Rating summary

Movie		3.5
Video		4.0
Audio		5.0
Extras		5.0
Overall		4.5

Play Misty for Me Blu-ray Movie Review

Reviewed by Dr. Svet Atanasov January 21, 2021

Clint Eastwood's directorial debut "Play Misty For Me" (1971) arrives on Blu-ray courtesy of Kino Lorber. The supplemental features on the disc include various vintage production and promotional materials for the film; new video essay by critic Howard S. Berger; new audio commentary by critic Tim Lucas; archival episode of Trailers From Hell; archival featurettes; and more. In English, with optional English SDH subtitles for the main feature. Region-A "locked".

In the United States, Play Misty For Me was first released on Blu-ray in 2015 via Universal Pictures. For an in-depth analysis of the film, please see Brian Orndorf's review of this release here.

Play Misty for Me 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 Misty For Me arrives on Blu-ray courtesy of Kino Lorber.

Play Misty For Me first appeared on Blu-ray in 2015 via Universal Pictures. (You can see our listing and review of this release here). This release is sourced from an exclusive new 2K master, which I assume was struck from an interpositive.

The film looks healthier now and the main reason for this is the lack of sharpening adjustments that were applied on the previous master. So, all visuals have a more pleasing organic appearance. However, they also look marginally softer and in some areas perhaps significantly more than they should. The new master comes with a new color scheme as well, which produces black crush that occasionally eliminates some existing details. I don't find this to be a serious issue, but it is something that could have been avoided. The color values are convincing and in different areas actually better than the ones from the previous master. Depth is pleasing, but the softness that I mentioned above prevents it from being great. Fluidity is definitely superior because on my system the previous release frequently produces effects that are very, very similar to motion judder. Image stability is good. Finally, a few blemishes remain but there are no distracting large debris, cuts, warped or torn frames to report. All in all, ideally the film could and should look better in high-definition, but the new master still has quite good organic qualities. (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 Misty for Me Blu-ray Movie, Audio Quality 

There is only one standard audio track on this Blu-ray release: English: DTS-HD Master Audio 2.0 Mono (48kHz, 16-bit). Optional English SDH subtitles are provided for the main feature.

The lossless track is good. Excluding some sporadic unevenness in a couple of sequences, it is as good as I expected it to be. I did a few quick tests with the lossless track and I could not detect any discrepancies to report in our review. There are no encoding anomalies.

Play Misty for Me Blu-ray Movie, Special Features and Extras 

• Video Essay - this new and quite elaborate video essay examines Clint Eastwood's career before and behind the camera, with a special emphasis on Play Misty For Me. The essay was produced by critic Howard S. Berger exclusively for Kino Lorber. In English, not subtitled. (74 min, 1080p).

• Interview with Co-Star Donna Mills - in this new video interview, actress Donna Mills recalls her involvement with Play Misty For Me and what it was like to work with Clint Eastwood. The interview was conducted exclusively for Kino Lorber. (12 min, 1080p).

• Trailers From Hell - an archival episode of Trailers From Hell with director Adam Rifkin (Detroit Rock City). In English, not subtitled. (3 min, 1080p).

• The Beguiled, Misty, Don and Clint - this archival featurette quickly examines the evolution of Clint Eastwood's career. Included in it are clips from interviews with ritic Richard Schickel, producer Robert Daley, and Clint Eastwood. In English, not subtitled. (7 min, 480/60i).

• Play It Again... A Look Back at Play Misty For Me: Documentary - an in-depth look at the conception and production history of Play Misty For Me. Included in it are clips from interviews with Clint Eastwood, producer Robert Daley, and screenwriter Dean Reisner, amongst others. In English, not subtitled. (50 min, 480/60i).

• Audio Commentary - an exclusive new audio commentary recorded by critic Tim Lucas.

• Trailer - remastered vintage U.S. trailer for Play Misty For Me. In English, not subtitled. (2 min, 1080p).

• Teaser - remastered vintage U.S. teaser trailer for Play Misty For Me. In English, not subtitled. (1 min, 1080p).

• TV Spots - a couple of vintage U.S. TV spots for Play Misty For Me. In English, not subtitled. (2 min, 1080p).

• The Evolution of a Poster: Photo Montage - presented with music. (3 min, 480/60i).

• Clint Eastwood Directs and Acts: Photo Montage - a collection of stills showing Clint Eastwood at work. Presented with music. (3 min, 480/60i).

• Stills Montage - a collection of production and promotional stills with Clint Eastwood. Presented with music. (4 min, 480/60i).

• Cover - reversible cover with vintage poster art.

Play Misty for Me Blu-ray Movie, Overall Score and Recommendation 

Kino Lorber's release of Clint Eastwood's directorial debut, Play Misty For Me, is exceptionally easy to recommend because at the moment it has the best technical presentation of the film. It also includes a big selection of new and archival bonus features that examine the film's production history and Eastwood's career. I particularly enjoyed Howard S. Berger's elaborate video essay. HIGHLY RECOMMENDED.