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

ADDITION: AGFA Blu-ray (June 2021): AGFA have transferred Sidney J. Furie's The Leather Boys to Blu-ray. AGFA (American Genre Film Archive) and Shout! Factory together present a new 35mm restoration of (fellow Canuck) Sidney J. Furie's 1964 kitchen sink classic. This 35mm restoration also comes from the original negative. The film is located on a dual-layered Blu-ray. The 2.39:1 aspect ratio image quality shows some CinemaScope 'Mumps' distortion - stretched horizontally. ("The CinemaScope lenses were optically flawed, however, by the fixed anamorphic element, which caused the anamorphic effect to gradually drop off as objects approached closer to the lens. The effect was that close-ups would slightly overstretch an actor's face, a problem that was soon referred to as "the mumps".) This is not a flaw in the transfer. The 1080P black & white image looks fantastic when in motion, thanks in part to a maxed-out bitrate. There is a fine grain to the picture and when the camera is static, a large amount of detail can be seen within the frame but also a few light marks / speckles / surface scratches. This 1964 kitchen-sink film features some surprisingly beautiful CinemaScope cinematography (thanks to Gerald Gibbs' lensing) within the constraints of the film's various low-key settings. The contrast levels support a wide range of blacks and greys, giving the film a much needed depth, especially in motion. This is a restoration worthy of much praise.

NOTE: We have added 60 more large resolution Blu-ray captures (in lossless PNG format) for DVDBeaver Patrons HERE

AGFA (American Genre Film Archive) and Shout! Fatory's Blu-ray of The Leather Boys sports a 16-bit 1.0 mono DTS-HD Master audio track. The film's interior scenes sound appropriately quieter than the more raucous racing or dancing segments. There is a tiny bit of a hiss throughout the picture, but this is neither unsettling nor is it uncommon for films of this era. The score is thanks to Bill McGuffie (Corruption, Daleks' Invasion Earth 2150 A.D.) There are optional English subtitles on this Region 'Free' Blu-ray from AGFA (American Genre Film Archive) and Shout! Factory.

AGFA gives us an audio commentary with Daniel Kremer (filmmaker, film historian, and author of 'Sidney J. Furie: Life and Films') and director Siney J. Furie. As Kremer has literally written the book on the subject, this is a very impassioned and deep dive not only into this film but into the life and work of Furie. The two start off the conversation by mentioning that they both choose The Leather Boys as their favorite film of the director's canon. All aspects of The Leather Boys are covered, from on-set stories to deeper discussions about the subject matter dealt with in the picture. There are also some great asides, one in particular involves Furie, joking that he can say this now since most of the crew are gone, dishing on some behind the scenes romance between the script girl and the lead camera operator. I would recommend this track to any fan of Furie's, a wonderful and often overlooked director. Following this commentary track, AGFA provides a 35-minute interview with the lovely Rita Tushingham, the second being a 29-minute interview with Dudley Sutton. Both interviews were conducted in 2013 during the research phase for Daniel Kremer's upcoming book on Furie. Up next is the short film, "Consenting Adults: A Study of Homosexuality" from the 'Something Weird' S-VHS archive. The 39-minute piece is preceded by a title card warning that the documentary contains views and opinions that are reflective of the era in which it was made and that the film is being presented for historical context in relation to The Leather Boys. The documentary is a unique glimpse into the social mores of the times, especially given the progress that has been made in the decades that followed. AGFA's Blu-ray casing also includes a reversible insert, with different cover art.

The Leather Boys is a fascinating entry into the 'kitchen sink' films that were gaining popularity in Britain at the time. The film deals with some rather heavy subject matter (both explicit and implied) while sporting some gorgeous black & white cinematography. AGFA (American Genre Film Archive) and Shout! Factory's joint Blu-ray release is something to behold, not only is this release from the original 35mm camera negative, but the handful of extras provide a great context to the film and the early 60's zeitgeist. AGFA and Shout! Factory have a winner on their hands with this release. Highly recommended.

Colin Zavitz