4K is more than OK, especially when used on iconic titles such as “Coraline” and “ParaNorman.”
Shout Factory! and LAIKA have released these two classics on 4K, featuring HDR and Dolby Vision plus Dolby Atmos for the ultimate entertainment experience. These are landmark releases, as one can’t underestimate the revolutionary relevance of the films. They blend the time-honored artistry of stop-motion with bleeding-edge filmmaking technology to convey enduring, cinematic stories.
Both films are packaged in wondrous limited SteelBooks, containing both 4K Ultra HD and Blu-ray versions. A treasure trove of previously released bonus features from LAIKA’s archives accentuate each film.
The 4K remastering is dynamic, with spectacularly vivid colors and stunning picture quality. Each SteelBook features new hand-drawn art from auteur illustrators selected to newly represent the films while keeping the original spirit alive.
“Coraline,” released in 2009, was the first stop-motion animated film ever to be conceived and photographed in stereoscopic 3D. A young girl walks through a secret door in her new home and discovers an alternate version of her life. Voice talent includes Dakota Fanning and Teri Hatcher.
“ParaNorman,” released in 2012, is a comedy thriller in which a small town comes under siege by zombies. A boy, Norman, is able to speak with the dead, so he acts as an intermediary to ghosts, witches, zombies, and, yes, grown-ups. Voice talent includes Kodi Smit-McPhee, Anna Kendrick, and Casey Affleck.
Other titles
“Don’t Worry Darling” (Warner Bros. Home Entertainment) stars Florence Pugh and Harry Styles, who live in an idealized community that’s an experimental company time housing men working on a top-secret project in the 1950s. This “perfect” life, especially for the men’s spouses, isn’t all it’s cracked up to be, especially when sinister deeds begin to show. The 4K and Blu-ray includes a making-of featurette and deleted scene.
“Star Trek: Discovery: Season Four” (CBS Home Entertainment and Paramount Home Entertainment) is a four-disc collection packed with more than 90 minutes of special features, including exclusive cast and crew interviews, gag reel, deleted scenes, and episode commentary. All 13 fourth-season episodes, starring Sonequa Martin-Green and Doug Jones, are included.
“Hinterland” (Film Movement) exudes the atmosphere of a noir thriller directed by Stefan Ruzowitzky. A former prisoner of the Great War returns to Vienna, Austria, in 1920 but no longer recognizes the place he once called home. Then, a series of murders targeting war veterans unfolds, so he investigates. But the weight of the investigation begins to take a toll on him as he tries to bring the serial killer to justice. The German film contains English subtitles. Bonus features include a director’s commentary, the French bonus short film “Haute Cuisine,” and more.