We have started a Patreon page with the hopes that some of our followers would be willing to donate a small amount to keep DVDBeaver alive. We are a tiny niche, so your generosity is vital to our existence.

We are talking about a minimum of $0.10 - $0.15 a day, perhaps a quarter (or more) to those who won't miss it from their budget. It equates to buying DVDBeaver a coffee once, twice or a few times a month. You can then participate in our monthly Silent auctions, and have exclusive access to many 'bonus' High Resolution screen captures (in lossless PNG Format) - both 4K UHD and Blu-ray (see HERE).

To those that are unfamiliar, Patreon is a secure/verified third-party service where users can agree to a monthly donation via credit card or PayPal by clicking the button below.


 

Search DVDBeaver

 S E A R C H    D V D B e a v e r

Directed by Éva Gárdos
Hungary 2017

"BUDAPEST, 1936.
The Hungarian prime minister returns from Germany in a coffin, his dream of making Hungary into a fascist state snuffed out - for now. Crime reporter Zsigmond Gordon has other things on his
mind. A cynic who thinks he has seen it all, a tip leads him to an unusual crime scene in a seedy part of the city - a beautiful, well-dressed young woman is dead, with only a Jewish prayer book in her purse... Investigating the mystery girl's murder, Gordon enters a world of pornographers, brothels and Communist cells leading to the highest echelons of power. The more people try to scare him away, the deeper he digs in, not knowing who to trust, or what ulterior motives are working against him and the truth."

***

Budapest Noir dishes up traditional noir atmosphere and characters, and the screenplay penned by András Szekér, based on Vilmos Kondor’s novel of the same name, contains the snappy sardonic dialogue that keeps the pacing on track. Gordon’s investigation of the prostitute’s murder leads him into the city’s underbelly — a shady world of pornographers and politicians, con men and crime syndicates. He attends midnight boxing (which includes girl on girl matches) and visits brothels in search of the “hook” that can be featured in his headline.

Gárdos has done a terrific job of casting while the cinematography by Emmy-award winner Elemér Ragályi (“Rasputin”) expertly pays homage to the genre while adding a modernist touch of partially desaturated colors that evoke minatory gloom. Given the year and the setting, could the subdued tonalities be a sign of a gathering peril? The answer arrives when the first clue to the murder emerges. It is then that a larger menace takes on a reserved, yet palpable reality. It is also the point at which Budapest Noir takes the genre and stands it on its head. And that is the film’s major and ingenious step forward beyond traditional genre boundaries.

Excerpt from The Critical Critics (Alan Gerstle) located HERE

Posters and Book covers

Theatrical Release: October 17th, 2017 (Chicago International Film Festival)

Reviews                                                                                                       More Reviews                                                                                       DVD Reviews

 

Review: Menemsha Films - Region 'A' - Blu-ray

Box Cover

CLICK to order from:

  

Bonus Captures:
Distribution Menemsha Films - Region 'A' - Blu-ray
Runtime 1:34:43.678        
Video

1.85:1 1080P Single-layered Blu-ray

Disc Size: 22,942,728,529 bytes

Feature: 19,894,659,072 bytes

Video Bitrate: 22.99 Mbps

Codec: MPEG-4 AVC Video

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

Audio

DTS-HD Master Audio Hungarian 1730 kbps 5.1 / 48 kHz / 1730 kbps / 16-bit (DTS Core: 5.1 / 48 kHz / 1509 kbps / 16-bit)
DTS-HD Master Audio Hungarian 1557 kbps 2.0 / 48 kHz / 1557 kbps / 16-bit (DTS Core: 2.0 / 48 kHz / 1509 kbps / 16-bit)s
Subtitles English, None
Features Release Information:
Studio: Menemsha Films

 

1.85:1 1080P Single-layered Blu-ray

Disc Size: 22,942,728,529 bytes

Feature: 19,894,659,072 bytes

Video Bitrate: 22.99 Mbps

Codec: MPEG-4 AVC Video

 

Edition Details:

• Trailer (1:56 - forced English subtitles)


 Blu-ray Release Date: April 21st, 2020
 Standard Blu-ray Case

Chapters 11

 

 

Comments:

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

ADDITION: Menemsha Films Blu-ray (April 2020): Menemsha (through Kino Lorber) have transferred Éva Gárdos' Budapest Noir to Blu-ray. Despite being on a single-layered disc the image quality is very strong (perhaps shot on HD-cam and bumped to 35mm?!). Regardless, it looks very pleasing on my system with crisp detail, plenty of depth and, predictably for a modern feature, no damage. The only thing distracting me from the excellent image quality is the extensive art direction (Juci Szurdi) and costuming (Andrea Flesch). I can't get over Réka Tenki's (playing Eckhardt Krisztina) first outfit. Wow!  Let's share the kudos to  cinematographers Elemér and Marci Ragályi (father and son?). I was very impressed with the entire HD presentation.

NOTE: We have added 30 more large resolution Blu-ray captures (in lossless PNG format) for DVDBeaver Patrons HERE

On their Blu-ray, Menemsha Films give the option of DTS-HD Master tracks in either 5.1 surround (default) or 2.0 channel stereo (16-bit) in the original Hungarian language. Yes, there are some separations but it is not an extensive part of the presentation with only minor aggressive instances (fist-a-cuffs and some boxing). Sounds great as does the subdued and gently atmospheric score by Atti Pacsay. Menemsha Films offer optional English subtitles (also for text - see samples below) on their Region 'A' Blu-ray.

The Menemsha Films Blu-ray offers only some trailers - one for the film with burned-in English subtitles.

Where have I been? Let's investigate the director of Budapest Noir, Miss Éva Gárdos - she was in the casting department of Francis Ford Coppola's Apocalypse Now, editor on Barbet Schroeder's Barfly (Mickey Rourke ads Charles Bukowski - that I loved) as well as films from Valley Girl to Prince's Under the Cherry Moon and, more notably, directed An American Rhapsody. Pretty darn diverse. Budapest Noir has a pretty decent connection to the 'dark cinema' cycle. I loved so much of it - they certainly didn't scrimp on the art direction from cars and posters to the fabulous consumes. I'm really glad I saw the Menemsha Films Blu-ray. Lots to appreciate here!

Gary Tooze

 

Menus / Extras

 

TEXT also optionally subtitled

 

(CLICK TO ENLARGE)

 

 

More full resolution (1920 X 1080) Blu-ray Captures for DVDBeaver Patreon Supporters HERE

 

 

 

 
Box Cover

CLICK to order from:

  

Bonus Captures:
Distribution Menemsha Films - Region 'A' - Blu-ray


 


 

Search DVDBeaver

 S E A R C H    D V D B e a v e r

 

Hit Counter

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

DONATIONS Keep DVDBeaver alive:

 CLICK PayPal logo to donate!

Gary Tooze

Thank You!