Images Blu-ray - Susannah York

directed by Robert Altman

US / UK 1972

The early seventies were a period of remarkable activity for Robert Altman, producing masterpiece after masterpiece. At the time he came to make Images, MASH and McCabe & Mrs. Miller were behind him, with The Long Goodbye, California Split and Nashville still to come.

Originally conceived in the mid-sixties, Images concerns a pregnant children s author (Susannah York, who won the Best Actress award at the Cannes Film Festival) whose husband (Rene Auberjonois) may or may not be having an affair. While on vacation in Ireland, her mental state becomes increasingly unstable resulting in paranoia, hallucinations and visions of a doppelgänger.

Scored by an Oscar-nominated John Williams, with sounds by Stomu Yamash'ta (The Man Who Fell to Earth), Images also boasts the remarkable cinematography of Vilmos Zsigmond (Close Encounters of the Third Kind).

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A woman walks a razor's edge between reality and madness in this impressionistic drama written and directed by Robert Altman. Cathryn (Susannah York) is a woman who begins to suspect that her marriage to Hugh (René Auberjonois) is falling apart after receiving a mysterious phone call from a friend who tells her Hugh has been having an affair. Cathryn herself has not been happy with Hugh, and years before she took a lover, Rene (Marcel Bozzuffi), though he died some time ago in a plane crash. Thinking they both need to get away, Hugh takes Cathryn to their house in the country, where Hugh indulges in his hobbies, hunting and photography, and Cathryn works on a book of fantasy tales for children. Before long, Cathryn begins to see apparitions of the late Rene around the house, much to her consternation; while confronting her feelings about the late Rene and the wandering Hugh, Marcel (Hugh Millais), a friend of the couple who makes little secret of his attraction to Cathryn, arrives for a visit, with his daughter Susannah (Cathryn Harrison) in tow. As Rene's appearances become more vivid and Cathryn reaches the end of her tether, she begins to drift deeper into a fantasy world, where it's difficult to tell what is real and what is imagined. Beautifully shot on striking locations in Ireland by Vilmos Zsigmond, Images earned Susannah York an award as Best Actress at the 1972 Cannes Film Festival.

Excerpt from B+N located HERE

Posters

Theatrical Release: May 9th, 1972 (Cannes Film Festival)

Reviews More Reviews DVD Reviews

Comparison:

MGM - Region 1 - NTSC vs. Arrow - Region FREE - Blu-ray

Big thanks to Eric Cotenas for the MGM Screen Caps!

1) MGM - Region 1 - NTSC - LEFT

2) Arrow - Region FREE - Blu-ray - RIGHT

Box Covers		Released, by Arrow on Blu-ray, one day later in the US
Distribution	MGM Region 1 - NTSC	Arrow - Region FREE - Blu-ray
Runtime	1:41:12	1:41:12.816
Video	2.32:1 Original Aspect Ratio 16X9 enhanced Average Bitrate: 6.28 mb/s NTSC 720x480 29.97 f/s	1080P / 23.976 fps Dual-layered Disc Size: 46,071,806,018 bytes Feature: 32,110,734,720 bytes Video Bitrate: 37.84 Mbps Codec: MPEG-4 AVC Video
	NOTE: The Vertical axis represents the bits transferred per second. The Horizontal is the time in minutes.
Bitrate: MGM
Bitrate: Arrow Blu-ray
Audio	English Dolby Digital 2.0 mono	LPCM Audio English 1152 kbps 1.0 / 48 kHz / 1152 kbps / 24-bit Commentary: Dolby Digital Audio English 192 kbps 2.0 / 48 kHz / 192 kbps
Subtitles	English SDH, French, Spanish, none	English SDH, none
Features	Release Information: Studio: MGM Aspect Ratio: Widescreen anamorphic - 2.32:1 Edition Details: • Selected Scenes Commentary by Robert Altman (35:46) • 'Imagining Images' interview with Robert Altman (24:20) • Theatrical Trailer (3:12) DVD Release Date: 16 September 2003 Amaray Chapters 16	Release Information: Studio: Arrow Aspect Ratio: 2.35:1 1080P / 23.976 fps Dual-layered Disc Size: 46,071,806,018 bytes Feature: 32,110,734,720 bytes Video Bitrate: 37.84 Mbps Codec: MPEG-4 AVC Video Edition Details: • Audio commentary by Samm Deighan and Kat Ellinger • Scene-select commentary by writer-director Robert Altman • Interview with Robert Altman (24:31) • Brand new interview with actor Cathryn Harrison (6:04) • An appreciation by musician and author Stephen Thrower (32:26) • Theatrical trailer (3:13) • Reversible sleeve featuring original and newly commissioned artwork by the Twins of Evil • FIRST PRESSING ONLY: Illustrated collector s booklet featuring new writing on the film by Carmen Gray and an extract from Altman on Altman Blu-ray Release Date: March 19th-20th, 2018 Transparent Blu-ray Case Chapters 12

Comments

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

ADDITION: Arrow - Region FREE - Blu-ray (March 2018): Arrow's transfer is cited as a "Brand-new 4K restoration from the original negative, produced by Arrow Films exclusively for this release".

This is the another Arrow Blu-ray release that is being simultaneously released in both region 'A' (US) and 'B' (UK). It is the exact same transfer, extras etc. in both Europe and North America.

NOTE: As Michael Brooke informs us in our Facebook Group in regards to Day of Anger: 'As the producer of Arrow's release, I can confirm first hand that the UK and US discs are absolutely identical... The booklets are also identical, but there are minor cosmetic differences on the disc labels and sleeve to do with differing copyright info and barcodes, and the US release doesn't have BBFC logos.' Images is the same situation.

The new 1080P's most prominent feature is the heavy grain that cannot be as well supported on older MGM DVD that we've compared below - thanks to Eric. With warmer skin tones, better separated colors and more information in the 2.35:1 frame. It may lean more earthy and green than the blue of the SD. There Blu-ray is a highly attractive, and film-like, image especially for those that can appreciate the textures. I think it looks magnificent.

Arrow use an authentic linear PCM mono track (24-bit) that supports the film's interspersed aggression but notably the dramatic score John Williams (The Missouri Breaks, War Horse, The Fury, The Cowboys) that can sound sedate before bursting forth in some of the more intense-emotional scenes. It sounds flat but rich and deep. There are optional English (SDH) subtitles on the Region FREE Blu-ray disc.

The highlight of the extras is the new audio commentary by Samm Deighan and Kat Ellinger discussing the film's props, animal imagery, subtle yet precise details, Altman's frequent reinvention of genre tropes and themes, his Bergman influences, and some elements from Giallo - female madness, hints of the supernatural and occult, the director's use of food and reflective surfaces, his anti-genre intentions and so much more. It's perfect. Arrow include the same 36-minute scene-select commentary by writer-director Robert Altman and vintage, 24-minute, interview as both found on the 2003 DVD. There is a brand new, 6-minute interview with actor Cathryn Harrison discussing her role at 13-year old in Altman's Images. and how she was 'discovered'. I thoroughly enjoyed the 32-minute appreciation by musician and author Stephen Thrower - produced by Arrow. He follows the director's work up to Images and make some excellent comments/analysis. There is also a theatrical trailer and the package has a reversible sleeve featuring original and newly commissioned artwork by the Twins of Evil and the first pressing purchases receive an illustrated collector s booklet featuring new writing on the film by Carmen Gray and an extract from Altman on Altman.

Wow - blown away - the supplements - Deighan and Ellinger commentary and Thrower appreciation substantially produce value for the Blu-ray package.... if a less-seen-and-discussed Altman film was not enough for you. Brilliant stuff by Arrow. Our highest recommendation!

- Gary Tooze

Menus
(MGM - Region 1 - NTSC - LEFT vs. Arrow - Region 0 - PAL - RIGHT)

Arrow - Region FREE - Blu-ray