7.2 | / 10 |
Users | 0.0 | |
Reviewer | 3.5 | |
Overall | 3.5 |
Old West highwayman Bill Miner, known to Pinkertons as "The Gentleman Bandit," is released in 1901 after 33 years in prison, a genial and charming old man. He goes to Washington to live and work with his sister's family. But the world has changed much while he has been away, and he just can't adjust. So he goes to Canada and returns to the only thing familiar to him -- robbery (with stagecoaches changed to trains).
Starring: Richard Farnsworth, Jackie Burroughs, Ken Pogue, Wayne Robson, Timothy WebberWestern | 100% |
Drama | Insignificant |
Biography | 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 2.0
English SDH
Blu-ray Disc
Single disc (1 BD)
Region A (locked)
Movie | 4.5 | |
Video | 3.5 | |
Audio | 5.0 | |
Extras | 3.0 | |
Overall | 3.5 |
Phillip Borsos' "The Grey Fox" (1982) arrives on Blu-ray courtesy of Kino Lorber. The supplemental features on the disc include new interview with producer Peter O'Brian; new interview with composer Michael Conway Baker; new interview with archivist/restoration producer Bret Wood; and more. In English, with optional English SDH subtitles for the main feature. Region-A "locked".
Old habits die hard
Presented in an aspect ratio of 1.85:1, encoded with MPEG-4 AVC and granted a 1080p transfer, The Grey Fox arrives on Blu-ray courtesy of Kino Lorber.
Restoration: The release is sourced from an exclusive new 4K restoration that was completed by Kino Lorber. It is clearly the best presentation of the film, but it has one minor flaw that I have to point out. I don't know how the 4K files were scanned, but there is quite a bit of noticeable movement within the frame. (A pin-registered film scanner would have eliminated the issue, but I am unsure how the scan was finalized). So, regardless of your screen, you will almost certainly notice the less-than-optimal stability. The rest looks great. I particularly liked the color-grading job, which gives the film a very specific and in my opinion very effective Northern ambience.
Technical Presentation: Unfortunately, the encoding is underwhelming. There is a lot of footage where the grain very clearly struggles and in close-ups actually becomes disappointingly mushy/noisy. Artifacts pop up as well, so the larger your screen is, the easier it will be for you to spot them. In darker areas delineation also isn't as good as it should be, and it is not the 4K master that produces the anomalies -- it is very clearly the encoding. Some of these issues can be partially avoided if you can upscale to 4K -- basically the image becomes 'tighter' and hides the artifacts -- but it is disappointing that encoding optimizations were not made to ensure that the film looks as good as it should. (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 thought that the lossless track was outstanding. It was very clear, crisp, and stable. Balance was also very good, though there are portions of the film with some minor dynamic fluctuations that emerge during the group action. The dialog is clean and very easy to follow.
I found in The Grey Fox everything that I always wanted to discover in Matewan but never did. It is a special kind of western featuring a truly magical performance by Richard Farnsworth that should have been recognized with multiple prestigious awards. The folks at Kino Lorber recently restored the film in 4K and I am grateful to have it on Blu-ray, but I found the technical presentation of the restoration a tad underwhelming. Regardless, consider adding the film to your collections. RECOMMENDED.
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