6.3 | / 10 |
Users | 0.0 | |
Reviewer | 3.5 | |
Overall | 3.5 |
Seattle undercover narc Jackie Parker is out to bust the drug smuggling ring commanded by Philip Bianco.
Starring: Connie Stevens, Cesare Danova, William Smith (I), Norman Burton, John Davis ChandlerCrime | Insignificant |
Drama | Insignificant |
Video codec: MPEG-4 AVC
Video resolution: 1080p
Aspect ratio: 1.85:1
Original aspect ratio: 1.85:1
English: DTS-HD Master Audio 2.0 (48kHz, 24-bit)
BDInfo
English SDH
Blu-ray Disc
Single disc (1 BD)
Region A (locked)
Movie | 3.0 | |
Video | 4.0 | |
Audio | 4.5 | |
Extras | 0.5 | |
Overall | 3.5 |
Howard Avedis' thriller "Scorchy" (1976) arrives on Blu-ray courtesy of independent distributors Shout Factory. The only bonus feature on the disc is an original trailer for the film. In English, with optional English SDH subtitles for the main feature. Region-A "locked".
Very Scorchy
Presented in its original aspect ratio of 1.85:1, encoded with MPEG-4 AVC and granted a 1080p transfer, Howard Avedis' Scorchy arrives on Blu-ray courtesy of Shout Factory.
The release is sourced from a very nice remaster with all-around strong organic qualities. I don't know when it was prepared, but it must have been fairly recently because it lacks the type of limitations that are present on remasters that were done early in DVD's life cycle. Indeed, delineation ranges from good to very good and a number of close-ups boast lovely depth (see screencaptures #4 and 14). The wider panoramic shots also hold up nicely, though ideally depth should be even more convincing. The color palette promotes a strong and nicely saturated primaries and a very decent range of nuances. Frankly, while there is some room for cosmetic improvements, I think that the overall balance is already very good. The best news is that the entire remaster is free of compromising degraining and sharpening adjustments. There are a couple of sequences where you will notice some minor density fluctuations with obvious grain spikes, but there are no troubling anomalies (a good example is the long chase sequence where at the end Scorchy jumps in the ocean). Image stability is excellent. A few minor flecks and dirt marks remain, but there are no distracting large cuts, damage marks, stains, or warped or torn frames to report. My score is 4.25/5.00. (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).
There is only one standard audio track on this Blu-ray release: English DTS-HD Master Audio 2.0. Optional English SDH subtitles are provided for the main feature.
The lossless track is free of serious age-related imperfections. Its basic characteristics are also solid. There was one outdoor sequence where I felt that the overall dynamic balance was a bit suspicious, but this is a very busy sequence and more than likely it is how it was shot. The dialog is clean and very easy to follow. During the action footage sharpness and clarity are also consistently pleasing.
Replace the sugary romance and melodrama from A Woman for All Men with action and you have Scorchy, a B-grade thriller shot in sleepy Seattle during the '70s. I love viewing these types of films because when they are aware of their limitations they usually turn out to be wonderful time capsules. In Scorchy there is also plenty of the scorching hot Connie Stevens, which will probably be a good enough reason for some people to have the film in their collections. Shout Factory's new Blu-ray release is sourced from a very nice and fully uncut organic remaster, but the only bonus feature on the disc is an original trailer. RECOMMENDED.
Retro VHS Collection
1989
Standard Edition
1979
2K Restoration
1991
1986
Special Edition
1976
Collector's Edition
1982
1996
Nightmare in Blood / Swastika Savages / The Fakers
1970
1976
1982
1994
La polizia ha le mani legate
1975
Limited Edition of 3,000 | SOLD OUT & OOP
1975
2012
2016
Collector's Edition
1981
1967
1988
1975
1985