American Graffiti 4K Blu-ray (50th Anniversary Edition)

American Graffiti 4K

 (1973)

American Graffiti 4K Blu-ray offers decent video and solid audio, but overall it’s a mediocre Blu-ray release
A group of teenagers in California’s central valley spend one final night after their 1962 high school graduation cruising the strip with their buddies before they pursue their varying goals.

For more about American Graffiti 4K and the American Graffiti 4K Blu-ray release, see American Graffiti 4K Blu-ray Review published by Martin Liebman on December 15, 2023 where this Blu-ray release scored 2.5 out of 5.

Director: George Lucas

Writers: George Lucas, Gloria Katz, Willard Huyck

Starring: Richard Dreyfuss, Ron Howard, Paul Le Mat, Charles Martin Smith, Cindy Williams, Candy Clark

Producer: Francis Ford Coppola


» See full cast & crew

American Graffiti 4K Blu-ray Review

Reviewed by Martin Liebman, December 15, 2023

Universal has released the 1973 film ‘American Graffiti,’ directed by George Lucas and starring Richard Dreyfuss, Ron Howard, Paul Le Mat, Charles
Martin Smith, Cindy Williams, and Candy Clark, to the UHD format. New specifications include 2160p/HDR video and a DTS-HD Master Audio 5.1
lossless soundtrack. No new extras are included. Universal does include the original 2011 Blu-ray. No new extras are included, but most of the Blu-ray extras carry over to
the UHD disc.

In his review of the original Universal issue, Ken Brown summarized the film this way: ‘American Graffiti’ tells the somewhat episodic, coming-of-
age tale of four longtime friends and recent high school graduates — blonde bombshell-smitten Curt Henderson (Richard Dreyfuss), college-bound
Steve Bolander (Ron Howard), stiff-lipped cruiser John Milner (Paul Le Mat, Melvin and Howard) and socially inept Terry ‘The Toad’ Fields (Charles
Martin Smith) — who drive, dance and race their way to morning over the course of a single, life-changing night in Modesto, California.

For a full film review, please click here.

American Graffiti 4K Blu-ray, Video Quality 4K

 
 

1080p

 

The included screenshots are sourced from a 1080p Blu-ray disc.

Where’s the grain? American Graffiti was shot on film back in the early 1970s but there is very little evidence of the filmic
nature on display. Universal’s 2160p/HDR UHD release of American Graffiti has been scrubbed of all but the faintest traces of its natural grain
structure, leaving the film looking flat, inorganic, waxy, and pasty, recalling some of the more deficient Blu-ray releases from the Universal’s past,
such
as
Tremors. It’s a great shame because this is a nice-looking film which
should look great at home. It’s rich with period texture and character that is dramatically lessened here because of the
scrubbing. As
it is, the image doesn’t even look like a UHD, looking more like a scrubbed Blu-ray, never appearing to add any significant sharpness to the elements.
I
can’t imagine most viewers would bat an eyelash if told this was a Blu-ray rather than a UHD. In fact, I prefer the look of the Blu-ray, which is
drastically imperfect as it is, (read Ken Brown’s review here). It is also processed but still retains a semblance of
character and texture that is completely absent here. What a mess. What a disappointment.

There’s not much good news with the HDR color grading, either. Yes, some of the classic cars look punchier, neon signs brighter, and a few other odds
and ends more richly colorful, but the grading is largely flat and uninspired. Worse, black levels exhibit crush and murkiness. Whites don’t pop and
skin tones are pasty and somehow even more lifeless and inauthentic than the Blu-ray. What should have been a wonderful HDR grading adds almost
nothing to the experience.

At least the image is free of any serious print blemishes, and the encode is good, showing no compression issues, but this is probably the biggest
UHD
disappointment of 2023. Yikes.

American Graffiti 4K Blu-ray, Audio Quality

 

For this new UHD release of American Graffiti, Universal has included a new DTS-HD Master Audio 5.1 lossless soundtrack. Purists will want to
stick with the legacy 2.0 lossless soundtrack, which is also included. The new track is certainly spacious along the front, offering good front end
engagement, centered lyrics, and a nice bass line to Bill Haley & the Comets’ (We’re Gonna) Rock Around the Clock. However, even re-encoded
to 5.1 channels, there’s not a significant amount of back channel activity at work here. There is some musical seepage through the backs, as well as
some very mild environmental fill, but generally listeners will barely notice that the backs are part of the configuration. The subwoofer makes more of
an impact and presence than the surround left and right channels. As it is, the elements are in good shape. Clarity is adequate, imperfect at times and
likely tracing back to the source, but offering good foundational definition to the incredible period soundtrack and dialogue, which comprise the vast
majority of the track’s sonic needs. The 5.1 track is not necessarily useful in total, offering little more than some added body to music. Many listeners
will want to hang with the legacy 2.0 track. For a full review of that soundtrack, please click here.

American Graffiti 4K Blu-ray, Overall Score and Recommendation

 

American Graffiti is a fun film with a wonderful soundtrack (for my money probably in the top two or three, right up there with Top Gun for the sheer excellence of the song selections), but this new
UHD…yikes! What a disaster! The old Blu-ray, problematic as it may be, offer a much better viewing of the film. This is soft, flat, scrubbed, pasty,
everything a film shouldn’t be on Blu-ray, never mind UHD, which only amplifies the problems and the disappointment. Add unimpressive HDR
grading and the net result is very poor indeed. The 5.1 soundtrack is fine, even if it remains front heavy. No new extras are included. Skip!!!

American Graffiti: Other Editions

Show more titles »« Show less titles

Similar titles suggested by members

American Graffiti 4K Blu-ray, News and Updates

• Blu-ray Sales: November 5-11: M:I – Dead Reckoning Part One Finis… – November 17, 2023

For the week that ended on November 11th, Paramount Home Media Distribution’s Mission: Impossible – Dead Reckoning Part One topped both the Blu-ray-only and overall packaged media charts in its second week, fending off a new release from Sony Pictures Home Entertainment, …

• Universal: New 4K Restoration of American Graffiti Heading to U.S… – July 25, 2023

Universal Pictures and Fathom Events will screen a brand new 4K restoration of George Lucas’ American Graffiti in select theaters across the nation on August 27 and 30. Later this year, the 4K restoration will be made available on 4K Blu-ray and Blu-ray as wel …

• Buy Two Select Universal Blu-rays at Amazon, Get $8 Off (Expired) – May 9, 2011

Amazon is currently offering customers who purchase two select Universal Blu-ray releases $8 off their total purchase price at checkout. The deal is notable in that five of the fourteen eligible titles are upcoming releases: American Graffiti, Legend, Billy Madison, …

» Show more related news posts for American Graffiti 4K Blu-ray

Movie Discussions

4K Ultra HD

North America Blu-ray Discussions

International Blu-ray Discussions

Packaging Discussions

Digital Discussions