Firstly, a massive thank you to our Patreon supporters. These supporters have become the single biggest contributing factor to the survival of DVDBeaver. Your assistance is essential to our survival.

 

What do Patrons receive, that you don't?

 

1) Our weekly Newsletter and Calendar Updates sent to your Inbox!
2) Access to over 70,000 unpublished screen captures in lossless high-resolution format!

 

Please consider keeping us in existence with a couple of dollars or more each month (your pocket change! / a coffee!) so we can continue to do our best in giving you timely, thorough reviews, calendar updates and detailed comparisons. I am indebted to your generosity.


 

Search DVDBeaver

S E A R C H    D V D B e a v e r

(aka "Goin South" or "Going South")

 

Directed by Jack Nicholson
USA 1978

 

Henry Moon (Jack Nicholson, Chinatown) is a cut-rate outlaw in post-Civil War Texas, convicted of bank robbery and property theft. Moon is sentenced to death by hanging in the town of Longhorn, a town that maintains an ordinance allowing for any condemned man to be freed from the gallows via marriage. Julia Tate (Mary Steenburgen, Clifford), a quiet virginal young woman with a secret gold mine, saves Moon from the gallows in an attempt to exploit him for free labor. With Moon intent on consummating his marriage to a virgin bride and Tate seeking to mine her hidden fortune, the two embark on an equally combative, comedic, relationship in the Old West.

The sophomore feature directorial effort from Jack Nicholson, following his counterculture comedy Drive, He Said in 1971, GOIN’ SOUTH is a commonly overlooked entry in Nicholson’s repertoire as an actor and filmmaker. Featuring gorgeous photography from noted cinematographer Néstor Almendros (Days of Heaven) and a talented comedic cast including John Belushi (Animal House), Christopher Lloyd (Back to the Future), Danny DeVito (Wise Guys) and Ed Begley Jr. (Blue Collar), Cinématographe is proud to present Jack Nicholson’s wild western comedy on Blu-ray and 4K UHD for the first time in the world.

***

Henry Moon is captured for a capital offense by a posse when his horse quits while trying to escape to Mexico. He finds that there is a post-Civil War law in the small town that any single or widowed woman can save him from the gallows by marrying him.

Posters

Theatrical Release: October 6th, 1978

Reviews                                                          More Reviews                                                     DVD Reviews

 

Review: Cinématographe - Region FREE - 4K UHD

Box Cover

CLICK to order from:

Bonus Captures:

Distribution Cinématographe - Region FREE - 4K UHD
Runtime 1:48:36.468        
Video

1.85:1 1080P Dual-layered Blu-ray

Disc Size: 41,146,850,111 bytes

Feature: 31,292,955,840 bytes

Video Bitrate: 34.91 Mbps

Codec: MPEG-4 AVC Video

1.85:1 2160P 4K Ultra HD

Disc Size: 63,863,230,837 bytes

Feature: 63,665,094,912 bytes

Video Bitrate: 72.80 Mbps

Codec: HEVC Video

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

Bitrate Blu-ray:

Bitrate 4K Ultra HD:

Audio

DTS-HD Master Audio English 1619 kbps 2.0 / 48 kHz / 1619 kbps / 24-bit (DTS Core: 2.0 / 48 kHz / 768 kbps / 24-bit)
Commentary:

Dolby Digital Audio English 192 kbps 2.0 / 48 kHz / 192 kbps / DN -25dB

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

 

1.85:1 2160P 4K Ultra HD

Disc Size: 63,863,230,837 bytes

Feature: 63,665,094,912 bytes

Video Bitrate: 72.80 Mbps

Codec: HEVC Video

 

Edition Details:

4K Ultra HD disc

• New audio commentary with film critic Simon Abrams

 

Cinématographe - Region 'A' - Blu-ray

• New audio commentary with film critic Simon Abrams
• Néstor Almendros: A Man with a Camera -- a new video essay by historian Samm Deighan (17:15)
• Jack of Three Trades: In Focus on Nicholson the Director -- a new video essay by historian Daniel Kremer (23:11)
 

Booklet with new written essays by Jack Nicholson biographer Marc Eliot and film critic Chris Shields


4K Ultra HD Release Date: August 26th 2024

Custom Media Book 4K Ultra HD Case inside case (see below)

Chapters 8

 

 

Comments:

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

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.

Both Blu-ray and 4K UHD discs have an optional audio commentary by film critic Simon Abrams (author of Guillermo del Toro's The Devil's Backbone.) He discusses cinematographer Néstor Almendros, he reads from Peter Thompson's biography of Jack Nicholson; The Life and Times of an Actor on the Edge, talks about Mary Steenburgen, Jane Fonda passing on the female-lead role, Monte Hellman's 'acid' westerns with Nicholson (Shooting and Ride The Whirlwind), Jack's interest in existential themes and Wilhelm Reich's sexual regression theories, the actor/director's interest in making ‘Moontrap’, a western set in Oregon in the 1850s about fur-trappers... and much more. The rest of the extras are relegated to the Blu-ray with a 17-minute new video essay Néstor Almendros: A Man with a Camera, by historian Samm Deighan. He is the Spanish cinematographer who has worked with Éric Rohmer, François Truffaut, Barbet Schroeder, Mike Nichols, Terrence Malick etc. There is also a new 23-minute video essay entitled Jack of Three Trades: In Focus on Nicholson the Director by historian Daniel Kremer (auth of Sidney J. Furie: Life and Films.) Both are excellent. The lavish media book package (see above) has essays by Jack Nicholson biographer Marc Eliot (Nicholson: A Biography) and film critic Chris Shields. 

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

 


Menus / Extras

 


CLICK EACH BLU-RAY and 4K UHD CAPTURE TO SEE IN FULL RESOLUTION

 

1) Cinématographe - Region 'A' - Blu-ray - TOP

2) Cinématographe - Region FREE - 4K UHD - BOTTOM

 

 


1) Cinématographe - Region 'A' - Blu-ray - TOP

2) Cinématographe - Region FREE - 4K UHD - BOTTOM

 

 


 

 


 

 


 

 


 

 


 

 

More full resolution (3840 X 2160) 4K Ultra HD Captures for Patreon Supporters HERE

 

 

 
Box Cover

CLICK to order from:

Bonus Captures:

Distribution Cinématographe - Region FREE - 4K UHD


 


 

Search DVDBeaver

S E A R C H    D V D B e a v e r

 

Hit Counter

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

DONATIONS Keep DVDBeaver alive:

 CLICK PayPal logo to donate!

Gary Tooze

Thank You!