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

ADDITION: Milestone Blu-ray (December 2023): Milestone have transferred Kent Mackenzie's The Exiles to Blu-ray. This is a solid upgrade from their own 2009 DVD, and BFI's 2010 DVD, compared HERE. We didn't add any captures here but the 1080P advances quite notably from both older SD renderings. It is crisper, has a touch of gloss, consistent grain, depth in well lit scenes - it's a significant visual improvement. 

NOTE: We have added 36 more large resolution Blu-ray captures (in lossless PNG format) for DVDBeaver Patrons HERE

On their Blu-ray, Milestone upgrade to a DTS-HD Master 2.0 channel track (24-bit) in the original English language. The Exiles has minor aggression. Wikipedia tells us: "The film features rock and roll music provided by Anthony Hilder and Robert Hafner. It was performed by The Revels, who recorded on Hilder's Impact record label. Years later Norman Knowles of The Revels recalled some of the tracks they recorded for the film. They included "It's Party Time" and possibly "Revellion". According to Knowles, the song "Commanche," which was written for the movie, was cut." All good in the lossless although the post DUB'ing remains noticeable. Milestone offer optional English (SDH), French or Portuguese subtitles on their Region FREE Blu-ray.

Milestone have added to this Blu-ray release all the extras of their stacked, 2-disc, 2009 DVD package. We get the enthusiastic commentary track with best-selling author Sherman Alexie (The Absolutely True Diary of a Part-Time Indian) and critic Sean Axmaker. Alexie shares many opinions including his reflections of his first viewing of the film about 20 years earlier. The information exported has wonderful value. The package includes Mackenzie shorts including A Skill For Molina, Bunker Hill, Ivan and His Father (not on the old DVD) and Story of a Rodeo Cowboy as well as Last Day of Angels Flight, a short film by Robert Kirste, and Bunker Hill: A Tale of Urban Renewal, a short film by Greg Kimble. There are also three audio discussion segments, the first with Sherman Alexie and Sean Axmaker, and the second on WNYC's Leonard Lopate Show with Alexie and esteemed director Charles Burnett - were part of the original DVD package.

Kent Mackenzie's The Exiles was set in the 50s, about Native Americans who have left, sometimes temporarily, their reservations in the Southwest to relocate to the district of Bunker Hill, Los Angeles, California, that was suffering Urban Decay. It follows their lives one night of socializing and drinking with narrative reflections on their work and dreams. I am very pleased with the Milestone Blu-ray upgrade that adds an important vérité layer to the viewing. The extras augment the package nicely. Absolutely recommended.

Gary Tooze