The St. Valentine’s Day Massacre is a well acted, especially by Jason Robards as Al Capone, and all around well made crime-drama from Roger Corman. The Blu-ray released by Twilight Time isn’t amazing from both a features and video perspective but I suspect this 45 year old film has never looked or sounded better, though considering the high price, you might not be getting the most bang for your buck.
The St. Valentin’s Day Massacre
(1967)
REVIEW NAVIGATION
The Movie | Special Features | Video Quality | Audio Quality | Overall
Genre(s): Drama, Crime
Twilight Time | NR – 100 min. – $29.95 | February 10, 2015
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MOVIE INFO: Directed by: Roger Corman Writer(s): Howard Browne (written by) Cast: Jason Robards, George Segal, Ralph Meeker, Jean Hale DISC INFO: Audio: English (DTS-HD MA 1.0) |
** Click Here to Purchase The St. Valentine’s Day Massacre on Blu-ray from Screen Archives **
THE MOVIE
The singular Roger Corman directs The St. Valentine’s Day Massacre, a study of the events—and striking personalities—leading to gangland Chicago’s most infamous episode. Jason Robards stars as the fearsome Al Capone, with chilling support from Ralph Meeker, George Segal, and David Canary, all revealed to us in crisp documentary style thanks to a smart script by Howard Browne. Excoriated in its day for its unvarnished violence, it has emerged in recent years as a respected cult favorite.
SPECIAL FEATURES – 1.25/5
Along with the usual 6-page essay booklet, the disc includes a couple featurettes: Roger Corman Remembers (3:31; HD), Fox Movietone News (4:41; SD) and the Original Theatrical Trailer (2:32; SD).
VIDEO – 3.5/5
The St. Valentine’s Day Massacre is presented with a 2.35 widescreen aspect ratio and given a 1080p high-definition transfer (AVC codec). The picture itself isn’t anything spectacular or anything and actually the film elements were mostly clean, free of dust marks, scratches and other flaws, yet it’s not the most vibrant in terms of colors. For the most part, with a few exceptions, colors are muted though I did notice some reds did have a certain pop to them; however, skin tones tend to not have a natural appearance. Detail also isn’t the sharpest though certainly this movie has never looked better.
AUDIO – 3.75/5
The DTS-HD Master Audio Mono track meanwhile comes across a bit better. Despite being a singular channel lossless track, the sporadic gunfire is actually quite robust and dialogue levels sound crisp and mostly clear (I did notice it did top out a time or two). As with the picture, this is a fine upgrade over anything that had come before it.
OVERALL – 2.5/5
Overall, The St. Valentine’s Day Massacre is a well acted, especially by Jason Robards as Al Capone, and all around well made crime-drama from Roger Corman. The Blu-ray released by Twilight Time isn’t amazing from both a features and video perspective but I suspect this 45 year old film has never looked or sounded better, though considering the high price, you might not be getting the most bang for your buck.
Published: 02/18/2015
Check out some more screen caps by going to page 2. Please note, these do contain spoilers.