6.8 | / 10 |
Users | 0.0 | |
Reviewer | 3.0 | |
Overall | 3.0 |
Shrimpers and oilmen clash when an ambitious wildcatter begins constructing an off-shore oil rig.
Starring: James Stewart, Joanne Dru, Gilbert Roland, Dan Duryea, Jay C. FlippenDrama | Insignificant |
Adventure | Insignificant |
Video codec: MPEG-4 AVC
Video resolution: 1080p
Aspect ratio: 1.85:1
Original aspect ratio: 1.37:1
English: DTS-HD Master Audio 2.0 Mono
English: DTS-HD Master Audio 3.0
English SDH
Blu-ray Disc
Single disc (1 BD)
Region A (locked)
Movie | 4.0 | |
Video | 3.0 | |
Audio | 4.0 | |
Extras | 2.5 | |
Overall | 3.0 |
Anthony Mann's "Thunder Bay" (1953) arrives on Blu-ray courtesy of Kino Lorber. The supplemental features on the disc include an exclusive new audio commentary by film historian Toby Roan and vintage trailer for the film. In English, with optional English SDH subtitles for the main feature. Region-A "locked".
It will work. I guarantee it.
Presented in its original aspect ratio of 1.85:1, encoded with MPEG-4 AVC and granted a 1080p transfer, Thunder Bay arrives on Blu-ray courtesy of Kino Lorber.
The technical presentation is very underwhelming. The master that was used to source the release reveals a great deal of color bleeding, which is a byproduct of various registration issues. There is general instability as well, which causes various background pulsations and throbbing that can be rather distracting. The film is clean and stable, and there are no traces of problematic digital adjustments. But there are still many density fluctuations and basic delineation issues that make it rather difficult to have a pleasant viewing experience with it. My score is 2.75/5.00. (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 are two standard audio tracks on this Blu-ray release: English DTS-HD Master Audio 2.0 (Mono) and English DTS-HD Master Audio 3.0. Optional English SDH subtitles are provided for the main feature.
I viewed the entire film with the DTS-HD Master Audio Mono track. The audio is stable and easy to follow. However, some light background hiss occasionally sneaks in. The good news is that there are no background distortions, pops, or audio dropouts. So, there is room for some cosmetic improvements, but the overall quality is good.
Later on, I also tested the English DTS-HD Master Audio 3.0. It expands the dynamic field rather well, and during the storm where Jimmy Stewart fights the man with the dynamite sticks the difference is actually quite striking. I missed this track when I viewed the film for the first time. It is the one that I should have used.
Thunder Bay is a very fine film worth seeing and owning, but the current master that was used to produce this recent release is seriously underwhelming. The film needs to be restored so that a wide range of registration issues are eliminated and its overall organic qualities improved. The good news about this release is that it features another very strong audio commentary from Toby Roan. If you really want to own a copy of Thunder Bay, my advice is to wait for a sale. Otherwise, I can only recommend that you RENT IT.
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