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S E A R C H D V D B e a v e r |
Directed by Peter Bogdanovich
USA 1971
The Last Picture Show is one of the key films of the American cinema renaissance of the seventies. Set during the early fifties, in the loneliest Texas nowheresville to ever dust up a movie screen, this aching portrait of a dying West, adapted from Larry McMurtry’s novel, focuses on the daily shuffles of three futureless teens—the enigmatic Sonny (Timothy Bottoms), the wayward jock Duane (Jeff Bridges), and the desperate-to-be-adored rich girl Jacy (Cybil Shepherd)—and the aging lost souls who bump up against them in the night like drifting tumbleweeds, including Cloris Leachman’s lonely housewife and Ben Johnson’s grizzled movie-house proprietor. Featuring evocative black-and-white imagery and profoundly felt performances, this hushed depiction of crumbling American values remains the pivotal film in the career of the invaluable director and film historian Peter Bogdanovich. ***
One could argue that Peter Bogdanovich never topped The Last Picture Show
(1971), his second feature and surely one of the great films of the Seventies.
This is due not only to Bogdanovich's direction, but also the strength of the
original source material (the 1966 novel of the same title by Larry McMurtry),
its excellent ensemble cast, and its gritty black-and-white cinematography by
the Hollywood veteran Robert Surtees. Excerpt from TCM located HERE |
Posters
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Theatrical Release: October 2nd, 1971
Reviews More Reviews DVD Reviews
Comparison
:Sony - Region FREE - 4K UHD vs. Criterion - Region FREE - 4K UHD
Box Cover |
Only available presently in Sony's Columbia Classics Collection Volume 3 4K UHD that includes It Happened One Night / From Here to Eternity / To Sir, With Love / The Last Picture Show / Annie / As Good As It Gets: Bonus Captures: |
Criterion are also releasing the two included Blu-rays in a separate package with a 1080P of The Last Picture Show and second BD with two version of Texasville: |
Distribution | Sony - Region FREE - 4K UHD | Criterion - Region FREE - 4K UHD |
Runtime |
Sony Theatrical Cut: 1:59:42.174 Sony Director's Cut: 2:06:19.571
Criterion Director's Cut: 2:06:34.920
Criterion Theatrical (Texasville): 2:05:42.493 Criterion Director's Cut (Texasville): 2:30:07.289 |
|
Video |
Sony: Theatrical Cut: 1.85:1 2160P 4K Ultra HD Disc Size: 64,726,418,897 bytesFeature: 64,099,958,784 bytes Video Bitrate: 63.76 MbpsCodec: HEVC Video |
Sony: Director's Cut: 1.85:1 2160P 4K Ultra HD Disc Size: 64,672,887,046 bytesFeature: 64,046,057,472 bytes Video Bitrate: 53.13 MbpsCodec: HEVC Video |
Criterion: Director's Cut: 1.85:1 2160P 4K Ultra HD Disc Size: 97,651,645,500 bytesFeature: 95,253,470,016 bytesVideo Bitrate: 83.70 MbpsCodec: HEVC Video |
Criterion (Texasville) 1.85:1 1080P Dual-layered Blu-ray Disc Size: 49,895,077,789 bytesTheatrical : 19,151,910,912 bytesDirector's Cut: 27,896,973,312 bytes Video Bitrate: 17.00 Mbps / 21.27Codec: MPEG-4 AVC Video |
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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 Sony Theatrical Cut 4K Ultra HD: |
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Bitrate Sony Director's Cut 4K Ultra HD: |
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Bitrate Criterion Director's Cut 4K Ultra HD: |
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Audio |
Theatrical Cut: DTS-HD Master Audio English 1560 kbps 2.0 / 48 kHz / 1560 kbps / 16-bit (DTS Core: 2.0 / 48 kHz / 1509 kbps / 16-bit)
Director's Cut: TS-HD Master Audio
English 1558 kbps 2.0 / 48 kHz / 1558 kbps / 16-bit (DTS Core: 2.0 / 48 kHz
/ 1509 kbps / 16-bit) |
LPCM Audio English
1152 kbps 1.0 / 48 kHz / 1152 kbps / 24-bit Dolby Digital Audio English 192 kbps 1.0 / 48 kHz / 192 kbps / DN -31dB |
Subtitles | English (SDH), English, Dutch, Norwegian, Hungarian, Czech, Thai, Arabic, Finnish, Mandarin Chinese, Danish, German, Italian, Swedish, Korean, Icelandic, English, Portuguese, French, Spanish, Hindi, Polish, Turkish, Bulgarian, Greek, Hebrew, none | English (SDH), none |
Features |
Release Information: Studio: Sony
Theatrical Cut: 1.85:1 2160P 4K Ultra HD Disc Size: 64,726,418,897 bytesFeature: 64,099,958,784 bytes Video Bitrate: 63.76 MbpsCodec: HEVC Video
Director's Cut: 1.85:1 2160P 4K Ultra HD Disc Size: 64,672,887,046 bytesFeature: 64,046,057,472 bytes Video Bitrate: 53.13 MbpsCodec: HEVC Video
Edition Details: Two 4K Ultra HD discs
• Director’s Cut
Sony - Region FREE - Blu-ray
• Audio Commentary featuring Director Peter Bogdanovich
Black 4K Ultra HD Case inside slipcase (inside custom case) Chapters 16 / 9 |
Release Information: Studio: Criterion
Criterion: Director's Cut: 1.85:1 2160P 4K Ultra HD Disc Size: 97,651,645,500 bytesFeature: 95,253,470,016 bytesVideo Bitrate: 83.70 MbpsCodec: HEVC Video
Criterion (Texasville) 1.85:1 1080P Dual-layered Blu-ray Disc Size: 49,895,077,789 bytesTheatrical : 19,151,910,912 bytesDirector's Cut: 27,896,973,312 bytes Video Bitrate: 17.00 Mbps / 21.27Codec: MPEG-4 AVC Video
Edition Details: One 4K Ultra HD disc
Director’s Cut
Criterion - Region 'A' - Blu-rays
• Texasville (1990), the sequel to The Last Picture Show, presented in
both the original theatrical version and a black-and-white version of
the director’s cut, produced in collaboration with cinematographer
Nicholas von Sternberg
Transparent 4K Ultra HD Case Chapters 21 / 20 / 20 |
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Comments: |
NOTE:
The below
Blu-ray
and
4K UHD
captures were taken directly from the respective
discs.
ADDITION: Criterion
4K UHD
(November 2023): Criterion have also transferred
Peter Bogdanovich's "The Last Picture Show" to
4K UHD.
They only include the longer "Director's Cut" of the film in
4K UHD, and
two
Blu-rays: one
of the Director's Cut
but with supplements and a second
Blu-ray
the theatrical (in color) and longer "Director's Cut" (in black and
white) of the sequel Texasville - plus extras.
In November 2010 Criterion released a
Blu-ray collection with "The Last
Picture Show" - as part of their
America Lost and Found: The BBS Story
Blu-ray boxset, reviewed
HERE. The 'BBS' stood for the production team of Bert
Schneider, Robert (Bob) Rafelson and Steve
Blauner. It had the director’s cut of "The Last Picture Show", with a
1080P transfer "supervised by Bogdanovich". We've compared four
captures
Texasville on Blu-ray is a bit weak with the dual-layered disc sharing 4.5 hours of features with both color theatrical and 25-minute longer "Director's Cut" in monochrome. Perhaps we are spoiled with 4K UHD but the image on my system was only 'okay' (monochrome may have infiltration - or it may be my eyes), but the difference in my film viewing were quite significant by both the black-white vs. color and the lengthier "Director's Cut" version. I have to say that got much more out of the film but settle-in - it is long at shy of 2.5 hours. Criterion go for an authentically flat linear PCM mono track for "The Last Picture Show" on 4K UHD (as well as the Blu-ray of the film and both versions of Texasville.) There isn't much in the way of aggression - some fisticuffs, cars etc. "The Last Picture Show" features entirely diegetic music, including many popular 50s country and western songs by the likes of Hank Williams Sr. Tony Bennett, Lefty Frizzell, Eddie Fisher, Frankie Laine, Jo Stafford, Hank Snow, Johnnie Ray, Kay Starr and others. The 4K UHD and Blu-ray of "The Last Picture Show" offer optional English (SDH) subtitles, as do both cuts of Texasville. The 4K UHD is region FREE, and the Blu-rays and region 'A'-locked. For the extras "The Last Picture Show" basically duplicate the one on the America Lost and Found: The BBS Story Blu-ray. There are two audio commentaries, one from 1991, featuring Bogdanovich and actors Cybill Shepherd, Randy Quaid, Cloris Leachman, and Frank Marshall; the other from 2009, featuring a lone Bogdanovich - on both the 4K UHD and, second disc, feature Blu-ray. where the rest of the supplements reside. “The Last Picture Show”: A Look Back, is an excellent hour-long documentary from 1999 directed by Laurent Bouzereau. It details how the film as made - from casting to the decision for black and white over color and features interviews with Bogdanovich, Cybill Shepherd, Timothy Bottoms, Jeff Bridges, Ellen Burstyn, Cloris Leachman, and Frank Marshall. Also included is Picture This (aka The Times of Peter Bogdanovich in Archer City, Texas) - a 42-minute, award-winning documentary, from 1990, directed by George Hickenlooper with the cast revisiting Archer City to shoot, the sequel, Texasville. It exposes some of the conflict that occurred behind the scenes of the first film. There is an interview with Bogdanovich. It lasts about a dozen minutes. There are and some brief screen tests shot on 16mm and some, soundless, location footage. We also get 4-minutes of excerpts from a 1972 television interview with director François Truffaut about the 'New Hollywood' as well as theatrical trailers - the original (3:05), and the re-release (1:28). On the second Blu-ray with Texasville we also get Bouzereau's 2003 1/4 hour The Next Picture Show with Bogdanovich, Marshall and Production/Costume designer Polly Platt plus there is a 4-minute Introduction to Texasville featuring Bogdanovich, Shepherd, and actor Jeff Bridges. Lastly is a trailer or Texasville.
The 3-disc
4K UHD and 2-disc
Blu-ray packages have a
liner notes booklet with an essay by film critic Graham Fuller and excerpts
from an interview with Bogdanovich about Texasville, with a new
introduction by Bogdanovich biographer Peter Tonguette (Picturing
Peter Bogdanovich: My Conversations with the New Hollywood Director.)
Peter Bogdanovich’s "The Last Picture Show" is a masterpiece
frequently considered the best film of the early 70s and often cited in '100
greatest American films of all time' polls. It was adapted by Bogdanovich
and the novel's author, Larry McMurtry, from the
semi-autobiographical 1966
book of the same name. It is set in a set in a desolate northern
Texas town in the early 50s focusing on the lives of maturing teenagers and
some of the small dying burgh's dissatisfied residents. It has an ensemble
cast with Timothy Bottoms (The
Paper Chase) in his second feature, young Jeff Bridges (with
Fat City his next project), versatile Ellen Burstyn (Requiem
For a Dream), stalwart and imposing Ben Johnson (The
Wild Bunch), Oscar-winner Cloris Leachman (Dying
Room Only), and absurdly photogenic Cybill Shepherd (Taxi
Driver). Bogdanovich re-edited the film to create a "director's cut"
included here. This version restores seven minutes of footage that
Bogdanovich trimmed from the 1971 release because Columbia demanded a limit
of 119-minutes. One cut was the sex scene between Jacy (Shepherd) and
Abilene (Clu Gulager) as well as several shorter scenes were also restored.
The final screening, essentially the 'last picture show', for the two
friends, Sonny (Bottoms) and Duane (Bridges) is John Wayne's Texan western
Red River directed by Howard Hawks. "The Last Picture Show"
captures a hopeless, dead-end, existence for the desperate youths of tiny
Anarene while the adult townsfolk are poor examples as they drink, are
depressed, jaded, have affairs and are resigned to their limited fates.
There is a realism to the film sparked by Bogdanovich's tight control, the
barren atmosphere and the remarkable performances. 1990's "Texasville",
from Larry McMurtry's
1987 novel, dedicated to Cybill Shepherd, has Bridges, Shepherd,
Cloris Leachman, Timothy Bottoms, Randy Quaid, and Eileen Brennan reprising
their roles from "The Last Picture Show" - depicting 33-years later
hence the events of the first film. Bogdanovich describes it as "more
chaotic, less structured, more fragmented, more insane, more desperate than
Picture Show. There's something intrinsically tragic about coming-of-age..."
Of the longer, 1992, cut Bogdanovich describes "This is the way
Texasville should have been seen when it was originally released. We had to
take out a lot of the dramatic scenes between Jeff (Bridges) and Cybill and
between Jeff and Timothy Bottoms. There was also a wonderful scene at the
Centennial when Cybill sings a hymn. The balance between comedy and drama
was off, so when the movie turned out to be a drama, people were thrown.
Whereas the correct version, the longer version, has a better balance."
It's great to have both versions as part of the stellar "The Last Picture Show"
4K UHD package - that is "essential"
in our opinion.
***
This
4K UHD
package has three discs also includes Peter Bogdanovich’s preferred 1999
Definitive Director’s Cut, presented in 4K resolution with Dolby Vision,
restored from the original camera negative, the 1971 Theatrical version,
also presented in 4K resolution with Dolby Vision, restored from the
original camera negative and there is also a
Blu-ray
of the Director's Cut, sourced from the 4K master, and housing
supplements.
In November 2010 Criterion released a
Blu-ray collection with "The Last
Picture Show" - part of their
America Lost and Found: The BBS Story
Blu-ray boxset, reviewed
HERE. The 'BBS' stood for the production team of Bert
Schneider, Robert (Bob) Rafelson and Steve
Blauner. It was the director’s cut of "The Last Picture Show", with a
1080P transfer "supervised by Bogdanovich". We've compared 4 captures
below but you just can't beat the higher resolution even readily notable in
the unusual but aesthetically effective monochrome choice. "The Last
Picture Show" has never had dynamic black / white contrast with indoor
scenes falling somewhere between grey and pale-hazed tones. This totally
suits the atmosphere of the dusty ghost town appearance. The 2160P produces
luscious grain textures that are readily visible and a significant uptick in
sharpness and detail. Both the Theatrical Cut and Director's Cut have the
same HDR (Dolby Vision) application and look extremely similar. I couldn't
distinguish much of a difference. I thought this looked so rich and
film-like via this
4K UHD rendering. A beautiful representation of a visually remarkable
film. It is likely that the monitor you are seeing this review is not an HDR-compatible display (High Dynamic Range) or Dolby Vision, where each pixel can be assigned with a wider and notably granular range of color and light. Our capture software if simulating the HDR (in a uniform manner) for standard monitors. This should make it easier for us to review more 4K UHD titles in the future and give you a decent idea of its attributes on your system. So our captures may not support the exact same colors (coolness of skin tones, brighter or darker hues etc.) as the 4K system at your home. But the framing, detail, grain texture support etc. are, generally, not effected by this simulation representation. NOTE: 5 6 more more full resolution (3840 X 2160) 4K UHD captures, in lossless PNG format, for Patrons are available HERE
We have reviewed the following 4K
UHD packages
recently:
The Man Who Knew Too Much
(software uniformly simulated HDR),
Rope
(software uniformly simulated HDR),
Frenzy
(software uniformly simulated HDR),
American Graffiti
(software uniformly simulated HDR),
East End Hustle,
Three Days of the Condor
(software uniformly simulated HDR), Witness
(software uniformly simulated HDR),
Fascination
(software uniformly simulated HDR),
Lips of Blood
(software uniformly simulated HDR),
The Others
(no HDR),
It Came From Outer Space
(software uniformly simulated HDR),
Don't Look Now,
Rosemary's Baby
(software uniformly simulated HDR),
The Last Wave
(no HDR),
The Train
(software uniformly simulated HDR),
The Trial
(software uniformly simulated HDR),
The Walkabout
(software uniformly simulated HDR),
Black Magic Rites,
The Night of the Hunted
(software uniformly simulated HDR),
The Rape of the Vampire
(software uniformly simulated HDR),
Gorgo
(software uniformly simulated HDR),
Akira Kurosawa's Dreams
(software uniformly simulated HDR),
The Man From Hong Kong
(software uniformly simulated HDR),
One False Move,
The Tall T
(software uniformly simulated HDR),
Cold Eyes of Fear (software uniformly simulated HDR),
Rules of the Game
(no HDR),
The Manchurian Candidate
(software uniformly simulated HDR),
After Hours,
Rain Man
(software uniformly simulated HDR),
The Changeling
(software uniformly simulated HDR),
The Night of the Hunter
(software uniformly simulated HDR),
12 Angry Men
(software uniformly simulated HDR),
Branded to Kill
(no HDR),
Picnic at Hanging Rock
(software uniformly simulated HDR),
Two Orphan Vampires,
The Shiver of the Vampires,
Drowning By Number
(software uniformly simulated HDR),
Serpico
(software uniformly simulated HDR),
Cool Hand Luke
(software uniformly simulated HDR),
The Seventh Seal
(software uniformly simulated HDR), The Maltese Falcon
(software uniformly simulated HDR).
Both Theatrical Cut and Director's Cut on
separate
4K UHD discs use a DTS-HD Master 2.0
track (only 16-bit), in the original English language, with the DC
offering 4 foreign-language DUBs. All extras are relegated the the 3rd disc Blu-ray that also houses a 1080P Director's Cut version of the film and includes the 2009 audio commentary featuring director Peter Bogdanovich. New is a 14-minute "Tribute to Peter Bogdanovich". It's an in-depth retrospective view of his career by Peter Tonguette. We lost Peter earlier this year, 2022. Laurent Bouzereau's 1999 The Last Picture Show: A Look Back is an hour+ documentary. It details how the film as made - from casting to the decision for black and white over color and features interviews with Bogdanovich, Cybill Shepherd, Timothy Bottoms, Jeff Bridges, Ellen Burstyn, Cloris Leachman, and Frank Marshall. It was on previous releases. There is A Discussion with Filmmaker Peter Bogdanovich from 2009. It lasts about a dozen minutes as he is questioned about his favorite filmmakers and inspirations - compiled by Laurent Bouzereau. There is some brief screen soundless, location footage, the original trailer, teaser and a 6-minute re-release featurette. It's a must own that, in 4K UHD, has our highest recommendation. |
Menus / Extras
Sony 4K UHD
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Criterion 4K UHD and Blu-rays
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Criterion Texasville Blu-ray
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CLICK EACH BLU-RAY and 4K UHD CAPTURE TO SEE IN FULL RESOLUTION
1) Sony - Region FREE - 4K UHD TOP 2) Criterion- Region FREE - 4K UHD BOTTOM
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1)
Criterion - Region 'A' - Blu-ray
TOP
2)
Sony -
Region FREE -
4K UHD
MIDDLE
3)
Criterion-
Region FREE -
4K UHD
BOTTOM
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1)
Criterion - Region 'A' - Blu-ray
TOP
2)
Sony -
Region FREE -
4K UHD
MIDDLE
3)
Criterion-
Region FREE -
4K UHD
BOTTOM
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1)
Criterion - Region 'A' - Blu-ray
TOP
2)
Sony -
Region FREE -
4K UHD
MIDDLE
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Criterion-
Region FREE -
4K UHD
BOTTOM
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Criterion (Theatrical) - Region 'A' - Blu-ray
TOP
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Criterion (Director's Cut) - Region 'A' - Blu-ray
BOTTOM
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More full resolution (3840 X 2160) 4K Ultra HD Captures for Patreon Supporters HERE
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Box Cover |
Only available presently in Sony's Columbia Classics Collection Volume 3 4K UHD that includes It Happened One Night / From Here to Eternity / To Sir, With Love / The Last Picture Show / Annie / As Good As It Gets: Bonus Captures: |
Criterion are also releasing the two included Blu-rays in a separate package with a 1080P of The Last Picture Show and second BD with two version of Texasville: |
Distribution | Sony - Region FREE - 4K UHD | Criterion - Region FREE - 4K UHD |
Search DVDBeaver |
S E A R C H D V D B e a v e r |