directed
by John Schlesinger
USA 1969
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"...I'm go'in where the weather suits my clo-oooo-thes..." . John Voight portrays Joe Buck, a real (or unreal) 'Cowboy', who, as a young man, relocates to New York with dreams of being a gigolo to wealthy older women - as he describes it a 'hustla'. The big city quickly eats up the small town boy and spits him out in the direction of Enrico Salvatore 'Ratso' Rizzo (Dustin Hoffman) - a character formed by the harsh realities and required survival traits to exist in the Big Apple. A budding friendship akin to 'Laurel and Hardy' evolves - two bumblers who we can't help but develop a huge soft spot for. Their struggle becomes ours as they seek the necessities of life and dare to dream of a better existence. .
I would
say that Voigt and Hoffman have never been better on screen. They play in
perfect balance to each other and Schlesinger's direction is nothing short of
inspirational. Often forgotten, this masterpiece was groundbreaking for its
day and any day. It was a surprise best picture Oscar winner. It tackled issue
such as homelessness, insanity, sex-trade, drugs and death. Compliment all
this with possibly the most memorable soundtrack (Harry Nilsson) you will hear in a
decade. Those who watch "Midnight Cowboy" never forget it and the film
deserves its distinct place in cinema history.
Gary W. Tooze |
out of
Posters
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Theatrical Release: May 25, 1969
Reviews More Reviews DVD Reviews
DVD Comparison:
MGM - Region 2 - PAL vs. MGM (2-disc Special Edition) - Region 1- NTSC vs. MGM - Region 1 - NTSC
Big thanks to Maarten de Haas for the PAL Screen Caps!
(MGM - Region 2 - PAL - LEFT vs. MGM (SE) - Region 1- NTSC MIDDLE vs. MGM - Region 1 - NTSC - RIGHT)
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| Distribution |
MGM Region 2 - PAL |
MGM
(2-disc SE) Region 1 - NTSC |
MGM Region 1 - NTSC |
| Runtime | 1:48:21 (4% PAL speedup) | 1:53:08 | 1:53:00 |
| Video |
1.78:1 Aspect Ratio
16X9 enhanced |
1.82:1 Aspect Ratio
16X9 enhanced |
1.85:1
Original Aspect Ratio |
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NOTE: The Vertical axis represents the bits transferred per second. The Horizontal is the time in minutes. |
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Bitrate:
MGM (r2)
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Bitrate:
MGM (SE - R1)
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Bitrate:
MGM (R1)
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| Audio | Dolby Digital 4.0 Surround English, Dolby Digital 2.0 Surround, DUBS: French, Dolby Digital 2.0 Surround German, Dolby Digital 2.0 Surround Italian, Dolby D | English (Dolby Digital 5.1),English (Dolby Digital 2.0), DUB: French (Dolby Digital 2.0), Spanish (Dolby Digital 2.0) |
English (Dolby Digital 4.0), DUB: French (Dolby Digital 2.0) |
| Subtitles | Danish, Dutch, English, English HoH, Finnish, French, German, German HoH, Italian, Norwegian, Portuguese, Spanish and Swedish | English, French, Spanish, and none | English, French and Spanish, English (hoh), French (hoh) and Spanish (hoh), none |
| Features |
Release Information: Studio: MGM Aspect Ratio:
Edition Details: Chapters 30 |
Release Information: Studio: MGM Aspect Ratio:
Edition Details: • 6 giant sepia postcards .
DVD
Release Date: February 21st, 2006 Chapters 28 |
Release Information: Studio: MGM Aspect Ratio:
Edition Details:
• 8-Page
Collectible Booklet
DVD
Release Date: re-release date - Sept, 2004 (original Jan 27th, 1999) Chapters 31 |
| Comments |
ADDITION: - Region 1 -
Special Edition - February 06' - Well, its 2006 and to think that MGM
would be putting a Best Picture - Oscar winning film to digital in
anything but progressive/high definition would be incredible to believe... but they
did it. This is really shameful and disappointing. The negative: the image has no more clarity/detail than the previous NTSC release although it is anamorphic. The positive are that the colors appear to have improved drastically and look more in line with the PAL edition (skin tones especially). The extras - actually - only the commentary is a valuable addition. Hellman is soft-spoken and brings quite a lot of good information to the viewing. This is the biggest plus to this package. The non-progressive transfer of the SE (non HD) will have a tendency to look very poor on excellent viewing systems but the combing may not be as visible on tubes. But we expect this DVD to physically last a lot longer than most peoples tube TVs. You will upgrade one day and this image may look unwatchable. Get a load of the Extra disc - its 2.25 Gig (of 4.7 single or 9.4 dual). It could have easily fit on the first disc (which is only 5.5 Gig). Actually both documentaries and the featurette (which don't all add up to an hour) look all to have been filmed at the exact same time - interviewed actors and directors are all wearing the same clothes in all three supplements! the final kicker are the 6 large sepia postcards included in the DVD package. To be honest I had a strong feeling about this release, but regardless it is still a very large disappointment. We can only hope that the trend of Warner buying off MGM titles continues with this one. NOTE: MIDNIGHT COWBOY - Based on the screen captures, the color is most accurate with the PAL edition, as I have seen this in 35mm on a few occasions and the old Criterion Collection 12" LaserDisc was as accurate. As a matter of fact, the Laser was at the correct 1.66 X 1 aspect ratio and remains one of the best Lasers they ever issued. Also, in the opening of the 1.85 X 1 MGM copies, you can see the frame being scrolled up and down so you don't miss any of the credits, which is a disaster! Mr. Hellman's commentary is likely the one from the Criterion Laser, which is outstanding. As for the sound, I can't imagine the PAL not sounding the best of the three DVDs, as the 4.0 on the older MGM DVD was not as good as the PCM 2.0 16bit/44.1kHz Mono from Criterion's Laser (which sounded richer) and doubt the NTSC 5.1 was any better. Why no DTS? The film was issued in optical mono sound back in 1969 and it was only for its 25th Anniversary that the film was upgraded to Dolby analog SR (Spectral Recording) stereo, which especially benefited the classic song "Everybody's Talkin'" by Nilsson and the amazing score by John Barry (that also includes some great vocal cuts) as they were recorded in stereo and exceptionally so. The new Special Edition set was made to cash in on BROKEBACK MOUNTAIN, but Sony needs to do this right (and at the right aspect ratio) for Blu-ray. More extras would not hurt, either, especially for one of the greatest films ever made! Nicholas Sheffo from FulvueDrive-In.com **** This is a disgrace. Both releases have some huge problems. The uneven cropping (which I believe to be the fault of the Region 2 edition mostly) seems very hap-hazard - its all over the place! Sometimes the NTSC is losing image on the bottom, mostly the PAL is losing image on the left edge. The captures are all 'first frame' so we know them to be accurate. Color balance seems to be off on both editions as well. Skin tones can look terribly red in some scenes (on both!). Even though the PAL edition is anamorphic - it is much hazier. The Region 2 has some contrast boosting and the NTSC looks like it has a green gauze over the image. This is a fantastic film and I can't believe that MGM won't invest a bit of cash and but out a decent transfer (with some extras) for this BEST PICTURE (1969). It is really shameful! - Gary W. Tooze |
DVD Menus
MGM (SE) - Region 1- NTSC
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Disc 2- MGM (SE) - Region 1- NTSC
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(MGM - Region 2 - PAL - LEFT vs. MGM
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Subtitle Sample
(MGM - Region 2 - PAL - TOP vs. MGM (SE) - Region 1- NTSC MIDDLE vs. MGM - Region 1 - NTSC - BOTTOM)
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Screen Captures
MGM (SE) - Region 1- NTSC has constant combing throughout
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(MGM - Region 2 - PAL - TOP vs. MGM (SE) - Region 1- NTSC MIDDLE vs. MGM - Region 1 - NTSC - BOTTOM)
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(MGM - Region 2 - PAL - TOP vs. MGM (SE) - Region 1- NTSC MIDDLE vs. MGM - Region 1 - NTSC - BOTTOM)
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(MGM - Region 2 - PAL - TOP vs. MGM (SE) - Region 1- NTSC MIDDLE vs. MGM - Region 1 - NTSC - BOTTOM)
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(MGM - Region 2 - PAL - TOP vs. MGM (SE) - Region 1- NTSC MIDDLE vs. MGM - Region 1 - NTSC - BOTTOM)
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(MGM - Region 2 - PAL - TOP vs. MGM (SE) - Region 1- NTSC MIDDLE vs. MGM - Region 1 - NTSC - BOTTOM)
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Report Card:
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Image: |
PAL |
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Sound: |
PAL |
| Extras: | Region 1 (SE) |
| Menu: | Region 1 (SE) |
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Gary Tooze 1775 Rowntree Court Mississauga, Ontario, L4W 4V3 CANADA |
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Many Thanks...
