7.1 | / 10 |
Users | 4.5 | |
Reviewer | 4.0 | |
Overall | 4.0 |
Two escaped criminals who kidnapped a baby break into the house of Misawa, a man who works in an advertising agency and lives quietly with his family. They will force him to collect the child’s ransom for them.
Starring: Rentarô Mikuni, Masumi Harukawa, Kô Nishimura, Hideo Murota, Ken MitsudaForeign | 100% |
Crime | 3% |
Action | Insignificant |
Video codec: MPEG-4 AVC
Video resolution: 1080p
Aspect ratio: 2.35:1
Original aspect ratio: 2.35:1
Japanese: LPCM Mono
English
Blu-ray Disc
Single disc (1 BD)
Slipcover in original pressing
Region A (B, C untested)
Movie | 4.0 | |
Video | 4.0 | |
Audio | 4.0 | |
Extras | 2.5 | |
Overall | 4.0 |
Arrow typically isn't shy about revisiting previous releases to either offer former "Limited Editions" in less adorned "Standard Editions", or to actually upgrade either video or audio specs, but some might jokingly think of Arrow re-releasing a setup rather than actual film with the The Threat, since at least a "home invasion" scenario in the film may remind some of Arrow's 2023 release of the venerable Humphrey Bogart thriller The Desperate Hours. And in fact much like that domestic 1955 outing, a rather interesting "outlier" in some ways in the equally venerable William Wyler's filmography, Kinji Fukasaku helms a tale that involves a well to do middle class family in a post World War II economic boom who suddenly find their lives torn asunder by the arrival of some bad guys in their domicile. Also contextually somewhat similarly to The Desperate Hours, The Threat crafts a tale where a normal, day to day existence is revealed to be entirely and perhaps troublingly fragile, even if in this case there's less of a "random" aspect in terms of the family enduring the trauma of dealing with nefarious criminals.
The Threat is presented on Blu-ray courtesy of Arrow Video with an AVC encoded 1080p transfer in 2.35:1. Arrow's insert booklet contains the following relatively minimal information on the transfer:
The Threat is presented in its original 2.35:1 aspect ratio with uncompressed PCM mono sound. The high definition master was provided by Toei Company, Ltd. Additional mastering work was complete by The Engine House Media Services, London.I am frankly not always a fan of the "pre delivered" masters Toei tends to offer to Arrow and other labels, but in this case, things look pretty fantastic all around. The black and white cinematography is presented with generally excellent contrast and an appealingly organic look to the grain field. There are some of the occasional anamorphic oddities that can sometimes be spotted in Asian films in particular, though in this case it tends to look more like stretching at the outer edges of the frame rather than the more typical squeezing. Detail levels are excellent throughout, though fine detail can definitely ebb in some of the most dimly lit material. There are some stylistic curiosities, including the use of negative imagery (see screenshot 2). My score is 4.25.
The Threat offers an LPCM Mono track in the original Japanese. Lovers of relatively early electronic music may remember after the sensation that Wendy Carlos' Switched On Bach albums created, a bunch of putative imitators followed, probably none better remembered than the mononym Tomita, whose synthesizer recreations of Debussy in Snowflakes are Dancing was itself a sensation. That may make the soundtrack of The Threat quite interesting for some, as it offers Tomita (replete with his first name, Isao) in a more "traditional" film scoring mode, offering a kind of jazzy, at times sinuous, score which sounds generally fine if just slightly thin at times. Dialogue and sound effects are all presented cleanly and clearly. Optional English subtitles are available.
The Threat may seem like its trafficking in some well worn "home invasion" tropes, and while that may be true, the writing and especially some of the performance and presentational aspects give this film a very distinctive look and feel. Technical merits are generally solid and as usual Arrow provides some compelling on disc supplements and packaging accoutrements. Recommended.
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