6.6 | / 10 |
Users | 0.0 | |
Reviewer | 3.5 | |
Overall | 3.5 |
Posing as a hangman, Mace Bishop arrives in town with the intention of freeing a gang of outlaws, including his brother...
Starring: James Stewart, Dean Martin, Raquel Welch, George Kennedy, Andrew PrineWestern | 100% |
Romance | 15% |
Crime | Insignificant |
Drama | Insignificant |
Action | Insignificant |
Video codec: MPEG-4 AVC
Video resolution: 1080p
Aspect ratio: 2.37:1
Original aspect ratio: 2.35:1
English: LPCM 2.0 Mono
German: LPCM 2.0 Mono
German
50GB Blu-ray Disc
Single disc (1 BD)
Region free
Movie | 3.0 | |
Video | 4.5 | |
Audio | 4.5 | |
Extras | 3.0 | |
Overall | 3.5 |
Andrew V. McLaglen's "Bandolero!" (1968) arrives on Blu-ray courtesy of Swiss label Explosive Media. The supplemental features on the disc include original English and German trailers, standard making of featurette, and a gallery of stills from the film. In English, with optional German subtitles for the main feature. Region-Free.
Reluctant partners
Presented in an aspect ratio of 2.37:1, encoded with MPEG-4 AVC and granted a 1080p transfer, Andrew V. McLaglen's Bandolero! arrives on Blu-ray courtesy of Swiss label Explosive Media.
This is the first release from Explosive Media to reach my desk and I must say that I am extremely impressed by the presentation (the packaging is just as impressive). The high-definition transfer is absolutely wonderful. Excluding a couple of tiny specs, it is about as good as it could have been for a catalog release. Detail and clarity are terrific. Especially during close-ups detail is very impressive (see screencapture #10). The panoramic shots are equally impressive, particularly where there is plenty of sunlight (see screencapture #3). Colors are warm, well saturated, and stable. There isn't even a whiff of artificial boosting throughout the entire film. Additionally, there are absolutely no traces of excessive degraining or denoising corrections. Contrast boosting corrections have not been applied either. Unsurprisingly, the film has a very strong organic look. Lastly, blown through a digital projector from start to finish the film remains exceptional tight around the edges. (Note: This is a Region-Free Blu-ray release. Therefore, you will be able to play it on your PS3 or SA regardless of your geographical location. For the record, there is no problematic PAL or 1080/50i content preceding the disc's main menu).
There are two standard audio tracks on this Blu-ray release: English LPCM 2.0 and German LPCM 2.0. For the record, Explosive Media have provided optional German subtitles for the main feature. When turned on, they split the image frame and the black bar below it.
The lossless English track opens up the film very well in all the right places. The shootouts are appropriately intense while the dialog is always well rounded and stable. Legendary composer Jerry Goldsmith's orchestral score further enhances the exotic atmosphere as well. Finally, there is no annoying background hiss, pops, cracks, or high-frequency distortions.
Note: All of the supplemental features are perfectly playable on North American Blu-ray machines, including the PS3.
The beautiful Raquel Welch and the terrific panoramic footage are the two main reasons why one would want to see Andrew V. McLaglen's western Bandolero!. Considering the impressive cast, I think that it could have been a far better film, but I cannot say I was disappointed. In fact, Bandolero! is just about the perfect film to see on a lazy Sunday afternoon. On the other hand, the technical presentation is very impressive. This is the first release from Swiss label Explosive Media to reach my desk and I really could not be any more pleased with it. I am definitely looking forward to see what other releases they have planned. RECOMMENDED.
(Still not reliable for this title)
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