Hurlant Metal (1981) – Sex, Drugs and Rock

IMAGE – All D cups!

Resulting from a new full restoration approved by producer Ivan Reitman and never distorted by the use of digital tools, the image of this UHD Dolby Vision transfer will no longer suffer from the copy defects that enamelled the 2011 Blu-ray.

The silver grain which is well homogenous no longer tingles, the definition has made a real leap forward (while keeping in mind that the craft aspect of certain techniques « old school » sometimes limits its impact), the planes benefit from a surplus of materials and reliefs, the already psychedelic basic colorimetric palette perfects the saturation and luminous shine of its various tones (the green of Loc-Nar, the skin of Den, the red of the alien vessel) and the contrasts, more marked than in the past, release deeper blacks (space) and more sustained whites (the hair of Taarna).

SON – There are days when we want to scream METAL!!!

Voluntaryly outrageous, this sound modernization proposed in Dolby Atmos (in VO) is very impressive.

The low frequencies are scathed (a little too much even), the dynamics are completely outsized, the atmosphere clean of the 80s as the many effects « Too much » are very well distributed, the height scene activates at the slightest opportunity (the thunder, the flying machines), the surrounds are on the spot, the metal that « spot » and Elmer Bernstein's score sends wood, and dialogues are rigorously mixed with the rest.

Much less airy and clear even if powerful and immersive, the VF lossless is pale in comparison.

CONCLUSION – A step beyond science fiction

For its 40th anniversary, this mythical erotico-SF cartoon, which upset a whole generation in the 1980s, offered a splendid playful treatment (an admirable video master and a stunning 3D soundtrack) in 4K Ultra HD!