6.5 | / 10 |
Users | 0.0 | |
Reviewer | 4.0 | |
Overall | 4.0 |
A cop quits the force after too much disappointment in the system. He becomes the bodyguard of a rich recent widow. She is on trial for her husband's murder. He decides to help her clear her name...and get over her husband.
Starring: Kirk Douglas, Sylva Koscina, Eli Wallach, Kenneth Haigh, Sharon FarrellMystery | 100% |
Crime | Insignificant |
Drama | Insignificant |
Video codec: MPEG-4 AVC
Video resolution: 1080p
Aspect ratio: 2.35:1
Original aspect ratio: 2.35:1
English: DTS-HD Master Audio 2.0
English SDH
Blu-ray Disc
Single disc (1 BD)
Region A (locked)
Movie | 4.0 | |
Video | 4.0 | |
Audio | 5.0 | |
Extras | 3.5 | |
Overall | 4.0 |
David Lowell Rich's "A Lovey Way to Die" (1968) arrives on Blu-ray courtesy of Kino Lorber. The supplemental features on the disc include vintage trailers for the film and exclusive new audio commentary by critics Howard S. Berger and Steve Mitchell. In English, with optional English SDH subtitles for the main feature. Region-A "locked".
You get the message now?
Presented in its original aspect of 2.35:1, encoded with MPEG-4 AVC and granted a 1080p transfer, A Lovely Way to Die arrives on Blu-ray courtesy of Kino Lorber.
This film has been remastered. I don't know when the folks at Universal might have done the work -- it could be around the time they produced this DVD release -- but the film looks very healthy and vibrant. Can it look better? Yes. If the OCN is scanned in 4K the new master would boast better density levels and in some areas superior delineation as well. I think that some colors can look more convincing, too. But I still like the current presentation a lot. While there are some mildly uneven spots here and there that make some visual look 'thicker' than they should, I think that overall the film has a very solid and attractive organic appearance. Image stability is very good. I did spot a few blemishes, but there are no distracting large debris, cuts, damage marks, warped or torn frames to report. My score is 4.25/5.00. (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 subtitles are provided for the main feature. When turned on, they appear inside the image frame.
The opening with Jackie Wilson singing "A Lovely Way to Die" will let you know exactly what to expect from the lossless track -- solid clarity and good balance. Dynamic activity is good as well, especially during the action footage, but as usual the limitations of the production are quite obvious. There are no encoding anomalies to report in our review.
If you don't get impressed while Jackie Wilson sings "A Lovely Way to Die", David Lowell Rich's film probably isn't for you. Indeed, the opening credits are like a short trailer with some of the best highlights from his film, so what you see there is exactly the type of entertainment you will get later on. I loved it. Kirk Douglas and Sylva Koscina are thrown in some pretty odd situations that produce the type of 'swinging' fun that now looks borderline offensive. The vintage footage from New York City is excellent as well. Kino Lorber's release is sourced from a very solid remaster that was provided by Universal Pictures. It features a terrific exclusive new audio commentary by critics Howard S. Berger and Steve Mitchell as well. HIGHLY RECOMMENDED. (If you enjoy A Lovely Way to Die, I urge you to pick up a copy of John Guillermin's P.J., which is another very loose film from the same period that has been fully restored by Universal Pictures).
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