8 | / 10 |
Users | 4.5 | |
Reviewer | 3.0 | |
Overall | 3.0 |
An opthamologist's mistress threatens to reveal their affair to his wife, while a married documentary filmmaker is infatuated by another woman.
Starring: Caroline Aaron, Alan Alda, Woody Allen, Claire Bloom, Mia FarrowDrama | 100% |
Comedy | Insignificant |
Video codec: MPEG-4 AVC
Video resolution: 1080p
Aspect ratio: 1.85:1
Original aspect ratio: 1.85:1
English: DTS-HD Master Audio Mono
English SDH
Blu-ray Disc
Single disc (1 BD)
Region A (B, C untested)
Movie | 3.5 | |
Video | 3.5 | |
Audio | 4.0 | |
Extras | 0.0 | |
Overall | 3.0 |
I know you know what I'm thinking. I know that you know that I know. And I know that you know that I know that you know. We all
watched HBO's Allen v Farrow, a tense and disturbing relitigating of the abuse allegations ex-wife and mother Mia Farrow has leveled at
Woody Allen over the years. You probably have strong opinions after seeing it. I know I do. And I know there's more to the story than the
documentary told. Still, I'm one of those insufferable fools who have a genuinely difficult time separating art from an artist's personal life and
(potential) crimes. Once upon a time I loved a good Woody Allen flick. Now? Now I shift in my seat, have a hard time making eye contact with the
screen when he walks on (seriously), and generally cannot shut off my discomfort long enough to watch a film on its own merits. It happens with new
films and it certainly happens with his classics. I just can't erase the fear of what's happening at home with little Dylan who, at the time Crimes
and Misdemeanors hit theaters, was four and on her way to... something traumatic happening.
If you're currently rolling your eyes, shrugging off any concern that the allegations are true, or are magically able to ignore everything you believe to
enjoy a good flick, well, revisiting Crimes and Misdemeanors courtesy of this solid-scoring Sandpiper Blu-ray release will be no problem at all.
Enjoy! (I mean it. I wish I could.)
Sandpiper appears to be utilizing the same (or a virtually identical) 1080p/AVC-encoded video transfer featured on the now out-of-print 2014 Screen Archives Entertainment limited edition released by Twilight Time. Reviewer Jeffrey Kauffman gave the presentation a very high score of 4.5, and while I have no intention of debating a subjective analysis, my subjective tastes and analysis lead to more reserved praise. Colors are strong and lovingly saturated, but I found the palette's earthy tint, subdued contrast leveling, and at-times orange and pink-skewed skin tones to be less than appealing. Check the screenshots accompanying this review and you'll probably see exactly what I mean. You can judge accordingly, by your own standards. Otherwise, there's little to complain about. Black levels are deep and pleasing, delineation is sound, and detail is natural and refined. The film isn't razor sharp, but then again, it hails from 1989, when every edge didn't look like it could slice through a soda can. Textures are cleanly defined and fairly revealing, and edges are free of the artificial sharpening that sometimes haunts last-generation masters. I also didn't notice any sign of compression artifacts, banding or errant noise. Grain is present but unobtrusive, only adding to the better qualities of the presentation.
Sandpiper's DTS-HD Master Audio mono track is much easier to critique as it both honors the film's original sound design and theatrical presentation and grants a bit of new life with some extra polish here and there. The age of Crimes and Misdemeanors is never in doubt, but there also isn't much in the way of wear and tear, warbling, ineffective prioritization and other such issues. Dialogue is clean and clear throughout, the instrumentation of the light music employed doesn't disappoint, and sound effects, though the sort of canned, hollow effects you'd expect in 1989, are more than adequately supported.
Alas, no significant special features are included.
To follow or not to follow. How does one handle revelations and accusations of previously brilliant actors and filmmakers? Does it change the art? Does the crimes Kevin Spacey is accused of committing diminish his performance in The Usual Suspects? Do the accusations leveled against Woody Allen spoil Crimes and Misdemeanors? That's a question much larger than I can answer, and one you'll have to answer for yourself. It is a unique and bold film, where two polar opposite stories -- one comedy, the other a drama -- crash together to less than spectacular ends. It works, mostly, although Allen struggles to stick the landing. Sandpiper's Blu-ray is a decent little release too, with a flawed but above average catalog video transfer and a solid DTS-HD Master Audio mono mix. In true Sandpiper fashion, there aren't any extras, but it isn't too big of a deal.
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Limited Edition to 3000 - SOLD OUT
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The Woody Allen Collection
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Madame de...
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