Blu-ray Review A Few Words About A few words about…™ The Hunter – in Blu-ray (1 Viewer)

[Robert Harris]

Steve McQueen first appeared on TV at age 22, and with many TV appearances inclusive of a three-year stint on Wanted: Dead or Alive, he seemed comfortable working in both TV and theatrical films.

Remembered by many sci-fi fans for his lead role in The Blob (1958), he received co-star billing in the the 1959 Never So Few, and then hit his stride the following year in The Magnificent Seven (coming shortly in 4k from Kino).

After that, a continuous string of wonderful performances in the '60s and '70s, ending with his role in Papillon in 1973, to me his last great role.

He passed in 1980. One can only wonder what incredible performances he might have given us.

The Hunter was his final appearance on film, and it was unfortunate. There are many of us that love Mr. McQueen's work - all of it - and this odd vehicle is not exception. But be advised that it was not well accepted, and has not grown in stature with time.

It is, however, important for those who seek to have the complete works of Mr. McQueen.

And for that purpose, I'm pleased to report that it looks similar in many ways to the new 4k of The Marathon Man.

Same grain structure. Same great color, black levels, stability. It's a terrific image harvest from Paramount as released by Kino. I'm hopeful that the pendulum will not head back in the other direction.

Image – 5

Audio – 4 (DTS-HD MA 2.0)

Pass / Fail – Pass

Works in projection - Yes

Works up-rezzed to 4k - Yes

Upgrade from DVD - Yes

Recommended (for McQueen completists)

RAH


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[jayembee]

The Hunter was his final appearance on film, and it was unfortunate. There are many of us that love Mr. McQueen's work - all of it - and this odd vehicle is not exception. But be advised that it was not well accepted, and has not grown in stature with time.

It is, however, important for those who seek to have the complete works of Mr. McQueen.

That's me to a "T".

 

[Robin9]

I've seen this film only once and I found it interesting. If I remember correctly, it was the film that introduced me to Linda Evans. Nothing she's done since then has impressed me as much. As the quality of the disc is so high, I'll buy it.

EDIT: Big mistake, but I'll let it stand.

 

[Robert Crawford]

I've seen this film only once and I found it interesting. If I remember correctly, it was the film that introduced me to Linda Evans. Nothing she's done since then has impressed me as much. As the quality of the disc is so high, I'll buy it.

Wrong McQueen film! Evans wasn't in The Hunter, but was in Tom Horn.

 

[Winston T. Boogie]

I think McQueen gives a great performance in an average film here. I saw this as a kid when it came out and so have some nostalgia for it. It has the look and feel of a TV movie but then there is Steve...who elevates it every time he is onscreen.

I always wish he made more pictures in the 1970s. I agree with Mr. Harris that after Papillon, he just seemed not to get another quality picture to do. I don't think he slipped at all but the films he was in were beneath him.

Now, I have heard it was difficult to get him to agree to be in anything in this timeframe. I also have heard that when he read scripts he would cross out a lot of his dialogue because he felt the scenes did not need words. Coppola famously tried to get him to play Willard but he did not want to go to the Philippines and I think at this point he knew he was ill.

I believe he was considered for a lot of pictures but they just could not nail him down.

 

[Robert Crawford]

I think McQueen gives a great performance in an average film here. I saw this as a kid when it came out and so have some nostalgia for it. It has the look and feel of a TV movie but then there is Steve...who elevates it every time he is onscreen.

I actually watched this film in a movie theater when it first came out. I always liked the movie and it's probably because McQueen, Newman and Wayne were big movie stars that I did watch many of their films in a movie theater. I have the iTunes HD Digital, but I will purchase this Blu-ray to replace my DVD.

 

[Winston T. Boogie]

I have a Blu of this already, I think from Imprint, I wonder if the transfer is different. When I last watched this I was kind of laughing at how the car chase with the dynamite obsessed brothers is cut together. They cut the same piece of dialogue into the scene several times, I believe.

 

[Peter Apruzzese]

I actually watched this film in a movie theater when it first came out. I always liked the movie and it's probably because McQueen, Newman and Wayne were big movie stars that I did watch many of their films in a movie theater. I have the iTunes HD Digital, but I will purchase this Blu-ray to replace my DVD.

I ran this one in my first movie theater job so I have some nostalgia towards it. It plays like two different movies cut together, which doesn’t help the pacing.

 

[Peter Apruzzese]

I have a Blu of this already, I think from Imprint, I wonder if the transfer is different. When I last watched this I was kind of laughing at how the car chase with the dynamite obsessed brothers is cut together. They cut the same piece of dialogue into the scene several times, I believe.

Yes, “Where’d he come from?!” is repeated a couple of times.

 

[sbjork]

I have a Blu of this already, I think from Imprint, I wonder if the transfer is different. When I last watched this I was kind of laughing at how the car chase with the dynamite obsessed brothers is cut together. They cut the same piece of dialogue into the scene several times, I believe.

The transfer is indeed a different one. The master that Paramount provide to ViaVision was an older one -- the fact that it was framed at 1.78:1 is a tipoff. Early HD master. It's soft overall, with some occasionally ugly grain management. It looks like swarming digital bees at times, especially with the chunkier grain during the opening credits.

I'll be looking forward to upgrading this one!