6.5 | / 10 |
Users | 3.5 | |
Reviewer | 4.0 | |
Overall | 3.6 |
Chino Valdez is a loner horse breeder living in the old west. Partly a loner by choice, and partly because, being a 'half-breed', he finds himself unwelcome almost everywhere he goes. One day, a young runaway named Jimmy shows up at his door looking for work and a roof over his head. Reluctantly, Chino agrees to take him in and teach him the art of raising, breaking and breeding horses, until the pair finally begin to accept each other.
Starring: Charles Bronson, Jill Ireland, Marcel Bozzuffi, Vincent Van Patten, Fausto TozziWestern | 100% |
Drama | Insignificant |
Action | Insignificant |
Video codec: MPEG-4 AVC
Video resolution: 1080p
Aspect ratio: 1.37:1, 1.85:1
Original aspect ratio: 1.85:1
English: DTS-HD Master Audio 2.0 Mono (48kHz, 16-bit)
English SDH
Blu-ray Disc
Single disc (1 BD)
Slipcover in original pressing
Region A (locked)
Movie | 4.0 | |
Video | 4.0 | |
Audio | 4.5 | |
Extras | 3.5 | |
Overall | 4.0 |
John Sturges' "The Valdez Horses" (1973) arrives on Blu-ray courtesy of Kino Lorber. The supplemental features on the disc include vintage promotional materials for the film; exclusive new video interview with actor Vincent Van Patten; audio commentary by film historian Paul Talbot; and more. In English, with optional English SDH subtitles for the main feature. Region-A "locked".
Presented in its original aspect ratio of 1.85:1, encoded with MPEG-4 AVC and granted a 1080p transfer, The Valdez Horses arrives on Blu-ray courtesy if Kino Lorber.
Earlier this year, we reviewed this Region-B release of The Valdez Horses which was sourced from an older master that was supplied by StudioCanal. I did not like this master at all because it was color-graded in a very awkward way. Indeed, there are various primaries on it that are quite simply wrong, which is why the overall color balance/temperature is very problematic as well. In other words, the film does not look as it should. This release is sourced from a new 2K master that was struck from a 35mm print. It has a completely different color-scheme with very nice primaries that are much better balanced. Yes, there are still areas where meaningful improvements can be made, but all of the distracting anomalies that are present on the other master are gone. For example, the odd greens and yellows that destroy the blues and whites are eliminated. Also, there are entire ranges of supporting nuances that are improved and look much better. Now, there is quite a bit of inherited surface damage, but I personally did not find it problematic. Why? Because even though ideally the film should look healthier, it still looks like organic film. On the other release it is painfully obvious that the film has its native color-scheme destabilized, which is why it does not look like organic film. There are no traces of problematic digital adjustments. Image stability is good, but there is room for some small yet meaningful stabilizations. To sum it all up, currently this release has the best technical presentation of The Valdez Horses. My score is 3.75/5.00.
Also included is a different 'version' of the film in the 1.37:1 ratio, which was apparently remastered by StudioCanal. I don't see any real value in it. Not only is the aspect ratio wrong, but it has many of the color anomalies from the Region-B release that is referenced above. (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 provided for the main feature.
The lossless track is surprisingly solid. I was expecting to be quite uneven, but its balance is actually really good. It is clean as well, though I suspect that if one day the film is fully restored in 2K/4K the audio will be remastered as well. So, the current lossless track serves the film very well.
While the production of The Valdez Horses was being discussed in Rome, a lot of people apparently rubbed each other the wrong way. In fact, it is pretty clear now that a few egos were seriously and permanently hurt as well. Also, there are different stories floating around about John Sturges and Duilio Coletti's involvement with the film, which isn't surprising because the Italian film industry has always been a chaotic business. I personally do not see any serious flaws in the film. I think that it has a very interesting Delmer Daves-esque quality, which no other Charles Bronson film has. Kino Lorber's release is sourced from a somewhat rough but very nice new organic master that I like a lot more than the one that was used for this recent Region-B release. On this release, The Valdez Horses actually looks like film. HIGHLY RECOMMENDED.
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