Monte Walsh Blu-ray - Lee Marvin

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2) Access to over 100,000 unpublished screen captures in lossless high-resolution format!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 'Monty Walsh')

Directed by William A. Fraker
USA 1970

Monte Walsh is an aging cowboy facing the ending days of the Wild West era. As barbed wire and railways steadily eliminate the need for the cowboy Monte and his friends are left with fewer and fewer options. New work opportunities are available to them but the freedom of the open prairie is what they long for. Eventually they all must say goodbye to the lives they knew and try to make a new start.

***

A stunning debut Western for cameraman-turned-director Fraker, chronicling the death of an era as two cowboys (Marvin and Palance) ride into town to find that a bleak winter has brought hard times. Eastern capital has moved in with new methods, jobs are hard to come by, and the pair buckle down to the only work they can get, watching morosely as more and more men are laid off. Gradually the mood darkens. An old cowboy, ending his days in the humbling task of fence-mending, rides his horse crazily over a cliff. Old friends disappear, to return with the law on their heels as desperation drives them to rustling or robbery. Palance (brilliantly cast against type) decides to quit and become a storekeeper; and Marvin, after proving something to himself by taming a bronc no one else could handle, proves something else by rounding on the owner of a Wild West show who offers him a job ('I ain't spittin' on my whole life'). Thus far the film is relatively naturalistic, gently elegiac in tone; but after Marvin's nocturnal encounter with the horse, a strange twilight falls (the twilight of the gods, no less). Fate strikes twice at his life; he is forced to assume the traditional role of gunman; and in settings formally drained of colour, he embarks on his revenger's tragedy... A rare treat.

Excerpt from TimeOut Film Guide located HERE

Posters

Theatrical Release: October 7th, 1970

Reviews More Reviews DVD Reviews

Comparison:

Paramount - Region 1 - NTSC vs. Explosive Media - Region FREE - Blu-ray vs. Kino - Region 'A' - Blu-ray

Box Covers
			Re-issued by Kino in December 2024:
Distribution	Paramount Home Video - Region 1 - NTSC	Explosive media Region FREE - Blu-ray	Kino Lorber - Region 'A' - Blu-ray
Runtime	1:38:57	1:39:07.900	1:39:13.948
Video	2.35:1 Aspect Ratio Average Bitrate: 6.25 mb/s NTSC 720x480 29.97 f/s	1080P Single-layered Blu-ray Disc Size: 21,395,696,994 bytes Feature: 17,101,172,736 bytes Video Bitrate: 18.44 Mbps Codec: MPEG-4 AVC Video	1080P Single-layered Blu-ray Disc Size: 21,920,615,542 bytes Feature: 21,610,414,080 bytes Video Bitrate: 25.91 Mbps Codec: MPEG-4 AVC Video
	NOTE: The Vertical axis represents the bits transferred per second. The Horizontal is the time in minutes.
Bitrate:
Bitrate: Explosive Media Blu-ray
Bitrate Kino Lorber Blu-ray
Audio	English (Dolby Digital 2.0)	LPCM Audio German 1536 kbps 2.0 / 48 kHz / 1536 kbps / 16-bit LPCM Audio English 1536 kbps 2.0 / 48 kHz / 1536 kbps / 16-bit	DTS-HD Master Audio English 1559 kbps 2.0 / 48 kHz / 1559 kbps / 16-bit (DTS Core: 2.0 / 48 kHz / 1509 kbps / 16-bit)
Subtitles	English, None	German, None	None
Features	Release Information: Studio: Paramount Aspect Ratio: Original Aspect Ratio 2.35:1 Edition Details: • Trailer (1:48 4:3) DVD Release Date: November 16th, 2010 Keep Case Chapters: 12	Release Information: Studio: Explosive Media Aspect Ratio: 2.35:1 1080P Single-layered Blu-ray Disc Size: 21,395,696,994 bytes Feature: 17,101,172,736 bytes Video Bitrate: 18.44 Mbps Codec: MPEG-4 AVC Video Edition Details: • Trailer (3:24) • Gallery (2:14) • Weitere Western (15:48 of trailers) Blu-ray Release Date: March 31st, 2014 Standard Blu-ray case inside cardboard case Chapters 11	Release Information: Studio: Kino Lorber Aspect Ratio: Original Aspect Ratio 2.35:1 1080P Single-layered Blu-ray Disc Size: 21,920,615,542 bytes Feature: 21,610,414,080 bytes Video Bitrate: 25.91 Mbps Codec: MPEG-4 AVC Video Edition Details: • Trailer (4:3 3:20) Blu-ray Release Date: July 28th, 2015 Standard Blu-ray case Chapters 8

Comments:

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

ADDITION: Kino Lorber - Region 'A' - Blu-ray June 15': This Kino Lorber 1080P is a bit more robust than the German Blu-ray and slightly brighter. I've matched 3 exact frames and you can toggle between the expanded captures to see this difference. Other than that - it is about the same - pleasing grain support, colors match up, nothing is cropped etc. . Kino use a DTS-HD Master and it may be a smidgeon richer than the linear PCM of the Explosive Media release. No subs on the Kino and only a very poor quality trailer as an extra. I still adore this film - it's a favorite western. If you haven't seen it - you should. We continue to recommend!

***

ADDITION: Explosive Media - Region FREE Blu-ray - June 14': This remains a magnificent film. The German Blu-ray advances the image - slightly crisper, tight and richer colors and the overall 1080P resolution adds a more film-like quality to the scope presentation. I toggled between the two on my 60" system and the improvement was very noticeable. Bare-bones - no extras, as die from a gallery and trailers, or subtitles - we get the audio option of German or original English in linear PCM. The score is by the great John Barry - notable for the song The Good Times Are Comin' as sung by 'Mama' Cass Elliot. All good. I tell you, if you haven't seen this - may as well pick up this region FREE Blu-ray - as this is a film to appreciate and revisit. Absolutely recommended!

***

ON THE DVD: What a pleasure this film is. I saw the Tom Selleck remake - and although it has some merit - it pales in comparison to this near masterpiece. To quote 4/4 Ebert: "Monte Walsh" is as lovely a Western as I've seen in a long time."

This Paramount DVD (first ever for the film?) has an excellent dual-layered and anamorphic transfer. Detail is strong in close-ups and while colors may be a bit washed - noise is minimal and there is a bit of depth. Audio is clear and consistent and there are optional English subtitles. The disc is region 1 in the NTSC standard.

No extras - save a trailer. It's a shame as this is certainly a western worth discussing and a commentary or the like would have given this even further value. As it stands we still endorse with a strong recommendation. Definitely give this a spin - the film is highly impressive!

Gary W. Tooze

Menus

1) Paramount - Region 1 - NTSC - LEFT

2) Explosive Media - Region FREE - Blu-ray - RIGHT

Kino Lorber - Region 'A' - Blu-ray