Rating summary

Movie		4.5
Video		5.0
Audio		5.0
Extras		4.5
Overall		4.5

Fat City Blu-ray Movie Review

Reviewed by Dr. Svet Atanasov April 16, 2017

Nominated for Oscar Award for Best Actress in a Supporting Role, John Huston's "Fat City" (1972) arrives on Blu-ray courtesy of British distributors Indicator/Powerhouse Films. The supplemental features on the disc include an original trailer for the film; new documentary feature by Robert Fischer; archival interview with John Huston; original production stills and promotional materials; and more. In English, with optional English SDH subtitles for the main feature. Region-Free.

How do I look now?

There was a period during the ‘80s when some prominent communist apparatchiks in the Eastern Bloc used John Huston’s film Fat City as a propaganda piece. The rationale behind their decision was that the film supposedly revealed how the foundation of the American society was collapsing and people at the bottom of the social scale were left to self-destruct. It was right around the time when President Ronald Reagan and Soviet leader Mikhail Gorbachev were starting to warm up to each other and a lot of people were trying to predict what their relationship would look like. The irony of course is that a few years later it was the Eastern Bloc and then the U.S.S.R. that collapsed.

The film follows closely two men with similar passion for boxing but completely different outlooks on life. The younger one, Ernie (Jeff Bridges), is fully aware that the road ahead of him will be a difficult one but believes that if he works hard and stays out of trouble eventually good things will happen to him. So he regularly visits a rundown gym and trains long hours until he can barely stand on his feet. The elder one, Tully (Stacey Keach), is a loner whose best days are behind him and now simply drifts through life. Whenever he has enough cash he also drinks heavily so that he can temporarily prevent his mind from reminding him that he is a loser who does not have the guts to confront his personal demons.

Ernie and Tully cross paths in a local gym and after a few quick rounds of boxing realize that they have a lot in common. Later on, they both get a chance to impress a mediocre manager (Nicholas Colasanto) who promises to book some decent fights for them if they show him that they are willing to work hard and stay in shape. However, at a small local tournament Ernie suffers a humiliating loss, while Tully barely wins against a seriously ill opponent (Sixto Rodriguez) and the shady manager pockets the bulk of his prize money to cover phony training and traveling expenses. Away from the ring the boxers then face new setbacks – Ernie’s pregnant lover (Candy Clark) demands that he commits to a disastrous marriage, while Tully confronts his alcoholic girlfriend (Susan Tyrrell) and discovers that she is ready to reunite with her former beau.

Huston worked with an original screenplay by Leonard Gardner who adapted his brilliant novel, but Fat City very much feels like a personal project that actually channels many of his own frustrations and despair. Years ago before he entered the film business, Huston was also an amateur boxer looking for a big break that never came, and much like Keach’s disillusioned old-timer he frequently struggled with alcoholism. So while the film does a great job of restaging the events that are described in Gardner’s novel, it really is about the bond that Huston once had with the bleak world of its protagonists.

The film has the gritty appearance of a documentary feature shot on a shoe-string budget. Instead of seeking the best angles and most effective zooms and tilts, the camera freely moves around and in the process successfully eliminates any suspicions one might have that what takes place in front of it is scripted. The same fluid camera movement is also the main reason why the film is flooded with unfiltered natural light and shadows that frequently impact the density levels of different sequences.

Fat City Blu-ray Movie, Video Quality 

Presented in its original aspect ratio of 1.85:1, encoded with MPEG-4 AVC and granted a 1080p transfer, John Huston's Fat City arrives on Blu-ray courtesy of Indicator/Powerhouse Films.

The release is sourced from a very recent 4K master that was prepared by Sony Pictures in the United States. The same master was also licensed to Twilight Times for its 2015 release.

The film has an intended gritty, borderline documentary appearance and there are various density fluctuations that are part of it. A lot of darker indoor and nighttime footage is also shot with unfiltered light and shadows that further affect depth and clarity. So you will notice some unevenness in the visuals as the action moves from one location to another, but these discrepancies are part of the original cinematography (you can observe a few if you compare screencaptures #1, 10, 12). The high-quality scanning has ensured that grain is as well exposed and resolved as it should be; there are no traces of compromising digital corrections that destabilize it. It is also important to note that no attempts have been made to digitally repolish or resharpen the film. Colors are stable, and while the overall range of nuances is quite modest, balance and saturation are outstanding (some of the muted primaries are crucial for the intended stylistic appearance). Image stability is excellent. Finally, there are no distracting debris, cuts, damage marks, stains, warps, or other serious age-related imperfections to report. (Note; This is a Region-Free Blu-ray release. Therefore, you will be able to play it on your player regardless of your geograp0hical location. For the record, there is no problematic PAL or 1080/50i content preceding the disc's main menu).

Fat City Blu-ray Movie, Audio Quality 

There are two standard audio tracks on this Blu-ray release: English LPCM 1.0 and English DTS-HD Master Audio 5.1. Optional English SDH subtitles are provided for the main feature.

I viewed the film with the original Mono track and thought that it was outstanding. There are some obvious minor fluctuations that could impact fluidity and balance -- mostly during some of the mass scenes where random sounds and noises are allowed to enter the dialogue/short exchanges -- but there are no age-related imperfections. The film does not have a prominent music soundtrack, but there is a wonderful song that is heard in it that was composed and performed by the great Kris Kristofferson.

Fat City Blu-ray Movie, Special Features and Extras 

NOTE: All of the supplemental features on this Blu-ray release are perfectly playable on North American Blu-ray players, including the PS3.

• Trailer - original trailer for Fat City. In English, not subtitled. (3 min).

• Image Gallery - a collection of original production stills and promotional materials for Fat City.

• Isolated Score - presented as a DTS-HD Master Audio 5.1 track.

• An American Classic - presented here is an audio discussion with Leonard Gardner, whose classic novel inspired John Huston to shoot Fat City, and Max Larkin. The discussion was recorded for Radio Open Source in Boston. Also included are some archival stills and reprints from the novel. In English, not subtitled. (22 min).

• The John Player Lecture with John Huston - this very long session was conducted by Brian Baxter at the National Film Theatre, August 1972, on the day after Fat City's premiere at the Edinburgh Film Festival. John Huston discusses in great detail his early work as a writer and eventually transition to directing films in Hollywood, as well his personal and professional relationships with many of its greatest stars, the importance of camerawork in his films, the shooting of Fat City, etc. The audio session runs for the duration of the film. (97 min).

• John Huston on Fat City - in this archival interview, John Huston discusses his short boxing career and explains why he decided to shoot Fat City. The interview was conducted for the French television program Pour le cinema in 1972. In English and French, with printed French subtitles and optional English subtitles where necessary. (6 min).

• Sucker Punch Blues - this brand new documentary takes a closer look at the production history, unique style, and lasting appeal of Fat City, as well as Leonard Gardner's novel that inspired it. Included in it are new interviews with actors Stacy Keach and Candy Clark, casting director Fred Roos, and camera assistant Gary Vidor. The documentary was produced by Robert Fischer for Fiction Factory. In English, not subtitled. (37 min).

• Audio Commentary - featuring Lem Dobbs and Nick Redman.

• Booklet - 28-page illustrated booklet featuring Danny Leigh's essay "Fat City", review of the film by John Russell Taylor (which was initially published in Sight & Sound), selection of John Huston's own comments about the film, excerpts from a recent interview with Stacy Keach, and technical credits.

Fat City Blu-ray Movie, Overall Score and Recommendation 

This gritty film from John Huston recreates events that are chronicled in Leonard Gardner's 1969 novel about two struggling boxers from Stockton, California, but it actually channels many of the great director's own frustrations and despair. Indicator/Powerhouse Films' new Blu-ray release is sourced from an excellent recent 4K restoration of the film that was completed by Sony Pictures in the United States. As usual, it also offers an excellent selection of supplemental features. (However, on the disc that I was sent to review, the new documentary film by Robert Fischer, Sucker Punch Blues, appears to have its ending cut. I will contact the distributors to find out if the error appears only on my disc). HIGHLY RECOMMENDED. (Update: We have confirmed that there is a mastering error on the Blu-ray, but the DVD that is included in the same release is unaffected. If you wish to have the Blu-ray replaced with a corrected Blu-ray copy, please contact the distributors at info@powerhousefilms.co.uk with a proof of purchase and your shipping address).