Rating summary

Movie		2.0
Video		3.5
Audio		4.0
Extras		3.0
Overall		3.0

Highpoint Blu-ray Movie Review

Reviewed by Dr. Svet Atanasov July 23, 2017

Peter Carter's "Highpoint" (1982) arrives on Blu-ray courtesy of U.S. label Code Red. The supplemental features on the disc include an exclusive video interview with executive producer Bill Immerman; new and exclusive video interview with composer Chris Young; the original longer version of the film; and more. In English, without optional English SDH subtitles for the main feature. Region-Free.

The unemployed man

Approximately forty-eight hours ago, I viewed Ronald Neame’s action comedy Hopscotch about an aging CIA agent who turns against his bosses after they abruptly decide to retire him because he is no longer the reliable shadow man he used to be. The reason why the film worked for me had very little to do with its story, which at best can be described as decent. What I really liked was the terrific chemistry between its stars and particularly the manner in which they made it so obvious that they had a lot of fun playing their characters.

I disliked Peter Carter’s thriller Highpoint for pretty much the exact opposite reason. This film also unites some big stars, but less than fifteen minutes into it the stars already look like they need a translator to understand each and respond in the proper fashion. The dissonance on display can be so awkward at times that it almost completely destroys the film’s intended identity. (You will see how the more time you spend with the main characters the more difficult it becomes to figure out if the film wants to be a serious action thriller or a silly parody). It is unfortunate, really, because the film visits some wonderful locations and there is a period ambience in it that could have made it very attractive.

There is a rough prologue in which it is revealed that the CIA and the mafia have tried to pull off a shady deal but the whole thing has collapsed and both sides have lost ten million dollars in cold hard cash. The guy responsible for the gaffe is James Hatcher (Christopher Plummer, The Return of the Pink Panther), a playboy with big ambitions, who has gone missing -- possibly because he has had an accident and sunk to the bottom of the ocean, or maybe because he has pocketed the cash and bought himself a new identity in an exotic country. It is a big mystery and no one knows how to solve it.

Well, one man actually does. His name is Lewis Kinney (Richard Harris, Red Desert) and he is an unemployed accountant with a funny accent who just doesn’t realize it yet. Shortly after he accidentally saves the life of the beautiful but seriously depressed Lise (Beverly D’Angelo, Hair) and is then hired to work for her wealthy family, Kinney bumps into the missing playboy and gets stuck between the CIA and the mafia. Initially the fact that he can’t fully comprehend the logic behind everything that happens around him because of his encounter with the playboy frustrates him, but then he begins spending time with Lise and while he falls in love with her and together they try to stay alive he solves the mystery.

There are two versions of the film on this release and the shorter one was created by New World Pictures for the American theatrical premiere after someone at the company apparently came to the conclusion that the original version was too disorganized. I came to the same conclusion, but after viewing the edited version. (The longer version is presented in standard definition and was most likely sourced from a rare VHS release). The cuts do not work. It literally looks like different people had wildly different ideas as to what type of film they were contracted to shoot and no one bothered to make them aware that they were wasting their time.

Highpoint Blu-ray Movie, Video Quality 

Presented in an aspect ratio of 1.78:1, encoded with MPEG-4 AVC and granted a 1080p transfer, Highpoint arrives on Blu-ray courtesy of Code Red.

The back cover of the release clarifies that the release was sourced from a "brand new master from the original IP". Unfortunately, large portions of the film actually look quite soft and in some cases even faded. Density also tends to fluctuate quite a bit, with shaky highlights and desaturated colors creating additional small anomalies. The good news is that there are no compromising digital anomalies, so even though there are some inconsistencies for the most part the film does retain some crucial organic qualities (see screencapture #4). Stability is also good. However, there are minor scratches, flecks, and even a few big marks that pop up here and there. My score is 3.25/5.00. (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).

Highpoint Blu-ray Movie, Audio Quality 

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 has good potency and opens the action sequences rather well. The range of nuanced dynamics, however, is slightly underwhelming, though my feeling is that the unevenness that becomes obvious in different segments is actually part of the film's original sound design. You should also remember that the version of the film that is presented in HD is the edited version that New World Pictures created. So even though there is probably some room for minor improvements, they would be almost certainly cosmetic improvements. Optional English SDH subtitles, however, would have been appreciated.

Highpoint Blu-ray Movie, Special Features and Extras 

• Original Version - presented here is the original longer version of Highpoint, which was most likely sourced from a rare VHS release. In English, not subtitled. (112 min. 480/60i).

• Interview with Bill Immerman - in this exclusive new video interview, executive producer Bill Immerman recalls how Highpoint came to exist thanks to an important tax incentive that was passed by the Canadian government, and discusses the shooting process, his interactions with Richard Harris (with some very funny observations about the actor's notorious drinking problem), the differences between the Canadian and American versions of the film, etc. The interview was conducted exclusively for Code Red. In English, not subtitled. (33 min. 480/60i).

• Interview with Chris Young - in this exclusive new video interview, composer Chris Young recalls how he was approached and contracted to rescore the shorter U.S. version of Highpoint. The original score for the original Canadian version of Highpoint was composed by Oscar winner John Addison (The Bridge on the River Kwai, A Taste of Honey). The interview was conducted exclusively for Code Red. In English, not subtitled. (12 min. 480/60i).

• Trailer - a collection of trailers for other Code Red releases.

Highpoint Blu-ray Movie, Overall Score and Recommendation 

The title of Peter Carter's final film is somewhat ironic because it probably represents the lowest point in the careers of quite a few people. To be honest, however, what ended up being shown in America was a cut version of the film which apparently its distributor, New World Pictures, believed would be easier to follow and enjoy. I think that the film simply isn't good enough, and the cutting only made it worse. It visits some wonderful locations in Canada, but its script and especially the chemistry between its stars are quite problematic. Code Red's Blu-ray release has both versions of the film, the original longer Canadian version and the shorter American version, though only the latter is presented in high-definition. It also has two exclusive video interviews. The one with executive producer Bill Immerman is quite illuminating as he has plenty of interesting information to share about Richard Harris and his notorious drinking problem as well as the early days of the Canadian film industry.