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

ADDITION: Criterion Blu-ray (November 2023): Criterion have transferred Allen Baron's Blast of Silence to Blu-ray. It is advertised as being from a "New 4K digital restoration presented in two aspect ratios, 1.85:1 (widescreen) and 1.33:1 (full-screen)" and is still cited as "Director-Approved". So as an addition to their 2008 DVD, Criterion have included the 1.85:1 widescreen version of the film. This is an excellent option as it was obvious there was excessive space above the heads on the DVD aspect ratios. DVDS were compared HERE. The new dual-transfers are of the same quality - both with high bitrates. They look impressive in  1080P - a clear advancement over the SD (which was one where Criterion was reverting back to NON-pictureboxed transfers.) It has superior contrast and detail and the grain is more consistently rendered. The visuals are pristinely clean and this is a very welcome upgrade for Noir fans.

NOTE: We have added 52 more large resolution Blu-ray captures (in lossless PNG format) for DVDBeaver Patrons HERE

On their Blu-ray, Criterion use a linear PCM mono track (24-bit) in the original English language. Blast of Silence has few aggressive moments that come through with modest depth. The score is by the self-taught composer Meyer Kupferman (Hallelujah the Hills), and his beatnik-like music contains "large gestures and short dramatic hooks which are a critical to his compositional technique (his "gestalt form")." There is some nice buoyancy and depth in the lossless that wasn't present on the DVD (that sounded more hollow and post-DUBing was more noticeable.) Criterion offer optional English (SDH) subtitles on their Region 'A' Blu-ray.

The Criterion Blu-ray offers the same supplements as their 2008 DVD : Requiem for a Killer: The Making of “Blast of Silence” is almost an hour long and humorously starts with Baron admitting that he didn't even know what 'Cannes' was when the film was attempted to enter but fell short of the deadline. The featurette has some interesting and amusing production anecdotes but I found it a bit drawn out. There are two gallery sections of static photography: Rare on-set Polaroids are somewhat worn but add to the pragmatic creation of the film. There is also Locations revisited in 2008 which shows some past shots compared to modern ones often with Baron in the present image. A theatrical trailer is included and a 12-page liner notes booklet featuring an essay by film critic Terrence Rafferty and a four-page graphic-novel adaptation of the film by acclaimed artist Sean Phillips (Criminal, Reckless, Fatale.)

Blast of Silence was made on a shoestring budget - it was written, directed by, and starred Allen Baron and was produced by Merrill Brody, who doubled as the cinematographer. Many of Baron's friends and family appear in various scenes of the film. Blast of Silence was shot using equipment that had been abandoned in Cuba after the shooting of Errol Flynn's final film, 1959's Cuban Rebel Girls because the crew had to flee due to the Cuban Revolution. The serious Lionel Stander documentary-style narration facet of Blast of Silence adds another layer qualifying the suspense. It could also represent and alter-ego for contract killer Frank Bono or categorize the film as a quasi-procedural. It is such grassroots dark cinema; bleak yet Christmas time in New York. It was such a pleasure to revisit Blast of Silence that strongly deserved 1080P.  I'm super pleased with the Criterion Blu-ray - the dual-ratios is a nice touch - and this is a keeper for me.

Gary Tooze