...he was the gangster's gangster!
Blu-ray & DVD Combo Pack
Released by: Arrow Video
Release Date: April 25, 2016 (UK) / April 26, 2016 (US)
Production Year: 1973
Region Code: A
Running Time: 1:47:19
Audio: English LPCM Mono
Video: 1080p (1.85:1 Aspect Ratio)
Subtitles: English SDH
THE FILM - [ 3.5 / 5 ]:
The runaway success of "Bonnie and Clyde" in 1967 proved massively influential: it made stars of Faye Dunaway and Warren Beatty, introduced a new form of violence to the movies, and inspired a stream of imitators, including "Bloody Mama," Martin Scorsese's "Boxcar Bertha" and the directorial debut of John Milius, "Dillinger." Milius presents John Dillinger as an almost mythical figure, tracing the rise and fall of the Depression era's Public Enemy Number One as he takes on the banks and the G-men, led by the infamous Melvin Purvis. Starring Sam Peckinpah favorites Warren Oates and Ben Johnson as Dillinger and Purvis, and with a supporting cast including Harry Dean Stanton, Richard Dreyfuss and Michelle Phillips of The Mamas and the Papas, Dillinger is a top drawer gangster picture: explosive, stylish and hugely entertaining.
My first time watching "Dillinger" and it was a pleasant surprise since I really enjoyed the film. If you enjoy the old gangster style films or TV shows like "Boardwalk Empire," you should definitely give this one a look. I feel bad not being familiar with the film until now when I viewed the cast list. Wow. Just to add in two more names not mentioned above are Geoffrey Lewis and in a small role, Cloris Leachman.
The criminals in the film are somewhat shown in a light that romanticizes them or makes you want to be them while often making the G-men look like the bad guys, systematically hunting down and even executing some of the criminals in the film. Following the film there is a brief update, if you will, on some of the people portrayed in the film that tells of their life after the events in the film. Also stay tuned for a short audio clip following the credits.
AUDIO - [ 4 / 5 ]:
The Blu-ray includes an English LPCM Mono audio track with optional English SDH subtitles. While the dialogue for the film sound great and is generally easy to hear, it can be a little lost at times with the loud sound effects such as the often heard gun fire. To be clear though, it's not as though you'll be straining to hear what is being said. For those with hearing difficulty, there are subtitles included though thankfully in case you need them. Otherwise the sound is pretty well balanced. The much used gun fire gives the lossless mono track something to do and sounds nice for original audio.
VIDEO - [ 4 / 5 ]:
"Dillinger" comes to U.S. Blu-ray thanks to Arrow Video and its U.S. distributor MVD Entertainment Group via a brand new 2K restoration of the film from original film materials. The film is presented in 1080p with a 1.85:1 Aspect Ratio. While the film looks really good overall, I thought it had somewhat of a softness to it which seems to be the norm for this film. Sadly it may never appear in a higher quality with an increased, natural sharpness. The colors look good even if they are a bit flat, which tends to be the case with many films from the time. They do appear more bold in a few of the bright scenes. From what I have seem from the previous DVD, fans of the film should be pleased with how this Blu-ray looks.
SPECIAL FEATURES - [ 3.5 / 5 ]:
Audio Commentary - Stephen Prince, author of Savage Cinema and Screening Violence provides the commentary for the film and does an excellent job. Mr. Prince points out the numerous differences between the film and their real life counterparts. If you are interested in the people portrayed in the film, you should listen to this fascinating track. It's a great lesson in history as well as provides some information on the director and members of the cast.
Shooting Dillinger with Jules Brenner (12:01) - A newly filmed interview with the director of photography. He talks about working on the film, working with director John Milius and his own brief scene in the film.
Lawrence Gordon: Original Gangster (10:08) - A new interview with producer Lawrence Gordon. He speaks about how he was able to get John Milius to rewrite the script and direct "Dillinger." Mr. Gordon also talks about the casting of some roles for the film including Warren Oates and Frank McRae.
Ballads and Bullets with Barry De Vorzon (12:00) - New interview with composer Barry De Vorzon who talks about working on "Dillinger" and other films such as "The Warriors."
Gallery
Theatrical Trailer (2:23)
Music & Effects Track
Reversible sleeve featuring original and newly commissioned artwork by Sean Phillips.
Reversible sleeve featuring original and newly commissioned artwork by Sean Phillips.
Collector’s booklet containing new writing by Kim Newman on fictional portrayals of John Dillinger, plus an on-set report containing interviews with writer-director John Milius and others, illustrated with original production stills.
OVERALL RATING - [ 3.75 / 5 ]
OVERALL RATING - [ 3.75 / 5 ]
