The Last Waltz Blu-ray Movie

Rating summary

Movie		4.0
Video		3.5
Audio		5.0
Extras		4.0
Overall		3.5

The Last Waltz Blu-ray Movie Review

Reviewed by Dr. Svet Atanasov November 5, 2018

Martin Scorsese's "The Last Waltz" (1978) arrives on Blu-ray courtesy of British label Eureka Entertainment. The supplemental features on the disc include vintage promotional materials for the film; vintage audio commentary with director Martin Scorsese and musician/producer Robbie Robertson; archival featurette with interviews; and more. The release also arrives with an exclusive 100-page perfect bound collector's book with writings on the film and rare archival imagery. In English, with optional English SDH subtitles for the main feature. Region-B "locked".

Crowded stage

Martin Scorsese's The Last Waltz was amongst the very early titles that MGM and Twentieth Century Fox Home Entertainment introduced on Blu-ray in North America in 2006. This upcoming release is sourced from a vault master that MGM has used for previous releases of the film. For an in-depth analysis of the film, please see Greg Maltz's review of the North American release here.

The Last Waltz Blu-ray Movie, Video Quality 

Presented in its original aspect ratio of 1.85:1, encoded with MPEG-4 AVC and granted a 1080p transfer, Martin Scorsese's The Last Waltz arrives on Blu-ray courtesy of Eureka Entertainment.

The release is sourced from the existing vault master that MGM has used for earlier releases of the film. The good news is that even though the limitations of the master are quite obvious there are no traces of digital tinkering, so the basic qualities that we usually scrutinize in our reviews promote an overall stable organic presentation. Obviously, because of the nature of the live footage there are some noticeable fluctuations that affect density and clarity, but these are native fluctuations that are part of the original cinematography. On the other hand, there are also source limitations that are not inherited. For example, there is noticeable black crush that a proper new remaster will eliminate. Predictably, shadow definition isn't optimal either, which means that the current master is missing nuances. Overall density isn't proper either, and on a larger screen all of the shortcomings of the master that can be traced back to density become quite obvious. Colors are stable, but saturation can be better and the nuances can be expanded. Stability is good, but there are plenty of white specks and even some tiny dirt marks that can be spotted throughout the film. So generally the current master has decent organic qualities, but its age and limitations most definitely show. (Note: This is a Region-B "locked" Blu-ray release. Therefore, you must have a native Region-B or Region-Free player in order to access its content).

The Last Waltz Blu-ray Movie, Audio Quality 

There are two standard audio tracks on this Blu-ray release: English DTS-HD Master Audio 5.1 and English LPCM 2.0. Optional English SDH subtitles are provided for the main feature.

It is quite easy to tell that old 5.1 track that MGM prepared was carefully remixed because it does a lot of neat things to capture the live concert atmosphere as best as possible. In fact, I would be surprised if Martin Scorsese did not have some sort of an input before it was finalized. I like it. However, I also played around with the 2.0 track and I find it to be very convincing as well. I think that it gives slightly more prominence to the crowd noise while keeping the music as vibrant as it is on the 5.1 track. I think that it was a good idea to have it added as an option on the disc.

The Last Waltz Blu-ray Movie, Special Features and Extras 

• Audio Commentary One - this vintage audio commentary with director Martin Scorsese and musician/producer Robbie Robertson has appeared on a number of previous home video releases of The Last Waltz. The bulk of the information addresses nature and goal(s) of the project, specific technical choices that were made to capture the performances in the most effective way, the music and editing choices, and the spirit of the era in which the project was conceived as well as some of the cultural trends that defined it.

• Audio Commentary Two - this vintage audio commentary features members of The Band, other crew members, some fans, and folks that assisted Martin Scorsese before and during the making of The Last Waltz. There is a lot of interesting information here about the manner in which different tunes were conceived, the performing styles, Martin Scorsese's initial idea(s) for The Last Waltz, the manner in which the film was edited, the management of the live sound, etc.

• Revisiting The Last Waltz - this archival featurette focuses on the genesis of The Last Waltz. Included in it are extensive interviews with Martin Scorsese and Robbie Robertson. The featurette was produced and directed by Stephen Altobello. In English, not subtitled. (23 min).

• Archival Outtake - Jam 2 - this archival footage from The Last Waltz features Paul Butterfield, Eric Clapton, Dr. John, Levon Helm, Garth Hudson, Carl Radle, Robbie Robertson, Ringo Starr, Stephen Stills, Ronnie Wood, and Neil Young. Music only. (13 min).

• Stills Gallery - an extensive collection of vintage stills.
  
  1. The Concert
  2. The Studio Shots
  3. Then NYC Premiere
  4. Posters and Lobby Cards

• Trailer - an original theatrical trailer for The Last Waltz. In English, not subtitled. (3 min).

• TV Spot - an archival TV spot for The Last Waltz. In English, not subtitled. (1 min).

• Book - a 100-page perfect bound collector's book including writing on the film by Adam Batty, Greil Marcus and Robbie Robertson; an abundance of extremely rare archival imagery; extensive notes, storyboards and sketches from the film's production. Limited Edition Exclusive.

The Last Waltz Blu-ray Movie, Overall Score and Recommendation 

I am convinced that at some point in the future The Last Waltz will be redone because the current master that MGM has in its vaults is simply not on par with the type of remasters that have been done recently for other films from Martin Scorsese's filmography. It is not bad -- it actually has pretty decent organic qualities -- but it has a fair share of obvious age-related limitations that can be eliminated. So, this is a nice offering for folks in the United Kingdom where until now there has not been an official Blu-ray release of The Last Waltz, but the film can and should look better in high-definition. (I am not so sure that it can sound any better, though). RECOMMENDED.