Carl Mulder

I own @hdmoviesource. I write reviews. I love movies 🍿. I love music.

[HD MOVIE SOURCE @HDMOVIESOURCE]

Shane's Thoughts on The Odyssey 4K Blu-ray. He felt this wasn't Christopher Nolan's best-looking 4K.

The Odyssey 4K Blu-ray has been criticized for elevated black levels, with many darker scenes appearing gray rather than truly black, reducing shadow detail and image depth.

HDR also appears to be very restrained, with limited brightness, color intensity, and overall visual impact, leaving some scenes looking flatter than expected.

Other complaints include visible IMAX film flicker, and a presentation that doesn't fully showcase the film's visual potential. #TheOdyssey

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[Carl Mulder @CarlMulderRAW]

@HighDefDiscNews When you gotta go, you gotta go.

[HD MOVIE SOURCE @HDMOVIESOURCE]

Checking Out Never Let Go on 4K Tonight. Starring Halle Berry. Did you see this one yet? Any good?

[HD MOVIE SOURCE @HDMOVIESOURCE]

After 55 years locked away and heavily censored, Ken Russell’s legendary The Devils is finally getting the 4K UHD release we’ve all been praying for. Warner Bros. Clockwork is bringing the definitive, uncensored director’s cut to 4K UHD on April 20, 2027, complete with all three versions of the film across a stacked 3-disc Collector’s Edition featuring encoding by Fidelity in Motion, over 14 hours of extras, and a 96-page book. Absolute cinema history.

#PhysicalMedia #KenRussellsTheDevils #MovieNews @clockwork_wb

[HD MOVIE SOURCE @HDMOVIESOURCE]

100 nit Blu-ray vs 100 nit 4K. So basically, it's SDR in a HDR container. However, this doesn't mean that The Odyssey isn't a bright movie. Day times scenes look as bright as other movies do in HDR. It just means the steps from black to white are compressed to 100 steps instead of, say...1000. The whitest white will still be as white and bright as your TV can go, because you're "OLED LIGHT" / "BACKLIGHT" is set to 100 when watching HDR content.

So, sure, is this HDR? No. Do I care? No. What I do care about is digital breakdown in the black levels. That's what I really care about, and that is an issue.

[HD MOVIE SOURCE @HDMOVIESOURCE]

Tonight we try to remember a magical world called Neverland. Watching Hook on 4K. Starring Dustin Hoffman, Robin Williams and Julia Roberts. #PhysicalMedia

[HD MOVIE SOURCE @HDMOVIESOURCE]

Let me explain this screenshot from The Odyssey 4K Blu-ray.

1. I have raised the brightness of the image by 36% merely to show you what's underneath, hiding in the black levels of this scene.
2. This is not exactly how it will look on your display, it will 100% be darker.
3. However, these artifacts are visible to the eye when playing the movie.
4. It is relatively quick, it's fast, but either the encoding or original source file is to blame.

I just want to say again, that this image has had its brightness raised by 36% to show you what I'm seeing on the home version of The Odyssey.

The reason I'm showing you the image in this way is to show you that what I'm seeing on my display is actually coming from the original 4K Disc. This isn't a poor setup, or anything like that. This is visible on a professionally calibrated OLED while the movie is playing and is unacceptable.

The scene is from chapter 5 on the 4K Disc. I would assume that Blu-ray follows the same chapter markers. The artifacts are still visible on the Blu-ray, which indicates a source quality issue, not an encoding quality issue.
#TheOdyssey

[HD MOVIE SOURCE @HDMOVIESOURCE]

It looks like the HDR grade on the home release of The Odyssey is capped at 100 nits. I wonder if that could be contributing to the black level issues I'm seeing.
https://t.co/gPsnJGsyKe

[HD MOVIE SOURCE @HDMOVIESOURCE]

First Time Checking Out Horror of Dracula on 4K Tonight. From Warner Archive Starring Christopher Lee and Peter Cushing. I think there's multiple cuts of this movie, but I think I'll stick to the theatrical cut First. Have you seen this movie before?

[HD MOVIE SOURCE @HDMOVIESOURCE]

The Odyssey is one of the most frustrating 4K releases I've watched in a long time because parts of it look absolutely incredible.

What stood out to me most was just how good Christopher Nolan's photography can look on 4K Blu-ray. The movie was shot entirely on IMAX film, and there are scenes throughout the movie that genuinely look spectacular. Detail is excellent, the image has beautiful depth, and there's a natural film-like quality that immediately separates it from many modern productions.

The cinematography is often breathtaking. Landscapes, ships, costumes, and faces all have a tremendous amount of detail. I found myself noticing little things in the image that would have been easy to miss on lesser formats. The movie has a premium look to it from start to finish, and when everything comes together, it can be a stunning showcase for Physical Media.

Color grading/Color timing is fine, but nighttime lighting often feels exaggerated or pushed too far. The brighter exterior scenes look impressive; with excellent contrast The image has a richness to it without ever looking artificial.

Being shot on film, there's a natural texture present throughout the movie that I really appreciated. Grain remains practically non-existent, and never distracting. There's minor ringing around hard edges, but nothing too distracting. In most scenes, the image looks stable, clean, and highly detailed.

Unfortunately, the black levels are where things start to fall apart.

The most obvious example comes during the cave sequence with the Cyclops. When the final group escapes and the boulder is placed back over the entrance, there are visible artifacts in the shadows that simply shouldn't be there. I never noticed these issues during my theatrical screenings, but seeing them on a Christopher Nolan movie broke my heart.

The strange thing is that it doesn't feel like a typical encoding issue. If anything, it feels like there's a problem with the source that was prepared for home video. The artifacts are still visible on the Blu-ray, but because there's slightly less visible shadow detail than 4K, they tend to blur together more and actually mask the problem.

What really got me thinking was that I had access to the IMAX trailer sourced from a ProRes file, and those same black-level problems weren't present there. That's what makes this so puzzling. A cleaner version clearly exists somewhere. I know it does, I've seen it.

Being the obsessive person I am, I started experimenting with my Panasonic UB9000 to see if anything could improve the image. The only setting that made a significant difference was lowering Brightness by -3 on the actual player not the TV, the player. On my professionally calibrated LG C9 OLED, much of the elevated black level issue immediately improved, and because black levels get essentially fixed, you no longer see artifacts in the black level detail areas. To me, that's a strong indication that the black levels are sitting too high. The black levels in The Odyssey are not black, they are LCD and projector grey, so this issue becomes obvious on an OLED that can produce pure black. Nothing goes all the way down to 0% black, and I'm fine with that, we see that on all of Christopher Nolan movies, but they never had this issue.

The frustrating part is that these problems don't affect the entire movie. There are countless scenes that look fantastic. Then the movie drops into a darker environment, and suddenly the shadow issues pull your attention away from what should be an immersive experience.

For me, that's what keeps this release from reaching reference quality. There are moments where The Odyssey looks like one of the best discs of the year. The photography is gorgeous, the level of detail is excellent, and the film texture looks wonderful. But the black-level issues are real, and once you notice them, they're difficult to ignore. If Christopher Nolan honestly became aware of this issue if enough reviewers speak out about it, would he ask the studio to re-release it? Because I think it should be re-released in far higher quality.

It's still a very good-looking 4K Blu-ray, but it falls short of the standard set by Oppenheimer. That's what makes this release such a disappointment. The foundation for a reference-quality disc is clearly there. I just don't think the final quality control was.

AUDIO QUALITY
The audio is the complete opposite story.

From start to finish, I thought this movie sounded fantastic.

What impressed me most was the balance. Christopher Nolan's films haven't always been known for dialogue clarity, and while I've enjoyed movies like Tenet, there were definitely moments where the dialogue could get buried under the music and effects. That's not the case here.

Dialogue is clear, easy to understand, and sits comfortably in the mix. Even during larger action scenes, I never found myself struggling to follow conversations. Everything feels much better balanced than some of Nolan's earlier work.

The music is outstanding. It's not just memorable, it becomes a huge part of the experience. There were multiple moments where the score elevated a scene and made it feel bigger emotionally. I found myself paying attention to the music throughout the entire movie because it adds so much to the atmosphere.

The room also stays active throughout the film. Sounds move naturally around the listening space, and there are plenty of moments where effects travel around the room in a convincing way. Nothing feels forced. Instead, it helps pull you deeper into the world of the movie.

Bass is excellent as well. There's plenty of depth and impact when the movie calls for it, but it never overwhelms everything else like some of his other movies. That's what I appreciated most. The bass has weight, yet dialogue and music never get lost because of it.

Honestly, this might be the most balanced Christopher Nolan mix I've heard. It takes the dialogue clarity that impressed me in Oppenheimer and combines it with the scale and energy of some of his earlier films.

Everything works together exactly the way it should. Dialogue, music, effects, surrounds, and bass all feel perfectly integrated.

OVERALL
This ended up being a bit of a mixed experience for me.

The audio is absolutely first-rate and easily one of the best mixes I've heard this year. The picture can look amazing too, especially during the IMAX scenes, but those black level issues stop it from reaching the same level as Nolan's best 4K releases.

As for the movie itself, I'd put it somewhere around a 7.5 out of 10. There's a lot here that I admire. The cinematography is beautiful, the filmmaking is impressive, and the music is excellent. Robert Pattinson and Anne Hathaway are both very good in supporting roles, while Matt Damon delivers a solid performance as Odysseus.

My biggest issue is credibility. This is the first Christopher Nolan movie where I found myself questioning parts of the world he was trying to build. That's unusual because one of Nolan's greatest strengths as a filmmaker is making you believe what you're watching, no matter how ambitious it may be.

The more I watched the film, the more it reminded me of Apocalypse Now. Both movies take the audience on a journey from one location to the next, but for me, Apocalypse Now remains the stronger film because I never stopped believing in its world. With The Odyssey, there were moments that pulled me out of the experience.

That said, I still enjoyed the movie. The craftsmanship is undeniable, the action works, the score is excellent, and there are scenes I'll happily revisit. I just can't shake the feeling that it could have been something even greater.

Recommended! But Hoped For Better.

REVIEW SCORES
VIDEO: 4 out of 5
AUDIO: 5 out of 5
REVIEWED BY: Carl Mulder
FULL REVIEW: https://t.co/ldEmyTcq0c

BUYING OPTIONS
EBAY: https://t.co/97OBxgjUos
WORLDWIDE: https://t.co/xexwQXrd8a
AMAZON: https://t.co/jdZj7ioj4Z

Thanks for reading. Let me know what you think in the comments below.

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#PhysicalMedia #TheOdyssey #4KUltraHD #Bluray #MovieReview #ChristopherNolan #HomeTheater

[1/4 Black Garrett @QTRBlackGarrett]

This is the new head of DC

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The Journey Begins at Home. The Odyssey on 4K Tonight. Directed by Christopher Nolan. 🎥

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I think this is the right decision.

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Watching Memoirs of a Geisha 4K Tonight. What are you watching?

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Watching Lovely Bones Tonight. I've seen this movie about two times before and loved it every time. I'm really glad it got a 4K release. Directed by Peter Jackson, let's check it out.

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Major releases like Criterion's Kubrick box set are a reminder that Physical Media is still thriving. Movie ownership, film preservation, and collector editions continue to prove why Physical Media matters. 📀🎬
#PhysicalMedia #Bluray #4KUltraHD #MovieCollectors #FilmPreservation

[Zack Snyder @ZackSnyder]

A father’s love for his daughter never ends, even when her time here does.

There are no words to describe the heartbreak of losing a child or the emptiness that lasts a lifetime. The years may pass, but the love, the memories, and the longing to have her here with us never fade.

If you are able, please consider making a donation to support us as we walk to honor Autumn this Saturday. These donations, no matter how small, help fund life-saving research, suicide prevention education, and support for families who know the unimaginable heartbreak of losing someone they love.

Autumn will always be my daughter, our heroic archer. She will always be loved and always be a part of everything I do.

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Checking Out The Uprising Starring Andrew Garfield Tonight 🍿.

[Paul at SuperDeluxeEdition @sdedition]

All the details on the #PinkFloyd Animals 50 reissue campaign > https://t.co/Fh3SWVdCIE

[HD MOVIE SOURCE @HDMOVIESOURCE]

The Fortune Cookie (1966) 4K, directed by Billy Wilder. Starring Jack Lemmon and Walter Matthau. Out Nov 24.