I didn’t have Disney releasing two of the most stunning 4K Blu-rays on my 2023 entertainment bingo card, discs so good that they should make you consider buying movies again if you’ve been otherwise limited to streaming, but here we are. Is this the beginning of Disney giving 4K Blu-rays the TLC it once bestowed on VHS and DVD?
A recap of recent history: When Disney Plus launched during the thick of the COVID-19 pandemic, home video collectors were unsure how to feel. The dreaded “Disney Vault,” the company’s method of selling films every few years for a limited time, had come to an end with the vast majority of films available to stream at the viewer’s whim. On the other hand, would the company be motivated to keep its cadence of restoring (and re-restoring) classics with new technology?
Reality, as usual, ended up more complicated. After a triumphant launch, Disney Plus subscriber numbers slowed, and the home video market began a gradual revival — perhaps in reaction to fan-favorite movies and TV shows being unceremoniously removed from streaming services.
Nearly three years later, Disney is releasing 4K HDR restorations of time-tested classic Cinderella and modern classic The Nightmare Before Christmas. They’re breathtaking, albeit for different reasons.
For me, The Nightmare Before Christmas’ restoration is the standout, and perhaps the most visually stunning 4K Blu-ray I’ve seen this year — and I’ve watched quite a few. The restoration is crisp and clean, without going so far as to digitally remove film grain and the little flaws of the actual film material that give this movie a different texture than the familiar sheen of modern digital photography.
But what makes this disc special is how the modern restoration
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