💀 Things To Do In Denver When You’re Dead (1995) – 4K UHD Blu-ray Review
A cult crime tale gets the 4K treatment—but does the upgrade do it justice?
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🗓️ Release Year: 1995
📀 Format: 4K UHD + Blu-ray (2-Disc Set)
🏷️ Label: Kino Lorber
📦 Region: A
🎨 Video: 2160p UHD, 1.85:1, Dolby Vision / HDR10
🔊 Audio: English DTS-HD MA 5.1 and 2.0
💬 Subtitles: English SDH
📚 Extras: See special features section below
💭 The Film 🌟🌟🌟🌟½
The great Andy Garcia leads a stacked ensemble in this darkly comedic ’90s crime flick that blends fatalism, romance, and noir-ish cool. Things To Do In Denver When You’re Dead follows ex-gangster Jimmy the Saint (Garcia), who’s pulled into one last job by a mob boss (Christopher Walken, iconic as ever). Things go sideways, bodies hit the floor, and Jimmy has 48 hours to fix what he can—for his crew, for the woman he loves, and for whatever’s left of his soul.
Directed by Gary Fleder (Kiss the Girls) and written by Scott Rosenberg (Con Air), this one’s loaded with snappy dialogue, an unforgettable supporting cast (Steve Buscemi, Christopher Lloyd, Treat Williams, and more), and just enough stylish melancholy to earn its cult status. It’s the kind of crime film that didn’t hit big but stayed in the bloodstream.
📽️ Video Quality 🌟🌟🌟🌟
Note: Stills shown are promotional and not taken directly from the 4K UHD.
This new 4K scan from the original 35mm negative—with Dolby Vision to sweeten the deal—is hands down the best the film has ever looked on any format. I remember when Denver first hit home video on laserdisc, and this Kino Lorber release absolutely blows that and every version since out of the water. The image is sharp and filmic, with rich blacks, improved shadow detail, and a welcome layer of natural grain. Colors are more controlled and nuanced, especially in the warmer interior scenes and nighttime sequences. It’s finally the visual presentation this moody crime gem deserves.
🔊 Audio Quality 🌟🌟🌟🌟🌟
Both the 2.0 and 5.1 DTS-HD MA tracks are included, and while the stereo mix holds up well, it’s the lossless 5.1 surround track that clearly steals the show. Dialogue is crisp and centered, the score by Michael Convertino has room to breathe, and ambient effects—especially in shootouts and city exteriors—add a layer of immersion that suits the film’s tone. It’s a spacious, well-balanced mix that enhances both the tension and the melancholy. If you’ve only ever heard Denver in stereo, this surround upgrade makes a real difference.
🎁 Special Features 🌟🌟🌟🌟🌟
Kino Lorber didn’t hold back—this release is fully stacked with new and archival content across both discs. The two audio commentaries (one from director Gary Fleder and writer Scott Rosenberg, the other from historian Daniel Kremer) offer deep, contrasting perspectives on the film’s creation and cult legacy. On the Blu-ray disc, the suite of interviews—featuring Fleder, Rosenberg, Andy Garcia, and production designer Nelson Coates—adds nearly an hour and a half of new insight. The original featurette and theatrical trailer round things out, making this feel like the definitive edition fans have been waiting for. A welcome surprise for a catalog title that could’ve easily gone barebones.
Disc One (4K UHD):
· Brand-new Dolby Vision master from a 4K scan of the original camera negative
· NEW Audio Commentary by Director Gary Fleder and Writer Scott Rosenberg
· NEW Audio Commentary by Filmmaker/Historian Daniel Kremer
· English DTS-HD MA 5.1 and 2.0
· Triple-layered UHD100 disc
· Optional English Subtitles
Disc Two (Blu-ray):
· Brand-new HD Master from the 4K scan
· NEW Audio Commentary by Fleder and Rosenberg
· NEW Audio Commentary by Kremer
· Things to Direct in Denver – Interview with Gary Fleder
· Things to Perform in Denver – Interview with Andy Garcia
· Things to Write in Denver – Interview with Scott Rosenberg
· Things to Design in Denver – Interview with Nelson Coates
· Archival production featurette
· Theatrical trailer
· English DTS-HD MA 5.1 and 2.0
· Dual-layered BD50 disc
· Optional English Subtitles
📦 Packaging
This 4K UHD release from Kino Lorber Studio Classics may come with a slipcover, but it's not guaranteed. My copy did include one, featuring the standard key art, but availability can vary depending on when and where you order. There's no reversible artwork, and the disc itself features Kino’s usual no-frills design—simple but clean.
✨ Final Thoughts 🌟🌟🌟🌟½
Things To Do In Denver When You’re Dead has aged into a cult favorite—equal parts poetic, profane, and painfully stylish. This 4K UHD release from Kino Lorber gives it the respect it’s long deserved, with a solid Dolby Vision upgrade and a stacked lineup of interviews and commentaries that deepen its legacy. It’s a moody, fatalistic slice of ’90s crime cinema that lives in the shadows of bigger titles but punches in its own weight class. The streets never sleep, and whatever happens, you better make sure you’re not on the receiving end of a “buckwheat.”
For fans of doomed antiheroes, barroom philosophy, and bullet-riddled redemption arcs, this one’s well worth the shelf space.
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💬 Let’s talk!
Do you consider Denver a lost gem or a relic of a very specific post-Pulp Fiction moment? Did the 4K upgrade hit the mark for you? Drop a comment below.
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