5.4 | / 10 |
Users | 0.0 | |
Reviewer | 3.0 | |
Overall | 3.0 |
Billy the Kid and Doc Holliday fight over possession of a stallion and a sultry Mexican girl.
Starring: Jane Russell, Jack Buetel, Thomas Mitchell (I), Walter Huston, Joe SawyerRomance | 100% |
Western | 89% |
Drama | 60% |
Comedy | Insignificant |
Video codec: MPEG-4 AVC
Video resolution: 1080p
Aspect ratio: 1.33:1
Original aspect ratio: 1.37:1
English: DTS-HD Master Audio 2.0
None
Blu-ray Disc
Single disc (1 BD)
Region A (locked)
Movie | 2.0 | |
Video | 3.5 | |
Audio | 3.5 | |
Extras | 2.0 | |
Overall | 3.0 |
Howard Hughes' "The Outlaw" (1943) arrives on Blu-ray courtesy of Kino Video. The supplemental features on the disc include new audio commentary by film historian Troy Howarth and promotional trailers. In English, without optional English SDH subtitles for the main feature. Region-A "locked".
Rio
Presented in an aspect ratio of 1.33:1, encoded with MPEG-4 AVC and granted a 1080p transfer, Howard Hughes' The Outlaw arrives on Blu-ray courtesy of Kino Video.
The release is sourced from a 2K restoration that was completed by Lobser Films in France. It is the best presentation of the this legendary bad film that I have seen on any format, though you should keep in mind that the end result is actually closer to what a decent remaster would produce. Of course there are multiple reasons for this, including various source limitations, but I must say that with some specific encoding optimizations the current presentation definitely could have been more convincing.
Detail and clarity are mostly quite pleasing, but there are various noticeable density fluctuations that affect the overall fluidity. Predictably, grain exposure varies, but stronger encoding actually would have enhanced density quite a bit. The best news is that there are no traces of problematic sharpening adjustments. The grading is good, but there is some unevenness in the gamma levels that could have been avoided. Generally speaking, the film is quite clean, but minor scratches and tiny dirt spots remain. My score is 3.25/5.00. (Note: This is a Region-A "locked" Blu-ray release. Therefore, you must have a native Region-A or Region-Free player in order to access its content).
There is only one standard audio track on this Blu-ray release: English DTS-HD Master Audio 2.0. Optional English SDH subtitles are not provided for the main feature.
Dynamic intensity is limited, but with such an early this is anything but surprising. The dialog is stable and clean, but there are segments where some unevenness emerges and occasionally makes it difficult to hear and understand small exchanges. Naturally, some viewers almost certainly would have liked to have optional English SDH subtitles. There are no audio dropouts to report.
The Outlaw is worth seeing because it really is as bad as advertised. It was a pet project that never had a chance to be something special, but Howard Hughes completed it because he was obsessed with it and Jane Russell's figure. I've always wanted to have a good copy of it in my library because it is one of those legendary successful bad films that are frequently referenced, but in the past there was never a proper release of it on the market. Kino Video's recent Blu-ray release of The Outlaw is sourced from a good 2K restoration, but the technical presentation could have been more convincing.
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