DVD Review: Viewing ‘Interstellar’ more stellar on video

In the normal course of things, the more spectacular a film in the theater, the likelier the home video version will be a disappointment. In the case of Christopher Nolan’s “Interstellar,” however, it’s quite the opposite. I’m not even vaguely suggesting that the Blu-ray is as altogether immersive and transporting as the theatrical projection, but it does have two differences that work to its advantage.

The most irritating aspect of “Interstellar” on the big screen was its sound mix. Even when the sound effects and music weren’t deafening, they sometimes rendered the dialogue indecipherable (possibly depending on where you saw it). The first improvement at home is that you have control over volume and to some extent the mix of channels. The second improvement is the availability of subtitles, so, even if you can’t adjust the mix enough, you can at least find out just what the hell Matthew McConaughey was yelling, particularly during the climax.

In terms of impact and clarity, the Blu-ray discs look about as good as I expect to see home video in my lifetime.

Home video editions of Nolan’s films are almost always packed with extras, and this is no exception. Both the enclosed DVD and the first Blu-ray disc have the feature and nothing else. The second Blu-ray has not quite three hours of supplements. “The Science of Interstellar” is a 50-minute expansion of a TV show that aired when the feature was released. In addition, there are 14 “making of” shorts, ranging from 2:39 to 13:40 in length, covering various aspects of the conception and production, with large contributions from the Nolan brothers and the stars.

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ANDY KLEIN is the film critic for Marquee. He can also be heard on “FilmWeek” on KPCC-FM (89.3).