Spartacus 4K Blu-ray Review & Comments

Simon Crust

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Thanks for the Review Simon. One I want to see but I'll wait on a rental possibility.
 
Nice review although I don't agree with all the scores. Movie is a 10/10 for me but the extras would be 4/10 at best as there's so few.
So nice to have a disc where the bass hasn't been heavily filtered unlike so many recent releases. This is never going to shake your room but it's immediately apparent from the opening music that bass levels are very good.
The 2015 blu ray looked great and this definitely improves upon it, it looks wonderful.
 
Great movie of course but I’ve seen it so many times over the years with its countless TV screenings, it’s been on ITV2 or ITV4 a couple of times this month alone, I’m not sure I want to actually own a copy. Maybe a bit further down the line if its on offer.
 
Great movie of course but I’ve seen it so many times over the years with its countless TV screenings, it’s been on ITV2 or ITV4 a couple of times this month alone, I’m not sure I want to actually own a copy. Maybe a bit further down the line if its on offer.
How many advert breaks are there over its 3 hours 15 minutes run time....:(
 
I surprised you reviewed this on a Panasonic DX902. Although this is the exact TV I have and it is great with HDR10 material, you mention that this release has HDR10+ and Dolby Vision which the review TV does not.
 
Interesting to see that this gets an 8 in the movie score while a movie like A league of their own gets a 9 🤔
Agree, how could the movie score 8, its a classic and one of the best sword and sandal movie ever made. I plan to rent it next year, when I upgrade to a 4K TV.
 
The UHD version (non HDR) on Sky looks very good. Only 5.1 audio but sounds good never the less.
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Serious question to all. Why so hung up on movie scores? Surely they are subjective to the reviewers taste in films. For example I give the likes of Mama Mia a 9/10 , and I also give Apocalypse Now a 9/10. Why ? Because I love both films for what they are and I thoroughly enjoy both. Of course Apocalypse Now is a superior film in every way but should I mark down Mama Mia to a 4/10 because of it ? No.
I’d say forget about the movie score if it concerns you because it’s really irrelevant. (No offence to CAS etc). Surely most folk have seen and drawn opinion of the actual movie so really Should look more at the actual PQ and SQ ?
Sorry for the ramble
 
Serious question to all. Why so hung up on movie scores? Surely they are subjective to the reviewers taste in films. For example I give the likes of Mama Mia a 9/10 , and I also give Apocalypse Now a 9/10. Why ? Because I love both films for what they are and I thoroughly enjoy both. Of course Apocalypse Now is a superior film in every way but should I mark down Mama Mia to a 4/10 because of it ? No.
I’d say forget about the movie score if it concerns you because it’s really irrelevant. (No offence to CAS etc). Surely most folk have seen and drawn opinion of the actual movie so really Should look more at the actual PQ and SQ ?
Sorry for the ramble
Couldn't agree more mate, and neither could Jim, just see what he thinks of the MCU 4k discs, he can't get enough of it!!:hiya:
 
Peter Ustinov certainly had an influence in creating the dramatic aspects of Spartacus having written significant parts of the stage like screenplay, the on screen sexual tension between Laurence Olivier's Marcus Licinious Crassus and Tony Curtis as Antoninus the slave boy was a potentially controversial story line for a sixties film, something that Olivier plainly delighted in playing to the hilt in a very camp performance.
Kirk Douglas has always seen movie making in the classic Hollywood style, he plainly wanted to do one better than his main rival for action roles Burt Lancaster, who did the on screen gymnastics a whole lot better, Kirk and Burt were the unlikely Hollywood couple which is probably why Burt didn't have much time for Kirk except professionally.
Spartacus is interesting from the point of view that it was nothing more than a swords and sandals epic with Kubrick in a secondary role, if Kubrick had full creative control Spartacus would likely would have become the most expensively made movie in history, which is why Kirk kept a watchful eye on proceedings.
 
Serious question to all. Why so hung up on movie scores? Surely they are subjective to the reviewers taste in films. For example I give the likes of Mama Mia a 9/10 , and I also give Apocalypse Now a 9/10. Why ? Because I love both films for what they are and I thoroughly enjoy both. Of course Apocalypse Now is a superior film in every way but should I mark down Mama Mia to a 4/10 because of it ? No.
I’d say forget about the movie score if it concerns you because it’s really irrelevant. (No offence to CAS etc). Surely most folk have seen and drawn opinion of the actual movie so really Should look more at the actual PQ and SQ ?
Sorry for the ramble

Absolutely.
Obviously, we are talking here about Movies that could not be reviewed here on release - even I'm not old enough to have seen this originally in the Cinema! :)
It is easier, I believe, with new releases; there can be a Movie Review, which is somewhat Subjective based on the Reviewers' own preferences, but hopefully also with Objective discussion of the quality of script, direction, structure, acting, sound & cinematography, & then later a disc or streaming Review that can really focus on the PQ& SQ.
But with these older Movies it has to be all lumped together, which definitely brings out people's feelings about the Movie itself, & can overshadow the discussion regarding the quality of the Disk. Not that the Movie should not also be discussed, just that it can sometimes take over.
Just my ten (Euro) cents

P.S.
I am Spartacus!
 
Stood the test of time.
Looking forward to the UHD.

A real superhero movie.
 
Serious question to all. Why so hung up on movie scores? Surely they are subjective to the reviewers taste in films. For example I give the likes of Mama Mia a 9/10 , and I also give Apocalypse Now a 9/10. Why ? Because I love both films for what they are and I thoroughly enjoy both. Of course Apocalypse Now is a superior film in every way but should I mark down Mama Mia to a 4/10 because of it ? No.
I’d say forget about the movie score if it concerns you because it’s really irrelevant. (No offence to CAS etc). Surely most folk have seen and drawn opinion of the actual movie so really Should look more at the actual PQ and SQ ?
Sorry for the ramble
Personally, I rate movies by how many times I can watch them and still find them entertaining, this is of course not a movie purists way of ranking a film.
Even full time movie critics give 5 star rave reviews for films that average viewers would scratch their heads about, these movies could be interpreted as being creative art forms which are given their classic status because of the directors reputation or because of its art house cinema theme, these films need not necessarily be entertaining for the masses or box office favourites.
In my opinion the non stop production line method of making movies nowadays has depreciated the art of classic cinema making made famous by directors like David Lean, John Ford, Alfred Hitchcock etc. who could not fall back on technology to fill in the creative gaps, so maybe live action directors like Christopher Nolan may have a point defending traditional movie making techniques instead of CGI filled pulp movie fiction.
 
Great review Simon.
Does anyone know if this is IDENTICAL to the US 4K UHD release?
 
How many advert breaks are there over its 3 hours 15 minutes run time....:(

I never ever watch movies on terrestrial TV. I don't know how my wife finds the quality acceptable as well as the ads and edits.
 
Serious question to all. Why so hung up on movie scores? Surely they are subjective to the reviewers taste in films. For example I give the likes of Mama Mia a 9/10 , and I also give Apocalypse Now a 9/10. Why ? Because I love both films for what they are and I thoroughly enjoy both. Of course Apocalypse Now is a superior film in every way but should I mark down Mama Mia to a 4/10 because of it ? No.
I’d say forget about the movie score if it concerns you because it’s really irrelevant. (No offence to CAS etc). Surely most folk have seen and drawn opinion of the actual movie so really Should look more at the actual PQ and SQ ?
Sorry for the ramble
If that is the case, then remove the movie score. Otherwise, it would look a bit silly if the reviewer gives all time classic movies like 'Bridge on the river Kwai' or 'Ben Hur' 7/10 and 'Mama Mia' 9/10
 
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Couldn't agree more mate, and neither could Jim, just see what he thinks of the MCU 4k discs, he can't get enough of it!!:hiya:
:D Just when I thought I was out... Nayfne drags me back in...

You really don't want to know what score I give Marvel films Nayfne! Unless its Blade and Blade 2...

I think Spartacus was a strong 8.5/10 for me last time I watched it. Its a classic of course but its not my favourite. Ill be picking it up obviously! Gutted I sold my old steelbook actually.
 
Interesting to see that this gets an 8 in the movie score while a movie like A league of their own gets a 9 🤔
That's a good point but I haven't seen 'A League of Their Own' - I have no plans to either!
 
test say no German track on the disc unfortunately .
Can somebody of the owner double check and come back to me here please
 
I've not seen this in such a long time, probably 15 years or so back on my old CRT set! After the review I want to see it just for the restoration.
 
test say no German track on the disc unfortunately .
Can somebody of the owner double check and come back to me here please
I would guess that Germany will get their own UHD disc as there's no menu option for German or language option.
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