Director Peter Bogdanovich’s 1971 classic, The Last Picture Show, arrives on 4K UHD Blu-ray as part of Sony’s 6-film Columbia Classics 4K Ultra HD Collection, Volume 3.
The Production: 4/5
When I was growing up in suburban Philadelphia in the late 1970s and early 1980s, The Last Picture Show was a movie that played in rather heavy rotation on what was formally known as WTAF-TV, channel 29. While many of my friends would get excited every time it aired, it was a movie I could never sink my teeth into. Fast forward to the present, and I found the movie rather relevant, considering where I am living now in my late 50s.
Based on the novel by Larry McMurtry, who co-wrote the screenplay with director Peter Bogdanovich, The Last Picture Show is an ensemble piece centered around best friends Sonny Crawford (Timothy Bottoms) and Duane Jackson (Jeff Bridges), two local high school football stars in 1951 Anarene, Texas – a town that is dying as businesses close up shop and its citizens move elsewhere to find employment. Adding to the mix is a love triangle involving rich girl Jacy Farrow (Cybill Shepherd). As the film opens, she’s attached to Duane, but has many suitors lined up, including Sonny and creepy Lester Marlow (Randy Quaid), who takes her on a “date” to a skinny-dipping club. There’s not a whole lot to do in Anarene, other than hang out at the diner, drink at the pool hall, or catch a movie at the local theater that plays nothing but second-run features. When local business owner Sam the Lion (Ben Johnson), who owns all three, decides to shut down the failing movie theater, Sonny and Duane, along with many others in the town, feel like a part of their lives have been stripped away for good.
Having lived in the small, rural town of Hawthorne, Nevada since 2017, I see many young people who are like Sonny, Duane, Jacy, and even Lester who struggle with the lack of things to do in this community. This town hasn’t had a movie theater in over a decade (the closest is in Fallon, nearly 75 miles away), and most of the businesses in town are either bars, convenience stores, or second-hand thrift shops. The major employers are the Army base where old munitions are decommissioned, the local hospital, the school district, and the local Safeway supermarket (whose future is now in doubt after the announced Kroeger-Albertsons merger). That basically leaves kids in this town to participate in sports and/or hang out with their friends and possibly find themselves in trouble, either with the law or as an unsuspecting parent. That is very much the bittersweet sadness of The Last Picture Show, a movie filled with terrific performances from the actors listed above, as well as Cloris Leachman, Ellen Burstyn, Eileen Brennan, Clu Gulager, Sam Bottoms, John Hillerman, and Noble Willingham. The film was nominated for eight Academy Awards including Best Picture, Best Director, and Best Adapted Screenplay, with Ben Johnson and Cloris Leachman taking home Oscars for Best Supporting Actor and Actress, respectively.
Video: 5/5
3D Rating: NA
The Last Picture Show has undergone a few editorial changes over the years since it was first released in 1971. For its 20th anniversary, Bogdanovich was given the opportunity to re-edit the picture more to his liking, thus creating the “Director’s Cut” that was released on laserdisc by Criterion in 1991. Eight years later, Bogdanovich made some further revisions for what would be referred to as the “Definitive Director’s Cut.” Sony has included, for the first time on a disc format, both the 1971 theatrical cut and the 1999 “Definitive Director’s Cut,” each version getting its own disc, as part of Sony’s 6-film Columbia Classics 4K Ultra HD Collection, Volume 3.
For this release (per the included restoration notes by Grover Crisp), the original negative was wet-gate scanned in 4K with additional digital image restoration and color timing (a technical term that also refers to adjusting black levels). This has helped to fix many shots that photo-chemical processes back in the day were unable to handle. The results are outstanding, maintaining a very cinematic look while also providing a much sharper image. Contrast has also been improved, thanks to the Dolby Vision high dynamic range (HDR10 is also included), providing deep blacks with strong shadow detail and bright highlights that never appear washed out. This is the best this film has ever looked. The included Blu-ray of the Definitive Director’s Cut has been sourced from this new 4K master.
Audio: 4/5
Sony has opted to keep the original mono soundtrack for this release with some additional cleanup, presented in DTS-HD MA 2.0. The track is virtually free of any pops, crackles, or hiss. Dialogue is clear and understandable throughout.
Special Features: 4/5
The UHD discs of both cuts of the film are movie-only, and have identical menus with no indication as to which cut has been included on the disc (you will have to rely on the disc label). The remastered Blu-ray includes a few new featurettes along with some (but not all) of the supplements that have been carried over from the previous Criterion release.
**NEW** A Tribute to Peter Bogdanovich (1080p; 13:55): Biographer Peter Tonguette discusses the director’s career, emphasizing on The Last Picture Show.
The Last Picture Show: A Look Back (480i; 64:40): The Laurent Bouzereau documentary.
A Discussion with Peter Bogdanovich (1080p; 12:51): A 2009 interview with the director.
Audio Commentary with Peter Bogdanovich
Location Footage (upscaled 1080i; 6:27)
**NEW** Theatrical Re-Release Featurette (upscaled 1080i; 6:03): An old 16mm interview with Bogdanovich, who discusses why he shot the film in black and white, casting, creating a new cut of the film, etc.
Teaser Trailer (1080p; 1:27)
Theatrical Trailer (1080p; 3:04)
Digital Copy: An insert contains codes for all six movies included in the Limited Edition set. The code for The Last Picture Show is for the Definitive Director’s cut only (as indicated on then insert).
Overall: 4.5/5
The Last Picture Show is a sleepy, bittersweet look at a dying town and its effects on those living there, and has never looked better. Unfortunately, at this time, it is only available as part of the Columbia Classics 4K Ultra HD Collection, Volume 3 boxed set.
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