6.9 | / 10 |
Users | 0.0 | |
Reviewer | 3.5 | |
Overall | 3.5 |
At an isolated, seaside greasy-spoon cafe live George (Keenan Wynn), the sarcastic owner; Slob (Lee Marvin), the potentially violent cook; and Kotty (Terry Moore), the sexy waitress all the men lust after. Plus an occasional customer, including "Professor Sam" (Frank Lovejoy), Kotty's boyfriend from a nearby research facility. And something's going on under the potentially explosive surface emotions...nuclear secrets being smuggled out of the country.
Starring: Terry Moore (I), Lee Marvin, Keenan Wynn, Frank Lovejoy, Whit BissellFilm-Noir | 100% |
Thriller | Insignificant |
Crime | 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 Mono (48kHz, 24-bit)
English
Blu-ray Disc
Single disc (1 BD)
Region A (locked)
Movie | 3.5 | |
Video | 4.5 | |
Audio | 5.0 | |
Extras | 2.0 | |
Overall | 3.5 |
Edward Dein's "Shack Out on 101" (1955) arrives on Blu-ray courtesy of Kino Lorber. The only supplemental feature on the release is an exclusive new audio commentary recorded by film scholar Jason A. Ney. In English, with optional English SDH subtitles for the main feature. Region-A "locked".
Presented in its original aspect ratio of 1.85:1, encoded with MPEG-4 AVC and granted a 1080p transfer, Shack Out on 101 arrives on Blu-ray courtesy of Kino Lorber.
Shack Out on 101 made its high-definition debut with this release, produced in 2013 by Olive Films. I have it in my library and think that it offers a lovely presentation of the film. However, Kino Lorber's release is sourced from a very recent 4K master struck from the original camera that is simply fantastic. In fact, excluding a few tiny specks and blemishes that pop up in a few areas, I think that it is perfect. For example, delineation, clarity, and depth are almost always outstanding. Even in a few spots where minor density fluctuations are present, the visuals still looked terrific. The grayscale is sensational as well. Yes, it does help that a lot of the visuals feature controlled lighting, but all dark areas look striking, plus existing ranges of shadow nuances and highlights could not be any better. Grain exposure is terrific. Finally, there are no image stability issues to report. My score is 4.75/5.00. (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.
I did not encounter any distracting age-related anomalies to report in our review. All exchanges are very clear, sharp, and easy to follow. The music score does not produce great dynamic contrasts, but I would not say that it has an instantly forgettable supporting role either. It is just that the production has obvious limitations, which affect the soundtrack as well.
All professional spies are taught to be great chameleons and improvisors, and the best ones always are. But a lot of their improvisational work is rarely as sophisticated and advanced as the rational mind imagines it is because they are also trained how to always be a few steps ahead of it. In other words, professional spies, and especially the best ones, are not what they are touted to be. Shack Out on 101 works with material messaging this exact point, which makes it a curious film, but reveals an eccentric side that damages its integrity. It is a small film, too, so it is probably best to see it on a night when you have spent time with one of its bigger and better relatives. Kino Lorber's release introduces a wonderful recent 4K makeover of it prepared by Paramount. It is included in Film Noir: The Dark Side of Cinema XXI, a three-disc box set. RECOMMENDED.
(Still not reliable for this title)
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