Joel Schumacher’s return to the horror genre after his 1987 hit The Lost Boys came in the form of the heart stopping, star studded film Flatliners. Not only did this film star Julia Roberts, Kiefer Sutherland, and Kevin Bacon, but it also grossed over $60 Million in domestic box office and even received 3 separate Oscar nominations. Not that the Oscars mean anything to us at Modern Horrors, but it’s still pretty cool. Now, Arrow Video have sunk their fingers into another great 4K transfer with their brand new Flatliners 4K UHD.

Packaging and Art

Flatliners, much like Arrow’s previous 4K standard editions of 12 Monkeys and Frankenstein, is a stunner right out of the plastic. The slipcover features both a soft touch coating texture and a shiny reflective texture on certain parts of Gary Pullin’s brand new artwork. Under the slip we have a traditional softcase with reversible covers. Further, there is an Illustrated collector’s booklet with new essays on the film, and this is available with the first pressings only, so if you’re a fan of extra supplements as I am, you may want to place an order sooner rather than later.

Bonus Features

  • Brand new 4K restoration from the original negative, approved by director of photography Jan de Bont
  • 4K (2160p) UHD Blu-ray presentation in Dolby Vision (HDR10 compatible)
  • Lossless DTS-HD Master Audio 5.1 and 2.0 surround soundtracks
  • Optional English subtitles for the deaf and hard of hearing
  • Brand new audio commentary by critics Bryan Reesman and Max Evry
  • The Conquest of our Generation, a brand new video interview with screenwriter Peter Filardi
  • Visions of Light, a brand new video interview with director of photography Jan de Bont and chief lighting technician Edward Ayer
  • Hereafter, a brand new video interview with first assistant director John Kretchmer
  • Restoration, a brand new video interview with production designer Eugenio Zanetti and art director Larry Lundy
  • Atonement, a brand new video interview with composer James Newton Howard and orchestrator Chris Boardman
  • Dressing for Character, a brand new interview with costume designer Susan Becker
  • Theatrical trailer
  • Image gallery
  • Reversible sleeve featuring original and newly commissioned artwork by Gary Pullin
  • FIRST PRESSING ONLY: Illustrated collector’s booklet featuring new writing on the film by Amanda Reyes and Peter Tonguette

Audio: DTS-HD Master Audio 5.1 and DTS-HD Master Audio 2.0

The audio for this release was sourced from the original 35mm LCRS stereo magnetic tracks. This surround mix was very well balanced with a full sense of immersion credited especially to James Newton Howard’s score. There were clear panning effects happening throughout the speakers in my room, and decent LFE levels overall to add that extra element to the soundstage.

Video: 4K (2160p) UHD Blu-ray presentation in Dolby Vision (HDR10 compatible)

Flatliners was restored in 4K by Sony Pictures Entertainment from the 35mm Original Picture Negative. The HDR color grading and conform was done by colorist Sheri Eisenberg and a digital image restoration by Prasad Corporation, India. The Flatliners 4K UHD restoration was supervised by Bill Karydes for SPE, with color approval by cinematographer Jan De Bont. It’s clear that Arrow Video and Sony pulled out all stops to make sure that this restoration looked incredible by the time it hit our screens. From my personal experience, I noticed quite a bit of detail in closeups on faces and a darker and slightly warmer tone than previous bluray releases. The new detail increases the filmic look of the movie by bringing out some of the grain texture and offering a more true to story feel. I think this is an obvious upgrade from previous releases.

Overall

I think that Arrow Video and Sony pictures did a wonderful job capturing the heart and style of the film with this release and restoration. Flatliners is a film that should carry on for generations, and with an amazing treatment like this, we can be sure that it will continue to pop off shelves and screens. I believe this is the new definitive version of this film and should absolutely be in your collection.

Purchase Arrow Video’s Flatliners 4K UHD

 

Gear Used for Reviews:

Speakers:
Klipsch RF-7 Fronts
Klipsch RC-7 Center
Klipsch RF-82ii Surrounds
Klipsch RS-7 Back Surrounds
OSD ICE660 Dolby Atmos In Ceilings

Subs:
Klipsch RSW-115 Subwoofer (Front)
BIC Acoustech PL-200ii Subwoofer (Rear)
Klipsch SW-112 (Rear)

Dayton Audio BST-1 High Power Pro Tactile Bass Shaker

Projector:
Epson 5050ub

Screen:
Silver Ticket 135″ 16×9 High Contrast Grey screen with 0.9 gain.

Rack:
Denon x3700h
Episode 150 Amp

Dayton Audio BSA-200 Power amp
Sony UBP-X700 4K Bluray
Sony BDP-S6700 4K upscale Region Free Player

Cables:
Component cables – Key Digital 4K HDR 4:4:4 HDMI Pro Cables
Projector Cable – Key Digital 4K HDR 4:4:4 Fiber Optic HDMI