Night of the Juggler 4K Blu-ray Movie

Rating summary

Movie		3.5
Video		5.0
Audio		5.0
Extras		3.5
Overall		4.0

Night of the Juggler 4K Blu-ray Movie Review

Reviewed by Dr. Svet Atanasov September 4, 2025

Robert Butler's "Night of the Juggler" (1980) arrives on 4K Blu-ray courtesy of Kino Lorber. The supplemental features on the release include exclusive new program with star James Brolin; new program with actress Julie Carmen; new audio commentary by critics Steve Mitchell and Nathaniel Thompson; new program with critic and filmmaker Daniel Kremer; and vintage trailer. In English, with optional English SDH subtitles for the main feature. Region-Free.

Get me the other girl.

Night of the Juggler belongs in the company of Trackdown, Hardcore, Vice Squad, and 52 Pick-Up. However, it is the safest film, which is what makes it the least effective film as well.

After being on the road for some time, ex-cop-turned-truck driver Sean Boyd (James Brolin) returns to New York to celebrate his teenage daughter’s (Abby Bluestone) birthday. Despite being exhausted, Boyd decides to walk her to school and, at a busy park, loses her. It happens very quickly, but Boyd sees the man (Cliff Gorman) who kidnaps his daughter and immediately goes after him. For a while, the heavy traffic slows down the kidnapper enough so that he does not disappear into the sea of cars and people, but the distance between him and Boyd eventually becomes too great. Forced to improvise, Boyd then begins searching for the kidnapper in some of New York’s seediest areas.

In Night of the Juggler, the playground and its atmosphere are different, but not only because Los Angeles, the city that the other four films listed above visit, is replaced by New York. Night of the Juggler is the fastest of these films, following Boyd very closely as he moves through New York almost in real time, so it is extremely difficult for it to give its audience a substantial sample of the atmosphere at the city’s bottom. This is a crucial detail because Night of the Juggler is about a trip to New York’s bottom, not a memorable hunt for a special kind of lunatic who does something no one before him has done.

There is something else that makes Night of the Juggler a safer, less effective film. It does not have any genuinely dangerous and repulsive characters embodying everything that makes New York’s bottom an awful place. The kidnapper, who is supposed to be the worst character, is a hurt, disillusioned loner whose crime is actually a badly mismanaged rebellious act. He is not a creature of New York’s bottom. In the Bronx, the hoodlums who chase Boyd are also not the worst of their kind. The disgruntled cop (Dan Hedeya), who attempts to take out Boyd because he has ratted him out and the rest of his corrupt partners, is not a creature of New York’s bottom either.

But Night of the Juggler is still worth seeing, especially now, because all of its important characters are unscarred by political correctness. They are still very much creatures of a period and culture that are forever lost. For this reason, Night of the Juggler is, after all, a pretty decent time capsule.

Robert Butler shot more than two-thirds of Night of the Juggler with cinematographer Victor Kemper, whose credits include two quintessential New York films, The Gambler and Dog Day Afternoon. The former introduces one of the most tragic characters, played by a brilliant James Caan, to emerge from the 1970s. Sidney J. Furie did the remaining footage, which was the earliest footage. Furie walked away from Night of the Juggler after Brolin broke his leg and various unexpected developments complicated his relationship with its producers.

Night of the Juggler 4K Blu-ray Movie, Video Quality 

Kino Lorber's release of Night of the Juggler is a 4K Blu-ray/Blu-ray combo pack. The 4K Blu-ray is Region-Free. However, the Blu-ray is Region-A "locked".

Please note that some of the screencaptures included with this article are taken from the 4K Blu-ray and downscaled to 1080p. Therefore, they do not accurately reflect the quality of the 4K content on the 4K Blu-ray disc, including the actual color values of this content.

Screencaptures #1-29 are taken from Blu-ray.
Screencaptures #32-39 are taken from the 4K Blu-ray.

The release introduces a recent 4K restoration of Night of the Juggler. In native 4K, the 4K restoration can be viewed with Dolby Vision and HDR grades. I chose to view it with HDR. Later, I spent time with its 1080p presentation on the Blu-ray.

The 4K restoration is a revelation, looking equally great in native 4K and 1080p. I am convinced that it will be the definitive presentation of Night of the Juggler.

While there are some small density fluctuations here and there, delineation, clarity, and depth are very pleasing. A lot of the darker footage, in particular, looks wonderful, which is not easy because plenty of it comes from unique locations with types of lighting and shadows. The daylight footage always looks great. There are no traces of any problematic digital corrections. Grain exposure is very good, but sometimes grain can be over-/underexposed because of how light is captured by the camera. Color reproduction and balance are fantastic. All primaries and all supporting nuances are properly set, and both look equally healthy. Needless to say, Night of the Juggler has a very fine, very convincing period appearance. The HDR grade is quite subtle and handles the darker footage as effectively as I hoped it would. I prefer how most visuals look in native 4K because their dynamic range is fantastic, but the 1080p presentation on the Blu-ray is mighty impressive, too. The entire film looks immaculate.

Night of the Juggler 4K Blu-ray Movie, Audio Quality 

There are two standard audio tracks on this release: English DTS-HD Master Audio 5.1 and English DTS-HD Master Audio 2.0. Optional English SDH subtitles are provided for the main feature.

I chose to view the film with the DTS-HD Master Audio 2.0 track. However, I found myself frequently switching to the DTS-HD Master Audio 5.1 track to see how it would handle some of the busier material, which is a lot. To be clear, I did not do the switches because I was unhappy with the 2.0 track. On the contrary, I liked it a lot, and because there is plenty of diverse action material, I wanted to see what the latter does differently with it. The big car chase and later some of the outdoor footage definitely sound more attractive on the 5.1 track. All dialog is very clear, sharp, and easy to follow.

Night of the Juggler 4K Blu-ray Movie, Special Features and Extras 

4K BLU-RAY DISC

• Commentary - this exclusive new audio commentary was recorded by critics Steve Mitchell and Nathaniel Thompson.

BLU-RAY DISC

• Commentary - this exclusive new audio commentary was recorded by critics Steve Mitchell and Nathaniel Thompson.

• Summer of '78 - in this exclusive new program, James Brolin explains how he was offered his part in Night of the Juggler and discusses the unique qualities of his character. Brolin also has some interesting comments about the action footage and how it was shot on the busy streets of New York, as well as the film's rather strange history on the home video market. In English, not subtitled. (14 min).

• The Sweet Maria - in this exclusive new program, actress Julie Carmen discusses the character she plays in Night of the Juggler, which comes from the same area where she was born, the South Bronx. Carmen also reveals that Sidney J. Furie threatened to walk away from the film if she was denied her part, which apparently was a very real possibility. In English, not subtitled. (15 min).

• Pandemonium Reflex - in this program, critic and author Daniel Kremer discusses Sidney J. Furie's involvement with Night of the Juggler and his cinematic legacy. An extract from a recorded conversation between Kramer and Furie is included. In English, not subtitled. (15 min).

• Trailer - presented here is a vintage trailer for Night of the Juggler. In English, not subtitled. (2 min).

• Cover - a reversible cover with vintage poster art for Night of the Juggler.

Night of the Juggler 4K Blu-ray Movie, Overall Score and Recommendation 

The relentless tempo of the hunt for the kidnapper never becomes exhausting. However, it prevents Night of the Juggler from becoming what it was meant to be -- a memorable, possibly even illuminating trip to New York's bottom. Nevertheless, Night of the Juggler is still a fine film worth seeing, especially now, because all of its important characters are unscarred by political correctness. Kino Lorber's upcoming combo pack release introduces a marvelous, very faithful 4K restoration, which will remain the definitive presentation of the film. A standalone Blu-ray release of the 4K restoration streets on the same date as well. HIGHLY RECOMMENDED.