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S E A R C H    D V D B e a v e r

Directed by Robert Aldrich
USA 1961

 

From Robert Aldrich, the acclaimed director of Vera Cruz, The Dirty Dozen, The Grissom Gang and Ulzana’s Raid, comes this epic western melodrama starring Rock Hudson (Horizons West), Kirk Douglas (Man Without a Star), Dorothy Malone (The Tarnished Angels), Joseph Cotten (Duel in the Sun), Carol Lynley (The Night Stalker), Neville Brand (Killdozer) and Jack Elam (Rawhide). Western justice takes a dark turn in The Last Sunset, as American lawman Dana Stribling (Hudson) enters Mexico with one mission: to hunt down the infamous Brendan O’Malley (Douglas), who killed his brother-in-law. He finds his culprit working for a wealthy cattleman (Cotten) and arranging a herd to cross the border. Unable to serve his warrant, Stribling signs on as a trail boss, warning O’Malley of his intentions once they reach Texas. The two slowly develop respect for one another along the journey, but a shocking revelation will change their plans forever.

***

Brendan O'Malley arrives at the Mexican home of old flame Belle Breckenridge to find her married to a drunkard getting ready for a cattle drive to Texas. Hot on O'Malley's heels is lawman Dana Stribling who has a personal reason for getting him back into his jurisdiction. Both men join Breckenridge and his wife on the drive. As they near Texas tensions mount, not least because Stribling is starting to court Belle, and O'Malley is increasingly drawn by her daughter Missy.

Posters

Theatrical Release: June 8th, 1961

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Review: Kino - Region 'A' - Blu-ray

Box Cover

CLICK to order from:

  

Bonus Captures:

Distribution Kino - Region 'A' - Blu-ray
Runtime 1:52:20.984        
Video

1.85:1 1080P Dual-layered Blu-ray

Disc Size: 38,539,600,686 bytes

Feature: 36,694,333,440 bytes

Video Bitrate: 39.40 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

DTS-HD Master Audio English 1785 kbps 2.0 / 48 kHz / 1785 kbps / 24-bit (DTS Core: 2.0 / 48 kHz / 1509 kbps / 24-bit)
Commentary:

Dolby Digital Audio English 192 kbps 2.0 / 48 kHz / 192 kbps

Subtitles English, None
Features Release Information:
Studio:
Kino

 

1.85:1 1080P Dual-layered Blu-ray

Disc Size: 38,539,600,686 bytes

Feature: 36,694,333,440 bytes

Video Bitrate: 39.40 Mbps

Codec: MPEG-4 AVC Video

 

Edition Details:

NEW Audio Commentary by Film Critic Nick Pinkerton
Theatrical Trailer (2:31)


Blu-ray Release Date:
October 9th, 2021
Standard Blu-ray Case

Chapters 9

 

 

Comments:

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

ADDITION: Kino Blu-ray (October 2021): Kino have transferred Robert Aldrich's The Last Sunset to Blu-ray. It is cited as being from a "Brand New 2K Master". It's quite a step you from the 2006 DVD set Rock Hudson Screen Legend Collection reviewed HERE. The 1080P is in the neighborhood of 6-7 times the bitrate of the SD transfers. The, comparatively, dull DVDs can't compare to the richer and deeper colors of the Blu-ray. It's on a dual-layered disc with a max'ed out bitrate and has few speckles, no overt damage and offers a consistent, textured HD presentation with highly pleasing contrast.  

NOTE: We have added 60 more large resolution Blu-ray captures (in lossless PNG format) for DVDBeaver Patrons HERE

On their Blu-ray, Kino use a DTS-HD Master dual-mono track (24-bit) in the original English language. The Last Sunset has typical western genre effects - gunfire, horses, cattle etc. that come through authentically flat but exporting modest depth. The score is credited to Stanley Kramer-regular Ernest Gold (The Defiant Ones Inherit the Wind, Cross of Iron, It's a Mad Mad Mad Mad World, On the Beach, The Secret of Santa Vittoria, and Dementia.) There are a few guitar ballads utilized, often by the Mexican works that include Dimitri Tiomkin's Pretty Little Girl In The Yellow Dress performed by Kirk Douglas and Cu Cu Ru Cu Paloma by Tomás Méndez, among them. The music supports The Last Sunset well establishing a western aura. Kino offer optional English subtitles on their Region 'A' Blu-ray.

The Kino Blu-ray offers a new commentary by Nick Pinkerton. He reads from Alain Silver and James Ursini's book What Ever Happened to Robert Aldrich?: His Life and His Films, discusses how the director was fiercely protective of his independence, he then covers numerous aspects of the production from composer Gold with a quoted interview, providing brief evolutions and summations of the careers of Joseph Cotten, Rock Hudson, Carol Lynley, Jack Elam, DoP Ernest Laszlo, while referring to The Last Sunset's mise-en-scène. It's at his usual highly informative consistency. There is also a trailer for the film.  

Dalton Trumbo's script of Robert Aldrich's The Last Sunset is brimming with heavy mix of sexual tensions, revenge, spousal impotence, fatherhood, potential incest, end-of-life acceptance - it was adapted from Howard Rigsby novel "Sundown At Crazy Horse". There's a lot going on behind the cattle drive with plenty of macho olde-west tropes and provocative dialogue; "That sister of yours, Stribling, was just a free drink on the house and nobody went home thirsty. I mean nobody!" The Kino Blu-ray is a humungous upgrade and the commentary gives it impressive value. Strongly recommended!

Gary Tooze

 


Menus / Extras

 


CLICK EACH BLU-RAY CAPTURE TO SEE ALL IMAGES IN FULL 1920X1080 RESOLUTION

 

Subtitle Sample - Kino - Region 'A' - Blu-ray

 

 


1) Universal (Rock Hudson Screen Legend Collection) - Region 1 - NTSC TOP

2) Kino - Region 'A' - Blu-ray BOTTOM

 

 


1) Universal (Rock Hudson Screen Legend Collection) - Region 1 - NTSC TOP

2) Kino - Region 'A' - Blu-ray BOTTOM

 

 


1) Universal (Rock Hudson Screen Legend Collection) - Region 1 - NTSC TOP

2) Kino - Region 'A' - Blu-ray BOTTOM

 

 


 

More full resolution (1920 X 1080) Blu-ray Captures for DVDBeaver Patreon Supporters HERE

 

 

 
Box Cover

CLICK to order from:

  

Bonus Captures:

Distribution Kino - Region 'A' - Blu-ray


 


 

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