7.2 | / 10 |
Users | 0.0 | |
Reviewer | 3.0 | |
Overall | 3.0 |
Willie is a gangster's henchman turned "supergrass" (informer) trying to live in peaceful hiding in a remote Spanish village. Sun-dappled bliss turns to nerve-racking suspense, however, when two hit men come calling to bring Willie back for execution.
Starring: Terence Stamp, John Hurt, Tim Roth, Ralph Brown (I), Albie WoodingtonThriller | Insignificant |
Crime | Insignificant |
Drama | Insignificant |
Video codec: VC-1
Video resolution: 1080p
Aspect ratio: 1.85:1
Original aspect ratio: 1.85:1
English: DTS-HD Master Audio 5.1
English: DTS-HD Master Audio 2.0
Italian: DTS-HD Master Audio Mono
Italian: DTS-HD Master Audio 5.1
Italian, Italian SDH, English
50GB Blu-ray Disc
Single disc (1 BD)
Slipcover in original pressing
Region B (locked)
Movie | 3.5 | |
Video | 2.5 | |
Audio | 4.0 | |
Extras | 2.5 | |
Overall | 3.0 |
Stephen Frears' "The Hit" (1984) arrives on Blu-ray courtesy of Italian distributors Eagle Pictures. The supplemental features on the disc include an original trailer for the film and an audio commentary with director Stephen Frears, writer Peter Prince, and film editor Mick Audsley. In English, with optional English, Italian, and Italian SDH subtitles for the main feature. Region-B "locked".
It is time
Presented in its original aspect ratio of 1.85:1, encoded with VC-1 and granted a 1080p transfer, Stephen Frears' The Hit arrives on Blu-ray courtesy of Italian distributors Eagle Pictures.
The high-definition transfer is very inconsistent. It has been sourced from an older master, most likely one that was prepared for a DVD release years ago, and it clearly shows. There are light to moderate traces of filtering corrections throughout the entire film. There are select close-ups where detail is somewhat pleasing (see screencapture #3), but elsewhere depth and clarity are indeed underwhelming. The nighttime footage, in particular, is quite problematic - definition and color stability are very poor. Contrast levels also fluctuate. Colors also look anemic and often very flat. The only good news here is the fact that no attempts have been made to sharpen the transfer. Also, there are no large debris, cuts, damage marks, or warps to report in this review. To sum it all up, on mid-size screens the presentation may look somewhat decent, or at least occasionally it may look somewhat decent, but with a proper transfer there is no doubt in my mind that The Hit will look like an entirely different film. (Note: This is a Region-B "locked" Blu-ray release. Therefore, you must have a native Region-B or Region-Free PS3 or SA in order to access its content).
There are four standard audio tracks on this Blu-ray release: English DTS-HD Master Audio 5.1, English DTS-HD Master Audio 2.0, Italian DTS-HD Master Audio 5.1, and Italian DTS-HD Master Audio 1.0. For the record, Eagle Pictures have provided optional English, Italian, and Italian SDH subtitles for the main feature.
I chose to view the film with the English DTS-HD Master Audio 2.0 track. The superb soundtrack by legendary guitarist Paco de Lucia gets a strong boost - the music is better rounded and fuller than it appears on Criterion's R1 DVD release of The Hit. Overall dynamic intensity, however, is rather limited. The dialog is stable and easy to follow, but occasionally there is extremely light background hiss that sneaks in.
I truly hope that Criterion will eventually manage to upgrade their R1 DVD release of Stephen Frears' The Hit. This Italian Blu-ray release, courtesy of Eagle Pictures, offers only a very minor upgrade over the R1 DVD release. The high-definition transfer it uses is very inconsistent and there are only small parts of the film that actually look acceptable. Seeing the film with a lossless track, however, is definitely a different experience.
(Still not reliable for this title)
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