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A Few Words About A few words about...™ Don't Look Now -- in Blu-ray (1 Viewer)

Robert Harris

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Nicholas Roeg's brilliant Don't Look Now (1973) is one of those films that can keep you on the edge of your seat.

In his notes that accompany Criterion's new release, David Thompson makes note of the fact that Don't Look Now was released as the top half of a double bill, at least in the UK, along with The Wicker Man.

An interesting pairing, but I'll take my Don't Look Now straight up.

For those innocently unaware, I'll say nothing about plot, so we'll go on to the disc itself.

In a word...

Magnificent.

With the image scanned at 4k resolution from the original camera negative, the resultant Blu-ray shimmers with original grain, and on screen, looks almost painterly.

Colors, black level, resolution, and cleanliness of the image are all up to Criterion standards, which means perfection.

This is one of the first releases of 2015 that should not be passed up.

Image - 5

Audio - 5

Pass / Fail - Pass

Very Highly Recommended

RAH

 

Winston T. Boogie

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I have the European release but will certainly be picking up this one from Criterion. Love this film and the setting in Venice.
 

Ronald Epstein

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Wow, RAH, this is the best post I have read in awhile.


A huge smile came to my face after reading it.


This is one of my favorite "horror" films of the seventies.


The import that was released a few years back was less than desirable.


Glad to see that Criterion released a version that we can finally be proud to own.
 

Charles Smith

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Can't wait to (probably) let my UK copy go to a new home.


Hate to confess this, but I never went to see the film back in the day, until it started playing the second run and revival houses. Don't ask me why, because I have no answer. I finally saw it at the Nuart!
 

Dick

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The Optimum UK Blu had serious visual issues -- looked rather like all grain had been scrubbed out only to be replaced by a different, synthetic kind of grain, having a strange life of its own on edges of things, like a colony of bacteria under a microscope. Yet Optimum insisted that version, too, had been approved by Roeg. I am quite anxious to see this Criterion edition. Sad to see the director's commentary gone (which is why I have to keep the UK), but a lengthy talk with editor Graeme Clifford is a pleasant surprise.
 

Vincent_P

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Happily have this on pre-order. I first watched it maybe 15 years ago without knowing much about it beyond it's reputation as being somehow "great" was was not disappointed in the least. If anything, the film exceeded my expectations.


Vincent
 

rsmithjr

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I have watched the LD a number of times so I know all of its artifacts by heart.


Now comes the tough decision...
 

larryKR

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I've pre-ordered. I saw parts of this movie many years ago on TV and can't recall much. Good news on the Blu-ray, it will be like watching it for the first time.
 

Mike Boone

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Thank you, RAH, for highlighting the quality of still another Blu-ray incarnation of a fine film. Naturally, it's to be celebrated that one more film seems destined to avoid fading from the ravages of time, even if, ironically, the film is also one more title that's helping to bring on the fading of a New Year's resolution, namely that I was going to try to pare down my Blu-ray shopping list.
 

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