Mikey and Nicky Blu-ray

directed by Elaine May
USA 1976

From Elaine May, director of The Heartbreak Kid, comes Mikey & Nicky, a compelling crime thriller with a powerhouse cast, including John Cassavetes, Peter Falk and Ned Beatty. Nicky (Cassavetes) has embezzled a fortune from his Mafia bosses and is on the run. Nicky’s only friend, Mikey (Falk) tries to help him escape; or will he lead him into a trap? Shot in a gritty, improvisational style, Mikey & Nicky is one of the most original and riveting crime films of the 1970s.

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Nicky (John Cassavetes) is a small-time Jewish gangster in trouble with the mob. He calls on his lifelong friend Mikey (Peter Falk) for help. During the night the two spend together, the power of their friendship is undermined by their mutual nastiness and pressing financial concerns. Elaine May's script was allegedly taken from an episode in the life of her uncle.

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Elaine May crafted a gangster film like no other in the nocturnal odyssey Mikey and Nicky, capitalizing on the chemistry between frequent collaborators John Cassavetes and Peter Falk by casting them together as small-time mobsters whose lifelong relationship has turned sour. Set over the course of one night, this restless drama finds Nicky (Cassavetes) holed up in a hotel after the boss he stole money from puts a hit out on him. Terrified, he calls on Mikey (Falk), the one person he thinks can save him. Scripted to match the live-wire energy of its stars—alongside supporting players Ned Beatty, Joyce Van Patten, and Carol Grace—and inspired by real-life characters from May’s own childhood, this unbridled portrait of male friendship turned tragic is an unsung masterpiece of American cinema.

Poster

Theatrical Release: December 21st, 1976

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DVD Comparison:

Home Vision - Region 1 - NTSC vs. Odyssey Video (C'est la Vie) - Region 2 - PAL vs. Criterion - Region 'A' - Blu-ray

Big thanks to Gary Tooze and Donald Brown for the DVD Screen Caps!

Box Covers			Coming to the UK on Blu-ray by Criterion in January 20214:
Distribution	Home Vision Region 1 - NTSC	Odyssey Video (C'est la Vie) Region 2 - PAL	Criterion spine # 957 - Region 'A' - Blu-ray
Runtime	1:46:12	1:45:20	1:46:22.959
Video	1.80:1 Original Aspect Ratio 16X9 enhanced Average Bitrate: 6.8 mb/s NTSC 720x480 29.97 f/s	1.33:1 Aspect Ratio Average Bitrate: 4.74 mb/s PAL 720x576 25.00 f/s	1080P Dual-layered Blu-ray Disc Size: 44,646,869,379 bytes Feature: 31,994,683,392 bytes Codec: MPEG-4 AVC Video Total Video Bitrate: 35.93 Mbps
	NOTE: The Vertical axis represents the bits transferred per second. The Horizontal is the time in minutes.
Bitrate: Home Vision
Bitrate: Odyssey Video (C'est la Vie)
Bitrate: Criterion Blu-ray
Audio	English (Dolby Digital 2.0 Mono)	English (Dolby Digital 2.0 Mono)	LPCM Audio English 1152 kbps 1.0 / 48 kHz / 1152 kbps / 24-bit
Subtitles	English, none	none	English (SDH), none
Features	Release Information: Studio: Home Vision Aspect Ratio: Widescreen anamorphic - 1.80:1 Edition Details: • Interview with producer Michael Hausman • Interview with cinematographer Victor J. Kemper • Behind-the-scenes documentary about the restoration of Mikey & Nicky • 2-page liner notes with essay by Jonathan Rosenbaum DVD Release Date: December 21st, 2004 Keep case Chapters 18	Release Information: Studio: Odyssey Video (C'est la Vie) Aspect Ratio: Fullscreen - 1.33:1 Edition Details: • Biographies • Slideshow presentation DVD Release Date: August 30, 2004 Transparent Keep Case Chapters 18	Release Information: Studio: Criterion 1080P Dual-layered Blu-ray Disc Size: 44,646,869,379 bytes Feature: 31,994,683,392 bytes Codec: MPEG-4 AVC Video Total Video Bitrate: 35.93 Mbps Edition Details: • New program on the making of the film featuring interviews with distributor Julian Schlossberg and actor Joyce Van Patten (14:39) • New interviews with critics Richard Brody and Carrie Rickey (23:20) • Audio interview from 1976 with actor Peter Falk (45:10) • Trailer (1:38) and TV spot (0:32) PLUS: An essay by critic Nathan Rabin Blu-ray Release Date: January 22nd, 2019 Transparent Blu-ray case Chapters: 15

Comments

NOTE: The below Blu-ray captures were taken directly from the Blu-ray disc.

ADDITION: Criterion- Region 'A' - Blu-ray December 18': The Criterion is advertised as a "New, restored 4K digital transfer, supervised by director Elaine May". Colors shift to be warmer and skin tones (especially on the Odyssey Video) lose their orange hue appearing more authentic. Grain is supported with some consistent thick textures giving the 1080P a more film-like appearance. It is in the 1.85:1 aspect ratio, and show more in the frame than the, similarly widescreen, Home Vision DVD.

Criterion utilize a 24-bit linear PCM mono track in the original English language. The score by John Strauss sounds very supportive and moody. There are optional English (SDH) subtitles and the Blu-ray disc is region 'A'-locked.

Criterion augment the release with new supplements. There is a new 1/4 hour program on the making of the film featuring interviews with distributor Julian Schlossberg and actor Joyce Van Patten exploring director Elaine May's approach to the making of Mikey and Nicky from working with actors to the look of the film. There is also new 23-minutes worth of two interviews with critics Richard Brody and Carrie Rickey who discuss Elaine May's unique achievements in Mikey and Nicky and in her film-directing career as a whole. Included is a 45-minute audio interview from 1976 with actor Peter Falk conducted by Julian Schlossberg for the radio program Movie Talk. Falk talks about his work in television and film, including a brief discussion of his role as Mikey in Elaine May's Mikey and Nicky. There are also a trailer and TV spot plus the package has a liner notes booklet with an essay by critic Nathan Rabin.

This is a strong neo-noir - a solid film with great performances and impressive direction from May. It's so great to have this film brought to Blu-ray. This Criterion package gets our heartfelt endorsement.

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ON THE DVDs: The comparison shows there is no comparison. The Region 2 edition boasts on its case that it uses a restored print, but the image is smeared, soft, discolored, and riddled with motion artifacts. Its audio quality is equally bad. On top of all that, the framing is very curious: the top and bottom of the picture reveals more info, as if it were an open-matte transfer, yet the sides are considerably cropped.

The Home Vision disc is fortunately quite good. It's clean and sharp, with natural color and a pleasing grain structure. It's not quite perfect, though, as there are occasional patchy color artifacts, as seen in the shirt and on the wall in the last screen capture. This minor fault is likely not evident on most displays while the film is playing.

-Donald Brown

DVD Menus

(Home Vision - Region 1 - NTSC - LEFT vs. Odyssey Video (C'est la Vie) - Region 2 - PAL - RIGHT)

Criterion spine # 957 - Region 'A' - Blu-ray

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