Review by Gary Tooze

Production:

Disc:

Video (both cuts):

Audio:

DTS-HD Master Audio English 1062 kbps 1.0 / 48 kHz / 1062 kbps / 24-bit (DTS Core: 1.0 / 48 kHz / 768 kbps / 24-bit)

• Audio commentary for the Director's Cut with director Ken Russell and producer-screenwriter Barry Sandler
• Seven deleted/extended scenes with optional commentary by Sandler (19:55)
• Brand-new interview with Sandler recorded especially for this release (22:07)
• Brand-new interview with composer Rick Wakeman recorded especially for this release (28:54)

• It's a Lovely Life music video (3:14)
• Theatrical trailer (1:41)
• Reversible sleeve featuring original and newly commissioned artwork by Twins of Evil
• First pressing only: illustrated collector's booklet containing new writing from Paul Sutton, an archive interview with Ken Russell and correspondence between Russell and Kathleen Turner

Second disc DVD

Bitrate:

 

Description: SHE IS WATCHED. SHE IS WORSHIPPED. AND SHE MUST REMAIN A MYSTERY.

In the early eighties British enfant terrible Ken Russell travelled to America and placed his unorthodox imprint on a pair of US movies. The first was the Altered States, so out-there its screenwriter disowned it. The second was the equally crazy Crimes of Passion, starring Kathleen Turner (Body Heat, Serial Mom) at the height of her powers.

Fashion designer Joanna Crane (Turner) leads a double life. By night she is China Blue, a prostitute who s attracted the unwanted attention of two men. One is a sexually frustrated private detective hired by her employees. The other is psychopathic priest (played by Norman Bates himself, Anthony Perkins) in possession of a murderous sex toy.

With its outré screenplay by Barry Sandler and over the top score by Rick Wakeman, Crimes of Passion may just be the most outrageous Ken Russell film ever made and that s quite some feat!.

 

 

The Film:

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

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 package on both sides of the pond to the best of our knowledge.

NOTE: As Michael Brooke informs us on Facebook 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: we only paid for one master, so there's no doubt about this at all! Which means that no matter which package you buy, the discs will play in any Region A or B setup (or Region 1 or 2 for DVD - and in the latter case the video standard is NTSC, to maximise compatibility). 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.' Crimes of Passion is the same situation.

Crimes of Passion gets an impressive transfer to Blu-ray from Arrow.  It is dual-layered with a very high max'ed out bitrate for both the 'Director's Cut' and the 'Unrated Cut' - seamlessly branched (so quality, effectively, will be the exact same). It's a mid-80s movie and the film-stock used at that time was less resilient but this looks quite good - lots of texture, authentic, rich, colors and come impressive detail in close-ups. The 1080P reproduces solid contrast and limited depth in the 1.85:1 frame.  It's very clean with a few light surface scratches. This Blu-ray probably looks like a solid representation of the film. The HD provides an impressively authentic video presentation.

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

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Both cuts are supported with a DTS-HD Master mono track at 1060 kbps (24-bit). It's predictably flat carrying some depth in the score by Rick Wakeman (The Burning). I can't imagine a more authentic transfer for the film's audio. There are optional English subtitles and my Oppo has identified it as being a region FREE.

Extras :

Arrow include the audio commentary, recorded for the Director's Cut, with director Ken Russell and producer-screenwriter Barry Sandler plus there are seven deleted/extended scenes, running almost 20-minutes, with optional commentary by Sandler. Arrow produce two new interviews - one running 22-minutes with Sandler recorded and a second with composer Rick Wakeman - shy of 1/2 an hour - also recorded especially for this release. There is some good information here and value in the interviews. We also get It's a Lovely Life music video, a theatrical trailer and the package contains a reversible sleeve featuring original and newly commissioned artwork by Twins of Evil and the first pressing only has an illustrated collector's booklet containing new writing from Paul Sutton, an archive interview with Ken Russell and correspondence between Russell and Kathleen Turner. It is dual-format and includes a second disc DVD

 

BOTTOM LINE:
Like a lot of Ken Russell's work this is unique and unforgettable. I saw Crimes of Passion almost 30-years ago and the some scenes are indelible.  The Arrow Blu-ray provides an excellent a/v presentation with some excellent old and new supplements including both cuts and the commentary. Considered another odd masterpiece - it has some unusual and shocking scenes. Primo Russell and we strongly recommend. 

Gary Tooze

July 15th, 2016