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Escape From New York [Blu-ray] [1981]


RRP: £19.99
Our Price: £10.57 (subject to change)

A great film, but the Blu-ray transfer is appalling.
Review date: 2008-11-15 Rating: 2 out of 10



Well, I say Blu-ray "transfer" rather than Blu-ray "master" because I do not believe this is a high-definition master. The picture quality is atrocious, with cheap edge enhancement applied to the image in order to try to achieve a sharper image without paying for a proper HD master. Some SD masters look fine when upscaled on a good TV, but this supposed HD image actually looks vastly inferior to decent DVDs. If you like/love this film, as I do, then stick to your DVD of it. If you don't have it, either get the DVD or wait until the Blu-ray is reissued in a newer edition. To call this high definition is an insult to the format and even moreso to viewers like us whom the manufacturers seem to believe will buy anything they sell.

Avoid this release, but do try to see the movie.


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Reviews


Ok
Review date: 2008-10-25 Rating: 10 out of 10

Yes yes, this is one of the worst transfers i've seen yet but i couldn't resist adding it to my collection. I watched it some nights ago and i really liked the cut scene "Snake's crime" Wich tells us why Snake was sent to Manhattan Island prison. This clip is low quality but its really watchable.

I do wonder, why isn't this available in region A ? perhaps a better version is on the way.
Anyway, i love this movie. But i wonder how it could be released on blu in this horrible shape :(

Quality wise this is the worst blu ray i own
Review date: 2008-10-06 Rating: 2 out of 10

The quality of this blu ray release is horrible.
There is a lot of damage on the negative used for the master. I have had the opportunity of comparing this with a version recorded from HDTV and there is an incredible difference both with regards to the print damage but also to the quality of the picture since this is an upscaled master and therefore not in true HD resolution. In one of the scenes I compared lee van cleef's gold bracelet. On this blu ray the bracelet just looks like a gold colored piece of string while on the HDTV version (that is only 720P) you can count each individual link on the bracelet. The HDTV version also lacks all the "print damage" that is evident on the master used for this "blu ray".
There is also a lot of edge enhancement going on in this master.
This release is an insult to blu ray owners and John Carpenter fans alike...
Avoid!!
Personally I won't be buying any optimum blu rays since I feel that I have been swindled and cheated. If optimum makes good and releases a remastered blu ray I might forgive them.

What Won't Kill You Can Only Make You Stronger
Review date: 2008-09-28 Rating: 6 out of 10

John Carpenter's Escape from New York is a definitive classic with it's moody music, dark urban landscapes and of course Kurt Russell as Snake - the anti-hero you just think is so cool.

When the president gets kidnapped by some group, Snake is sent in to save him - only one problem; he has to do it within 22hrs or he will die. He's also got the problem that the cityscape is large and he will have to beg, borrow, and steal to get what he wants. With characters like Brain and Cabbie, he's got to stop The Duke.

This is an excellent action adventure and is well worth the transfer, the only problem is that this transfer is rather poor picture wise, it really could have done with more processing and better work; but and this is a big but, it's much improved over the standard definition DVD, which suffered from lack of colour and light in very dark scenes, which look pretty good on this blu-ray release. The picture, which runs at 30mb/s is pretty good, especially as it's the better AVC - but it's just not the best. OK, EFNY is now 27 years old, but if they can make Dirty Harry look absolutely superb then why not this?

The audio on the other hand is a real treat, the HD master is well worth a listen. The sound really surrounds you and it's really good during the fight scene with the wrestler. You also get commentaries from John Carpenter which is really good.

The extras are OK, but they're in SD, so don't get too excited, plus I think they're on the 2 disk DVD. There's a look at the movie with all the characters talking about making the movie (dates back from 2003) and there's the alternative start to the movie, where Snake does the bank robbery and how he ends up helping them find the president. This is a nice extra if you've never seen it, but come on, this should have been in HD!

This is a fine movie, but the transfer isn't the best. By all means get this, it's a treat aurally but needs a touch up visually. There's really no extras that make this stand out - so getting the 2 disk DVD edition isn't a bad thing (here) but really this depends on how much you like the movie. In my view this is mainly for hardcore fans, otherwise the other edition I have linked to is just as good.

It's all a matter of taste.

4/5 for the movie - 2/5 for the HD transfer and 4/5 for the extras.

Not as bad as some say
Review date: 2008-09-09 Rating: 8 out of 10

I bought this and watched it through my PS3 and a 42 inch Plasma, and it looked fine to me. It might not be the best Blu-ray, but it's the best I've ever seen the film look. If people don't see the extra detail and better colours, then they need new equipment or glasses.

I would recommend it, especially at the low price.


***I've since watched it on an HD Projector and it looked great. It's grainy, but not excessively and has plenty more detail than the previous Dvd releases.

Product Details/Specifications


Actor(s):
Donald Pleasence
Isaac Hayes
Harry Dean Stanton
Kurt Russell
Lee Van Cleef

Creators:
Isaac Hayes (Primary Contributor)
Harry Dean Stanton (Primary Contributor)

Director(s):

Recording label: Optimum Home Entertainment
Manufacturer: Optimum Home Entertainment
EAN: 5055201803825
Binding: Blu-ray
Number of items: 1
Format: PAL,
Release date: 2008-08-04
Audience rating: Suitable for 15 years and over
Running time: 95 minutes
Theatrical release date: 1981

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