Rating summary

Movie		4.0
Video		4.5
Audio		4.0
Extras		2.5
Overall		4.0

The Groundstar Conspiracy Blu-ray Movie Review

Reviewed by Dr. Svet Atanasov October 14, 2020

Lamont Johnson's "The Groundstar Conspiracy" (1972) arrives on Blu-ray courtesy of Kino Lorber. The supplemental features on the release include a vintage trailer for the film and exclusive new audio commentary by filmmaker Daniel Kremer and critic Scout Tafoya. In English, with optional English SDH subtitles for the main feature. Region-A "locked".

He's badly wounded, but he'll live

Less than an hour after a massive explosion rocks Groundstar Research Complex, a top-secret government facility, a survivor reaches the home of a lonely woman (Christine Belford). He rings her bell and immediately collapses. After the woman recovers from the shock of seeing the survivor covered with fresh blood, she contacts the authorities and he is rushed to a nearby hospital where a team of doctors immediately go to work to save his life. While they operate, Tuxan (George Peppard), a veteran investigator from an unidentified agency, begins studying the explosion.

The survivor is quickly identified as John Welles (Michael Sarrazin), a member of a team of scientists who worked on a military project inside Groundstar Research Complex, and Tuxan announces that he will be the subject of a thorough investigation because early evidence suggests that he could be responsible for the explosion. Meanwhile, Welles regains consciousness, but the doctor overseeing his progress informs Tuxan that there is a slim chance he would be able to recover his memory. At first Tuxan assumes that Welles is faking his condition, but the more time he spends questioning him and examining his behavior, the more he begins to realize that the explosion may in fact have caused permanent damage to his brain.

Eventually, Welles is released from the hospital, but Tuxan and his team continue to secretly monitor him, hoping that a random event might trigger a recovery process, or someone that helped him set up the explosion would try to contact him. Welles returns to the lonely woman and the two begin spending time together, but as they warm up to each other and he learns to live as a man without a past someone repeatedly tries to kill him.

Lamont Johnson’s The Groundstar Conspiracy is a close relative of Michael Crichton’s paranoid thrillers. However, it is not just its tension and visual style that make it easy to compare to the likes of Pursuit and Looker, it is also the manner in which it comfortably speculates with scenarios that were unquestionably way ahead of its time. For example, the puzzle that Tuxan is trying to solve is essentially a ruse for a very interesting and justified dissection of his government position, which gradually forces the viewer to see and analyze the drama from an entirely different angle. Many of the themes that emerge after this shift actually feel quite relevant in the current socio-political environment.

The brisk tempo helps the film look confident and authoritative, often even modern. Predictably, the only episode where the film begins to stutter a bit is the one where Welles and the lonely woman have an emotional connection and then for a short period of time behave like ordinary lovers. Here the film visibly slows down and temporarily acquires a typical vintage melodramatic quality.

Peppard was a great choice to play the government investigator because he brings the right presence and style to make him appear legit. This is a complex character that has to move through a number of different situations where his position requires that he is always in control which, for reasons that cannot be discussed without spoiling the film, isn’t easy. Sarrazin is also a great fit for the conflicted saboteur who has to look vulnerable, perplexed, and perpetually frustrated with his past and present. Belford can be a bit overly melodramatic, but her character looks legit as well.

Jonson relied on cinematographer Michael Reed (On Her Majesty's Secret Service) to give the film an edgy yet measured look that would work for its complex narrative and he certainly delivered. The wonderfully intense soundtrack was produced by Paul Hoffert (High-Ballin').

The Groundstar Conspiracy Blu-ray Movie, Video Quality 

Presented in an aspect ratio of 2.35:1, encoded with MPEG-4 AVC and granted a 1080p transfer, The Groundstar Conspiracy arrives on Blu-ray courtesy of Kino Lorber.

The release is sourced from a lovely exclusive new 2K master. While stylistic choices provide the film with unique small shifts in focus, clarity, and depth, the visuals have a very solid organic appearance that ensures a terrific viewing experience. The entire master is also graded with great precision. For example, there is plenty of darker footage where background nuances are fully retained and black crush is avoided. Saturation levels are also very nice, especially in the supporting nuances. There are no traces of problematic digital corrections. Ideally, density should be slightly better, but grain exposure is very pleasing. Image stability is excellent. There are no distracting large debris, cuts, damage marks, stains, warped or torn frames to report. My score is 4.75/5.00. (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).

The Groundstar Conspiracy Blu-ray Movie, Audio Quality 

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. When turned, on they appear inside the image frame.

The audio is clear and stable. However, while viewing the film I noticed a couple of spot where the dialog temporarily becomes slightly uneven, borderline distorted. I am fairly certain that this is an inherited age-related imperfection. It is not at all distracting and each time it lasts only a few seconds, but it is noticeable. Dynamic intensity is very good for a film from the '70s.

The Groundstar Conspiracy Blu-ray Movie, Special Features and Extras 

• Trailer - vintage trailer for The Groundstar Conspiracy In English, not subtitled. (3 min, 1080p).

• Commentary - in this new audio commentary, filmmaker Daniel Kremer and critic Scout Tafoya discuss in great detail the style and stylistic appearance of The Groundstar Conspiracy, some its similarities to other genre films from '70s (and especially its Crichton-esque overtones, Universal's fondness for complex thrillers and the type of films the studio produced during the same decade, Lamont Johnson's directing style, the careers of George Peppard Michael Sarrazin, etc. It is a very good commentary that should appeal to folks that enjoy the type of commentaries Howard S. Berger, Steve Mitchell, and Nathaniel Thompson do for Kino Lorber.

The Groundstar Conspiracy Blu-ray Movie, Overall Score and Recommendation 

The Groundstar Conspiracy has the right dose of paranoia and smart action to impress folks that hold Michael Crichton's early work in high regard. It has a very stylish '70s appearance as well. Kino Lorber's release of The Groundstar Conspiracy is sourced from a very beautiful exclusive new 2K master and features a terrific audio commentary by filmmaker Daniel Kremer and critic Scout Tafoya. HIGHLY RECOMMENDED. (If you decide to pick up the release for your collection, also consider Crichton's similarly themed made-for-TV directorial debut Pursuit, which was recently restored and is now out on Blu-ray as well. It was released the same year The Groungstar Conspiracy was).