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H D - S E N S E I

A view on Blu-ray by Gary W. Tooze

Cop-Out aka "Stranger in the House" [Blu-ray]

(Pierre Rouve, 1967)

Review by Gary Tooze

Production:

Theatrical: American Broadcasting Company (ABC)

Video: Kino Lorber / BFI (Flipside - Spine #37)

Disc:

Region: 'A' / 'B' (as verified by the Oppo Blu-ray player)

Runtime: 1:33:49.624 / 1:43:46.291

Disc Size: 23,039,358,632 bytes / 43,582,875,977 bytes

Feature Size: 21,631,285,248 bytes / 33,440,471,040 bytes

Video Bitrate: 27.26 Mbps / 33.99 Mbps

Chapters: 9 / 12

Case: Standard Blu-ray cases

Release date: November 28th, 2017 / February 25th, 2019

Video (both):

Aspect ratio: 1.66:1

Resolution: 1080p / 23.976 fps

Video codec: MPEG-4 AVC Video

Audio:

DTS-HD Master Audio English 1893 kbps 2.0 / 48 kHz / 1893 kbps / 24-bit (DTS Core: 2.0 / 48 kHz / 1509 kbps / 24-bit)

LPCM Audio English 2304 kbps 2.0 / 48 kHz / 2304 kbps / 24-bit
Interview:

LPCM Audio English 2304 kbps 2.0 / 48 kHz / 2304 kbps / 24-bit
Commentary:

LPCM Audio English 2304 kbps 2.0 / 48 kHz / 2304 kbps / 24-bit

Subtitles:

None / English (SDH), none

Extras:

• Trailers

• G.G. Passion (David Bailey, 1966, 24:16): a pop singer is hounded to death in this fab film featuring Chrissie Shrimpton and Caroline Munro
• Good Strong Coffee (c1968,1:59): swingers swig coffee in this psychedelic ad for the black stuff
• Tram Journey Through Southampton (c1990, 1:49)
• Charlie Chaplin Sails From Southampton (1921, 0:45)
• Southampton Docks (1964, 23:35): marvellous mod machinery at work on a merchant vessel
• Original theatrical trailer (2:59)
• James Mason in Conversation (1981, 86 mins, audio only): the actor discusses his career in an interview at the National Film Theatre, London
• Newly recorded commentary by Flipside founders Vic Pratt and William Fowler
• Illustrated booklet with new writing by Jonathan Rigby, Omer Ali and Antion Vikram Singh Meredith (formerly Vic Briggs of The Animals)

Bitrate:

1) Kino - Region 'A' - Blu-ray TOP

2) BFI - Region 'B' - Blu-ray - BOTTOM

Description: John Sawyer (James Mason, Odd Man Out) who was once a great attorney has become a recluse. His only link with the past is his beautiful 20-year-old daughter Angela (Geraldine Chaplin, Doctor Zhivago). But Angela is contemptuous of her father, she doesn't understand him and he doesn't understand her or the younger generation. When Angela's boyfriend (Paul Bertoya, Hot Rods to Hell) is wrongfully accused of murder, Sawyer decides to defend him. Somehow he must find a way to regain the savvy that made him a great lawyer while trying to understand the younger generation and come to terms with his own life. Written and Directed by Pierre Rouve (an executive producer of Antonioni's Blow-Up), based on a novel by George Simenon (The Man from London) and co-starring music legend Bobby Darin (Too Late Blues).

1) Kino - Region 'A' - Blu-ray TOP

2) BFI - Region 'B' - Blu-ray - BOTTOM

The Film:

Cop-Out is a distressingly "mod" remake of the 1941 French film Strangers in the House. Taking over the role originally played by Raimu, James Mason stars as a retired, scotch-swilling attorney residing in France. Mason disapproves of his daughter's (Geraldine Chaplin) friend Barney (Bobby Darin), but rises to another young man's defense in court when Jo (Paul Bertoya) is arrested for murdering him. The casting of Chaplin and Darin was meant to "reach" the youth market, but both are way too old for their characters. Cop-Out would have worked better (especially with audiences of the 1990s) without its trendy camerawork and wearisome generation-gap propaganda.

Excerpt from B+N located HERE

The story concerns James Mason, a broken-down and alcoholic attorney, and Geraldine Chaplin as his daughter. He lurches around the house on a cane and curses the younger generation. She enlists in a crowd of Beach Blanket Bingo refugees and they explore London. Ever since the Beatles, there has been only one way to explore London. You have to dress conspicuously and do odd things in public. Like holding fake football games in Piccadilly Circus, or pretending you're a kid and playing on the park swings, or startling senior citizens or sneaking aboard ocean liners.

Excerpt from RogerEbert located HERE

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

The single-layered Kino Lorber Blu-ray of Cop-Out shows its age in 1080P. The presentation has some speckles and surface scratches. It shows some heavy grain and colors can show impressive depth but it seems a bit fractured in-motion looking as if it requires some restoration work and a good cleaning. This Blu-ray is certainly watchable, and has some instances of surprising depth. It's major flaw with be inconsistency.

This is the 104-minute longer running British version "Stranger in the House'.

It's on a dual-layered Blu-ray with a higher bitrate. While still in the 1.66:1 aspect ratio it shows more information in the frame - the colors are richer, skin tones more accurate - and contrast better layered. It looks like a notable upgrade over the Kino and its US version.

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

Subtitle Sample - BFI - Region 'B' - Blu-ray

1) Kino - Region 'A' - Blu-ray TOP

2) BFI - Region 'B' - Blu-ray - BOTTOM

1) Kino - Region 'A' - Blu-ray TOP

2) BFI - Region 'B' - Blu-ray - BOTTOM

1) Kino - Region 'A' - Blu-ray TOP

2) BFI - Region 'B' - Blu-ray - BOTTOM

1) Kino - Region 'A' - Blu-ray TOP

2) BFI - Region 'B' - Blu-ray - BOTTOM

1) Kino - Region 'A' - Blu-ray TOP

2) BFI - Region 'B' - Blu-ray - BOTTOM

1) Kino - Region 'A' - Blu-ray TOP

2) BFI - Region 'B' - Blu-ray - BOTTOM

1) Kino - Region 'A' - Blu-ray TOP

2) BFI - Region 'B' - Blu-ray - BOTTOM

1) Kino - Region 'A' - Blu-ray TOP

2) BFI - Region 'B' - Blu-ray - BOTTOM

1) Kino - Region 'A' - Blu-ray TOP

2) BFI - Region 'B' - Blu-ray - BOTTOM

1) Kino - Region 'A' - Blu-ray TOP

2) BFI - Region 'B' - Blu-ray - BOTTOM

1) Kino - Region 'A' - Blu-ray TOP

2) BFI - Region 'B' - Blu-ray - BOTTOM

1) Kino - Region 'A' - Blu-ray TOP

2) BFI - Region 'B' - Blu-ray - BOTTOM

1) Kino - Region 'A' - Blu-ray TOP

2) BFI - Region 'B' - Blu-ray - BOTTOM

1) Kino - Region 'A' - Blu-ray TOP

2) BFI - Region 'B' - Blu-ray - BOTTOM

1) Kino - Region 'A' - Blu-ray TOP

2) BFI - Region 'B' - Blu-ray - BOTTOM

1) Kino - Region 'A' - Blu-ray TOP

2) BFI - Region 'B' - Blu-ray - BOTTOM

1) Kino - Region 'A' - Blu-ray TOP

2) BFI - Region 'B' - Blu-ray - BOTTOM

Audio :

Kino Lorber use a DTS-HD Master 2.0 channel track at 1893 kbps (24-bit) in the original English language. The audio is probably a notch above the video and is significant for some of the music. Aside from the quasi-notable Ain't That So by Eric Burdon and The Animals the credited score is by John Scott who, in his career, had composed for restored silents like the 1920 Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde as well as Ted Kotcheff's classic Wake in Fright , Greystoke: The Legend of Tarzan, Lord of the Apes and Cult Camp Classics like 1970's Trog with Joan Crawford. The dialogue was clear with one possible drop-out and a few pops. There are no subtitles offered and my Oppo has identified it as being a region 'A'-locked.

Linear PCM 2.0 channel - sounds decent and I couldn't distinguish much between it and the Kino.

Extras :

Only three trailers.

BFI add a bunch of supplements starting with a newly recorded commentary by Flipside founders Vic Pratt and William Fowler who shed some light onto the film's intentions, production, stars etc. There is also an audio only 1.5 hour James Mason in Conversation from 1981 as the actor discusses his career in an interview at the National Film Theatre, London. There are some less-related video extras; David Bailey's 1966 short G.G. Passion where a pop singer is hounded to death featuring Chrissie Shrimpton and Caroline Munro, an odd swinging 1968 advertisement for Good Strong Coffee, a short Tram Journey Through Southampton, a short piece from 1921 on Charlie Chaplin Sails From Southampton, Southampton Docks 24-minutes from 1964 b- described as a "marvellous mod machinery at work on a merchant vessel". Lastly is a trailer and the package includes a second disc DVD and illustrated booklet with new writing by Jonathan Rigby, Omer Ali and Antion Vikram Singh Meredith (formerly Vic Briggs of The Animals).

Kino - Region 'A' - Blu-ray

BFI - Region 'B' - Blu-ray

BOTTOM LINE:
I had never seen Cop-Out - what an odd movie. It seemed to be trying to capitalize on a counter-culture vibe but comes across as weird with a less-organic artsy pretentiousness. The bare-bones Kino Lorber Blu-ray is a rare avenue to actually see this oddity. For those who like the strange - with some nostalgia. It does have an erotic sense.

Well, the BFI wins hands-down. The longer cut, better transfer and more extras including a commentary. Still an odd film but the commentary fleshes out some relevant details and I found the longer cut more cohesive (or maybe just seeing it again helped). Recommended!

Gary Tooze

November 4th, 2017

February 19th, 2019

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