ReelBars

John Candy · 1980s

7 John Candy movies from the 1980s on 4K Blu-ray, ranked S to D by transfer quality. 3 S-Tier picks including Spaceballs, Heavy Metal, Stripes.

Heavy Metal

Heavy Metal(1981)

6.5/10

dir. Gerald Potterton, John Bruno

S-Tier

S-Tier Sony 4K. The animated anthology. The animation styles vary wildly and the HDR helps the more colorful segments.

Sony Pictures · 4K + Blu-ray
Spaceballs

Spaceballs(1987)

6.9/10

dir. Mel Brooks

S-Tier

Arrow Video's UK Limited Edition is the canonical Spaceballs 4K, region-free with new bonus features. Kino Lorber's US version came first in 2021 but Arrow's restoration package is the upgrade collectors moved to. The sets sell out fast on first printing.

Arrow Video · Limited Edition
Stripes

Stripes(1981)

6.6/10

dir. Ivan Reitman

S-Tier

Sony S-Tier 4K. Bill Murray joins the Army. The standalone steelbook is the first 4K release outside the Columbia Classics box set, and Sony's steelbooks in this tier tend to drop to around $21 USD within six months. If you can wait, the price will come down.

Sony Pictures · Steelbook (4K + Blu-ray)
Planes, Trains and Automobiles

Planes, Trains and Automobiles(1987)

7.6/10

dir. John Hughes

C-Tier

C-Tier Paramount 4K. John Hughes' Thanksgiving classic with Steve Martin and John Candy. The 4K transfer was widely panned, with multiple reviews calling it one of the worst on the format. The lost hour of deleted footage was found and included as a bonus, which was the real draw. The Blu-ray was already mediocre, and the 4K is only marginally better. Paramount needs to redo this one without the grain reduction.

Paramount Pictures · 4K + Blu-ray
Uncle Buck

Uncle Buck(1989)

6.8/10

dir. John Hughes

C-Tier

Buck Russell, a lovable but slovenly bachelor, suddenly becomes the temporary caretaker of his nephew and nieces after a family emergency. His freewheeling attitude soon causes tension with his older niece Tia, loyal girlfriend Chanice and just about everyone else who crosses his path.

Kino Lorber · 4K + Blu-ray
Little Shop of Horrors

Little Shop of Horrors(1986)

7.1/10

dir. Frank Oz

Announced

Seymour Krelborn is a nerdy orphan working at Mushnik's; a flower shop in urban Skid Row. He harbors a crush on fellow co-worker, Audrey Fulquard, and is berated by Mr. Mushnik daily. One day, Seymour finds a very mysterious unidentified plant which he calls Audrey II. The plant seems to have a craving for blood and soon begins to sing for it’s supper.

Warner Bros. · 4K Ultra HD
The Great Outdoors

The Great Outdoors(1988)

6.5/10

dir. Howard Deutch

May 26, 2026

Universal announced this alongside Harry and the Hendersons on the same day. The comments are pure nostalgia. 'Finally. One of the best 80s summer movies.' John Candy in 4K is the only argument you need.

Kino Lorber · 4K + Blu-ray