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The Inglorious Bastards - Severin Films (Blu-ray)

Theatrical Release Date: Italy, 1978
Director: Enzo G. Castellari
Writers: Sandro Continenza, Sergio Grieco, Romano Migliorini, Laura Toscano, Franco Marotta, Alberto Piferi
Cast: Bo Svenson, Peter Hooten, Fred Williamson, Michael Pergolani, Jackie Basehart, Michel Constantin, Debra Berger, Raimund Harmstorf, Ian Bannen, Flavio Andreini, Donald O'Brien, Massimo Vanni

Release Date: July 28th, 2009
Approximate running time: 99 Minutes 27 Seconds
Aspect Ratio: 1.85:1 Widescreen / 1080 Progressive / MPEG-4 AVC
Rating: R
Sound: Dolby Digital Mono English, Dolby Digital 5.1 English
Subtitles: N/A
Region Coding: Region Free
Retail Price: OOP

"Exploitation legends Bo (Walking Tall, Kill Bill) Svenson and Fred ‘The Hammer’ Williamson star as the leaders of a gang of condemned criminals who escape from an Allied prison convoy with a plan to blast their way to the Swiss border, only to find themselves ‘volunteering’ for a suicide mission deep inside Nazi occupied France.” – Synopsis provided by the Distributor

Video: 3.5/5

Here’s the information provided about the transfer, "now fully restored in High Definition Blu-ray".

The Inglorious Bastards comes on a 50 GB dual layer Blu-ray.

Disc Size: 45 GB

Feature: 18.2 GB

Though the source used for this transfer is in great shape, fourteen years after this disc release, it shows its age. That said, flesh tones look healthy, colors look very good, the image looks crisp, black levels fare well, any compression issues are minor, and there does not appear to be any egregious digital noise reduction.

Audio: 3.25/5 (Dolby Digital Mono English), 3/5 (Dolby Digital 5.1 English)

This release comes with two audio options, a Dolby Digital 5.1 mix in English and a Dolby Digital mono mix in English. Though both tracks sound clean and the dialog comes through clearly, Range-wise, both tracks are limited.

Extras:

Extras for this release include a Italian language theatrical trailer (3 minutes 52 seconds, Dolby Digital mono Italian, no subtitles), a English language theatrical trailer (3 minutes 52 seconds, Dolby Digital mono English, no subtitles), Enzo’s 70th Birthday in Los Angeles (7 minutes 15 seconds, Dolby Digital stereo English, no subtitles), Inglorious Reunion At The New Beverly (11 minutes 24 seconds, Dolby Digital stereo English, no subtitles), a conversation with Enzo G. Castellari and Quentin Tarantino (38 minutes 23 seconds, Dolby Digital stereo English, no subtitles), a locations featurette with Enzo G. Castellari titled Back to the War Room: Train Kept-A-Rollin (13 minutes, Dolby Digital stereo Italian with removable English subtitles), and an audio commentary with Enzo G. Castellari and moderated by David Gregory.

Other extras include a theatrical trailer for Eagles Over London (4 minutes 48 seconds, Dolby Digital mono English, no subtitles).

Summary:

Directed by Enzo G. Castellari, an Italian filmmaker who worked in just about every genre that was popular in the 1960s, 1970s, and 1980s. Notable films that he directed are Cold Eyes of Fear, High Crime, Street Law, and The Big Racket.

The narrative revolves around a group of American soldiers’ wanted for committing criminal acts who escape custody when the Germans attack the convoy, escorting them. Somehow, a handful of them survived the Germans' attack. Not wanting to go back to prison and face a possible court martial for their crimes. They decide to try to make their way to the nearest neutral country, Switzerland. Along the way, they accidentally kill some Allied soldiers’ posing as Nazis. This forces them to pose as the dead soldiers’ and complete their mission.

The Italians have long been known for their unique take on film genres that were originally successful before they put their own slant on them. Enzo G. Castellari’s The Inglorious Bastards is unlike most Italian clones’ films. Sure, there are many similarities to American war films like The Dirty Dozen, The Great Escape, and Were Eagles Dare. Despite these similarities, The Inglorious Bastards still manages to create something that is unlike most World War II films that have come before or since it.

The American soldiers who have committed murder and/or deserted the military during a time of war—these are not your ordinary soldiers. They have no honor, and they only care about saving their own necks. They do start to band together as the film progresses, which shows that maybe they are not as bad as we once thought they were.

Enzo G. Castellari’s direction is rock solid; he’s a filmmaker who knows how to craft some of the most explosive action films’ ever committed to celluloid. The Inglorious Bastards has just so much going on, and things move along so quickly that you will be hard-pressed to find a dull moment. The Inglorious Bastards accomplishes so much on so little, and this is mostly due to Enzo G. Castellari’s expert direction.

The Inglorious Bastards is loaded with shootouts and explosions. Enzo G. Castellari really shines as a director in the finale. One of the most memorable moments involves a group of female Nazi soldiers’ bathing in a waterfall. When they discover that the men they are cozening up with are American's, they grab their guns with their clothes still off and fire away.

The Inglorious Bastards features an excellent cast, especially Bo Svenson (Breaking Point) and Fred Williamson (Hell Up in Harlem), doing what he does best, playing Fred Williamson. All around, the cast is very good in their respective roles. Also, The Inglorious Bastards features a remarkable score from composer Francesco De Masi (The New York Ripper). Ultimately, The Inglorious Bastards is a kick-ass action extravaganza that pulls no punches and takes no prisoners.

The Inglorious Bastards gets a strong release from Severin Films that comes with a serviceable audio/video presentation and informative extras.