7.5 | / 10 |
Users | 4.5 | |
Reviewer | 4.5 | |
Overall | 4.5 |
A mechanic and a driver live only to race and maintain their 1955 Chevy. Heading east from California with no particular agenda, they give a girl a ride, and en route she incites jealousy between the men by sleeping with them both. Meanwhile, the trio encounters an overbearing GTO driver who agrees to race them to New York, each side putting at stake their most prized possession: their car.
Starring: James Taylor (I), Warren Oates, Laurie Bird, Dennis Wilson (I), Harry Dean StantonDrama | 100% |
Video codec: MPEG-4 AVC
Video resolution: 1080p
Aspect ratio: 2.36:1
Original aspect ratio: 2.39:1
English: LPCM Mono (48kHz, 24-bit)
English: DTS-HD Master Audio 5.1 (48kHz, 24-bit)
English SDH
50GB Blu-ray Disc
Single disc (1 BD)
Region A (locked)
Movie | 5.0 | |
Video | 4.0 | |
Audio | 4.5 | |
Extras | 5.0 | |
Overall | 4.5 |
Monte Hellman's "Two-Lane Blacktop" (1971) arrives on Blu-ray courtesy of Criterion. The supplemental features on the disc include original trailer for the film; video piece in which director Monte Hellman revisits some of the film's key locations; video interview with director Monte Hellman and singer-songwriter-actor Kris Kristofferson; screen test outtakes and casting interviews discovered in director Monte Hellman's garage; video interview with director Monte Hellman and James Taylor; gallery of rare behind the scenes photos and publicity stills; audio commentary by director Monte Hellman and filmmaker Allison Anders; second audio commentary featuring screenwriter Rudy Wurlitzer and film professor and author David N. Meyer; and more. The release also arrives with an illustrated booklet featuring an essay by critic Kent Jones; appreciations by director Richard Linklater and musician Tom Waits ; and a reprint of the 1970 Rolling Stone article "On Route 66, Filming Two-Lane Blacktop" by Michael Goodwin. In English, with optional English SDH subtitles for the main feature. Region-A "locked".
The Driver, the Girl and the Mechanic
Presented in an aspect ratio of 2.36:1, encoded with MPEG-4 AVC and granted a 1080p transfer, Monte Hellman's Two-Lane Blacktop arrives on Blu-ray courtesy of Criterion.
The following text appears inside the booklet provided with this Blu-ray disc:
"Supervised by director Monte Hellman, this high-definition digital transfer was created on a Spirit 2K from a 35mm four-perforation interpositive made from the original Techniscope two-perforation camera negative. Thousands of instances of instances of dirt, debris, scratches, splices, warps, jitter, and flicker were manually removed using MTI's DRS and Pixel Farm's PFClean, while Image System's Phoenix was used for small dirt, grain, and noise reduction.
Transfer supervisors: Monte Hellman; Maria Palazzola.
Colorists: Doug Drake/Universal Studios, Los Angeles; Greg Garvin/Modern Videofilm, Los Angeles."
The restored high-definition transfer used for this release, which was supervised by director Monte Hellman, appears to have originated from the same source Eureka Entertainment had access to when they prepared their release of this cult American film. Criterion's high-definition transfer, however, is definitely more satisfying. Depth, in particular, is a lot better, both during close-ups and larger panoramic shots, due to the fact that the filtering corrections that could be spotted on the Eureka Entertainment release are not easy to see here. Definition is also marginally better, though it is obvious to me that the master from which the transfer was struck actually has its limitations (compare screencapture #2 with screencapture #1 from the Eureka Entertainment release). Furthermore, some light noise is present here, but I think that it is preferable to the flatter and filtered image (compare screencapture #19 with screencapture #3 from the Eureka Entertainment release). Color reproduction is decent, but during some of the daylight sequences it becomes obvious that color saturation could be better. Edge-enhancement is not a serious issue of concern. Also, there are no large debris, damage marks, warps, and stains. All in all, Criterion's presentation of Two-Lane Blacktop is clearly superior, as it boasts a more convincing organic look, but it is obvious to me that in certain areas there is still some room for improvement. This being said, I doubt a better release of Two-Lane Blacktop will emerge somewhere else so this should be the one to invest in. (Note: This is a Region-A "locked" Blu-ray disc. Therefore, you must have a native Region-A or Region-Free PS3 or SA in order to access its content).
There are two audio tracks on this Blu-ray disc: English LPCM 1.0 and English DTS-HD Master Audio 5.1. For the record, Criterion have provided optional English SDH subtitles for the main feature. When turned on, they appear inside the image frame.
Dynamic movement is definitely better on the supervised by director Monte Hellman 5.1 track. During the racing sequences, in particular, depth is clearly better. During the rest of the film, however, there are mostly random nature sounds and noises, so do not expect to hear any dramatic improvements in dynamic intensity or substantial surround effects. The dialog is crisp, clean, stable, and easy to follow. I personally prefer to view this film with the original mono track, which in my opinion also opens up the film quite well.
I think that director Monte Hellman's Two-Lane Blacktop is an essential film to own. It is a beautiful, very atmospheric time capsule that is rightfully considered by many as one of the greatest American films from the 1970s. Criterion's Blu-ray release of Two-Lane Blacktop is undoubtedly the best all-around package currently on the market. HIGHLY RECOMMENDED.
1971
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Shout Select
1973
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2011
1971
Det sjunde inseglet
1957
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1973
2013
Deluxe Edition
1968
2008
Limited Edition to 3000
1969
1966
Falsche Bewegung
1975