Lost Highway Blu-ray Movie

Rating summary

Movie		5.0
Video		3.5
Audio		4.0
Extras		3.5
Overall		3.5

Lost Highway Blu-ray Movie Review

Reviewed by Dr. Svet Atanasov December 19, 2010

David Lynch's "Lost Highway" (1997) arrives on Blu-ray courtesy of French distributors MK2. The supplemental features on the disc include making of featurette; interviews with David Lynch, Bill Pullman, Patricia Arquette, and Robert Loggia; behind the scenes featurette; teaser; and the film's original theatrical trailer. In English, with optional French subtitles for the main feature. Region-B "locked".

In pain

Fred Madison (Bill Pullman, Brokedown Palace) is a professional saxophone player who suspects that his wife, Renee (Patricia Arquette, Goodbye Lover), is having an affair. But he can't prove it, which may or may not be the reason why he is having some serious nightmares.

Someone leaves a large brown envelope with a videotape on their steps. There is footage on the tape showing the inside of their house, then Fred and Renee sleeping. More videotapes arrive, showing more. Concerned about their safety, Fred and Renee contact the police.

During a chic party, Fred meets a man (Robert Blake, In Cold Blood) who tries to convince him that they've met before. In Fred's house. Unsure what to make of the man and his strange claim, Fred walks away. Soon after, however, Renee is killed, and Fred is thrown in prison.

While waiting in his cell for a trial date to be set, Fred becomes seriously ill -- and then suddenly transforms into a different man, Pete Dayton (Balthazar Getty, Where the Day Takes You). Unable to make any sense of the event, the prison authorities free Pete and he goes back home. The cops immediately begin monitoring him and his family.

On the following day, Pete gets his old job, fixing cars in a rundown garage. He is soon visited by a wild wacky gangster (Robert Loggia, Prizzi's Honor) and his toy, (Arquette again), a blonde bombshell with beautiful green eyes. Pete fixes the gangster's car and falls in love with his girl.

Pete and the girl secretly see each other, and when the gangster starts sniffing around, heads begin to roll. Then Fred's nightmares return, followed quickly by the man from the party, who calls Pete to let him know that they've also met before. Not long after that, all hell breaks loose.

David Lynch's Lost Highway is a genuine mind-bender that is more interested in moods and feelings than telling an entirely coherent story. It is a wicked game that is easy to get sucked into and next to impossible to exit. The best thing about it is not being able to figure out its secret but the effort it demands to stay in it, the process of speculating with various 'what ifs'.

The core of Lost Highway is comprised of surrealistic sequences that point to a tragedy. Some show key events from before the tragedy, and others show key events from later on after it had occurred. The rest of the film is essentially clever baiting -- various characters and relationships are introduced but not all of them are as important as they seem.

The atmosphere that permeates the film is dark and unsettling, and evil is almost certainly in the air. There is plenty of sex. Angry bits from industrial gurus Nine Inch Nails, Marilyn Manson, and Rammstein are very carefully inserted to raise the intensity as well.

*Lost Highway was adapted into an opera by acclaimed Austrian composer Olga Neuwirth. In 2003, the opera premiered in her hometown of Graz. In 2007, the opera made its U.S. premiere at the Miller Theater in New York City.

Lost Highway Blu-ray Movie, Video Quality 

Presented in an aspect ratio of 2.35:1, encoded with MPEG-4 AVC and granted a 1080p transfer, David Lynch's Lost Highway arrives on Blu-ray courtesy of French distributors MK2.

This high-definition transfer has been struck from a dated source, most likely the same one MK2 prepared a few years ago for their LE DVD release of Lost Highway. Generally speaking, fine object detail and clarity are rather good -- the outdoor scenes convey pleasing depth while the indoor scenes lack the prominent macroblocking present on the DVD release of Lost Highway. Contrast levels are notably improved. Color reproduction is also better -- the reds and blues look healthier, while the browns and grays look better saturated; the blacks, however, are still somewhat inconsistent. Some traces of very mild sharpening are occasionally easy to spot, though, as implied earlier, macroblocking is not an issue of concern. Various noise corrections have been applied, some of which are rather easy to spot during selected close-ups. I assume, however, that practically all of these correction are inherited from the dated source. Lastly, there are no serious stability issues. I also did not see any large cuts, damage marks, stains, or debris to report in this review. (Note: This is a Region-B "locked" Blu-ray disc. Therefore, you must have a native Region-B or Region-Free PS3 or SA in order to access its content. For the record, the disc's main menu can be set in English or French).

Lost Highway Blu-ray Movie, Audio Quality 

There are two audio tracks on this Blu-ray disc: English DTS-HD Master Audio 5.1 and French DTS-HD Master Audio 5.1. For the record, MK2 have provided optional French subtitles for the main feature. When turned on, they appear inside the image frame.

The English DTS-HD Master Audio 5.1 track is very strong. The bass is potent and well rounded, the rear channels intelligently used, and the high-frequencies not overdone. Generally speaking, the dialog is crisp, clean, stable, and easy to follow. There are no balance issues with Angelo Badalamenti 's music score either; on a side note, the various bits from Nine Inch Nails, Marylin Manson, Rammstein, and Lou Reed, among others, now really shine and give Lost Highway quite the edge. Lastly, I did not detect any disturbing pops, cracks, hissings, or audio dropouts to report in this review.

Lost Highway Blu-ray Movie, Special Features and Extras 

• Interviews - a collection of short interviews with director David Lynch and some of the principal actors in which they discuss Lost Highway and its key characters. In English, with optional French subtitles.
  
  -- David Lynch (5 min, PAL)
  -- Bill Pullman (4 min, PAL)
  -- Patricia Arquette (5 min, PAL)
  -- Robert Loggia (3 min, PAL)

• Making of - a standard featurette with raw footage from the shooting of Lost Highway. David Lynch is also seen and heard directing various scenes. In English, with optional French subtitles. (10 min, PAL).

• Featurette - David Lynch reveals how Lost Highway came to exist, while various cast members address the film's narrative. In English, with optional French subtitles. (8 min, PAL).

• Trailer - the original theatrical trailer for Lost Highway produced by October Films. In English, with optional French subtitles. (2 min, PAL).

• Teaser - a French teaser for Lost Highway. Music only, not subtitled. (1 min, PAL).

Lost Highway Blu-ray Movie, Overall Score and Recommendation 

Another David Lynch film, Lost Highway, is now out on Blu-ray - and once again outside of the U.S. I hope I am wrong, but considering how long it took Universal Studios to bring Lost Highway to DVD, I don't expect to see a local Blu-ray release of it in a foreseeable future. French distributors MK2 have put together a decent package. If you could play Region-B releases, go for it. RECOMMENDED.