Director Spotlight: Sydney Pollack: Blu-ray Review

Sydney Pollack is an American Filmmakers who have brought us such films as Out of Africa, Tootsie, Jeremiah Johnson, They Shoot Horses Don't They, and 3 Days of the Condor. These are just some of the great films he directed.

Mill Creek Entertainment have been releasing Spotlight Double Feature Blu-ray releases for quite a while now. I really enjoy these as you get two movies for the price of one and makes a nice addition to your movie collection. Well, now it is time for a Director Spotlight and who better than Sydney Pollack.

Our Rating System:
****=Don’t Miss it!
***=Worth a look.
**=An Ok way to spend an evening.
*=You haven’t missed anything.

Castle Keep (1969) Near the end of World War II, American Major Falconer leads his weary eight-man squadron to a perfectly preserved medial castle. Castle Keep's owner, the aging Count of Maldorias, shelters the servicemen in hopes they will defend his fortress and his priceless collection of art masterpieces from the advancing German troops but the servicemen have plans of their own. ***

Bobby Deerfield (1977) Formula One auto racer Bobby Deerfield is a calculating, control obsessed loner who has become used to winning the checkered flag on the track. But when he witnesses a fiery crash that kills a teammate and seriously wounds a competitor, he becomes unsettled by the spectre of death. During a visit to the survivor, Deerfield's world is further set askew when he meets Lillian Morelli, a quirky, impulsive woman racing against time. ***

This 2 movie Blu-ray disc features two great stories, expertly brought to film by a filmmaking master. In these two film we experience the acting talents of Hollywood great like Burt Lancaster, Al Pacino, Bruce Dern and TV's Columbo Peter Falk. Joining these are familiar faces including, Patrick O'Neal, Jean-Pierre Aumont, Scott Wilson, Astrid Heeren, Marthe Keller, Anny Duperey, Walter McGinn and Romolo Valli.

Both of these films have been transferred to Blu-ray in 1080p in 2.35:1 aspect ratio. The soundtrack is a DTS-HD Master Audio. There is also the option for English subtitles for the deaf and hard of hearing.

The quality of these Blu-ray transfers are simply amazing. The colors are bright and vibrant and the picture is crisp and clean. Finally the audio is clear with no hiss or pops.

Now both films are housed on the same Blu-ray disc. That is not a major problem as both of these films together run just under 4 hours. So, there is more than enough room on this Blu-ray without any digital artifacts. I also don't mind these two films on one disc, and it makes a great night of entertainment. You can pop some popcorn and sit back for 4 hours enjoy a film without having to change the disc. Pretty cool!

If there would be one thing that I was disappointed about this release it would be the lack of bonus features. It would have been nice to see the addition of theatrical trailers or audio commentaries. But hey when you get two full length feature films, you really can't complain much.

So, if you are a fan of Sidney Pollack films, why not treat yourself to this Double Feature Blu-ray. Head over to Deep Discount and order your copy today. Two Sydeny Pollack film in HD for the price of one, you can beat that!



Out of 4 Film Reels (4 being the best) Director Spotlight Blu-ray receives....