Rating summary
| Movie |  | 3.5 |
| Video | | 3.5 |
| Audio |  | 5.0 |
| Extras |  | 2.5 |
| Overall | | 3.5 |
Long Day's Journey Into Night Blu-ray Movie Review
Reviewed by Dr. Svet Atanasov March 18, 2020
Sidney Lumet's "Long Day's Journey Into Night" (1962) arrives on Blu-ray courtesy of Eureka Entertainment. The supplemental features on the disc include a vintage trailer for the film; exclusive new audio commentary by author and critic Scott Harrison; and new video essay by critic Lee Gambin. In English, with optional English SDH subtitles for the main feature. Region-B "locked".
In the United States, Sidney Lumet's
Long Day's Journey Into Night was first released on Blu-ray by independent distributors Olive Films in 2012. For an in-depth analysis of the film, please see Jeff Kauffman's review of this release
here.
Long Day's Journey Into Night Blu-ray Movie, Video Quality
Presented in its original aspect ratio of 1.85:1, encoded with MPEG-4 AVC and granted a 1080p transfer, Long Day's Journey Into Night arrives on Blu-ray courtesy of Eureka Entertainment.
The release is sourced from an older master that gives the film an overall softish appearance. The good news is that it is free of serious digital anomalies. During the darker footage for instance the blacks produce light crushing that tends to flatten the image and collapse native nuances, but delineation is still mostly pleasing. There are good ranges of grays and whites as well, though new and properly graded master will undoubtedly introduce better and healthier nuances that would ultimately strengthen depth as well. Fluidity is pleasing, but there is room for improvement. There are no large distracting cuts, damage marks, warped or torn frames to report. (Note: This is a Region-B "locked" Blu-ray release. Therefore, you must have a native Region-B or Region-Free player in order to access its content).
Long Day's Journey Into Night 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.
I like the lossless track a lot. It is stable, clear, and very clean. I had the volume turned up quite a bit while viewing the film and I did not notice any age-related anomalies in the upper register, which is where these older films usually suffer the most. Dynamic intensity and balance were also very nice, though obviously there are some production limitations.
Long Day's Journey Into Night Blu-ray Movie, Special Features and Extras
- Trailer - a vintage trailer for Long Day's Journey Into Night. In English, not subtitled. (4 min).
- Sidney Lumet's Stage Adaptations - in this new video essay, critic Lee Gambin discusses Sidney Lumet's cinematic adaptations and some of the key themes that define them as well as the placement of Long Day's Journey Into Night in his body of work. In English, not subtitled. (32 min).
- Commentary - in this new audio commentary, author and critic Scott Harrison shares plenty of information about Eugene O'Neill's play and its history, Sidney Lumet's cinematic adaptation of the play. and how key themes are transferred and treated in the film. The commentary was recorded exclusively for Eureka Entertainment.
- Booklet - a collector's booklet featuring new writing on the film by Alexandra Heller-Nicholas and Philip Kemp.
Long Day's Journey Into Night Blu-ray Movie, Overall Score and Recommendation
I am not a big fan of this film. Despite some quality performances, I think that it is overly melodramatic and frankly way too long. But then again, most of Sidney Lumet's cinematic adaptations are. Eureka Entertainment's release of Long Day's Journey Into Night is sourced from an older but pleasing organic master and features a good exclusive new audio commentary by author and critic Scott Harrison. RECOMMENDED only to the fans.
