More Dead Than Alive Blu-ray Movie

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More Dead Than Alive Blu-ray Movie United States

Kino Lorber | 1969 | 101 min | Rated R | Nov 11, 2014

More Dead Than Alive (Blu-ray Movie)

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List price: $44.99
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Movie rating

6.7
 / 10

Blu-ray rating

Users0.0 of 50.0
Reviewer4.0 of 54.0
Overall4.0 of 54.0

Overview

More Dead Than Alive (1969)

When the multiple murderer Cain is released from prison after 18 years, he wants to settle down as a rancher and never touch a gun again. But his former life haunts him; not only that nobody wants to give him a job, some villains also want to pay him back. So he has to accept the offer of showman Ruffalo to perform as "Killer Cain" in his traveling shooting show. However after 18 years without practice even Ruffalo's young assistant Billy shoots better than Cain.

Starring: Clint Walker, Vincent Price, Anne Francis, Paul Hampton, Mike Henry (I)
Director: Robert Sparr

Western100%

Specifications

  • Video

    Video codec: MPEG-4 AVC
    Video resolution: 1080p
    Aspect ratio: 1.85:1
    Original aspect ratio: 1.85:1

  • Audio

    English: DTS-HD Master Audio 2.0

  • Subtitles

    None

  • Discs

    25GB Blu-ray Disc
    Single disc (1 BD)

  • Playback

    Region A (B, C untested)

Review

Rating summary

Movie4.0 of 54.0
Video4.5 of 54.5
Audio4.0 of 54.0
Extras2.5 of 52.5
Overall4.0 of 54.0

More Dead Than Alive Blu-ray Movie Review

Reviewed by Brian Orndorf November 21, 2014

Studying the stain of violence, 1969’s “More Dead Than Alive” takes on a troubling reality with the western genre, where men of sheer brutality have to eventually move on with their lives, with some looking to step away from such physical temptations. For Cain (Clint Walker), a history of violence has left him unemployable, tempted by sideshow owner Ruffalo (Vincent Price) to pick up a gun after 18 years of imprisonment and revive a brand name, “Killer Cain,” that’s made him a legend in the old west -- a legacy he wants nothing to do with until financial strain demands to be tended to.


Directed by Robert Sparr and scripted by George Schenck, “More Dead Than Alive” isn’t a typical western with heroes and villains, but a thoughtful picture the tracks Cain’s desperation to its natural conclusion, working through colorful supporting characters who want to see the rehabbed killer return to his once dominant way with evil, while a lonely frontier artist, Monica (Anne Francis), finds good in the man, allowing Cain a rare shot of hope. Arranging scenes of temptation, “More Dead Than Alive” builds an impressive character study, with Cain reluctantly reuniting with his old self to make a living, while irritating Billy (Paul Hampton), a teen trick shooter who can’t stand the competition. While violence erupts periodically, the feature is more interested in Cain’s emotional health, studying his tortured position between the life’s he’s left behind and the one he’s earned through intense introspection.


More Dead Than Alive Blu-ray Movie, Video Quality  4.5 of 5

The AVC encoded image (1.85:1 aspect ratio) presentation is billed as a remaster, and it certainly looks refreshed for BD. Detail is especially strong, permitting the viewer to survey frame particulars and explore the actors, with subtle acting registering crisply here. Costuming is equally textured. Colors are vibrant, with bold primaries preserving the period look. Black levels are secure, offering ideal delineation. There's no overt print damage.


More Dead Than Alive Blu-ray Movie, Audio Quality  4.0 of 5

The 2.0 DTS-HD MA sound mix is straightforward but very effective, with a warm read of scoring cues that hold their instrumentation and position of support. Dialogue exchanges are clean and natural, sustaining dramatic intent without any distortive interruptions. Gunfire and town atmospherics are introduced with confidence.


More Dead Than Alive Blu-ray Movie, Special Features and Extras  2.5 of 5

  • Interview (10:18, HD) with star Clint Walker is a simple conversation about his career and discomfort with the new face of Hollywood in the 1970s, where sex and violence took over. A true assessment of "More Dead Than Alive" is missing, but it's interesting to hear Walker's hesitation with the movie, which he only seems marginally fond of.
  • And a Theatrical Trailer (1:00, HD) is included.


More Dead Than Alive Blu-ray Movie, Overall Score and Recommendation  4.0 of 5

"More Dead Than Alive" has trouble finding a suitable conclusion, but the build-up is exceptionally performed by the cast and scripted with a mission to comprehend character headspace. While handed Hollywood polish, the film remains raw and unsettled, concentrating on particularly catastrophic life decisions handled by a fragile man who's surrounded by onlookers that won't let him forget his past.