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Revolver (Limited-Edition) (Blu-ray Review)

REVIEW OVERVIEW

The Film
The Video
The Audio
The Supplements
Overall

SUMMARY

When his wife is kidnapped, an Italian prison official must work with a criminal he is supposed to release for exchange to help bring down the kidnappers in this 1973 Euro-crime drama.

Revolver, which is also known by the title Blood in the Streets in the US, is the gritty 1973 euro-crime drama by director Sergio Sollima (Violent City) with a theme scored by Ennio Morricone.

Oliver Reed plays Vito Cipriani, an Italian prison official whose wife is kidnapped. The kidnappers want him to release the hardened criminal Milo Ruiz (Fabio Testi) in exchange for releasing his wife. But Cipriani and Ruiz get wind that the kidnappers, former associates of Ruiz’s, are planning to kill him once he’s released, the two unlikely partners team up to trip up their plans, which also leads to them uncovering more than they expected.

This film walks the line between straight crime drama and the more artful gialli that would dominate the Italian film scene through the 1970s. Oliver Reed’s brutish prison official and the more stylish Fabio Testi’s Milo Ruiz are a perfect misfit, almost-buddy cop archetype as well. It’s this duo that glue this often convoluted film together along with its unabashed use of sex and violence.

The Video

This is a 4K restoration of Revolver presented on Blu-ray in a 1.85:1 AVC 1080p encodement from the Eureka Classics imprint. This 1973 vintage film comes across wonderfully in this transfer. The grain looks to be rather well persevered even as the image has been cleaned up. DNR is not excessive, so grain haters may find fault, but this looks organic and not overwhelmed or gritty in any way. Colors look natural and have that early-1970s, flat yet natural color palette. Dark tones and shadows show more grain, but also good amounts of nuance and detail. Textures come across crisply, closeups show lots of detail on skin like the stubble on Oliver Reed’s face.

The Audio

For the audio we get both original dub mixes, the English, and the Italian, in LPCM 2.0 mono. There is no non-dubbed mix as is the case with many of the Italian films from this era. Both sound great given their vintage and the limited channels. I prefer the English dub since the dub syncs best with Oliver Reed.

The Supplements

The audio commentary is fantastic given the always lively, well informed, and amiable Kim Newman is on it. The other collectible and on-disc bonus features are also high quality.

SPECIAL EDITION BLU-RAY FEATURES

  • Limited Edition O-Card slipcase (2000 copies only)
  • Limited-Edition Collector’s Booklet (2000 copies only) featuring two new essays by author Howard Hughes; one covering the background to the making of Revolver, and an extensive piece on Ennio Morricone’s “Eurocrime” soundtracks
  • Audio commentary by Barry Forshaw and Kim Newman
  • Stephen Thrower on Revolver (1080p; 00:21:59)
  • Tough Girl: Interview with Paola Pitagora (1080p; 00:10:21)
  • Action Man: Archival Interview with Fabio Testi (1080p; 00:17:07)
  • English Credits (1080i/60; 00:06:23)
  • Original Theatrical Trailer (1080p)
  • International Trailer: US Title – Blood in the Streets (1080p)
  • Radio Spots (1080p; 00:01:33)

The Final Assessment

A gritty crime drama that is held together by its visceral violence, sex, and gripping performances from the leads. This Eureka Classics Blu-ray restoration looks gorgeous given the vintage and it being a lesser-known entity. Recommended.

Revolver (Limited Edition) is out on Blu-ray in the UK on 16 May 2022 from Eureka Entertainment


  • Rating Certificate: UK: 15
  • Studios & Distributors: Mega Film | Société Nouvelle de Cinématographie (SNC) | Dieter Geissler Filmproduktion | Eureka Entertainment
  • Director: Sergio Sollima
  • Written By: Dino Maiuri (screenplay by) | Massimo De Rita (screenplay by) | Sergio Sollima (screenplay by)
  • Run Time: 109 Mins.
  • Street Date: 16 May 2022
  • Aspect Ratio: 1.85:1
  • Video Format: AVC 1080p
  • Primary Audio: English Dub LPCM 2.0 Mono
  • Secondary Audio: Italian Dub LPCM 2.0 Mono
  • Subtitles: English | English SDH for English Dub
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When his wife is kidnapped, an Italian prison official must work with a criminal he is supposed to release for exchange to help bring down the kidnappers in this 1973 Euro-crime drama. Revolver (Limited-Edition) (Blu-ray Review)