7.1 | / 10 |
Users | 0.0 | |
Reviewer | 3.5 | |
Overall | 3.5 |
An insurance investigator romances a wealthy young beauty when he suspects she may be involved in fencing stolen jewels.
Starring: Donald Sutherland, Jennifer O'Neill, Robert Duvall, Patrick Magee (I), Jon CypherThriller | Insignificant |
Crime | Insignificant |
Drama | Insignificant |
Video codec: MPEG-4 AVC
Video resolution: 1080p
Aspect ratio: 2.35:1
Original aspect ratio: 2.39:1
English: DTS-HD Master Audio 2.0 (48kHz, 24-bit)
English SDH
Blu-ray Disc
Single disc (1 BD)
Region free
Movie | 4.0 | |
Video | 4.0 | |
Audio | 3.5 | |
Extras | 2.0 | |
Overall | 3.5 |
Tom Gries' "Lady Ice" (1973) arrives on Blu-ray courtesy of Scorpion Releasing. The supplemental features on the disc include an exclusive new video interview with composer Perry Botkin Jr. and a collection of vintage trailers. In English, with optional English SDH subtitles for the main feature. Region-Free.
The mechanic
Presented in an aspect ratio of 2.35:1, encoded with MPEG-4 AVC and granted a 1080p transfer, Tom Gries' Lady Ice arrives on Blu-ray courtesy of Scorpion Releasing.
The release is sourced from an exclusive new remaster which presents the film in a proper widescreen format for the first time in the United States. I like the remaster quite a lot. There are certain areas where it becomes obvious that it was struck from an interpositive and as a result density, sharpness, and even shadow definition are not optimal -- the OCN would have produced better results -- but overall the visuals are very nice. Predictably, the daylight footage boasts the best delineation and depth (see screencapture #3). However, indoor close-ups also tend to look very strong (see screencapture #4). The best news is that there are no traces of digital tinkering, so even though grain exposure could be slightly uneven at times it is always proper and free of distracting anomalies. Also, there are no traces of sharpening adjustments or other similarly annoying digital enhancements. The color grading job has ensured a good range of solid primaries, as well as an equally convincing range of healthy nuances. Image stability is very good. A few specks and some tiny vertical lines remain, but there are no large damage marks, cuts, or torn frames to report. All in all, while there is still room for some cosmetic improvements, the current presentation is indeed very satisfying. Well done. (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 provided for the main feature. When turned on, they appear inside the image frame.
The audio needs some additional work so that it can be as good as it should be. Indeed, from time to time there is some light background hum plus some unevenness and light pops that together tend to have a small but noticeable negative effect on the quality of the audio. All of these limitations are fairly common in older films, so a proper remix would have easily eliminated them. On the other hand, they never became distracting. Yes, you will notice them, but they will not take you out of your viewing experience. The wonderful period music score is handled quite well.
Lady Ice is my kind of '70s caper -- very relaxed, stylish, and oozing retro atmosphere of the type that used to make my trips to the local theater exciting. This recent release from Scorpion Releasing is sourced from an exclusive new remaster that presents the film in its proper widescreen format for the first time in the United States. It also features a very nice exclusive interview with Perry Botkin Jr., who composed the cool score for the film. I think that Lady Ice is a great addition to Scorpion Releasing's catalog, so if you enjoy these types of genre films get a copy for your collection. HIGHLY RECOMMENDED. (For a double dose of exotic fun with an equally solid music score, also consider Burt Brinckerhoff's Acapulco Gold).
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