Why So Blu?

Interstellar (Limited 10th Anniversary Edition) (4K UHD Blu-ray Review)

Time has flown by when you are looking at the 10^th Anniversary edition of Interstellar.  The ahead-of-its-time Christopher Nolan masterpiece has been on 4K Blu-ray since 2017.  Using the same 4K and Blu-ray discs and adding a new piece to the legacy bonus features Blu-ray and giving collectors a beautiful piece of collectible is the name of the game with this release.  Read more on the new set and read Brian White’s exceptional legacy review inside!

Film 

Read Brian White’s legacy review of Interstellar HERE

Video /Audio 

Read Brian White’s 4K UHD Blu-ray HERE

Extras 

The 10th Anniversary Limited Edition of Interstellar comes in a rectangular box that houses the 3 discs, along with a booklet of storyboards, 4 posters, a note from Christopher Nolan, and a set of patches that match those on the space suits in the film.  The discs are a bit tricky to get out of the packaging, but besides that, the packaging is gorgeous.  The discs look identical to the 2017 release. There is one new bonus included:

• The Future Is Now: A Look Back at INTERSTELLAR – NEW!

Explore the impact of INTERSTELLAR 10 years later through new interviews with director/co-writer Christopher Nolan, producer Emma Thomas, executive producer Kip Thorne, and co-writer Jonathan Nolan. From the development of prophetic black hole visuals to revolutionary production design for IMAX, further context is provided by colleagues and fans including director Peter Jackson (The Lord of the Rings) and director Denis Villeneuve (Dune).

This feature shows the legacy of Interstellar, and how far science has come to actually prove some of the film’s theories as fact now, 10 years later. Fascinating stuff!

** From Brian’s 4K UHD Blu-ray Review:

Interstellar comes to our favorite 4K Ultra HD format in a three-disc Combo Pack (1 UHD, 2 Blu-ray Discs) with Digital HD and a whopping three hours of in-depth, behind-the-scenes bonus content detailing the epic shoot, the scientific realities explored in the film, a look at creating the stunning visuals, plus an extended cut of “The Science of Interstellar” broadcast special and much more.  I have to tell you the following, ladies and gentlemen.  The three hours of extras contained here on the second Blu-ray disc, which we will talk about in much more detail down below, are simply out of this world AMAZING.  I don’t even mind terribly that there’s no audio commentary included.  Now if you will allow me the honors, as the legendary Space Ace used to sing, I want to take you on a “Rocket Ride” (a different context of the word though as opposed to the original KISS song) and show you around the second Blu-ray disc (the feature film is housed on the first Blu-ray) in Paramount’s Interstellar 4K Ultra HD Blu-ray Combo Pack.  3…2…1…BLAST OFF!

• The Science of Interstellar (HD, 50:20) — If there was only one ring to rule them all in the Lord of the Rings saga, then this is the one doc to rule them all in the Interstellar universe.  Here we have the extended cut of the broadcast special, which is narrated by Matthew McConaughey.  We are treated to not only clips from the film, behind-the-scene stills and interviews, but also such deep dives into complex topics such as wormholes, time travel, black holes, Space-X, the future of our planet and even mention of Kepler 186F, which could be the next Earth despite it being 500 light years away.  Of course none of these conversations here would be remotely possible without the inclusion of Kip Thorne, whom I discussed at length up above in the film section.
• Plotting an Interstellar Journey (HD, 7:49) — Nolan, Emma, Kip and Lynda discuss the film’s origins, influences and narrative designs, which are big and ambitious, but all deeply rooted in real science whenever possible.
• Life on Cooper’s Farm (HD, 9:43) —Here’s where we discuss bringing Americana and the grounded nature of a farm to a sci-fi space movie by exploring the beauty of the farmhouse built in Calgary and its importance as a main character in the story.  It was also interesting to learn the challenges of growing corn near the mountains in Calgary and how they made their money back by selling all the corn once filming concluded there.
• The Dust  (HD, 2:38) —Here we get to learn how the cast and crew avoided sand blindness, and see how they employed a product that was used to fill the air with dust to be seen on the big screen, and clean up after, a catastrophic dust storm.
• TARS and CASE  (HD, 9:27) — Here we are witnesses to the designing and building of these unique characters and how they were brought to life on set and in the film using both puppetry (human performances behind them) and VFX that was employed.  It was interesting to learn how they sought out to make the robots as human as possible without actually being human and functional as well.
• Cosmic Sounds  (HD, 13:40) — As usual when it comes to the creative process of scoring, I just couldn’t get enough of this remarkable featurette.  Here we get to explore the concepts, process and recording of Hans Zimmer’s unforgettable organ score.  It was very interesting to learn how the score was initially developed when Nolan went to Hans and  told him to write a song about a father/son relationship without mentioning any genre at all.  The result ended up being the main theme of the film.  Intriguing huh?  Indeed!  It was mind-blowing to see the organ used to create this score as well as how the orchestra and choir all came together in a church.
• The Space Suits  (HD, 4:31) — Here we have a look at the design and build of the suits and helmets, and what it was like to wear those 30-35 pound monsters.  It was cool to learn about the cooling shirts they wore underneath and the fact that they could employ the use of IMAX cameras in dialog heavy scenarios where it would normally not be feasible because there were microphones inside the headphones and the actors could hear direction within from Nolan too.
• The Endurance  (HD, 9:24) — Here we explore this massive set with a guided tour by production designer Nathan Crowley.  It should be noted that this was grounded in design by NASA technology.  The circular shape was used to establish gravity for the traveling astronauts.
• Shooting in Iceland: Miller’s Planet/Mann’s Planet  (HD, 12:42) — You always wanted to go to Iceland, no?  Here you get an exclusive passport to travel with the cast and crew to Iceland and see the challenges they faced in creating two vastly different worlds (ice and water ones) in one country.  Nolan was familiar with Iceland from his work there on Batman Begins.  Iceland was key to achieving the Chris Nolan “real” feel.  However, some of the problems they had to face and overcome include, but not limited to the following: heavy suits, cold water, having to pave roads, creating a 4,000 foot wave, winds up to 100 mph, etc.
• The Ranger and the Lander  (HD, 12:20) — Here we get to take a look at the other two spaceships in the film, including but not limited to the designing, materials used and complexity of the instrument panels within.
• Miniatures in Space (HD, 5:29) — Here’s your chance to marvel at the large-scale models used in the explosive docking sequence and the required VFX shots.  The filmmakers goal was simple.  They want to make sure this film looked timeless and will stand up well to scrutiny in the future.  They used motion control cinematography to shoot sequences involving the models.
• The Simulation of Zero-G  (HD, 5:31) — Here’s an interesting look that allows you to discover the various methods that the filmmakers used to create a zero gravity environment.  The filmmakers initially had a practice run with this years ago while filming Inception.  The rope work required the utilization of four cables attached to the actor and of course it was up to them to prepare and condition their bodies for realistically faking zero gravity in front of the cameras.
• Celestial Landmarks  (HD, 13:22) — This one kind of repeats a lot from the “Science of Interstellar” special feature above as we hear from Kip Thorne (re-used interview segments) and explore how the filmmakers used practical special effects informed by real scientific equations to give the illusion of real space travel for both the actors and the audience.  I did very much enjoy learning about how all the multiple projectors were employed during the shoot to simulate the galaxy and reflections in the astronaut’s helmets.
• Across All Dimensions and Time  (HD, 9:02) — Here’s a quick look at the concept and design of the Tesseract, which incorporated a practical set rather than a green screen.  This one was interesting because it gives you a chance to semi-understand this complex moment in the film.  I learned the Tesseract is a 3D shadow of a 4D cube.  What does that really mean?  I have no idea.  LOL.  It was explained in here as an array to display time as a spacial dimension and that it was one of the most difficult things to design in the film.  There were also up to 15 projectors employed here at one time during this incredible Act 3 sequence.  Unbelievable stuff here!  Explain it all to me please!
• Final Thoughts  (HD, 6:02) — In this final featurette the cast and crew reflect back on their Interstellar experience and what it all meant to them.  They all hope the film can inspire youth to explore outer space once again.  I hope so too!
• Theatrical Trailers  (HD) — There are a total of 4 trailers found here: Teaser (1:52), Trailer 1 (2:34), Trailer 2 (2:35) and Trailer 3 (2:59).

Summary 

This new package for Interstellar is wonderful for newcomers and for longtime fans alike.  These are the kinds of packages that collectors LOVE! We love the added bonus of things we can hold in our hands and this set embellishes our senses with patches, posters and booklets of stunning artwork.  This will be an ideal Christmas gift for the Interstellar fan in your family!!

 

** From Brian’s Review:

In my opinion, five-star scores across the board don’t come around too often here so when they do, case in point being Interstellar 4K  today, I tend to take time to cherish the moment and gleefully smile on a job well done not only here within this review, but to the peeps at Paramount who made this all possible.  I encourage you to double dip here, take the time to revisit and rekindle the flames again.  Boldly explore the new worlds and the “real” science Nolan brilliantly puts at your fingertips here.  Rejoice in the marvel that is Interstellar 4K and know you’re getting reference quality from head-to-toe with this 4K UHD Blu-ray product.  Jammed pack with over three hours of extras that will leave you hungry for more and an aggressive 5.1 lossless surround mix that will rip the paint right off your walls, cracking them in the process, Interstellar 4K is a MUST-OWN UHD release this year.  You’re welcome!

Buy your copy of Interstellar – 10th Anniversary Limited Edition HERE