1961 on 4K UHD

7 movies from 1961 on 4K Blu-ray, ranked S to D by transfer quality. 3 S-Tier picks including Blue Hawaii.

Yojimbo(1961)

dir. Akira Kurosawa

A nameless ronin, or samurai with no master, enters a small village in feudal Japan where two rival businessmen are struggling for control of the local gambling trade. Taking the name Sanjuro Kuwabatake, the ronin convinces both silk merchant Tazaemon and sake merchant Tokuemon to hire him as a personal bodyguard, then artfully sets in motion a full-scale gang war between the two ambitious and unscrupulous men.

BFI · Two Films by Akira Kurosawa

Blue Hawaii(1961)

5.9/10

dir. Norman Taurog

S-Tier

S-Tier Paramount 4K. Elvis in Hawaii. Dropped to $11.77 USD at one point and people grabbed it assuming it was going out of print.

Paramount Pictures · 4K + Blu-ray

The Guns of Navarone(1961)

7.3/10

dir. J. Lee Thompson

S-Tier

A team of allied saboteurs are assigned an impossible mission: infiltrate an impregnable Nazi-held island and destroy the two enormous long-range field guns that prevent the rescue of 2,000 trapped British soldiers.

Sony Pictures · 4K + Blu-ray

West Side Story(1961)

7.2/10

dir. Jerome Robbins, Robert Wise

A-Tier Announced

StudioCanal's 4K of the 1961 original has been a long time coming. Collectors have flagged color timing issues on previous Blu-ray pressings, particularly in the opening titles, so the new scan will be the thing to watch.

StudioCanal · Limited Edition

Gorgo(1961)

5.6/10

dir. Eugène Lourié

A-Tier

When an underwater volcanic eruption tears up the sea bed off the coast of Ireland, two treasure hunters make the discovery of a lifetime when they encounter a gigantic prehistoric monster that’s been unleashed from the earth’s crust. After capturing the beast, the pair transport the creature down to London where it’s given the name of “Gorgo” and put on display to an avid public. Little do they realize that Gorgo is just an infant, and that his exponentially larger mother is about to emerge from the depths to avenge the capture of her offspring.

Last Year at Marienbad(1961)

7.4/10

dir. Alain Resnais

A-Tier

A-Tier Kino Lorber 4K. Resnais' 1961 puzzle film with the painted shadows. The Criterion and StudioCanal releases both exist, but reviews agree the Criterion has artificially pushed contrast. The Kino 2019 release is the version to own.

Kino Lorber · 4K + Blu-ray

La Notte(1961)

7.9/10

dir. Michelangelo Antonioni

A day in the life of an unfaithful married couple and their steadily deteriorating relationship in Milan.

Announced