Blu-ray Review The Day of the Locust (Arrow Video) – Blu-ray Review (1 Viewer)

[t1g3r5fan]

First published in 1939, Nathanael West’s novel The Day of the Locust has become regarded as the author’s masterwork and one of the best American novels of the 20th Century. Its road to screen adaptation was a long one as most tended to shy away from the ambitious work, until the team behind the Best Picture Oscar winning Midnight Cowboy – director John Schlesinger, producer Jerome Hellman and screenwriter Waldo Salt – decided to take on the project. Despite the belief of studio head Robert Evans that the project was a mistake, Paramount Pictures gave the green light for Schlesinger to bring West’s novel to life. Previously released on DVD by Paramount and on a Region Free Blu-ray by Imprint, Arrow Video has given the movie its US Blu-ray debut.



The Day of the Locust (1975)



Released: 12 Jun 1975
Rated: R
Runtime: 144 min




Director: John Schlesinger
Genre: Drama, Thriller...

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[cinefan]

Thanks for the review. This is a favorite movie of mine and I already picked up this Arrow release via pre-order, but I'll be keeping my previously acquired Imprint edition as well for the completely disjoint set of special features. (I've been hanging onto my old DVD too, but think I'll finally let that go).

 

[Angelo Colombus]

Great film and the Arrow release is an improvement over the hazy Imprint disc that gave me a headache watching it.

 

[PMF]

Finally, a major Conrad Hall work getting treated properly on disc.

Thank you, Arrow.

Ordered.

 

[davidmatychuk]

I just watched the Arrow Blu-Ray, and it is fantastic. "The Day of the Locust" is a movie I saw a few times when it was released, and it's always been a movie that I associate with "Shampoo" and "Chinatown", two of my all-time favorites. They're all mid-70's movies with acidic takes on Los Angeles, and having seen all of them multiple times in the theatre they were a major part of my early adulthood and my development into the movie nut I still am. Now for my question (that comes with a SPOILER ALERT): I have a vivid theatrical memory of seeing Tod's fractured leg bone sticking out through his skin at a sickening angle. Watching Arrow's otherwise exemplary Blu-Ray last night, Tod's leg is covered in blood and his pants leg is ripped, but I didn't see the flash of a white leg bone that I recall seeing every time I saw the movie in the theatre. I gave my old DVD to a friend, so I can ask him to check, but hey, it's the middle of the night and what are my Home Theater Forum friends for? I'd sure like to know if my memory is faulty (not much doubt about that) or if Arrow used a different source than the original theatrical version.

 

[Jimbo.B]

I just watched the Arrow Blu-Ray, and it is fantastic. "The Day of the Locust" is a movie I saw a few times when it was released, and it's always been a movie that I associate with "Shampoo" and "Chinatown", two of my all-time favorites. They're all mid-70's movies with acidic takes on Los Angeles, and having seen all of them multiple times in the theatre they were a major part of my early adulthood and my development into the movie nut I still am. Now for my question (that comes with a SPOILER ALERT): I have a vivid theatrical memory of seeing Tod's fractured leg bone sticking out through his skin at a sickening angle. Watching Arrow's otherwise exemplary Blu-Ray last night, Tod's leg is covered in blood and his pants leg is ripped, but I didn't see the flash of a white leg bone that I recall seeing every time I saw the movie in the theatre. I gave my old DVD to a friend, so I can ask him to check, but hey, it's the middle of the night and what are my Home Theater Forum friends for? I'd sure like to know if my memory is faulty (not much doubt about that) or if Arrow used a different source than the original theatrical version.

I recall seeing that bone as well, but maybe it was just a hallucination we both had after watching 35 year old Karen Black play a teenager for two and a half hours.

 

[davidmatychuk]

The old Paramount DVD has no protruding leg bone either. Tod's horrified shriek when he sees his leg just isn't the same when it's only smeared with blood and somewhat awkwardly positioned, but I await more first-hand accounts before I start beating myself up over being wrong.