Capricorn One - Blu-ray Brolin O.J. Simpson

Production: ITV DVD (UK) Blu-ray vs. LionsGate (Special Edition) - Region 1 - NTSC

NOTE: This Blu-ray, although originating in the UK (Region B), IS Region 0 and will play on any Blu-ray machine in the world.

Video
Video resolution: 1080p vs. 720P
Aspect ratio: 2.35:1 (both)

Audio
English: Dolby Digital Mono (Blu-ray) vs. 5.1 or 2.0 (SD)

Subtitles
English SDH, none (Blu-ray) vs. English, Spanish or none (SD)

Disc
Feature 20.025 GB (Blu-ray) vs. 7.6 (total SD disc)

Runtime: 2:03:08 (incorrectly listed on the Blu-ray case as 118 minutes) vs. 2:03:24 (SD)

Extras:

• none vs. Commentary and featurette on the SD-DVD

Disc: single-layered Blu-ray vs. dual-layered SD
Release Date: October 29th, 2007 vs. October 14th, 2008
Standard Blu-Ray case

Synopsis: The government attempts to fake a mission to Mars, but when the astronauts learn that part of the scenario includes a 'tragic accident' on the way home, they attempt an escape. A forerunner of the non-stop action suspense movie with terrific aerial stunts and an all-star cast.

***

....as a breathless public stands by for the first American flight to Mars, the astronauts are bundled away to a desert location where NASA intends to secretly simulate the whole thing for the TV networks of the world. For a while the film makes the most of the surrealism of this eerie conceit with some effective juxtapositions of illusion and reality as the spacemen play kiddy-cars in their clandestine studio. But pretty soon the project gets bogged down in innumerable difficulties...

Excerpt from TimeOut Film Guide located HERE.

The Film:

Peter Hyams' cynical, paranoid thriller looked particularly eerie in the wake of the Columbia disaster. Three astronauts (James Brolin, Sam Waterston, and O.J.) are set to embark on the first manned flight to Mars. At the last minute they're pulled aside and Hal Holbrook explains that the life-support systems were faulty, but that NASA can't afford to blow its credibility by cancelling the flight. So the astronauts are forced to go along with a faked Mars-walk.

Then the unforeseen happens when the unmanned Capricorn One explodes on re-entry. The astronauts realize that in the eyes of the world, they're dead, and NASA means to make that part true. So the men escape to the desert and split off into separate directions. Elliott Gould is the disreputable reporter who's on to the cover-up. The excellent cast also includes Brenda Vaccaro as Brolin's "widow," Karen Black as Gould's reporter acquaintance and would-be lover, James Karen as the vice-president, David Huddleston (the Big Lebowski himself) as a congressman, and Telly "Keep your goddamn head down" Savalas in a great funny bit as a cropduster pilot.

Excerpt from efilmcritic located HERE

The Video:

Origina comments about the Blu-ray: Aside from the film being a bit of a conspiracy hoot (another from, Russian impresario, Sir Lew Grade - like The Boys From Brazil) I was very interested to get my hands on this Blu-ray. For one reason, ITV DVD, in the UK, are the ones coming out with Black Narcissus in Blu-ray in June (as well as the aforementioned The Boys from Brazil). Not only did I want to see the quality - I find it momentarily comforting that it is region 0 and can be played worldwide on all Blu-ray machines. On to Capricorn One - it looks far better than I was anticipating. The aspect ratio seems to report that it is not from the 70mm print of the film (that would give us a 2.2:1 ratio) as this DVD is 2.35:1 - Panavision. Colors are bright, detail is fairly impressive and there is far less digital noise in monochromatic scenes (skies and blanket darkness) that I would have anticipated. There is no discernable damage and it certainly looks far better than its 30-year old age. I don't know that the screen grabs below do it full justice. Now, don't get expectations too stratospheric - but it does look light years ahead of the original SD version I own. I'm quite satisfied.

Comparison: The SD shows its inherent transfer weaknesses with less detail, color depth and my big pet peeve - the motley yellow/orange skin tones that the Blu-ray vastly improves appearing far truer. It's not much of a contest visually as the Blu-ray advances fairly dramatically in all areas. As far as progressive, anamorphic SD goes - for a film of this age the image is very good but it only takes up about 1/3 of the space of the Blu-ray which towers above it.

NOTE: the Blu-ray case states a 4:3 ratio which is obviously incorrect.

NOTE: At the time of this review the Amazon SD-DVD cover was incorrect. The correct one is above.

H D - S E N S E I

Capricorn One [Blu-ray DVD]