Rating summary

Movie		3.5
Video		4.0
Audio		4.0
Extras		2.0
Overall		3.5

Too Late Blues Blu-ray Movie Review

Reviewed by Dr. Svet Atanasov September 16, 2014

John Cassavetes' "Too Late Blues" (1961) arrives on Blu-ray courtesy of British distributors Eureka Entertainment. The only bonus feature on the disc is a new filmed introduction by critic David Cairns. The release also arrives with a 52-page illustrated booklet featuring a new essay by critic and scholar David Sterritt, a 1961 interview profile with John Cassavetes, an excerpt from composer David Raksin's autobiography, and a 2007 interview with actor Stella Stevens. In English, with optional English SDH subtitles for the main feature. Region-B "locked".

The band

Bobby Darin is Ghost, a gifted but cocky pianist and leader of a small jazz band with big ambitions. Ghost and his boys want a record deal, but all they have been able to get are lousy gigs in small bars where no one pays attention to their music.

Ghost’s life takes a dramatic turn when he meets Jess (Stella Stevens, The Poseidon Adventure, Las Vegas Lady), a young singer who has been mistreated by her agent (Everett Chambers). He quickly falls in love with Jess and tries to get her in the band, but the boys question his decision and after a violent brawl he loses Jess and the band.

Heartbroken and bitter, Ghost ends up working in a smoky bar somewhere in LA where in addition to playing the piano he is paid to make love to a lonely but wealthy widow (Marilyn Clark, Slaves). Eventually Ghost gets tired of the pretentious widow and tries to get rid of her, but his agent warns him that if he walks away he will lose his job. The warning has a profound impact on Ghost and he reevaluates his entire life. Soon after, he asks the boys from the band to forgive him and Jess to give him a second chance.

John Cassavetes directed Too Late Blues for Paramount Pictures two years after his sensational debut Shadows. It has a similar vibe, similar energy and even a good number of the actors that appeared in Shadows.

And yet Too Late Blues is a very different film. It feels like a safer film, one which for the most part seems quite happy to follow conventional rules and established paths. This becomes particularly obvious in the manner in which the key conflicts in it are resolved -- there is elegance and emotional uniformity which one would expect to be present in a mainstream drama, not a Cassavetes film.

This mainstream identity apparently troubled Cassavetes and left him somewhat dissatisfied with Too Late Blues. Like the film’s main protagonist, Cassavetes felt that he was forced to make difficult compromises -- to meet the expectations of the studio producing the film -- which contradicted his vision and effectively undermined the integrity of his work.

While this is partially true -- during the second half where Ghost seeks the forgiveness of his former colleagues and attempts to rebuild his relationship with Jess, there are melodramatic overtones which definitely feel awkward -- Cassavetes’ touch is still easily felt throughout the entire film. Indeed, the framing (close-ups), the lighting and even the sound design are very much characteristic of his compositional style.

Darin and Stevens are undoubtedly the stars of the film. There are memorable cameos by Val Avery (the annoying record producer), Vince Edwards (the Irish-American bully), Nick Dennis (the bubbly Greek bark owner), and a very young Seymour Cassel (the quiet jazz player).

Too Late Blues was lensed by Lionel Lindon, who is probably best known for his contributions to Michael Anderson’s Around the World in 80 Days and John Frankenheimer’s The Manchurian Candidate.

Too Late Blues Blu-ray Movie, Video Quality 

Presented in an aspect ratio of 1.78:1, encoded with MPEG-4 AVC and granted a 1080p transfer, John Cassavetes' Too Late Blues arrives on Blu-ray courtesy of British distributors Eureka Entertainment.

The high-definition transfer isn't identical to the one Olive Films used for their Blu-ray release of the film in the United States, but it appears to have been sourced from the same master -- and this is certainly very good news. Generally speaking, clarity and detail are very pleasing throughout the entire film. Close-ups with plenty of light, in particular, look lovely, but even the darker indoor footage looks great. Contrast and sharpness levels remain stable. Though grain could be more prominent there are absolutely no digital anomalies -- from start to finish the film has a very pleasing organic appearance. I would like to specifically mention that the encoding on this release is superior and as a result image depth is more satisfying. Furthermore, there are no traces of compromising sharpening adjustments. Overall image stability is very good. Large debris, damage marks, cuts, stains, and scratches have been carefully removed as well. To sum it all up, there is room for some minor improvements, but the current presentation of Too Late Blues is very pleasing. (Note: This is a Region-B "locked" Blu-ray release. Therefore, you must have a native Region-B or Region-Free PS3 or SA in order to access its content).

Too Late Blues Blu-ray Movie, Audio Quality 

There is only one standard audio track on this Blu-ray release: English LPCM 1.0. For the record, Eureka Entertainment have provided optional English SDH subtitles for the main feature.

Some extremely light background hiss occasionally sneaks in, but both clarity and depth are very good. The dialog is stable and exceptionally easy to follow. Dynamic intensity is rather limited, but the live performances sound quite wonderful. There are no balance issues to report. Lastly, there are no pops, cracks, audio dropouts, or digital distortions.

Too Late Blues Blu-ray Movie, Special Features and Extras 

• David Cairns - in this exclusive video piece, film critic David Cairns discusses the production history of Too Late Blues and some of its unique themes. In English, not subtitles. (18 min).

• Booklet - 52-page illustrated booklet featuring a new essay by critic and scholar David Sterritt, a 1961 interview profile with John Cassavetes, an excerpt from composer David Raksin's autobiography, and a 2007 interview with actor Stella Stevens.

Too Late Blues Blu-ray Movie, Overall Score and Recommendation 

If interested in John Cassavetes' work, I encourage you to consider adding Too Late Blues to your collections. While it is a rather unconventional film, I do not agree that it is a minor Cassavetes film. I've done some direct comparisons between Olive Films and Eureka Entertainment's Blu-ray releases and I prefer the latter -- it does look better and it comes with optional English SDH subtitles. RECOMMENDED.