8 | / 10 |
Users | 0.0 | |
Reviewer | 4.0 | |
Overall | 4.0 |
A trio of crooks relentlessly pursue a young American woman through Paris in an attempt to recover the fortune her dead husband stole from them. The only person she can trust is a suave, mysterious stranger.
Starring: Audrey Hepburn, Cary Grant, Walter Matthau, James Coburn, George KennedyRomance | 100% |
Mystery | 7% |
Comedy | Insignificant |
Thriller | Insignificant |
Video codec: MPEG-4 AVC
Video resolution: 1080p
Aspect ratio: 1.85:1
Original aspect ratio: 1.85:1
English: LPCM 2.0
None
25GB Blu-ray Disc
Two-disc set (1 BD, 1 DVD)
DVD copy
Region B (locked)
Movie | 4.0 | |
Video | 4.0 | |
Audio | 4.5 | |
Extras | 1.5 | |
Overall | 4.0 |
Stanley Donen's "Charade" (1963) arrives on Blu-ray courtesy of British distributors Park Circus. The supplemental features on the disc include the film's original theatrical trailer and a gallery of stills. In English, without optional English subtitles for the main feature. Region-B "locked".
Do you need me?
Presented in its original aspect ratio of 1.85:1, encoded with MPEG-4 AVC and granted a 1080p transfer, Stanley Donen's Charade arrives on Blu-ray courtesy British distributors Park Circus.
This is a wonderful Blu-ray release, one that is basically on par with the strong Blu-ray release Criterion produced for the U.S. market. Unsurprisingly, detail and clarity are very good, while the blockiness that plagues the various DVD releases of Charade that are still floating around has been effectively addressed. The color-scheme is also very pleasing - the variety of reds, blues, greens, browns and blacks look fresh and natural, warm but not anemic. Furthermore, there are no traces of post-production sharpening. Some small dirt and noise corrections have been performed, but the film's grain structure is very much intact. Some mild flicker around the edges remains (also present on the Criterion release), but this is a limitation that has obviously been inherited. Finally, there are no serious stability issues to report in this review. (Note: This is a Region-B "locked" Blu-ray disc. Therefore, you must have a native Region-B or Region-Free PS3 or SA in order to access its content).
There is only one audio track on this Blu-ray disc: English LPCM 2.0. For the record, Park Circus have not provided optional English subtitles for the main feature.
I ran a few quick tests with my Criterion Blu-ray release, which has an English LPCM 1.0 track, but could not hear much of a difference. The two loseless tracks sound identical to me - the dialog is equally crisp, clean, and stable, and Henry Mancini's music score carries the same dynamic characteristics. This said, it is disappointing to say the least that Park Circus have not provided optional English SDH subtitles for the main feature. At this point, they should be a standard feature on every Blu-ray release.
British distributors Park Circus' Region-B "locked" Blu-ray release of Stanley Donen's Charade is a very good alternative for fans of the film and Audrey Hepburn who could not take advantage of Criterion's excellent Region-A "locked" Blu-ray release. My only complaint is that it does not come with optional English subtitles. Really, at this point optional English subtitles should be a standard feature on every Blu-ray release. Nevertheless, if you like the film and have it on DVD, it is time to upgrade. Believe me, it is well worth it. RECOMMENDED.
(Still not reliable for this title)
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