Rating summary

Movie		5.0
Video		5.0
Audio		4.0
Extras		4.0
Overall		4.5

The Last Picture Show Blu-ray Movie Review

Reviewed by Martin Liebman November 1, 2022

Sony has released the classic 1971 film 'The Last Picture Show,' starring Timothy Bottoms and Jeff Bridges, directed by the late Peter Bogdanovich, to Blu-ray. At time of writing, this Blu-ray disc is exclusive to the third volume of the prestigious 'Columbia Classics Collection' boxed set, where a UHD copy of the film, and five other films, are included. The film was previously released to Blu-ray by Criterion in 2010 as part of a multi-film package. This set includes a blend of Criterion's extras and other vintage supplements that are new to Blu-ray in addition to a new director tribute. Note that not all of the Criterion extras are included. Also included is new 1080p video sourced from the 4K master and mono lossless audio. Please note that this Blu-ray only includes the Director's Cut version of the film (2:06:18).

Official synopsis: Released in 1971 to critical acclaim and public controversy, 'The Last Picture Show' garnered eight Academy Award nominations, including Best Picture, and was hailed as the most important work by a young American director since Citizen Kane. A surprisingly frank, bittersweet drama of social and sexual mores in small-town Texas, the film features a talent-laden cast led by Jeff Bridges, Cybill Shepherd and Timothy Bottoms. Cloris Leachman and Ben Johnson each won Oscars for their work in supporting roles.

For a few additional thoughts on the film, please see Dr. Svet Atanasov's writing accompanying the Criterion release by clicking here.

The Last Picture Show Blu-ray Movie, Video Quality 

Sony's new Blu-ray presentation of The Last Picture Show, sourced from the 4K master, is an absolute delight. The picture looks astonishing. The filmic veneer is beautiful. Grain is consistent in depth and density. It is very flattering and faithful to the film source, which is replicated to 1080p perfection. There is zero evidence of unwarranted scrubbing or grain reduction. Details are incredibly crisp and lifelike, revealing facial textures, clothing lines, and a myriad of location and environmental details with screen commanding ease and efficiency. It's rather remarkable just how much complexity and purely filmic excellence this one achieves. The grayscale is spectacular as well. The image captures effortless contrast and definition to the midrange spectrum while blacks are deep and whites are impressively bright and crisp. There are no source blemishes or encode problems to report. This couldn't look any better on Blu-ray.

The Last Picture Show Blu-ray Movie, Audio Quality 

Sony has included a DTS-HD Master Audio 2.0 mono soundtrack for The Last Picture Show. The track is sufficient in delivering the film's meager sonic needs. Dialogue is clear and images well to the center, which takes care of the vast majority of the film's audio spectrum. Musical supports don't dazzle or delight, but they do offer solid foundational characteristics for clarity and front side spacing. The track incorporates little sonic touches and details to bring life to the small Texas town, lacking immersion, of course, but doing well to define the space and gently draw the listener into every shot, scene, and sequence. There's nothing of note here, which suits this content just fine.

The Last Picture Show Blu-ray Movie, Special Features and Extras 

Sony's Blu-ray release of 'The Last Picture Show' includes some of the extras from the Criterion release and some that are new to Blu-ray. Coverage of the carryover content can be found by clicking here. Note that not all of the Criterion disc's supplemental content carries over. New content (which is new to Blu-ray, not necessarily newly produced for this disc with the exception of the tribute piece) is marked as such and briefly reviewed below. As it ships in the above-linked "Columbia Classics" boxed set, a slipcover and a digital copy code are included.

• NEW! A Tribute to Peter Bogdanovich (1080p 13:55): Exploring the filmmaker's career with Bogdanovich biographer Peter Tonguette. Of course there is some emphasis on The Last Picture Show and its place in the director's career.
• The Last Picture Show: A Look Back (480i, 1:04:40).
• A Discussion with Filmmaker Peter Bogdanovich (1080p, 12:51).
• Audio Commentary: Director Peter Bogdanovich.
• Location Footage (1080i, 4x3, 6:27): As with the Criterion version, there is no audio.
• NEW! Theatrical Re-Release Featurette (480i, 4x3, 6:03): Discussions include the black and white photography, settings, casting, Bogdanovich's career prior to the film, narratives, and new footage included for the re-release cut.
• Teaser Trailer (1080p, 1:27).
• Theatrical Trailer (1080p, 3:04).

The Last Picture Show Blu-ray Movie, Overall Score and Recommendation 

Sony has absolutely knocked this one out of the park. The picture and sound qualities couldn't be any better on Blu-ray, and the supplementary material adds much value to the overall presentation. Of course, the Blu-ray is bested by the UHD, which is also included in the above linked Columbia Classics Collection. However, this is a dominant tour-de-force presentation of a classic. Very highly recommended.