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S E A R C H    D V D B e a v e r

Directed by John Mackenzie
UK 1980

 

A combustible performance from Bob Hoskins is the fuse that lights this underworld saga, a landmark of British crime cinema. Hoskins plays Harold Shand, an ambitious London mobster who, just as he attempts to close a major real-estate deal with the American Mafia, finds his crime empire rocked by a string of attacks, sending him on a ruthless quest to find out who’s responsible. Abetted by an ice-cool performance from Helen Mirren as Shand’s in-command moll, The Long Good Friday is not only a gripping gangster thriller but also a vivid portrait of late-1970s Britain—a powder keg of cultural and political tensions on the verge of explosion.

***

The Long Good Friday is a textbook example of what a commercial British picture should be - which makes it all the more ironic that, due to various legal snarl-ups, the film was never actually given a wide release in UK cinemas. It's a fast-paced thriller that's strikes the right balance between humour and seriousness, and manages to function as both a penetrating psychological character study and a fascinating social and historical snapshot of a certain place at a certain critical point in history. Mackenzie's achievement is to blend all these elements together into a satisfying whole without ever pulling his punches - this is one of that rare breed: a gangster film for adults...

Excerpt from Neil Young's Jigsaw Lounge review located HERE.

Posters

Theatrical Release: May 17th, 1980 (Cannes Film Market)

Reviews                                         More Reviews                           DVD Reviews

 

Review: Criterion - Region FREE - 4K UHD / Region 'A' - Blu-ray

Box Cover

CLICK to order from:

  

Arrow (UK) has released this in 4K UHD as an exclusive.

Simultaneously released on Blu-ray by Criterion:

  

Bonus Captures:

Distribution Criterion Spine #26 - Region FREE - 4K UHD
Runtime 1:54:20.728   
Video

1.85:1 1080P Dual-layered Blu-ray

Disc Size: 36,464,116,785 bytes

Feature: 34,352,885,760 bytes

Video Bitrate: 35.69 Mbps

Codec: MPEG-4 AVC Video

NOTE: The Vertical axis represents the bits transferred per second. The Horizontal is the time in minutes.

Bitrate Blu-ray:

Audio

LPCM Audio English 1152 kbps 1.0 / 48 kHz / 1152 kbps / 24-bit
Commentary:

Dolby Digital Audio English 192 kbps 1.0 / 48 kHz / 192 kbps / DN -31dB

Subtitles English (SDH), None
Features Release Information:
Studio:
Criterion

 

1.85:1 1080P Dual-layered Blu-ray

Disc Size: 36,464,116,785 bytes

Feature: 34,352,885,760 bytes

Video Bitrate: 35.69 Mbps

Codec: MPEG-4 AVC Video

 

Edition Details:

4K Ultra HD disc

• Audio commentary with director John Mackenzie

 

Criterion - Region 'A' - Blu-ray

• Audio commentary with director John Mackenzie

• Introduction by Criterion Collection curatorial director Ashley Clark (6:08)

 

Blu-ray 2
• An Accidental Studio (2019), a documentary about the early years of Handmade Films (1:37:06)
• Documentary about the making of the film featuring interviews with Mackenzie and actors Bob Hoskins and Helen Mirren (54:53)
• Interviews with Méheux (3:18) and screenwriter Barrie Keeffe (8:28)
• Program comparing the soundtracks for the UK and U.S. releases (7:12)
• Trailers (2:32 / 2:01)
PLUS: An essay by film critic Ryan Gilbey


4K Ultra HD / Blu-ray Release Date: September 17th, 2024
Transparent 4K Ultra HD Case

Chapters 20

 

 

Comments:

NOTE: The below Blu-ray and 4K UHD captures were taken directly from the respective discs.

ADDITION: Criterion 4K UHD and Blu-ray (September 2024): Criterion's are releasing John Mackenzie's "The Long Good Friday" to 4K UHD and Blu-ray. It is advertised as a "New 4K digital restoration, approved by director of photography Phil Méheux" and the 4K package has one 4K UHD disc of the film presented in Dolby Vision HDR and two Blu-rays with the film and special features. We aren't able to obtain 4K 2160P captures at the writing of this review and won't until till after the release date - a function of the encode. This is presently true of many 4K UHD transfers - sometimes we get lucky - not here. We will try to add them here when they are accessible. The 1080P should give you an idea of the color scheme. We've compared two DVDs to two past Blu-rays, including the 1998 Criterion DVD, HERE. I don't have any idea about the original film's colors. This 2024 Criterion has the deepest colors, has a blue leaning, shows some textures has effective contrast balance rendering and looks exceptionally clean. The 4K UHD has an uptick in color depth and contrast balance but larger systems will proportionately notice the disparity.

NOTE: 68 more more full resolution Blu-ray captures, in lossless PNG format, for Patrons are available HERE

We have reviewed the following 4K UHD packages recently: The Ladykillers (software uniformly simulated HDR), Torso (software uniformly simulated HDR), All of Us Strangers, Last Year at Marienbad (NO HDR applied to disc), Peril & Distress (And Soon the Darkness / Sudden Terror) (NO HDR applied to disc), The Case of the Bloody Iris (software uniformly simulated HDR), Reptilicus (software uniformly simulated HDR), Risky Business (software uniformly simulated HDR), The Conversation (software uniformly simulated HDR), Perfect Days, Invasion of the Body Snatchers (1956) (software uniformly simulated HDR), Le samouraï  (software uniformly simulated HDR), Castle of Blood (software uniformly simulated HDR), Pat Garret and Billy the Kid (HDR), Fist of Legend (HDR), American Gigolo (software uniformly simulated HDR), The Long Wait (no HDR,) Bound (software uniformly simulated HDR), The Valiant Ones (software uniformly simulated HDR), Mute Witness (software uniformly simulated HDR), Narc (software uniformly simulated HDR), Peeping Tom (software uniformly simulated HDR), Dr. Terrors House of Horrors (software uniformly simulated HDR), High Noon (software uniformly simulated HDR), Picnic at Hanging Rock (Criterion) (software uniformly simulated HDR), I Am Cuba (no HDR), The Demoniacs (software uniformly simulated HDR), The Nude Vampire (software uniformly simulated HDR), Nostalghia (no HDR), Werckmeister Harmonies (no HDR), Goin' South (software uniformly simulated HDR), La Haine (software uniformly simulated HDR,) All Ladies Do It (software uniformly simulated HDR), Old Henry  (software uniformly simulated HDR), To Die For (software uniformly simulated HDR), Snapshot (software uniformly simulated HDR), Phase IV (software uniformly simulated HDR), Burial Ground (software uniformly simulated HDR), Dark Water (software uniformly simulated HDR), Fear and Desire (software uniformly simulated HDR), Dr. Jekyll and the Werewolf (no HDR), Paths of Glory (software uniformly simulated HDR), Southern Comfort (software uniformly simulated HDR).

On their 4K UHD, and Blu-ray feature, Criterion use a linear PCM mono track (24-bit) in the original English language. "The Long Good Friday" has plenty of violence including beatings, murder and an intense explosion that come through authentically flat but with some imposing depth. The memorable and highly charged score was by English rock, classical and film score composer Francis Monkman (MacKenzie's "The Innocent") who was a founding member of rock bands Curved Air and Sky. It has a wonderful energy with keyboards, orchestra brass, moody synthesizer and pulsating drum beats. Its intensity can almost eclipse the narrative. Really, a big part of the viewing experience. Criterion offer optional English (SDH) subtitles on their Region 'A'-locked Blu-rays and, region free, 4K UHD feature.

On their 4K UHD and Blu-ray discs Criterion include the 2002 audio commentary by director John Mackenzie which still holds up and is informative into his filmmaking process.

All other supplements are related to the two included Blu-rays. The first has the feature with the old commentary and a 6-minute introduction by Criterion Collection curatorial director Ashley Clark.

The second Blu-ray disc has Bill Jones, Kim Leggatt and Ben Timlett's 2019 feature-length documentary An Accidental Studio about the evolution of HandMade Films. It has footage of co-founders George Harrison + Denis O'Brien plus input from Ray Cooper, Python's Michael Palin, Terry Gilliam, John Cleese, Terry Jones, Eric Idle, and Michael Caine, Richard E. Grant, Bob Hoskins plus many more. Notable films from the studio include Monty Python's Life of Brian, Time Bandits, The Missionary, Mona Lisa, The Long Good Friday, Bellman and True, Withnail and I and 127 Hours. Included, running shy of an hour is Perry Martin's 2006 documentary Bloody Business about the making of the film featuring interviews with Pierce Brosnan, Barry Hanson, Bob Hoskins, John Mackenzie, Phil Meheux (Casino Royale, The Legend of Zorro) and Helen Mirren. There are also a short interviews with Méheux and screenwriter Barrie Keeffe and a 7-minute program comparing the soundtracks for the UK and U.S. releases where five brief sections, with strong Cockney accents, were re-voiced in order to make them clearer to American ears. Lastly are two trailers and the package has liner notes with an essay by film critic Ryan Gilbey (Groundhog Day - BFI Film Classics).

John Mackenzie's "The Long Good Friday" is a landmark of British crime cinema. The role of London gangster Harold Shand, who had aspirations of legitimacy, was written with strong consideration for Bob Hoskins (Zulu Dawn, Brazil, Mona Lisa, and Nixon as J. Edgar Hoover) because of his strong, intense but sensitive portrayals of "tough guys". Playing his, more rational partner, Victoria is Helen Mirren (Age of Consent, The Queen, Prime Suspect.) The strong supporting cast features Eddie Constantine (Attack of the Robots, Alphaville) as a cautious American investor, English comedian, actor and vocalist Dave King (The Sweeney and The Professionals) as the corrupt policeman 'Parky', Bryan Marshall (Hammer films The Witches, Quatermass and the Pit) as IRA-connected Councillor Harris, Derek Thompson (Harry's Game) as Shand's right-hand man, Paul Freeman (The Last Island) as another of Shand's buddies who meets his demise - plus Pierce Brosnan (Mister Johnson, and a few James Bonds) in his film debut. John Mackenzie (Unman, Wittering and Zigo) crafts an intense, memorable thriller involving the machinations of London's fragile underworld empire and working class gangsters one step above the street. It's immensely rewatchable with a riveting, powerful, and wordless climax. Criterion's
4K UHD and Blu-ray releases
offer a lot with a new 4K digital restoration and entire second Blu-ray with 3-hours of supplements. Strongly recommended.

Gary Tooze

 


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Box Cover

CLICK to order from:

  

Arrow (UK) has released this in 4K UHD as an exclusive.

Simultaneously released on Blu-ray by Criterion:

  

Bonus Captures:

Distribution Criterion Spine #26 - Region FREE - 4K UHD


 


 

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