6.9 | / 10 |
Users | 0.0 | |
Reviewer | 3.5 | |
Overall | 3.5 |
At a local tennis club in a posh London suburb, an attractive but flirty young woman is murdered, prompting a Scotland Yard investigation.
Starring: John Mills (I), Charles Coburn (I), Barbara Bates, Derek Farr, Alec McCowenFilm-Noir | 100% |
Mystery | 52% |
Crime | 37% |
Thriller | Insignificant |
Video codec: MPEG-4 AVC
Video resolution: 1080p
Aspect ratio: 1.75:1
Original aspect ratio: 1.75:1
English: LPCM Mono (48kHz, 24-bit)
English SDH
Blu-ray Disc
Single disc (1 BD)
Region free
Movie | 3.0 | |
Video | 3.5 | |
Audio | 4.5 | |
Extras | 4.0 | |
Overall | 3.5 |
John Guillermin's "Town on Trial" (1957) arrives on Blu-ray courtesy of British label Indicator/Powerhouse Films. The supplemental features on the disc include an original trailer for the film; exclusive new video interview with focus puller Alec Burridge; John Guillermin's film "Adventure in the Hopfields"; audio version of an archival interview with John Mills; and more. In English, with optional English SDH subtitles for the main feature. The release also arrives with a 36-page illustrated booklet featuring a new essay by critic Neil Sinyard, extracts from the original campaign book, a profile of actress Barbara Bates, an overview of contemporary critical responses, and technical credits. Region-Free.
Mike Halloran
Presented in its original aspect ratio of 1.75:1, encoded with MPEG-4 AVC and granted a 1080p transfer, John Guillermin's Town on Trial arrives on Blu-ray courtesy of Indicator/Powerhouse Films.
The release is sourced from a remaster that was prepared by Sony Pictures in the United States. I don't know if it is the same remaster that was used for the studio's budget DVD release from a few years ago, but it is a bit rough and if I had to speculate I would say that the original source for it is likely the same. Indeed, the bulk of the film boasts decent depth, but there are some minor yet noticeable density fluctuations that certainly impact fluidity. The indoor and darker footage is typically where the most obvious limitations emerge, and it is probably where most folks with larger monitors or projectors will spot the unevenness (see examples in screencaptures #9 and 12). Grain is slightly overexposed which is why some careful rebalancing work has been done. There are no traces of problematic sharpening adjustments. The grading is good, but there are numerous areas where light black crush easily makes its presence felt. Overall image stability is very good. Lastly, all large and distracting age-related imperfections have been removed, but some minor white flecks and tiny dirt spots remain. All in all, despite some obvious source limitations, this is still a good organic presentation of the film. (Note: This is a Region-Free Blu-ray release. Therefore, you will be able to play it on your player regardless of your geographical location).
There is only one standard audio track on this Blu-ray release: English LPCM 1.0. Optional English SDH subtitles are provided for the main feature.
Depth and clarity are good. Tristram Cary's excellent period soundtrack also easily adds to the tension in key segments. I also like the overall balance, though it is probably the one area where some cosmetic improvements still can be done. There are no audio dropouts or digital distortions to report.
NOTE: All of the supplemental features on this Blu-ray release are perfectly playable on North American Blu-ray players, including the PS3.
The stylistic appearance of Town on Trial is quite wonderful, but this is a rather underwhelming film that will almost certainly appeal only to hardcore fans of John Mills. It uses a couple of brutal murders as a pretext to produce a series of conventional observations about class division in England after the end of WWII and some of the popular stereotypes that supposedly described the people that were part of the 'elite'. However, this release also includes John Guillermin's lovely film Adventure in the Hopfields, which has been fully remastered and looks very healthy, and my guess is that there will be plenty of people that will be very excited to have it on Blu-ray. RECOMMENDED.
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Indicator Series | Standard Edition
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1946
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1942
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Premium Collection
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Indicator Series
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1990