Let's Get Lost Blu-ray Movie

Rating summary

Movie		4.0
Video		5.0
Audio		5.0
Extras		3.5
Overall		4.0

Let's Get Lost Blu-ray Movie Review

Reviewed by Dr. Svet Atanasov May 13, 2025

Bruce Weber's "Let's Get Lost" (1988) arrives on Blu-ray courtesy of Kino Lorber. The supplemental features on the release include a collection of fully restored short films and trailer. In English, with optional English SDH subtitles for the main feature. Region-A "locked".

In a LA state of mind

No one disputes that Chet Baker was a very special trumpeter. Baker carved a niche for himself at a time when nightclubs across America and Europe regularly welcomed the likes of Dizzy Gillespie, John Coltrane, Art Pepper, and Stan Getz. Baker loved to sing too and attracted a lot of people who went to see the likes of Nat King Cole, Mel Torme, and Louis Armstrong perform. At his peak, according to a lot of different people who saw him perform, Baker was the complete package.

But the people who step in front of Bruce Weber’s camera cannot agree on why Baker self-destructed. Several, after praising what he did so well, declare that somewhere along the way, Baker made it extremely difficult, even impossible, to be loved because of his inexorable passion for music. A few suggest that he failed to manage his success properly. One person explains that he simply did not know how to get a grip on his life, especially when it mattered the most. Because of this, Baker, despite routinely being in the company of people who supposedly liked him a lot, many of them gorgeous women, spent the majority of his life battling loneliness.

A sea of recollections, most of which are impossible to authenticate, claim that Baker’s deterioration, which would ultimately transform him into an unsavable drug addict, began early. He was always out, working or partying, and looked very good, but those constantly in his orbit apparently could tell that on the inside, he was collapsing. Some of the recollections cite various disappointing employment developments and relationships that sped up and then permanently exposed the deterioration, which was both mental and physical.

It is not difficult to figure out that the mental deterioration was what killed Baker. Listening to the recollections, many of them coming from Baker, it becomes obvious that Baker was frequently drifting away and choosing to spend time in very strange places, where living was a concept he routinely redefined. Sort of. The same recollections, many of them quite diplomatic, reveal that the hard drugs were what took Baker there and the main catalyst behind his evolving philosophy of life.

The most interesting and undeniable truth emerging from Weber’s documentary is that music helped Baker live longer than he would have without it. Baker’s love for music was much, much stronger than his addiction, and he never abandoned it. He could have, after several thugs beat him up so badly that he lost all his teeth, forcing many to write him off as a musician, but he made a complete recovery and began performing again. (Baker’s explanation of how he lost his teeth is openly disputed and dismissed in the documentary. However, like the majority of the recollections shared there, which cannot be authenticated, it fits perfectly into his tragic life story).

At the end of Weber’s documentary, a short note informs how and where Baker’s life ended. On May 13, 1988, he fell out of a second-floor hotel window in Amsterdam. Baker was 58, but the local press reported that a 30-year-old man had been found with a trumpet.

Let's Get Lost Blu-ray Movie, Video Quality 

Presented in its original aspect ratio of 1.37:1, encoded with MPEG-4 AVC and granted a 1080p transfer, Let's Get Lost arrives on Blu-ray courtesy of Kino Lorber.

The release introduces a new, beautiful 4K restoration that gives the entire film a wonderful healthy appearance. Of course, the bits of archival footage still look rough, but this should not be surprising, as it is how they were inserted into it. The remaining footage that Bruce Weber shot looks great. This footage also has areas with various density fluctuations, but they are entirely different, and the overall quality of the visuals here remains excellent. I did not encounter any anomalies introduced by poor digital corrections. Image stability is excellent. All in all, the 4K restoration and its presentation on Blu-ray are terrific. (Note: This is a Region-A "locked" Blu-ray release. Therefore, you must have a native Region-A or Region-Free player in order to access its content).

Let's Get Lost Blu-ray Movie, Audio Quality 

There are two standard audio tracks on this Blu-ray release: English DTS-HD Master Audio 5.1 and English DTS-HD Master Audio 2.0. Optional English SDH subtitles are provided for the main feature. The few lines in Italian have English subtitles as well.

I viewed the entire film with the DTS-HD Master Audio 5.1 track. There is a lot of wonderful music throughout the film and the lossless track handles it spectacularly. When Chet Baker plays his trumpet or sings, the music has a rich and nicely rounded quality, so the more gentle and intimate parts of it can sound pretty great. The dialog is clear and easy to follow. However, in a few ares, you should expect to notice minor unevenness, which is an inherited limitation.

Let's Get Lost Blu-ray Movie, Special Features and Extras 

• Trailer - presented here is a trailer for the new 4K restoration of Let's Get Lost. In English, not subtitled. (4 min).

• Short Films - presented here are several short films directed by Bruce Weber. All are restored.
  
  1. Backyard Movie (1991)
  2. The Beauty Brothers (1987)
  3. Gentle Giants (1995)
  4. Liberty City is Like Paris to Me (2009)
  5. The Teddy Boys of the Edwardian Drape Society (1996)
  6. Wine and Cupcakes (2007)

Let's Get Lost Blu-ray Movie, Overall Score and Recommendation 

Exploring Chet Baker's music can be, and usually is, a transformative experience, one that creates lifelong jazz fans. On the other hand, exploring information about Baker, his legacy, and tragic life can be pretty confusing because just about anyone who knew or saw him perform has a story to share that contradicts another story. Bruce Weber's film is a great resource because Baker steps in front of his camera and shares numerous stories about his life, too. Are they to be believed? It is hard to tell how much of the information in them is legitimate, but this is a largely irrelevant detail. Being in Baker's company and seeing and hearing him perform will help you grasp the essence of his passion for music, which is what made him an international sensation and helped him live for as long as he did. Kino Lorber's release introduces a wonderful new 4K restoration of Let's Get Lost. (Another good film to see about Baker, his music and escapades is Born to Be Blue). HIGHLY RECOMMENDED.