8 | / 10 |
Users | 4.5 | |
Reviewer | 4.0 | |
Overall | 4.0 |
Crafty railroad worker Bart becomes the first black sheriff of Rock Ridge, a frontier town about to be destroyed in order to make way for a new railroad. Initially, the people of Rock Ridge harbor a racial bias toward their new leader. However, they warm to him after realizing that Bart and his perpetually drunk gunfighter friend are the only defense against a wave of thugs sent to rid the town of its population.
Starring: Cleavon Little, Gene Wilder, Slim Pickens, Harvey Korman, Madeline KahnComedy | 100% |
Western | 32% |
Video codec: HEVC / H.265
Video resolution: 4K (2160p)
Aspect ratio: 2.39:1
Original aspect ratio: 2.39:1
English: Dolby Atmos
English: Dolby TrueHD 7.1 (48kHz, 24-bit)
English: DTS-HD Master Audio 2.0 Mono (48kHz, 24-bit)
French: Dolby Digital 2.0 (320 kbps)
Spanish: Dolby Digital 2.0 (320 kbps)
English SDH, French, Spanish
Blu-ray Disc
Single disc (1 BD)
Digital copy
4K Ultra HD
Slipcover in original pressing
Region A (B, C untested)
Movie | 4.0 | |
Video | 0.0 | |
Audio | 5.0 | |
Extras | 3.5 | |
Overall | 4.0 |
Just in time for its 50th anniversary, Warner Bros. finally corrals Mel Brooks' landmark Western satire Blazing Saddles on UHD, aiming to bury both the old VC-1 encoded 2006 Blu-ray (released mere months after the format's launch) and a well-regarded 40th Anniversary Edition. Featuring a 2160p/HDR10 transfer, two outstanding lossless audio mixes, and a decent collection of extras, it's a well-rounded disc that fans will enjoy. A Steelbook variant is also available.
NOTE: These slightly compressed screenshots are sourced from the new 4K disc but downscaled to 1080p/SDR; therefore, they should not be considered a 100% accurate representation of this release's video quality.
Blazing Saddles is one of the few Warner Bros. 4K catalog titles that actually has a fairly decent Blu-ray under its belt already, as the 40th Anniversary Edition made use of much better disc encoding -- even with presumably the same source material as the studio's older VC-1 Blu-ray -- to produce an image that held up pretty well even on medium to large displays, according to our previous review. Word has it that this 4K disc's brand-new 2160p/HDR10 transfer is derived from a new scan of the camera negative and of course is using better encoding than a decade ago, so in many ways it clearly advances upon both older discs in direct comparison. For those who might dismiss Blazing Saddles as "just a comedy" and somehow less deserving of the same visual spit and polish of a dramatic epic, please remember that this was shot on 35mm with anamorphic lenses in Technicolor; to a certain extent, it should looks just as good as many of the classic Westerns it gleefully lampoons. As expected given the format, image detail is good under the right circumstances, although its anamorphic pedigree -- when combined with more than a few shots that aren't always fully in focus -- means that the film and especially non-focal points aren't exactly razor-sharp in most circumstances. That said, color reproduction is superb and black levels and shadow detail hold up nicely, coming in a bit darker than the 40th Anniversary Blu-ray bit with no signs of black crush or other presumed detail loss at the low end.
Disc encoding is very good as well, with the wide majority of this film running at a supportive bit rate that shows no signs of banding, posterization, or macro blocking. That said, there's one short but sustained shot around the 84:50 mark where motion blur is clearly noticeable; I wouldn't necessarily call it ghosting or interlacing, but either way it stood out for a few brief seconds. (Those with a greater understanding of the film's source elements may know if this was an unavoidable problem.) In any case, it's a quality effort overall that should appeal to die-hard fans.
Warner Bros. has made great strides in their treatment of catalog audio tracks in recent years; whereas the studio was once known for using lossy formats or ignoring original theatrical mixes, they're back on the straight and narrow and that trend continues with Blazing Saddles. Much like their other recent 4K catalog releases such as The Terminator and North by Northwest, fans have the option of either a new Dolby Atmos mix (built from previous surround remix tracks) or the original audio, which in this case is DTS-HD Master Audio mono in a split-channel 2.0 container.
While I'm normally all about theatrical authenticity, this is one clear example where certain aspects of the viewing experience are much improved on the new Atmos mix; specifically, the film's occasional musical numbers, which were obviously sourced from a true stereo recording and sound incredibly rich and warm in comparison with the much flatter and thinner mono track. Otherwise, there's only so much you can do with modest original audio stems; while the Atmos mix is certainly able to wring out a specific amount of discrete activity and channel panning during action scenes and sporadically rowdy moments, it's otherwise a toss-up between the two tracks. But since WB had the good sense to include both options, I've no choice to award Blazing Saddles a full five stars in the audio department.
Optional subtitles, including English (SDH), are offered during the main feature and all extras listed below.
This one-disc release ships in a keepcase with sloppy collage artwork, a matching slipcover, and a Digital Copy code. The extras are fairly well-rounded; most are sourced from earlier releases including both Blu-rays, although a few minor items are missing like the 1975 Black Bart pilot, a Madeline Kahn tribute, and the film's trailer.
Blazing Saddles was only Mel Brooks' third film and a huge hit back in 1974, scoring big at the box office and even earning three Academy Award nominations. (The same can be said for Young Frankenstein, released later that same year and also performing well with fans and critics.) Blazing Saddles considerable legacy has survived five full decades of increasingly sensitive social mores; in other words it still plays like gangbusters, which means that fans and first-timers alike should have no problem enjoying Warner Bros.' welcome new 4K edition. Featuring solid A/V merits and a nice little collection of mostly familiar extras, it's a well rounded disc that comes firmly Recommended.
1974
1974
1974
40th Anniversary Edition
1974
1974
1976
1970
1983
1977
1993
1937
1991
1981
1968
1972
40th Anniversary Edition
1974
2014
2008
1977-1980
25th Anniversary Edition
1986
1993
1965
Holy Schnike Edition
1995
Theatrical & Extended
2008
1996