Rating summary

Movie		4.5
Video		4.5
Audio		4.0
Extras		4.0
Overall		4.5

Rolling Thunder 4K Blu-ray Movie Review

John Flynn's fourth feature Rolling Thunder (1977) has been covered by two of my colleagues: Dr. Svet Atanasov reviewed Studio Canal's Blu-ray + DVD "Special Edition" in 2012 and Jeff Kauffman wrote about Shout! Factory's Blu-ray release over a year later. To read their analyses of the film, click on the linked reviews.

Touching down.

Rolling Thunder 4K Blu-ray Movie, Video Quality 

Shout Select's new release of Rolling Thunder arrives in a two-disc set (BD-100 and BD-50). The film's video history dates back to the early 1980s when Vestron Video put it out on CED and VHS, the latter of which one of the filmmakers in the new commentary track stated he first became acquainted with it. This was followed by a LaserDisc Image Entertainment produced in 1990. All were presented in 1.33:1. It wasn't until 2011 that the movie received its first widescreen release when MGM transferred it close to its original theatrical aspect ratio of 1.85:1 for the studio's "Limited Edition Collection" DVD (actually a MOD disc). While I haven't seen that disc, I would place a safe bet, based on my research, that the same master was given to Koch Media, Studio Canal, and Shout for their respective releases in Germany, the UK, and the US. I own Explosive Media's Blu-ray edition, which was released last year in Germany. In perusing screen captures Svet and Jeff retrieved for their reviews, the EM disc seems struck from the same master. The old transfer seems artificially brightened and displays semi-frequent speckles as well as other age-related defects across the frame. Sometimes, it looks like a true HD transfer but other times, it resembles an upconverted DVD.

Shout Select's 4K restoration derives from a 35 mm original camera negative that's presented in Dolby Vision (HDR10 compatible). There are far fewer print artifacts during the main titles and very few throughout the film's runtime. During the "welcome home" ceremony at the beginning and the scene where Maj. Charles Rane (William Devane) receives a red Cadillac convertible, colors both pop and shine. They are bold and well-saturated without any bleeding. Look at how shiny the Major's convertible is in Screenshot #4.

Cinematographer Jordan Cronenweth shot the interiors of the Rane home with either natural light or table lamps, which you can see at the start of the scene in which Janet (Lisa Richards) confronts her just-returned husband about what she's been up to while he was in Vietnam. The scene is very dark with partial light on one half of Charles's face (see frame grab #3). Shout's Blu-ray also maintains this low-key light. (The old transfer is brighter.) This lighting scheme is very similar to what Gordon Willis employed in several of the pictures he shot in the 1970s. I believe this is what Cronenweth and Flynn wanted when they sparsely lit the interiors. The scene where the bandits are in the Rane home is a little brighter on the Blu-ray than the darker UHD image. The only print damage I spotted on the new transfer is some dark yellow dye along the walls and on a vacant flower vase in Rane's hospital room (see Screenshot #13). I couldn't really see the dye while watching the Blu-ray in-motion on my QLED.

I would surmise that the older Blu-ray transfer comes from a 35 mm interpositive and not the OCN. In the graphical comparison I've assembled, I have matched frames from the transfers as best I can so you can see where dirt and speckles were originally present. It's unknown (pre-restoration) where damage marks were located on the 35 mm OCN, but there are a paucity of them on Shout's two discs. My comparison demonstrates how they're basically non-existent on the much newer scan.

The feature on the UHD carries an average video bitrate of 84.8 Mbps. (The overall bitrate is 88.7 Mbps.) Shout's 2024 Blu-ray employs the MPEG-4 AVC encode and boasts a mean video bitrate of 34999 kbps.

Screenshot #s 1-13, 16, 19, 22, 25, 28, 30, 32, 34, 36, 38, & 40 = Shout Select 2024 4K Ultra HD BD-100 (downsampled to 1080p)
Screenshot #s 14, 17, 20, 23, 26, 29, 23, 25, 27, 29, 31, 33, 35, 37, & 39 = Explosive Media 2023 2K-scanned BD-50
Screenshot #s 15, 18, 21, 24, & 27 = Shout Select 2024 4K-scanned BD-50

The 95-minute feature receives the standard twelve scene selections on both discs.

Rolling Thunder 4K Blu-ray Movie, Audio Quality 

Shout has supplied a DTS-HD Master Audio Dual Mono mix (1982 kbps, 24-bit). (The audio bitrates are identical on both discs.) I haven't heard the DTS-HD MA monaural mixes on the Studio Canal and the older Shout disc, but this one sounds rather similar to the English track on Explosive Media's Blu-ray. Dialogue is sometimes on the lower register with pitch levels that vary between scenes. To its credit, Shout has not performed any EQing to level delivery from scene to scene. Denny Brooks's performance of Barry De Vorzon's "San Antone" brings warmth and some range to the center channel. There isn't much bass on this track except for action-oriented scenes (e.g., when there are shotgun blasts during a target practice scene by a lake and during a Wild Bunch-like shootout). I didn't notice any pops, crackles, or dropouts.

I enjoyed watching the film with the optional English SDH turned on so I could discern names of several of the secondary characters. The transcription sounds complete and is accurate.

Rolling Thunder 4K Blu-ray Movie, Special Features and Extras 

Shout has ported over all extras from its 2013 release and produced three more: two recently recorded audio commentaries and a featurette/interview. It does not have the great commentary track with Heywood Gould moderated by Roy Frumkes, which appeared on the 2013 Studio Canal set. This also was included on the 2012 Koch Media Blu-ray and DVD. Both releases are out of print. Fortunately, Explosive Media licensed it for inclusion on its disc. That release also includes a recent commentary (in German) with Leonhard Elias Lemke and Benedikt Wilken. It also contains a still gallery of 38 distinct images, which is a different gallery from the one on the two Shout releases. In addition, Explosive Media has restored the film's original theatrical trailer. Missing from the two recent releases is a 10-minute interview with Linda Haynes, who very sadly passed on last year.

DISC ONE: 4K UHD

• NEW Audio Commentary With Screenwriter/Novelist Heywood Gould and Author/Film Historian C. Courtney Joyner - this is more of an extended conversation with Joyner and Gould while the film plays. Joyner is clearly enthusiastic and passionate about Rolling Thunder, which is on display here. He comments often about the film and sets up the topical discussions for Gould, who also answers Joyner's questions to the point. Gould speaks a lot more on the commentary recorded in 2012 which is why it's valuable to own one of the other releases. This recent track has some gaps. In English, not subtitled.

• NEW Audio Commentary With Filmmakers Jackson Stewart and Francis Galluppi - Galluppi and Stewart are big fans of Rolling Thunder and share their exuberance about the movie here. They discuss the connections the picture has with Taxi Driver and also how the two deviate from one another. They also describe the differences between Schrader and Gould's scripts, although it should be pointed out they rely on second-hand sources and haven't read full drafts of either script. This is also a scene-specific track in which they examine shots and dialogue. There are a few gaps but this is a very chatty discussion about the film. In English, not subtitled.

• NEW Audio Commentary With Screenwriter/Novelist Heywood Gould and Author/Film Historian C. Courtney Joyner - this is more of an extended conversation with Joyner and Gould while the film plays. Joyner is clearly enthusiastic and passionate about Rolling Thunder, which is on display here. He comments often about the film and sets up the topical discussions for Gould, who also answers Joyner's questions to the point. Gould speaks a lot more on the commentary recorded in 2012 which is why it's valuable to own one of the other releases. This recent track has some gaps. In English, not subtitled.

• NEW Audio Commentary With Filmmakers Jackson Stewart and Francis Galluppi - Galluppi and Stewart are big fans of Rolling Thunder and share their exuberance about the movie here. They discuss the connections the picture has with Taxi Driver and also how the two deviate from one another. They also describe the differences between Schrader and Gould's scripts, although it should be pointed out they rely on second-hand sources and haven't read full drafts of either script. This is also a scene-specific track in which they examine shots and dialogue. There are a few gaps but this is a very chatty discussion about the film. In English, not subtitled.

• NEW Lean and Mean: The Early Films of John Flynn – An Interview With Author/Film Historian C. Courtney Joyner (20:12, 1080p) - this is an expansion and companion piece to Joyner's commentary track. Joyner expresses his admiration and appreciation for his late friend John Flynn here. He analyzes Flynn's filmmaking influences and early work. In English, not subtitled.

• NEW Coming Home to War: Scoring ROLLING THUNDER – An Interview With Composer Barry De Vorzon (18:51, 1080p) - De Vorzon joins Daniel Griffith for a very good interview. De Vorozon spends a good deal of time talking about the song which plays over the main titles and end credits. He also delves into his use of strings and synths ("something new") for the underscore he wrote. It's interesting to hear him explain why he felt the picture didn't need music in certain spots. De Vorozon also explains how he recorded and used mariachi music in the film. In English, not subtitled.

• The Making of Rolling Thunder (21:51, 1080i) - this retrospective featurette first appeared on Shout!'s 2013 BD-50 and looks upscaled from a DVD. It features interviews with actors William Devane and Tommy Lee Jones as well as writers Paul Schrader and Heywood Gould. The clips excerpted from the feature look ancient compared to the new 4K scan. In English, not subtitled.

• Trailers from Hell – Filmmaker Eli Roth on Rolling Thunder (2:31) - Roth gives a brief appreciation and synopsis of the film. He also describes the influence and impact that it's had on him and Quentin Tarantino. In English, not subtitled.

• Theatrical Trailer (2:31, 1080p) - AIP's official trailer for Rolling Thunder. Unlike the trailer on the recent German BD, this one has not been restored. Presented in 1.78:1 anamorphic widescreen, it sports dull colors, dirt, speckles, and other film-related artifacts. If you've never seen the movie before, don't watch the trailer. It gives away a lot about the plot and literally prepares viewers for the finale! In English, not subtitled.

• TV Spot (0:32, upconverted to 1080p) - the same TV spot for Rolling Thunder that's appeared on other releases. In English, not subtitled.

• Radio Spots (1:32) - four radio spots that aired to promote Rolling Thunder's US theatrical release. Sound quality on the first is quite good but the last three have audible static. The third is also a promo for "San Antone," which was released on a 45 RPM. In English, not subtitled.

• Still Gallery (2:07, 1080p) - a running slide show totaling 25 images. These consist of 22 lobby cards and stills (probably from AIP's press kit), plus three images of Rolling Thunder's posters (including a duplicate with a different size).

Rolling Thunder 4K Blu-ray Movie, Overall Score and Recommendation 

John Flynn remains a pretty underrated director and I hope several more of his films get the treatment that Shout! Studios has given Rolling Thunder here. This is a beautiful restoration that's a monumental upgrade over the master used for the other Blu-ray releases. Watching the 4K UHD was like experiencing the film the first time it was projected. It looks marvelous. Shout has brought over its old extras and recorded two new commentaries that are each worth a listen. (If you're a big fan and don't own one of the older discs with the Heywood Gould/Roy Frumkes commentary, I would recommend purchasing the Explosive Media Blu-ray so you can listen to it.) I found the interview with Barry De Vorzon to be highly informative about song and score choices. I hope Rolling Thunder continues to gain a following as it's one of the better coming-home films in the war genre. VERY HIGHLY RECOMMENDED.