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Directed by Phillip Borsos
Canada 1982

 

After decades in prison, stagecoach robber Bill Miner (Richard Farnsworth, The Straight Story, Tom Horn) emerges in 1901 a free man without a place in 20th-century society. Times have changed, but in the face of all these changes, neither his good-humored patience nor his joy of life has abandoned him. With the vigor of a teenager, Miner sees a screening of one of the first films, The Great Train Robbery, and is inspired to once again do what he does best. Filmed with the beautiful Pacific Northwest as a backdrop, The Grey Fox is a rare and touching yarn exploring and unraveling a greatly likable and unlikely hero. Beautifully shot by Frank Tidy (The Duellists) and wonderfully directed by Phillip Borsos (The Mean Season), The Grey Fox is a richly satisfying film experience considered by most as one of the greatest Canadian films of all time.

***

Old West highwayman Bill Miner, known to Pinkertons as "The Gentleman Bandit," is released in 1901 after 33 years in prison, a genial and charming old man. He goes to Washington to live and work with his sister's family. But the world has changed much while he has been away, and he just can't adjust. So he goes to Canada and returns to the only thing familiar to him -- robbery (with stagecoaches changed to trains.)

Posters

Theatrical Release: July 24th, 1982 (Taormina Film Festival)

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Review: Kino - Region 'A' - Blu-ray

Box Cover

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Bonus Captures:
Distribution Kino - Region 'A' - Blu-ray
Runtime 1:31:10.548       
Video

1.85:1 1080P Dual-layered Blu-ray

Disc Size: 35,451,060,749 bytes

Feature: 28,561,072,128 bytes

Video Bitrate: 37.91 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 English 1555 kbps 2.0 / 48 kHz / 1555 kbps / 16-bit (DTS Core: 2.0 / 48 kHz / 1509 kbps / 16-bit)
Commentary:

Dolby Digital Audio English 192 kbps 2.0 / 48 kHz / 192 kbps
Subtitles English, None
Features Release Information:
Studio: Kino

 

1.85:1 1080P Dual-layered Blu-ray

Disc Size: 35,451,060,749 bytes

Feature: 28,561,072,128 bytes

Video Bitrate: 37.91 Mbps

Codec: MPEG-4 AVC Video

 

Edition Details:

• NEW Audio Commentary by Filmmaker Alex Cox
• NEW Interview with Producer Peter O'Brian (10:28)
• NEW Interview with Composer Michael Conway Baker (12:58)
• About the Restoration - Featurette (3:45)
• Re-Release Theatrical Trailer (1:39)


 Blu-ray Release Date: September 8th, 2020
 Standard Blu-ray Case

Chapters 11

 

 

Comments:

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

ADDITION: Kino Blu-ray (August 2020): Kino have transferred Phillip Borsos' The Grey Fox to Blu-ray. It is cited as being from a "Brand New 4K Restoration". There is a supplementary video piece on the restoration. With the director, Phillip Borsos, and cinematographer Frank Tidy passed on - they had the help of producer Peter O'Brian and it is not colored like a typical western (amber) but more supporting cooler tones (blues). The film has relative softness - even on a dual-layered transfer with a max'out bitrate, but the 4K restoration gives it a very pleasing film-like quality with textures prevalent. There is no damage or digitization and it looks very consistent in 1080P.  

NOTE: We have added 72 more large resolution Blu-ray captures (in lossless PNG format) for DVDBeaver Patrons HERE

On their Blu-ray, Kino use a DTS-HD Master 2.0 channel track (16-bit) in the original English language. There are typical horse-related effects - minor gunfire and a score by Michael Conway Baker (who has a 13-minute interview on the extras), supported by Friedrich von Flotow's M'Appari Tutt'Amor from the opera "Martha" and Sweet Betsy from Pike sung by Farnsworth in the bathtub (reminiscent as Strother Martin also sang it in 1969's Butch Cassidy and the Sundance Kid.) This all sounds clean and realtively rich in the lossless. Kino offer optional English subtitles on their Region 'A' Blu-ray.

The Kino Blu-ray offers an excellent new audio commentary by filmmaker Alex Cox, who I love to listen to. He discusses 1950's The Gunfighter (which many westerns 'steal' from), the impressive mountain scenery, utilizing negative spaces, Corbucci, Richard Farnsworth as an early stuntman, the unnecessary gazebo scene, tunnel 13, and so much more. There are a few gaps but this has immense value to the package, imo. Also included are a new 10-minute interview with producer Peter O'Brian, 13-minutes with composer Michael Conway Baker, a brief featurette about the restoration and a re-release theatrical trailer

Phillip Borsos' The Grey Fox is a wonderful film - part fictionalized bio, part western. I really appreciate the 4K restoration and the Alex Cox commentary.  It's a must own for Richard Farnsworth fans (that means all of us) and the Kino Blu-ray is another great package from them. Strongly recommended!

Gary Tooze

 

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Box Cover

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Bonus Captures:
Distribution Kino - Region 'A' - Blu-ray


 


 

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