6.6 | / 10 |
Users | 0.0 | |
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)
Slipcover in original pressing
Region A (locked)
Movie | 3.5 | |
Video | 3.5 | |
Audio | 5.0 | |
Extras | 3.0 | |
Overall | 3.5 |
Stanley Donen's "Arabesque" (1966) arrives on Blu-ray courtesy of Universal Kino Lorber. The supplemental features on the disc include exclusive new audio commentary by critics Howard S. Berger, Steve Mitchell, and Nathaniel Thompson; archival program with composer Henry Mancini; and vintage promotional material for the film. In English, with optional English SDH subtitles for the main feature. Region-A "locked".
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 Kino Lorber.
The release is sourced from the exact same master that the folks at Universal worked with to produce their release of Arabesque in 2019. This is a very old master, and while mostly decent, it has a wide range of limitations. Now, it definitely offers some fine upgrades over the old DVD release of Arabesque, but you don't have to project to quickly conclude that ideally the film can and should look a lot better in high-definition. For example, I previously speculated that the master was likely struck from a second generation source, which is the reason why some well-lit footage may look slightly sharper. (I refer to the halo-like effects that begin to pop up whenever there is plenty of light). A proper new 2K or 4K master from the OCN will instantly eliminate the effect(s). In some darker areas fine details should be a lot more convincing as well. The master is nicely graded, but there are select nuances and highlights that should be better balanced. Image stability is good. There are no large distracting cuts, debris, damage marks, warped or torn frames to report in our review. All in all, the quality of the presentation gravitates around the 3.25/3.50 mark, with the majority of the well-lit footage revealing the most obvious limitations. (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 provided for the main feature. When turned on, they appear inside the image frame.
The quality of the lossless track is very good. If you compare it to the lossy track from old the DVD release, the difference in quality is immediately recognizable. Can the audio sound better? At the moment, my answer is no. I think that if any adjustments are made in the future, they will be entirely cosmetic.
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. Kino Lorber's release of Arabesque is sourced from the same old master that the folks at Universal Pictures worked with to produce their release of the film in 2019. However, this release has an exclusive new audio commentary and a very fine archival featurette with the great Henry Mancini. RECOMMENDED.
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