Charley Varrick - Kino Lorber (1 Viewer)

[titch]

I'm very surprised nobody has reviewed the Kino Lorber blu-ray of Charley Varrick, released in 2019. It was one Don Siegel film I hadn't seen - the title never really grabbed me and I always associate Walter Matthau with comedy. Then the April 2023 edition of EMPIRE magazine featured Charley Varrick as one of their "Movie masterpiece" series and my interest was peaked:

Charley Varrick

THE MASTERPIECE

pocketmags.com

The UK has an Indicator blu-ray but the Kino Lorber is from a new scan. It's a brilliant film - typical auteur 70's filmmaking, where the plot and action are not formulaic. I'd now rate it as Don Siegel's best. And the transfer is completely spotless.

 

[Robert Crawford]

I'm very surprised nobody has reviewed the Kino Lorber blu-ray of Charley Varrick, released in 2019. It was one Don Siegel film I hadn't seen - the title never really grabbed me and I always associate Walter Matthau with comedy. Then the April 2023 edition of EMPIRE magazine featured Charley Varrick as one of their "Movie masterpiece" series and my interest was peaked:

Charley Varrick

THE MASTERPIECE

pocketmags.com

The UK has an Indicator blu-ray but the Kino Lorber is from a new scan. It's a brilliant film - typical auteur 70's filmmaking, where the plot and action are not formulaic. I'd now rate it as Don Siegel's best. And the transfer is completely spotless.

I grew up watching Matthau in comedies, but also in Noir/Crime movies. He appeared in several of the second type films and probably more than people realized despite his name attachment to comedies.

Slaughter on Tenth Avenue
Gangster Story
Lonely Are the Brave (Western Noir)
King Creole (Musical Noir)
The Laughing Policeman
Charley Varrick
The Taking of Pelham One Two Three
Mirage
Hopscotch (Spy Noir)

As to Charley Varrick, I love this movie and actually watched it for the first time during its theatrical run. I will be revisiting it this November during our "Noirvember Challenge". I don't have the Indicator Blu-ray, but I do have the 2015 (GermanKoch) Blu-ray as well as the 2019 Kino Blu-ray. I will be watching the latter Blu-ray in November and will most likely watch it twice in order to listen to the audio commentary. I even have the iTunes HD digital which I bought five years ago.

 

[Robin9]

I grew up watching Matthau in comedies, but also in Noir/Crime movies. He appeared in several of the second type films and probably more than people realized despite his name attachment to comedies.

Slaughter on Tenth Avenue
Gangster Story
Lonely Are the Brave (Western Noir)
King Creole (Musical Noir)
The Laughing Policeman
Charley Varrick
The Taking of Pelham One Two Three
Mirage
Hopscotch (Spy Noir)

As to Charley Varrick, I love this movie and actually watched it for the first time during its theatrical run. I will be revisiting it this November during our "Noirvember Challenge". I don't have the Indicator Blu-ray, but I do have the 2015 (GermanKoch) Blu-ray as well as the 2019 Kino Blu-ray. I will be watching the latter Blu-ray in November and will most likely watch it twice in order to listen to the audio commentary. I even have the iTunes HD digital which I bought five years ago.

View attachment 193703

Walter Matthau was truly sinister in Strangers When We Meet and didn't he use a whip in The Kentuckian?

 

[Richard M S]

Charley Varrick was a revelation to me and when I watched the essential KinoLorber blu-ray last summer for the first time, I was so blown away by the film I immediately re-watched it and enjoyed the second viewing even more.

 

[lark144]

Charley Varrick was a revelation to me and when I watched the essential KinoLorber blu-ray last summer for the first time, I was so blown away by the film I immediately re-watched it and enjoyed the second viewing even more.

Since you guys were talking about it, I just watched it again. Still holds up remarkably well. I saw it when it came out. I was already anticipating the film as I read the source novel, "The Looters" a few years before and then saw in Variety that Siegel was directing. So I was up for it. The film is very close to the novel, though reading it I imagined someone like Lee Marvin instead of Walter Matthau. But Matthau is very good. He holds the screen. People think of him as cerebral, but he's a very physical actor. And in Charley Varrick, the way he moves, in addition to expressing pure pleasure in being alive, generates suspense. You wonder what he's up to. His pauses and lopes are palpable. It may be Siegel's masterpiece. As I recall, it didn't do that well when it opened. It's good that people are finally discovering it.

 

[jayembee]

And, of course, Matthau played a real sumbitch in Fail-Safe.

 

[ManW_TheUncool]

I just have the Indicator BD import from a Powerhouse sale last year Hmmm, NVM, I actually do have the KL BD bought late last year, not the Indicator (though I probably almost bought the Indicator, LOL), but as usual, still haven't gotten around to watching it so far...

Also have a couple others mentioned starring Matthau...

_Man_

 

[titch]

In case anyone is interested, I've attached the essay on Charlie Varrick (which made me buy the movie) from EMPIRE below. It's written by Kim Newman, who is a very well-known and respected cult-film enthusiast. The essay contains plot details and spoilers, so don't read, if you haven't seen the film and are sensitive!

 

[commander richardson]

In case anyone is interested, I've attached the essay on Charlie Varrick (which made me buy the movie) from EMPIRE below. It's written by Kim Newman, who is a very well-known and respected cult-film enthusiast. The essay contains plot details and spoilers, so don't read, if you haven't seen the film and are sensitive!

kindly note Lalo Schifrin's fantastic music score remains unreleased.

 

[Bartman]

I'd seen Charley Varrick streaming a couple of times (probably from the original Universal transfer) and bought the KL Blu-ray. The extras are superb but the movie's picture quality is unimpressive. This probably needed a higher bit rate and a two disc release. I assume KL will eventually release a 4K, hopefully that will be better?

 

[titch]

kindly note Lalo Schifrin's fantastic music score remains unreleased.

Yes - I was pleasantly surprised, when Lalo Schifrin's name popped up in the credits. A typically, lovely jazzy score! He was a busy man in 1973 - Enter The Dragon was produced about the same time.

 

[Robert Crawford]

Yes - I was pleasantly surprised, when Lalo Schifrin's name popped up in the credits. A typically, lovely jazzy score! He was a busy man in 1973 - Enter The Dragon was produced about the same time.

Not as busy as he wanted to be as William Friedkin rejected his proposed scoring attempt for The Exorcist. Friedkin talks about it during the documentary "Leap of Faith" which details Friedkin experience with The Exorcist.

 

[albert_m2]

I really like this movie and own the Kino blu ray. I also bought their release of The Black Windmill, which I hadn't seen, because Don Siegel did it, but found that one disappointing.

 

[Kent K H]

I grew up watching Matthau in comedies, but also in Noir/Crime movies. He appeared in several of the second type films and probably more than people realized despite his name attachment to comedies.

Slaughter on Tenth Avenue
Gangster Story
Lonely Are the Brave (Western Noir)
King Creole (Musical Noir)
The Laughing Policeman
Charley Varrick
The Taking of Pelham One Two Three
Mirage
Hopscotch (Spy Noir)

As to Charley Varrick, I love this movie and actually watched it for the first time during its theatrical run. I will be revisiting it this November during our "Noirvember Challenge". I don't have the Indicator Blu-ray, but I do have the 2015 (GermanKoch) Blu-ray as well as the 2019 Kino Blu-ray. I will be watching the latter Blu-ray in November and will most likely watch it twice in order to listen to the audio commentary. I even have the iTunes HD digital which I bought five years ago.

View attachment 193703

Don't forget Charade.

"They left me there with five in my leg and my stomach. They knew I was alive, but they left me there. I spent ten months in a German prison camp with nothing to stop the pain. They left me there. They deserved to die."

 

[JohnHopper]

I'm very surprised nobody has reviewed the Kino Lorber blu-ray of Charley Varrick, released in 2019. It was one Don Siegel film I hadn't seen - the title never really grabbed me and I always associate Walter Matthau with comedy. Then the April 2023 edition of EMPIRE magazine featured Charley Varrick as one of their "Movie masterpiece" series and my interest was peaked:

Charley Varrick

THE MASTERPIECE

pocketmags.com

The UK has an Indicator blu-ray but the Kino Lorber is from a new scan. It's a brilliant film - typical auteur 70's filmmaking, where the plot and action are not formulaic. I'd now rate it as Don Siegel's best. And the transfer is completely spotless.

“The difference is the Mafia kills you, no trial, no judge. They never stop looking for you, not ‘til you’re dead. I’d rather have ten F.B.I.s after me.”
—Charley Varrick


I watched it in a movie theater thirty years ago during a film festival: I was blown away by the pace and the cast—character actors that I knew from B-movies and from Sixties television like Joe Don Baker (see Walking Tall), Norman Fell, William Schallert, Jacqueline Scott, Sheree North. And the cherry on top of the cake remains the four actors returning from Dirty Harry: Andy Robinson aka Scorpio, John Vernon aka the SF Mayor, Woodrow Parfrey as the hot dog joint cook and Albert Popwell aka the bank robber.

It’s one of the best Neo Noir of the Seventies era which is never quoted by critics because it is done by a veteran of the Golden Age and, besides, Matthau hated the film that he never understood. Keep in mind the title role was first given to Clint Eastwood who turned it down and chose instead Thunderbolt and Lightfoot.

 

[titch]

Keep in mind the title role was first given to Clint Eastwood who turned it down and chose instead Thunderbolt and Lightfoot.

Probably the reason why the woman forging the passport in the movie quipped: "I wouldn't confuse you with Clint Eastwood!"

 

[JohnHopper]

In case anyone is interested, I've attached the essay on Charlie Varrick (which made me buy the movie) from EMPIRE below. It's written by Kim Newman, who is a very well-known and respected cult-film enthusiast. The essay contains plot details and spoilers, so don't read, if you haven't seen the film and are sensitive!

I also watched the other two Matthau serious feature films:
the gloomy The Laughing Policeman and the fun The Taking Of Pelham One Two Three.