Review: Falling Down 4K UHD

I remember watching Falling Down for the 1st time on VHS. I was sat with my dad and we both LOVED it. Now, as a much older adult, the film resonates with me even more. That’s not to say that I agree with everything that Michael Douglas’s character Bill Foster does, but I sure as hell relate to his mounting frustration at the world around him more.

This new release by Arrow Films naturally blows away the picture and sound quality of that initial VHS viewing, and once again makes it feel like a “1st time watch’ with its natural colours and perfect contrast. As Bill Foster gets increasingly sweaty in the oppressive heat, the beads of sweat that appear on him are so clear that you begin to feel hot yourself. There is a more natural colour palette than in previous viewings across different formats, and the added contrast is very much on show.

The story is quite a simple one; man gets frustrated sat in a hot car while in a traffic jam, his frustration at everything in his life up to that point hits boiling point, so he abandons the car and ‘tries’ to do simple every day things, but he has snapped to the point that things that you might think or even mumble under your breath when dealing with people, he suddenly acts upon without any second thought.

If you’ve never watched Falling Down, then this is the version to get. As well as superb picture quality, it also has newly restored original lossless stereo 2.0 and DTS-HD MA 4.0 surround audio. 

Add to the above the usual entertaining and informative special features on an Arrow release, and you have a disc that is worth a place in anyone’s collection…just don’t go out for a burger straight after watching it!

4K ULTRA HD LIMITED EDITION CONTENTS

• Brand new 4K restoration by Arrow Films approved by cinematographer Andrzej Bartkowiak
• 4K UHD (2160p) Blu-ray presentation in Dolby Vision (HDR10 compatible)
• Newly restored original lossless stereo 2.0 and DTS-HD MA 4.0 surround audio
• Optional English subtitles for the deaf and hard of hearing
• Archival audio commentary by director Joel Schumacher, editor Paul Hirsch, screenwriter Ebbe Roe Smith, LA Times writer Shawn Hubler, and actors Michael Douglas, Michael Paul Chan, Vondie Curtis-Hall, and Frederic Forrest
• Man on the Edge, a brand new interview with screenwriter Ebbe Roe Smith
• At War with the World, a brand new interview with composer James Newton Howard
• Going Home, a brand new location featurette revisiting the real-life Los Angeles sites used in Falling Down
• Deconstructing D-Fens, an archival interview with Michael Douglas
• Original trailer
• Image gallery
• Reversible sleeve featuring original artwork
• Collectors’ booklet featuring new writing on the film by film critics Alexandra Heller-Nicholas and Simon Ward

Review by Dave from a disc kindly supplied by Arrow Films via Fetch Publicity.