ADDITION: Cinématographe 4K UHD (April 2024): Cinématographe have released Jack Nicholson's "Goin' South" to 4K UHD. It is stated as being "from a brand new 4K restoration of its original camera negative". The package includes a second disc Blu-ray with the feature and supplements. The 2160P image quality is excellent - a shade darker than the BD with all the benefits of the higher resolution in rendering the grain to consistent textures, well-layered contrast and efficient color balance. The 4K UHD presentation with a leaning to deep earthy browns is very pleasing.

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: 40 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: 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), Gunfight at the O.K. Corral (software uniformly simulated HDR,) The Wages of Fear  (software uniformly simulated HDR), The Roaring Twenties (software uniformly simulated HDR), Universal Classic Monsters Limited Edition Collection (software uniformly simulated HDR), Scarlet Street (software uniformly simulated HDR), eXistenZ (software uniformly simulated HDR), The Horrible Dr. Hichcock (software uniformly simulated HDR), Conan the Barbarian (software uniformly simulated HDR),  Django (no HDR), Lone Star  (software uniformly simulated HDR), Suspect Zero (software uniformly simulated HDR), Count Dracula (software uniformly simulated HDR), Full Circle - The Haunting of Julia (software uniformly simulated HDR), The Warriors  (software uniformly simulated HDR), Guillermo del Toro’s Pinocchio (software uniformly simulated HDR), Blackhat (software uniformly simulated HDR), Mark of the Devil (software uniformly simulated HDR), Barbarella (software uniformly simulated HDR), The Last Picture Show (software uniformly simulated HDR), 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 (software uniformly simulated HDR), 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).

On their 4K UHD and Blu-ray discs Cinématographe use a DTS-HD Master 2.0 channel track (24-bit) in the original English language. "Goin' South" is filled western genre effects including horses and gun fire. The score is by Perry Botkin Jr. (Lady Ice R.P.M., Skyjacked) and Van Dyke Parks (Broken Trail) and some Ry Cooder adding to the film's moods - both comedic and dramatic. Cinématographe include optional English (SDH) subtitles on both discs - and the 4K UHD is region FREE where the Blu-ray is Region 'A'-locked.

Goin' South was the second of three films directed by Nicholson after 1971's Drive, He Said and before the Chinatown sequel The Two Jakes (1990.) It was also the film debut of Mary Steenburgen, who had been a waitress in New York. Nicholson's performance in Goin' South has been described as 'prankish' and it seems one of the odd elements of the film. Plus he wavers in scenes from having an obvious nasal problem almost sounding DUB'ed. The film though is entertaining although never really does a deep-enough examination of one of its main themes "marriage". It didn't do well at the box office, reportedly because of the negative reaction of the sexual assault scene and that Steenburgen, who was excellent, was not a big enough name at the time to draw larger audiences. It was pretty fun film but no masterpiece. The supporting cast includes Christopher Lloyd, John Belushi, Richard Bradford, one of my favorites Veronica Cartwright (the young girl, Cathy, in The Birds and in 1978's Invasion of the Body Snatchers,) Danny DeVito and Ed Begley Jr. The Cinématographe 4K UHD is a really nice package in a classy media-book (photos and essays) plus there is a revealing commentary and two top-shelf visual essays. Fans of Jack may wish to consider indulging. 

Gary Tooze