7.2 | / 10 |
Users | 0.0 | |
Reviewer | 4.0 | |
Overall | 4.0 |
With the American Mafia families pooling their resources to bring huge quantities of cheap heroin into the country, it's up to customs official Ivano Radevic to allow the authorities to intercept the drugs en route to the USA.
Starring: Mario Merola, Antonio Sabato, Gianni Garko, Jeff Blynn, Edmund PurdomForeign | 100% |
Crime | 36% |
Thriller | 5% |
Drama | Insignificant |
Video codec: MPEG-4 AVC
Video resolution: 1080p
Aspect ratio: 2.35:1
Original aspect ratio: 2.39:1
English: DTS-HD Master Audio 2.0
Italian: DTS-HD Master Audio 2.0
English
Blu-ray Disc
Single disc (1 BD)
Region free
Movie | 3.5 | |
Video | 4.0 | |
Audio | 4.5 | |
Extras | 3.0 | |
Overall | 4.0 |
Alfonso Brescia's "The New Godfathers" a.k.a. "I contrabbandieri di Santa Lucia" (1979) arrives on Blu-ray courtesy of Kino Lorber. The only bonus feature on the release is an exclusive new program with critic Mike Malloy. In English or Italian, with optional English subtitles for the main feature. Region-Free.
Presented in an aspect ratio of 2.35:1, encoded with MPEG-4 AVC and granted a 1080p transfer, The New Godfathers arrives on Blu-ray courtesy of Raro Video.
I viewed the English-language version of the film and sampled various sections of the Italian version. Both are remastered and look quite good but have some rougher areas that a proper restoration would have addressed. For example, there is one small section with a couple of chemical stains (see screencapture #24). In another section, several noticeable drops in density levels are exacerbated by aging. Signs of small color fading can be spotted as well. However, there are no traces of problematic digital corrections and the entire film has an attractive organic appearance. Color balance is convincing too, though it is very easy to see that some primaries and supporting nuances can be better saturated. Grain exposure is good but because of the density fluctuations a bit uneven in select areas. Delineation, clarity, and depth range from good to very good, so on a large screen the visuals are usually quite nice. Image stability is good but some small enhancements can be introduced. All in all, I think that this release offers a good but slightly inconsistent organic presentation of The New Godfathers. My score is 3.75/5.00. (Note: This is a Region-Free BLu-ray release. Therefore, you will be able to play it on your player regardless of your geographical location).
THere are two standard audio tracks on this Blu-ray release: English DTS-HD Master Audio 2.0 and Italian DTS-HD Master Audio 2.0. Optional English subtitles are available only for the Italian track.
The English track is very good. However, I must remind you that it is a dub track, so it is a bit uneven at times and its dynamic range is far from impressive. There are no traces of serious age-related anomalies, like distortion, instability, hiss, crackle, etc.
The New Godfathers was not conceived to be a time capsule. However, it visits various unglamorous areas of Naples and casually reveals that the working class and the mafia have begun operating as a team, so this material makes it a pretty intriguing time capsule. On the other hand, the light humor, the wild English track, and the wide range of shocking contrasts give the film a genre identity that is quite unusual, to say the least. I enjoy The New Godfathers a lot but primarily because it is a product of its time, not because it is a masterful film. Raro Video's release is sourced from a slightly rough but fine organic remaster and has a good exclusive new program with critic Mike Malloy. HIGHLY RECOMMENDED.
(Still not reliable for this title)
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