7.4 | / 10 |
Users | 4.1 | |
Reviewer | 4.0 | |
Overall | 4.1 |
Four unlikely cowboys band together to defeat a corrupt frontier sheriff.
Starring: Kevin Kline, Scott Glenn, Kevin Costner, Danny Glover, John CleeseWestern | 100% |
Action | Insignificant |
Video codec: MPEG-4 AVC
Video resolution: 1080p
Aspect ratio: 2.40:1
Original aspect ratio: 2.39:1
English: Dolby TrueHD 5.1 (48kHz, 16-bit)
French: Dolby TrueHD 5.1 (48kHz, 16-bit)
Spanish: Dolby Digital 5.1 (640 kbps)
Portuguese: Dolby TrueHD 5.1
English, English SDH, French, Portuguese, Spanish
50GB Blu-ray Disc
Single disc (1 BD)
BD-Live
Region free
Movie | 4.5 | |
Video | 4.5 | |
Audio | 4.5 | |
Extras | 3.0 | |
Overall | 4.0 |
This oughta do.
If there are two words that can adequately describe Director Lawrence Kasdan's (Wyatt Earp) 1985
Western
Silverado, those words would be "fun" and "quirky." An ode to the genre but at the same
time a film
with its own unique identity, Silverado takes the Western, digs up every cliché in the book,
and assembles them into a rollicking good time that's the ultimate in escapist entertainment.
Corrupt lawmen, outlaws turned heroes, mysterious characters, revenge, shifting allegiances,
stampedes, six shooters, lever action rifles, saloons, dusty center-town standoffs and, yes, even
tumbleweeds, all make an appearance. It's a laundry list of classic Western motifs, props, and
settings, but it's all delivered here with an obvious yet nevertheless decidedly understated wink and
a nod to all that have come before it in the genre that's as American as baseball and apple pie.
The showdown.
Film lovers, get ready. Silverado dusts off for Blu-ray and reveals a stunning 1080p, 2.40:1-framed transfer. There's no single aspect of this transfer that disappoints, and it currently represents one of the best-looking Blu-ray catalogue titles on the market. Colors -- though the film sports a predominantly brown hue that reflects the dusty leather saddles, the wooden rifle stocks, worn out jackets, and the sandy terrain -- pop off the screen with lifelike clarity. Bolder colors -- the red of an American flag in one scene or green shrubbery in the middle of an otherwise barren landscape in another -- offer superior vibrancy. Fine object detail, too, is fantastic. The terrain that's dotted with gravel, dust, and weeds, takes on an absolutely lifelike appearance with the transfer resolving each and every speckle on the ground with precision. Viewers will note the wear and tear on clothing, saddles, and rifle stocks, while close-up shots of the actors showcase nice texture and clarity. Blacks are generally superb, though flesh tones take on a decidedly red tint. Grain is present throughout, and while it spikes here and there, it lends to the transfer a superior film-like appearance that, along with the scope widescreen presentation, seemingly puts viewers in the middle of the movie theater. There is no sign of noise reduction, smearing, waxy faces, or any such atrocities with this one. The transfer is simply exquisite, taking on a first-rate cinematic look and feel that's a prime example of just how fantastic a format Blu-ray can be. With transfers like Silverado and Glory, Sony shows they know how to recreate the look of film with their catalogue titles for home viewing pleasure.
Silverado rides onto Blu-ray with a strong Dolby TrueHD 5.1 lossless soundtrack. From the film's opening seconds it becomes clear that this track means business. Loud gunshots ring out from inside and out of a small wooden hilltop shed. Shots crackle, wood shatters, and the track features a strong sense of spacing as sound maneuvers about the soundstage effortlessly. Not to be outdone, the marvelous presentation of the title sequence's scored music -- a rousing, good old-fashioned Western theme -- plays with superb clarity as it seamlessly flows through the entire front half of the soundstage. Such strong attributes remain throughout; later shootouts feature bullets whizzing and ricocheting through the back half of the soundstage, and many shots are accompanied by an appropriately hefty thud. Directional effects on the whole are superb, too, as sounds often travel seamlessly from side to side and front to back. The track also features a realistic atmosphere; a few saloon scenes deliver a superb sense of environmental ambience and outdoor shots often feature the sounds of nature floating through the soundstage. Completed by superior dialogue reproduction, Silverado's soundtrack does all it can to match the quality of the video presentation, and it never fails in that lofty endeavor.
Following in the footsteps of Dr. Stragenlove or: How I
Learned to Stop Worrying and Love the Bomb, Midnight Express,
and
A River Runs Through
It, Silverado arrives on Blu-ray courtesy of Sony Pictures as an attractive
DigiBook release. Contained within its full color, glossy pages are plenty of photographs; an
introduction to the film; production notes; theatrical poster reprints; and cast biographies for
Kevin Kline, Scott Glenn, Rosanna Arquette, John Cleese, Kevin Costner, Brian Dennehy, Danny
Glover, Jeff Goldblum, and Linda Hunt. As to the on-disc supplements, things get started with
Along the 'Silverado' Trail: A Western Historians' Commentary which features Frank
Thompson,
Paul Hutton, and Steve Aaron, historians all that come together to speak on "the last of the old
style Western." They discuss the genre's ability to cheat death over its history, the varied styles
within the genre, the cast, shooting locations, costumes, and more. What's truly great about this
track is that it's not the usual pat-on-the-back style commentary. The participants don't
always agree, don't always say wholly positive things about the film, and show a broad depth of
knowledge but don't necessarily flaunt it. It makes for a must-listen commentary for Western
fans.
A Return to Silverado with Kevin Costner (480p, 21:01) features the actor recalling his
love of Westerns, the character he played in Silverado, the quality of the script, the work
of his fellow actors,
and more. The Making of 'Silverado' (480p, 37:01) is a solid piece that covers the
expected angles, showcasing behind-the-scenes footage and retrospective interviews with cast
and crew. Silverado also represents the debut (alongside The Quick and the
Dead) of Sony's "MovieIQ" that offers live, up-to-date details about every scene,
including cast and crew filmographies and biographies, soundtrack listings, and more. Also
included are 1080p
trailers for The Da Vinci Code,
Casino Royale, Ghostbusters, A River Runs Through
It, and Damages: Season
One.
Indeed, "fun" and "quirky" represent what Silverado is all about. A classic Western that hearkens back to the genre's glory days but injects a subtle but not at all difficult-to-spot sense of humor into its clichéd story and stereotypical characters, Lawrence Kasdan's most memorable directorial effort continues to impress nearly a quarter-century after its initial release, and this Blu-ray breathes new life into the picture that makes it feel brand new all over again. Sony's gone and done it again, producing a first-rate Blu-ray presentation that defines what the format is all about: bringing high quality film-like transfers into the home. With grain left intact, color and detail to die for, and the scope presentation preserved, Silverado looks marvelous, and the video transfer is matched by a robust and sensory-pleasing lossless soundtrack. With a few good extras and the introduction of Sony's new MovieIQ feature, Silverado makes for a must-own Blu-ray disc. Highly recommended.
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Warner Archive Collection
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50th Anniversary Edition | Shout Select #57
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Limited Edition to 3000
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2K Restoration
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