8.1 | / 10 |
Users | 0.0 | |
Reviewer | 3.5 | |
Overall | 3.5 |
Young, rich, and obsessed with death, Harold finds himself changed forever when he meets lively septuagenarian Maude at a funeral.
Starring: Ruth Gordon (I), Bud Cort, Vivian Pickles, Cyril Cusack, Charles TynerDrama | 100% |
Romance | 26% |
Dark humor | 14% |
Comedy | Insignificant |
Video codec: MPEG-4 AVC
Video resolution: 1080p
Aspect ratio: 1.85:1
Original aspect ratio: 1.85:1
English: Dolby TrueHD 5.1 (48kHz, 24-bit)
French: Dolby Digital Mono (224 kbps)
English, English SDH, French, German
Blu-ray Disc
Single disc (1 BD)
Digital copy
Slipcover in original pressing
Region free
Movie | 4.0 | |
Video | 4.0 | |
Audio | 4.0 | |
Extras | 2.0 | |
Overall | 3.5 |
Paramount has released the 1971 film 'Harold and Maude,' directed by Hal Ashby, to Blu-ray as part of the studio's prestigious 'Paramount Presents' line of releases. Specifications include 1080p video, Dolby TrueHD 5.1 lossless audio, and a few extras, including a brand-new commentary track. Note that the film was previously released to Blu-ray in 2012 by fan favorite studio Criterion. I did not review, do not own, and do not have access to a copy of that disc and cannot speak to any similarities or differences that may exist beyond what is listed in the Blu-ray.com review. See below for takes on video, audio, and supplements as they are exclusive to this release.
Paramount brings Harold and Maude to Blu-ray as part of its prestigious "Paramount Presents" line with a fine 1080p transfer which the studio touts as being "beautifully restored and remastered." The picture is organic and filmic, retaining its natural grain structure and offering robust, complex, naturally textured details. The grain shows some spikes in intensity, but the field is generally very even and pleasant, though some who preferer the cleaner look might find it off putting. Faithful film fans, though, will love it. The picture is well capable of revealing facial complexities, including lines and wrinkles, hairs, and applied makeup. Clothing textures are rich and so, too, are environmental pleasantries. Colors are healthy and satisfying, boasting good, natural contrast and temperature. There is some lightness, some airiness, to the image, a little white blooming here and there. Faces can look a little pale; Harold's in particular has that appearance, but the somewhat ghastly look seems purposeful, particularly as other skin tones on other characters appear to be accurate and full. The film offers a broad spectrum of colors, from deep browns to brilliant greens, from colorful flowers to dark reds, all appearing accurate to the source. Black level depth is generally fine. The print appears free of all but the most insignificant of speckles and signs of age-related wear and tear. There are no serious encode issues to report, either. I cannot say how this stacks up to Criterion's disc, but this is certainly a very solid and soundly engineered presentation in its own right.
Criterion released the film with LPCM mono and 2.0 soundtracks. Paramount has encoded in the typical Paramount Presents Dolby TrueHD 5.1 specification, but the track doesn't really take much advantage of the extra channels afforded to it, which is perfectly fine as it sounds more reflective of the original audio parameters. The track's front focus is practically exclusive, even in some scenes when it would seem that some additional surround content would be warranted, such as during a junkyard cutaway in the 36-minute mark. But front favors the material. It's wide with good spacing and fine clarity to the various musical selections. Listeners will appreciate the instrumental and lyric fidelity while basking in the simple pleasures of basic front side space and balance. Dialogue images well to the center with little feel for extraneous spacing in the middle areas. Spoken word clarity is very good and prioritization is fine. This is a fully unremarkable track in terms of verve and vigor, but it carries the material to total audio satisfaction.
This Blu-ray release of Harold and Maude contains a commentary track, a featurette, and a pair of trailers. Note that a featurette of the same
name appears on the Criterion disc, but the runtime is much shorter here. I cannot say for certain if the content here is identical to partial content
there,
but Dr. Atanasov's review seems to indicate some similarity. Also note that the commentary track is not listed under the "Extras" menu subheading
but
rather the "Settings" tab. This release is the 29th in the "Paramount Presents" line and includes the slipcover with fold-open poster artwork. A digital
copy code is included with purchase.
Paramount's Blu-ray release of Harold and Maude scores big on Blu-ray. The "Paramount Presents" treatment yields a handsome 1080p transfer, a solid 5.1 lossless soundtrack (albeit one that is more front focused and faithful to the original source), and includes a great new commentary track as the headline feature in what is otherwise a fairly scant and skimpy collection. Recommended.
1931
1943
1990
2012
1998
2002
2015
2004
2001
1967
1987
The Woody Allen Collection
1979
2014
1987
2003
1960
The Woody Allen Collection
1977
1986
Shout Select
1973
1925