6.5 | / 10 |
Users | 0.0 | |
Reviewer | 3.0 | |
Overall | 3.0 |
After serving 12 years behind bars for armed robbery, tough guy Hank McCain finds himself the pawn of a ruthless mob runt's rebellion against a high level don. When McCain discovers that he's been betrayed and abandoned by his new employer, he retaliates with a high stakes Las Vegas casino heist that erupts into all-out war on the streets of Los Angeles, San Francisco and New York. Not blood, nor lust, nor wedding vows can come between McCain and his money...or his machine gun.
Starring: John Cassavetes, Britt Ekland, Peter Falk, Gena Rowlands, Gabriele FerzettiCrime | 100% |
Action | Insignificant |
Video codec: MPEG-4 AVC
Video resolution: 1080p
Aspect ratio: 2.35:1
Original aspect ratio: 2.35:1
English: DTS-HD Master Audio Mono (48kHz, 24-bit)
English SDH, French, Spanish
25GB Blu-ray Disc
Single disc (1 BD)
Region free
Movie | 4.0 | |
Video | 4.0 | |
Audio | 2.5 | |
Extras | 1.0 | |
Overall | 3.0 |
I want a machine gun.
Sort of like the Mob movie answer to the Spaghetti Western,
Giuliano Montaldo's Machine Gun McCain was filmed in English with a mix-and-match cast of
Italian and American Actors, crafted primarily by an Italian crew, but shot in and around some of the
United States' most recognizable locales, namely San Francisco, Los Angeles, Las Vegas, and New
York. No matter the people, places, or things behind the movie, though, Machine Gun
McCain dazzles with a smart and seamless story and exceptional acting; its patchwork roots
are never once at all evident, and the film looks and flows better than many others of its kind.
Originally titled Gli intoccabili in its overseas markets, Machine Gun McCain is a
grossly underestimated and underexposed picture Stateside, but that's all about to change with the
film's long-awaited high definition debut, courtesy of cult favorite studio Blue Underground.
Better I reach for my coffee rather than my machine gun. Trust me.
Blue Underground's 1080p Blu-ray transfer for Machine Gun McCain exceeds all expectations. Though several shots appear slightly softened and the transfer exhibits a few speckles and static spots alongside a couple of blink-and-miss-them bouts with background blocking, the image fares very well, and consistently so, throughout the picture. Detail is generally strong across the board, whether human faces, worn leather chairs, or the intricate stitching on suits and the texture of era-specific hats. Likewise, the image sports a fair amount of depth and it remains sharp and almost always focused and clean throughout. Colors are strong with every shade seemingly rendered with an accuracy befitting the era in which the film was made. Blacks are stable -- never too heavy and never too bright -- and flesh tones never waver too far from a natural shade. Blue Underground's transfer also retains a layer of film grain that places the finishing touches on one of the studio's best and certainly most consistent transfers to date.
Machine Gun McCain shoots up Blu-ray but misses the target with a decent but underwhelming DTS-HD MA 1.0 mono soundtrack. Even considering the lack of action, this is one track that could benefit from a wider soundstage. As it is, Blue Underground has provided what is probably the best presentation available without some sort of phony remix, and the results are good enough, all things considered. This is a no-frills listen that's dialogue-heavy, and while the spoken word generally plays as clean and precise, the track doe stumble in its efforts to cleanly and naturally reproduce some of the louder and harsher screams and shouts heard during the film. Music, too, is generally smooth, though things get somewhat harsh over the opening title sequence and around the high end of the audible spectrum. Many effects sound crunchy and cramped; the movie begs for a wider and more spacious presentation during the casino interior scenes. As it is, the various casino effects sound crunchy and flat, hardly the inviting and invigorating elements such scenes usually demand and command. The picture's few spurts of machine gun fire lack punch and vitality, too. All said, listeners won't be turning to Machine Gun McCain for audio demonstration purposes, but most should be satisfied with Blue Underground's presentation that stays faithful to the track's original elements.
Special features for Machine Gun McCain include an enlightening Italian-language and English-subtitled interview with Director Giuliano Montaldo (480p, 22:36) and the film's English (1080p, 3:15) and Italian (1080p, 4:15) trailers.
Machine Gun McCain is an entertaining and overlooked Mob movie that's finally seeing the light of day on Blu-ray. Backed by a strong story -- even if it does come up well short on action -- excellent characters, great acting, and gorgeous backdrops, Giuliano Montaldo's picture works in just about every area. Audiences in search of something old yet figuratively new that's as smart as it is handsome and as engaging as it is entertaining should check out Machine Gun McCain. Blue Underground has once again done justice to an old favorite, delivering Machine Gun McCain to Blu-ray with a healthy 1080p transfer, a suitable mono lossless soundtrack, and a few extras. The disc could use some more supplements, but the quality of the movie and the strength of its video transfer nevertheless earn this release a hearty recommendation.
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