Straight Time Blu-ray Movie

Rating summary

Movie		4.5
Video		5.0
Audio		4.5
Extras		2.5
Overall		4.5

Straight Time Blu-ray Movie Review

To Love and Die in L.A.

Reviewed by Randy Miller III October 1, 2021

Ulu Grosbard's overlooked crime drama Straight Time, based on Edward Bunker's 1972 novel No Beast So Fierce, features one of star Dustin Hoffman's most unforgettable roles. He plays career thief Max Dembo, recently released from prison on a six-year stint for burglary, who's trying to get his life back on track in Los Angeles. Parole officer Earl Frank (M. Emmet Walsh, Blood Simple) keeps his leash short, berating Max for arriving late to their appointment and no-showing at a halfway house, but agrees to cut him some slack if he finds a job and a place to stay within the week. Max not only does both but also scores a date with lovely Jenny Mercer (Theresa Russell, Wild Things), who just started work at the employment office... so he's off to a good start, right? Sadly, a few bad connections are made: first with old pal Willy Darin (Gary Busey, The Buddy Holly Story), who uses drugs in his room. This gets Max in hot water with his PO and, eventually, a quick trip to jail. It was a forgivable mistake, but Earl wasn't in a forgiving mood.

The bulk of Straight Time concerns Max's downward spiral, which kicks into high gear after a nasty fight with his PO. He's now long past the point of no return, unable to shake his old habits... and neither is Max's former robbery partner Jerry Shue (Harry Dean Stanton, Alien), who lives a comfy life in the suburbs but secretly wants out. Like Willy, their reconnection just leads to more trouble -- in this case, a bank robbery -- and things get worse from there. Meanwhile, Jenny remains the only near-constant in his life: she's scared as hell but stays with Max anyway, even while making it clear that she'll leave if things get too ugly. Lucky for him, she's really bad at recognizing red flags.

I'm probably too well-adjusted (square?) to truly empathize with Max and his circle of enablers, but Straight Time remains a captivating watch whether or not you actually root for the guy. Hoffman turns in a terrific performance here, at once low-key and explosive, with a surprisingly stacked supporting cast that also includes Kathy Bates (Misery), a very young Jake Busey (Starship Troopers -- he plays Willy's son, naturally), and even Edward Bunker (Runaway Train, which he also wrote) in his first role... and top to bottom, there are absolutely no weak points. The story moves along at a good, steady pace, with slow-boiling suspense that tightens considerably at several key moments. Plus it's got 1970s grit for days, serving as a top-tier time capsule of L.A. during a turbulent decade that ends up being a perfect backdrop for Max's elliptical character arc. It's a true total package picture from an era in filmmaking known for raw, uncompromising, character-driven pieces that don't always aim for closed endings, thank goodness.

Straight Time was actually released on DVD twice during the last 15 years, first by Warner Bros. in 2007 and again by Warner Archive six years ago. Warner Archive's new Blu-ray presentation is far and away the film's best outing on home video; its outstanding 1080p transfer perfectly captures the terrific cinematography by Owen Roizman, who earlier that decade lensed The French Connection, The Exorcist, and Network. Legacy extras includes a terrific audio commentary with Hoffman and director Ulu Grosbard, which at times is as engaging as the film itself.

Straight Time Blu-ray Movie, Video Quality 

Those who like the unmistakable appearance of 70s-era films will absolutely love Warner Archive's presentation of Straight Time, which features a 1080p transfer sourced from at least a 2K scan of original elements. That somewhat vague description will immediately become clear when you see this disc for yourself, which highlights the film's natural color palette and terrific film grain, both of which contribute to a strong amount of fine image detail and easily-seen textures on era-specific (read: gaudy) clothes and background elements. Sunny exteriors in and around the city look absolutely flawless, with period signage and storefronts reading particularly well -- if you're from L.A. or any major city and fondly recall the look of this particular time period, you'll be pausing quite often. Fundamentally, it's a pitch-perfect effort with deep black levels, excellent contrast with no edge enhancement or filtering, and an overall purist-friendly appearance that should be all too familiar for seasoned fans of Warner Archive catalog releases. It's just more fine work from the reliably great boutique label, and easily worth the upgrade from DVD on these merits alone.

Straight Time Blu-ray Movie, Audio Quality 

I found myself enjoying this DTS-HD 2.0 Master Audio track quite a bit more than expected, thanks the the dialogue's well-balanced level of clarity and a handful of lively and dramatic cues that enjoy a great sonic presence. (David Shire's jazzy, wandering title track, which opens the film and returns a few times as the story unfolds, is a particular standout.) Gunshots and other moments of action don't always carry the weight and low-end punch we've all come to expect from the spectacle of modern films... but they're given good priority and placement in the overall mix, all things considered. No hiss, distortion, drop-outs, or sync issues could be heard along the way, rounding out the experience nicely.

Optional English (SDH) captions are included during the main feature only.

Straight Time Blu-ray Movie, Special Features and Extras 

This one-disc release ships in a standard keepcase with bold cover artwork and no inserts of any kind. The extras listed below, though small in number, are worth watching again even if you already saw them on DVD.

• Audio Commentary - This full-length track features star Dustin Hoffman and director Ulu Grosbard -- recorded separately -- who deliver a relaxed but very informative scene-specific commentary from start to finish. Topics of interest include changing the title (which took a little longer than expected), their working relationship before production began, developing the novel into a film, meeting Eddie Bunker, the careful casting process, trouble in high school, prison life, location scouting, Max and Jenny's unusual relationship, improvisation, learning the ropes of directing, and much more. Although the slightly patchwork nature of this commentary's construction creates a few small gaps along the way, it's well worth a listen for die-hard fans and newcomers alike.

• Theatrical Trailer (1:42) - Ever wanted to know the title of this movie and who stars in it? Now you can.

Straight Time Blu-ray Movie, Overall Score and Recommendation 

Aside from their sterling release of the Marx Brothers' comedy classic A Night at the Opera, Warner Archive's new Blu-ray of Straight Time might be my favorite disc of theirs in September's solid lineup of catalog titles. It's a lesser-seen crime drama from a decade full of rugged, uncompromising character-driven pieces with a great story and a fantastic cast. This new 1080p transfer features a brand-new restoration that'll be very appealing to fans of this particular era of filmmaking, as Straight Time's understated cinematography is yet another one of its many highlights. Add in a terrific lossless audio mix and two legacy bonus features (including a great feature-length audio commentary with Dustin Hoffman and director Ulu Grosbard) and you've got a can't-miss release. Highly Recommended.