Dark Horse Updated... and Upgraded?

So here's something I didn't see coming... Dark Horse is being released on blu-ray in the US.  Again.  As you'll recall, it already came out here fourteen years ago.  Virgil films already released the blu in 2012, and you can still get it for $14 from Amazon.  But on June 23, it's coming out again from Brainstorm Media, and you'll be able to get it for $27 on Amazon.  Or you can get the limited edition direct from Vinegar Syndrome for $37 (though it's currently on sale for $29).  Is it worth springing for a pricier updated version, or even replacing the 2012 disc with the 2026 disc?  What's the actual difference?

Let's have a look!

2012 Virgil BD top; 2026 Brainstorm BD bottom.

So for starters, this is not a new scan, which makes sense, as this movie was shot on digital, not film.  So we're not talking about restoring the film and creating a whole new master here.  And it was finished in 2k, so we're not likely to see this on UHD unless someone's prepared to go back to the original 4k footage.  So this is basically the exact same picture quality, both matted to 1.85:1 with identical framing, they're both just under 22GBs with equivalent encodes.  And both have the same 5.1 audio mix in DTS-HD.  I do have to point out though, that there is one difference: the newer version is a shade darker.  I don't know if this was at Solondz's request, a decision by an employee at Brainstorm or unintentional, and I can't say one or the other strikes me as particularly preferable, but it is slightly darker.  In short, this new release does not signal a visual upgrade.  An update, but not an upgrade.

But that's just in terms of the presentation of the film itself.  There is more to the story.  First, you might recall me mentioning that the old disc lacked subtitle options.  Well, Brainstorm has added optional English subs to their disc, so if you're hearing impaired or just just struggling to make out a particular line of dialogue, that's a step forward.

And the Virgil disc was completely bereft of special features, not even the trailer.  Well, the Brainstorm does include the trailer, and the real highlight: a brand new, on camera interview with Todd Solondz!  It's thirteen minutes long and absolutely the reason I double-dipped.  I wouldn't call this a special edition or anything; the only additional bonus content is a 12-page booklet by film critic A.S. Hamrah.

Oh, and the limited (to 1000 copies) edition?  The only difference is the addition of the curiously childlike illustrated slipcover, pictured at the top of this post.  I was initially a bit puzzled, but I looked into it and the artist is a comic book artist, so I think they're making an association with the famous Daniel Clowes artwork for Happiness.  Anyway, the regular, non-slipcover artwork is the classic pink shirt and necklace.

So now you're fully informed to make your own decisions.  I would anticipate hardcore fans opting to upgrade for the interview, but most others being happy sticking with their current discs, or even picking up the old edition instead of the new to save some money.  But the new disc is unquestionably a superior edition, so that's nice.

Palindromes DVD/ Blu-ray/ UHD Comparison

It's here!  Palindromes is now available in 4k on BD and UHD from Radiance Films.  This is their first UHD release, by the way.  And since its announcement, as we covered in our last post, there have been a couple changes.  Radiance later shared some changes to the specs, specifically that their UHD would not include Dolby Vision or any HDR (because MoMA didn't restore the film with HDR in the first place), but it would have a 5.1 mix rather than stereo and another special feature: an interview with actor Alexander Brickle, who played the little boy Peter Paul.

I've got the limited edition 4k UHD/ BD combo pack right here (you could also purchase just the 1080p BD version by itself), so let's fire it up and check it out!  And while we're at it, let's see how it compares to the original 2005 DVD from Wellspring Media, DVDExotica-style (click the screenshots to see them in full resolution):

2005 Wellspring DVD top; 2025 Radiance BD middle; 2025 Radiance UHD bottom.

Wellspring presented the film at 1.79:1, essentially full 16x9 with a very slight, single letterbox bar along the top.  Radiance corrects this to the exact aspect ratio of 1.85:1, which basically restores a very little bit of extra information along the sides.  To its credit, the original DVD was anamorphic, free of interlacing and generally looks pretty similar to the new 4k scan.  The colors are slightly darker and more natural, but if you weren't doing a direct comparison like this, you probably wouldn't notice the distinction.  But if you zoom in close to Mark's face, for example, the DVD clearly has a more washed tone.  And the boost in clarity is considerably more obvious.  The film always had a bit of a low-fi look with chunky grain, but there's more detail and nuance to discern in the new scan.  And the DVD just barely hints at the natural film grain structure that's not made obvious on Radiance's discs.

Wellspring gave us a choice of stereo or 5.1 mixes, which Radiance boils down to just the 5.1.  But that's fine, since the stereo sounds like little more than a basic mix-down anyway.  And Radiance bumps their track up to a lossless DTS-HD.  Radiance also adds optional English subtitles, which Wellspring had cheaped out on.

For extras, Wellspring had nothing but a non-anamorphic trailer.  Radiance restores it to proper HD, and adds several more important features.  Most notably is a new on-camera interview with Todd Solondz, conducted via webcam by Heather Strong, who did the visual essay on Radiance's previous BD of Welcome To the Dollhouse in 2023.  Palindromes gets a visual essay, too, this time by critic Lillian Crawford, and then there's that aforementioned interview with Brickle, which is audio-only and plays over clips of the film.  That's it for on-disc stuff, but if you go for the limited (to 3000 copies) edition, it also comes with a 40-page full-color booklet, one of Radiance's signature obi strips and reversible artwork.  It's absolutely the definitive way to own Palindromes on home video!

Palindromes Coming to 4k Ultra HD

Since the Museum of Modern Art announced they were restoring Palindromes in 4k in November, I've just been waiting to see who was going to be first to release it.  Turns out it's Radiance Films, who previously gave us the 2023 Welcome To the Dollhouse special edition.  This means that now, apart from Fear, Anxiety & Depression (please, please, please, somebody get on this!), and his shorts, all of Todd Solondz's films are available to own in HD.  And after Happiness, it's his second available in full 4k.

So Radiance is releasing this in separate BD and UHD editions on June 24th.  They've already clarified that this 4k scan comes from the original negative and the restoration has been approved by Solondz.  It will be a Dolby Vision/ HDR presentation with a stereo mix in uncompressed PCM audio.  We can expect a brand new on-camera interview with Solondz, a video essay by a critic, the trailer and optional English subtitles.  The initial limited editions will consist of runs of 3,000 (3000 of the BD set and 3000 of the UHD/ BD combo-pack) that will include reversible artwork, a booklet and one of Radiance's signature obi strips.  A regular, non-limited should follow around the end of the year.

Happiness Is Happiness On 4k

If you've read The New Yorker recently, you know things are not looking great for Solondz's upcoming Love Child shoot.  Very disheartening.  But one can't be too depressed in the summer when he just got the high def debuts of Storytelling and Happiness.  Because this week, Criterion has given us the first anamorphic release of Happiness is three versions: a full-on UHD/ BD combo-pack, just the BD by itself, and a DVD edition.  So let's compare the very best against what was previously available.

1999 Trimark DVD top; 2024 Criterion BD mid; 2024 Criterion UHD bottom.

Quick Note: UHD shots appear darker in this blog because they're made for devices displaying higher nits.  If you click through to the full-sized, uncompressed graphic on an HDR device (like an imac); it'll display correctly.  Otherwise, just take it on faith that the colors look better than they appear here.  But their increased resolution will still be clear.

Critically, the Trimark DVD (and the Lions Gate reissue and all other DVD releases around the world) are non-anamorphic, meaning they weren't made for widescreen TVs.  I left the negative space around the first set of shots to show what they'd look like on any modern set.  So getting a 16x9 anamorphically enhanced picture alone is a major, sorely needed upgrade.  A smaller, but still welcome improvement, is that the aspect ratio has been corrected from 1.83:1 to 1.85:1.  A small tweak, and it actually tightens the framing rather than revealing more picture, but it's always nice to get the original composition exactly right.

The color correction is a bigger gain; with Criterion's new image looking more natural and no longer overcast by inappropriate hues (skin tones are a bit red in that first shot, and everything's a bit green in the second DVD screen grab).  And of course, the jump to HD is substantial.  Fine detail looks out of focus on the DVD, with unwelcome compression noise replaced by authentic film grain.  It's even better on the triple-layer UHD, but I have to say, it's a surprisingly strong encode on the 1080p BD, too, so it holds its own even against the higher generation disc.

Both releases offer the original stereo track with optional English subtitles, but the audio is bumped up to lossless DTS-HD on Criterion's discs.  Trimark did also include Spanish and French subtitles, which Criterion drops, though, if anybody out there cares about that.  And of course, all previous Happiness releases were barebones, apart from the trailer and a handful of bonus trailers.  Criterion now offers an all new, 40+ interview with Solondz himself.  And there's a nice, roughly 15 minute talk with star Dylan Baker.  The trailer's still here, and Criterion's release also includes a fold-out booklet with an essay by Bruce Wagner (Writer of Maps To the Stars and Scenes From the Class Struggle In Beverly Hills).  So obviously I recommend this, in a "why haven't you already run out and got this" kind of way.  Enjoy it, because it may be a longer wait for Love Child than we though.