7.4 | / 10 |
Users | 0.0 | |
Reviewer | 4.5 | |
Overall | 4.5 |
Gentleman's club owner Cosmo Vitelli is desperately committed to maintaining a facade of suave gentility despite the seediness of his environment and his own unhealthy appetites. When he runs afoul of loan sharks, Cosmo must carry out a terrible crime or lose his way of life.
Starring: Ben Gazzara, Timothy Carey, Seymour Cassel, Robert Phillips (I), Morgan WoodwardDrama | 100% |
Film-Noir | 14% |
Crime | 7% |
Video codec: MPEG-4 AVC
Video resolution: 1080p
Aspect ratio: 1.85:1
Original aspect ratio: 1.85:1
English: LPCM Mono (48kHz, 24-bit)
English SDH
50GB Blu-ray Disc
Single disc (1 BD)
Region A (locked)
Movie | 4.5 | |
Video | 4.0 | |
Audio | 4.5 | |
Extras | 3.0 | |
Overall | 4.5 |
John Cassavetes' "The Killing of a Chinese Bookie" (1976) arrives on Blu-ray courtesy of Criterion. The supplemental features on the disc include an original trailer for the film; the re-edited 1978 version of the film; excerpt from an audio interview with director John Cassavetes conducted by film scholars Michel Ciment and Michael Wilson; video interview with actor Ben Gazzara; and producer Al Ruban; and production stills. In English, with optional English SDH subtitles for the main feature. Region-A "locked".
"I'm a club owner. I took a place from nothing and built it into something."
Presented in its original aspect ratio of 1.85:1, encoded with MPEG-4 AVC and granted a 1080p transfer, John Cassavetes' The Killing of a Chinese Bookie arrives on Blu-ray courtesy of Criterion.
Please note that screencaptures included with this review appear in the following order:
1. 1978 Version: Screencaptures #1-19
2. 1976 Version: Screencaptures #21-24
The following text appear inside the booklet provided with this Blu-ray release:
"This high-definition digital transfer was created on a Spirit DataCine from a 35mm color reversal internegative and restored by Criterion. The original monaural soundtrack was remastered at 24-bit from the 35mm magnetic audio track. Clicks, thumps, hiss, and hum were manually removed using Pro Tools HD. Crackle was attenuated using AudioCube's integrated workstation.
Transfer supervisor: Maria Palazzola.
Colorist: Gregg Garvin/Modern VideoFilm, Burbank, CA."
Despite the frequent camera movement and at times rather problematic shooting conditions inside the club, clarity is very good. Some minor contrast fluctuations are present, but they are also inherited. (The club footage and the outdoor footage were shot by different DPs). Close-ups with sufficient light look very good (see screencapture #4). Color stability and color density and good. Also, there are no traces of color boosting to report in this review. Problematic degraining and sharpening corrections have not been performed. Unsurprisingly, light grain is visible throughout the entire film. However, some of it is occasionally mixed with extremely light noise. Additionally, some tiny flecks pop up here and there, but there are no large cuts, damage marks, warps, or stains. Image stability excellent throughout the entire film. All in all, this a good organic presentation of The Killing of a Chinese Bookie that should please its fans. (Note: This is a Region-A "locked" Blu-ray release. Therefore., you must have a native Region-A or Region-Free PS3 or SA in order to access its content).
There is only one standard audio track on this Blu-ray release: English LPCM 1.0. For the record, Criterion have provided optional English SDH subtitles for the main feature.
There are tiny bits of music, but the film does not have a prominent soundtrack. There are some extremely minor fluctuations in terms of dynamic intensity, but they are undoubtedly part of the film's sound design. Depth and stability are very good, and there is no problematic background hiss. Also, the audio is free of pops, cracks, dropouts, and distortions.
John Cassavetes' The Killing of a Chinese Bookie is a very personal, very stylish and unusually thought-provoking film that will have a different impact on different viewers. Criterion's Blu-ray release contains the original 1976 version and the re-edited 1978 version of the film. Contrary to what has been said about the longer 1976 version, I think that it is just as powerful. The Killing of a Chinese Bookie is pure American cinema at its best. HIGHLY RECOMMENDED.
1968
1977
1958
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1984
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1956
1931
2016
1980
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1976
Includes Elia Kazan: Outsider 1982 Documentary
1954
4K Restoration
1948
Bob the Gambler
1956
1990
Limited Edition
1993
2019