7.3 | / 10 |
Users | 0.0 | |
Reviewer | 3.5 | |
Overall | 3.5 |
A former boxer turned cab driver has to hide from the police when his badgering wife is murdered by the jewel thief she was having an affair with.
Starring: John Payne (I), Evelyn Keyes, Brad Dexter, Frank Faylen, Peggie CastleFilm-Noir | 100% |
Crime | Insignificant |
Drama | Insignificant |
Action | Insignificant |
Video codec: MPEG-4 AVC
Video resolution: 1080p
Aspect ratio: 1.37:1
Original aspect ratio: 1.37:1
English: DTS-HD Master Audio 2.0 (48kHz, 16-bit)
BDInfo verified
None
25GB Blu-ray Disc
Single disc (1 BD)
Region A (locked)
Movie | 4.5 | |
Video | 3.0 | |
Audio | 4.0 | |
Extras | 3.0 | |
Overall | 3.5 |
Phil Karlson's "99 River Street" (1953) arrives on Blu-ray courtesy of Kino Lorber. The supplemental features on the release include vintage trailer for the film and exclusive new audio commentary by film noir expert Eddie Muller. In English, with optional English SDH subtitles for the main feature. Region-A "locked".
Different roles, different troubles
Presented in its original aspect ratio of 1.37:1, encoded with MPEG-4 AVC and granted a 1080p transfer, 99 River Street arrives on Blu-ray courtesy of Kino Lorber.
I don't have this DVD release of 99 River Street in my library to confirm if it is sourced from the same remaster that was used to produce the Blu-ray release, but if I had to guess, I would say that the answer is yes. It is not a disappointing remaster, but it isn't a beautiful one either. It appears that it was struck from a secondary element, which is why the film looks softer and occasionally flatter than it should. The good news is that detail is still pleasing. However, grain exposure isn't optimal, so most crucial nuances that tend to support depth are average at best. The grading is convincing, but a healthier master that is also regraded will offer meaningful improvements. Image stability is good. My score is 3.25/5.00. (Note: This is a Region-A "locked" Blu-ray release. Therefore, you must have a native Region-A or Region-Free player in order to access its content).
There is only one standard audio track on this Blu-ray release: English: DTS-HD Master Audio 2.0. Optional English SDH subtitles are not provided for the main feature.
The audio track can use a nice remastering job. While clarity and stability are good, the upper registers occasionally reveal traces of age-related unevenness. Extremely light hiss tries to sneak in as well, though it is barely even noticeable. There are no audio dropout or distortions to report in our review.
Even without the effective twists that Robert Smith's script introduces 99 River Street still would have been one hell of a film. Why? Because Phil Karlson was the man behind the camera, and because the top cast that was assembled for it had the right attitudes a film noir of this caliber requires to be legit. So, Eddie Muller is entirely correct to point out in his audio commentary that the old reviews where the film was trashed for its lack of authenticity were written by critics who did not know what they were looking at. 99 River Street works as well as it does because it is mean, brutal, and fast, a streetwise firecracker that is determined to leave its own trail. Macho film noirs do not get any better than this, folks. Kino Lorber's release is sourced from an older remaster that was prepared by MGM. It is not bad, but in an ideal world, this film should look very impressive on Blu-ray. RECOMMENDED.
1955
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