7.2 | / 10 |
Users | 0.0 | |
Reviewer | 4.0 | |
Overall | 4.0 |
An underworld enforcer sent to Kansas City to collect money from a mysterious mobster who has no intention of paying up.
Starring: Lee Marvin, Gene Hackman, Angel Tompkins, Gregory Walcott, Sissy SpacekThriller | Insignificant |
Crime | Insignificant |
Drama | Insignificant |
Action | Insignificant |
Video codec: HEVC / H.265
Video resolution: 4K (2160p)
Aspect ratio: 2.39:1
Original aspect ratio: 2.39:1
English: DTS-HD Master Audio 2.0
English: DTS-HD Master Audio 5.1
English SDH
Blu-ray Disc
Two-disc set (2 BDs)
4K Ultra HD
Slipcover in original pressing
Region A (locked)
Movie | 4.0 | |
Video | 4.0 | |
Audio | 5.0 | |
Extras | 2.5 | |
Overall | 4.0 |
Michael Ritchie's "Prime Cut" (1972) arrives on 4K Blu-ray courtesy of Kino Lorber. The supplemental features on the release include audio commentary by Lee Marvin biographer Dwayne Epstein; audio commentary by critics Steve Mitchell and Nathaniel Thompson; and vintage trailer. In English with optional English SDH subtitles for the main feature. Region-Free.
We sent Murphy down to Kansas City to see Mary Ann and his boys. This is how they sent him back.
Kino Lorber's release of Prime Cut is a 4K Blu-ray/Blu-ray combo pack. The 4K Blu-ray disc is Region-Free. However, the Blu-ray disc is Region-A "locked".
Please note that some of the screencaptures that appear 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 #1-31 are from the Blu-ray.
Screencaptures #34-38 are from the 4K Blu-ray.
The release introduces a new 4K makeover of Prime Cut sourced from the original camera negative. In native 4K, the 4K makeover can be viewed with Dolby Vision and HDR grades. I chose to view it with Dolby Vision. However, I frequently switched between the native 4K and 1080p presentations because I had a very difficult time deciding how I feel about the film's appearance now.
The entire film looks a lot healthier now. I have this Swiss/German release from Explosive Media and the minor nicks and blemishes that pop up on it are nowhere to be seen on the 4K makeover. Many well-lit close-ups boast wonderful delineation and sharpness. Depth tends to be superior as well. However, there are quite a few areas where some darker material looks a bit too dark. There isn't any seriously distracting black crush, but in a few places it is quite easy to tell that more finer nuances should be visible. This is more of an issue on the native 4K presentation than it is on the 1080p presentation. Also, the entire film looks a tad cooler than it should. I still think that large portions of it look very good, but in several areas this cooler temperature pushes some ranges of primary red toward light brown. Sometimes the shift is small and easy to ignore, but sometimes it is not. You can see an obvious example here. I think that it is easy to see the browning sneaking in even on white and some faces. Image stability is excellent.
There are two standard audio tracks on this release: English DTS-HD Master Audio 2.0 and English DTS-HD Master Audio 5.1. Optional English SDH subtitles are provided for the main feature. When turned on, they appear inside the image frame.
I only used the DTS-HD Master Audio 2.0 track. It is healthy and stable. It handles all action material very well, plus the music breathes easily throughout the film. Dynamic intensity is somewhat limited, but this is to be expected. The European release of Prime Cut I have in my library does not have optional English SDH subtitles, but this release does.
4K BLU-RAY DISC
Completed three years after Downhill Racer, Michael Ritchie's Prime Cut is a cracking gangster film that has all the right ingredients to be considered a minor classic. It is as quirky as Robert Altman's Nashville, but a lot darker and a lot funnier. Kino Lorber's combo pack is sourced from an exclusive new 4K master struck from the film's original camera negative. I had a very difficult time deciding how I feel about the new 4K makeover because most of it looks good, but a couple of things could have been handled better. If you are interested in adding the combo pack to your collection, I suggest you find a way to test it first.
1973
1989
Limited Edition Reissue
1974
La French
2014
Limited Edition to 3000
1973
1972
De la part des copains
1970
1931
1989
2012
1981
1974
1973
2K Remaster
1974
Unrated Cut
2012
1990
Pionér
2013
1980
1972
1931