6.6 | / 10 |
Users | 0.0 | |
Reviewer | 2.5 | |
Overall | 2.5 |
In the tradition of Sergio Leone, a stylish meditation on America's history of violence, observing the intersection of a former soldier-turned-bounty-hunter, a British chambermaid desperate to escape indentured servitude, and a vicious mercenary in search of Montezuma's gold.
Starring: Margot Kidder, Christopher Walken, Jorge Cervera Jr., Geoffrey Lewis, A MartinezWestern | 100% |
Action | Insignificant |
Video codec: MPEG-4 AVC
Video resolution: 1080p
Aspect ratio: 2.35:1
Original aspect ratio: 2.39:1
English: LPCM 2.0
None
25GB Blu-ray Disc
Single disc (1 BD)
Region A (B, C untested)
Movie | 2.5 | |
Video | 3.0 | |
Audio | 4.0 | |
Extras | 1.0 | |
Overall | 2.5 |
The history of home video has been one of winnowing. When VHS appeared, nearly everything made its way to the new medium, from blockbusters to the most obscure titles imaginable. When DVD arrived, though, thousands of movies never made the transition, whether it was due to rights issues or a sheer lack of interest. And now, with Blu-ray, that weeding out has continued. Although it seems like we live in a time when the entertainment options are endless—and when film preservation has increasingly been acknowledged as an important task—countless movies have disappeared into the void of cultural ephemera, never to be seen again. It raises some interesting questions: Should all films be preserved? What about truly bad, utterly irredeemable films? Or films that no one cares about anymore? Personally, I fall into the yes, all movies should be preserved camp. For one, I don't think any film is completely without merit, even those I'm willing to dismiss as garbage. Someone made that garbage. Raised the money to fund it and poured hours, maybe even years of their life into it. And second, as the internet has taught us, there's always someone who cares.
True to Kino-Lorber custom, Shoot the Sun Down is essentially presented "as-is," with a 1080p/AVC-encoded presentation that preserves the flaws of its slightly beat-up 35mm source materials. Black and white specks dot the print, light scratches show up occasionally, and in several scenes you'll notice the shadows of tiny hairs that were stuck along the edges of the camera's film gate. On the plus side, there's been no excessive or unwarranted digital intervention here—no DNR grain-erasing, no harsh edge enhancement, no contrast boosting, etc. The picture looks wholly natural and film-like, and with plenty of room on a 25 GB disc, there are no obvious compression issues. Clarity is highly variable from scene to scene—some look much sharper than others—but I'm sure this is quite a leap from VHS quality regardless. Color is balanced well too, with no oversaturation, crushed shadows, or blown-out whites. The print is quite grubby, but I'm not sure we could've expected any better.
Kino's uncompressed Linear PCM 2.0 track is likewise true to source. Though not without a few light crackles, the audio is fairly clean, with no loud pops or hisses. Dialogue is always easy to understand, gunshots pack a more-than-sufficient punch, and the percussion-heavy score from Ed Bogas and Judy Munsen thumps along nicely, accompanied by bright brass arrangements, strummed acoustics, and an electric guitar run through some kind of funky phaser peddle. No issues here. Unfortunately, Kino has not opted to include any subtitle options for those may need them.
Out of print for years, Shoot the Sun Down—which was never released on DVD—is finally seeing the light of home video day again on Blu-ray, courtesy of Kino-Lorber. The film is often painfully slow and uneventful, and it's probably better known for the future success of its cast than the quality of its story, as Christopher Walken was soon to appear in The Deer Hunter and Margot Kidder in Superman. I'm glad that Kino is taking the chance of re-releasing a movie like this, though. I like to imagine some glorious hypothetical future where every film ever made—regardless of quality or popularity—is easily available to be watched in some form. I know it won't ever happen, but a movie lover can dream.
1973
1968
Limited Edition to 3000 - SOLD OUT
1975
2018
2K Restoration
1972
1971
2016
1974
1953
1958
Warner Archive Collection
1968
1971
1964
Limited Edition to 3000 - SOLD OUT
1967
2015
Sweet Vengeance
2013
1972
Return of the Magnificent Seven
1966
1966
Indio Black, sai che ti dico: Sei un gran figlio di... / Adiós, Sabata
1971