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Category:    Home > Reviews > Drama > Sport > Game > Legal > The Hustler (1959/Fox Blu-ray + DVD Set) + The Verdict – Collector’s Edition (1984/Fox DVD Set)

The Hustler (1959/Fox Blu-ray + DVD Set) + The Verdict – Collector’s Edition (1984/Fox DVD Set)

 

Picture: C+ (Hustler Blu: B)     Sound: C+     Extras: B-     Films: B

 

 

PLEASE NOTE: This is an update of a DVD-only review from 2007 four years later with the Blu-ray added.

 

 

It was a sad day when Paul Newman said he would finally retire from acting.  Fox had just reissued two of his best films in double DVD sets, likely anticipating their inevitable Blu-ray release.  Robert Rossen’s The Hustler (1961) is the remarkable tale of the young slick pool player Fast Eddie Felson and how both his talents and ambition collide with the then especially dirty world of the popular sport game.  The Verdict (1982) is the ever-powerful tale of an attorney who has fallen from grace, no mater how good he is, battling his personal demons and an alcohol problem.

 

The Hustler is often know as the film that inspired Martin Scorsese’s sequel, The Color Of Money with Tom Cruise, but it is the darker, more savvy, disturbing of the two.  If the sequel helped Cruise become a huge box office star, the original proved that Newman was more than just a pretty boy (which he was often accused of being at the time, implying limited to no talent) and also showed that Jackie Gleason (so popular at the time from The Honeymooners alone) had a dark side he knew ho0w to play up well.  As successful as the sequel was, this film deserves another round of rediscovery.

 

The Verdict is another gem by the late, great Sidney Lumet, one of the great Dramatic directors as Newman has to dig in and bring lawyer Frank Galvin to life as a very aged, angry, damaged, complex character who is about to get bought out over a big case.  Instead, he decides he will fight the case with the odds very much against him.  Of course, this is a character study and not just about the case.  At a time when the law seems to be failing more and more people as precedent and civil rights are turned on their head, the film is more relevant than ever.

 

Needless to say both films are must-see features for anyone serious about film or anyone who claims to know anything about film.

 

The anamorphically enhanced 2.35 X 1 image on The Hustler was shot in original CinemaScope and it is a great-looking film, but this transfer had a case of slight digititis throughout that hurts playback and is not any better than past editions.  The Blu-ray at 1080p AVC @ 19 MBPS digital High Definition transfer is a major improvement in Video Black, Video White, depth and detail as the digititis is suddenly gone.  It may not be perfect, with some flaws in the print and some detail issues in some parts of the transfer, but it is far better than the DVD overall and can be impressive.  The DTS-HD MA (Master Audio) lossless 5.1 mix on the Blu-ray is a little harsh, shrill and tinny, sounding like it comes from older materials and the DVD only has Dolby Digital 2.0 Mono, which is limited, lossy and shows its age.  Some more restoration is needed to match the nice improvement in image.

 

The anamorphically enhanced 1.85 X 1 image on The Verdict looks a little better that the previous DVD, which is good, but reminds me that low-definition just cannot do justice to this film.  The Dolby Digital 2.0 sound is here in original mono and slightly-upgraded stereo with no surrounds.  Extras are expanded for each set.

 

Both versions of The Hustler include stills, original theatrical trailer, two five-piece trick shot pieces with clips from the film, two vintage making of featurettes, three new ones and a really good audio commentary including Newman, Carol Rossen (Robert Rossen's Daughter), Dede Allen (Editor), Stefan Gierasch (Actor), Ulu Grosbard (Assistant Director), Richard Schickel (Film Critic, Time Magazine) and Jeff Young (Film Historian), while the Blu-ray adds a built-in 24-page collectible booklet.  The Verdict includes its own stills, Newman/Lumet audio commentary and three new featurettes.  That makes both very loaded and collectible.  Expect The Verdict Blu-ray soon.

 

 

-   Nicholas Sheffo


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