Bests & Worsts Reviews from Amazon

I found that I must edit an older review, as Amazon does not distinguish between the same title in differing formats. I have bought the original Blu-ray, the 30th Anniversary Blu-ray, and the 30th Anniversary 4K Blu-ray. I have the DVD, and the VHS may be around here, too. The DVD version is a horrid, blurry mess that does not translate well to modern high-resolution screens. That said, I think the DVD version reveals the poor quality of either the original film stock or cameras. Lighting seems to have been a problem in many scenes. Both the 30th Anniversary Blu-ray and 4K Blu-ray feature the noisiest video I have ever seen. It is difficult to say which version is worse, as the increased resolution of the 4K 30th Anniversary edition is offset by a marked increase in visual noise. That 4K offers a sharper image, but everything is sharper—including the noise! The original Blu-ray release, not the 30th Anniversary version, is the one to get, if you are at all interested in the visual quality of the actual film. Its resolution and color improve upon the original DVD and VHS while to a large part avoiding the noise and over-saturated colors of the 30th Anniversary editions. The 30th Anniversary releases are not revealing "film grain." Rather, the picture is troubled by what can only be described as a pixelated static, something quite visible across light-colored surfaces. The effect is so strong that if you get close to your screen, no surface is ever solid or smooth, but instead an electrified jumble of dancing pixels. In the 30th Anniversary editions, the first minutes of the picture are littered with film artifacts, such as random lines and "tears" one was accustomed to seeing in old film, but not in anything that has undergone thoughtful processing. I have to imagine the remastering was handed off to someone who had no idea how to clean and remaster film. The result is a complete disgrace and insult to everyone involved in making the original—not to mention customers who naively assume the fancy 30th Anniversary packaging is indicative of any special effort or quality. It turns out to be, instead, a sad cash grab. I'm altogether disappointed in the myriad "reviews" I've read that turn out to be copied press releases rather than reviews, and fail to mention the poor video quality. As harsh as I've been, I will admit that the 4K 30th Anniversary edition is tolerable—even pleasant—provided you will be viewing from a fair distance. At eight to ten feet, the noise is not so distracting. I've read complaints about the sound, but I've not noticed sound issues in any version I've watched—and I've watched them all. My review largely reflects my own impression of the visual quality of the various retail releases. Regardless of what I've argued, the film itself is a classic, great for kids and kids at heart. Just don't get too close to your screen when you watch it.