Rating summary

Movie		4.5
Video		4.5
Audio		5.0
Extras		4.0
Overall		4.5

Hard Eight Blu-ray Movie Review

Reviewed by Dr. Svet Atanasov November 19, 2020

Paul Thomas Anderson's "Hard Eight" (1996) arrives on Blu-ray courtesy of Via Vision Entertainment. The supplemental features on the disc include two archival audio commentaries; deleted scene; vintage trailers; and more. In English, with optional English SDH subtitles for the main feature. Region-Free.

Strangers in a stranger place

For a short period of time Hard Eight had me convinced that Paul Thomas Anderson would be the next John Dahl. It brings together film noir and Americana in almost the exact same fashion Dahl’s first three films do, which are his best. But then Boogie Nights happened, Anderson’s career suddenly took off, and I figured out that it wasn’t meant to be. I am happy that Anderson made it big, but I wish he would have directed a few more films like Hard Eight before Hollywood discovered his talent.

An ordinary day in Nevada. At Jack's Coffee Shop, Sidney (Philip Baker Hall) sees John (John C. Reilly) sitting by the door with his head down, looking broken, maybe even hurt. Sidney invites him to have a cup of coffee with him and later on hands him fifty bucks. But John needs a couple of grand to bury his dead mother, so Sidney offers to give him a ride back to Reno and show him how to make more. It won’t be enough to cover the funeral expenses, but with his earnings John will be able to get a decent meal and room for the night. Before they exit Jack’s Coffee Shop, John warns Sidney that if he is a closeted pervert and has something else on his mind, he is going to kill him.

At a popular casino in Reno, Sidney teaches John how to cheat the system by betting as little as possible and rotating a small amount of money between different cashiers that jack up the balance on his rate card. Soon after, John is approached by a floorman, who incorrectly assumes that he is a compulsive gambler that can’t stop spending his own money, and offered a free room for the night, just as Sidney had predicted.

A few years later. John has mastered the art of gambling and started saving. He and Sidney share a comfy suite in an upscale hotel, but live separate lives. John has friends, like Jimmy (Samuel L. Jackson), who is a security guard and has the vocabulary of a drunken sailor, while Sidney is a loner. Then one day John and Jimmy meet Sidney for a drink, but instead of having a good time together they rub each other the wrong way, John ends up apologizing for his friend’s rude behavior. Then John meets Clementine (Gwyneth Paltrow), who makes ends meet as a waitress, and occasionally as a cheap escort girl, and just like that the two decide to marry. But they tell Sidney only after they screw up big and suddenly realize that he is the only man in Reno that can help clear their mess.

Anderson directed Hard Eight from an original script that is so simple it is actually brilliant. There is no fat in it, just extra lean situations that connect four characters with completely different goals in their lives. They go to work to get what they are after and while experiencing minor triumphs and failures, a special kind of magic happens before Anderson’s camera.

The above summation is entirely accurate, but also somewhat misleading. Indeed, it does not specify how practically everything that happens in the film is defined by Hall’s superb performance, which is one hell of an accomplishment. To be perfectly clear, it is not just the manner in which he engages the other actors that makes the film fascinating to behold; he is also the catalyst for the tempo and ambience of the film; and the best part about it is that he does it as if he is completely unaware that somewhere on the back Anderson’s camera follows every single move he makes.

There are a couple of very effective twists, but they don’t have the gotcha quality of the ones that make Dahl’s thrillers wildly unpredictable. They are entirely organic, the kind that can effortlessly convince the viewer that they are just part of a long string of real unfortunate events.

Hard Eight Blu-ray Movie, Video Quality 

Presented in an aspect ratio of 2.35:1, encoded with MPEG-4 AVC and granted a 1080p transfer, Hard Eight arrives on Blu-ray courtesy of Via Vision Entertainment.

The master that was used to produce this release is old but really, really good. I think that there are only two areas where some small but meaningful improvements can be made. First, some of the highlights can be rebalanced a bit to reveal more existing nuances. However, I do not expect to see a dramatic difference if such an adjustment is made in the future. Second, in darker areas shadow definition can be managed better as well. If it is, darker footage like the one from screencapture #18 will reveal better delineation and by default slightly improved depth as well. But these are very minor improvements. There are a few spots where sharpness could be adjusted as well, but once again I do not expect to see any significant upgrades. If a new master materializes it will have a slightly stronger and more consistent organic appearance with minor cosmetic adjustments. Colors are lush and stable. Image stability is excellent. A few minor black spots and flecks pop up, but there are no distracting large cuts, damage marks, warped or torn frames to report. My score is 4.25/5.00. (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).

Hard Eight Blu-ray Movie, Audio Quality 

There is only one standard audio track on this Blu-ray release: English LPCM 2.0. Optional English SDH subtitles are provided for the main feature. When turned on, they split the image frame and the black bar below it.

The audio does not reveal any age-related weakness. When I viewed the film, I had the volume of my system turned up quite a bit and thought that clarity and overall stability were excellent, regardless of the evolving situations in and outside of the casinos. The music also sounded great. There are no encoding anomalies to report.

Hard Eight Blu-ray Movie, Special Features and Extras 

• Deleted Scene: "The Kiss" - this deleted scene was takes from the director's first cut of Hard Eight. It is sourced from a VHS, the only available source. In English, not subtitled. (3 min, 720p).

• Sundance Institute Filmmaker Lab Scenes - after completing his short film "Cigarettes and Coffee", Paul Thomas Anderson was invited to the 1993 Sundance Institute Filmmakers Lab to work on "Sydney" (Hard Eight). Presented here are three scenes that were shot on video as part of the work at the lab. In English, not subtitled. (11 min, 720p).

• Trailers - a couple of vintage trailers for Hard Eight. In English, not subtitled. (4 min, 1080p).

• Commentary One - this archival audio commentary appeared on the North American DVD release of Hard Eight and was recorded by Paul Thomas Anderson and Philip Baker Hall. It is basically a trip down memory lane, with seemingly endless very interesting information about the genesis of the film, the casting choices, the shoot, the editing process, etc. (And yes, this writer fully agrees with Mr. Anderson that Hall is a truly great American actor). If you like the film, listen to the commentary in its entirety.

• Commentary Two - this archival audio commentary also appeared on the North American DVD release of Hard Eight. It was recorded by Paul Thomas Anderson, Philip Baker Hall, Michelle Satter (Sundance Film), and crew members.

Hard Eight Blu-ray Movie, Overall Score and Recommendation 

Paul Thomas Anderson is so big now it almost seems a bit odd that in the late '90s he made his directorial debut with Hard Eight. By his own standards, this film just looks very, very small. But I think that it is Anderson's best work, I really do. It has an incredible noirish atmosphere, and it is actually a brilliant piece of Americana. In a perfect world, Philip Baker Hall should have won an Oscar statuette for his contribution to it. Thanks to the folks at Via Vision Entertainment, we finally, finally have a Blu-ray release of Hard Eight. It is sourced from an older but very solid master and is Region-Free. VERY HIGHLY RECOMMENDED.