6.6 | / 10 |
Users | 4.0 | |
Reviewer | 3.5 | |
Overall | 3.5 |
After being hired by an Arabian oil magnate to decipher a secret message, Oxford professor David Pollock (Gregory Peck) finds himself becoming romantically involved with his employer's attractive companion, Yasmin (Sophia Loren). The duo soon become involved in a deadly chase when they discover just what the secret message relates to.
Starring: Gregory Peck, Sophia Loren, Alan Badel, Kieron Moore (I), John MerivaleRomance | 100% |
Thriller | Insignificant |
Drama | Insignificant |
Adventure | Insignificant |
Action | 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 free
Movie | 3.5 | |
Video | 3.5 | |
Audio | 5.0 | |
Extras | 0.0 | |
Overall | 3.5 |
Stanley Donen's "Arabesque" (1966) arrives on Blu-ray courtesy of Universal Pictures Home Entertainment. There are no bonus features on this release. In English, with optional English SDH subtitles for the main feature. Region-Free.
Rub my back
Presented in an aspect ratio of 2.35:1, encoded with MPEG-4 AVC and granted a 1080p transfer, Stanley Donen's Arabesque arrives on Blu-ray courtesy of Universal Pictures Home Entertainment.
I have the original DVD release that Universal produced for the U.S. market and I think the Blu-ray release repersents a pretty solid upgrade. The master that was used to source isn't new, but density levels are so much better than a lot of the darker visuals that break down on the DVD release here reveal plenty of new details. Now, just to be perfectly clear, there is still plenty of room for improvement, and especially in the darker areas depth and nuances can be improved. However, close-ups and and wider shots have a completely different look now, and the larger your screen is, the easier it will be to appreciate the difference. There is something else that I would like to underscore. The master was likely struck from a second generation source, which is the reason why some well-lit footage may look like it is sharpened with powerful digital tools (see screencaptures #9 and 10). This isn't the case. The halo-like effects are inherited, and precisely the reason why they are not consistent. The color grading is very nice, but there are nuances that can be rebalanced and expanded. Image stability is excellent. There are no large distracting cuts, debris, damage marks, warped or torn frames to report in our review. (Note: This is a Region-Free Blu-ray release. Therefore, you will be able to play it on your player regardless of your geographical location).
There is only one standard audio track on this Blu-ray release: English DTS-HD Master Audio 2.0. Optional English SDH subtitles are provided for the main feature. When turned on, they appear inside the image frame.
The lossless track offers a huge improvement in quality. Henry Mancini's score has an essential role and the better clarity, depth, and dynamic nuances make quite a difference. On my DVD release the dynamic intensity is noticeably weaker. The dialog is stable, clean, and very easy to follow.
Most unfortunately, there are no supplemental features to be found on this release.
Arabesque is a ridiculous but still quite entertaining old-fashioned spy film that fits somewhere between the outrageous Ken Clark thrillers and some of the less successful James Bond films. I tend to enjoy it, but primarily because I like the chemistry between its two stars, Sophia Loren and Gregory Peck. While not perfect, the Blu-ray release represents a good upgrade in quality over the old North American DVD release that Universal Pictures produced years ago. RECOMMENDED.
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