7.4 | / 10 |
Users | 4.0 | |
Reviewer | 4.5 | |
Overall | 4.0 |
A big-time thief in hiding hooks up with a goofy young drifter. He then gets his old gang back together to organize a daring new heist.
Starring: Clint Eastwood, Jeff Bridges, George Kennedy, Geoffrey Lewis, Catherine BachHeist | 100% |
Crime | Insignificant |
Drama | Insignificant |
Comedy | Insignificant |
Video codec: MPEG-4 AVC
Video resolution: 1080p
Aspect ratio: 2.39:1
Original aspect ratio: 2.39:1
English: DTS-HD Master Audio 2.0 Mono (48kHz, 16-bit)
English SDH
Blu-ray Disc
Single disc (1 BD)
Region A (locked)
Movie | 3.5 | |
Video | 5.0 | |
Audio | 5.0 | |
Extras | 4.0 | |
Overall | 4.5 |
Michael Cimino's "Thunderbolt and Lightfoot" (1974) arrives on Blu-ray courtesy of Kino Lorber. The supplemental features on the disc include vintage promotional materials for the film; previously exclusive program with the director that was produced by Allerton Films; and new audio commentary by critic Nick Pinkerton. In English, with optional English SDH subtitles for the main feature. Region-A "locked".
The preacher
Presented in its original aspect ratio of 2.39:1, encoded with MPEG-4 AVC and granted a 1080p transfer, Thunderbolt and Lightfoot arrives on Blu-ray courtesy of Kino Lorber.
The release is sourced from a new 4K remaster, which I like a lot. In fact, the only minor issue that I saw on it was during the opening credits, where for some reason there is strange instability within the frame. It is not inherited, meaning that it is not part of the original cinematography. It is very light but noticeable, almost like a shifting pulsation, which is something that modern stabilization tools could have easily addressed. The rest looks great. Currently, I have two different releases of the film in my library -- this British release, and this French release -- and while they are both sourced from an old and good organic remaster, the new 4K remaster is very clearly superior. Here are some of the key areas where very noticeable improvements can be observed:
If you have a big screen or project, you will easily see better delineation, with the larger panoramic shots, which are representative of Michael Cimino's directing style, revealing some of the best upgrades. (I specifically took screencaptures #2 and 26 to illustrate the improvements). Additionally, the new remaster handles the darker and indoor footage very nicely, often expanding nuances that on the older master could struggle a bit. Grain exposure is better as well. The grain is healthier, 'tighter' and more evenly resolved, and as a result plenty of close-ups look superior. Fluidity is very nice, though I have to say that this is one area where a 4K Blu-ray release using the 4K remaster will easily offer meaningful improvement(s) that you will appreciate. I can tell because when I projected the film I could see some backgrounds struggling a bit as the camera moves. In native 4K this 'issue' will be completely resolved. The color grading job is different, and I like it better because the primaries and supporting nuances are better balanced. There are specific nuances -- red and brown in particular -- that are better saturated. Also, the darker footage avoids the type of strong and compromising crushing that tends to pop up on plenty of new 4K remasters. A couple of white specks appear during the prologue, but there are no large distracting debris, cuts, damage marks, warped or torn frames to report. Overall, this is a really strong organic remaster that offers the best presentation of the film on Blu-ray. My score is 4.75/5.00. (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 con).
There is only one standard audio track on this Blu-ray release: English: DTS-HD Master Audio 2.0 (48kHz, 16-bit). Optional English SDH subtitles are provided for the main feature. When turned on, they appear inside the image frame.
The lossless track sounds very good. I actually did a few direct comparisons with the British release of the film that Second Sight produced a few years ago and dynamic intensity sounds better now. This could be an improvement that has everything to do with the manner in which the DTS-HD Master Audio track is encoded, but the bottom line is that I can hear a difference. There are no encoding anomalies. Also, folks that need optional subtitles will be happy to see that Kino Lorber have included such on their release.
Kino Lorber's new release of Michael Cimino's Thunderbolt and Lightfoot is a winner. It is sourced from a very strong new 4K remaster and also brings to the U.S. the excellent, previously exclusive, program with Cimino that was included on Carlotta Films' release. In this program, Cimino covers a wide range of topics that summarize his style and vision of what cinema ought to be. I think that it is unmissable. Pick up a copy of Thunderbolt and Lightfoot for your collection. VERY HIGHLY RECOMMENDED.
Limited Edition to 3000 - SOLD OUT
1974
Encore Edition | Limited Edition to 3000 - SOLD OUT
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