Rating summary

Movie		3.0
Video		3.0
Audio		3.5
Extras		3.5
Overall		3.5

The Tie That Binds Blu-ray Movie Review

Fairy Tale Thriller—Take Two

Reviewed by Michael Reuben August 19, 2018

Kino is reissuing the 1995 thriller The Tie That Binds, a Disney-owned property first released on Blu-ray by Mill Creek seven years ago. While the video master appears to be the same (with some minor improvements), Kino has addressed the problematic stereo surround soundtrack, though not every viewer may appreciate its solution. More importantly, Kino has added a slew of extras where Mill Creek had none, including a newly recorded commentary with director Wesley Strick. The film remains Strick's only outing as a feature director, but he has been busy ever since as a writer and producer, most recently on Amazon's The Man in the High Castle.

For a feature discussion, please see my review of the previous release. According to the new commentary, Strick wanted the film to be his version of The Night of the Hunter, but tonally the result has more in common with the writer's then-recent collaboration with Martin Scorsese on the remake of Cape Fear, a subject also discussed in the commentary.

The Tie That Binds Blu-ray Movie, Video Quality 

(Note: In the accompanying screenshots, I have attempted to approximate images accompanying the review of the 2011 Mill Creek disc. The screen capture process used at Blu-ray.com does not allow for exact frame matches.)

Mill Creek's 1080i Blu-ray of The Tie That Binds was no doubt derived from a master prepared for HDTV, and Kino appears to have taken its 1080p, AVC-encoded Blu-ray from the same source, with a few minor changes. First, Kino has upconverted the video so that your Blu-ray player doesn't have to, and the image has translated effectively. The two discs share the same colors, densities, black levels and degree of detail, with some minor palette tweaks here and there (e.g., screenshot 15).

Second, Kino has matted the image to its original aspect ratio of 1.85:1 (vs. Mill Creek's 1.78:1). The difference is so minor that the thin black bars may not even show on many displays, but it's refreshing to encounter a true 1.85:1 AR, which is becoming increasingly rare on Blu-ray.

Third, and perhaps most importantly, Kino appears to have done some additional cleanup on the master to repair age-related damage. I did not retain any record of the time marks for the problematic moments noted in my original review, but nothing leapt out on this viewing. As is usually the case with good digital cleanup, what's most noteworthy is what you don't see.

Finally, in order to make room for the new extras on a BD-25, Kino has applied tighter compression, achieving an average bitrate of just under 21 Mbps, as compared to Mill Creek's 28.59. The image doesn't appear to have suffered in the process, but Kino should consider the benefits of using a BD-50 and allowing the compressionist more room to work rather than less.

The Tie That Binds Blu-ray Movie, Audio Quality 

If there was a 5.1 mix for The Tie That Binds, Disney still isn't providing it. The 2.0 stereo surround track on Mill Creek's release was terrible, filled with distortion and surround artifacts to such an extent that dialogue was sometimes drowned out. Kino has addressed this problem with an alternate (or remixed) 2.0 track, encoded in lossless DTS-HD MA, that substantially pulls back from the surrounds and maintains focus on the front soundstage. Dialogue is more consistently intelligible and appropriately prioritized; the distortions in Graeme Revell's score have been effectively eliminated; and the surround artifacts that I described as a "whooshing" sound are wholly absent. The overall volume is lower, and the surround presence is significantly reduced, but perhaps this is what was always intended. In any case, the track is a vastly improved listening experience and a far superior accompaniment to the film than what Mill Creek released.

The Tie That Binds Blu-ray Movie, Special Features and Extras 

Mill Creek's Blu-ray was bare of any supplements. Disney's 2000 DVD had only a trailer. Kino has gone the extra mile (and then some) to collect vintage extras and create an entirely new one.

• Commentary with Director Wesley Strick and Film Historian Jim Hemphill: Hemphill is a writer/director (The Trouble with the Truth) and, most importantly, a fan of The Tie That Binds, and his familiarity with the film allows him to prompt Strick with intelligent questions to help spark his recall of an experience from over two decades ago. They discuss casting, visual influences, Strick's work with other directors on previous films and his collaboration with DP Bobby Bukowski on this one. Strick also describes various script changes, including a significant reshoot of the ending in response to a test audience's reaction. If you're a fan of the film, this is a valuable addition to its history.



• Production Story Featurette (480i; 1.33:1; 3:35): A promotional EPK featuring brief interviews with the director and cast, which are overshadowed by a hard-sell voiceover narration.



• Cast and Crew Soundbites (480i; 1.33:1; 8:59): Vintage interviews with Daryl Hannah, Keith Carradine, Moira Kelly, Vincent Spano, Julia Devin, Strick and producer David Madden.



• Selected B-Rolls (480i; 1.33:1; 4:11): These are snippets of "behind the scenes" footage.



• Trailers (480p; various ARs).
• The Tie That Binds
• The Rich Man's Wife
• Color of Night
• Shattered
• No Man's Land

The Tie That Binds Blu-ray Movie, Overall Score and Recommendation 

I still find The Tie That Binds problematic for the reasons expressed in my initial review, but fans of the film should be pleased with this new version. Although Kino isn't offering a new transfer, its Blu-ray represents a solid upgrade over the marginal quality of Mill Creek's previous release and is, on that basis, recommended.