ReelBars

Stanley Kubrick · 1960s

4 films directed by Stanley Kubrick from the 1960s, on 4K Blu-ray, ranked S to D by transfer quality. 3 S-Tier picks including 2001: A Space Odyssey, Dr. Strangelove or: How I Learned to Stop Worrying and Love the Bomb, Spartacus.

2001: A Space Odyssey

2001: A Space Odyssey(1968)

8.1/10

dir. Stanley Kubrick

S-Tier

S-Tier Warner Bros. 4K. Kubrick supervised the original 4K scan before he died. The Stargate sequence in HDR is wild on an OLED. Part of the Stanley Kubrick Collection box set, which is the best way to buy it if you don't already own the other Kubrick 4Ks.

Warner Bros. · 4K + Blu-ray (50th Anniversary Edition)
Dr. Strangelove or: How I Learned to Stop Worrying and Love the Bomb

Dr. Strangelove or: How I Learned to Stop Worrying and Love the Bomb(1964)

8.1/10

dir. Stanley Kubrick

S-Tier

Warner put this on 4K as part of the Kubrick catalog, and it's also in the Columbia Classics set. The B&W HDR gives the war room scenes deeper blacks, though the gains show up more in motion than in frame grabs. Columbia Classics is the better value if you don't already own the box.

Sony Pictures · 4K + Blu-ray
Spartacus

Spartacus(1960)

7.5/10

dir. Stanley Kubrick

S-Tier

Universal S-Tier 4K with a perfect 5.0 score. Kubrick's sword-and-sandal epic gets cited as a reference disc in every catalog discussion. The 70mm photography has more detail than a modern display can fully resolve, and HDR finally gives the gladiator pit scenes the contrast they need. Available for under $13 USD on Amazon as a standalone, same disc as the one in the Kubrick 4K box set.

Universal Pictures · 4K + Blu-ray
Lolita

Lolita(1962)

7.3/10

dir. Stanley Kubrick

Humbert Humbert is a middle-aged British novelist who is both appalled by and attracted to the vulgarity of American culture. When he comes to stay at the boarding house run by Charlotte Haze, he soon becomes obsessed with her 14-year-old daughter, Lolita.

Warner Bros. · 4K Ultra HD