National Lampoon’s Vacation 4K Blu-ray (40th Anniversary Edition)
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40th Anniversary Edition / 4K Ultra HD + Digital HD
Warner Bros. | 1983 | 98 min | Rated R | Jun 27, 2023 (2 Days)
Video Codec: HEVC / H.265 Resolution: Native 4K (2160p) HDR: HDR10 Aspect ratio: 1.85:1 Original aspect ratio: 1.85:1 Audio
English: DTS-HD Master Audio 2.0 Mono (48kHz, 24-bit) Subtitles English SDH, French, Spanish Discs Digital Packaging Playback |
Price List price: Amazon: $25.99 (Save 24%) New from: $25.99 (Save 24%) Available for pre-order, FREE shipping Movie rating 656 ratings. 84% |
National Lampoon’s Vacation 4K
(1983)
The Griswolds have planned all year for a great summer vacation. From their suburban Chicago home, across America, to the wonders of the Walley World fun park in California, every step of the way has been carefully plotted. So what if they lose all their money when their new car gets wrecked. And it’s not too bad when Cousin Eddie deposits sour Aunt Edna in their back seat for a lift to Phoenix. But what really keeps Clark’s eyes on the road is a flirtation with a mysterious blonde in a red Ferrari.
For more about National Lampoon’s Vacation 4K and the National Lampoon’s Vacation 4K Blu-ray release, see National Lampoon’s Vacation 4K Blu-ray Review published by Randy Miller III on June 23, 2023 where this Blu-ray release scored 4.0 out of 5.
Director: Harold Ramis
Writer: John Hughes
Starring: Chevy Chase, Beverly D’Angelo, Imogene Coca, Randy Quaid, Anthony Michael Hall, Dana Barron
Producer: Matty Simmons
» See full cast & crew
National Lampoon’s Vacation 4K Blu-ray, Video Quality 4K
1080p
NOTE: This review’s screenshots are not sourced from the 4K disc; no Blu-ray is included, so these temp shots are actually from an older
upscaled DVD. Relax and breathe easy, folks: the UHD looks much, much better than what you seen here, and it’s actually in the film’s original
1.85:1 aspect ratio for the first time on home video.
Any Blu-ray sourced from a DVD-era master, let alone those using the older VC-1 codec, is bound to be improved on UHD and National Lampoon’s
Vacation is certainly no different. It’s advertised only as a “new 4K restoration” but one can only assume that a fresh OCN scan was used,
as this pleasingly consistent 2160p/HDR transfer features a much more striking amount of fine detail with clearly stronger filmic textures. Eagle-eyed
viewers will be able to spot trace amounts of “grain management”, but it’s absolutely not an issue on the whole since Vacation‘s
fine-grain stock is only occasionally flattened out during a handful of brief nighttime scenes. WB’s tasteful application of HDR plays nice with
the film’s mostly natural palette, with occasional room for the “pop” of bold hues like Christie Brinkley’s red Ferrari, the Griswold’s metallic pea station
wagon, and the colorful signage on display at Walley World. For the most part, the film’s mostly earth-toned presentation looks accurate to its source
without the usual orange-and-teal push that plagues most heavier HDR applications, including some of the more garish flesh tones seen during Christmas
Vacation. High dynamic range also aids several of the older master’s more “contrasty” moments, such as the station wagon’s eight
headlights cutting though darkened city streets. It’s a very solid and perhaps surprisingly purist-friendly effort, smoothly encoded on a dual-layered
66GB disc and almost entirely free of compression-related issues such as banding and posterization. If this is the main (only?) reason you’re buying
this release, I can’t imagine you’ll be disappointed.
National Lampoon’s Vacation 4K Blu-ray, Audio Quality
There’s less to say about the DTS-HD 2.0 Master Audio mix other than that it offers a clean, two-channel split of the original mono with a decently
higher degree of sonic detail and better dynamic range at similar volume levels. Stray music cues, such as the all-encompassing presence of Lindsey
Buckingham’s soaring “Holiday Road” and June Pointer’s “Little Boy Sweet” heard during Christie Brinkley’s Ferrari drive-by (a home video replacement
for The Pointer Sisters’ “I’m So Excited” which still hasn’t been
fixed, much to the dismay of our forum members), enjoy a decently weighty presence within format limitations. Dialogue remains relatively crisp
and easy to understand, with the mix as a whole sounding like a pleasingly polished era-specific track that shows no reasonable room for improvement.
Optional subtitles, including English (SDH) are included during the main feature only.
National Lampoon’s Vacation: Other Editions
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National Lampoon’s Vacation 4K Blu-ray, News and Updates
• Warner: First Look at New 4K Restoration of National Lampoon’s Va… – May 10, 2023
Warner Bros. Home Entertainment has provided an exclusive new trailer for its upcoming 4K Blu-ray release of Harold Ramis’ classic comedy National Lampoon’s Vacation (1983), starring Chevy Chase, Beverly D’Angelo, Imogene Coca, Randy Quaid, Anthony and Michael …
• National Lampoon’s Vacation 40th Anniversary 4K Blu-ray – April 25, 2023
Warner Bros. Home Entertainment plans to celebrate the 40th anniversary of Harold Ramis’ classic comedy National Lampoon’s Vacation (1983) with a brand new 4K Blu-ray edition of the film. Currently, the release is scheduled to arrive on the market on June 27th …
• National Lampoon’s Vacation & Vegas Vacation Blu-rays – February 8, 2013
Warner Bros. Home Entertainment has announced the 30th Anniversary Edition Blu-ray release of National Lampoon’s Vacation and the Blu-ray debut of one of the series sequels, Vegas Vacation. Both comedies star Chevy Chase, Beverly D’Angelo and Randy Quaid, and street …
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