If you can't bear yet another Alien franchise instalment and have been put off watching the "unfathomably awful" The Crow remake, don't write off your weekly cinema trip just yet as three seminal movies of our time are hitting UK cinemas.
Landmark anniversary rereleases go hand in hand with 4K restorations nowadays, making for viewing that isn't only nostalgic (or enlightening for first-time watchers) but also audiovisually enhanced... when the remastering has been done right, that is.
The trio of cult classics below are in cinemas around the country right now or in just days' time, and with any luck should make you fall in love with your favourite actors, plotlines and cybernetic assassins (oops, I've given one away) all over again.
Pulp Fiction (30th anniversary)
UK cinema release: last Friday (23rd August)
The path of the righteous cinemagoer may well be into their local picturehouse to watch (or almost certainly, rewatch) the most iconic movie of the ’90s… if they haven’t done so already over the long Bank Holiday weekend, of course. It’s hard to believe that Tarantino’s beloved crime classic is already 30 years old, and arguably just as hard to comprehend that it’s been available in Ultra HD for less than two years.
The 4K Blu-ray release from Paramount that landed late in 2022 is a real doozy – a fine example of a 4K transfer enhancing the film feel without looking too digitised (smoothed) – so the theatrical remaster should be a knockout on the big screen.
The Terminator (40th anniversary)
UK cinema release: this Thursday (29th August)
Ghostbusters, Gremlins, The Karate Kid, The NeverEnding Story, Indiana Jones and the Temple of Doom, A Nightmare on Elm Street and, of course, The Terminator – it is little wonder so many 1984 movies reaching their 40th anniversaries this year have been theatrically re-released.
Good on his promise, The Terminator is indeed back in cinemas – and in glorious 4K for this landmark birthday release. Released by Park Circus, who also oversaw the 4K treatment of The Abyss, Alien and True Lies, the new James Cameron-approved restoration comes from a 4K film scan of the 35mm negative and, unfortunately for die-hards who love the original mono mix, a new Dolby Atmos mix. Here’s to hoping this remaster is better than the dodgy Alien one!
The Italian Job (55th anniversary)
![The Italian Job (1969) OFFICIAL TRAILER [HD 1080p] - YouTube](https://img.youtube.com/vi/bPpgg5rwxpA/maxresdefault.jpg)
UK cinema release: this Sunday (1st Sept)
No, not the Mark Wahlberg one but the 1969 Michael Caine-starring original – which arguably makes the 4K restoration sell even more appealing. Indeed, this is your chance to watch one of the most ingenious car chases in cinema history in Ultra HD on the silver screen. The classic British crime caper’s new reissue by Paramount was taken from a 4K scan of the original 35mm negative (which was also presented in Dolby Vision Master for the 4K Blu-ray release earlier this year) and should, fingers crossed, blow the bloody doors off your local cinema!
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