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Directed by Richard Wilson
 US 1964

Who will be the last man standing? Screen legend Yul Brynner (The Buccaneer) turns in a great performance as a smooth master gunfighter who must do battle with his most formidable adversary - his own conscience - in this gripping, double-barreled western full of blistering shootouts, surprise twists and colorful villainy. In a New Mexico frontier town, Jules Gaspard d'Estaing (Brynner) is hired by the town's boss (Pat Hingle, The Grifters) to kill Matt Weaver (George Segal, The Quiller Memorandum), a Civil War veteran who returns to reclaim his farm and his woman. But when d'Estaing realizes that Weaver may be the only honest man left, the conflicted hired gun must either kill an innocent man - or destroy his own reputation - in a heart-stopping final showdown. Wonderfully directed by Richard Wilson (Man with the Gun) - featuring beautiful cinematography by the great Joseph MacDonald (My Darling Clementine) and a stellar supporting cast that includes Brad Dexter (Run Silent, Run Deep), Strother Martin (Cool Hand Luke), Clifton James (David and Lisa) and beautiful Janice Rule (The Swimmer).

***

Matt Weaver George Segal returns home after fighting for the South in the Civil War to his home in the New Mexico territory. He discovers that in his absence his ancestral house and land have been sold by Sam Brewster Pat Hingle, an unscrupulous land developer. Matt tries to kill Sam, but when the attempt fails, Matt barricades himself in the place he once called home. Sam sends for the colorful hired gun Jules Gaspard D'Estaing Yul Brynner, a well-educated dandy whose mother was a black slave and father was a Creole. Jules is as adept with card and piano playing as he is with a six gun. When Jules gets drunk and tears up the town, Sam tries to make a truce with Matt to get rid of the deadly drifter. Janice Rule also appears, along with Bert Freed in his familiar role as the local sheriff.

 

  Posters

Theatrical Release:  October 14th, 1964

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Comparison:

MGM - Region 1 - NTSC vs. Kino Lorber - Region 'A' - Blu-ray

1) MGM - Region 1 - NTSC - LEFT

2) Kino Lorber - Region 'A' - Blu-ray - RIGHT

 
Box Covers

 

  

 

 

 

    

Distribution MGM - Region 1 - NTSC Kino Lorber
Region 'A' - Blu-ray
Runtime 1:32:33 1:32:39.554
Video 1.63:1 Original Aspect Ratio
Average Bitrate: 5.62 mb/s
NTSC 720x480 29.97 f/s

1.66:1 / Disc Size: 20,705,845,859 bytes

Feature Size: 20,219,308,032 bytes

Total Bitrate: 15.58 Mbps

Single-layered Blu-ray MPEG4 - AVC

NOTE: The Vertical axis represents the bits transferred per second. The Horizontal is the time in minutes.
Bitrate:

Bitrate: Blu-ray

Audio English (Dolby Digital 5.1), DUB: French (Dolby Digital 2.0 Mono)

DTS-HD Master Audio English 1558 kbps 2.0 / 48 kHz / 1558 kbps / 16-bit (DTS Core: 2.0 /
48 kHz / 1509 kbps / 16-bit)
Subtitles English, Spanish, French, None English, None
Features Release Information:
Studio: MGM

Aspect Ratio:
Letterboxed - 1.63:1

Edition Details:
• Trailer (2:17)

DVD Release Date: May 17th, 2005
Keep Case
Chapters: 16

Release Information:
Studio: Kino Lorber

 

1.66:1 Disc Size: 20,705,845,859 bytes

Feature Size: 20,219,308,032 bytes

Total Bitrate: 15.58 Mbps

Single-layered Blu-ray MPEG4 - AVC

 

Edition Details:
• Trailer (2:14)
 

Blu-ray Release Date: May 26th, 2015
Standard Blu-ray case

Chapters 8

 

 

 

Comments:

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

ADDITION: Kino Lorber - Region 'A' - Blu-ray April 15': The 2005 DVD is a horrible mess - non-anamorphic, Interlaced, heavy green cast, dull, flat, hazy - these are some of the SD's single-layered weaknesses. The Blu-ray is a real breath of fresh air by comparison. Detail significantly tightens, and contrast becomes layered, colors normalize and gain a richness, there is more information in the 1.66:1 frame, and we see infrequent depth. The 1080P resolution looks like a totally different film on my system.

Kino Lorber use an buoyant DTS-HD Master 2.0 channel track at 1558 kbps. has some depth - notable in David Raksin's (Jubal, Bigger Than Life, The Big Combo), typically western, score. There are optional subtitles and the disc is, predictably, region 'A'-locked.  No extras - aside from a trailer.

I enjoyed Invitation to a Gunfighter as I was in the mood to see a western. The presentation is so different from when I saw it on DVD may years ago - but seeing it in 1080P is like watching the film for the first time. It's a story where the characters are not simply one-dimensional. This Bare-bones Kino Lorber Blu-ray is the only way to view it in your home theater - you can never go back to the SD once you have.

Gary W. Tooze



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1) MGM - Region 1 - NTSC - LEFT

2) Kino Lorber - Region 'A' - Blu-ray - RIGHT

 

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Screen Captures

 

1) MGM - Region 1 - NTSC - TOP

2) Kino Lorber - Region 'A' - Blu-ray - BOTTOM

 

1) MGM - Region 1 - NTSC - TOP

2) Kino Lorber - Region 'A' - Blu-ray - BOTTOM

 

1) MGM - Region 1 - NTSC - TOP

2) Kino Lorber - Region 'A' - Blu-ray - BOTTOM

 

1) MGM - Region 1 - NTSC - TOP

2) Kino Lorber - Region 'A' - Blu-ray - BOTTOM

 

1) MGM - Region 1 - NTSC - TOP

2) Kino Lorber - Region 'A' - Blu-ray - BOTTOM

 

1) MGM - Region 1 - NTSC - TOP

2) Kino Lorber - Region 'A' - Blu-ray - BOTTOM

 

1) MGM - Region 1 - NTSC - TOP

2) Kino Lorber - Region 'A' - Blu-ray - BOTTOM

 

1) MGM - Region 1 - NTSC - TOP

2) Kino Lorber - Region 'A' - Blu-ray - BOTTOM

 

1) MGM - Region 1 - NTSC - TOP

2) Kino Lorber - Region 'A' - Blu-ray - BOTTOM

 

1) MGM - Region 1 - NTSC - TOP

2) Kino Lorber - Region 'A' - Blu-ray - BOTTOM

 

1) MGM - Region 1 - NTSC - TOP

2) Kino Lorber - Region 'A' - Blu-ray - BOTTOM

 

1) MGM - Region 1 - NTSC - TOP

2) Kino Lorber - Region 'A' - Blu-ray - BOTTOM

 

1) MGM - Region 1 - NTSC - TOP

2) Kino Lorber - Region 'A' - Blu-ray - BOTTOM

 

1) MGM - Region 1 - NTSC - TOP

2) Kino Lorber - Region 'A' - Blu-ray - BOTTOM

 

1) MGM - Region 1 - NTSC - TOP

2) Kino Lorber - Region 'A' - Blu-ray - BOTTOM

 

1) MGM - Region 1 - NTSC - TOP

2) Kino Lorber - Region 'A' - Blu-ray - BOTTOM

 

1) MGM - Region 1 - NTSC - TOP

2) Kino Lorber - Region 'A' - Blu-ray - BOTTOM

 

1) MGM - Region 1 - NTSC - TOP

2) Kino Lorber - Region 'A' - Blu-ray - BOTTOM

 

1) MGM - Region 1 - NTSC - TOP

2) Kino Lorber - Region 'A' - Blu-ray - BOTTOM

 

Interlacing on DVD

 

1) MGM - Region 1 - NTSC - TOP

2) Kino Lorber - Region 'A' - Blu-ray - BOTTOM

 

 

Box Covers

  

  

    

Distribution MGM - Region 1 - NTSC Kino Lorber
Region 'A' - Blu-ray




 

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Gary Tooze

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