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Robert Harris

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Edward Dmytryk's 1965 Mirage, from Universal, has at it's base, a mystery that involves a lack of memory - think 36 Hours.

It's written by Peter Stone, who was responsible for the wonderful Charade a couple of years earlier, as well as Father Goose, 1776, and a film under current discussion here on HTF, Sweet Charity.

It was photographed by Joseph MacDonald in black and white, and the imagery, short of obvious studio shots, was quite lovely in original 35mm prints.

Mirage is a good film, a fun film, but never a great one.

Kino Lorber's new Blu-ray has a lovely black & white palette, and a superb gray scale, but something occurred, probably toward the creation of this master for DVD.

And there's the rub.

Most DVD quality masters, cannot be properly repurposed for Blu-ray, and Mirage is a perfect example. It was apparently sharpened to make the DVDs appear more pleasant, but in HD resolution, what we get are slight electronic edges.


Image – 3

Audio – 4.5

Upgrade from DVD - only if you don't mind that electronic look

Pass / Fail – Fail

RAH

 
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haineshisway

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Sounds like the French Blu-ray (I think it's French) - disappointing, as that looked absolutely horrible. What a shame.
 

Robin9

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Many thanks for this review. The DVD isn't bad so I think I'll stick with that.
 

Robert Harris

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Sounds like the French Blu-ray (I think it's French) - disappointing, as that looked absolutely horrible. What a shame.

It may not appear as bad on a smaller display. I don’t believe Uni home video is doing a service to their post/mastering division, as their current work can be meticulous.
 

Charles Smith

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Agree, what a shame.

Because though not a great film, it's one I've been enamored of from the day I saw it in its first week.
That cast... those images... that score...

Damn, damn, damn, damn.
 

Winston T. Boogie

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Count me as a fan of this picture as is, I believe, Mr. Scorsese which I mention because I believe this film was a bit of an influence on his picture,
Shutter Island
...which I also love.

Basically, I love how we enter the world of this picture...there is a blackout and suddenly the character whose eyes we are seeing things through has his entire existence shift leaving him totally adrift and unsure what is happening. It is both preposterous (in the best movie way) and fascinating all at once. It is a classic example of the "unreliable narrator" and the actors are all a blast in this.

This is the kind of film some people will love but just like
Shutter Island
, some people will hate...mainly because the film is pulling the rug out from under the audience. So, this is the kind of film that for some will have them saying "That's ridiculous, how did they do that?"

For me this kind of story is a lot of fun and so the first time I saw this I was totally drawn in then...
just like with Shutter Island, it is interesting to watch again and again to look for little clues and how the story was constructed that were on the first visit not meant to be apparent.

I will be getting the blu based entirely on my love of the film. A must watch in my opinion if you like pictures like this and I really do.
 

Nick*Z

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Will also be buying this Blu as I have always enjoyed this movie but - oddly enough - never owned it before. Regrettably, it doesn't sound like it will be a great viewing experience though.
 

Robert Harris

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Will also be buying this Blu as I have always enjoyed this movie but - oddly enough - never owned it before. Regrettably, it doesn't sound like it will be a great viewing experience though.

Should be fine, if not projected.
 

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