7.6 | / 10 |
Users | 3.7 | |
Reviewer | 3.5 | |
Overall | 3.7 |
Camden Town, the arse-end of the sixties. Two struggling, unemployed actors decide some respite is in order and so depart their miserable flat for a week in the Lake District – one that will involve rain, booze, minimal supplies, a randy bull and an even randier Uncle Monty.
Starring: Richard E. Grant, Paul McGann, Richard Griffiths, Ralph Brown (I), Michael ElphickDrama | 100% |
Comedy | Insignificant |
Video codec: MPEG-4 AVC
Video resolution: 1080p
Aspect ratio: 1.78:1
Original aspect ratio: 1.85:1
English: DTS-HD Master Audio 5.1
English: LPCM 2.0
None
50GB Blu-ray Disc
Single disc (1 BD)
Region free
Movie | 4.5 | |
Video | 3.0 | |
Audio | 3.5 | |
Extras | 4.0 | |
Overall | 3.5 |
British cult comedy "Withnail & I" (1987) arrives on Blu-ray courtesy of Anchor Bay-UK. Amongst the supplemental features on the disc are an interview with director Bruce Robinson, Behind the Scenes Stills by Ralph Steadman, Swear-A-Thon, an elaborate documentary, two featurettes and more. Not subtitled in English. Region-Free.
Soon to go on holiday by mistake
Presented in an aspect ratio of 1.78:1 (slightly cropped from its original aspect ratio of 1.85:1), encoded with MPEG-4 AVC and granted a 1080p transfer, Bruce Robinson's Withnail & I arrives on Blu-ray courtesy of Anchor Bay-UK.
I am fairly certain the British distributors used an old HD master for this release. As a result, the Blu-ray transfer has a somewhat inconsistent look, especially as far as the nighttime scenes are concerned. Generally speaking, contrast and clarity range from acceptable to good, though there are certain areas from Withnail & I that look softer than they should. Detail also varies, but I have to assume that a lot of it has to do with how the film was shot (Withnail & I is a low budget production). Edge-enhancement is not a serious issue of concern, but I did notice a bit of mild macroblocking popping up here and there. I also spotted a bit of digital noise. Large debris, flecks, or stains, are nowhere to be seen. To sum it all up, I do believe that if the original film elements are rescanned and a new master is created, a future Blu-ray release will likely look better. However, given how the film was shot – and specifically how light is treated throughout the film – I am fairly convinced that most if not all of the softness will be retained. With other words, if you have been as frustrated with the old Criterion release of Withnail & I as I have been, there is absolutely no reason why you should not consider obtaining this disc. (Note: This is a Region-Free disc. Therefore, you will be able to play it on your PS3 or SA regardless of your geographical location).
There are two audio tracks on this Blu-ray disc: English LPCM 2.0 Stereo and English DTS-HD Master Audio 5.1. I opted for the English LPCM 2.0 track and later on did a few random comparisons with the English DTS-HD Master Audio 5.1 track for the purpose of this review.
There are no serious issues to report with the English LPCM 2.0 track – the dialog is crisp, clear and mostly easy to follow. The famous tunes by Jimi Hendrix, Bob Dylan, King Curtis, and The Beatles all sound quite good. There are no balance issues to report either. My only complaint here has to do with the fact that Anchor Bay have not provided optional English subtitles for the main feature. This is rather disappointing given how challenging the dialog could be at times.
I didn't find the English DTS-HD Master Audio 5.1 track to be a serious upgrade over the English LPCM 2.0 track. The dialog on both tracks sounds identical. As far as the music score is concerned, I thought that there were no sizable improvements in terms of dynamics.
Note: All of the supplemental features on this disc are in PAL. Therefore, if you reside in North America or another region where PAL is not supported, you must have a Region-Free player converting PAL to NTSC, or a TV set capable of receiving native PAL data, in order to view them.
Postcards from Penrith Featurette - a standard featurette focusing on the history of the film. The creators of the film revisit some of the locations where the film was shot. (21 min).
The Drinking Game - actor Peter McNamara talks about the man who inspired director Robinson to shoot the film, how its script came to exist, etc. Then, he proceeds to talk about drinking in general. (15 min).
Bruce Robinson Interview - the creator of Withnail & I explains how his film came to exist, and discusses its message and controversial characters.(15 min).
Behind the Scenes Stills by Ralph Steadman - a collage of terrific B&W stills from Withnail & I.
Swear-A-Thon - a selection of colorful expressions used throughout the film. (2 min).
Withnail & Us, a 1999 documentary on the film - a terrific documentary that takes a look at everything that made Withnail & I a British classic. (25 min).
Original Theatrical Trailer -
Commentary - an audio commentary with actors Paul McGann and Ralph Brown.
Commentary - an audio commentary by director Bruce Robinson.
As far as I am concerned, this Blu-ray release of Bruce Robinson's Withnail & I is very easy to recommend - it is attractively priced, porting all supplemental features from previous releases of the film, and notably better looking than the two SDVDs I have owned. I also very much doubt it we would see a Stateside release of Withnail & I any time soon. RECOMMENDED.
1987
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1987
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1987
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1987
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