7.6 | / 10 |
Users | 4.0 | |
Reviewer | 3.5 | |
Overall | 3.5 |
Three daring men make a possible successful attempt at escaping from one of the most infamous prisons in the world, Alcatraz.
Starring: Clint Eastwood, Patrick McGoohan, Roberts Blossom, Jack Thibeau, Fred WardBiography | 100% |
Thriller | Insignificant |
Drama | Insignificant |
Crime | Insignificant |
Video codec: MPEG-4 AVC
Video resolution: 1080p
Aspect ratio: 1.78:1
Original aspect ratio: 1.85:1
English: Dolby TrueHD 5.1 (48kHz, 24-bit)
French: Dolby Digital 2.0 Mono
Spanish: Dolby Digital 2.0 Mono
German: Dolby Digital 2.0 Mono
Italian: Dolby Digital 2.0 Mono
Portuguese: Dolby Digital 2.0 Mono
English, English SDH, French, German, Italian, Spanish, Danish, Dutch, Finnish, Norwegian, Swedish
50GB Blu-ray Disc
Single disc (1 BD)
Region free
Movie | 4.0 | |
Video | 3.5 | |
Audio | 3.5 | |
Extras | 0.0 | |
Overall | 3.5 |
The fifth and final collaboration between director Don Siegel and star Clint Eastwood was a docudrama ideally suited to both of them. In recreating the notorious 1962 escape masterminded by Frank Morris from the supposedly escape-proof island prison, Eastwood took on an interior role in which stillness said more than dialogue, while Siegel had the task of guiding a cast through the steps of a meticulous procedure in a limited space while maintaining dramatic tension. Although the pair fell out over business dealings, their artistic collaboration was never better.
The 1080p, AVC-encoded Blu-ray, which is being distributed by Warner, appears to be the same disc released by Paramount over two years ago in various territories overseas. The vintage of the transfer is unknown, but it's a reasonably detailed reproduction of the chilly, often monochromatic photography by Bruce Surtees, who had already become Eastwood's preferred cinematographer. Blacks are solid, although contrast suffers somewhat in the night sequences during the prison break, which may be a limitation of the source. The grain pattern appears to be natural, and the disc has been mastered with an average bitrate of 36.97 Mbps.
The film's original mono soundtrack has been remixed for 5.1 and encoded in lossless Dolby TrueHD. It's a conservative remix that remains front-focused, providing minimal separation for some of the effects and a somewhat wider dynamic range. The score by Jerry Fielding (The Wild Bunch) significantly contributes to the story's tense atmosphere.
No extras are included.
As a team, Siegel and Eastwood will best be remembered for their collaboration in creating the character of "Dirty Harry" Callahan, but Escape from Alcatraz is the more accomplished film. Despite the lack of extras, highly recommended.
1973
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2019
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2017
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Warner Archive Collection
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