Sony Pictures Home Entertainment is proud to debut six more beloved films from its library on 4K Ultra HD disc for the first time ever, exclusively within the COLUMBIA CLASSICS 4K ULTRA HD COLLECTION VOLUME 4. This must-own set includes films with which audiences around the world have fallen in love: HIS GIRL FRIDAY, GUESS WHO’S COMING TO DINNER, KRAMER VS. KRAMER, STARMAN, SLEEPLESS IN SEATTLE, and PUNCH-DRUNK LOVE. Each film is presented in 4K resolution with Dolby Vision High Dynamic Range, and five of the films have all-new Dolby Atmos mixes.
The six films in the COLUMBIA CLASSICS 4K ULTRA HD COLLECTION VOLUME 4 are only available on 4K Ultra HD disc within this special limited edition collector’s set. Included with the collection is a gorgeous hardbound 80-page book, featuring in-depth sections about the making of each film within the set via six all-new incisive essays from renowned writers and journalists, plus rare photos from deep within the Columbia Pictures archives. The set also includes hours of special features across the films, including both newly created behind-the-scenes featurettes and commentaries and never-before-seen archival materials, plus the entirety of the 1986 “Starman” TV series, exclusively debuting in high definition!
For a full overview of the Columbia Classics 4K Ultra HD Collection: Volume 4, please check out our GVN unboxing and review:
[youtube https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=E61kHmtEy74]
Video Quality
All six films in the Columbia Classics 4K Ultra HD Collection: Volume 4 are given a 2160p 4K UHD/Dolby Vision upgrade that serves as a sterling step up from their Blu-Ray counterparts. The set also includes Blu-Ray versions of each film all derived from the new 4K masters except for Guess Who’s Coming To Dinner and Kramer vs. Kramer. The previous releases were presented with a high rate of success on Blu-Ray with some films released by Sony themselves while others were put out by boutique labels such as The Criterion Collection, Scream Factory, or Twilight Time. Sony takes their normal approach with their 4K UHD Blu-Ray releases and offers up some of the most pleasing transfers on the market. To not duplicate descriptions, I will group certain films together while pointing out significant differences. The main takeaway for this latest collection is that Sony has not stumbled when striving to release A+ quality across the board.
For the black-and-white His Girl Friday, the results of the 4K upgrade are a marvel and showcase how the format can make older movies thrive. The release was struck from a new 4K restoration of the Original Camera Negative. The restoration is newer than the one used to create the Criterion Collection Blu-Ray release from 2017, and the improvements are easy to appreciate. With this new release, a new Dolby Vision grade has been applied along with the digital recreation of a few missing frames that did not exist in any other picture element.
The HDR grading executes a more faithful sense of grayscale than ever before. Black levels are deep without any anomalies such as digital noise or compression artifacts. The highlights are more crisply defined without ever succumbing to blooming. The cinematography is a wonder with smooth gradients and subtle textures. The transfer eliminates any lingering dust specks or print damage that may have survived previous restorations. The film is virtually spotless while maintaining the filmic quality with finely resolved film grain that allows for wonderful detail. There are small facets within the iconic clothing and production design that were previously overlooked that are in the spotlight with this transfer. This picture displays an impressive amount of depth to the image which gives way to a pleasing sense of scale within the interiors. Classic films are a stunning sight on 4K UHD Blu-Ray.
Guess Who’s Coming To Dinner and Kramer vs. Kramer make their 4K UHD Blu-Ray debut with dynamite 2160p/Dolby Vision transfers which allow the films to look better than they ever have. Guess Who’s Coming To Dinner utilizes a 4K restoration of the Original Camera Negative completed in 2022 with additional work to bring out the fading colors from the source. Kramer vs. Kramer is derived from a new 4K restoration of the Original Camera Negatives which marks the first time these elements have been used for home entertainment. These new 4K UHD discs offer substantial improvements over the previous Blu-Ray discs. Both movies have a terrific amount of natural film grain that resolves very tight and specific. This conjures so much pleasing texture and detail in the transfers. The images present an unforgettable amount of depth that makes these vastly different environments feel more lived-in and tactile than ever.
Skin tones appear to be natural and the clarity of the transfer gives you a significant amount of facial detail. These transfers reveal so much character within these two stories. The upgrade in contrast and overall clarity is extraordinary, especially when you look at the exteriors of buildings in Kramer or textures on outfits in Dinner. The UHD disc of Guess Who’s Coming To Dinner contains dazzling, deep colors throughout various elements such as automobiles and clothing. Kramer vs. Kramer is more of a subdued palette, but it captures all the character of the urban jungle. Each title provides bolder highlights accompanied by greater stability that never veers into blooming. Black levels are deep and allow the picture to maintain an excellent amount of detail in shadowy environments. Whether in the city or the suburbs, Sony cares for their classics equally.
Starman and Sleepless In Seattle offer a noticeable uptick in quality over the already strong accompanying Blu-Ray discs, both of which are from the new 4K masters. These transfers have been derived from a 4K restoration of the 35mm Original Picture Negative and an HDR/Dolby Vision pass. The glorious film grain remains intact and resolves favorably without being clumpy or unnatural. Even the optical shots in Starman show no signs of degradation or incompatibility with the remainder of the source. There has been no digital manipulation on this transfer, so this disc is free of DNR, compression artifacts, and other encoding issues. The costumes and textural output are gorgeous with everything displaying without any issues. Skin tones appear more natural with healthy doses of fine detail apparent on faces such as freckles and pores. The production design is presented with immense depth and perfect clarity to reveal so many previously overlooked details.
The greatest improvements are in the dominance of the color spectrum. The Dolby Vision brings depth to these two very different tales. The trek across the country in Starman especially dazzles in the natural scenery. Even Sleepless In Seattle has elements such as Christmas lights that render with a grander depth and brilliance than before. Colors are more rich, more natural, and more accurate to what was intended by the creative team. The highlights in the film are more defined with whites pure and balanced with no occurrences of blooming to be found. Black levels are especially jaw-dropping in this presentation, staying deep and inky with great detail. These transfers offer up a flawless presentation that should please longtime fans.
Punch-Drunk Love makes its long-awaited 4K UHD Blu-Ray debut with an unbelievable 2160p/Dolby Vision transfer that allows the film to look better than it ever has. This new master is sourced from a 4K scan of the 35mm Interpositive with Dolby Vision/HDR applied which means this disc is given a whole new level of color and detail never before achieved on home media. Even compared to the accompanying Blu-Ray, this disc offers welcome improvements not to be missed. You can clearly observe specific text such as some writing on the pudding packaging that was too unclear to capture before. The improvements in contrast, sharpness, and overall clarity will knock you sideways, especially when you look at the depth and detail of the interiors and textures of the clothing.
The UHD disc contains very striking and deep colors such as the unusual blue suit Barry likes to wear. This is a disc where Dolby Vision is given a chance to truly shine, both in the primaries and in the low-key lighting that is more refined than ever. Shadow detail is greatly improved thanks to the deep black levels which never devolve into crush. Highlights are brighter and offer greater stability and saturation without veering into blooming. Skin tones look natural and the clarity of the transfer gives you a great amount of facial detail. Every transfer in this collection shows off the best of what the studio can do with physical media.
Audio Quality
All of these 4K UHD Blu-Ray discs are provided with a new Dolby Atmos track outside of His Girl Friday which only retains the restored lossless DTS-HD 2.0 Master Audio mono track. All of the other films also include their original lossless audio tracks for the purists. The sheer amount of audio and subtitle options Sony provides on these discs is unlikely to upset anyone.
Outside of a few sequences in Starman and Punch-Drunk Love, most of these films are very reserved and would seem like surprising candidates for a Dolby Atmos upgrade. That being said, the Atmos tracks mostly open up these soundscapes respectfully with a true sense of immersion and power. While the focus may be on the front channels for most of the sounds, activity extends to the surrounds, rears, and overhead speakers to make these environments feel more three-dimensional and all-encompassing. The sounds up above accompany the main activity faithfully without seeming unnatural to the creative intent. These channels come alive with terrific texture overhead.
All of the films are immensely satisfying when it comes to the music, as the memorable and moving scores surround you in an enveloping way. Dialogue is crisp and clear without ever getting lost in the music or sound effects. The low-end effects from the subwoofer give various moments that a bit of extra weight such as the impact of car crashes in Punch-Drunk Love. Atmospheric sound effects are rendered appropriately within each mix so that directionality is never an issue. These films are without a doubt more dialogue-driven, but the expanded audio track still allows them to feel more substantial than ever. Sony has done some tremendous work on these presentations.
Special Features
The Columbia Classics 4K Ultra HD Collection: Volume 4 includes a coffee table-style book featuring an introductory essay explaining the thematic link shared between the six titles in this collection followed by essays for each title. The book includes the new essay “The Romantic Professionalism of His Girl Friday” by film historian Julie Kirgo, “Provocation, Not Prescription: The Role of Art In Effecting Social Change” by professor Sarita Cannon, “Kramer vs. Kramer: Whose Side Are You On?” by journalist Esther Zuckerman, “The Hopeful Humanity of John Carpenter’s Starman” by writer Mike Ryan, “Sleepless In Seattle’s Affair to Remember” by journalist Katie Rich, and “Stronger Than Anything You Can Imagine…” by film critic Mark Kermode. Each of these breaks down the themes of the story, the production, the legacy of the picture, and more. There is also a brief section dedicated to details on the remastering process for each film. These materials provide a great amount of context and insight into each film that is very worthwhile. Please watch the unboxing video of the packaging at the top of this review. The on-disc special features are as follows:
His Girl Friday
Blu-Ray
- Audio Commentary: Film Critic and Author Todd McCarthy provides a thoroughly informative commentary track in which he discusses the legacy of the picture, how the story evolved from its stage origins, the work of Howard Hawks, the chemistry and improvisation between the stars, the original performers approached to play Hildy, and more that adds a lot of great context to the film. One curious downside is this track is only available on the Blu-Ray, and not as one of the many audio tracks on the 4K disc.
- Screwball Style – The Iconic Costumes of Robert Kalloch: A new 16-minute featurette in which author/film historian Kimberly Truhler dives deep into the impact of Robert Kalloch on Columbia Pictures and the studio system in general. You learn about his upbringing, the early influences on his stylistic eye, how his costumes served the narrative of his films, and more.
- Breaking The Speed Barrier – The Dialogue of His Girl Friday: A new 13-minute featurette in which author/film historian Jeremy Arnold explores the rapid-fire dialogue delivery, the execution of the cast members, how it fits the rhythm of the narrative, and more.
- Lighting Up with Hildy Johnson Hosted by Film Scholar David Bordwell: A 25-minute archival video essay is provided in which the scholar guides you through the background and style of Howard Hawks, his work with performers, what makes His Girl Friday a classic, the changes made from earlier iterations, recurring motifs, and more.
- Ben Hecht: A 26-minute documentary in which Ben Hecht expert David Brendel explores the career of the writer, the diversity in his creative output, recurring themes throughout his work, the Hollywood films that were inspired by his work, and more.
- On Assignment – His Girl Friday: A nine-minute piece with various film historians discussing the creative legacy of the feature.
- Cary Grant – Making Headlines: A five-minute bite-sized look at the career of Cary Grant.
- Rosalind Russell – The Inside Scoop: A three-minute companion piece is given to Rosalind Russell.
- Howard Hawks – Reporter’s Notebook: Another three-minute piece that makes short work of the career of the great Howard Hawks.
- The Funny Pages: A three-minute brief look at the stage play that inspired His Girl Friday.
- Vintage Advertising: A gallery of promotional material is provided here.
- Trailers: The disc provides the Theatrical Trailer (2:50) and the Re-Release Teaser (1:22).
Guess Who’s Coming To Dinner
4K UHD Blu-Ray
- Audio Commentary: Film historians Eddy Friedfeld, Lee Pfeiffer, and Paul Scrabo provide a nice commentary track in which they discuss the history of the film, the groundbreaking nature of the narrative, the contributions of the cast members, the background of the performers, the direction of Stanley Kramer, and much more.
- Theatrical Teaser: This disc provides the minute-long teaser for the feature.
Blu-Ray
- Audio Commentary: Tim Zinnemann, Director Fred Zinnemann’s son; and Alvin Sargent, a longtime Zinnemann partner; deliver a thoroughly informative and entertaining commentary track in which they go in-depth on the production of the film and the source material, initial ideas for casting, memories of the performers, the hot-button themes of the picture and so much more.
- Introductions
- Introduction by Steven Spielberg: A minute-long introduction from the legendary Steven Spielberg for the film’s 40th anniversary praising the work of Stanley Kramer.
- A Message From Quincy Jones: A three-minute archival piece with the iconic Quincy Jones in which he talks about his friendship with Sidney Poitier and the importance of Guess Who’s Coming To Dinner.
- Introduction to the Film by Karen Kramer: A three-minute introduction from Stanley Kramer’s wife discussing the groundbreaking nature of the feature.
- Introduction by Tom Brokaw: A three-minute introduction from the newscaster in which he discusses the progressive nature of the feature.
- A Love Story of Today: A 30-minute archival retrospective in which various cast members, historians, and prominent figures discuss the history of the film, the direction of Stanley Kramer, how the film used humor to get its message to the right audience, the background of the performers, the grand love of Tracy and Hepburn, and more.
- A Special Kind of Love: A 17-minute featurette that spotlights archival recordings with Katharine Hepburn, an interview with Katharine Houghton detailing what it was like being Hepburn’s niece, and more that explores the film and the relationship of Spencer Tracy and Katharine Hepburn.
- Stanley Kramer – A Man’s Search for Truth: A 17-minute look at the career of director Stanley Kramer and his vision for filmmaking as told by great contributors such as Garry Marshall, Alec Baldwin, Louis Gossett Jr., Dick Van Dyke, and more.
- Stanley Kramer Accepts the Irving Thalberg Award: A two-minute archival clip of Kramer accepting the iconic award for his contributions to cinema.
- 2007 Producers Guild “Stanley Kramer” Award Presentation to Al Gore: A nearly five-minute look at the “socially conscious” award given to Al Gore for An Inconvenient Truth.
- Photo Gallery: A gallery of stills and promotional material is provided here.
- Theatrical Trailer: The two-and-a-half-minute trailer is provided here.
Kramer vs. Kramer
4K UHD Blu-Ray
- Audio Commentary: Film Professor Jennine Lanouette provides a great new commentary track in which she dissects the film on a thematic level, digs into the nuances of the scripts, explores the performances, recalls the legacy of the feature, and more.
- Deleted Scenes: Five unused scenes totaling six minutes are provided in black-and-white and without the original audio, but they do include script notation and subtitles to help situate you in the scene.
- Featurettes
- Robert Benton on Acting: A three-minute piece from a screening of the film in which the filmmaker discusses how he directed the young star of the film, the guidance of Dustin Hoffman, and more.
- Justin Henry on Acting: A three-minute piece from the same screening in which the now-grown actor discusses his experiences working on Kramer vs. Kramer.
- Mothers and Daughters: A three-minute discussion from this screening about the role of Jane Alexander in the film.
- Points of Pride: A final three-minute excerpt from this screening in which Robert Benton discusses his feelings about the film.
- Theatrical Trailer: The minute-and-a-half-long trailer is provided.
Blu-Ray
- Making of Kramer vs. Kramer: A well-crafted 49-minute making-of documentary is provided in which the key figures reflect on the creation of the film, the emotional depth of the feature, how this impacted the performers, and more.
- Previews
Starman
4K UHD Blu-Ray
- Starman: The TV Series: The complete 1986-1987 22-episode follow-up series based on the feature film is presented in high definition. HD episodes are included on two 4K UHD discs for maximum space. These episodes include DTS-HD 2.0 Master Audio and English SDH, French, and German subtitles.
Blu-Ray
- Audio Commentary: Director John Carpenter and Actor Jeff Bridges deliver a terrific archival commentary track only available on the Blu-Ray in which they take you through the film offering rich anecdotes from the production, developing certain moments with the actors, thematic reasons behind certain choices, how he recruited some of the performers, the special effects work, and more. These two make this an essential listen.
- Deleted Scenes: There are 21 unused scenes totaling 18 minutes provided here in HD for the first time ever. These scenes have a bit of wear and tear to them, but they are a welcome sight for fans.
- Behind-The-Scenes Time Lapses: Two videos are provided in which you can see the development and execution of certain scenes from the film from a production standpoint.
- The Light at the Window (4:58)
- Pep Rally Prep (4:46)
- They Came From Hollywood! – Remembering Starman: A great 24-minute documentary is ported over from the Scream Factory disc that includes interviews with director John Carpenter, actors Jeff Bridges and Charles Martin Smith, and script supervisor Sandy King-Carpenter. There are some welcome anecdotes about the development of the project, the location shooting, the performances, and much more.
- Making-Of Featurette: A nearly 12-minute archival featurette that details the production of the film.
- “All I Have To Do Is Dream” Music Video: A four-minute video is provided of the song as performed by Jeff Bridges and Karen Allen.
- Still Gallery: A gallery of stills and promotional material is provided here.
- Theatrical Trailer: The two-minute trailer is provided.
Sleepless In Seattle
Blu-Ray
- Audio Commentary: A new commentary track and an archival commentary track are provided which offers a perspective from both a critical lens as well as more of a personal take on the production. The information is very much appreciated as you get all manner of interesting anecdotes and analyses that fans will love.
- Audio Commentary #1: 30th Anniversary Critic Commentary with Karen Han & David Sims
- Audio Commentary #2: Nora and Delia Ephron
- A Conversation with Gary Foster and Meg Ryan: A new four-minute introduction to the film with the star and the producer in which they reflect on the production of the film, the chemistry between Ryan and Tom Hanks, the special qualities of the feature, and more.
- Love In The Movies: A 13-minute archival featurette is provided that discusses how movies shape our ideas of romantic love complete with interviews with the creative figures and other prominent subjects.
- Deleted Scenes: Four unused scenes totaling six minutes are provided here in a rough HD form. These are well worth checking out.
- “When I Fall In Love” Music Video: The four-and-a-half-minute music video is provided.
- Theatrical Trailer: The two-and-a-half-minute trailer is provided.
Punch-Drunk Love
Blu-Ray
- Deleted Scenes: There are three unused scenes provided here totaling nearly seven minutes presented in standard definition. This includes more phone nonsense with Barry’s sisters, an additional scene with the thugs, and a fake commercial.
- Blossoms and Blood: A 12-minute short film is provided featuring Adam Sandler and Emily Watson accompanied by the music of Jon Brion.
- Jon Brion Featurette: A 27-minute featurette ported over from the Criterion Collection release in which the composer discusses the process of developing the score for Punch-Drunk Love, the musical ideas integrated into the feature, the manipulation of preexisting music, and more.
- Recording Session: A 10-minute look at the scoring sessions at Abbey Road in December 2001.
- Scopitones: A nearly seven-minute collection of visual art shorts.
- Additional Artwork: A nearly three-minute collection of artwork not used in the film.
- Trailers: The disc provides the Theatrical Trailer (2:26) and the International Trailer (1:02).
Final Thoughts
The Columbia Classics 4K Ultra HD Collection: Volume 4 is an essential release for any well-rounded cinephile. The newest collection provides a spate of iconic features from the archives of the studio with classics for almost every taste. From the screwball antics of His Girl Friday to the hilariously bittersweet gem that is Punch-Drunk Love and everything in between, each film is an absolute gift. Not only are the films some of the best cinema has to offer, but the new 4K UHD Blu-Rays showcase why Sony is leaving most other major studios in the dust.
The A/V presentations are magnificent from one of our favorite companies supporting the 4K UHD format. These releases also carry over nearly all of the legacy special features along with adding a favorable amount of new pieces to enhance the experience. Not only this, but all of these films come in a stunning package which includes a coffee table book plus an entire season of a television show. This is the apex of what home entertainment can achieve in the modern landscape, and it should be celebrated as such. If you even somewhat like these films, you owe it to yourself to pick up this collection before it goes out of print. Essential
Columbia Classics Collection: Volume 4 is currently available to purchase on 4K UHD Blu-Ray and titles are available individually on Digital.
Note: Images presented in this review are not reflective of the image quality of the 4K UHD Blu-Ray.
Disclaimer: Sony Pictures Home Entertainment has supplied a copy of this disc free of charge for review purposes. All opinions in this review are the honest reactions of the author.
Dillon is most comfortable sitting around in a theatre all day watching both big budget and independent movies.
