Review by Gary Tooze

Production:

Disc:

Video:

Audio:

• Asking For the Moon (16:30)

• Getting the Moon (4:16)
• 36-PAGE BOOKLET featuring a new essay on the film by Michael Brooke, rare production stills, etc.

DVD included

Bitrate:

 

 

 

The Film:

The year is 1936. Orphaned Addie Loggins (Tatum O'Neal, in her film debut) is left in the care of unethical travelling Bible salesman Moses Pray (Ryan O'Neal, Tatum's dad), who may or may not be her father. En route to Addie's relatives, Moses learns that the 9-year-old is quite a handful: she smokes, cusses, and is almost as devious and manipulative as he is. They join forces as swindlers, working together so well that Addie is averse to breaking up the team -- which is one reason that she sabotages the romance between Moses and good-time gal Trixie Delight (Madeline Kahn). Later, while attempting to square a $200 debt that Addie claims he owes her, Moses runs afoul of of a bootlegger (John Hillerman) and is nearly beaten to death by the criminal's twin-brother sheriff. Painfully pulling himself together, Moses gets Addie to her relatives, whereupon she adamantly refuses to leave his side. Photographed in black-and-white by Laszlo Kovacs, the film was made largely on location in Kansas and Missouri (an experience colorfully recalled by director Peter Bogdanovich in his 1972 book of essays Pieces of Time). 9-year-old Tatum O'Neal won a Best Supporting Actress Oscar, beating out costar Kahn. Paper Moon later became a short-lived TV series, starring Ryan O'Neal lookalike Christopher Connelly and future Oscar winner Jodie Foster.

Excerpt fromTimeOut located HERE

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

Paper Moon is absolutely gorgeous on Blu-ray from The Masters of Cinema group in the UK. Cinematographer László Kovács' visuals are like still art and I could have taken captures all day.  The image quality shows a sweet layer of grain and the contrast is impeccably layered. This is dual-layered with a max'ed out bitrate. It is neither glossy nor pristinely sharp but shows some depth and black levels are inky and impressive. I would guess the 1.78:1 aspect ratio was provided that way to MoC. This Blu-ray offers a rich, mesmerizing 1080P presentation. Exceptional.

CLICK EACH BLU-RAY CAPTURE TO SEE ALL IMAGES IN FULL 1920X1080 RESOLUTION

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

The audio is transferred via a linear PCM 2.0 channel track at 2304 kbps. The film's music is notable for the theme Harold Arlen's It's Only a Paper Moon played during the opening credits and sung by an unspecified female, plus other period (early 30's) orchestral tunes from Ozzie Nelson, Leo Reisman, Paul Whiteman, Jimmie Grier, Hoagy Carmichael, Tommy Dorsey and their respective Orchestras - as well as Dick Powell singing Flirtation Walk, Bing Crosby performing Just One More Chance and there are other pieces. There are optional English (SDH) subtitles and my Oppo has identified it as being a region 'B'-locked.

Extras :

Masters of Cinema include the audio commentary with director Peter Bogdanovich as found on the 2003 Paramount DVD. He discusses the evolution of the project, working with the young stars etc. We also get the same three featurettes with Bogdanovich; the 14-minute The Next Picture Show, the 16-minute Asking For the Moon and 4-minutes of Getting the Moon. They feature behind the scenes footage and some amusing outtakes. Included is one of MoC's liner notes booklets featuring a new essay on the film by Michael Brooke, rare production stills, and more. Being 'Dual-Format' a PAL DVD of the feature and extras is included.

 

 

BOTTOM LINE:
Paper Moon is a very good film - and Bogdanovich, with the adroit choice of a black + white presentation, captures a real sense of small-town, depression-era, Midwestern sensibility with simple, honest folksy side-characters set in dusty, barren landscapes. The director knows how to set pace and uses the frame well. Paper Moon is also timeless and is a fresh to me as when I saw it in the 70's. What a fabulous choice for MoC to release on Blu-ray. The 1080P presentation is gorgeous and the package with extensive booklet, commentary etc. makes it a valued purchase. Very strongly recommended! 

Gary Tooze

April 25th, 2015