6 | / 10 |
Users | 4.0 | |
Reviewer | 3.5 | |
Overall | 3.6 |
An escaped con on the run from the law moves into a married couple's home and takes over their lives.
Starring: Mickey Rourke, Anthony Hopkins, Mimi Rogers, Lindsay Crouse, Kelly LynchDrama | 100% |
Crime | 64% |
Thriller | 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 2.0
French: DTS-HD Master Audio 2.0
French
50GB Blu-ray Disc
Single disc (1 BD)
Slipcover in original pressing
Region B (locked)
Movie | 3.5 | |
Video | 4.0 | |
Audio | 4.5 | |
Extras | 1.0 | |
Overall | 3.5 |
Michael Cimino's "Desperate Hours" (1990) arrives on Blu-ray courtesy of French label Carlotta Films. The only supplemental features on the disc are an original trailer for the film and a brand new video introduction by French critic and film historian Jean-Baptiste Thoret. In English, with optional French subtitles for the main feature. Region-B "locked".
I can't wait to see you again
Presented in its original aspect ratio of 1.85:1, encoded with MPEG-4 AVC and granted a 1080p transfer, Michael Cimino's Desperate Hours arrives on Blu-ray courtesy of Carlotta Films.
The release is sourced from the same master that Shout Factory accessed when it prepared its Blu-ray release of the film for the U.S. market. It is an older master, but a very good one. Indeed, the majority of the close-ups boast nice depth; small details and even background nuances are quite easy to see. The outdoor panoramic vistas also look wonderful. A newer master would certainly introduce some improvements in terms of sharpness and fluidity, but the basics qualities of the current master are indeed quite strong (see screencaptures #5 and 19). Colors are stable, well balanced and natural. There is a good range of nuances as well. During the darker/indoor footage shadow definition could be better, but the current range of blacks, grays and browns is already quite good. There are no traces of recent degraining or sharpening adjustments. Image stability is excellent. Finally, there are no distracting large debris, cuts, damage marks, or stains to report in our review. (Note: This is a Region-B "locked" Blu-ray release. Therefore, you must have a native Region-B or Region-Free player in order to access its content).
There are two standard audio tracks on this Blu-ray release: English DTS-HD Master Audio 2.0 and French DTS-HD Master Audio 2.0. Optional French subtitles are provided for the main feature.
The lossless track does not appear to have been recently remastered, but I think that it is actually very good. David Mansfield's intense score has plenty of room to breathe and during the action sequences the dynamic intensity is probably as good as it can be. If improvements are to be made, the mid- and/or high-registers is where some minor balance optimizations can be performed, but I don't believe that there will be a noticeable shift in terms of fluidity and clarity. The dialog is stable, clean, and always easy to follow. There are no audio dropouts, pops, or digital distortions to report.
I am a big admirer of Michael Cimino's work and frequently revisit his films. I have discovered that the older they get, the clearer it becomes that they all have special identities that immediately separate them from the many other films that competed with them, looked right and were praised by the critics because they did. Whether this is enough to consider them good or great is something that will likely be debated for as long as these films are available to see, but I think that it is largely irrelevant. There will always be people who will appreciate what Cimino's films offer and respect the fact that they never tried to play by the conventional rules. Desperate Hours is a flawed but fascinating to behold film which should appeal mostly to people who already like Cimino's fluid style. The French release which we have reviewed here and the U.S. release are sourced from the same master. RECOMMENDED.
(Still not reliable for this title)
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