Review: Gran Bollito BD + Screen Caps

Gran Bollito, to say the least, is an unusual drama but with compelling performances by Shelley Winters and Max von Sydow (in drag), this might be worthwhile to those looking for the weird.

 

 

Gran Bollito
— The Limited Edition Series —
(1977)

Genre(s): Drama
Twilight Time | NR – 112 min. – $24.95 | November 15, 2016

Date Published: 12/26/2016 | Author: The Movieman

MOVIE INFO: Directed by: Mauro Bolognini Writer(s): Luciano Vincenezoni and Nicola Badalucco (story), Nicola Badalucco (screenplay) Cast: Shelley Winters, Max von Sydow, Renato Pozzetto DISC INFO: Features: Commentary, Theatrical Trailer Digital Copy: No Formats Included: Blu-ray Number of Discs: 1 Audio: Italian (DTS-HD MA 1.0) Video: 1080p/Widescreen 1.85 Subtitles: English SDH Disc Size: 29.2 GB Codec: MPEG-4 AVC Region(s): A, B, C

 

PLOT SYNOPSIS

Mauro Bolognini, that master of Italian costume and period dramas, gives us a peculiar slice of Grand Guignol with Gran Bollito (Black Journal, 1977). The film stars Shelley Winters as a mother so insanely over-protective of her grown son that she decides to make a deal with death by offering alternate victims, plucked from among her fellow tenants in a 1938 Italian apartment building; among these are several men playing women, including the one and only Max Von Sydow.

 

SPECIAL FEATURES – 1.5/5

This release comes with a 6-page essay booklet. The features are rather limited with an Audio Commentary with Film Historians Derek Botelho and David Del Valle; and a Theatrical Trailer (3:35; HD).

 

VIDEO – 3.75/5

Gran Bollito finds a home on Blu-ray courtesy of Twilight Time presenting the film in its original 1.85 widescreen aspect ratio and a 1080p high-definition transfer. For the most part it’s a pleasant looking transfer, colors aren’t the brightest but that’s how it was shot while detail was relatively sharp. There were some minor instances of small dust marks here and there, however, so perhaps not the most pristine picture.

AUDIO – 4.0/5

The disc comes with an Italian language DTS-HD Master Audio Mono track and while it’s basic, it is at least adequate. The bulk of the movie is audio driven, with a score thrown in, so there’s not a whole lot of depth here, that said, the dialogue is clear enough although it does top out a time or two.

 

OVERALL – 3.0/5

Overall, Gran Bollito, to say the least, is an unusual drama but with compelling performances by Shelley Winters and Max von Sydow (in drag), this might be worthwhile to those looking for the weird. This Blu-ray released by Twilight Time offers good video and audio transfers but falters in the features department.

 

 

 

 

Check out some more screen caps by going to page 2. Please note, these do contain spoilers.