Bugsy

ID: HVMC-13645

Price: 24,800 yen

Discs: 2

Sound: A-Mode/EFM

Running Time: 2:14

Released: Sony/Columbia Tri-Star

(from IMDb):

New York gangster Ben 'Bugsy' Siegel takes a brief business trip to Los Angeles. A sharp-dressing womaniser with a foul temper, Siegel doesn't hesitate to kill or maim anyone crossing him. In L.A. the life, the movies, and most of all strong-willed Virginia Hill detain him while his family wait back home. Then a trip to a run-down gambling joint at a spot in the desert known as Las Vegas gives him his big idea.

Unfortunately the transfer is a bit too dark to be appreciated. While the film is a dark film (both relatively and figuratively speaking), the blacks appear crushed wiping out any low level details. Colors are often mute, and the film is generally filled with blacks, whites, and grays in terms of color present. No, not a black and white film, just they costumes of many of the characters are rather plain. I’m sure the real mob dresses like this, but with the quality of this transfer, it’s harder to appreciate.

Compression artifacts are present, though they do present themselves more as analog noise rather than the more annoying mosquito effect. Flesh tones have a slight green tinge to them, but not nearly as bad as other Hi-Vision movies. This is a bit shocking considering other Sony/Columbia Tri-Star movies do exhibit this negative trait (or should we say “phenomena”?)

EFM track was auditioned, and the soundstage was generally flat with most of the dialog and effects coming from the center channel. There is action in the left/right front channels, but not to the effect you would expect. Low frequency effects are there primarily when there is orchestrated music, while the surround channels are generally non-existent. Not the film you show off your sound system.

Unless you love this film or can pick it up cheap, I’d recommend staying away from this particular disc.