Two movies sharing one Blu-ray disc. Sounds intriguing but is it a gimmick or bargain? Warner would have you believe the latter with their new series of “Double Feature” high-def releases. Up for consideration is a duo of mid-career Harrison Ford vehicles, Presumed Innocent (1990) and Frantic (1988), representing the “Thriller” genre (the studio has also paired Comedy and Action themed flicks, each sharing a well known lead).
The better part of a decade had passed since my last viewing of either film, and I was impressed by how well both hold up, sharing a thematic similarity with Ford’s respective characters thrust into circumstances beyond their control. Presumed has prosecutor Rusty Sabich leading an investigation into the murder of a fellow attorney and in turn becoming the main suspect, while Frantic centers on Dr. Richard Walker whose wife disappears while visiting Paris forcing him to dredge through the seedy underbelly of the city in search of her. I’d say Frantic is the better of the two with director Roman Polanski’s dark “Hitchcockian” sensibility giving the flick a leg up on Alan J. Pakula’s legal procedural which veers more towards “audience pleasing” territory though still managing to turn in a grim understated finale.
During the 1980’s, Harrison challenged himself by working with acclaimed directors such as Peter Weir, Mike Nichols and Ridley Scott before his cinematic output from the last two decades (I’ll exempt the Jack Ryan flicks as less than challenging though pleasant crowd pleasing fare) would degrade into multi-million dollar paycheck grabs with the formerly commendable actor sleepwalking through embarrassing scripts (*cough* Six Days, Seven Nights *cough*). While not as beloved as Star Wars, Raiders or even Blade Runner, compared to recent dreck like Firewall and Hollywood Homicide, Warner’s Thriller Double Feature Blu-ray contains some of Ford’s better “Everyman” roles.
High-Def Presentation
A full fledged restoration would be necessary to make noticeable improvement in Warner’s BD transfers (I’m skeptical even dedicating each movie to its own dual layered disc would really benefit the presentation much) and even then limitations of the source material/shooting styles will never make for demo viewing. Don’t let these qualifications scare you off as these Ford flicks have never looked better on home video representing substantial upgrades over their standard-def counterparts (with Presumed’s 1997 non-anamorphic DVD seriously needing an overhaul and Frantic only now being shown in its proper aspect ratio). Both transfers visually improve in expected areas (depth, color stability/saturation, detail, natural film grain) but still suffer from issues resolving shadows/blacks cleanly (more so with Frantic which sports an inherently murky palette). All in all, these flicks look appropriately film-like (albeit late 80’s films) with prints free of dirt/specks.
2.0 DTS-HD Master Audio tracks opt to deliver the original audio experience rather than a 5.1 remix. Each flick sports a clean and balanced soundstage doing its job without drawing attention to itself, and dialog is for most part easy to discern against the respective scores and minimal ambient effects.
Beyond the Feature
Absolutely nothing. That is what Warner provides in the way of supplemental material. I don’t think there has ever been a version of either film on home video that was even close to “special edition” quality with much, if any extras, so this really shouldn’t be a surprise (though it may be a disappointment for long time fans).
If you’re an adherent of Presumed Innocent or Frantic (or both), Warner’s Double Feature Blu-ray is the best these have ever looked for home viewing and will continue to be for the foreseeable future. Each represents a noticeable upgrade over their DVD incarnations accurately delivering the subdued late 80’s cinematic style accompanied by authentic, if not overwhelming, 2.0 lossless audio. There are no extras, but the real value is having both films in high-def on a single disc which I’m happy to add to my collection.
– Robert Searle
Shop for Presumed Innocent / Frantic on Blu-ray for a discounted price at Amazon.com.
