6.3 | / 10 |
Users | 0.0 | |
Reviewer | 4.0 | |
Overall | 4.0 |
Kyle Richardson has a boring job in a chain-link fence factory, and cuts loose on the weekends with his friends at the local bar. Eventually, his girlfriend Jodie gets tired of Kyle's carousing and give him an ultimatum, either they get married or she leaves to pursue her dream of becoming a country western singer.
Starring: Jan-Michael Vincent, Kim Basinger, Michael Parks, Cheryl Carter, Gailard SartainWestern | 100% |
Drama | 27% |
Video codec: MPEG-4 AVC
Video resolution: 1080p
Aspect ratio: 1.78:1
Original aspect ratio: 1.85:1
English: DTS-HD Master Audio 2.0
per MediaInfo
None
Blu-ray Disc
Single disc (1 BD)
Region free
Movie | 4.5 | |
Video | 3.5 | |
Audio | 4.5 | |
Extras | 0.5 | |
Overall | 4.0 |
David Greene's "Hard Country" (1981) arrives on Blu-ray courtesy of Scorpion Releasing. The only bonus feature on this release is a collection of trailers for other films from the label's catalog. In English, without optional English SDH subtitles for the main feature. Region-Free.
Jodie
Presented in an aspect ratio of 1.78:1, encoded with MPEG-4 AVC and granted a 1080p transfer, David Greene's Hard Country arrives on Blu-ray courtesy of Scorpion Releasing.
The release is sourced from a remaster which at the very least was struck from an element that is a generation -- and more than likely two -- away from the OCN. So density and a range of fine nuances are not as optimal as they ideally should be; there are some areas where the color scheme reveals obvious inconsistencies as well. Nevertheless, there are no digital anomalies here and this makes a huge difference. To be perfectly clear, while you will be able to see some signs of aging and notice a few sporadic drops in density, you will also view a stable organic presentation of the film. Again, the type of limitations that would emerge will be the source limitations, not awkward issues introduced by pointless digital tinkering done in a lab (good examples are unevenness in grain exposure, less than optimal shadow definition, and less than optimal color saturation and nuances). Image stability is very good. However, a few scratches and even damage marks can be spotted. My score is 3.75/5.00. (Note: This is a Region-Free Blu-ray release. Therefore, you will be able to play it on your player regardless of your geographical location).
There is only one standard audio track on this Blu-ray release: English DTS-HD Master Audio 2.0. Optional English SDH subtitles are not provided for the main feature.
The lossless track is very good, but I am certain that if it is fully remastered some improvements in terms of clarity and overall balance will be introduced. Still, clarity and depth are very good, and if there ever were any serious age-related fluctuations and imperfections it is virtually impossible to tell. There are no audio dropouts or digital distortions to report.
You should keep in mind when you read this review that I am not unbiased when I offer opinions on films with Jan-Michael Vincent. I think that in the past I have made this quite clear, but it is probably worth mentioning it again here because Hard Country also happens to be an old favorite of mine and I am probably a bit more enthusiastic about this release than I should be. The film is sort of a Texas-type 'kitchen-sink' drama with a whole lot of country music. So it has a lot of authentic energy and quite a few good laughs, but it also offers an unpolished look at life in rural Texas while exposing a wide range of social contrasts. Scorpion Releasing's new release of Hard Country is sourced from a good but with a few obvious limitations master. I still think that this is one of the very best additions to the label's Blu-ray catalog. HIGHLY RECOMMENDED.
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