Culture

The Shawshank Redemption Vs Get Carter: Crime classics return to cinemas following 4k restorations

Tim Robbins and Morgan Freeman in The Shawshank Redemption

Two of cinema’s best loved crime dramas, The Shawshank Redemption and Get Carter, are returning to the big screen, following 4k restorations.

The Shawkshank Redemption is released this weekend. The restoration from Warner Bros features a new 4k scan of the original 35mm camera negative, and was supervised by director Frank Darabont and cinematographer Roger Deakins.

Based on a novella by Stephen King, The Shawshank Redemption centres on the friendship between Andy Dufresne (Tim Robbins), a mild-mannered banker wrongly convicted of murder, and Red (Morgan Freeman), who is serving a life sentence, in Shawshank State Penitentiary.

The 1994 classic famously flopped on its initial cinema release, but became a phenomenon when released on home video the following year. The film was nominated for seven Academy Awards –  Best Picture, Best Actor , Best Adapted Screenplay, Best Cinematography, Best Film Editing, Best Sound and Best Original Score – but didn’t win any.  

It’s currently the number one rated movie on IMDb’s Top 250 list.

The Shawshank Redemption 4k is screening in VUE cinemas across the UK and Ireland from March 18, and in select cinemas across Norway from March 17. 

The restoration from Warner Bros features a new 4k scan of the original 35mm camera negative…

Tim Robbins and Morgan Freeman in a scene from The Shawshank Redemption
Tim Robbins and Morgan Freeman shine behind bars

Similarly restored, Mike Hodges’ seminal 1971 gangland drama Get Carter, starring Michael Caine, is set to return to theatres May 27.

Caine plays Jack Carter, the London gangland enforcer who returns to his hometown of Newcastle to avenge his brother’s untimely death. Shot on location, the film has been lauded for its gritty period portrayal of the north east of England.

Utilising the original 35mm camera negative, the Get Carter restoration will be approved by director Mike Hodges.

As well as screening in cinemas around the UK, the film will have a two week extended run at BFI Southbank as part of the Mike Hodges retrospective, Return of the Outsider: The Films of Mike Hodges running May 1 – 31 May 2022. 

The season will feature special in person events including ‘Mike Hodges In Conversation’ on 3 May, showcasing his film and TV work. The BFI will then release Get Carter in UHD 4k Blu-ray on July 25, with accompanying special features.

Mike Hodges comments: “I’m grateful to the BFI for yet again stepping up to champion Get Carter. The first time the Institute restored both the film and its reputation was 1999. That release led to it being favourably reappraised by audiences and critics. How could I not be grateful?”

About Steve May

Creator of Home Cinema Choice magazine, and editor of The Luxe Review, Steve muses and reviews for Trusted Reviews, T3, Yahoo UK, Home Cinema Choice, Games Radar, Ideal Home, Louder Sounds, Channel News and Boat International. He’s also the editor of professional home cinema website Inside CI. He's on Twitter and Instagram as @SteveMay_UK

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