Rating summary

Movie		4.0
Video		4.5
Audio		5.0
Extras		2.0
Overall		4.0

Play It Again, Sam Blu-ray Movie Review

Reviewed by Dr. Svet Atanasov March 20, 2025

Herbert Ross' "Play It Again, Sam" (1972) arrives on Blu-ray courtesy of Kino Lorber. The supplemental features on the release include new audio commentary by critics Alan Spencer and Justin Humphreys, and vintage trailer. In English, with optional Enlgish SDH subtitles for the main feature. Region-A "locked".

The creep

If you combine Woody Allen’s film critic from Play It Again, Sam and Albert Brooks’ film editor from Modern Romance, you will get a perfect replica of the most dangerous version of the male creep. Both characters are very funny, occasionally charming, and with unstable levels of testosterone. Both are very intelligent and operate with an impressive arsenal of words, easily creating an impression that they are harmless. Both spend a lot of time reciting monologues that capture the essence of their misery. Both are classic psychopaths who use romance as a façade to hide the fact that they are also sexual predators.

Allen’s critic, Allan, is the more brittle and unhinged of the two. After his wife (Susan Anspach) dumps him, he allows Humphrey Bogart (Jerry Lacy) to step out of Casablanca and step into his world to teach him how to talk to women and get them in bed. His excuse is that he is past his prime and has become rusty, but the real reason is that he can no longer suppress the dangerous urges that always force sexual predators out of their protective shells. This is why he begins going on doomed blind dates with single women who are way out of his league – being in their orbit, even for a very short period of time before the inevitable rejection, is a stimulating sensation that he cannot resist.

The blind dates are arranged by Allan’s best (and only) friends, Dick (Tony Roberts) and his wife Linda (Diane Keaton), who genuinely believe he is just another poor chap mistreated by Lady Luck. When they ask him to reveal his perfect partner, he jokingly describes his trigger: “Little blondes with long hair and short skirts and boots, and big chest… bright and witty and perceptive.” Allan then adds another crucial detail. They must have a big behind because he likes to sink his teeth into “it”. It is a fetish but an important one. However, probably not as important as the other one that transforms his perfect partner into a sexual object before he begins slapping her.

While Dick and Linda work hard to arrange the perfect blind date, Bogart does his part to help Allan too. Bogart builds his confidence, and later, after Allan gets rejected and called a creep, even begins teaching him how to talk and move from first to third base. It is all about confidence and properly managed aggression. At the right time, with Bogart right next to him, Allan then makes a move on Linda.

The final twenty minutes of Play It Again, Sam present the sexual predator’s ideal escape scenario. His target reveals that she has enjoyed her experience with him and now has feelings for him, too. But she cannot be with him because what they have shared together has helped her realize how much she is in love with his competitor, who happens to be her husband. Oh, what a shame.

Herbert Ross is the director of Play It Again, Sam, but it is not difficult to conclude that Allen was calling all the shots. His monologues and emotional ups and downs effectively manage the mood(s) and tempo of Play It Again, Sam. The locations, lighting and editing choices, and the music are just secondary details and ornamentation. It is why viewing Play It Again, Sam all these years later is an odd experience. It is a funny film, but given all the real drama Allen has endured since the 1990s, it feels like it goes places that should have been ignored.

Play It Again, Sam Blu-ray Movie, Video Quality 

Presented in its original aspect ratio of 1.85:1, encoded with MPEG-4 AVC and granted a 1080p transfer, Play It Again, Sam arrives on Blu-ray courtesy of Kino Lorber.

The release introduces a new 4K restoration of Play It Again, Sam completed at Paramount Pictures. Unsurprisingly, now the entire film looks very healthy and vibrant. While in some parts of it small fluctuations can be observed, all visuals have an equally attractive appearance. Delineation, clarity, and depth are always very pleasing. There are no traces of problematic digital corrections, so grain is always nicely exposed and resolved. (I did some comparisons with this recent Australian release, which presents the 4K restoration as well, and I think that the encoding here is marginally better, ensuring slightly more convincing grain exposure). Color reproduction and balance are very good. There is only one sequence where primary blue abruptly shifts to light teal, which is very unnatural and I found problematic. You can see it here. Image stability is excellent. I did not encounter any age-related anomalies to report. (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).

Play It Again, Sam Blu-ray Movie, Audio Quality 

There is only one standard audio track on this Blu-ray release: English DTS-HD Master Audio 2.0. Optional English SDH subtitles are provided for the main feature.

I can only echo the comments I left in our review of the recent Australian release of Play it Again, Sam. While in a few areas of the film very small unevenness can be noticed, the overall quality of the lossless track is excellent. All dynamic unevenness and/or momentary thinning are almost certainly inherited limitations, so the lossless track replicates them. The dialog is clear, sharp, and easy to follow.

Play It Again, Sam Blu-ray Movie, Special Features and Extras 

• Commentary - this exclusive new audio commentary was recorded by screenwriter/producer Alan Spencer and author and critic Justin Humphreys.

• Trailer - presented here is a vintage trailer for Play It Again, Sam. In English, not subtitled. (4 min).

Play It Again, Sam Blu-ray Movie, Overall Score and Recommendation 

It is not easy to be funny, annoying, needy, and creepy at the same time before a rolling film camera and never create the impression that you are pretending to be something you are not. Woody Allen is all of these things while playing a bachelor film critic whose flexibility looks and feels very authentic, and this is the main reason to see Play It Again, Sam. Some of the funny in this film is very, very awkward, and to be honest, it makes me feel rather uncomfortable, but I sort of admire the fact that it tackles risky material nowadays no one would dare touch. Kino Lorber's release is sourced from a good new 4K master, prepared by Paramount Pictures. RECOMMENDED.