7.7 | / 10 |
Users | 0.0 | |
Reviewer | 4.0 | |
Overall | 4.0 |
Daniel and Ornshaw, two mischievous schoolboys attending a south London comprehensive, strike up a trusting friendship despite their vastly different social backgrounds. But when Daniel falls head over heels in love with fellow pupil Melody, Ornshaw resents being neglected. But not only is their friendship compromised, but the dull, grumpy adult world that surrounds them is about to be turned upside down when ten-year-olds Daniel and Melody announce their plans to get married.
Starring: Mark Lester (I), Tracy Hyde, Jack Wild, Colin Barrie, Billy FranksRomance | 100% |
Fantasy | Insignificant |
Video codec: MPEG-4 AVC
Video resolution: 1080p
Aspect ratio: 1.85:1
Original aspect ratio: 1.85:1
English: LPCM 2.0
English SDH
Blu-ray Disc
Single disc (1 BD)
Slipcover in original pressing
Region B (locked)
Movie | 4.5 | |
Video | 3.5 | |
Audio | 5.0 | |
Extras | 4.0 | |
Overall | 4.0 |
Waris Hussein's "Melody" (1971) arrives on Blu-ray courtesy of StudioCanal. The supplemental features on the disc include production stills and new interviews with director Waris Hussein, writer Alan Parker, producer David Puttnam, and star Mark Lester. In English, with optional English SDH subtitles for the main feature. Region-B "locked".
Let it rain
Presented in its original aspect ratio of 1.85:1, encoded with MPEG-4 AVC and granted a 1080p transfer, Melody arrives on Blu-ray courtesy of StudioCanal.
The release is sourced from a restored master that was prepared exclusively for the studio's Vintage Classics Collection series. It is a beautiful restoration, but I think that either when the master was finalized or when the encode for the Blu-ray release was prepared the gamma levels were registered with incorrect values. As a result, the balance between the black and gray levels is off. If you view your films using PS3 a fairly good adjustment is easy to get on the fly, but I am a bit surprised that no one was able to spot the issue while the release was going through quality control. Anyhow, the rest looks great. Density level are as good as I expected them to be, clarity is pleasing, and the entire film looks very healthy. Image stability is outstanding as well. So, despite the gamma issue that is highlighted above, I think that this release is still very much worth picking up. I assure you that the film will look good on your system. My score is 3.75/5.00. (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).
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.
The quality of the lossless track is excellent. So, viewing the film is quite an experience because the classic tracks by The Bee Gees add quite a bit of flavor. The dialog is exceptionally clean, clear, and easy to follow. There are no balance issues to report.
I don't want to downplay the good work that Waris Hussein and Alan Parker did to make Melody a reality, but without the incredible chemistry between its young actors I think that the film would not have been as special as it is. There is purity in it that cannot be scripted or directed -- at best, it can only be preserved. I had not seen Melody before and was really moved by it, so I am very happy to have it on Blu-ray. The film was restored on behalf of StudioCanal, but I think that the technical presentation should have been more convincing. Regardless, don't ignore this release. The film still looks good in high-definition, and if you do not have the release yet, it is probably one of the best 'blind buys' you can make this year. HIGHLY RECOMMENDED.
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