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Movie and TV Discussion => Movie reviews => Topic started by: David Vaughn on April 03, 2023, 01:56:19 PM
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(https://i.imgur.com/OkKD5sO.jpg)
Studio: Warner Brothers
Release Date: April 4, 2023
Rating: NR
Film: 4.5/5
Plot
Paul Newman stars as "Cool Hand" Lucas Jackson, a man sentenced to a Southern prison camp for destroying public property—well, who wouldn't want to cut off the top of a parking meter on a drunken bliss? Anyhow, soon after entering prison, Luke can't seem to bend to the arbitrary rules, and it's time to break out of the joint.
My Thoughts
The legendary line, "What we've got here is…failure to communicate," eloquently spoken by the Captain (Strother Martin), is just one of the many memorable moments in what is arguably one of Paul Newman's best films. The pacing is on the slow side, but intentionally so in order to convey the sheer boredom of being on the chain gang. The third act picks up the pace with Luke's futile attempts to escape. The all-star cast includes the likes of George Kennedy—who won the best supporting supporting-actor Oscar, —J.D. Cannon, Robert Drivas, Lou Antonio, Jo Van Fleet, and Dennis Hopper just to name a few.
Warner has done some excellent work in the past with Hollywood classics, and it continues that tradition with Cool Hand Luke. Regardless, this is the best I have seen it it look. The color pallet palette is quite dry, befitting the southern climate, but they colors definitely pop off the screen. Detail is sharp, and resolution is above average in the foreground, but the backgrounds are on the soft side. A thin veil of grain permeates, yet it's never intrusive, and the print is in fabulous shape.
The audio consists of a standard fare Dolby Digital Mono track, which conveys the story adequately. Dialog is mostly intelligible, although there are cases wheremoments that require a rewind is necessary to catch what's being said. Dynamics are limited and on the harsh side, especially the highs, but these cases are rare in this dialog dialog-heavy soundtrack.
Video 8/10 (AVC)
Audio 6/10 (DTS-HD MA 1.0)
Special Features:
All of the supplements come housed on the Blu-ray, which is a reprint of the VC-1 encoded release.
- Commentary by Eric Lax
- “A Natural Born World-Shaker: Making Cool Hand Luke”
- Trailer
- 4K + Blu-ray + Digital Copy
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=cxKUupk0kbY (https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=cxKUupk0kbY)
Conclusion
This one of my favorite movies from the 1960s and I love how Warner Brothers is taking the opportunity of their 100th Anniversary and giving their A-List titles the 4K treatment. I really liked the way this film looked on Blu-ray, but the UHD refines things even further. Highly recommended.
Reference Review System:
JVC DLA-RS3100 4K Ultra High-Definition Front Projector
(Calibrated with Portrait Displays CalMAN color calibration software & C6-HDR Meter from Portrait Displays)
Stewart Filmscreen - Firehawk 110” 2.35:1 Screen
Trinnov Altitude 16 Audio/Video Processor
ATI AT527NC Powering Bed Channels
ATI AT524NC Powering Atmos Speakers
Kaleidescape Strato + Server
Panasonic DP-UB820 Ultra HD Blu-ray Player
System Controller: URC MX-990
M&K S-150 THX Ultra (R-C-L Speakers)
M&K SS-150 x4 (Surround Speakers)
Atlantic Technology IC6-OBA x 4 Overhead Speakers
SVS PC-Ultra Cylinder Subwoofer
SVS SB3000
HSU VTF-15H MK2 Subwoofer
M&K Sound X15+ Subwoofer
Mini DSP HD controlling all subwoofers
Audioquest and Monoprice - Audio/Video/Speaker Cabling
PureAV PF60 Power Conditioner
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Another classic I’m looking to seeing for the first time