7.3 | / 10 |
Users | 0.0 | |
Reviewer | 3.0 | |
Overall | 3.0 |
Nicky is a small-time Jewish gangster in trouble with the mob. He calls on his lifelong friend Mikey for help. During the night the two spend together, the power of their friendship is undermined by their mutual nastiness and pressing financial concerns.
Starring: Peter Falk, John Cassavetes, Ned Beatty, William Hickey, Rose ArrickDrama | 100% |
Crime | 9% |
Video codec: MPEG-4 AVC
Video resolution: 1080p
Aspect ratio: 1.85:1
Original aspect ratio: 1.85:1
English: LPCM Mono (48kHz, 24-bit)
English SDH
Blu-ray Disc
Single disc (1 BD)
Region A (locked)
Movie | 2.5 | |
Video | 5.0 | |
Audio | 5.0 | |
Extras | 3.0 | |
Overall | 3.0 |
Elaine May's " Mikey and Nicky" (1976) arrives on Blu-ray courtesy of Criterion. The supplemental features on the disc include an original trailer for the film; vintage audio commentary with actor Peter Falk; new program featuring critics critics Richard Brody and Carrie Rickey; and more. The release also arrives with an illustrated leaflet featuring an essay by Nathan Rabin and technical credits. In English, with optional English SDH subtitles for the main feature. Region-A "locked".
The bookie
Presented in its original aspect ratio of 1.85:1, encoded with MPEG-4 AVC and granted a 1080p transfer, Elaine May's Mikey and Nicky arrives on Blu-ray courtesy of Criterion.
The following text appears inside the leaflet that is provided with this Blu-ray release:
"This new digital transfer was created in 4K resolution on a Lasergraphics Director film scanner from the 35mm original camera negative. Thousands of instances of dirt, debris, scratches, splices, and warps were manually removed using MTI Film's DRS, while Digital Vision's Phoenix was used for jitter, flicker, and small dirt. At the request of director Elaine May, teh grain in the picture has been left completely intact, with no grain management applied. The original monaural soundtrack was remastered from the 35mm magnetic DME track. Clicks, thumps, hiss, hum, and crackle were manually removed using Pro Tools HD and iZotope RX.
Transfer supervisors: Lee Kline, Elaine May, Phillip Schopper.
Film scanning: PRO-TEK, Burbank, CA.
Colorist: Jason Crump/ Metropolis Post, New York.
Additional color: Lee Kline."
The new 4K remaster that was prepared for this film is quite the stunner. It boasts an incredible range of organic nuances that quite simply would have never been retained on DVD. This is actually very important to underscore because plenty of the film was shot at night and at locations where light isn't always in abundance, so the delicate shadow definition is crucial. The color grading is also very careful because there is a lot of unfiltered street and club light that also produces unusual nuances and hues. Density levels fluctuate a bit, but the loose cinematography is responsible for the unevenness. There are no traces of problematic digital tinkering. (Quite the opposite is true, and as the technical credits above actually confirm, the film looks as raw as possible). Image stability is excellent. Lastly, there are absolutely no traces of age-related imperfections. Outstanding remaster. (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).
There is only one standard audio track on this Blu-ray release: English LPCM 1.0. Optional English SDH subtitles are provided for the main feature.
The film has an organic soundtrack that allows various random sounds and noises to flood the exchanges between the two leads as well as the action, which is why from time to time some minor dynamic fluctuations emerge. However, clarity and stability are outstanding. Also, there are no traces of background hiss, distortions, or other similar anomalies.
The hyper-realism that is supposed to be the strongest quality of Mikey and Nicky is so overdone that actually makes all of the drama that is chronicled in it almost unbearably artificial. To be honest, I just don't think that John Cassavetes was the right person to play the cheating bookie because his mood swings are all over the place and completely invalidate the dilemmas that he is presented with after the hitman begins tracking him down. Charles Grodin was another actor that was apparently considered for this project and I think that he would have done a vastly superior job with this character. If Mikey and Nicky is one of your older favorites, I can assure you that with Criterion's upcoming Blu-ray release you will be getting the definitive presentation of this film. The release is sourced from a brand new 4K remaster, supervised by Elaine May, that is quite the stunner. RENT IT.
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