A Hard Day’s Night in 4K UHD in the U.K.
The new 4k UHD blu-ray release looks just like the old non-UHD blu-ray. Cover by Rodrigo Corral
The Beatles’ debut film “A Hard Day’s Night” has been out in a few territories from before, but it will now be available a bit cheaper in the U.K., thanks to a July 7 domestic release there. In the HMV store, it’s priced at £29.99 Link.
Meanwhile, the 2022 U.S. release is on summer sale from Amazon.com at $33.21.
The film received a new 4K transfer when Criterion Collection was re-releasing it for its 50th anniversary back in 2014, but since neither DVD nor blu-ray specifications allows these formats the 4K quality, only the cinematic release justified the 4K experience of quality improvement. In addition, Giles Martin had reproduced the soundtrack and actually inserted a bit of new foley sounds.
Since then, new blu-ray players have added UHD functionality, and “A Hard Day’s Night” was first released in UHD 4K in Japan in 2021, and in the USA in 2022. Finally it will now be available in Europe, via Great Britain.
Description
Meet the Beatles! Just one month after they exploded onto the U.S. scene with their Ed Sullivan Show appearance, John, Paul, George, and Ringo began working on a project that would bring their revolutionary talent to the big screen. This film, in which the bandmates play slapstick versions of themselves, captured the astonishing moment when they officially became the singular, irreverent idols of their generation and changed music forever. Directed with raucous, anything-goes verve by Richard Lester (The Knack . . . and How to Get It) and featuring a slew of iconic pop anthems – including the title track, “Can’t Buy Me Love,” “I Should Have Known Better,” and “If I Fell” – A Hard Day’s Night, which reconceived the movie musical and exerted an incalculable influence on the music video, is one of the most deliriously entertaining movies of all time.
Region Code: Region B
Duration: 87 minutes
Extras: Language(s): English, Hard of Hearing Subtitles: English, Interactive Menu, 5.1 DTS-HD Master Audio, Mono, Stereo, Commentary: Cast and crew, Essay by Howard Hampton (critic), Short film by Richard Lester: “The Running Jumping & Standing Still Film” (1960).
Documentaries: “In Their Own Voices”, “Things They Said Today”, “Picturewise”, “Anatomy of a Style”, “Making of” Documentary. Interview: Mark Lewisohn (Beatles biographer).
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Japan edition, 2021
The U.S. Criterion 4K disc was defective. A replacement was made available. Hopefully the U.K. set won’t be the botched version.
https://www.highdefwatch.com/post/criterion-addresses-a-hard-day-s-night-4k-uhd-issues
Giles Martin ADDED sounds? Thanks but no thanks. This has been the problem since they mutilated “Yellow Submarine”, replacing the original score with a horrible new recording….and actually REMOVING sound effects from the original film. (not to mention the atrocious mix of Only A Northern Song). And let me guess? The songs in A Hard Day’s Night are going to be in blaring stereo, which doesn’t blend with the dialog track and makes your ears have to adjust every time a song ends. Horrible. Just give me the original VHS at this point, with the mono track. I want to see A Hard Day’s Night, not some 21st century idiot’s take on it. What a joke.
Mono is an audio option on the disc.
The Cover of the German Issue was created by Klaus Voormann
WHEN IN COLOR….
Here: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zGugc3mQBlM
UHD discs are not region coded.