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Blu-ray Review Love and Death Blu-ray Review (1 Viewer)

Matt Hough

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Love and Death Blu-ray Review

Woody Allen capers through nineteenth century Russian history, literature, and theater (with some Ingmar Bergman-esque touches thrown in for good measure), all filtered through his Brooklyn sensibilities in the often hilarious Love and Death. While Woody wouldn’t begin exploiting cinematic technique to its fullest extent until his next film Annie Hall, Love and Death moves his comedy to a grander scale than his previous films and finds time to focus even more seriously on his muse of the era Diane Keaton for this often surprisingly lavish period comedy.



Studio: MGM

Distributed By: Twilight Time

Video Resolution and Encode: 1080P/AVC

Aspect Ratio: 1.85:1

Audio: English 1.0 DTS-HDMA (Mono)

Subtitles: English SDH

Rating: PG

Run Time: 1 Hr. 25 Min.

Package Includes: Blu-ray

keep case

Disc Type: BD50 (dual layer)

Region: All

Release Date: 02/10/2015

MSRP: $29.95




The Production Rating: 4/5

Russian peasant Boris (Woody Allen) is conscripted into the Russian army to fight Napoleon, a job the cowardly pacifist would gladly pass on in order to woo his distant cousin Sonja (Diane Keaton). Still, despite his complete incompetence, he stumbles into a heroic act which earns him many decorations and makes him the toast of Moscow. Additional adventures involve fighting a duel with a jealous count (Harold Gould) and a hair-brained scheme hatched with Sonja to assassinate Napoleon in order to end the war once and for all.

Filmed rather grandly in France and Germany and with far more extras than one normally associates with a Woody Allen movie of the period (the battle scenes are quite extensive), Love and Death nevertheless contains the expected Woody Allen sight gags (a treasurable Russian army training sequence finds the nebbish at his funniest and anachronistically includes Frank Adu as a jive-talking drill sergeant) and the customary emphases on lusting after beautiful women and the continual pondering on the existence of God. There’s a running gag that doesn’t work all that well: lengthy pauses of esoteric mumblings between Allen and Keaton on the nature of existence that recalls Strange Interlude and is meant to suggest the pages of conscious thought found in the writings of Dostoyevsky, Tolstoy, and Checkov (aided further by the use of Russian composer Sergey Prokofiev’s compositions as background music). Otherwise, though, the events of the movie whether they involve fighting, feuding, or family matters (there are extended introductions to his weird, wacky family to start the picture) and the ever-present chasing of beautiful women fall strictly within the purview of an Allen movie experience. Allen takes the time, however, to set up some breathtaking shots: the view in the wintry forest at dawn as Boris prepares for his duel with the Count is staggeringly exquisite, and the period costumes and décor have been extravagantly appointed and shot proving that Allen’s maturation as a filmmaker was firmly on the rise during this film’s production.

Don’t expect Russian accents from Woody or Diane as they play their Russian roles: they’re the same rather familiar characters (he: girl crazy and filled with witty banter even down to sharing quips with Death; she: clueless about his feelings and interested in securing her own happiness by any means possible) we’ve seen in previous Allen flicks. Other roles are all rather small but can carry some impact. Henry Czarniak and Feodor Atkine play Boris’ brothers with smooth aplomb, and Harold Gould is an always welcome presence as the blustering Count Anton. Despo Diamantidou and Olga Georges-Picot play well the two other important women in Boris’ life: his mother and his lover the Countess Alexandrovna. As did several youthful actors in this period of Allen works, Alfred Lutter III plays the young Woody/Boris.



Video Rating: 4.5/5  3D Rating: NA

The film’s 1.85:1 theatrical aspect ratio is faithfully reproduced in this 1080p transfer using the AVC codec. Apart from a few random speckles throughout, this is a gorgeous transfer with superb sharpness which brings out lots of detail especially in facial features and rich color that brings out the expensive appointments in the sets and costumes. Flesh tones are completely true to life and very appealing. Black levels are very fine, and contrast has been applied consistently for a very cinematic look to the transfer. The movie has been divided into 24 chapters.



Audio Rating: 4/5

True to Allen movie soundtracks of this period, the DTS-HD Master Audio 1.0 sound mix offers the mono aural experience Woody preferred for his films. Dialogue has been expertly captured and reproduced and is never compromised by the Prokofiev music or the sound effects which surround it. There are no problems with age-related artifacts like hiss or crackle.



Special Features Rating: 2.5/5

Isolated Music and Effects Track: presented in DTS-HD Master Audio 1.0

Theatrical Trailer (2:31, HD)

MGM 90th Anniversary Trailer (2:06, HD)

Six-Page Booklet: contains a selection of color stills, original poster art on the back cover, and film historian Julie Kirgo’s effusive analysis of the movie.



Overall Rating: 4/5

A wonderful Woody Allen comedy from his “early, funny years" (as he’d come to name them later in Stardust Memories), Love and Death features a gorgeous transfer and Woody at his wittiest. There are only 3,000 copies of this Blu-ray available. Those interested should go to www.screenarchives.com to see if product is still in stock. Information about the movie can also be found via Facebook at www.facebook.com/twilighttimemovies.


Reviewed By: Matt Hough


Support HTF when you buy this title:

 

Mark-W

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Thanks for another great review, Matt!
Matt Hough said:
Love and Death Blu-ray Review

Woody Allen capers through nineteenth century Russian history, literature, and theater (with some Ingmar Bergman-esque touches thrown in for good measure), all filtered through his Brooklyn sensibilities in the often hilarious Love and Death. While Woody wouldn’t begin exploiting cinematic technique to its fullest extent until his next film Annie Hall, Love and Death moves his comedy to a grander scale than his previous films and finds time to focus even more seriously on his muse of the era Diane Keaton for this often surprisingly lavish period comedy.

851b11b3a731a5b90f52b77f607e0d68.jpg

Studio: MGM

Distributed By: Twilight Time

Video Resolution and Encode: 1080P/AVC

Aspect Ratio: 1.85:1

Audio: English 1.0 DTS-HDMA (Mono)

Subtitles: English SDH

Rating: PG

Run Time: 1 Hr. 25 Min.

Package Includes: Blu-ray
keep case

Disc Type: BD50 (dual layer)

Region: All

Release Date: 02/10/2015

MSRP: $29.95


The Production Rating: 4/5
Russian peasant Boris (Woody Allen) is conscripted into the Russian army to fight Napoleon, a job the cowardly pacifist would gladly pass on in order to woo his distant cousin Sonja (Diane Keaton). Still, despite his complete incompetence, he stumbles into a heroic act which earns him many decorations and makes him the toast of Moscow. Additional adventures involve fighting a duel with a jealous count (Harold Gould) and a hair-brained scheme hatched with Sonja to assassinate Napoleon in order to end the war once and for all.

Filmed rather grandly in France and Germany and with far more extras than one normally associates with a Woody Allen movie of the period (the battle scenes are quite extensive), Love and Death nevertheless contains the expected Woody Allen sight gags (a treasurable Russian army training sequence finds the nebbish at his funniest and anachronistically includes Frank Adu as a jive-talking drill sergeant) and the customary emphases on lusting after beautiful women and the continual pondering on the existence of God. There’s a running gag that doesn’t work all that well: lengthy pauses of esoteric mumblings between Allen and Keaton on the nature of existence that recalls Strange Interlude and is meant to suggest the pages of conscious thought found in the writings of Dostoyevsky, Tolstoy, and Checkov (aided further by the use of Russian composer Sergey Prokofiev’s compositions as background music). Otherwise, though, the events of the movie whether they involve fighting, feuding, or family matters (there are extended introductions to his weird, wacky family to start the picture) and the ever-present chasing of beautiful women fall strictly within the purview of an Allen movie experience. Allen takes the time, however, to set up some breathtaking shots: the view in the wintry forest at dawn as Boris prepares for his duel with the Count is staggeringly exquisite, and the period costumes and décor have been extravagantly appointed and shot proving that Allen’s maturation as a filmmaker was firmly on the rise during this film’s production.

Don’t expect Russian accents from Woody or Diane as they play their Russian roles: they’re the same rather familiar characters (he: girl crazy and filled with witty banter even down to sharing quips with Death; she: clueless about his feelings and interested in securing her own happiness by any means possible) we’ve seen in previous Allen flicks. Other roles are all rather small but can carry some impact. Henry Czarniak and Feodor Atkine play Boris’ brothers with smooth aplomb, and Harold Gould is an always welcome presence as the blustering Count Anton. Despo Diamantidou and Olga Georges-Picot play well the two other important women in Boris’ life: his mother and his lover the Countess Alexandrovna. As did several youthful actors in this period of Allen works, Alfred Lutter III plays the young Woody/Boris.





Video Rating: 4.5/5 3D Rating: NA
The film’s 1.85:1 theatrical aspect ratio is faithfully reproduced in this 1080p transfer using the AVC codec. Apart from a few random speckles throughout, this is a gorgeous transfer with superb sharpness which brings out lots of detail especially in facial features and rich color that brings out the expensive appointments in the sets and costumes. Flesh tones are completely true to life and very appealing. Black levels are very fine, and contrast has been applied consistently for a very cinematic look to the transfer. The movie has been divided into 24 chapters.

Audio Rating: 4/5
True to Allen movie soundtracks of this period, the DTS-HD Master Audio 1.0 sound mix offers the mono aural experience Woody preferred for his films. Dialogue has been expertly captured and reproduced and is never compromised by the Prokofiev music or the sound effects which surround it. There are no problems with age-related artifacts like hiss or crackle.

Special Features Rating: 2.5/5
Isolated Music and Effects Track: presented in DTS-HD Master Audio 1.0

Theatrical Trailer (2:31, HD)

MGM 90th Anniversary Trailer (2:06, HD)

Six-Page Booklet: contains a selection of color stills, original poster art on the back cover, and film historian Julie Kirgo’s effusive analysis of the movie.





Overall Rating: 4/5
A wonderful Woody Allen comedy from his “early, funny years" (as he’d come to name them later in Stardust Memories), Love and Death features a gorgeous transfer and Woody at his wittiest. There are only 3,000 copies of this Blu-ray available. Those interested should go to www.screenarchives.com to see if product is still in stock. Information about the movie can also be found via Facebook at www.facebook.com/twilighttimemovies.

Reviewed By: Matt Hough

Support HTF when you buy this title:
 

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