7.1 | / 10 |
Users | 0.0 | |
Reviewer | 4.0 | |
Overall | 4.0 |
Several pillars of society have robbed an Army safe containing $100,000 so they can buy the land upon which the coming railroad will be built. But they haven't reckoned on the presence of the master gunslinger, Sabata.
Starring: Lee Van Cleef, William Berger, Franco Ressel, Aldo Canti, Linda VérasWestern | 100% |
Video codec: MPEG-4 AVC
Video resolution: 1080p
Aspect ratio: 2.34:1
Original aspect ratio: 2.35:1
English: LPCM 2.0 Mono (48kHz, 24-bit)
BDInfo verified
English SDH
Blu-ray Disc
Single disc (1 BD)
Region B (locked)
Movie | 4.0 | |
Video | 4.0 | |
Audio | 4.0 | |
Extras | 3.0 | |
Overall | 4.0 |
Gianfranco Parolini's "Sabata" (1969) arrives on Blu-ray courtesy of Eureka Entertainment. The supplemental features on this release include new audio commentary by critics Kim Newman and Barry Forshaw; new program featuring critic Austin Fisher; vintage promotional materials; and more. In English, with optional English SDH subtitles for the main feature. Region-B "locked".
Presented in an aspect ratio of 2.34:1, encoded with MPEG-4 AVC and granted a 1080p transfer, Sabata arrives on Blu-ray courtesy of Eureka Entertainment.
The only other release of this film that I have in my library was produced by Swiss label Explosive Media in 2013. It is sourced from an older master that was supplied by MGM, which is the same master the folks at Eureka Entertainment have worked with to produce this upcoming release for the UK market.
Even though the current master has some rough spots, I like it quite a lot because it is free of the type of compromising digital corrections that are frequently present on many similar older masters we see emerging from Universal's vaults. Indeed, some segments could look a tad softer than they should, plus density levels are not optimal, but overall the visuals retain a quite nice organic appearance. Color saturation can be improved as well, but the overall balance is pleasing. Delineation and depth are good, but if you view your films on a large TV screen, or project on an even larger screen, you will quickly and easily conclude that with a new 2K/4K master the film can look more convincing. Image stability is good. Some tiny flecks and small scratches remain, but there are no large damage marks, cuts, or torn frames to report in this review. My score is 3.75/5.00. (Note: This is a Region-B "locked" Blu-ray release. Therefore, you must have a native Region-B or Region-Free player in order to access its content).
There is only one standard audio track on this Blu-ray release: English LPCM 2.0. Optional English SDH subtitles are provided for the main feature. When turned on, they appear inside the image frame.
On the Explosive Media release that I referenced above the original English audio track is lossy, so the inclusion of a lossless track is definitely an upgrade. However, the gap in quality between the two isn't dramatic because the original source for both is the same. The lossless track certainly opens up the dynamic field better, especially during the shootouts, but it is easy to conclude that it can benefit from a fresh remaster.
I will likely create quite a bit of unnecessary drama if I identified some of the classic spaghetti westerns that are not as good as the Sabata films -- or at least two of them -- so I will just say that some popular opinions highlighting how they 'borrow' from 'bigger classics' should be taken with a grain of salt. Actually, make that two scoops of salt, or even better, don't even waste your time with these opinions. Why? Because if you start digging eventually you will realize that all spaghetti westerns borrow something from somewhere, including the grand classics, so this isn't and can't be serious criticism. Two of the Sabata films are very entertaining, and the one that everyone loves to dismiss as a total misfire still features a solid performance by Lee Van Cleef. Eureka Entertainment has gathered these films in this three-disc box set, which will be available for purchase later this month. HIGHLY RECOMMENDED.
(Still not reliable for this title)
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