Death Wish (1974) 4K UHD Screenshots (Patreon)

Video

Advertised as a new 4K master, Death Wish isn't too impressive on UHD. It's a dirty print, holding a surprising level of dirt for something new. Maybe that's intentional to keep a certain grindhouse aesthetic. Regardless, for an original negative, the end result looks meh, indicative of a '70s era film stock, but also gaining little over previous presentations in terms of detail, sharpness, and texture.

Luckily, Kino delivers an aggressive Dolby Vision pass that helps give life to this film stock. Brightness excels, every highlight intense, but varied. Death Wish still contains crushing black levels, and that's at the source. Cinematography favors dark city corners, and night swallows shadow detail entirely.

Perfectly encapsulating the '70s area via aggressive earth tones, browns and sepia dominate the palette. Flesh tones survive through the decades, and some primaries stick out. The couch in Bronson's apartment brings a spectacular, vibrant red into the frame. Arizona locales bring some greenery, if still dulled by the brown-ish look.

Audio

DTS-HD stereo and a so-so 5.1 remix both limit fidelity. Stereo contains this better, but expect limited range and pinched treble. The score suffers, flattened and lifeless. Gunshots have no oomph, which even by stock studio standards sound wholly limited.