7.5 | / 10 |
Users | 0.0 | |
Reviewer | 4.0 | |
Overall | 4.0 |
In the old west, a man becomes a sheriff just for the pay, figuring he can decamp if things get tough. In the end, he uses ingenuity instead.
Starring: James Garner, Joan Hackett, Walter Brennan, Harry Morgan, Jack ElamWestern | 100% |
Comedy | 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 Mono
Music: DTS-HD Master Audio 2.0
English SDH
Blu-ray Disc
Single disc (1 BD)
Region A (B, C untested)
Movie | 4.0 | |
Video | 3.5 | |
Audio | 4.0 | |
Extras | 2.5 | |
Overall | 4.0 |
Note: This film is available as part of the double feature Support Your Local Sheriff / Support Your Local Gunfighter.
Mention the name Rango to most folks, and they will of course
immediately think of the wacky animated tale that link leads to, a film which featured the voice of Johnny Depp as an ambitious little
chameleon who ends up as a sheriff in a decidedly whimsical version of the Wild West. It’s probably not mere coincidence that there was
“another” Rango featuring an unprepared soul becoming a fairly inept law keeper, in this case a newish Texas Ranger portrayed by
typically hilariously fumbling Tim Conway, in a short-lived sitcom series that aired as a midseason replacement for a few months in 1967 after
Conway’s long running stint on McHale’s Navy had come to a close. Though Conway’s Rango evidently ultimately made TV
Guide’s list of the worst ever sitcoms, it was actually relatively popular during its short run and there was some surprise when the show
wasn’t picked up for full second season. Two years after Conway’s Rango had its brief traipse across the broadcast television
landscape, Support Your Local Sheriff! appeared, offering a more competent interloper taking over the reins of local law enforcement
(not that being more competent than Rango would offer much of a challenge) in a rather whimsical formulation of the Wild West that was
both reminiscent of the Conway Rango and prescient about the then far in the future Depp Rango. Support Your Local
Sheriff! was such a hit that two years after it was released, director Burt Kennedy reassembled several actors from the first film
and delivered Support Your Local Gunfighter, a film which once again posited an unlikely interloper to an old west backwater who in
this instance attempts to play a massive con on the local populace which in some ways harkens back to star James Garner’s iconic television
series
Maverick. Gunfighter also tips its Stetson to the then sensational
“Spaghetti Western” genre, though the results are probably not as consistently humorous as the first film. Twilight Time has now brought
both of these films together in a generally highly enjoyable double feature.
Support Your Local Sheriff is presented on Blu-ray with an AVC encoded 1080p transfer in 1.85:1. We've seen some relatively impressive transfers coming out of the MGM-UA library recently, but this film along with its sibling tends to be a step backward into the kind of middling but acceptable quality that is often associated with the former Tiffany of studios. Sheriff comes out at least slightly more consistent looking than Gunfighter does, hence its higher score, though the differences are perhaps incremental. While elements are in rather good condition from a damage standpoint, things look faded, with flesh tones skewed to the brown side of things. While the palette is perhaps just a trifle dowdy looking as a result, reds still pop quite nicely as can be seen in several screenshots, and outdoor scenes offer decent blues in the clear skies. The grain is natural looking if slightly unkempt at times (a tendency which is more pronounced in Gunfighter). Clarity and sharpness are at reasonable if underwhelming levels. The bottom line is there's nothing here that's going to set anyone's heart on fire, but similarly nothing that's going to be a major deal killer.
Support Your Local Sheriff features a lossless DTS-HD Master Audio Mono track that capably renders the film's dialogue and effects, as well as the ebullient score by Jeff Alexander. This film perhaps doesn't exploit the low end to the extent that its follow-up Gunfighter does, but fidelity here is fine, with decent dynamic range and excellent prioritization. There are no issues with damage of any kind to warrant concern.
Support Your Local Sheriff may not in fact have the gag a second approach of Brooks' Blazing Saddles, but it's consistently funny and offers great turns by a large and wonderfully colorful supporting cast. The luminous Joan Hackett is superb as well. Video is decent if a bit lackluster, and audio is fine. The commentary should be very enjoyable for fans of the film. Recommended.
(Still not reliable for this title)
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