Flight of the Phoenix 2004 Blu Ray Review





Criterion | 1965 | 142 min | Non rated | Mar 22, 2022


The Flight of the Phoenix Blu-ray Review

Reviewed by Dr. Svet Atanasov, Feb 16, 2022

Robert Aldrich'due south "The Flight of the Phoenix" (1965) arrives on Blu-ray courtesy of Criterion. The supplemental features on the disc include sectional new plan with filmmaker Walter Hill and moving-picture show scholar Alain Silver; exclusive new program with biographer Donald Dewey on actor James Stewart; and vintage trailer. In English, with optional English SDH subtitles for the master feature. Region-A "locked".


Robert Aldrich gathered an splendid cast of international stars for this ambitious adaptation of Elleston Trevor's pop novel The Flying of the Phoenix. Despite a strong promotional campaign, however, the moving picture did non meet studio expectations and was considered a bomb. Just since its release in 1965 information technology has evolved into something of a modest genre archetype, and in 2004 John Moore fifty-fifty directed a loose remake for Twentieth Century Pull a fast one on.

Jimmy Stewart plays the veteran pilot Frank Towns who is forced to crash land an sometime plane transporting oil rig workers deep into the eye of the Libyan Desert. A few of the passengers die when the plane hits the sand dunes, simply the rest survive. Afterward they bury the dead, they figure out that they have enough water for a petty over ten days.

Towns takes full responsibility for the accident and tries to proceed the morale up, simply eventually some of the men begin questioning his authority. The first to do and so is Helm Harris (Peter Finch, Sun Bloody Sunday), who thinks that waiting for a rescue mission with a limited supply of water ways certain death. But the nearest haven is more than than hundred miles away and reaching it seems impossible. Nevertheless, Harris leaves the camp, and is before long after followed by Trucker Cobb (Ernest Borgnine, Hannie Caulder). Meanwhile, some other survivor, Heinrich Dorfmann (Hardy Kruger, Sundays and Cyb�le), announces that he is an aircraft designer and knows how to utilise parts of the broken aeroplane to build a new i. Towns immediately confronts Dorfmann and declares that his plan is ridiculous, but when he describes exactly what he intends to do it becomes obvious that he could in fact succeed. Yet, for his plan to work Dorfmann needs everyone to get involved and follow his instructions. This immensely complicates the state of affairs, and fifty-fifty subsequently the interference of his loyal banana, Lew Moran (Richard Attenborough, 10 Rillington Identify), Towns refuses to come across Dorfmann as anything else only an egoistic challenger who should not exist trusted. While the two men openly disharmonism and question their technical knowledge and credibility, the water supply continues to shrink.

The picture is loosely broken into three uneven segments, the longest being the second one. It is in this segment that Aldrich gives each player a chance to shine and introduces a couple of interesting what-if scenarios.

The visuals are quite wonderful and, more importantly, experience authentic. The structure of the new plane certainly looks like a very challenging projection, only information technology is non hard to accept that information technology can be made to function exactly as described by Dorfmann. The simply questionable element of the project is the final phase, where the exhausted men must drag the new plane to the chosen by Dorfmann location and and so test it.

Despite using the aforementioned fabric Aldrich and Moore's films have very dissimilar identities. Aldrich'southward moving-picture show has a quasi-documentary appearance and its characters certainly emerge equally mortals who must scroll the dice and hope that they get a run a risk to survive. And so, there is some real drama and tension in it. Moore'due south film is more of a evidence-off slice with all the whistles and bells big-budget Hollywood productions are known for.

*If y'all enjoy Aldrich's film, y'all should consider seeing Denys de La Patelli�re's Taxi for Tobruk and J. Lee Thompson'southward Ice Cold in Alex. Both offer very similar blazon of entertainment.

The Flying of the Phoenix Blu-ray, Video Quality

3.0 of 5

Presented in its original aspect ratio of 1.85:one, encoded with MPEG-iv AVC and granted a 1080p transfer, Flight of the Phoenix arrives on Blu-ray courtesy of Benchmark.

The following text is included inside the leaflet that is provided with this Blu-ray release:

"This 2K digital restoration was created from the 35mm original camera negative. The monaural soundtrack was remastered from the 35mm original magnetic tracks by Mail service Haste Audio (now Mail service Haste Digital) in Los Angeles.

Restoration: MTI Film, Los Angeles."

The release is sourced from a recent 2K master, which isn't the same main British label Eureka Entertainment used to produce this Region-B release in 2016. (For what it's worth, this primary is even older, and was used for a couple of unlike domestic and international DVD releases).

Unfortunately, this contempo 2K master is quite disappointing. Why? Considering information technology is graded in a style that gives the unabridged film a brand new, completely unnatural colour temperature, and as a result alters its identity. Indeed, because of the awkward color values almost all of the desert footage looks similar it takes identify during a very nice and absurd autumn, rather than during a hot summer with a dangerously unforgiving sunday. Many of the yellows, browns, and blues are dramatically desaturated in favor of absurd whites and very pale greens that never give the desert yellows a chance to make their presence felt. Needless to say, the damaged by the sun faces, the hot sands, and fifty-fifty the scorching sun can look very, very foreign with the current color settings. (For what it's worth, even the final credits have a very strange creamy complexion). There is some nighttime footage that can await rather decent, simply even there it is easy to run into that balance is off. The good news is that there are no traces of problematic digital work, so grain exposure looks quite wonderful. Yes, density level tin can be meliorate, but for this type of makeover they await good. Image stability is excellent, too. Finally, the unabridged film is spotless. So, even though the Region-B release I referenced above is sourced from a pretty sometime master with other limitations, some of which affect its color remainder as well, I much adopt how The Flight of the Phoenix looks on it. (Notation: This is a Region-A "locked" Blu-ray release. Therefore, you must have a native Region-A or Region-Free player in lodge to access its content).

The Flight of the Phoenix Blu-ray, Audio Quality

5.0 of 5

There is only 1 standard sound track on this Blu-ray release: English LPCM ane.0. Optional English SDH subtitles are provided for the main feature.

The audio must have been redone because it is very sharp and clean. The upper register in particular feels very healthy, so even if you turn up your book a tad more than usual the audio remains very nicely rounded and 'thick'. I recall that for a film from the 1960s this is nigh as good of a presentation every bit you lot tin can become.

The Flight of the Phoenix Blu-ray, Special Features and Extras

3.5 of 5


  • Trailer - original trailer for The Flight of the Phoenix. In English, not subtitled. (4 min).
  • Walter Hill and Alain Argent - in this new plan, managing director Walter Hill (The Driver) and Robert Aldrich biographer Alain Silver address the production and stylistic appearance of The Flight of the Phoenix. Too, the two gentlemen share their thoughts on Aldrich's unique style and personality, and discuss the undeniable impact his films had on the evolution of American Cinema. It is a terrific plan that was produced exclusively for Criterion in 2021. In English, non subtitled. (20 min).
  • James Maitland Stewart: The Actor and the Bomber Airplane pilot - in this new program, James Stewart biographer Donald Dewey discusses the actor's service in the U.s.a. Air Force, his movie career and how his past experiences shaped up his choices and performances. Mr. Dewer specifically addresses the character of Frank Towns which Stewart plays in The Flight of the Phoenix too. The plan was produced exclusively for Benchmark in 2021. In English, not subtitled. (19 min).
  • Paper Airplane - see the packaging photos at the very bottom of our review.
  • Leaflet - an illustrated leaflet featuring an essay by critic Gina Telaroli and technical credits.

The Flying of the Phoenix Blu-ray, Overall Score and Recommendation

3.0 of 5

I wholeheartedly agree with Walter Loma and Alain Silvery that Robert Aldrich is one of the all-time greatest American directors, so The Flight of the Phoenix and a few more than of his films should have entered the Criterion Collection a long time agone. Unfortunately, this upcoming Blu-ray release of The Flight of the Phoenix is sourced from a recent 2K primary that I don't find particularly convincing. It should have been graded improve, because as it is, it conspicuously alters the native identity of the film. On the other hand, the release offers two outstanding new programs that were produced exclusively for it.



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The Flight of the Phoenix Blu-ray, News and Updates

• Criterion Announces March Titles

- December 15, 2021

The Benchmark Collection has announced its March batch of 4K Blu-ray and Blu-ray releases. They are: The Flight of the Phoenix (1965), The Last Waltz (1978), Adoption (1975), Le Cercle Rouge (1970), and Dearest Jones (1997).

• The Flying of the Phoenix Blu-ray - July half-dozen, 2016

British distributors Eureka Amusement have detailed their upcoming Blu-ray release of manager Robert Aldrich's film The Flight of the Phoenix (1965), starring James Stewart, Hardy Kr�ger, Richard Attenborough, Peter Finch, and Ernest Borgnine. The release ...

• Upcoming Eureka Amusement Blu-ray Releases - March 30, 2016

British distributors Eureka Entertainment have appear that they volition add a number of new titles to their Blu-ray catalog. Amidst them are Wolfgang Petersen'south Enemy Mine, Billy Wilder's Fedora, and Robert Aldrich's The Flight of the Phoenix.

» Show more than related news posts for The Flight of the Phoenix Blu-ray

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