7.7 | / 10 |
Users | 4.4 | |
Reviewer | 4.0 | |
Overall | 4.0 |
Untold story behind the unforgettable battle of wits between British talk-show host David Frost and former president Richard Nixon.
Starring: Frank Langella, Michael Sheen, Sam Rockwell, Kevin Bacon, Matthew MacfadyenDrama | 100% |
History | 93% |
Biography | 91% |
Video codec: VC-1
Video resolution: 1080p
Aspect ratio: 2.35:1
Original aspect ratio: 2.39:1
English: DTS-HD Master Audio 5.1 (48kHz, 24-bit)
Spanish: DTS 5.1 (48kHz, 16-bit)
French: DTS 5.1 (48kHz, 16-bit)
from playback
English SDH, French, Spanish
50GB Blu-ray Disc
Single disc (1 BD)
Bonus View (PiP)
BD-Live
Region free
Movie | 4.5 | |
Video | 4.0 | |
Audio | 4.0 | |
Extras | 2.5 | |
Overall | 4.0 |
As one of this year’s Oscar nominees for best picture, Frost/Nixon is a strange and compelling film. It’s represents something of a departure for Director Ron Howard, a filmmaker who has made a name for himself through films with much broader appeal and a reliance on big name actors and larger than life premises. Frost/Nixon finds Mr. Howard exploring more subtle territory and focusing on his actors performances. It’s a unique experience, and one that is sure to enthrall students of history and presidential politics.
Frost meet Nixon, Nixon this is Frost.
Bathed in period details and filmed in a style reminiscent of the films of the late seventies,
Frost/Nixon arrives on Blu-ray in a form that accurately recreates the film's theatrical
exhibition. Universal has, unsurprisingly, done the consistent thing and delivered the film
via a relatively high bitrate VC-1 encode. The results are pleasing and entirely consistent to
the intentions of Ron Howard and cinematographer Salvatore Totino.
Much of the actual interview featured in Frost/Nixon is shrouded in deep black
shadowy hues. As such, this Blu-ray encode does a fine job of presenting satisfyingly deep
black levels and robust contrast. I was pleased with the level of detail on display as well;
Nixon's craggy face bore the signs of years of doubt and insecurity, while Frost's youthful
appearance stood as a stark contrast. Colors are vibrant and deeply saturated throughout
the presentation. As one would hope, compression issues and digital artifacts aren't ever
an issue. Frost/Nixon isn't exactly the kind of picture that was destined to challenge
Blade Runner in the impressiveness department, but it sure looks good!
Recommended!
Here's an odd proposition: take a movie about a television interview from the 1970s, make
the film a series of long and drawn out conversations and exchanges, score the film with a
minimalist series of compositional sketches and then deliver it on Blu-ray in crystalline 5.1
DTS-HD Master Audio. Now, I'm not saying that lossless audio is overkill; it never is and
always delivers a soundtrack that is superior to its lossy counterpart. However, there's just
not much more than 122 minutes worth of in-depth and perfectly captured conversation
presented on this Blu-ray disc.
In spite of the lack of any kind of traditional action-themed sound design,
Frost/Nixon succeeds in being a perfectly realized audio experience. The film's
abundance of dialogue is presented as flawlessly as possible; every grumble and terse
statement from Nixon is rendered with impeccable aural resolution. The film's score is
rooted in the front soundstage with the occasional flourish finding its way into the surround
channels. Dialogue moves around the front soundstage nicely and is never rooted primarily
in the center channel. What more could one really ask for? Recommended!
Here's what's included:
- Feature-length audio commentary with Director Ron Howard
- U Control - Picture-In-Picture (BD Exclusive)
- U Control - The Nixon Chronicles (BD Exclusive)
- "Discovering Secrets: The People and Places Behind the Story" (BD Exclusive)
- Deleted Scenes
- "The Making of Frost/Nixon"
- The Real Interview
- The Nixon Library
- BD Live - Download Center (BD Exclusive)
The big question raised regarding the special features included with this Blu-ray release of
Frost/Nixon is, why not include the actual Frost / Nixon interview? It would be a
natural item to include, but I can only assume it wasn't possible due to rights issues.
Regardless, Universal has included a few short clips of scenes from the actual interview that
match up nicely with the content covered in the film. Ron Howard contributes an
outstanding commentary track that held my attention and was informative enough to
actually have me wanting to give it a second listen. Good stuff! What's left is a few short
featurettes, a short feature on the Nixon Library and a light making-of documentary.
Frost/Nixon is a deceptively engaging film that blends outstanding performances with a keen insight into historical precedent. What seemed like fodder for a boring and one- note film has been transformed into a riveting dramatic narrative that never fails to entertain. Universal brings Frost/Nixon to Blu-ray sporting an outstanding video transfer and audio that never fails to deliver. While I felt that the film's included supplementary features could have been a bit more in-depth, the film is the main attraction here. Frost/Nixon is highly recommended!
1966
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2015
Limited Edition to 3000 - SOLD OUT
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Masterpiece
2015
Special Edition
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