The dead giveaway that horror fans are in for a treat? That ominous ringing phone. Over 20 years since its original release, Gore Verbinski’s The Ring still ranks among the most iconic and influential American horror remakes. Now the chilling tale of the cursed videotape has been resurrected in the ultimate home media release – Shout Factory’s lavish new 6-disc The Ring 4K Ultra HD Collection.
From the moment the creepy opening rings appear on screen, it’s clear this is the definitive presentation Samara’s curse deserves. Brand new 4K remasters were created for all three films – The Ring, The Ring Two, and the often overlooked third entry Rings – with Dolby Vision HDR and supervised by the original filmmakers. Every eerie visual detail, from the bleak color palette to the suffocating well shadows, is rendered with jaw-dropping clarity and depth.
The A/V experience is similarly staggering, with the films’ haunting atmospherics delivered in immersive DTS-HD audio mixes. When that cursed videotape begins playing, the unsettling crackles and thumps will have you looking over your shoulder. And just wait until you see – and hear – Samara’s iconic well scene in Dolby Vision and Atmos for the first time. Brace yourself for nightmares.
It’s the new 4K presentation of the original 2002 The Ring that is the true showstopper of this set. The film has been given a stunningly filmic 4K scan from the original camera negative, approved and overseen by director Gore Verbinski himself. From the opening frame, the difference in quality over previous home video releases is night and day.
Verbinski’s bleak, desaturated color palette looks stunning in HDR, retaining a gritty cinematic look while allowing for brilliant specular highlights and inky deep blacks. The increased resolution brings out exquisite detail and clarity – you can make out every crackle of static, every peeling strip of wallpaper in the dank cabins and motels. The nuanced production design and cinematography are finally given their due.
Perhaps no scene demonstrates the upgrade better than the iconic well sequence, as Samara emerges from the murky depths. The 4K HDR presentation allows you to fully soak in the shadowy, suffocating darkness and moisture of the well set. When Samara’s pale, haunting figure finally appears, the image boasts a three-dimensional quality that will have you squirming in your seat.
Backed by a haunting Dolby Atmos audio mix that will have every creak and ominous sound effect resonating around you, Shout Factory’s 4K HDR remaster is the definitive way to experience this modern horror classic. The improved detail, clarity, and atmosphere realized in this new scan elevate the original Ring to the rarified air of true reference-quality horror.
Whether you’re a longtime fan or a newcomer experiencing The Ring for the first time, there’s no denying the power and dread Verbinski’s modern horror masterpiece still wields over 20 years later. Shout Factory’s incredible new 4K Ultra HD collection allows this iconic chiller to be truly appreciated and preserved like never before.
Credit is due to Shout for their painstaking work on these new remasters, especially the principal 2002 film’s jaw-dropping 4K HDR presentation supervised by Verbinski. They have gone through exhaustive efforts to ensure this is the definitive home video release for The Ring trilogy that fans will be able to enjoy for generations to come.
From the filmic image quality that brings out astonishing details to the immersive Dolby Atmos audio mixes, this 6-disc set is a true night-in fright fest. Loaded with new and archival bonus features, it’s as comprehensive a package as collectors and cinephiles could hope for.
So don’t ignore that ringing phone – add this essential 4K collection to your cart immediately on Amazon. With incredibly film-like image quality under the watchful eye of the filmmakers and haunting object-based audio, The Ring has never looked or sounded more terrifyingly transcendent in the home environment. Just make sure to follow the rules after watching…you’ve been warned.
