6.8 | / 10 |
Users | 0.0 | |
Reviewer | 4.0 | |
Overall | 4.0 |
Surprised that their contract victim didn't try to run away from them, two professional hit men try to find out who hired them and why.
Starring: Lee Marvin, Angie Dickinson, John Cassavetes, Clu Gulager, Claude AkinsDrama | 100% |
Film-Noir | 39% |
Crime | 22% |
Mystery | 12% |
Thriller | Insignificant |
Video codec: MPEG-4 AVC
Video resolution: 1080p
Aspect ratio: 1.34:1
Original aspect ratio: 1.37:1, 1.85:1
English: LPCM Mono (48kHz, 24-bit)
BDInfo
English SDH
50GB Blu-ray Disc
Single disc (1 BD)
Region A (locked)
Movie | 4.0 | |
Video | 4.0 | |
Audio | 4.5 | |
Extras | 3.5 | |
Overall | 4.0 |
Don Siegel's "The Killers" (1964) arrives on Blu-ray courtesy of Criterion. The supplemental features on the disc include an original trailer for the film; archival video interview with actor Clu Gulager; and excerpt about "The Killers" from director Don Siegel's autobiography, "A Siegel Film", read by actor and director Hampton Fancher. The release also arrives with an illustrated leaflet featuring essays by novelist Jonathan Lethem and critic Geoffrey O'Brien. In English, with optional English SDH subtitles for the main feature. Region-A "locked".
Charlie Strom
Presented in an aspect ratio of 1.34:1, encoded with MPEG-4 and granted a 1080p transfer, Don Siegel's The Killers arrives on Blu-ray courtesy of Criterion.
The following text appears inside the leaflet provided with this Blu-ray release:
"This new high-definition digital transfer was created on a Spirit DataCine film scanner from a 35mm interpositive. The original monaural soundtrack was remastered at 24-bit from a 35mm magnetic track. Clicks, thumps, hiss, hum, and crackle were manually removed using Pro Tools HD, AudioCube's integrated workstation, and iZotope RX 4.
Blu-ray mastering: Radius 60, Los Angeles."
In America initially the film was intended to be shown on TV, while in Europe it was expected to be shown in cinemas. However, the framing is indeed very flexible and allows for a very similar viewing experience with both aspect ratios.
Detail and clarity are pleasing, but some minor density fluctuations can be spotted throughout the entire film. Image depth is also good, but there are areas of the film where it is easy to see that it could be better. Contrast levels remain stable. There are no traces of problematic degraining corrections. However, grain distribution could fluctuate a bit and as a result in occasionally it could appear either overexposed or underexposed. These fluctuations can be traced back to the master that was used to produce the release. Edge-enhancement is not an issue of concern. Color saturation is very good, but occasionally some minor pulsations are visible. They can also be traced back to the current master. Some minor scratches, vertical lines, and specks could be seen. Finally, overall image stability is very good. (Note: This is a Region-A "locked" Blu-ray release. Therefore, you must have a native Region-A or Region-Free Blu-ray player in order to access its content).
There is only one standard audio track on this Blu-ray release: English LPCM 1.0. Optional English subtitles are provided for the main feature.
John Williams' beautiful orchestral score benefits the most from the lossless treatment, but the racing sequences also sound wonderful. Depth and clarity are very good. In fact, anyone who has previously experienced the film only on DVD will likely be very impressed with dramatic improvements. There is no background hiss, audio dropouts, or distortions to report in this review.
Loosely based on Ernest Hemingway's short tale, Don Siegel's The Killers was initially intended to be shown on TV. As a result, Siegel and cinematographer Richard L. Rawlings opted for plenty of light and a variety of bright and lush colors rather than the typical for film noirs prominent shadows. I much prefer Robert Siodmak's very stylish 1946 film, but Siegel's adaptation is quite entertaining. It is one of three adaptations included on Criterion's upcoming Blu-ray release of The Killers (the third is Andrei Tarkovsky's 1956 student film). Please note that Siodmak and Siegel's films are reviewed individually. RECOMMENDED.
(Still not reliable for this title)
1946
1947
4K Restoration
1973
1981
1950
1973
1948
Includes They Call Me MISTER Tibbs! and The Organization on standard BD
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Warner Archive Collection
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Encore Edition | Limited Edition to 3000 - SOLD OUT
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