Film 

In a word, yes, on all accounts. I can’t really say that I am a huge fan of westerns, as I find it to be a genre that is well past its prime. However, in Tombstone, director George P. Cosmatos, is able to transport us back into the old west, with an historically accurate and authentic looking film that is sure to capture the attention of most moviegoers. The film features a great cast with some superb performances, excellent cinematography and a sensational score.

The film tells the story of the three Earp brothers, Wyatt (Kurt Russell), Virgil (Sam Elliot) and Morgan (Bill Paxson) who arrive in Tombstone looking to make money, having retired from their well known days as lawmen. From the moment they arrive in town, the mayor attempts to recruit them as the local law enforcement to bring law and order to the town which is overrun by a lawless outfit known as the Cowboys.

When the Earp boys arrive in town, they are greeted by Wyatt’s longtime friend, Doc Holliday (Val Kilmer) who happened to be in town as well. The two are an odd pair as Wyatt is more the straight law and order type and Doc, the gambling, drinking and cheating type who also has a penchant for murder. The boys set up shop at a local bar/casino, getting a one quarter take of the house winnings and quickly run into members of the Cowboys and incur their wrath. While all this is happening, Wyatt becomes enthralled with the beautiful and alluring actress Josephine (Dana Delaney) from a traveling show troupe, who he become romantically entangled with, despite the presence of his wife.

The lawlessness has to stop and Virgil and Morgan agree to take over as the town lawmen and recruit Wyatt who joins against his better judgment. It is then that they encounters some of the Cowboys at the OK Corral, perhaps one of the most famous gunfights in US history.

Unlike most films dealing with the Wyatts, the film does not end there, but uses the gunfight as a springboard, to tell the rest of the story, of the retribution and revenge that occurs after the gunfight as Wyatt tracks down and tries to eliminate the Cowboy gang from the old west. Tombstone is a very entertaining and interesting film that is unlike many of the westerns that I have seen. If you haven’t seen Tombstone, please check it out on Blu-ray, you will be glad you did. Recommended.

Video 

Tombstone of Blu-ray looks fabulous, with a bright and bold color palette, featuring typical varying shades of brown and gray you associate with westerns and the old west, together with some bright greens, reds, blues and purples, colors that we don’t normally associate with the old west and especially westerns. In this regard, director George P. Cosmatos tries to be true to the colorful clothing that the men and women in the old west were known to have worn. The film also features deep blacks and excellent renditions of skin tones in addition to very nice levels of detail, both of the facial and background variety as well as shadow detail.

Clarity, detail and depth are all excellent as well with the end result being a rich and colorful looking film that is sure pleasing on the eye. Film grain also appears to be well preserved and is apparent throughout the film. I was not able to detect any obvious application of digital noise reduction as the release has that film like appearance that many film enthusiasts look for, including yours truly. The film does have some occasional softness in some dimly lit interior scenes but for the most part looks great throughout and fully worth of a full 4.5 star rating, lacking only the razor sharp look and detail of the very best looking releases. I can’t imagine fans of the film being anything but thrilled with the look of Tombstone on its initial appearance on Blu-ray.

Audio 

The lossless audio track on Tombstone is every bit as good as the video. The film audio track features excellent dynamics and deep bass response. Gun shots, and there are many of them, sound very realistic, with the weight and heft of the real thing. The surrounds are also used often and aggressively throughout the film, not only for sound effects, but for acoustical cues as well, creating a nice sense of immersion. I was particularly impressed with the musical score which sounds in a word, fantastic, with excellent bass, transparency and imaging, creating an excellent sense of depth.

The dialogue track is also well recorded and well placed in the mix, never getting lost in some of the loudest action sequences. If I had one issue with the audio it would be with a slight sense of thinness of sharpness to the sound, lacking that sense of total smoothness and lushness of the very best sounding films. This is a minor quibble to be sure but was just enough to know the score down to a 4.5 star rating out of 5 falling a smidge short of the best of the best.

Special Features 

There are no HD extras included with this release. The extras have been ported over from the prior release of Tombstone on DVD. The extras include the Making of Tombstone featurette which features interviews with much of the cast and crew including director George P. Cosmatos, Val Kilmer, Kurt Rusell, Dana Delaney, Sam Elliot, Bill Paxton, Michel Biehn, Powers Boothe, Charlton Heston and even Wyatt Earp, III, where they discuss the thought process that went into the making of the film, the motivations of their characters, including their understandings of the historical record and how the film is a departure from other westerns and films dealing with the same set of characters.

The other extras include a brief featurette showing the original storyboards for the shootout at the OK Corral sequence as well as trailers and TV spots for the film. While this is more than was provided with the Armageddon release, I expected more for such a popular film.

Final Thoughts 

Tombstone is a fine film that features excellent audio and video presentations on its initial release in the Blu-ray disc format and worthy of being added to any film collection. Recommended.

Film 

Though originally released in Italy in 1966 and then a year later in the U.S., The Good, The Bad and The Ugly was one of the earlier big budget spaghetti westerns.  What is a spaghetti western?  Production costs are always a concern and Italian filmmakers had a growing affinity for the American west and its raw, outlaw past.  These two ingredients put the wheels in motion to bring American stars over to Europe (Italy and Spain specifically), to begin punching out one western after another. 

Director Sergio Leone was able to work with a budget of just over one million dollars on this film and back in the mid to late 60′s, that was some serious cash, even in Hollywood’s eyes.  To fill his desired roster for The Good, The Bad and The Ugly, Leone brought over three Americans; Lee Van Cleef (Angel Eyes), Eli Wallach (Tuco) and then up-and-coming Clint Eastwood (Blondie). 

Set throughout Texas and the American southwest during the War Between the States, Blondie and Tuco have a strained but profitable alliance.  Tuco is wanted by the law in several towns.  Blondie brings him in, collects the cash, then disappears…or so it would seem.  Tuco would earn his ‘get out of jail free’ card and then the two would split the cash.  The duo eventually have a falling out and it becomes every man for himself in the wild west. 

Meanwhile, Angel Eyes, a ruthless bounty hunter, is scouring the landscape for a man by the last name of Carson.  Angel Eyes is so ruthless and vile that he’ll even take out his employer after being paid…and I don’t mean out to dinner.  The three ultimately cross paths and find themselves intertwined in Union/Confederacy crossfire while attempting to track down $200,000 in buried gold coins.  There is plenty of revolver action in this lawless environment as bodies fall left and right. 

The film has a run time of close to 3 hours.  The back of the Blu-ray case displays 166 minutes, however, you’ll find that 177 is more accurate.  Director Sergio Leone was very big on dragging out a scene.  No, I’m not talking about an over-exaggerated character death…Agghh, go on without me!  Rather, if you are injured and are rolling down a sand dune, do it slowly.  That was Leone’s vision.  In his eyes, this made the overall content more dramatic.  He was not happy when he was told to cut 20+ minutes off the film for its U.S. release as that would make it more acceptable for American audiences.  In truth, it made it more tolerable.  As Clint Eastwood mentions on one of the disc’s extras, you don’t need to make a film that long.  If it takes that long to tell your story, fine. 

From what I saw The Good, The Bad and The Ugly just over-extended itself in a variety of scenes.  I can easily scrap 30 minutes from this film and still retain the same feeling and story direction.  Please don’t get me wrong.  There are some absolutely wicked three-hour films out there (LOTR, Braveheart, Saving Private Ryan, etc.).  This was just a movie trying to be an epic. 

Video 

It’s not perfect.  What would you expect from a film originally released in 1966?  Ready for the rest?  It looks absolutely gorgeous.  The restoration that was performed on the film by Triage Studios, in part with MGM Studios, was such an incredibly magnificent job.  There are two scenes with grain.  The first lasts less seconds than there are fingers on your hand.  The second scene is near the very end of the movie and probably clocks in at just over 10 seconds or so.  Believe me, folks, when Lee Van Cleef is mere inches from the camera lens, you will see every detail on his face. 

From the opening scene, I was taken aback by how technologically modern the clarity was.  My knee-jerk reaction was thinking, “Yeah, this visual impressiveness is going to calm down any minute now.”  Nope!  I don’t know how long it takes to visually restore a film like this but those involved should be highly commended in their industry. 

There is a blandness to the color palette at times, but this is of no fault of the transfer.  I liken this to two criteria; one is the arid and semi-arid environments where the movie was filmed (they wasn’t a lot of color that Mother Nature was offering), the second is the year it was made.  We’re talking about a film made over forty years ago.  The original version wasn’t bursting with visual flavor so today’s will not either. 

Audio   

The sound for The Good, The Bad and The Ugly is a paradox.  Let me explain.  The rear channels are impressively used, even to the point of causing me to quickly look over my shoulder in startled amazement in one scene as I heard footsteps approaching.  To my embarrassment, it was on the screen and not down the hall.  Dialogue is delivered through the front speakers on appropriate levels throughout the film. 

The downside is the original mixing of the film’s sound leads me to believe it was done inside an empty soup can.  If ‘tinny’ isn’t a word, then I will invent it here because the audio just sounds kind of cheap.  Again, like some of the video, this has nothing to do with the Blu-ray.  If you’re only given a canoe to begin with, it’s going to be pretty difficult to turn it into a battleship. 

Another factor, and this was a very distracting one for me, was the over-dub.  Several of the actors used in the film were Italian and thus their lines were delivered in Italian.  When the English dialogue was dubbed over this for the United States release, well, let’s just say it was done as best it could be.  I’m not faulting those who worked on this.  It is no easy task.  If I say, “I rode an elephant to work,” you can bet my mouth wouldn’t move the same if I spoke the same idea in Italian.  A perfect example is just about any early Godzilla film.  You’ll get a lot of that excessive mouth-moving here.  The audio certainly isn’t a perfect 5 here, but I can’t fault this disc for bad original source quality either. 

Special Features 

The special features, for the most part, are in standard definition with the occasional scene from the film shown in high def (only available in the ‘Leone’s West’ extra).  Actually, a few of the extras could never be in 1080p because the original piece was either badly damaged or still pictures were all that were left.  Nevertheless, the amount of extras you will find here is like a mini-library.  Hardcore fans of this film should be extremely delighted to see what awaits them on the Blu-ray release of The Good, The Bad and The Ugly.

• Audio Commentary from Film Historian Richard Shickel
• Audio Commentary from Christopher Frayling – Mr. Frayling is the biographer of director Sergio Leone.
• Leone’s West - This extra features interviews with actors Clint Eastwood and Eli Wallach as well as producer Alberto Grimaldi.  You’ll find in-depth discussion on director Sergio Leone’s work on The Good, The Bad and The Ugly in addition to his other westerns (19:55).
• The Leone Style - A look at the film-making style of director Sergio Leone (23:48).
• The Man Who Lost the Civil War - This mini-documentary takes a look at Confederate officer Henry Sibley, who some say lost the war for the South.  Sibley’s Campaign took place through western Texas and eastern New Mexico; the same locales featured in The Good, The Bad and The Ugly (14:24).
• Reconstructing The Good, The Bad and The Ugly – My personal favorite of the bunch, this feature visits Paul Rutan, Jr., part owner of Triage Studios.  This is the group, in part with John Kirk of MGM Studios, worked on the remastering of the film both visually and audibly.  Their work was gold medal-worthy (11:09).
• Il Maestro: Ennio Morricone and The Good, The Bad and The Ugly Part One – Discussion regarding composer Ennio Morricone and his work on the film (7:48).
• Il Maestro: Ennio Morricone and The Good, The Bad and The Ugly Part Two – This extra, unlike part one of the same title, is audio only.  The narration is provided by Jon Burlingame, professor at USC (12:26).
• Deleted Scenes
  • Extended Tuco Torture Scene (7:15)
  • The Socorro Sequence: A Reconstruction (3:03)

• Trailers
  • Original Theatrical Trailer
  • French Trailer

Final Thoughts 

Leone’s style just seems a bit too drawn out.  There were sequences in the movie I enjoyed but the three-hour clock-time was a bit steep for how the story played out.  Eastwood, as always, excels as the stoic but cool-under-fire guy outside of the law.  Those supporting actors around him did quite well, but the over-direction brought this one down for me.  As the old adage goes, less is more.  For fans of this movie, a recommendation to buy is a no-brainer, although to the masses I must preach a rental here.  I’m glad to see this classic made it to Blu-ray, however, there are other westerns out there superior to this one. 

The Film 

The screenplay of Brokeback Mountain was adapted from a short story written by Annie Proulx.  The 2005 film was directed by Ang Lee and stars Heath Ledger, Jake Gyllenhaal, Anne Hathaway, Michelle Williams, Anna Faris, Linda Cardellini and Randy Quaid.  Unless you have been living under a rock for the past four years I don’t think I have to tell you what makes this film so controversial.  However, despite its controversial portrayal of same-sex relationships, the critics praised Brokeback Mountain and it went on to win three of its eight nominated Academy Awards for Best Director, Best Adapted Screenplay and Best Original Score.

Simply put, Brokeback Mountain tragically depicts the complex romantic and sexual relationship/tension between two men, forbidden to find happiness together by the constraints of society.  The movie takes place during a twenty-year period of time, from 1963 to 1983, in the American West, hence the cowboy hats.  The name Brokeback Mountain refers to a fictional mountain in Wyoming, where in 1963, ranch hand Ennis del Mar (Heath Ledger) and rodeo cowboy Jack Twist (Jake Gyllenhaal) meet and fall in love.  During the course of 20 years, in which the film takes place, viewers find Ennis and Jack trying to lead normal lives, keep together marriages and raise children while at the same time painfully downplaying the deep connection they both know they have for one another.  Of course, that won’t last for long, as they creatively invent excuses in which they can more spend time together, under the radar of their family, from expecting anything out of the norm other than the two just being good fishing buddies.  This can only lead to trouble.  What’s that cliché saying?  “If you play with fire, then you will get burned.”  This ladies and gentlemen, is the tragic love story that is Brokeback Mountain.

If you are able to put aside your biased heterosexual thoughts for a couple hours, and I realize this may be darn near impossible for some to do, then you will notice at its core you really have a remarkable yet tragic tale of two lovers whom for many reasons cannot be together even though the laws of nature dictate they should.  I have always heard such praise for Heath’s acting in this movie, but due to the subject matter I always shied away from it every chance I had.  Well I am here to tell you that Heath made a believer out of me.  I knew he was good, from my love of The Dark Knight and his portrayal of the Joker.  I just did not know he was this good.  I am here to spread the gospel of Heath.  If you take anything away at all from reading this review, I hope this is the one topical point you do.  Heath, for as young as he was, amazed me with the sense of maturity he brought to his role.  I am not sure anyone could have ever stepped in and topped his performance here, much like I would say of that in The Dark Knight.  You have heard of suspension of disbelief in movies right?  Well as I stated before Heath made me a believer.  I may not agree with the sexual relationship portrayed within the film, but I definitely felt the heartache emphasized by Ennis and Jack’s plight to find happiness in a life apart from each other.  They were miserable in their lives when they could not be with each other.  That’s true love, no matter how you slice it.  I literally went to bed depressed that night, not because I witnessed unspeakable acts on the screen that were kind of disturbing to my sensitive eyes, but because I truly felt the pain, heartache and raw emotion that was so prominently delivered in this film.  Now that is what I call suspension of disbelief and an effective screenplay.

Video 

While its not the best that Blu-ray has to offer, you certainly would be hard pressed to find anything that looks more authentic than this for a 1963 period piece.  Brokeback Mountain makes its glorious debut on the Blu-ray format with all its film grain intact.  Presented in a 1080P VC-1 encode and in its original 1.85:1 aspect ratio, Brokeback Mountain retains a thin layer of cinematic grain throughout the film.  This non-intrusive film grain benefits this presentation much like eating a variety of choices from the four basic food groups fulfills our daily nutritional needs.  That’s not to say there are not some minor quips I need to bring up.  This is not the sharpest of Blu-ray transfers, as its rather stylized and soft appearance serves to bring to life the country and wilderness of 1963.  The only other problem areas were a handful of black specks popping up here and there on the print and a couple examples of edge enhancement, most notably in the night sky during the first half of the presentation.  Some of the wilderness and forest scenes looked absolutely gorgeous and breathtaking. 

Much to the credit of the video transfer, I found some scenes I believe to be too clear.  How is this possible you jest?  Well, let’s just say that the ultra-high quality presentational features of the Blu-ray format in the home living room concept may not have been thought about much when the makeup artists were applying the prosthetics and false facial hair additions to the skin of the actors.  As the actors aged throughout the film, the makeup treatments and the thickly applied sideburn applications became more so blatantly obvious.  Towards the beginning of the film I caught the really bad cover-up of the tattoo that adorns Mr. Ledger’s left wrist.  Hopefully filmmakers will be paying closer attention to detail as the dawn of Hi-Def has given us, the consumers, the ability to see things in plain sight that were otherwise overlooked or not taken into consideration before with the puny 480 resolution we had to deal with in the home.  Suspension of disbelief is a top priority of mine and it’s the little things that kill.  Blu-ray can be both a blessing and a curse at times.  You have to plan and shoot a movie nowadays with the intent that it will be seen in some fashion or form in a High-Definition format.

Audio 

The audio of Brokeback Mountain is a hard one to score.  I wanted to give the audio higher merits at times, but I was also tempted to lower it other times.  Brokeback Mountain rides onto the Blu-ray format with a DTS-HD 5.1 Master Audio surround track.  When it comes to the sound of the film it is best not to compare it to your bigger action films or else you are going to be sorely disappointed.  Brokeback Mountain, with the exception of its haunting musical score at times, is primarily a dialogue-driven movie, so it makes sense that the rear channels are not always engorged with sound.  Discrete sounds such as the wind and trees rustling in the serene mountain forest are mixed in with harmonic precision throughout.  The most crucial element, the dialogue, can always be heard loud and clear through the center channel.  Struggling to cope with the lack of surround sound, I was just ready to lower the score when out of nowhere came this massive thunder and hailstorm, and as I result, I literally felt transported into the dynamic sound stage.  The hail audibly fell all around me.  Last but not least is the moving score of Gustavo Santaolalia.  Quite simply, pardon the back joke, “the hills are alive with the sound of music.”

Special Features 

Brokeback Mountain succumbs in the special features department, much like its predecessors, the previously released DVD and HD DVD versions.  The original DVD release, in an effort for Universal to capitalize on the movie’s Oscar buzz as much as they could, hit the retail shelves prematurely just weeks after the Academy Awards.  Therefore, much of the prep time needed to develop a beefy special features package was overlooked.  Here we are, two formats later, and no new ingredients have been added to the batch of special features here.  The Blu-ray release contains the same special features found on the earlier DVD and HD DVD releases.  Surprisingly there is not even an audio commentary or a deleted scene to be found.  Special feature whores will be very disappointed in this package, to say the least.  In my opinion, at least for this newest Blu-ray release, it would have been nice to see a fitting tribute to the legendary performance delivered within the film by the late Heath Ledger.  The bonus materials are presented in a mix of 1080 and 480 resolutions as indicated below.

• A Groundbreaking Success (HD) – In this short 14-minute documentary, Universal examines the phenomenal attention received by this film and its groundbreaking success.  They reflect on the numerous parodies that played to the theme of the film and more.
• Music From The Mountain (HD) – In this next brief featurette, studio footage of Willie Nelson recording “He Was a Friend of Mine” is combined with interviews from each of the artists involved in the project.  The songs of Gustavo Santaolalla are broken down and examined to demonstrate how his musical score compliments the movie.  This featurette only runs a quick 11 minutes.
• Impressions From The Film (HD) – Here we have a 3-minute montage of photo stills that reveal the power and beauty of the film, so Universal says.
• On Being a Cowboy (SD) – In this 6-minute feature, Jake Gyllenhaal and Heath Ledger discuss their preparations for the film.
• Directing From The Heart: Ang Lee (SD) – For the next 8 minutes, the creative visions of director Ang Lee are profiled in this behind-the-scenes mini-documentary.
• From Script to Screen: Interviews with Larry McMurtry & Diana Ossana (SD) – This 10-minute feature finds the writers discussing how they brought Annie Proulx’s short story to the screen.
• Sharing the Story: The Making of Brokeback Mountain (SD) – This 22-minute previously-aired television documentary follows the filmmaking process from start to finish as we are introduced to the cast and crew through interviews and behind-the-scenes footage.
• BD-Live – Access the BD-Live Center through your internet-connected Blu-ray player and view the latest Universal trailers and more.  My Scenes Sharing allows you to bookmark your favorite scenes from the movie and share them with your Universal BD-Live buddies.

Final Thoughts 

So where do I stand with this movie?  Of course, I want to be bullheaded and say I was right to initially stay away from this film, but I cannot deny the fact that this is a well-crafted tale of two star-crossed lovers destined to be together in a world that would never allow such a cohabitation of the species.  This film is controversial deep subject matter at its finest.  Like stem cell research is to former President Bush, it doesn’t get anymore controversial than this.  I never thought I would have so much to say about this film.  I truly thought I would watch it once, write a quick review and then instantly dismiss it, but I cannot.  It will definitely be some time before I can revisit this Blu-ray movie again, because of the pain and heartbreak exquisitely brought to life on the screen, but as my wife’s friend Alex says, “this is a Blu-ray movie that everyone should own.”  Also, in the mixed words of my co-worker, “Brokeback Mountain is an excellent love story for what it is worth, regardless of the taboo sexual relationship portrayed.”

So there you have it ladies and gentlemen.  That’s right…you heard me say it.  Brokeback Mountain truly is a tale that everyone should have in their personal movie collection, coupled with the fact that this Blu-ray release sports a beautiful video and audio presentation, you have yourself a win-win situation here.  Don’t let your sexual preferences deter you from giving this masterpiece a chance.

I hope you enjoyed my review of the Universal Studios’ Brokeback Mountain Blu-ray release.  Please feel free to share your thoughts and comments below.  I look forward to receiving any feedback from my readers.

Brokeback Mountain was released on Blu-ray March 10, 2009.  If you like what you read in the review above, then please show your support for our site by clicking the shopping cart link above to order and save with Amazon’s Everyday Lowest Price Guarantee.  Thanks! 

I have to be straight up honest here. I have never seen a true western movie. When I say true western, I am speaking about westerns that took place at the height of the western movie making era of the 50′s and 60′s. The Professionals would be my first movie and I have to say right away, after watching the film, my interest is definitely peaked.
The Professionals stars Lee Marvin (Henry ‘Rico’ Fardan), Burt Lancaster (Bill Dolworth), Woody Strode (Jake Sharp) and Robert Ryan (Hans Ehrengard) as four men that are hired to find the kidnapped wife of Mr. Joe Grant (Ralph Belamy.)

These four men, professionals in their own area of expertise, are sent across the US border into Mexico, forced to fight off everyone they come in contact with. They are on the hunt for Jesus Raza (Jack Palance) as he is the one who has kidnapped Mrs. Grant (Claudia Cardinale.)

As the foursome reach their destination and attempt to rescue the kidnapped Mrs. Grant, they realize that their travels might have been for another reason than the one given to them. They are in for the fight of their lives and there is no guarantee they will make it back to the United States alive.

Video

The 2.35:1 high definition transfer for The Professionals looks amazingly good. No signs of softness or dirt on the print. Grain is present but not enough to be bothersome. It is seen mostly in the sky. For its age, the film looks pretty spectacular. Skin tones looks real and not glossed over at all.

There are times during the dark scenes where you can see shimmering of the picture. Again, given its age, that is pretty much to be expected.

Overall, Sony Pictures did a really top notch job on the Blu-ray disc.

Some of the other reviews make mention of edge enhancement. I for one, and maybe it is due to not having the best eye sight, never noticed any, although many have mentioned it can “clearly” be seen in the first 10 minutes of the film. So, I went back and watched the first ten minutes once again. I watched from about 3 feet away to see if I noticed anything, and I can safely say I did not. Personally, I think this really all depends on ones TV setup. I am sure some will disagree with me and that is fine. But from my 33 year old eyes, I did not spot any edge enhancement.

Audio

The audio choices available are English and French Dolby TrueHD 5.1. For the majority of the film, all sound seemed to come from the center channel. Given the age of the film, 1966, you are not going to get blow me away sound. I thought the audio was actually very good. The bass did kick in on occasion but even during some explosions, not much was to be felt. The dialogue was very clear and easy to understand.

The surrounds did come into play at times and when they did, it was very subtle, at least to my ears.

There are plenty of subtitles available on this disc. You have a choice between English, French, Korean, Portuguese, Spanish, Chinese, Thai and Bahasa.

Special Features

All of the special features are in standard definition.

The Professionals: A Classic

• This is a short 6 minute look back at the film. Claudia Cardinale, Joanna Lancaster, Paul Brodsky and others discuss why the film was as good as it was and why no other film today can have the same great cast of actors and have it work so well.

Burt Lancaster: A Portrait

• As the title suggests, this is a look back on the career of Burt Lancaster and what made him the actor he was. His daughter as well as his Biographer gives their thoughts on him. This is a 12 minute Featurette.

Memories from: The Professionals

• Claudia Cardinale and others look back at their memories from The Professionals and speak about all of the characters from the film as well as the filming locations.

Final Thoughts

Up until watching The Professionals, the only westerns I have ever viewed were The Unforgiven, 3:10 to Yuma and Tombstone, just to name a few. I had always heard how good many westerns were but never bit the bullet and watched one of the classics. I am extremely happy The Professionals came my way for review. A true eye opener to what a good western can be with a great cast and great story. No doubt I will do my best to view any and all westerns that come out on Blu Ray.

The Professionals is a fantastically acted film that kept my attention throughout. Standout performances by both Lee Marvin and Burt Lancaster made the film extremely enjoyable. Given that this was my first time watching Lee Marvin in a film, it was a real treat. The film was beautifully shot and was extremely pleasing to the eyes.

With it low MSRP and bargain price at Amazon, this should be an easy purchase for anyone.

3:10 to Yuma makes its way onto Blu-ray disc, a remake of the 1957 film of the same name. Before I even knew what the film was about I was intrigued, as I have yet to watch a Christian Bale film I haven’t liked. Add the always entertaining Russell Crowe and this film has automatic potential. 3:10 to Yuma is directed by James Mangold (Walk The Line,Cop Land) which immediately gives it some credibility, but enough with the speculation, how does 3:10 to Yuma hold up?

Christian Bale (The Prestige) plays Dan Evans, a struggling rancher and Civil War veteran, left with a permanent limp. Ultimately Dan is a family man, but due to the unsuccessful nature of his livestock, he is in debt to the wrong kind of person. Which is where the movie begins, Dan is awaken to his barn in flames, set by two men working for Hollander, whom Dan owes money. The next morning while rounding his cattle Dan and his two sons run into the notorious outlaw Ben Wade (Russell Crowe, American Gangster) who is using the cattle as a diversion while robbing a stagecoach. A firefight ensues and while retrieving the spoils Ben spots Dan and his children watching from the hills, but soon after realizes they aren?t a threat and cuts a deal with him in which Ben and his gang take their horses. Dan has bigger problems though, as he soon learns that Hollander plans to sell his land to the railroad, thus leaving him with no means to support his family. That is until he runs into Ben Wade once again and distracts him long enough for the railroad guards to arrest him. Dan decides that for $200 he will escort him to Contention where he will board the 3:10 train to Yuma. From here on out Dan and a group of mercenaries must face Ben?s gang, hostile Indians, and everyone in between while they forge their way through the desert in hopes of not only delivering Ben, but staying alive.

Initially, who could refrain from being intrigued by the combination of Christian Bale and Russell Crowe in a film, I know I couldn?t. But does the film actually deliver? Simply put, yes it does. 3:10 to Yuma is an instant classic and a must see for all western fans. Not only is the story engaging but cinematically this film is gorgeous, very well put together and truly captures the majesty of the American desert.

What I like best about this film is not the intense action scenes (which really are awesome) but the dialogue, the conversation between these two men who seem to have nothing in common. The characters are well written and complex, and as their adventure unfolds through the desert they will be put to the test of their morals.

Russell Crowe and Christian Bale totally sold me on this film, making it completely believable. Bale playing a character we can sympathize with, and Crowe as his antonym who although lacks a conscience isn?t near a psychopathic as his predecessor played by Ben Foster (Alpha Dog) who as well played a fantastic role. This movie is easily among the Top 10 of 2007 and a must see for fans of the genre or not.

Video

Presented in 1080p 2.40:1 and encoded in VC-1, 3:10 To Yuma comes to Blu-ray with some fantastic looking results. From the clearly seen stubble on Wades and Evans face, to the 3D looking pop delivered landscapes, everything here looks great.

The print itself is in perfect condition with no artifacts or scratches present during its duration. Dark shots hold up well with a strong looking color pallet and a minimal presence of grain. I have been waiting in anticipation for this movie to hit Blu-ray and Lionsgate certainly delivers.

Audio

Lionsgate has always been more than generous when it comes to packing an audio punch, 3:10 is no different. Equipped with a 5.1 Dolby Digital EX and a blistering 7.1 PCM track, there is no denying that this movie sounds terrific. From beginning to end this is one movie where you must have the volume cranked to truly hear its awesomeness. The crystal clear presentation has rich bass with a powerful sound stage which utilizes front and rear speakers effectively throughout.

From Gun shots to dynamite explosions, 3:10 has all you could want in an audio presentation. Lionsgate has delivered one of the best sounding track I have hear on Blu-ray.

Special Features

Lionsgate has included a bunch of worthwhile features with this disc. Fans of the film should definitely watch the Inside Yuma making of feature as it offers a lot of information on the films creation.

• Audio Commentary with Director James Manigold
• 3:10 to Score
• Sea to Shining Sea Documentary
• The Guns of Yuma
• Historical Timeline of the West
• Inside Yuma Making of Documentary
• An Epic Explored
• Outlaw Gangs and Posses Documentary
• Deleted Scenes

Final Thoughts

With a good mix of action, adventure, and drama 3:10 to Yuma gets a definite nod from me. The film is beautifully presented on Blu ray with expansive shots of the diverse desert that is the south west. From gun shots to clomping horses 3:10 to Yuma sounds brilliant; you are truly immersed into the action. I can easily suggest fans of the film to go pick up a copy right now, and if you haven?t yet seen it, I recommend you do.