Blu-ray Review Pickup on South Street – Criterion Blu-ray Review (1 Viewer)

[t1g3r5fan]

A true original in American cinema, few filmmakers in or outside of Hollywood had quite the independent streak like Samuel Fuller. A former crime reporter in New York City and an infantryman in WWII with the 1st Infantry Division (“The Big Red One”, which – of course – was the title of the 1980 movie based off of his wartime experience there), he began as screenwriter before making the leap to directing with I Shot Jesse James (1949). Following The Steel Helmet (1951), he was brought to 20th Century Fox by studio head Darryl F. Zanuck on a seven-picture deal; Pickup on South Street came from that agreement. Criterion has revisited their previous DVD release with a Blu-ray upgrade.



Pickup on South Street (1953)



Released: 03 Jul 1953
Rated: Passed
Runtime: 80 min




Director: Samuel Fuller
Genre: Crime, Film-Noir, Thriller



Cast: Richard Widmark, Jean...

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[haineshisway]

Of course, there is an overseas Blu-ray and I'm looking forward to how this compares with that - yes, this is a 4K new transfer, but I'd love to hear comments from those who see both.

 

[lark144]

Of course, there is an overseas Blu-ray and I'm looking forward to how this compares with that - yes, this is a 4K new transfer, but I'd love to hear comments from those who see both.

I just compared the first ten minutes of both the MOC & Criterion Blus.

While the MOC looks fine, the Criterion is superior.

You notice this immediately with the 20th Century Fox logo & the credits.

On the Criterion, the whites are purer and stand out, making things more three-dimensional.

In the first scene in the subway, that's even more obvious.

On the MOC, things are more of an indistinguishable grey. The details, while certainly there, don't stand out. For example, you don't really notice Widmark in the distance on the MOC, but in the Criterion, you do. The whites are so pure--the men's shirts and especially Jean Peter's gloves and handbag. On the MOC, the floral pattern on her handbag isn't really distinguishable, But on the Criterion, you can make out every whorl, which adds to the suspense of the scene. Then, in the master shot, the depth of field is much better than on the MOC, so when the doors open, and the characters start to move, their placement in the frame is easier to make out and understand. Watching the Criterion, you get more involved in the scene.

Likewise in the police station. The depth of field there is so much more pronounced on the Criterion than on the MOC, where the space seems compressed. On the Criterion, everything is more three-dimensional and filmic. It appears more real. Also, in the scene in the office building lobby, where Jean Peters makes the phone call, on the Criterion, the white of her gloves stands out, as the rest of the booth is in shadow, so you can tell what she is doing by watching those gloves move--it's really beautiful--but that's not the case on the MOC. The gloves are grey and don't stand out as much.

It's a much better film on the Criterion than the MOC, as the purity of those whites and the added depth of field really make a difference. In some ways, the opening is almost like a silent film, and Fuller uses the whites and the depth of field, something I didn't really notice on the MOC, to draw our attention to what the film will be about on a purely visual level.

Buy the Criterion.

 

[Robert Crawford]

Of course, there is an overseas Blu-ray and I'm looking forward to how this compares with that - yes, this is a 4K new transfer, but I'd love to hear comments from those who see both.

As Mark stated, the Criterion BD is superior in every way. Last week, I took a look at comparing the two discs after watching the Criterion BD earlier this month. The differences between the two video presentations is more apparent than I thought and remembered about the 2015 MOC Blu-ray. Right now, it's a good time to order the Criterion BD because it's on sale for $19.99 at Amazon and B&N.

 

[lark144]

As Mark stated, the Criterion BD is superior in every way. Last week, I took a look at comparing the two discs after watching the Criterion BD earlier this month. The differences between the two video presentations is more apparent than I thought and remembered about the 2015 MOC Blu-ray. Right now, it's a good time to order the Criterion BD because it's on sale for $19.99 at Amazon and B&N.

I also remember the MOC as being really high quality, and when I initially watched the Criterion I thought it was about the same. So when I compared them, I was surprised how much better in every way the Criterion is. That 4K, in this case, really makes a difference. Looking at the Criterion and then looking at the MOC, the MOC almost appears to be standard definition by comparison. Everything is flat and grey, while on the Criterion, everything is dynamic, with pure whites and excellent depth of field.

 

[haineshisway]

Thanks for the thoughts - I will now purchase.

 

[Richard Gallagher]

I watched the Criterion this past weekend and I was blown away by how good it looks and sounds. I haven't done all of the extras yet but I'm enjoying the collection of Sam Fuller trailers.

 

[Emcee]

Jean Peters is beautiful and very much underrated.