Duel (1971) 4K UHD Steelbook Review - Holy CRAP This Was Amazing! 

I was in my early twenties and had the pleasure of watching the TV premiere. Back in those days the 3 major networks all had a "movie of the week" for several weeks each year, produced in-house for TV, non theatrical releases. Many like this one were very well done. Ditto on the excellence of this film.

The sugarland express starring Goldie Hawn is a good Spielberg film as well!

“Jawls”

Got my steelbook last week. Had it preordered. Definitely my favorite steelbook. Front and back art are beautiful! I grew up watching Duel. It was one of those movies that was on TV all the time. The 4k looks amazing. I thought the blu-ray was awesome since it was the first time I ever saw the movie in widescreen. Now it's just perfect. It's such a great movie. I'm so happy to have it on 4k now.

I originally saw this on TV in the 70s. Good movie.

That truck was terrifying

Near masterpiece. The editing is genius. Weaver excellent. No false note.

“Well it’s a about time, Charlie!” Probably still my favourite film of all time. I first saw it in the mid 70s as maybe a 5-6 year old, and my parents told me I lost my mind immediately 😂. And I’ve loved it ever since. Still watch it once or twice a year. I love the little things in the movie. All the number plates on the front of the truck, representing his “victims” etc…. Dennis Weaver was very good. Probably best remembered for this, and his long runs on tv series Gunsmoke, and another of my faves, McCloud!!

I also got the Gruv steelbook, and it's fantastic! Great transfer, and the Atmos sound is pretty incredible as well. I have a 5.2.4 setup, and the truck really feels menacing.

I got my Monday and wow! It looks so great for a 70’s made for tv movie. When he was in the phone booth and the truck was coming, my heart was beating fast. I would highly recommend it to anyone.

Classic, watched it lots over the years. I got the 4K limited collectors edition steelbook delivered yesterday, it’s a vast improvement over my DVD and Blu-ray. Excellent Spielberg film, and written by the awesome Richard Matheson.

Thanks for the quick review!Glad you enjoyed it! It still goes pretty much unnoticed but it’s a classic!

TV movies in the 70s and 80s were still cinematic in quality, I mean even Salem’s Lot and IT were TV movies. I haven’t seen the movie yet either but I always knew this was Spielberg’s first film. I can’t wait to see it and glad the transfer is great.

First! Hello from Plymouth, United Kingdom. I love this film, seen it many times. Love it so much. Need to get the Steelbook!

As someone who has been watching Duel semi-regularly since the early 1980s, it's always fun to see someone who has watched it for the first time. For being Spielberg's first feature film (made for TV, shot on a TV budget, and then went back to shoot extra footage for an international theatrical release) it is un-freakin-believably good! All the extras which you mentioned were on the original DVD standard-definition release as well, which is what I have. I wonder if for the 1080P or 4K releases they edited out the shot of Spielberg in the back seat of the car and his reflection in the glass of the phone booth.

Dennis Weaver became most famous, at first, as Chester, Marshal Dillon's assistant on the GUNSMOKE series. He did many films and series, through the seventies and eighties. This film was certainly a highlight.

I think it was 4th of July or around there somewhere Gruv sent out an email with a discount code if you placed the pre-order at that time. I got my steelbook for $18. I need to watch it still though. Glad it is a good transfer.

His first full length feature film -- epic! Have the lenticular...

So I drive the roads in this movie to go to work and sometimes I’d pretend to be the truck. Lol

Great review. Made me want to check it out for sure and I'm tempted to pickup that steelbook. It is a beautiful one. I have the Blu-Ray in that Spielberg set so will have to check it out.

I was excited for this already (just got my Gruv Exclusive yesterday) and now you have me MORE pumped! Excited to hear that ATMOS track now that you spoke to it…thanks for covering this one!

What is holding you back from getting a quality Atmos sound system? Just take a couple weeks off of movie hoarding and it’s paid for!

Richard Matheson RIP is one of my favorite all time screen writer.scifi author, wrote the the screen play for this movie!

I forget to mention, I'm curious to know if the bloopers are still in this 4K. There is one major one (but neat to see) with Dennis Weaver's character making a call at the outside phone booth, for a brief couple of seconds, you can see (a very young) Steven Spielberg in the reflection looking down at his notes.

Sick!...gonna get this one for sure!

Love the intro just going down the road listenin to the radio. That late 60s early 70s American road vibe

Dennis Weaver is a classic Actor he did a lot of work on rod serling's Twilight Zone.

Definitely need get DUEL; steelbook looks amazing. Also I hope we one day get MAXIMUM OVERDRIVE on 4k.

This movie was amazing!!! Like Jaws but on the highway 💯💯 Denis Weaver was more known on Gunsmoke.

Ordered it yesterday. One of my favorites. The bluray looked amazing so expecting a lot from the 4k.

“The Thing” restoration blew my mind!

Stunner of a movie..great steelbook!! Was not expensive I have mine..Great review Ken!! And by the way Ken it was filmed on the grapevine and the Tehachapi hills and mountains in Calif, just an FYI

Now we need his second film on 4K... The Sugarland Express.

I picked up the steelbook

Loved Duel as well:). Try these other 70's cult classics "The Car" & "Westworld".

The original tv cut of the movie would have been around 75 minutes, and then more footage was shot to be released theatrically in other countries.

As a little kid in the 70's I use to watch McCloud played by Dennis Weaver and re-runs of Gentle Ben... Great Review Ken!!

I would love for someday there to be a 4k transfer in the original 4:3 aspect ratio

Superb film. The ending of Duel gave the inspiration for the ending of Jaws…

When the shark sinks in Jaws it has the sound of the truck mixed over it

Great video as always Ken! You should also do another video of today's exciting anouncements of The Abyss, True Lies, Aliens,and the extended Avatar editions in 4K! Also the The Raid 4K was anounced today

Spielberg said that not only did his experience with Duel assist him in filming Jaws, it also gave him the confidence that he COULD direct Jaws. He saw a lot of similarities between Duel and the Jaws script.

One of my favorite tv movies growing up as a kid. This, The Night Stalker and Trilogy of Terror bring back a lot of memories. Hope we get The Sugarland Express someday on 4k UHD. The other pre- Jaws Spielberg gem.

I agree, the transfer is fantastic, sound included. I don’t agree that the film has really stood the test of time, though. Amazing craft aside, so much has happened since it came out, which makes it seems a little one note overall. We just watched it in my high school film class, and I assigned a film review. I picked the film because I knew there would be things to celebrate, but also to critique (for example the somewhat trite Mann-hood theme). Students are still writing their reviews, but just from talking to them it’s clear they found it to be an interesting, well made artifact but a tad dull - with its premise stretched thin.

I think I rented this on VHS one time.

Hi mid level media, did you ever watch the movie “The Car”? If you like duel then I think you will like The Car 👍

I watched this when it came out on TV. I was blown away by it. I was 17.

Tried to watch this movie. As a car guy I can't get past that old truck is faster than new limo.

Spielberg incorporated the sound of the truck's demise into Jaws as the dead shark sinks to the bottom. Between filming Duel and Jaws, Spielberg directed a little gem called Sugarland Express. Before Duel, he directed a segment in The Night Gallery pilot that starred Joan Crawford.

Awesome steelbook . I recently saw this movie aswell about a year ago . Theres an error here you can see the directors reflection on the phone booth .

I wish they would've included his short film "Amblin'" Ever see it?

He's not in his way home, he just left home and is on his way to an important business meeting.

Dennis Weaver = McCloud (NBC Mysteries Series...Columbo, Mcmillan and Wife, Etc) ***Steven Spielberg Directed the first episode of Columbo

Remember in the 1970s A TV production was considered low brown 🤔 and many TV producer's were stuck in only TV productions on television. Then the in 1990s everything changed with quality to old standards of TV and Movies were easier to cross into. Stephen was apart of this change but took 20 years later to see this shift.Great to see this on 4k.Love the movie. Long before ROADRAGE word for this behavior. From what I see that set of these events was Dennis WEAVER character just passes his Truck .Then this Roadrage duel begins. The repetitive nature of the film was Dennis weaver trying to understand the reason when as we know no could anything regarding any perceived slight regardless of intentions. We now see this confrontational behavior on a daily basis. The movie plays on this supernatural atmosphere without any supernatural reality of this mispaced rage.This rage is just an excuse on the Tuckers motivation 😳 Simply Your To Blame for everything 😮Good Video 😎 4K

So, am I right in assuming that the only difference between the Steelbook 4K version vs. the Blu-ray (with 4K) version is just the outer packaging?

First time I saw Duel was on a 14 inches black and white TV with a monaural tiny speaker. The next day at work somebody says that when you watch the movie in color you can tell who the driver is by the color of his jeans when he gets out of his truck to go in the bar. Personnally, I think that discussing about a movie that you and your coworkers watched for the first time the night before is a superior experience than watching it alone in 4K with surround speakers. 4K and surround speakers just make the experience cuter, not better.

The TV version was AI upscaled from a VHS and it looks horrible stating on the back cover “presented in HD” when really it’s a VHS AI upscale

I actually read the story in an issue of Playboy before I saw the film.

Its basically jaws with a truck

It’s not even a top 10 Spielberg joint for me, but it’s a really good and taut little proto-Jaws thriller. It’s incredible how Spielberg managed to make it look so cinematic despite it initially being made for TV.

You never heard of Dennis Weaver are you kidding me that guy is a,great actor he made his mark in the 60s, 70s, and 80s.

Killer shark on the road. With wheels.

Is it just my disc or did anyone else experience major artifacting around 12:11 during the “A Conversation with Steven Spielberg” Bonus feature? I tried the disc on two different players with the same issue.

i wish universal did more disc art on there blurays

Whats interesting is that the film begins with a car getting out of the driveway and we dont see the driver right away. Its a Truck vs Car Thriller.

Dennis Weaver had a tv series called McCloud

Hmmm... I thought it looked okay I didn't think it looked like THAT great..

Spielberg’s reflection can be seen in the phone booth before the truck hits it. Maybe an ode to Hitchcock.

oh, I forgot to mention yet another great 70's cult hit..."Capricorn One" with OJ Simpson of all people:)

I showed this on my channel. My channel constraints on Punk Rock so I don't have a lot of subscribers. No regrets, Punk Rock is everything. Also DUAL rules.

Jeepers Creepers stole a lot from this movie with the creeper van and whatnot

Hi Ken is Duel 4k region 1 or region free and it is so expensive to purchase from USA also Gruv does not send international physical media in Australia is mainly through J B HIFI or eBay And we get so ripped off in Australia like the price you quoted for the steel book in Australia that would cost us around $75- $85 at least you guys are so lucky getting products for so cheap In fact Amazon Australia is charging around $71 including shipping for the standard 4k of duel bloody Thieves That’s for sure and we never. Get the great sales Amazon us get Not happy and I am a very big physical media collector for 30 years Enjoy your cheap pricing sales cheers Paul G Australia

The 1st & best of this type of demonic vehicle flick like "The Car" and "Wheels of Terror." (I consider "Christine" & "Maximum Overdrive" & "Joy Ride" to be different.)

gruv don't ship to CANADA ☹

Gary loftin

Don’t think I’ll be upgrading from LD on this one…

The driver is a serial killer. All the plates of the other cars all over his grill.

Just so you know so that you can correct your review Dennis Weaver is late for a job interview. The first scene shows him backing out of his driveway at home to go to a job interview. He's not heading home. Fun fact: When he's in a glass phone booth at a gas station if you look close you'll see Stephen Spielberg's reflection in the glass holding a film camera.

2160p* 🤦‍♀

Did u really watch it Ken lol as in really watch it. Watch it again he wasn’t on his way home. Also the sound used as the truck went over the cliff at the end was the exact same sound used in jaws went Brody shot the shark and it was sinking to the depth. Duel. Not Doel

So after watching your video, all the special features are the same from the original DVD ( which I own) which came out in 2005 except maybe the TV version. Such a disappointment. We all know Spielberg refuses to do audio commentaries, but you would think Universal could have gotten someone associated with the movie, or even a "film historian" to do one. purchase

Better than Jaws. Why? Rubber shark. The semi is real. Far deadlier.

This movie never felt epic, or even good looking, as most of its existence has been on TV in the era of 19” wood console TV’s. Can’t wait to see this on a proper TV, the way it was never meant to be seen.

Ken really, he left his house in the morning to go on a business trip. Watch it again bro

I am waiting for my copy in the mail. I am hooked on steel books. :-/ I need to stop buying steel books. Worse than crack.

The scene when he asks for help to the old couple is so anti-Spielberg. They're cold, selfish and rude. Betore Spielberg became Peter Pan.

Well better late than never. I'm glad you watched this masterpiece. You may think 🤔 masterpiece no but look how excited you are watching it for the first time. Its old, but original and great 👍