Last Summer Blu-ray Movie

Rating summary

Movie		4.0
Video		4.5
Audio		5.0
Extras		4.0
Overall		4.5

Last Summer Blu-ray Movie Review

Two guys, two girls, and a gull.

Written and directed by the husband-and-wife team of Frank and Eleanor Perry, the devastating but dreamlike Last Summer isn't exactly a comfortable watch. It's securely anchored by a quartet of outstanding first-time or early-career performances from young actors Richard Thomas, Bruce Davison, Barbara Hershey, and Catherine Burns; all were 18 or older during the time of production (Burns was almost 24), but they play a group of teens left unsupervised during their families' summer vacations in Fire Island, New York. Funny, free-wheeling, and flat-out heartbreaking in equal measure, this unforgettable slice of late 1960s cinema was originally slapped with an "X" rating but slightly edited to achieve an "R" for its theatrical release and, later, somehow whittled all the way down to "PG" for television broadcasts.

Taking place over the course of (presumably) a few weeks, Last Summer only has two adult characters in supporting roles and wisely focuses on the four teens instead. Pals Dan (Bruce Davison) and Peter (Richard Thomas) meet Sandy (Barbara Hershey) early on, right after she discovers an injured seagull on the beach and attempts to nurse it back to health. They don't share her empathy but eventually help out, beginning a fast friendship as long, aimless days lead to seagull recovery and a bit of experimentation with alcohol and marijuana since Sandy's parents are never around… except for her dad in exactly one scene. They're essentially a clique so, when freckle-faced Rhoda (Catherine Burns) approaches them one afternoon, they flat-out reject her presence. Eventually she's allowed to join their group but is regularly mocked, although Peter shows secret signs of affection for her when they're alone together.

These lopsided relationships fill most of the time, but Last Summer has one brief detour: a blind date between Rhoda and a Hispanic man named Anibal (Ernesto Gonzalez) that Sandy arranged via a cutting-edge computer dating service. Neither Rhoda nor Anibal are respected by Dan, Peter, and Sandy, whose bullying has gotten worse, and this eventually leads to an unforgivable act that ends Last Summer on a note that's surprisingly cruel… and yet perfectly in line with most downbeat endings from this particular era of filmmaking. It may not end up being emotionally satisfying, but the performances and hypnotic atmosphere created during Last Summer really are second to none, making it a uniquely effective and memorable indie film that still feels somewhat timeless more than 55 years later.

End spoilers.

The (later twice divorced) husband-and-wife team of Frank and Eleanor Perry collaborated on six total films together during an eight-year period, ending their partnership soon after the release of Diary of a Mad Housewife in 1970. Their shared and separate skills made for a solid body of work and this "X" factor (no pun intended) unquestionably gives Last Summer much of its irresistible flavor. Mr. Perry was able to coax fantastic performances out of all three young leads, and Catherine Burns is perhaps the most obvious standout: she was rightfully nominated for Best Supporting Actress for her performance (especially one scene in particular, and you'll know it when you see it), but she shockingly only appeared in two other films in as many years before withdrawing to a career in writing. Burns led a reclusive life for several decades alongside her husband, and she tragically passed away in 2019 at the age of 73.

All three other leads are still alive and well… and they even appear in several new extras created for Warner Archive's long-awaited Blu-ray edition. (Yes, you read that right: new extras.) The perpetually recut main feature has been reconstructed and restored by Warner Bros. Motion Picture Imaging and WB Archival Mastering with generous help from noted screenwriter Larry Karaszewski, a self-professed "ultimate fan" of the film who also contributed to many of those bonus features including an exclusive audio commentary. While Warner Archive Blu-rays always feature a high degree of care in their construction, occasional titles like Last Summer are truly "above and beyond" experiences.

Last Summer Blu-ray Movie, Video Quality 

Last Summer was originally trimmed very slightly to earn an "R" rating for its theatrical release, which has always remained the most extreme version of the film in existence; reissues and especially the TV cut (which somehow got it down to "PG") were trimmed more extensively, but the theatrical version is what we get on Blu-ray. Warner Archive's new restoration is sourced from a recent 4K scan of the best-available preservation elements: this includes the first four reels of Last Summer's original negative, with the remaining 15-20 minutes or so reconstructed from two different interpositives and an internegative. This obviously results in varied color density, noise, and levels of fine detail during select scenes, but it's all stitched together as seamlessly as possible. Everything looks authentic to the era in which it was filmed with a healthy amount of film grain, an excellent reproduction of its appropriately hazy color palette, and a clean appearance that hasn't been excessively processed. In all respects -- and perhaps even more than usual, given the varied source elements which were partially reassembled with the help of Larry Karaszewski -- this is top-tier work and a hell of a digital debut for Last Summer, whose last home video release was on VHS in 1995.

Last Summer Blu-ray Movie, Audio Quality 

The restoration delights continue with Last Summer DTS-HD 2.0 Master Audio track, a shockingly clean and dynamic presentation of the film's one-channel source audio in a split two-channel container for wider playback. I'm told that this lossless effort was sourced from a magnetic dialogue, music, and effects track and, quite simply, it sounds excellent in all regards with very little remaining damage or quality variances along the way. This applies to all dialogue (even a few bad ADR lines) and music, from diegetic and soundtrack cuts to John Simon's original score.

Optional English (SDH) subtitles are included during the main feature only, not the extras listed below. One oddity that I caught was the censorship of "Negro" during one brief dialogue exchange as Sandy is setting up the computer "blind date" -- the word is clearly heard, but it's totally starred out so you can't read it. (Now you can, I guess.)

Last Summer Blu-ray Movie, Special Features and Extras 

This one-disc release ships in a keepcase with poster-themed artwork and a matching slipcover -- which is quite the rarity for a Warner Archive Blu-ray release -- and we even get a booklet tucked inside featuring an essay by noted screenwriter Larry Karaszewski who, as mentioned earlier, assisted with the recent 4K reconstruction and restoration of Last Summer as well as participated in many of this disc's new bonus features.

• Audio Commentary - This new and exclusive feature-length track pairs up Larry Karaszewski with noted film historian/author Justin Bozung, who are respectively described as "the ultimate fan" and "the ultimate expert" of Last Summer. Not surprisingly they are very well equipped to fill all 97 minutes with a wide variety of production stories, notes about the cast and crew, personal memories, and comments about the film's sporadic appearances years and decades after its theatrical run, including edited prints and recuts made for television. It's a non-stop track that's loaded with great information, so fans of all experiences levels will find it worthwhile.

• Deleted Scene (3:43) - This rare deleted clip features Richard Thomas ("Peter") and Ralph Waite, who plays Peter's father, and is one of the very few moments in Last Summer featuring an adult character.

• Q&A #1 (29:40) - Recorded live on March 29th of this year at the American Cinematheque in Santa Monica after the premiere of Last Summer's new restoration, this mid-length Q&A session features Larry Karaszewski interviewing actors Barbara Hershey and Bruce Davison and features lots of warm, personal first-hand insights about the film and its production as well as tributes to the late, great Catherine Burns.

• Q&A #2 (34:26) - This like-minded session was recorded on May 3rd of this year at New York's Paris Theater and features Larry Karaszewski and actor Richard Thomas, who likewise reflects on Last Summer (which he hadn't seen since its release) and its considerable impact on his professional and personal life.

• Allied Artists Promo Reel (2:56) - A vintage, unrestored short piece heralding the company and its influence, subtitled "Response to the Challenge of the 70's", that segues into a trailer for Last Summer.

• Trailers From Hell (2:34) - The film's trailer with commentary by Larry Karaszewski, who introduces it.

• Theatrical Trailer (2:19) - Pillarboxed at 1.33:1 and taken from a low-res digital source.

Last Summer Blu-ray Movie, Overall Score and Recommendation 

Frank Perry's Last Summer, based on a then-recent novel by Evan Hunter and adapted for the screen by Mr. Perry's wife Eleanor, is an usually bold and potent coming-of-age drama that feels both timeless and only possible during this particular era of filmmaking. Anchored by outstanding performances and an unforgettable atmosphere, this unique production still packs a devastating punch and, for obvious reasons, has been unavailable in its original form on home video for several decades. Warner Archive once again comes to the rescue with help from noted screenwriter Larry Karaszewski, a lifelong fan of Last Summer who greatly assisted with its reconstruction and contributed to several brand-new and exclusive bonus features. Highly Recommended to the right crowd.