Another
Woman
(1988/Orion/MGM)/Inferno
3D (1953/Fox/both
Twilight Time Limited Edition Blu-rays)/Unforgiven
(1992/Warner 4K Ultra HD Blu-ray w/Blu-ray)
4K
Ultra HD Picture: B+ 3D Picture: B+ 2D 1080p Picture: B/B/B-
Sound: C+/C+/B Extras: C/B-/B Films: B/C+/B
PLEASE
NOTE:
The Another
Woman
and Inferno
3D
Blu-rays are now only available from our friends at Twilight Time,
are limited to only 3,000 copies each and can be ordered while
supplies last from the links below.
These
three films are very much worth your time....
Woody
Allen's Another
Woman
(1988) is one of his best, most underrated films, getting a limited
edition release from Twilight Time, it is one of his most memorable
and important entries from his vital Orion Pictures period. Gena
Rowlands stars as a college professor taking time to finish a book,
but real life and thoughts about what it really is, the truth and how
she perceives things becomes a self-character examination. However,
there are all the great people around her that are a big part of it
and thus, all gets in the way of that potential book.
An
early unexpected interruption comes from her heating vent as a
psychologist in the building holds visits at his place and she can
hear it as if the vent was a radio speaker. Then there is her
husband (Ian Holm) whose marriage together is not what it was, the
other man (Gene Hackman) who makes for an interesting alternative and
while living that conflict and hearing others without faces, there
are also the many who are in conflict in front of her. (Holm's
ex-wife is played by Betty Buckley in a too-brief scene she shines
in).
Allen
is dealing with multiple people in multiple storylines that are
connected, but not like a Robert Altman film, yet in as realistic and
naturalistic terms. The happier people still have issues and the
less happy or unhappy are miserable, cannot find a way to change or
are in all-out trouble. It is a more serious Allen film, but the
humor is still there, even if it is ironic in a way that is rare form
for Allen. Making this all work from Allen's thorough screenplay and
great directing is one of the best casts he (or any other director)
ever had also including Blythe Danner, Martha Plimpton, John
Houseman, Sandy Dennis, David Odgen Stiers, Philip Bosco, Frances
Conroy, Josh Hamilton and Mia Farrow. This is a key Allen film that
is a must-see.
Roy
[Ward] Baker's Inferno
3D
(1953) is Fox's most ambitious, major entry into the original 3D
movie mania of the early 1950s and it is a fun, amusing, sometimes
unintentionally funny tale of backstabbing, greed and revenge.
Robert Ryan is a millionaire whose wife Rhonda Fleming sets him up
for a slow death where she gets his money as he is stuck in a far
part of it with a broken leg. Set up to look like an accident, she
plans on grabbing William Lundigan and the loot for a more fun and
free life, but it turns out hubby is tougher than she thought and
they plan to go out in the middle of nowhere to make sure they finish
the death job the sun, starvation, dehydration, deadly animals and
other perils might not have for them.
Of
course, this is a stuck-in-a film to some extent, but is also a
thriller at times, moves a little too slow other times and this has
more than enough solid moments to give it a look. Just expect some
unevenness and then the 3D adds to some odd moments we won't ruin for
you. Fox licensed this one to Twilight Time as one of their Limited
Edition Blu-rays, so fans of the film, actors, behind the camera
talent, Technicolor and 3D will want to get this one before its too
late as it is one of the best 3D Blu-rays issued since the debut of
the format. The underrated Baker directs this as well as possible,
so cheers to him too.
Clint
Eastwood's Unforgiven
(1992) continues to be one of Warner's most high profile back catalog
films, released and rereleased as on its 25th
anniversary, it is one of the gold standards in which all Westerns
since (a genre it helped revive) are judged by. We first covered the
comeback film for Eastwood at this link...
http://www.fulvuedrive-in.com/review/3762/Unforgiven+(1992/HD-DVD
Now
Warner has issued it in the new 2160p 4K Ultra HD Blu-ray format and
it finally delivers the film as intended visually in a way it is
arguable Blu-ray was not sharp or clear enough to deliver. The dark
existential rumination on death, revenge, regret, hate, emptiness,
nothingness and so much more still rings as true as it ever did.
However, the one thing that now is more haunting is the ending, his
character Munny's final words about avenging and revenge. They now
stand out separate from the rest of the film considering what the
U.S. has been through (and more than just the 9/11 attacks) that have
been discussed before. They sound like they were recorded yesterday
and is worth a separate essay, spoilers and all.
The
2160p HEVC/H.265, HDR (10; Ultra HD Premium)-enhanced 2.35 X 1 Ultra
High Definition image on Unforgiven
corrected the overly dark HD master that was used on the old HD-DVD
we covered and repeated on the Blu-rays ever since and included here,
which I thought was too dark and lost some of the character and
detail of the 35mm film itself. This is still intentionally dark,
not unlike the HD-shot Skyfall
and parts of the 35mm-shot GoodFellas
(see the 4K set elsewhere on this site) so it is not going to be the
kind of demo you expect. However, it is about as close to the film
as we will see outside of high quality prints, though I wonder if a
5K or 6K master would help more. Otherwise, the flaws and flatness
of the Blu-rays are not a problem in 4K at all.
The
1080p 1.33 X 1 MVC-encoded 3-D - Full Resolution digital High
Definition image on Inferno is fun and a great way to watch the film
as intended, though in this case, the 1080p 1.33 X 1 2D digital High
Definition image transfer of the film also looks good with its 35mm
dye-transfer,
three-strip Technicolor version of the film looking like it
throughout. Of course, the desert is rough-looking and
color-limited, but that is hilariously contrasted with the
wider-ranging color of the nice, cool indoors not far from it as
Ryan's character is trapped. Director of Photography Lucien Ballard
pulled off one of the most effective 3D films of the era visually and
with the 2D still a top example of real Technicolor, this is a real
gem to have.
The
1080p 1.85 X 1 digital High Definition image transfer on Woman
rarely shows the age of the materials used, is far superior a
transfer to all previous releases of the film
and just looks highly consistent on Blu-ray as shot by another legend
of cinematography, Sven Nykvist. It might be arguable that this is
one of Allen's most visually complex films ever, even if this is in
the subtleties of the way it is shot and lit. Allen & Nykvist
are not only continuing their connection to Bergman, they are adding
Cassavetes, then have the story to tell. This is a solid new video
master that will please all who see it.
In
the sound department, Unforgiven
offers a DTS-HD MA (Master Audio) 5.1 lossless mix that is the same
upgrade from its original Dolby SR (Spectral Recording) analog
theatrical sound that Warner has been using since the first Blu-ray
and is on both the 4K and 1080p versions of the film. The recoding
shows its age and likely could not sound better than it does here.
Woman
and Inferno
are offered as DTS-HD MA (Master Audio) 1.0 Mono lossless
presentations, though Woman
was always Mono, Inferno
was originally in 4-track magnetic stereo sound with traveling
dialogue and sound effects, but Fox apparently does not have a
restored, complete and/or viable version of that soundmaster for this
Blu-ray so we will have to settle for the mono we get and its fine
for what it is.
Extras
include Original Theatrical Trailers on all three Blu-rays, while
Inferno
and Unforgiven
have feature length audio commentary tracks (film scholar Alan K.
Rode & Robert Ryan's daughter Lisa Ryan on Inferno,
Eastwood scholar Richard Schickel still impressive on Unforgiven),
with Inferno
and Woman
adding more nicely illustrated booklet on the film including
informative text and yet another excellent set of essays by the great
film scholar Julie Kirgo per film, plus Isolated Music Score Tracks.
Inferno
also offers A
New Dimension Of Noir: Filming Inferno
in 3D featurette, while Unforgiven
also four
featurettes, two of which are more specifically about Eastwood, the
original Maverick
episode Duel
At Sundown
(1959, in standard definition 1.33 X 1 with Dolby Digital 1.0)
starring Eastwood and new to us, Digital
HD Ultraviolet Copy for PC, PC portable and other cyber iTunes
capable devices, while the Blu-ray adds BD Live interactive
functions. That means no new extras, but that's fine since these are
so good.
To
order the Another
Woman
and Inferno
3D
limited edition Blu-rays, buy them and other great exclusives while
supplies last at these links:
www.screenarchives.com
and
http://www.twilighttimemovies.com/
-
Nicholas Sheffo
