, and it retains the overture, entr’acte and intermission music. 2001: A Space Odyssey is the most generous of all, with its original 70mm six-track theatrical mix in 5.1, an alternate 5.1 remix and the original 35mm general-release mono, which, true to Kubrick’s own 35mm prints, is silent during the overture, intermission and exit music. Eyes Wide Shut is presented in its original theatrical 5.1, remastered from the 35mm magnetic track. Optional English (SDH) subtitles are offered on every feature, and the set is region free. From the portions we have sampled so far, the tracks sound exceptional, clean and faithful to their sources, with the dynamic range of the scores and Kubrick’s carefully chosen music coming through with clarity and weight.
About the Captures
Because of the size of this set and its release date, none of the screen captures in this review are taken from The Complete Kubrick discs. Instead, we have included a single capture per film from our earlier reviews, taken from previous 4K UHD editions or, where none exist, Blu-ray. Several of those editions share their restoration with this set, while others come from different transfers. The captures should therefore be taken as representative of each film’s presentation, not as exact reproductions of the Criterion discs.
Fear and Desire is represented by Kino’s 2024 4K UHD, which uses the same Kino Lorber restoration found in this set. Killer’s Kiss and The Killing come from Kino’s 2022 4K UHDs, and Paths of Glory from the 2024 Masters of Cinema (Eureka) 4K UHD. All three of those earlier discs were scanned from the original camera negatives, but Criterion presents new Duplitech masters here, so the grading and framing may differ.
Spartacus is from Universal’s 2020 4K UHD, which uses the same 2015 restoration from the large-format Technirama elements. Dr. Strangelove is from Sony’s 2021 4K UHD, drawn from the same Sony restoration. 2001: A Space Odyssey comes from Warner’s 2018 4K UHD. The Shining and Full Metal Jacket come from Warner’s 2019 and 2020 4K UHDs respectively. Our Shining capture is from the U.S. theatrical version and serves for both cuts, which share the same restoration in this set. Note that both of those Warner discs were framed at 1.78:1, whereas Criterion presents both films at 1.85:1. Barry Lyndon is from Criterion’s own 2025 4K UHD, which matches the restoration in this set.
For Eyes Wide Shut, our capture is from Criterion’s 2025 Blu-ray of the same Larry Smith–approved restoration, as we were unable to capture from that 4K UHD disc at the time. Lolita and A Clockwork Orange are represented by Warner’s 2011 Blu-rays (the latter its 40th Anniversary Edition). Lolita receives a new 4K restoration in this set, so that capture predates it entirely.
OUR PAST REVIEWS:
Fear and Desire, Killer's Kiss, The Killing, Paths of Glory, Spartacus, Lolita, Dr. Strangelove, 2001: A Space Odyssey, A Clockwork Orange, Barry Lyndon, The Shining, Full Metal Jacket, Eyes Wide Shut
Seen together, Stanley Kubrick's films reveal a remarkably consistent sensibility beneath their wildly varied surfaces. There is the dehumanizing machinery of war, from the trenches of Paths of Glory to the War Room farce of Dr. Strangelove and the Parris Island crucible of Full Metal Jacket. There is the individual crushed or remade by institutional authority in A Clockwork Orange and Barry Lyndon, and there are the hidden currents of desire and power in Lolita and Eyes Wide Shut. Running through all of it is an ironic, coolly precise eye that turned every genre he touched, whether noir, epic, satire, science fiction, horror or costume drama, into something unmistakably his own. Watching the arc from the self-financed Fear and Desire and the gritty New York of Killer's Kiss through to the monumental achievements of 2001: A Space Odyssey and The Shining is a privilege few box sets can offer. Criterion's The Complete Kubrick is a staggering undertaking. Its 30 discs (13 4K UHD and 17 Blu-ray) hold every finished film Kubrick directed, all restored in 4K and presented in Dolby Vision HDR, many from their original camera negatives. It includes Lolita's 4K debut, Kubrick's international cut of The Shining, both versions of Day of the Fight, original soundtracks alongside remixes, over twenty-five hours of supplements, and archive-inspired packaging filled with Kubrick's own notes, slates and correspondence. We are still working our way through the set, but everything we have sampled so far has looked and sounded exceptional. This is the definitive presentation of one of cinema's most exacting artists and an essential acquisition for any serious film collection. Set of the Year - our very highest recommendation!
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Alex Nicol's "The Screaming Skull" Blu-ray - John Hudson, Peggy Webber, Russ Conway, Tony Johnson, Alex Nicol @Eurekavideo
UK: amazon.co.uk/exec/obidos/ASI…
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Alex Nicol's The Screaming Skull is a cheap, compact gothic chiller. It borrows the Rebecca / Gaslight template of the fragile second wife haunted by the first and adds a dose of William Castle-style ballyhoo. The pacing is padded and the dialogue stiff, but the deliberate emptiness of the house and Floyd Crosby's shadowy black-and-white cinematography generate a surprising amount of atmosphere. The film also makes a genuinely interesting choice in its final reel, letting the supernatural in after establishing a purely rational explanation. Peggy Webber (The Space Children, Macbeth) commits fully to Jenni's unraveling and gives the film more sincerity than its budget suggests. Russ Conway, a familiar face from dozens of bit parts in film and television (The Time Tunnel, Our Man Flint, The Beverly Hillbillies, Perry Mason, The Alfred Hitchcock Hour, What Ever Happened to Baby Jane?, Leave It to Beaver, Jennifer, The War of the Worlds, The Turning Point, I Was a Communist for the F.B.I., Woman in Hiding, Twelve O'Clock High, The Heiress, Flamingo Road, An Act of Murder, Larceny, The Naked City, A Double Life, T-Men, The Web), brings quiet authority as the Reverend Snow. Ernest Gold's (Jennifer, The Last Sunset, The Defiant Ones, Inherit the Wind, Cross of Iron, It's a Mad Mad Mad Mad World, On the Beach, The Secret of Santa Vittoria, Dementia, Unknown World etc.) heavy gothic score underlines every skull sighting. It may be closer to "so bad it's good" than to a lost classic, but it has more going for it than its MST3K reputation suggests. The Eureka Blu-ray offers a dual-layered transfer with a much higher bitrate than the Shout! Factory, showing tighter grain from what appears to be the same source, and an uncompressed 24-bit LPCM mono track. The new extras, Stephen Laws' introduction, Mary Going's Ghosts and Gaslight video essay and Jon Towlson's booklet, add real context. As the Shout! is OOP (out of print) owners may want to hold on to their disc - especially for the MST3K episode, however for the best presentation of the film to date, the Eureka is recommended.
Alex Nicol's "The Screaming Skull" Blu-ray - John Hudson, Peggy Webber, Russ Conway, Tony Johnson, Alex Nicol @Eurekavideo
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OUR COMPARISON:
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Alex Nicol's The Screaming Skull is a cheap, compact gothic chiller. It borrows the Rebecca / Gaslight template of the fragile second wife haunted by the first and adds a dose of William Castle-style ballyhoo. The pacing is padded and the dialogue stiff, but the deliberate emptiness of the house and Floyd Crosby's shadowy black-and-white cinematography generate a surprising amount of atmosphere. The film also makes a genuinely interesting choice in its final reel, letting the supernatural in after establishing a purely rational explanation. Peggy Webber (The Space Children, Macbeth) commits fully to Jenni's unraveling and gives the film more sincerity than its budget suggests. Russ Conway, a familiar face from dozens of bit parts in film and television (The Time Tunnel, Our Man Flint, The Beverly Hillbillies, Perry Mason, The Alfred Hitchcock Hour, What Ever Happened to Baby Jane?, Leave It to Beaver, Jennifer, The War of the Worlds, The Turning Point, I Was a Communist for the F.B.I., Woman in Hiding, Twelve O'Clock High, The Heiress, Flamingo Road, An Act of Murder, Larceny, The Naked City, A Double Life, T-Men, The Web), brings quiet authority as the Reverend Snow. Ernest Gold's (Jennifer, The Last Sunset, The Defiant Ones, Inherit the Wind, Cross of Iron, It's a Mad Mad Mad Mad World, On the Beach, The Secret of Santa Vittoria, Dementia, Unknown World etc.) heavy gothic score underlines every skull sighting. It may be closer to "so bad it's good" than to a lost classic, but it has more going for it than its MST3K reputation suggests. The Eureka Blu-ray offers a dual-layered transfer with a much higher bitrate than the Shout! Factory, showing tighter grain from what appears to be the same source, and an uncompressed 24-bit LPCM mono track. The new extras, Stephen Laws' introduction, Mary Going's Ghosts and Gaslight video essay and Jon Towlson's booklet, add real context. As the Shout! is OOP (out of print) owners may want to hold on to their disc - especially for the MST3K episode, however for the best presentation of the film to date, the Eureka is recommended.
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OUT TODAY!
The Complete Kubrick [4K UHD] - Tom Cruise, Nicole Kidman, Jack Nicholson, Kirk Douglas, Peter Sellers, Laurence Olivier, James Mason, George C. Scott, Sterling Hayden, Malcolm McDowell, Ryan O’Neal, Shelley Duvall @Criterion
US: link.amazon/B06ryq1id
CAN: link.amazon/B0cMELQ8O
OUR REVIEW:
dvdbeaver.com/subsite/film3/…
Killer’s Kiss (1955) / The Killing (1956) / Paths of Glory (1957) / Spartacus (1960) / Lolita (1962) / Dr. Strangelove, or: How I Learned to Stop Worrying and Love the Bomb (1964) / 2001: A Space Odyssey (1968) / A Clockwork Orange (1971) / Barry Lyndon (1975) / The Shining (1980) / Full Metal Jacket (1987) / Eyes Wide Shut (1999) Criterion
The Masters:
All features are presented in Dolby Vision HDR on the 4K UHD discs and in SDR on the Blu-rays. Criterion’s “About the Masters” notes show that nearly every title was restored from its original camera negative, though the restorations come from a mix of sources. Some are Criterion’s own, some are carried over from studio restorations of recent years, and some were done by partner archives.
The three independently produced early features had their 4K debuts on Kino Lorber UHDs, but here they are presented in masters made for Criterion by Duplitech. Killer’s Kiss (1.37:1) comes from the 35mm original camera negative, with a composite fine-grain used for some sections. The Killing and Paths of Glory (both 1.66:1) are also drawn from their camera negatives. The Paths of Glory mono was remastered at 24-bit from UCLA archivist Robert Gitt’s 35mm magnetic track. Fear and Desire (1.37:1) is the exception: it is Kino Lorber’s 4K restoration, made from the camera negative and a Library of Congress fine-grain. The three shorts are new Criterion 4K restorations from Library of Congress elements. These were 35mm prints and a duplicate negative for Day of the Fight and Flying Padre, and the 16mm original reversal for The Seafarers.
The studio-era films largely use existing restorations. Spartacus (2.20:1) is Universal’s 4K restoration from a 6K scan of the original Technirama elements, with Robert A. Harris consulting, and its 7.1 track was remastered from the 70mm six-track printmaster. Dr. Strangelove (1.66:1) is Sony’s 4K restoration, supervised by Grover Crisp and assembled from a fine-grain master, a duplicate negative and a 35mm print. 2001: A Space Odyssey (2.20:1) is Warner’s 4K from an 8K scan of the 65mm camera negative, supervised by Ned Price and Leon Vitali with input from Christopher Nolan and Hoyte van Hoytema. Its original 70mm six-track 5.1 mix is joined by the 35mm general-release mono, which Kubrick mixed without the overture, intermission and exit music, so those passages are silent on that track. A Clockwork Orange (1.66:1), The Shining (1.85:1) and Full Metal Jacket (1.85:1) are Warner 4K restorations from their camera negatives, with Full Metal Jacket graded against both an answer print and Kubrick’s own personal 35mm reference print.
Barry Lyndon and Eyes Wide Shut match Criterion’s own recent 4K editions. Barry Lyndon is framed at 1.66:1 per Kubrick’s December 8th, 1975 letter to projectionists, and was graded against Vitali’s 2000 HD transfer. Eyes Wide Shut (1.85:1) is presented in its international cut, supervised and approved by cinematographer Larry Smith. Its look stems from Kubrick’s deliberate decision to have the negative force-developed by two stops, which accounts for the film’s distinctive grain and glowing low-light palette.
Two presentations are new to 4K UHD. Lolita (1.66:1) is a new 4K restoration from the 35mm original camera negative, using a Warner 35mm print as color reference, with its mono remastered from the original DME magnetic track. Kubrick’s international version of The Shining (119 minutes, against 144 for the U.S. theatrical) comes from the same Warner restoration of the camera negative, with its own mono track remastered from the original magnetic elements.
Since most of these masters have been reviewed before on DVDBeaver, we have used our existing captures from those earlier 4K UHD releases where applicable. New captures will eventually be taken for Lolita and the international version of The Shining.
Audio:
Criterion’s audio approach across the set is admirably purist. Every film is offered with its original soundtrack, and for the mono-era titles that means uncompressed linear PCM mono remastered from the original magnetic elements. Paths of Glory’s was remastered at 24-bit from UCLA archivist Robert Gitt’s 35mm track. For Dr. Strangelove, A Clockwork Orange, Barry Lyndon, both versions of The Shining and Full Metal Jacket, Criterion also includes alternate 5.1 DTS-HD Master Audio remixes, so purists and surround enthusiasts are both served. The early independent features and Lolita are presented in their original mono alone. This is a notable step up from earlier editions. Warner’s 4K UHD of The Shining offered only a 5.1 remix with no mono at all, its Full Metal Jacket UHD relegated the mono to a lossy track, and Sony’s Dr. Strangelove UHD carried only 16-bit lossless tracks. The three large-format productions get special treatment. Spartacus is presented in 7.1 DTS-HD MA remastered from its 70mm six-track printmaster, and it retains the overture, entr’acte and intermission music. 2001: A Space Odyssey is the most generous of all, with its original 70mm six-track theatrical mix in 5.1, an alternate 5.1 remix and the original 35mm general-release mono, which, true to Kubrick’s own 35mm prints, is silent during the overture, intermission and exit music. Eyes Wide Shut is presented in its original theatrical 5.1, remastered from the 35mm magnetic track. Optional English (SDH) subtitles are offered on every feature, and the set is region free. From the portions we have sampled so far, the tracks sound exceptional, clean and faithful to their sources, with the dynamic range of the scores and Kubrick’s carefully chosen music coming through with clarity and weight.
About the Captures
Because of the size of this set and its release date, none of the screen captures in this review are taken from The Complete Kubrick discs. Instead, we have included a single capture per film from our earlier reviews, taken from previous 4K UHD editions or, where none exist, Blu-ray. Several of those editions share their restoration with this set, while others come from different transfers. The captures should therefore be taken as representative of each film’s presentation, not as exact reproductions of the Criterion discs.
Fear and Desire is represented by Kino’s 2024 4K UHD, which uses the same Kino Lorber restoration found in this set. Killer’s Kiss and The Killing come from Kino’s 2022 4K UHDs, and Paths of Glory from the 2024 Masters of Cinema (Eureka) 4K UHD. All three of those earlier discs were scanned from the original camera negatives, but Criterion presents new Duplitech masters here, so the grading and framing may differ.
Spartacus is from Universal’s 2020 4K UHD, which uses the same 2015 restoration from the large-format Technirama elements. Dr. Strangelove is from Sony’s 2021 4K UHD, drawn from the same Sony restoration. 2001: A Space Odyssey comes from Warner’s 2018 4K UHD. The Shining and Full Metal Jacket come from Warner’s 2019 and 2020 4K UHDs respectively. Our Shining capture is from the U.S. theatrical version and serves for both cuts, which share the same restoration in this set. Note that both of those Warner discs were framed at 1.78:1, whereas Criterion presents both films at 1.85:1. Barry Lyndon is from Criterion’s own 2025 4K UHD, which matches the restoration in this set.
For Eyes Wide Shut, our capture is from Criterion’s 2025 Blu-ray of the same Larry Smith–approved restoration, as we were unable to capture from that 4K UHD disc at the time. Lolita and A Clockwork Orange are represented by Warner’s 2011 Blu-rays (the latter its 40th Anniversary Edition). Lolita receives a new 4K restoration in this set, so that capture predates it entirely.
OUR PAST REVIEWS:
Fear and Desire, Killer's Kiss, The Killing, Paths of Glory, Spartacus, Lolita, Dr. Strangelove, 2001: A Space Odyssey, A Clockwork Orange, Barry Lyndon, The Shining, Full Metal Jacket, Eyes Wide Shut
Seen together, Stanley Kubrick's films reveal a remarkably consistent sensibility beneath their wildly varied surfaces. There is the dehumanizing machinery of war, from the trenches of Paths of Glory to the War Room farce of Dr. Strangelove and the Parris Island crucible of Full Metal Jacket. There is the individual crushed or remade by institutional authority in A Clockwork Orange and Barry Lyndon, and there are the hidden currents of desire and power in Lolita and Eyes Wide Shut. Running through all of it is an ironic, coolly precise eye that turned every genre he touched, whether noir, epic, satire, science fiction, horror or costume drama, into something unmistakably his own. Watching the arc from the self-financed Fear and Desire and the gritty New York of Killer's Kiss through to the monumental achievements of 2001: A Space Odyssey and The Shining is a privilege few box sets can offer. Criterion's The Complete Kubrick is a staggering undertaking. Its 30 discs (13 4K UHD and 17 Blu-ray) hold every finished film Kubrick directed, all restored in 4K and presented in Dolby Vision HDR, many from their original camera negatives. It includes Lolita's 4K debut, Kubrick's international cut of The Shining, both versions of Day of the Fight, original soundtracks alongside remixes, over twenty-five hours of supplements, and archive-inspired packaging filled with Kubrick's own notes, slates and correspondence. We are still working our way through the set, but everything we have sampled so far has looked and sounded exceptional. This is the definitive presentation of one of cinema's most exacting artists and an essential acquisition for any serious film collection. Set of the Year - our very highest recommendation!
OUT TODAY!
The Complete Kubrick [4K UHD] - Tom Cruise, Nicole Kidman, Jack Nicholson, Kirk Douglas, Peter Sellers, Laurence Olivier, James Mason, George C. Scott, Sterling Hayden, Malcolm McDowell, Ryan O’Neal, Shelley Duvall @Criterion
US: link.amazon/B06ryq1id
CAN: link.amazon/B0cMELQ8O
OUR REVIEW:
dvdbeaver.com/subsite/film3/…
Killer’s Kiss (1955) / The Killing (1956) / Paths of Glory (1957) / Spartacus (1960) / Lolita (1962) / Dr. Strangelove, or: How I Learned to Stop Worrying and Love the Bomb (1964) / 2001: A Space Odyssey (1968) / A Clockwork Orange (1971) / Barry Lyndon (1975) / The Shining (1980) / Full Metal Jacket (1987) / Eyes Wide Shut (1999) Criterion
The Masters:
All features are presented in Dolby Vision HDR on the 4K UHD discs and in SDR on the Blu-rays. Criterion’s “About the Masters” notes show that nearly every title was restored from its original camera negative, though the restorations come from a mix of sources. Some are Criterion’s own, some are carried over from studio restorations of recent years, and some were done by partner archives.
The three independently produced early features had their 4K debuts on Kino Lorber UHDs, but here they are presented in masters made for Criterion by Duplitech. Killer’s Kiss (1.37:1) comes from the 35mm original camera negative, with a composite fine-grain used for some sections. The Killing and Paths of Glory (both 1.66:1) are also drawn from their camera negatives. The Paths of Glory mono was remastered at 24-bit from UCLA archivist Robert Gitt’s 35mm magnetic track. Fear and Desire (1.37:1) is the exception: it is Kino Lorber’s 4K restoration, made from the camera negative and a Library of Congress fine-grain. The three shorts are new Criterion 4K restorations from Library of Congress elements. These were 35mm prints and a duplicate negative for Day of the Fight and Flying Padre, and the 16mm original reversal for The Seafarers.
The studio-era films largely use existing restorations. Spartacus (2.20:1) is Universal’s 4K restoration from a 6K scan of the original Technirama elements, with Robert A. Harris consulting, and its 7.1 track was remastered from the 70mm six-track printmaster. Dr. Strangelove (1.66:1) is Sony’s 4K restoration, supervised by Grover Crisp and assembled from a fine-grain master, a duplicate negative and a 35mm print. 2001: A Space Odyssey (2.20:1) is Warner’s 4K from an 8K scan of the 65mm camera negative, supervised by Ned Price and Leon Vitali with input from Christopher Nolan and Hoyte van Hoytema. Its original 70mm six-track 5.1 mix is joined by the 35mm general-release mono, which Kubrick mixed without the overture, intermission and exit music, so those passages are silent on that track. A Clockwork Orange (1.66:1), The Shining (1.85:1) and Full Metal Jacket (1.85:1) are Warner 4K restorations from their camera negatives, with Full Metal Jacket graded against both an answer print and Kubrick’s own personal 35mm reference print.
Barry Lyndon and Eyes Wide Shut match Criterion’s own recent 4K editions. Barry Lyndon is framed at 1.66:1 per Kubrick’s December 8th, 1975 letter to projectionists, and was graded against Vitali’s 2000 HD transfer. Eyes Wide Shut (1.85:1) is presented in its international cut, supervised and approved by cinematographer Larry Smith. Its look stems from Kubrick’s deliberate decision to have the negative force-developed by two stops, which accounts for the film’s distinctive grain and glowing low-light palette.
Two presentations are new to 4K UHD. Lolita (1.66:1) is a new 4K restoration from the 35mm original camera negative, using a Warner 35mm print as color reference, with its mono remastered from the original DME magnetic track. Kubrick’s international version of The Shining (119 minutes, against 144 for the U.S. theatrical) comes from the same Warner restoration of the camera negative, with its own mono track remastered from the original magnetic elements.
Since most of these masters have been reviewed before on DVDBeaver, we have used our existing captures from those earlier 4K UHD releases where applicable. New captures will eventually be taken for Lolita and the international version of The Shining.
Audio:
Criterion’s audio approach across the set is admirably purist. Every film is offered with its original soundtrack, and for the mono-era titles that means uncompressed linear PCM mono remastered from the original magnetic elements. Paths of Glory’s was remastered at 24-bit from UCLA archivist Robert Gitt’s 35mm track. For Dr. Strangelove, A Clockwork Orange, Barry Lyndon, both versions of The Shining and Full Metal Jacket, Criterion also includes alternate 5.1 DTS-HD Master Audio remixes, so purists and surround enthusiasts are both served. The early independent features and Lolita are presented in their original mono alone. This is a notable step up from earlier editions. Warner’s 4K UHD of The Shining offered only a 5.1 remix with no mono at all, its Full Metal Jacket UHD relegated the mono to a lossy track, and Sony’s Dr. Strangelove UHD carried only 16-bit lossless tracks. The three large-format productions get special treatment. Spartacus is presented in 7.1 DTS-HD MA remastered from its 70mm six-track printmaster, and it retains the overture, entr’acte and intermission music. 2001: A Space Odyssey is the most generous of all, with its original 70mm six-track theatrical mix in 5.1, an alternate 5.1 remix and the original 35mm general-release mono, which, true to Kubrick’s own 35mm prints, is silent during the overture, intermission and exit music. Eyes Wide Shut is presented in its original theatrical 5.1, remastered from the 35mm magnetic track. Optional English (SDH) subtitles are offered on every feature, and the set is region free. From the portions we have sampled so far, the tracks sound exceptional, clean and faithful to their sources, with the dynamic range of the scores and Kubrick’s carefully chosen music coming through with clarity and weight.
About the Captures
Because of the size of this set and its release date, none of the screen captures in this review are taken from The Complete Kubrick discs. Instead, we have included a single capture per film from our earlier reviews, taken from previous 4K UHD editions or, where none exist, Blu-ray. Several of those editions share their restoration with this set, while others come from different transfers. The captures should therefore be taken as representative of each film’s presentation, not as exact reproductions of the Criterion discs.
Fear and Desire is represented by Kino’s 2024 4K UHD, which uses the same Kino Lorber restoration found in this set. Killer’s Kiss and The Killing come from Kino’s 2022 4K UHDs, and Paths of Glory from the 2024 Masters of Cinema (Eureka) 4K UHD. All three of those earlier discs were scanned from the original camera negatives, but Criterion presents new Duplitech masters here, so the grading and framing may differ.
Spartacus is from Universal’s 2020 4K UHD, which uses the same 2015 restoration from the large-format Technirama elements. Dr. Strangelove is from Sony’s 2021 4K UHD, drawn from the same Sony restoration. 2001: A Space Odyssey comes from Warner’s 2018 4K UHD. The Shining and Full Metal Jacket come from Warner’s 2019 and 2020 4K UHDs respectively. Our Shining capture is from the U.S. theatrical version and serves for both cuts, which share the same restoration in this set. Note that both of those Warner discs were framed at 1.78:1, whereas Criterion presents both films at 1.85:1. Barry Lyndon is from Criterion’s own 2025 4K UHD, which matches the restoration in this set.
For Eyes Wide Shut, our capture is from Criterion’s 2025 Blu-ray of the same Larry Smith–approved restoration, as we were unable to capture from that 4K UHD disc at the time. Lolita and A Clockwork Orange are represented by Warner’s 2011 Blu-rays (the latter its 40th Anniversary Edition). Lolita receives a new 4K restoration in this set, so that capture predates it entirely.
OUR PAST REVIEWS:
Fear and Desire, Killer's Kiss, The Killing, Paths of Glory, Spartacus, Lolita, Dr. Strangelove, 2001: A Space Odyssey, A Clockwork Orange, Barry Lyndon, The Shining, Full Metal Jacket, Eyes Wide Shut
Seen together, Stanley Kubrick's films reveal a remarkably consistent sensibility beneath their wildly varied surfaces. There is the dehumanizing machinery of war, from the trenches of Paths of Glory to the War Room farce of Dr. Strangelove and the Parris Island crucible of Full Metal Jacket. There is the individual crushed or remade by institutional authority in A Clockwork Orange and Barry Lyndon, and there are the hidden currents of desire and power in Lolita and Eyes Wide Shut. Running through all of it is an ironic, coolly precise eye that turned every genre he touched, whether noir, epic, satire, science fiction, horror or costume drama, into something unmistakably his own. Watching the arc from the self-financed Fear and Desire and the gritty New York of Killer's Kiss through to the monumental achievements of 2001: A Space Odyssey and The Shining is a privilege few box sets can offer. Criterion's The Complete Kubrick is a staggering undertaking. Its 30 discs (13 4K UHD and 17 Blu-ray) hold every finished film Kubrick directed, all restored in 4K and presented in Dolby Vision HDR, many from their original camera negatives. It includes Lolita's 4K debut, Kubrick's international cut of The Shining, both versions of Day of the Fight, original soundtracks alongside remixes, over twenty-five hours of supplements, and archive-inspired packaging filled with Kubrick's own notes, slates and correspondence. We are still working our way through the set, but everything we have sampled so far has looked and sounded exceptional. This is the definitive presentation of one of cinema's most exacting artists and an essential acquisition for any serious film collection. Set of the Year - our very highest recommendation!
OUT TODAY!
The Complete Kubrick [4K UHD] - Tom Cruise, Nicole Kidman, Jack Nicholson, Kirk Douglas, Peter Sellers, Laurence Olivier, James Mason, George C. Scott, Sterling Hayden, Malcolm McDowell, Ryan O’Neal, Shelley Duvall @Criterion
US: link.amazon/B06ryq1id
CAN: link.amazon/B0cMELQ8O
OUR REVIEW:
dvdbeaver.com/subsite/film3/…
Killer’s Kiss (1955) / The Killing (1956) / Paths of Glory (1957) / Spartacus (1960) / Lolita (1962) / Dr. Strangelove, or: How I Learned to Stop Worrying and Love the Bomb (1964) / 2001: A Space Odyssey (1968) / A Clockwork Orange (1971) / Barry Lyndon (1975) / The Shining (1980) / Full Metal Jacket (1987) / Eyes Wide Shut (1999) Criterion
The Masters:
All features are presented in Dolby Vision HDR on the 4K UHD discs and in SDR on the Blu-rays. Criterion’s “About the Masters” notes show that nearly every title was restored from its original camera negative, though the restorations come from a mix of sources. Some are Criterion’s own, some are carried over from studio restorations of recent years, and some were done by partner archives.
The three independently produced early features had their 4K debuts on Kino Lorber UHDs, but here they are presented in masters made for Criterion by Duplitech. Killer’s Kiss (1.37:1) comes from the 35mm original camera negative, with a composite fine-grain used for some sections. The Killing and Paths of Glory (both 1.66:1) are also drawn from their camera negatives. The Paths of Glory mono was remastered at 24-bit from UCLA archivist Robert Gitt’s 35mm magnetic track. Fear and Desire (1.37:1) is the exception: it is Kino Lorber’s 4K restoration, made from the camera negative and a Library of Congress fine-grain. The three shorts are new Criterion 4K restorations from Library of Congress elements. These were 35mm prints and a duplicate negative for Day of the Fight and Flying Padre, and the 16mm original reversal for The Seafarers.
The studio-era films largely use existing restorations. Spartacus (2.20:1) is Universal’s 4K restoration from a 6K scan of the original Technirama elements, with Robert A. Harris consulting, and its 7.1 track was remastered from the 70mm six-track printmaster. Dr. Strangelove (1.66:1) is Sony’s 4K restoration, supervised by Grover Crisp and assembled from a fine-grain master, a duplicate negative and a 35mm print. 2001: A Space Odyssey (2.20:1) is Warner’s 4K from an 8K scan of the 65mm camera negative, supervised by Ned Price and Leon Vitali with input from Christopher Nolan and Hoyte van Hoytema. Its original 70mm six-track 5.1 mix is joined by the 35mm general-release mono, which Kubrick mixed without the overture, intermission and exit music, so those passages are silent on that track. A Clockwork Orange (1.66:1), The Shining (1.85:1) and Full Metal Jacket (1.85:1) are Warner 4K restorations from their camera negatives, with Full Metal Jacket graded against both an answer print and Kubrick’s own personal 35mm reference print.
Barry Lyndon and Eyes Wide Shut match Criterion’s own recent 4K editions. Barry Lyndon is framed at 1.66:1 per Kubrick’s December 8th, 1975 letter to projectionists, and was graded against Vitali’s 2000 HD transfer. Eyes Wide Shut (1.85:1) is presented in its international cut, supervised and approved by cinematographer Larry Smith. Its look stems from Kubrick’s deliberate decision to have the negative force-developed by two stops, which accounts for the film’s distinctive grain and glowing low-light palette.
Two presentations are new to 4K UHD. Lolita (1.66:1) is a new 4K restoration from the 35mm original camera negative, using a Warner 35mm print as color reference, with its mono remastered from the original DME magnetic track. Kubrick’s international version of The Shining (119 minutes, against 144 for the U.S. theatrical) comes from the same Warner restoration of the camera negative, with its own mono track remastered from the original magnetic elements.
Since most of these masters have been reviewed before on DVDBeaver, we have used our existing captures from those earlier 4K UHD releases where applicable. New captures will eventually be taken for Lolita and the international version of The Shining.
Audio:
Criterion’s audio approach across the set is admirably purist. Every film is offered with its original soundtrack, and for the mono-era titles that means uncompressed linear PCM mono remastered from the original magnetic elements. Paths of Glory’s was remastered at 24-bit from UCLA archivist Robert Gitt’s 35mm track. For Dr. Strangelove, A Clockwork Orange, Barry Lyndon, both versions of The Shining and Full Metal Jacket, Criterion also includes alternate 5.1 DTS-HD Master Audio remixes, so purists and surround enthusiasts are both served. The early independent features and Lolita are presented in their original mono alone. This is a notable step up from earlier editions. Warner’s 4K UHD of The Shining offered only a 5.1 remix with no mono at all, its Full Metal Jacket UHD relegated the mono to a lossy track, and Sony’s Dr. Strangelove UHD carried only 16-bit lossless tracks. The three large-format productions get special treatment. Spartacus is presented in 7.1 DTS-HD MA remastered from its 70mm six-track printmaster, and it retains the overture, entr’acte and intermission music. 2001: A Space Odyssey is the most generous of all, with its original 70mm six-track theatrical mix in 5.1, an alternate 5.1 remix and the original 35mm general-release mono, which, true to Kubrick’s own 35mm prints, is silent during the overture, intermission and exit music. Eyes Wide Shut is presented in its original theatrical 5.1, remastered from the 35mm magnetic track. Optional English (SDH) subtitles are offered on every feature, and the set is region free. From the portions we have sampled so far, the tracks sound exceptional, clean and faithful to their sources, with the dynamic range of the scores and Kubrick’s carefully chosen music coming through with clarity and weight.
About the Captures
Because of the size of this set and its release date, none of the screen captures in this review are taken from The Complete Kubrick discs. Instead, we have included a single capture per film from our earlier reviews, taken from previous 4K UHD editions or, where none exist, Blu-ray. Several of those editions share their restoration with this set, while others come from different transfers. The captures should therefore be taken as representative of each film’s presentation, not as exact reproductions of the Criterion discs.
Fear and Desire is represented by Kino’s 2024 4K UHD, which uses the same Kino Lorber restoration found in this set. Killer’s Kiss and The Killing come from Kino’s 2022 4K UHDs, and Paths of Glory from the 2024 Masters of Cinema (Eureka) 4K UHD. All three of those earlier discs were scanned from the original camera negatives, but Criterion presents new Duplitech masters here, so the grading and framing may differ.
Spartacus is from Universal’s 2020 4K UHD, which uses the same 2015 restoration from the large-format Technirama elements. Dr. Strangelove is from Sony’s 2021 4K UHD, drawn from the same Sony restoration. 2001: A Space Odyssey comes from Warner’s 2018 4K UHD. The Shining and Full Metal Jacket come from Warner’s 2019 and 2020 4K UHDs respectively. Our Shining capture is from the U.S. theatrical version and serves for both cuts, which share the same restoration in this set. Note that both of those Warner discs were framed at 1.78:1, whereas Criterion presents both films at 1.85:1. Barry Lyndon is from Criterion’s own 2025 4K UHD, which matches the restoration in this set.
For Eyes Wide Shut, our capture is from Criterion’s 2025 Blu-ray of the same Larry Smith–approved restoration, as we were unable to capture from that 4K UHD disc at the time. Lolita and A Clockwork Orange are represented by Warner’s 2011 Blu-rays (the latter its 40th Anniversary Edition). Lolita receives a new 4K restoration in this set, so that capture predates it entirely.
OUR PAST REVIEWS:
Fear and Desire, Killer's Kiss, The Killing, Paths of Glory, Spartacus, Lolita, Dr. Strangelove, 2001: A Space Odyssey, A Clockwork Orange, Barry Lyndon, The Shining, Full Metal Jacket, Eyes Wide Shut
Seen together, Stanley Kubrick's films reveal a remarkably consistent sensibility beneath their wildly varied surfaces. There is the dehumanizing machinery of war, from the trenches of Paths of Glory to the War Room farce of Dr. Strangelove and the Parris Island crucible of Full Metal Jacket. There is the individual crushed or remade by institutional authority in A Clockwork Orange and Barry Lyndon, and there are the hidden currents of desire and power in Lolita and Eyes Wide Shut. Running through all of it is an ironic, coolly precise eye that turned every genre he touched, whether noir, epic, satire, science fiction, horror or costume drama, into something unmistakably his own. Watching the arc from the self-financed Fear and Desire and the gritty New York of Killer's Kiss through to the monumental achievements of 2001: A Space Odyssey and The Shining is a privilege few box sets can offer. Criterion's The Complete Kubrick is a staggering undertaking. Its 30 discs (13 4K UHD and 17 Blu-ray) hold every finished film Kubrick directed, all restored in 4K and presented in Dolby Vision HDR, many from their original camera negatives. It includes Lolita's 4K debut, Kubrick's international cut of The Shining, both versions of Day of the Fight, original soundtracks alongside remixes, over twenty-five hours of supplements, and archive-inspired packaging filled with Kubrick's own notes, slates and correspondence. We are still working our way through the set, but everything we have sampled so far has looked and sounded exceptional. This is the definitive presentation of one of cinema's most exacting artists and an essential acquisition for any serious film collection. Set of the Year - our very highest recommendation!
OUT TODAY!
The Complete Kubrick [4K UHD] - Tom Cruise, Nicole Kidman, Jack Nicholson, Kirk Douglas, Peter Sellers, Laurence Olivier, James Mason, George C. Scott, Sterling Hayden, Malcolm McDowell, Ryan O’Neal, Shelley Duvall @Criterion
US: link.amazon/B06ryq1id
CAN: link.amazon/B0cMELQ8O
OUR REVIEW:
dvdbeaver.com/subsite/film3/…
Killer’s Kiss (1955) / The Killing (1956) / Paths of Glory (1957) / Spartacus (1960) / Lolita (1962) / Dr. Strangelove, or: How I Learned to Stop Worrying and Love the Bomb (1964) / 2001: A Space Odyssey (1968) / A Clockwork Orange (1971) / Barry Lyndon (1975) / The Shining (1980) / Full Metal Jacket (1987) / Eyes Wide Shut (1999) Criterion
The Masters:
All features are presented in Dolby Vision HDR on the 4K UHD discs and in SDR on the Blu-rays. Criterion’s “About the Masters” notes show that nearly every title was restored from its original camera negative, though the restorations come from a mix of sources. Some are Criterion’s own, some are carried over from studio restorations of recent years, and some were done by partner archives.
The three independently produced early features had their 4K debuts on Kino Lorber UHDs, but here they are presented in masters made for Criterion by Duplitech. Killer’s Kiss (1.37:1) comes from the 35mm original camera negative, with a composite fine-grain used for some sections. The Killing and Paths of Glory (both 1.66:1) are also drawn from their camera negatives. The Paths of Glory mono was remastered at 24-bit from UCLA archivist Robert Gitt’s 35mm magnetic track. Fear and Desire (1.37:1) is the exception: it is Kino Lorber’s 4K restoration, made from the camera negative and a Library of Congress fine-grain. The three shorts are new Criterion 4K restorations from Library of Congress elements. These were 35mm prints and a duplicate negative for Day of the Fight and Flying Padre, and the 16mm original reversal for The Seafarers.
The studio-era films largely use existing restorations. Spartacus (2.20:1) is Universal’s 4K restoration from a 6K scan of the original Technirama elements, with Robert A. Harris consulting, and its 7.1 track was remastered from the 70mm six-track printmaster. Dr. Strangelove (1.66:1) is Sony’s 4K restoration, supervised by Grover Crisp and assembled from a fine-grain master, a duplicate negative and a 35mm print. 2001: A Space Odyssey (2.20:1) is Warner’s 4K from an 8K scan of the 65mm camera negative, supervised by Ned Price and Leon Vitali with input from Christopher Nolan and Hoyte van Hoytema. Its original 70mm six-track 5.1 mix is joined by the 35mm general-release mono, which Kubrick mixed without the overture, intermission and exit music, so those passages are silent on that track. A Clockwork Orange (1.66:1), The Shining (1.85:1) and Full Metal Jacket (1.85:1) are Warner 4K restorations from their camera negatives, with Full Metal Jacket graded against both an answer print and Kubrick’s own personal 35mm reference print.
Barry Lyndon and Eyes Wide Shut match Criterion’s own recent 4K editions. Barry Lyndon is framed at 1.66:1 per Kubrick’s December 8th, 1975 letter to projectionists, and was graded against Vitali’s 2000 HD transfer. Eyes Wide Shut (1.85:1) is presented in its international cut, supervised and approved by cinematographer Larry Smith. Its look stems from Kubrick’s deliberate decision to have the negative force-developed by two stops, which accounts for the film’s distinctive grain and glowing low-light palette.
Two presentations are new to 4K UHD. Lolita (1.66:1) is a new 4K restoration from the 35mm original camera negative, using a Warner 35mm print as color reference, with its mono remastered from the original DME magnetic track. Kubrick’s international version of The Shining (119 minutes, against 144 for the U.S. theatrical) comes from the same Warner restoration of the camera negative, with its own mono track remastered from the original magnetic elements.
Since most of these masters have been reviewed before on DVDBeaver, we have used our existing captures from those earlier 4K UHD releases where applicable. New captures will eventually be taken for Lolita and the international version of The Shining.
Audio:
Criterion’s audio approach across the set is admirably purist. Every film is offered with its original soundtrack, and for the mono-era titles that means uncompressed linear PCM mono remastered from the original magnetic elements. Paths of Glory’s was remastered at 24-bit from UCLA archivist Robert Gitt’s 35mm track. For Dr. Strangelove, A Clockwork Orange, Barry Lyndon, both versions of The Shining and Full Metal Jacket, Criterion also includes alternate 5.1 DTS-HD Master Audio remixes, so purists and surround enthusiasts are both served. The early independent features and Lolita are presented in their original mono alone. This is a notable step up from earlier editions. Warner’s 4K UHD of The Shining offered only a 5.1 remix with no mono at all, its Full Metal Jacket UHD relegated the mono to a lossy track, and Sony’s Dr. Strangelove UHD carried only 16-bit lossless tracks. The three large-format productions get special treatment. Spartacus is presented in 7.1 DTS-HD MA remastered from its 70mm six-track printmaster, and it retains the overture, entr’acte and intermission music. 2001: A Space Odyssey is the most generous of all, with its original 70mm six-track theatrical mix in 5.1, an alternate 5.1 remix and the original 35mm general-release mono, which, true to Kubrick’s own 35mm prints, is silent during the overture, intermission and exit music. Eyes Wide Shut is presented in its original theatrical 5.1, remastered from the 35mm magnetic track. Optional English (SDH) subtitles are offered on every feature, and the set is region free. From the portions we have sampled so far, the tracks sound exceptional, clean and faithful to their sources, with the dynamic range of the scores and Kubrick’s carefully chosen music coming through with clarity and weight.
About the Captures
Because of the size of this set and its release date, none of the screen captures in this review are taken from The Complete Kubrick discs. Instead, we have included a single capture per film from our earlier reviews, taken from previous 4K UHD editions or, where none exist, Blu-ray. Several of those editions share their restoration with this set, while others come from different transfers. The captures should therefore be taken as representative of each film’s presentation, not as exact reproductions of the Criterion discs.
Fear and Desire is represented by Kino’s 2024 4K UHD, which uses the same Kino Lorber restoration found in this set. Killer’s Kiss and The Killing come from Kino’s 2022 4K UHDs, and Paths of Glory from the 2024 Masters of Cinema (Eureka) 4K UHD. All three of those earlier discs were scanned from the original camera negatives, but Criterion presents new Duplitech masters here, so the grading and framing may differ.
Spartacus is from Universal’s 2020 4K UHD, which uses the same 2015 restoration from the large-format Technirama elements. Dr. Strangelove is from Sony’s 2021 4K UHD, drawn from the same Sony restoration. 2001: A Space Odyssey comes from Warner’s 2018 4K UHD. The Shining and Full Metal Jacket come from Warner’s 2019 and 2020 4K UHDs respectively. Our Shining capture is from the U.S. theatrical version and serves for both cuts, which share the same restoration in this set. Note that both of those Warner discs were framed at 1.78:1, whereas Criterion presents both films at 1.85:1. Barry Lyndon is from Criterion’s own 2025 4K UHD, which matches the restoration in this set.
For Eyes Wide Shut, our capture is from Criterion’s 2025 Blu-ray of the same Larry Smith–approved restoration, as we were unable to capture from that 4K UHD disc at the time. Lolita and A Clockwork Orange are represented by Warner’s 2011 Blu-rays (the latter its 40th Anniversary Edition). Lolita receives a new 4K restoration in this set, so that capture predates it entirely.
OUR PAST REVIEWS:
Fear and Desire, Killer's Kiss, The Killing, Paths of Glory, Spartacus, Lolita, Dr. Strangelove, 2001: A Space Odyssey, A Clockwork Orange, Barry Lyndon, The Shining, Full Metal Jacket, Eyes Wide Shut
Seen together, Stanley Kubrick's films reveal a remarkably consistent sensibility beneath their wildly varied surfaces. There is the dehumanizing machinery of war, from the trenches of Paths of Glory to the War Room farce of Dr. Strangelove and the Parris Island crucible of Full Metal Jacket. There is the individual crushed or remade by institutional authority in A Clockwork Orange and Barry Lyndon, and there are the hidden currents of desire and power in Lolita and Eyes Wide Shut. Running through all of it is an ironic, coolly precise eye that turned every genre he touched, whether noir, epic, satire, science fiction, horror or costume drama, into something unmistakably his own. Watching the arc from the self-financed Fear and Desire and the gritty New York of Killer's Kiss through to the monumental achievements of 2001: A Space Odyssey and The Shining is a privilege few box sets can offer. Criterion's The Complete Kubrick is a staggering undertaking. Its 30 discs (13 4K UHD and 17 Blu-ray) hold every finished film Kubrick directed, all restored in 4K and presented in Dolby Vision HDR, many from their original camera negatives. It includes Lolita's 4K debut, Kubrick's international cut of The Shining, both versions of Day of the Fight, original soundtracks alongside remixes, over twenty-five hours of supplements, and archive-inspired packaging filled with Kubrick's own notes, slates and correspondence. We are still working our way through the set, but everything we have sampled so far has looked and sounded exceptional. This is the definitive presentation of one of cinema's most exacting artists and an essential acquisition for any serious film collection. Set of the Year - our very highest recommendation!
OUT TODAY!
The Complete Kubrick [4K UHD] - Tom Cruise, Nicole Kidman, Jack Nicholson, Kirk Douglas, Peter Sellers, Laurence Olivier, James Mason, George C. Scott, Sterling Hayden, Malcolm McDowell, Ryan O’Neal, Shelley Duvall @Criterion
US: link.amazon/B06ryq1id
CAN: link.amazon/B0cMELQ8O
OUR REVIEW:
dvdbeaver.com/subsite/film3/…
Killer’s Kiss (1955) / The Killing (1956) / Paths of Glory (1957) / Spartacus (1960) / Lolita (1962) / Dr. Strangelove, or: How I Learned to Stop Worrying and Love the Bomb (1964) / 2001: A Space Odyssey (1968) / A Clockwork Orange (1971) / Barry Lyndon (1975) / The Shining (1980) / Full Metal Jacket (1987) / Eyes Wide Shut (1999) Criterion
The Masters:
All features are presented in Dolby Vision HDR on the 4K UHD discs and in SDR on the Blu-rays. Criterion’s “About the Masters” notes show that nearly every title was restored from its original camera negative, though the restorations come from a mix of sources. Some are Criterion’s own, some are carried over from studio restorations of recent years, and some were done by partner archives.
The three independently produced early features had their 4K debuts on Kino Lorber UHDs, but here they are presented in masters made for Criterion by Duplitech. Killer’s Kiss (1.37:1) comes from the 35mm original camera negative, with a composite fine-grain used for some sections. The Killing and Paths of Glory (both 1.66:1) are also drawn from their camera negatives. The Paths of Glory mono was remastered at 24-bit from UCLA archivist Robert Gitt’s 35mm magnetic track. Fear and Desire (1.37:1) is the exception: it is Kino Lorber’s 4K restoration, made from the camera negative and a Library of Congress fine-grain. The three shorts are new Criterion 4K restorations from Library of Congress elements. These were 35mm prints and a duplicate negative for Day of the Fight and Flying Padre, and the 16mm original reversal for The Seafarers.
The studio-era films largely use existing restorations. Spartacus (2.20:1) is Universal’s 4K restoration from a 6K scan of the original Technirama elements, with Robert A. Harris consulting, and its 7.1 track was remastered from the 70mm six-track printmaster. Dr. Strangelove (1.66:1) is Sony’s 4K restoration, supervised by Grover Crisp and assembled from a fine-grain master, a duplicate negative and a 35mm print. 2001: A Space Odyssey (2.20:1) is Warner’s 4K from an 8K scan of the 65mm camera negative, supervised by Ned Price and Leon Vitali with input from Christopher Nolan and Hoyte van Hoytema. Its original 70mm six-track 5.1 mix is joined by the 35mm general-release mono, which Kubrick mixed without the overture, intermission and exit music, so those passages are silent on that track. A Clockwork Orange (1.66:1), The Shining (1.85:1) and Full Metal Jacket (1.85:1) are Warner 4K restorations from their camera negatives, with Full Metal Jacket graded against both an answer print and Kubrick’s own personal 35mm reference print.
Barry Lyndon and Eyes Wide Shut match Criterion’s own recent 4K editions. Barry Lyndon is framed at 1.66:1 per Kubrick’s December 8th, 1975 letter to projectionists, and was graded against Vitali’s 2000 HD transfer. Eyes Wide Shut (1.85:1) is presented in its international cut, supervised and approved by cinematographer Larry Smith. Its look stems from Kubrick’s deliberate decision to have the negative force-developed by two stops, which accounts for the film’s distinctive grain and glowing low-light palette.
Two presentations are new to 4K UHD. Lolita (1.66:1) is a new 4K restoration from the 35mm original camera negative, using a Warner 35mm print as color reference, with its mono remastered from the original DME magnetic track. Kubrick’s international version of The Shining (119 minutes, against 144 for the U.S. theatrical) comes from the same Warner restoration of the camera negative, with its own mono track remastered from the original magnetic elements.
Since most of these masters have been reviewed before on DVDBeaver, we have used our existing captures from those earlier 4K UHD releases where applicable. New captures will eventually be taken for Lolita and the international version of The Shining.
Audio:
Criterion’s audio approach across the set is admirably purist. Every film is offered with its original soundtrack, and for the mono-era titles that means uncompressed linear PCM mono remastered from the original magnetic elements. Paths of Glory’s was remastered at 24-bit from UCLA archivist Robert Gitt’s 35mm track. For Dr. Strangelove, A Clockwork Orange, Barry Lyndon, both versions of The Shining and Full Metal Jacket, Criterion also includes alternate 5.1 DTS-HD Master Audio remixes, so purists and surround enthusiasts are both served. The early independent features and Lolita are presented in their original mono alone. This is a notable step up from earlier editions. Warner’s 4K UHD of The Shining offered only a 5.1 remix with no mono at all, its Full Metal Jacket UHD relegated the mono to a lossy track, and Sony’s Dr. Strangelove UHD carried only 16-bit lossless tracks. The three large-format productions get special treatment. Spartacus is presented in 7.1 DTS-HD MA remastered from its 70mm six-track printmaster, and it retains the overture, entr’acte and intermission music. 2001: A Space Odyssey is the most generous of all, with its original 70mm six-track theatrical mix in 5.1, an alternate 5.1 remix and the original 35mm general-release mono, which, true to Kubrick’s own 35mm prints, is silent during the overture, intermission and exit music. Eyes Wide Shut is presented in its original theatrical 5.1, remastered from the 35mm magnetic track. Optional English (SDH) subtitles are offered on every feature, and the set is region free. From the portions we have sampled so far, the tracks sound exceptional, clean and faithful to their sources, with the dynamic range of the scores and Kubrick’s carefully chosen music coming through with clarity and weight.
About the Captures
Because of the size of this set and its release date, none of the screen captures in this review are taken from The Complete Kubrick discs. Instead, we have included a single capture per film from our earlier reviews, taken from previous 4K UHD editions or, where none exist, Blu-ray. Several of those editions share their restoration with this set, while others come from different transfers. The captures should therefore be taken as representative of each film’s presentation, not as exact reproductions of the Criterion discs.
Fear and Desire is represented by Kino’s 2024 4K UHD, which uses the same Kino Lorber restoration found in this set. Killer’s Kiss and The Killing come from Kino’s 2022 4K UHDs, and Paths of Glory from the 2024 Masters of Cinema (Eureka) 4K UHD. All three of those earlier discs were scanned from the original camera negatives, but Criterion presents new Duplitech masters here, so the grading and framing may differ.
Spartacus is from Universal’s 2020 4K UHD, which uses the same 2015 restoration from the large-format Technirama elements. Dr. Strangelove is from Sony’s 2021 4K UHD, drawn from the same Sony restoration. 2001: A Space Odyssey comes from Warner’s 2018 4K UHD. The Shining and Full Metal Jacket come from Warner’s 2019 and 2020 4K UHDs respectively. Our Shining capture is from the U.S. theatrical version and serves for both cuts, which share the same restoration in this set. Note that both of those Warner discs were framed at 1.78:1, whereas Criterion presents both films at 1.85:1. Barry Lyndon is from Criterion’s own 2025 4K UHD, which matches the restoration in this set.
For Eyes Wide Shut, our capture is from Criterion’s 2025 Blu-ray of the same Larry Smith–approved restoration, as we were unable to capture from that 4K UHD disc at the time. Lolita and A Clockwork Orange are represented by Warner’s 2011 Blu-rays (the latter its 40th Anniversary Edition). Lolita receives a new 4K restoration in this set, so that capture predates it entirely.
OUR PAST REVIEWS:
Fear and Desire, Killer's Kiss, The Killing, Paths of Glory, Spartacus, Lolita, Dr. Strangelove, 2001: A Space Odyssey, A Clockwork Orange, Barry Lyndon, The Shining, Full Metal Jacket, Eyes Wide Shut
Seen together, Stanley Kubrick's films reveal a remarkably consistent sensibility beneath their wildly varied surfaces. There is the dehumanizing machinery of war, from the trenches of Paths of Glory to the War Room farce of Dr. Strangelove and the Parris Island crucible of Full Metal Jacket. There is the individual crushed or remade by institutional authority in A Clockwork Orange and Barry Lyndon, and there are the hidden currents of desire and power in Lolita and Eyes Wide Shut. Running through all of it is an ironic, coolly precise eye that turned every genre he touched, whether noir, epic, satire, science fiction, horror or costume drama, into something unmistakably his own. Watching the arc from the self-financed Fear and Desire and the gritty New York of Killer's Kiss through to the monumental achievements of 2001: A Space Odyssey and The Shining is a privilege few box sets can offer. Criterion's The Complete Kubrick is a staggering undertaking. Its 30 discs (13 4K UHD and 17 Blu-ray) hold every finished film Kubrick directed, all restored in 4K and presented in Dolby Vision HDR, many from their original camera negatives. It includes Lolita's 4K debut, Kubrick's international cut of The Shining, both versions of Day of the Fight, original soundtracks alongside remixes, over twenty-five hours of supplements, and archive-inspired packaging filled with Kubrick's own notes, slates and correspondence. We are still working our way through the set, but everything we have sampled so far has looked and sounded exceptional. This is the definitive presentation of one of cinema's most exacting artists and an essential acquisition for any serious film collection. Set of the Year - our very highest recommendation!
DVDBeaver retweeted
OUT TODAY!
The Complete Kubrick [4K UHD] - Tom Cruise, Nicole Kidman, Jack Nicholson, Kirk Douglas, Peter Sellers, Laurence Olivier, James Mason, George C. Scott, Sterling Hayden, Malcolm McDowell, Ryan O’Neal, Shelley Duvall @Criterion
US: link.amazon/B06ryq1id
CAN: link.amazon/B0cMELQ8O
OUR REVIEW:
dvdbeaver.com/subsite/film3/…
Killer’s Kiss (1955) / The Killing (1956) / Paths of Glory (1957) / Spartacus (1960) / Lolita (1962) / Dr. Strangelove, or: How I Learned to Stop Worrying and Love the Bomb (1964) / 2001: A Space Odyssey (1968) / A Clockwork Orange (1971) / Barry Lyndon (1975) / The Shining (1980) / Full Metal Jacket (1987) / Eyes Wide Shut (1999) Criterion
The Masters:
All features are presented in Dolby Vision HDR on the 4K UHD discs and in SDR on the Blu-rays. Criterion’s “About the Masters” notes show that nearly every title was restored from its original camera negative, though the restorations come from a mix of sources. Some are Criterion’s own, some are carried over from studio restorations of recent years, and some were done by partner archives.
The three independently produced early features had their 4K debuts on Kino Lorber UHDs, but here they are presented in masters made for Criterion by Duplitech. Killer’s Kiss (1.37:1) comes from the 35mm original camera negative, with a composite fine-grain used for some sections. The Killing and Paths of Glory (both 1.66:1) are also drawn from their camera negatives. The Paths of Glory mono was remastered at 24-bit from UCLA archivist Robert Gitt’s 35mm magnetic track. Fear and Desire (1.37:1) is the exception: it is Kino Lorber’s 4K restoration, made from the camera negative and a Library of Congress fine-grain. The three shorts are new Criterion 4K restorations from Library of Congress elements. These were 35mm prints and a duplicate negative for Day of the Fight and Flying Padre, and the 16mm original reversal for The Seafarers.
The studio-era films largely use existing restorations. Spartacus (2.20:1) is Universal’s 4K restoration from a 6K scan of the original Technirama elements, with Robert A. Harris consulting, and its 7.1 track was remastered from the 70mm six-track printmaster. Dr. Strangelove (1.66:1) is Sony’s 4K restoration, supervised by Grover Crisp and assembled from a fine-grain master, a duplicate negative and a 35mm print. 2001: A Space Odyssey (2.20:1) is Warner’s 4K from an 8K scan of the 65mm camera negative, supervised by Ned Price and Leon Vitali with input from Christopher Nolan and Hoyte van Hoytema. Its original 70mm six-track 5.1 mix is joined by the 35mm general-release mono, which Kubrick mixed without the overture, intermission and exit music, so those passages are silent on that track. A Clockwork Orange (1.66:1), The Shining (1.85:1) and Full Metal Jacket (1.85:1) are Warner 4K restorations from their camera negatives, with Full Metal Jacket graded against both an answer print and Kubrick’s own personal 35mm reference print.
Barry Lyndon and Eyes Wide Shut match Criterion’s own recent 4K editions. Barry Lyndon is framed at 1.66:1 per Kubrick’s December 8th, 1975 letter to projectionists, and was graded against Vitali’s 2000 HD transfer. Eyes Wide Shut (1.85:1) is presented in its international cut, supervised and approved by cinematographer Larry Smith. Its look stems from Kubrick’s deliberate decision to have the negative force-developed by two stops, which accounts for the film’s distinctive grain and glowing low-light palette.
Two presentations are new to 4K UHD. Lolita (1.66:1) is a new 4K restoration from the 35mm original camera negative, using a Warner 35mm print as color reference, with its mono remastered from the original DME magnetic track. Kubrick’s international version of The Shining (119 minutes, against 144 for the U.S. theatrical) comes from the same Warner restoration of the camera negative, with its own mono track remastered from the original magnetic elements.
Since most of these masters have been reviewed before on DVDBeaver, we have used our existing captures from those earlier 4K UHD releases where applicable. New captures will eventually be taken for Lolita and the international version of The Shining.
Audio:
Criterion’s audio approach across the set is admirably purist. Every film is offered with its original soundtrack, and for the mono-era titles that means uncompressed linear PCM mono remastered from the original magnetic elements. Paths of Glory’s was remastered at 24-bit from UCLA archivist Robert Gitt’s 35mm track. For Dr. Strangelove, A Clockwork Orange, Barry Lyndon, both versions of The Shining and Full Metal Jacket, Criterion also includes alternate 5.1 DTS-HD Master Audio remixes, so purists and surround enthusiasts are both served. The early independent features and Lolita are presented in their original mono alone. This is a notable step up from earlier editions. Warner’s 4K UHD of The Shining offered only a 5.1 remix with no mono at all, its Full Metal Jacket UHD relegated the mono to a lossy track, and Sony’s Dr. Strangelove UHD carried only 16-bit lossless tracks. The three large-format productions get special treatment. Spartacus is presented in 7.1 DTS-HD MA remastered from its 70mm six-track printmaster, and it retains the overture, entr’acte and intermission music. 2001: A Space Odyssey is the most generous of all, with its original 70mm six-track theatrical mix in 5.1, an alternate 5.1 remix and the original 35mm general-release mono, which, true to Kubrick’s own 35mm prints, is silent during the overture, intermission and exit music. Eyes Wide Shut is presented in its original theatrical 5.1, remastered from the 35mm magnetic track. Optional English (SDH) subtitles are offered on every feature, and the set is region free. From the portions we have sampled so far, the tracks sound exceptional, clean and faithful to their sources, with the dynamic range of the scores and Kubrick’s carefully chosen music coming through with clarity and weight.
About the Captures
Because of the size of this set and its release date, none of the screen captures in this review are taken from The Complete Kubrick discs. Instead, we have included a single capture per film from our earlier reviews, taken from previous 4K UHD editions or, where none exist, Blu-ray. Several of those editions share their restoration with this set, while others come from different transfers. The captures should therefore be taken as representative of each film’s presentation, not as exact reproductions of the Criterion discs.
Fear and Desire is represented by Kino’s 2024 4K UHD, which uses the same Kino Lorber restoration found in this set. Killer’s Kiss and The Killing come from Kino’s 2022 4K UHDs, and Paths of Glory from the 2024 Masters of Cinema (Eureka) 4K UHD. All three of those earlier discs were scanned from the original camera negatives, but Criterion presents new Duplitech masters here, so the grading and framing may differ.
Spartacus is from Universal’s 2020 4K UHD, which uses the same 2015 restoration from the large-format Technirama elements. Dr. Strangelove is from Sony’s 2021 4K UHD, drawn from the same Sony restoration. 2001: A Space Odyssey comes from Warner’s 2018 4K UHD. The Shining and Full Metal Jacket come from Warner’s 2019 and 2020 4K UHDs respectively. Our Shining capture is from the U.S. theatrical version and serves for both cuts, which share the same restoration in this set. Note that both of those Warner discs were framed at 1.78:1, whereas Criterion presents both films at 1.85:1. Barry Lyndon is from Criterion’s own 2025 4K UHD, which matches the restoration in this set.
For Eyes Wide Shut, our capture is from Criterion’s 2025 Blu-ray of the same Larry Smith–approved restoration, as we were unable to capture from that 4K UHD disc at the time. Lolita and A Clockwork Orange are represented by Warner’s 2011 Blu-rays (the latter its 40th Anniversary Edition). Lolita receives a new 4K restoration in this set, so that capture predates it entirely.
OUR PAST REVIEWS:
Fear and Desire, Killer's Kiss, The Killing, Paths of Glory, Spartacus, Lolita, Dr. Strangelove, 2001: A Space Odyssey, A Clockwork Orange, Barry Lyndon, The Shining, Full Metal Jacket, Eyes Wide Shut
Seen together, Stanley Kubrick's films reveal a remarkably consistent sensibility beneath their wildly varied surfaces. There is the dehumanizing machinery of war, from the trenches of Paths of Glory to the War Room farce of Dr. Strangelove and the Parris Island crucible of Full Metal Jacket. There is the individual crushed or remade by institutional authority in A Clockwork Orange and Barry Lyndon, and there are the hidden currents of desire and power in Lolita and Eyes Wide Shut. Running through all of it is an ironic, coolly precise eye that turned every genre he touched, whether noir, epic, satire, science fiction, horror or costume drama, into something unmistakably his own. Watching the arc from the self-financed Fear and Desire and the gritty New York of Killer's Kiss through to the monumental achievements of 2001: A Space Odyssey and The Shining is a privilege few box sets can offer. Criterion's The Complete Kubrick is a staggering undertaking. Its 30 discs (13 4K UHD and 17 Blu-ray) hold every finished film Kubrick directed, all restored in 4K and presented in Dolby Vision HDR, many from their original camera negatives. It includes Lolita's 4K debut, Kubrick's international cut of The Shining, both versions of Day of the Fight, original soundtracks alongside remixes, over twenty-five hours of supplements, and archive-inspired packaging filled with Kubrick's own notes, slates and correspondence. We are still working our way through the set, but everything we have sampled so far has looked and sounded exceptional. This is the definitive presentation of one of cinema's most exacting artists and an essential acquisition for any serious film collection. Set of the Year - our very highest recommendation!
DVDBeaver retweeted
Sergio Grieco's "The Sinful Nuns of Saint Valentine" 4K UHD - Françoise Prévost, Jenny Tamburi, Corrado Gaipa, Aldina Martano, Barbara Herrera, María Luisa Sala @indicatorseries
US: link.amazon/B093w4Gob
CAN: link.amazon/B09AbiS37
UK: amazon.co.uk/exec/obidos/ASI…
US Blu-ray: link.amazon/B0imhmsq5
CAN Blu-ray: link.amazon/B00d1JdXq
UK Blu-ray: amazon.co.uk/exec/obidos/ASI…
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OUR REVIEW:
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What separates The Sinful Nuns of Saint Valentine from the more lurid entries of the cycle is that Grieco plays much of it as straight gothic tragedy. The Romeo-and-Juliet framework gives the film a narrative spine that many of its nunsploitation contemporaries lack. Its real target is the Church as an institution of control. The convent is a place where daughters are disposed of for family convenience, where piety masks appetite, and where the Inquisition serves anyone with a grudge. The expected flagellation and nudity are present, but they are less gratuitous than in films like The Nun and the Devil, and they are more firmly tied to the abbess’s tyranny. Prévost is the film’s center of gravity. Her abbess is icy and composed in public and quietly desperate in private, and she gives the film a dignity it might otherwise lack. Tamburi, only in her early 20s, has the wide-eyed vulnerability the role demands, and her terrified close-ups in the convent’s cells are among the film’s most effective moments. Malco, a few years before his Fulci period, makes a handsome if somewhat passive hero. Gaipa’s leering inquisitor is pure villainy, a grinning embodiment of religious sadism. The Sinful Nuns of Saint Valentine rises above much of the nunsploitation cycle by playing its Inquisition-era tale as gothic tragedy. Its Romeo-and-Juliet framework gives the film a narrative backbone, and its scorn is aimed squarely at institutional hypocrisy. Françoise Prévost (Paris Belongs to Us, Spirits of the Dead,) brings real dignity to the tormented abbess. Jenny Tamburi (The Suspicious Death of a Minor, Smile Before Death,) is affecting as the doomed novice, Paolo Malco (The New York Ripper, The House by the Cemetery, Murder-Rock) is a handsome hero, and Corrado Gaipa (The Godfather, Lucky Luciano, Illustrious Corpses) makes a gleefully sadistic inquisitor. The Indicator 4K UHD is superb, with a pristine, film-like Dolby Vision image at a very high bitrate and a clean lossless 24-bit Italian mono track. The extras include a new commentary and an excellent subgenre documentary. Fans of Italian genre cinema should consider this a must-own, and it is strongly recommended!
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"Crime has rarely looked this stylish, or paid this well. A terrific package for fans of Italian cult cinema. Great fun! Absolutely recommended." KRIMINAL 4K UHD DVDBeaver review:
Umberto Lenzi's "Kriminal" 4K UHD - Glenn Saxson, Helga Line, , Andrea Bosic, Ivano Staccioli, Esmeralda Ruspoli, Maria Luisa Rispoli, Mary Arden, Mirella Pamphili @CultEpics
US: link.amazon/A04iGRyIg
CAN: link.amazon/B02vOL3FM
US Blu-ray: link.amazon/B0f1dpii5
CAN Blu-ray: link.amazon/B0gAmFRnD
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OUR REVIEW:
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Umberto Lenzi's Kriminal is a gleefully amoral slice of 1960s Italian pop, a fumetti adaptation that plays like a Eurospy caper turned inside out: the hero is a thief and killer in a skeleton suit, and the film adores him for it. Lenzi, before his giallo, poliziotteschi and cannibal years (Seven Blood-Stained Orchids, Spasmo, Almost Human, Eyeball, Nightmare City), directs with breezy energy, globe-hopping locations and comic-panel transitions that wink at the source material. Glenn Saxson, the Dutch-born Roel Bos who came to Italy in 1964 and worked in commercials and photo novels before taking his screen name (Django Shoots First), makes a smirking, handsome anti-hero, all sunglasses, trench coat and unapologetic charm. Spanish genre icon Helga Liné (Nightmare Castle, Horror Express, The Loreley's Grasp) adds glamour and danger, and Andrea Bosic is the dogged lawman always a step behind. The mood is captured by the moment Kriminal discovers his double-cross has yielded nothing: "So I robbed the real courier, but she didn't have any diamonds?" The swinging, jazzy score keeps the whole thing light on its feet. Cult Epics' 4K UHD, from the original negative with HDR10 and a bitrate over double the included Blu-ray's, is a revelation: tighter detail, finer grain and a richer pop-art palette, with uncompressed 24-bit Italian and English tracks. The extras are stacked: a commentary by Eugenio Ercolani (Darkening the Italian Screen: Interviews with Genre and Exploitation Directors Who Debuted in the 1950s and 1960s) and Troy Howarth (So Deadly, So Perverse Vol 2: 50 Years of Italian Giallo Films,), the feature-length Lenzi documentary Armed to the Teeth, a warm interview with Saxson, a piece on the music and an isolated score. Crime has rarely looked this stylish, or paid this well. A terrific package for fans of Italian cult cinema. Great fun! Absolutely recommended.
