7.6 | / 10 |
Users | 0.0 | |
Reviewer | 4.0 | |
Overall | 4.0 |
Quarry, a disillusioned Vietnam War vet, returns home to Memphis in 1972 only to find rejection and scrutiny at every step. A mysterious man known only as The Broker gives him an offer he can't refuse - to work for him as a hitman.
Starring: Logan Marshall-Green, Jodi Balfour, Damon Herriman, Edoardo Ballerini, Nikki Amuka-BirdDrama | 100% |
Crime | 30% |
Period | Insignificant |
War | Insignificant |
Video codec: MPEG-4 AVC
Video resolution: 1080p
Aspect ratio: 1.78:1
Original aspect ratio: 1.78:1
English: DTS-HD Master Audio 5.1
French: DTS 5.1
Spanish: DTS 5.1
English SDH, French, Spanish, Dutch
Blu-ray Disc
Three-disc set (3 BDs)
UV digital copy
Slipcover in original pressing
Region free
Movie | 4.0 | |
Video | 4.0 | |
Audio | 4.5 | |
Extras | 4.0 | |
Overall | 4.0 |
It’s probably hard for those who weren’t around at the time to understand how fractured American society became as the Vietnam War dragged on and on, seemingly interminable despite repeated promises by various politicos that “peace in our time” was certainly (finally) at hand. When one considers how vets from World War II were treated as unabashed heroes (as documented in such classic films as The Best Years of Our Lives), it's almost shocking to realize how shoddily Vietnam vets were often treated upon their return. Unfortunately, the political turmoil of the day definitely spilled over into the treatment of vets returning from battle, and I have personally known several veterans from that era who were at least as traumatized by their treatment after returning home to the United States as they were by anything they experienced overseas. It’s kind of a sad, maybe even shameful, chapter in our history, where people’s probably understandable anger over a long lasting and increasingly casualty prone war would project that anger onto the valiant men (and women) who actually fought in it, but it’s something that undeniably happened and may have at least led to more reasoned reactions to vets returning from subsequent skirmishes. Quarry is an often quite interesting series that takes the general premise of vets returning from the Vietnam War to just such a reaction from the general public, and then twists that already existing feeling of discomfort and angst into a kind of pulpy, noir infused tale of contract killers, marital dysfunction and any number of other improbable traumas. It’s not always “believable” in a general sense, but the show has an undeniable mood that propels it forward through any lapses in credulity.
Quarry is presented on Blu-ray courtesy of HBO with an AVC encoded 1080p transfer in 1.78:1. Technical data on the shoot is sparse online, but this is apparently digitally captured and features really superb detail and fine detail levels a great deal of the time, this despite an intentional tendency to deprive the palette of much pop. The show exists in a weird kind of beige, brown and ochre ambience a lot of the time, something that seems inherently "seventies" in a way, but detail levels are commendable in all but the most dimly lit scenes, even if the palette is only rarely vividly saturated. Occasional pretty aggressive color grading comes into play, as in the deep blue tones that suffuse the opening scene (see screenshot 6). As noted above in the main body of the review, the tendency for the show to exploit "arty" framings can occasionally introduce softness into certain shots, and understandably a lot of the underwater moments have unavoidable murkiness. Various southern locales are used quite convincingly throughout this first season and give the series an authentic visual element.
Quarry: The Complete First Season features a winning DTS-HD Master Audio 5.1 track that offers the show's regular use of interpolated musical elements (many due to the Memphis setting) a chance to breathe and provide good immersion. More typical action adventure elements like fights, gunfire and some pretty gruesome activity with a baseball bat also provide lots of opportunities for good surround activity as well as at least occasional bursts of LFE. All of this said, the show also tends to traffic at least as much in more intimate dialogue material as it does in anything showy, and in these moments the track understandably provides less surround activity while still delivering everything with excellent fidelity.
Disc One
I had a moment in the opening episode of Quarry where I was thinking, "They can't really be expecting us to take this seriously, can they?", but the show had already grabbed me with its emotionally wrenching portrayal of the relationship between Mac and Joni. The whole hitman thing needs to simply be accepted for what it is, and it of course provides subsequent episodes with some of their most exciting moments, all of which are counterweighted by the more naturalistic elements detailing Mac's roiling psyche as he attempts to matriculate back into society after his wartime experiences. I ended up really liking Quarry, and my hunch is others who have the patience to make it through some of the improbabilities will as well. Highly recommended.
2014
1978
2010
1978
2009
2019
1991
Limited Edition to 3000
1989
1996
2015
1995
Limited Edition to 3000
1971
2018
2013
2016
2013
1981-1987
2004
Choice Collection
1958
Import
1978