6.9 | / 10 |
Users | 0.0 | |
Reviewer | 4.0 | |
Overall | 4.0 |
A black comedy starring Marlon Brando, David Niven and Shirley Jones. The action takes place in a quiet but rich part of Southern France where Lawrence Jameson also know as 'The Prince' (David Niven) has been conning countless women out of their fortunes for years until the arrival of Freddy Benson (Marlon Brando) who has been working 'cheap cons' since he left the army. As Benson and Jameson clash, it is agreed that one of them must leave. To decide who, they arrange a wager to see who can win the next woman they see and extract $25,000 from her the quickest.
Starring: Marlon Brando, David Niven, Shirley Jones, Dody Goodman, Aram StephanComedy | 100% |
Video codec: MPEG-4 AVC
Video resolution: 1080p
Aspect ratio: 1.85:1
Original aspect ratio: 1.85:1
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 | 4.5 | |
Extras | 2.0 | |
Overall | 4.0 |
Ralph Levy's "Bedtime Story" (1964) arrives on Blu-ray courtesy of Kino Lorber. The supplemental features on the disc include exclusive new audio commentary by critics Howard S. Berger and Nathaniel Thompson as well as vintage promotional materials. In English, with optional English SDH subtitles for the main feature. Region-A "locked".
Remember this, Dad. It takes six men to carry a guy to his grave, it takes one woman to put him there.
Presented in its original aspect ratio of 1.85:1, encoded with MPEG-4 AVC and granted a 1080p transfer, Bedtime Story arrives on Blu-ray courtesy of Kino Lorber.
The release is sourced from an exclusive new 2K master that provides the film with a very healthy appearance. However, there are quite a few areas with obvious density fluctuations and some other minor image unevenness which reveal that the film would have greatly benefited from a proper restoration. This becomes particularly obvious if the film is viewed on a larger screen where limitations impacting delineation and depth are impossible to ignore. The color palette is convincing, but this is another area where some meaningful improvements can be made. The best news is that there are absolutely no traces of problematic digital corrections, which is why from start to finish the film maintains a very solid organic appearance. Again, if you have a big screen or project, this makes a tremendous difference. Image stability is very good. I did not notice any large cuts, debris, damage marks, warped or torn frames to report in our review. (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.
The audio is clear and stable. It is nicely balanced, too. I had the volume of my system turned up quite a bit and did not notice any anomalies in the upper register, where older films usually reveal weaknesses introduced by aging. Dynamic intensity is very good for a film from the early 1960s, but I think that there is room for some minor cosmetic adjustments that could even out some bits and expand some dynamic nuances.
It is impossible to dislike Ralph Levy's Bedtime Story because its wit is timeless and charm quite simply irresistible. However, I think that Frank Oz's remake, Dirty Rotten Scoundrels, is an even better film. David Niven and Marlon Brando are very entertaining together, but Michael Caine and Steve Martin move the competition between the two con artists to a completely different level. You don't have to agree with me. Both films are now available on Blu-ray, and both look really good too, so pick them up for your collection and decide for yourself whether it is so. HIGHLY RECOMMENDED.
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Warner Archive Collection
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Warner Archive Collection
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Warner Archive Collection
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