Rating summary

Movie		3.0
Video		4.5
Audio		4.0
Extras		5.0
Overall		3.5

The Day of the Locust Blu-ray Movie Review

Reviewed by Jeffrey Kauffman December 1, 2023

One of the kind of ironic things about the so-called "Golden Age" of Hollywood is how much it exploited "happily ever after" right before "The End" showed up, while probably more frequently than not at least obstructing if not outright denying that same rosy conclusion to the people who actually toiled in the film industry. Hollywood's history is littered with those who, moth like, were attracted to the twin flames of fame and fortune, usually ending up like most moths drawn to such sources. The Day of the Locust is one of the formative stories about what might be jokingly referred to as the rancid "below the line" ambience of real life in Los Angeles, away from the glittering marquees and perceived "star value". Nathanael West's original novel was released in 1939, the year many think was the apex of the studio system and that aforementioned Golden Era, but the book frankly was pretty much dead on arrival, sales wise, and it took quite some time before it started to really achieve renown. That may be at least one reason why a film adaptation took so long to be produced. The film features some visceral performances, especially by Karen Black, and its own "below the line" artisans are a who's who of Hollywood greatness circa 1975, but it may lack the feral intensity of West's original, and in a way it seems to be the very kind of overblown "epic" that West was making fun of. Several of the really excellent supplements Arrow has aggregated for this release make the case that the film is an undiscovered masterpiece, which may at the very least be debatable, but those supplements themselves may be an alluring reason to check out this edition, even if, as I am, you're not a diehard fan of the production.

The Day of the Locust was released a few years ago on Blu-ray in Australia courtesy of Imprint, and my The Day of the Locust Blu-ray review of that release provides a plot summary as well as my reaction to the film. That review is also a good resource for screenshot comparisons and seeing what supplements are on tap on each disc. I'll cut to the chase (to use a term of art from the movies) and state that technical merits and supplements are definitely superior on this release.

The Day of the Locust Blu-ray Movie, Video Quality 

The Day of the Locust is presented on Blu-ray courtesy of Arrow Video with an AVC encoded 1080p transfer in 1.85:1. Arrow's insert booklet contains the following information on the restoration:

The Day of the Locust has been exclusively restored by Arrow Films and is presented in its original aspect ratio of 1.85:1 with original mono, 2.0 and 5.1 audio.

The original 35mm camera negative was scanned in 4K resolution at Paramount. The film was restored and graded at Dragon DI, Cardiff.

The mono mix was sourced from the optical negatives by Paramount and remastered by Bad Princess Productions. The 2.0 and 5.1 mixes were completed at Paramount.

All materials sourced for this restoration were made available by Paramount.

This is a massive upgrade over the old Imprint release, and I'll just start by admitting I was completely incorrect when in my Imprint review I said chances of an upgrade were probably slim to none. As you can see if you choose to compare full resolution screenshots side by side, this offers not just the correct aspect ratio (the Imprint release was 1.78:1), but a healthier grain field and better suffusion. The Imprint release looks a bit artificially brightened now when compared to this release. Detail levels are frankly about on a par with the Imprint release, but in the sunnier sequences can show noticeable improvement. In terms of various lighting regimens, this release still definitely has some ragged looking moments in the low light scenes (see screenshots 6 and 9 for just two examples).

The Day of the Locust Blu-ray Movie, Audio Quality 

The Day of the Locust offers three audio options, per the above verbiage from Arrow's insert booklet. The mono and surround tracks are frankly very similar if not downright identical to the options on the Imprint disc, while the stereo option may slightly open up the mono track, but really not hugely (I heard most of the difference with regard to John Barry's score and a few sound effects). As I mentioned in my review of the Imprint release, the surround track tends to be rather reserved overall, offering immersion in expected moments like the calamitous climax. Dialogue is rendered cleanly and clearly throughout. Optional English subtitles are available.

The Day of the Locust Blu-ray Movie, Special Features and Extras 

• Oral History Audio Commentary is an amazing piece of work by Lee Gambin, who has assembled interviews with assistant director Leslie Asplun, production associate Michael Childers, title designer Dan Perri, costume designer Ann Roth, assistant editor Alan L. Shefland, assistant camera operator Ron Vidor, assistant director Charlie Ziarko and actors Grainger Hines and Pepe Serna.


• Welcome to West Hollywood (HD; 24:38) is an appreciation by Glenn Kenny, who made similar contributions to Arrow's release of . I'll be a curmudgeon and say while Kenny's comments are insightful, I wish whoever made these featurettes would stop having the talking heads aim their comments to the corner of the frame, which makes me want to shout, "Hey! I'm over here!"


• Days of the Golden Age (HD; 17:55) features costume historian Elissa Rose discussing the film's costume designs.


• Jeepers Creepers, Where'd You Get Those Peepers? (HD; 23:55) is a visual essay by Lee Gambin. Those who are interested may want to compare and contrast Gambin's analysis with that of Kat Ellinger on the Australian Blu-ray.


• Radio Spots (2:00) play to a black screen.


• Image Galleries

  Promotional Stills (HD)

  
  

  Photos by Michael Childers (HD)

  
  

  Photos by Ron Vidor (HD)

Additionally the keepcase features a reversible sleeve and encloses a nicely appointed insert booklet with a good essay by Pamela Hutchinson. Packaging features a slipcover.

The Day of the Locust Blu-ray Movie, Overall Score and Recommendation 

Longtime readers of my reviews know I spent a lot of time unraveling one of those "unhappy endings" from the Golden Age of Hollywood, namely that of Frances Farmer, who in fact would have been at Paramount (where this supposedly takes place) during this very era (though she had left for Broadway in 1939). That long journey down a sometimes labyrinthine rabbit hole may make me a bit more judgmental about depictions of the studio and this general timeframe, which may result in my somewhat cool response to this film. That said, this release offers manifestly better technical merits and supplements that far outshine the Imprint release, and for that reason alone Arrow's release comes Recommended.