Showdown Blu-ray - Rock Hudson / Dean Martin

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S E A R C H D V D B e a v e r

Directed by George Seaton
USA 1973

From George Seaton, the outstanding director of Miracle on 34th Street, The Country Girl, 36 Hours and Airport, comes this western adventure starring screen greats Rock Hudson (The Last Sunset) and Dean Martin (Texas Across the River) as long-time friends who find themselves on opposite sides of the law. Billy (Martin) and Chuck (Hudson) have been buddies since childhood, but when Chuck got married, Billy took his cue and left the newlyweds on their own. Chuck’s star shone bright as he distinguished himself as the town’s hard-working, honest sheriff, while Billy drifted into a life of crime. The two friends’ paths cross, however, when Billy robs a train and it is Chuck who must hunt down his friend. So begins a classic confrontation in the Old West, as Chuck is determined to catch and possibly help his old pal, and Billy is just as determined not to get caught... no matter the price. Susan Clark (Valdez Is Coming) and Donald Moffat (The Thing) co-star in this thrilling, action-packed western.

***

Two men who have been friends since childhood find themselves on opposite sides of the law.

Posters

Theatrical Release: June 20th, 1973

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

Box Cover		CLICK to order from:
Distribution	Kino - Region 'A' - Blu-ray
Runtime	1:39:12.947
Video	2.35:1 1080P Dual-layered Blu-ray Disc Size: 32,804,336,019 bytes Feature: 31,092,860,928 bytes Video Bitrate: 37.92 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 2.35:1 1080P Dual-layered Blu-ray Disc Size: 32,804,336,019 bytes Feature: 31,092,860,928 bytes Video Bitrate: 37.92 Mbps Codec: MPEG-4 AVC Video Edition Details: • NEW Audio Commentary by Film Historians Howard S. Berger and Steve Mitchell • Theatrical Trailer (2:09) Blu-ray Release Date: March 23rd, 2021 Standard Blu-ray Case Chapters 9

Comments:

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

ADDITION: Kino Blu-ray (February 2021): Kino have transferred George Seaton's Showdown to Blu-ray. It is on a dual-layered disc with a max'ed out bitrate. There are few inconsistencies and the 2.35:1 image is very pleasing with excellent vistas in New Mexico and California. It looked great on my system and the 1080P provides a solid HD presnetation.

On their Blu-ray, Kino use a DTS-HD Master track (16-bit) in the original English language. There are western-genre effects - guns and horses - and a score by David Shire (Farewell, My Lovely, All the President's Men, Zodiac, The Conversation) supporting the film well in the lossless. Kino offer optional English subtitles on their Region 'A' Blu-ray.

The Kino Blu-ray offers a new commentary by film historians Howard S. Berger and Steve Mitchell. They discuss this being the final film of George Seaton and Dean's last western.. They remark on the last 30-minutes being a deeply psychological western, similarities to Winchester 73, Henry Bumstead and Alexander Golitzen's impressive art direction - set decorator George Milo (Psycho, The Birds), Seaton's work on Airport, the widescreen shot by DoP Ernest Laszlo, Mitchell sees the film relating to Frank McCarthy's art, Berger sees the characters possessing a hidden arrested development, and much more. Nice to hear their divergent opinions on the film. It's excellent. There is also a theatrical trailer.

George Seaton's Showdown is a strange western in avoiding the action-genre tropes and hinting at an unusual buddy-film conflict. There is certainly more beneath the surface including the modernization of the west, relationships and unusual flashbacks. The commentary can really improve appreciation. Dean and Rock fans as well as western genre aficionados may enjoy this for its less-typical qualities and the Kino Blu-ray is the best way to own this in your digital library.

Gary Tooze