6.8 | / 10 |
Users | 4.2 | |
Reviewer | 3.5 | |
Overall | 3.5 |
Inspired in part by the true story of baseball great Ted Williams, who after serving in World War II was drafted to serve in the Korean War just as his baseball career was taking off. Career and family take a back seat when 'Dutch' Holland is drafted again to train pilots in the Air Force's new B-36 and B-47 bombers.
Starring: James Stewart, June Allyson, Frank Lovejoy, Barry Sullivan, Alex NicolWar | 100% |
Drama | Insignificant |
Video codec: MPEG-4 AVC
Video resolution: 1080p
Aspect ratio: 1.66:1
Original aspect ratio: 1.85:1
English: DTS-HD Master Audio 2.0
English SDH
Blu-ray Disc
Single disc (1 BD)
Region A (locked)
Movie | 3.5 | |
Video | 4.0 | |
Audio | 4.5 | |
Extras | 0.5 | |
Overall | 3.5 |
Anthony Mann's "Strategic Air Command" (1955) arrives on Blu-ray courtesy of independent distributors Olive Films. The only bonus feature on the disc is an original theatrical trailer for the film. In English, with optional English SDH subtitles for the main feature. Region-A "locked".
What do you think?
Presented in an aspect ratio of 1.66:1, encoded with MPEG-4 AVC and granted a 1080p transfer, Anthony Mann's Strategic Air Command arrives on Blu-ray courtesy of Olive Films.
The film was shot in VistaVision and ideally it should very vibrant and lush on Blu-ray. The film does not appear to have undergone an extensive restoration, but the current master is actually quite good. Clarity, in particular, could range from good to very good, while during the daylight footage depth is surprisingly pleasing. The best news is that there are no traces of past or recent digital corrections and as a result there are no alarming anomalies. Colors are stable and healthy, though there is no doubt in my mind that saturation should be better. The existing range of nuances is actually quite decent, but during the darker footage some light black crush can be spotted. Image stability is excellent. Finally, a few tiny specks can be spotted, but there are no distracting debris, cuts, large damage marks, or stains. (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 am unsure what type of remastering work might have been done when the master was prepared, but in terms of clarity and depth there are no obvious anomalies to report. Also, there are no traces of aging, such as background pops and hiss, crackle, or distortions. Overall balance is good.
I am pretty sure that Anthony Mann's Strategic Air Command was never officially released on DVD in the United States, so this recent Blu-ray release from Olive Films is most welcome. I found the film to be surprisingly informative but a bit dry at times, which is why I assume that it will likely resonate well with history buffs. If you are interested in seeing it because you like Jimmy Stewart's work, I would say that a blind-buy is not appropriate for reasons that I have highlighted in the review. RECOMMENDED (but primarily to history buffs).
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