Announcement

Collapse
No announcement yet.

Deathtrap

Collapse
X
Collapse
  •  
    Ian Jane
    Administrator

  • Deathtrap



    Released by:
    Warner Archive
    Released on: November 20, 2012.

    Director: Sidney Lumet

    Cast: Christopher Reeve, Michael Caine, Dyan Cannon

    Year: 1982


    The Movie:


    The first of two inaugural Blu-ray releases from Warner Archive (the other being Gypsy), 1982's Deathtrap, directed by Sidney Lumet and based on the play by Ira Levin, the film begins when the latest Broadway play from scribe Sidney Bruhl (Michael Caine) turns out to be a flop. Sidney is understandably upset about this and is starting to wonder if he's lost his touch. When a manuscript from a former student of his named Clifford Anderson (Christopher Reeve) shows up with a note enclosed asking for input, Sidney sees the potential in the other writer's work and with the smell of money in the air, he starts trying to figure out how he can basically steal the work and claim it as his own - the obvious solution there is to murder the writer.


    Sidney can't do this alone however; he's going to need some help. As such, he enlists the aid of his lovely wife,
    Myra (Dyan Cannon), who reluctantly agrees. The couple invite Anderson out to their rural home in Long Island for a visit where they learn that nobody else knows he's written this play - this seems almost too perfect. Of course, this isn't going to be easy and there is going to be twists and turns aplenty, particularly once Bruhl's odd German neighbor, Helga ten Dorp (Irene Worth), starts snooping around.

    Is Deathtrap a perfect film? No, it's a little bit long for what it is and Irene Worth's character's merits aren't resolved until it's too late for her to matter much but it is a very entertaining film thanks to some sly direction and a very strong cast. The plot twists are clever without ever feeling like a work of novelty and the movie has enough style that, as stagey as it often is, it generally looks quite good. There are very clever framing devices used for certain characters throughout the movie worth paying attention to which go a long way towards making the finale more interesting than it would be otherwise.


    Michael Caine is as charismatic and sly here as he's ever been, and it's hard to imagine anyone else doing a better job in a role like this than he. His back and forth with Cannon's unusually excitable (and noticeably younger) Myra is interesting while the relationship that exists on screen between he and Reeve's character is basically the backbone of the story. Reeve is just as slick as Caine is here, and while he's always be Superman to a lot of us, he's got the right mix of looks and charm to pull this off and make it look easy.


    Offering up the right mix of suspense and dark comedy, the movie makes for a breezy, fun and enjoyable watch. It has a few pacing problems here and there but it works its way to a very satisfying conclusion.


    Video/Audio/Extras:


    Warner Archive presents Deathtrap on a pressed 25GB Blu-ray disc (not a burned on demand disc) framed at 1.78.1 widescreen and in full AVC encoded 1080p high definition. The film starts off with an intentionally cold look to it but once it heads out of the city it starts to warm up and the color reproduction reflects this shift in style quite nicely. Some minor print damage shows up here and there but fine grain is present throughout. Whatever clean up has been done here doesn't seem to have really harmed the film like texture most fans usually want to see on Blu-ray. Detail is nice in the close up shots and remains strong in medium and long distance shots as well. Black levels are pretty solid and there are no compression artifacts or obvious edge enhancement issues of note. All in all, the movie looks quite good here. Here's hoping the WAC program can keep up this level of quality.


    The English language DTS-HD 2.0 Mono track is clean, clear and well balanced. There are some spots where it sounds a little flat by modern standards but you never get the impression that this is less than an accurate representation of how the movie is supposed to sound. The score sounds good, the dialogue is crisp and clear and easy to follow and there are no problems with any hiss or distortion to note. Optional English closed captioning is provided.


    Outside of a static menu and chapter stops, the only extra on the disc is the film's theatrical trailer but that is at least presented in high definition, which is a nice touch.


    The Final Word:


    Deathtrap is a lot of fun, a good mix of some dark comedy and more traditional thriller elements performed by a strong cast and shot with just enough style to make you take notice. Warner Archive's Blu-ray release is light on extras but offers up the film in excellent shape and with good quality audio as well. All in all, a pretty strong release.


    Click on the images below for full sized Blu-ray screen caps!























      Posting comments is disabled.

    Latest Articles

    Collapse

    • Hot Spur (Severin Films) Blu-ray Review
      Ian Jane
      Administrator
      by Ian Jane


      Released by: Severin Films
      Released on: April 30th, 2024.
      Director: Lee Frost
      Cast: Joseph Mascolo, Virginia Goodman, John Alderman
      Year: 1969
      Purchase From Amazon

      Hot Spur – Movie Review:

      Director Lee Frost and Producer Bob Cresse's film, Hot Spur, opens in Texas in 1869 with a scene where a pair of cowboys wanders into a bar where they call over a pretty Mexican waitress and coerce her into dancing for them. She obliges, but
      ...
      03-22-2024, 11:53 AM
    • Death Squad (Mondo Macabro) Blu-ray Review
      Ian Jane
      Administrator
      by Ian Jane


      Released by: Mondo Macabro
      Released on: April 9th, 2024.
      Director: Max Pecas
      Cast: Thierry de Carbonnières, Jean-Marc Maurel, Denis Karvil, Lillemour Jonsson
      Year: 1985
      Purchase From Amazon

      Death Squad – Movie Review:

      Also known as Brigade Of Death, French sleaze auteur Max Pecas’ 1985 film, Death Squad, opens with a night time scene outside of Paris in the Bois de Boulogne Forest where cars pass by a small gang of transsexual
      ...
      03-22-2024, 11:46 AM
    • Roommates (Quality X) Blu-ray Review
      Ian Jane
      Administrator
      by Ian Jane


      Released by: Quality X
      Released on: February 28th, 2024.
      Director: Chuck Vincent
      Cast: Samantha Fox, Vernoica Hart, Kelly Nichols, Jerry Butler, Jamie Gillis
      Year: 1982
      Purchase From Amazon

      Roommates – Movie Review:

      Directed by Chuck Vincent and released in 1982, Roommates opens with a scene where a young woman named Joan Harmon (Veronica Hart) gets a hotel room with an older man named Ken (Don Peterson, credited as Phil Smith),
      ...
      03-15-2024, 01:10 PM
    • Night Of The Blood Monster (Blue Underground) UHD/Blu-ray Review
      Ian Jane
      Administrator
      by Ian Jane


      Released by: Blue Underground
      Released on: March 26th, 2024.
      Director: Jess Franco
      Cast: Christopher Lee, Maria Rohm, Dennis Price
      Year: 1970
      Purchase From Amazon

      Night Of The Blood Monster – Movie Review:

      Directed by Jess Franco, The Bloody Judge (or, Night Of The Blood Monster, as it is going by on this new release from Blue Underground) isn't quite the salacious exercise in Eurotrash you might expect it to be, and while it
      ...
      03-15-2024, 01:07 PM
    • Phase IV (Vinegar Syndrome) UHD/Blu-ray Review
      Ian Jane
      Administrator
      by Ian Jane


      Released by: Vinegar Syndrome
      Released on: March 26th, 2024.
      Director: Saul Bass
      Cast: Nigel Davenport, Michael Murphy, Lynne Frederick, Alan Gifford, Robert Henderson, Helen Horton
      Year: 1974
      Purchase From Amazon

      Phase IV – Movie Review:

      Saul Bass’ 1974 sci-fi/thriller Phase IV is an interesting blend of nature run amuck stereotypes and Natural Geographic style nature footage mixed into one delicious cocktail of suspense and
      ...
      03-15-2024, 01:02 PM
    • The Bounty Hunter Trilogy (Radiance Films) Blu-ray Review
      Ian Jane
      Administrator
      by Ian Jane


      Released by: Radiance Films
      Released on: March 26th, 2024.
      Director: Shigehiro Ozawa, Eiichi Kudo
      Cast: Tomisaburo Wakayama, Minoru Ôki, Arashi Kanjuro, Bin Amatsu, Chiezo Kataoka
      Year: 1969-1972
      Purchase From Amazon

      The Bounty Hunter Trilogy – Movie Review:

      Radiance Films gathers together the three films in Toie Studios’ Bounty Hunter Trilogy, starring the inimitable Tomisaburo Wakayama. Here’s how the three movies in this
      ...
      03-13-2024, 11:30 AM
    Working...
    X