Silent Running (Masters of Cinema) [Blu-ray] [1972]

"Natural" is a word that often sprang to my mind while watching Eureka's 'Silent Running' Blu-ray. This is, inherently, a rather soft film with an abundance of grain; and I'm very glad to see it's been kept that way. Grain levels do unexpectedly spike on occasion (leading to "snow storm" instances), but there's always loads of fine detail on show. Take a look at the clearly visible textures on clothing, or the complex exterior shots of the Valley Forge for just a couple of excellent examples of the increased clarity on offer here.Colours stand out to me as the transfer's most impressive quality. Skin tones are pleasingly normal, while the lush greens and earthy browns of the forest dome genuinely pop - as does Lowell's bright blue jacket. There's no "teal and orange" controversy going on here, that's for sure.I did notice a small amount of edge enhancement, but it only appeared in one or two scenes and was far less obvious than some of the thick white halos seen burdening other discs. There's also some shimmering here and there, but you can probably put that down to the film's source materials. On the whole, Eureka has done a commendably cinematic job with their transfer.Also pleasing is the faithfully presented HD mono audio. Dialogue and music is clear and precise, while sound effects are satisfyingly robust. That early scene where the domes are being detached, with everything clanging, screeching and then exploding is a real wake-up-the-neighbours moment. As impressive as a remixed HD 5.1 option can be, I'm a big fan of these more old-school audio presentations.Eureka complement the film with a decent selection of extra features, including a comprehensive making-of documentary, interviews with Bruce Dern and Douglass Trumbull (both of whom also provide a commentary), while there's even an isolated music and effects track for your auditory pleasure. Yes, there's little new material here, but it's still good value overall. In addition, the SteelBook packaging is nice and sturdy - neatly bearing the original theatrical poster art - and houses an extensively detailed 48 page booklet.Although this is not my first Eureka Blu-ray (I may have bought the... 'Human Centipede'... ahem), I'm ashamed to admit that this is indeed my first `Masters of Cinema' purchase. But if this impressive high-definition release of Silent Running is anything to go by, then I'm sure it won't be my last. Eureka has clearly treated Trumbull's eco-friendly sci-fi cult classic with the utmost respect, meaning this release deserves your attention.

In case any Hollywood 'suits' might be reading this, take a lesson from Eureka how to rerelease a classic film in a modern format (Blu-ray Disc) which also appeals to film collectors: Original theatrical poster artwork, an abundance of behind the scenes material (the original making of the film from 1971 is one of my top favourites and itself worth the purchase of this BD. I really appreciate Laurent Bouzereau's retrospective documentaries but feel you can't beat an individual 'making of' from the original time and context) and a lavishly extensive booklet, quite a work of passion that shows.The HD restoration picture quality is impeccable, considering this film was made with a budget of only 1 Mio. $ and therefore some compromises regarding film stock were inevitable, hence the film grain shows occasionally in different strength, though some of the scenes in space could have benefitted from some digital corrections to reduce noise.Interestingly, the original monaural sound was so crystal clear that I didn't find the absence of stereo sound disturbing.SILENT RUNNING - put simply - is a kind of bridge between 2001 and STAR WARS, as it echoes design and style elements of Kubrick's film from 1968 but also and already uses style elements that reflect a few years later in 1977 with STAR WARS and R2-D2.The only things I found somewhat odd were the BD menu design (theatrical poster would have been sufficient) and the educational efforts of Eureka in the booklet, suggesting to watch the film as the filmmaker intended without frame interpolation / motion enhancement.Well, considering filmmaker Douglas Trumbull is the father of motion enhancement when he invented the showscan process with 60 frames per second (overcoming the motion blur inherent in 24 fps camera recordings), I enjoyed the film with the highest FI setting on my Optoma HD 83 DLP front projector and didn't experience any feeling of guilt (especially since that was the way, the filmmaker saw the actors perform and move when he looked through the camera lens...)

Watched a clip of this film and decided to buy it. Classic B movie and a great sci Fi.

Conservationists and scientists were concerned about Global Warming before it became embedded firmly within the social conscience and this film from 1972 is a testament to this. Bruce Dern plays Botanist Freeman Lowell, involved with an Outer Space experiment, growing organic food, flowers, and taking care of wild life in vast transparent domes attached to enormous Space Freighters. It is in the future when the Earth has become barren. When Earth control recalls them and aborts the experiment, Lowell can not bear to destroy his domes and return to an Earth devoid of surface life, and so kills his three fun loving companions who are eager to return, faking a fault on the Freighter to abort communications with earth and the companion ships.Drifting in Space with three little square maintenence Robots on legs (Drones) Lowell forgets a vital fact-the light from the Sun is becomming too weak to support life, and he has to use artificial light. Having lost one Drone passing through the Rings of Saturn, by failing to recall it, he sentimentally names the remaining two Huey and Dewey, reprogramming them with almost human qualities.Earth control has sent a rescue ship to meet him on the other side of Saturn, and so in a panic driving to the Dome in a kind of beach buggy, he collides with Drone 1, who is too severeley damaged to function completely. The hopeless predicament is completed hauntingly and perhaps touchingly when he jettisons the final Dome with Drone 2 to maintain it for eternity, or as long as the batteries last. The remainder of the Freighter he blows up with himself and Drone 1.Special effects man Douglas Trumble Directs the poignant film, which also stars Cliff Potts, Ron Riffkin, and Jesse Vint, with original songs by Joan Baez.

Love this movie great watch.

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A favorite of a generation of fans who saw it when they were young, Douglas Trumbull’s Silent Running didn’t fare well in 1972 due to a lack of publicity. Trumbull had worked with Stanley Kubrick on 2001: A Space Odyssey and wanted to make a science fiction film of his own utilizing the same level of great special effects, but also brought in writers like Michael Cimino and Steven Bochco to help him write it. And while the effects are to certainly be praised, more important is the performance of Bruce Dern. Essentially a one-man show, the empathy for his character, regardless of his actions, is off the charts because of the pathos he brings to it. As such, the film explores themes of morality and ecological disaster, but does so masterfully. It also utilizes a score provided by Peter Schickele and songs performed by Joan Baez, both of which are highly unusual for a sci-fi film from this era. Films like Moon would build upon and modernize its ideas, but Silent Running stands today as unique science fiction—made at a time when studios were more willing to gamble on filmmakers with new ideas and fresh approaches.Sometime in the future, the Earth has become uninhabitable, meaning that plants and animals can no longer survive there. The solution: preserve what’s left by putting it on a spaceship and nurtuing it over an extended period of time. Chosen to oversee this is Freeman Lowell (Bruce Dern), an ecologist hellbent on the belief that humans have lost their way and that appreciating nature is the most valuable thing left. His three crewmen, Keenan (Cliff Potts), Barker (Ron Rifkin), and Wolf (Jesse Vint), do not share in his views and see plant life as unnecessary. One day Earth contacts the crew and, without warning, orders them to destroy the domes housing the vegetation and come home. Unwilling to go along with this, Lowell sabotages and kills his crewmen, left alone to float in space with his three service robots and avoid rescue.Arrow Video brings Silent Running to Blu-ray for a second time utilizing a new 2K restoration taken from a 4K scan of the original 35 mm camera negative and presented in the aspect ratio of 1.85:1. The final color grade was approved by Douglas Trumbull. The previous Universal disc was plagued by heavy grain and leftover damage, both of which have been addressed here. The grain is fairly well-resolved, aside from opticals, and detail has improved, particularly for skin textures and clothing. The color palette remains mostly the same, which lacks a vibrancy that the film just doesn’t offer, though the uses of blue, red, and green have obvious potency. Blacks are deep and brightness and contrast levels are ideal. It’s a stable presentation as well, and easily the best the film has ever looked on home video.The audio is included in English mono DTS-HD with optional subtitles in English SDH. The film was also released in 70 mm with 6 track audio, but that doesn’t appear to have been utilized here. The mono track handles the various elements admirably, including the score and music selection. Dialogue is prioritized well, even Bruce Dern’s quiet murmurings, though sound effects don’t always have the level of heft that they should. It’s a satisfactory mix without any leftover instances of hiss, crackle, dropouts, or distortion to speak of.The following extras are also included, all in HD:Audio Commentary by Kim Newman and Barry ForshawAudio Commentary by Douglas Trumbull and Bruce DernIsolated Music and Effects TrackNo Turning Back (13:48)First Run: The Evolution of Silent Running’s Screenplay (14:03)The Making of Silent Running (49:17)Silent Running by Director Douglas Trumbull (30:09)Douglas Trumbull: Then and Now (4:52)Silent Running: A Discussion with Bruce Dern “Lowell Freeman” (10:57)Theatrical Trailer (2:58)Behind-the-Scenes Gallery (635 in all – 105:56)In the new audio commentary, authors and film historians Kim Newman and Barry Forshaw discuss the reasons why the film didn’t do well at the box office, the casting of Bruce Dern, the film’s similarities to and differences from science fiction stories of the era, the use of sound and music in the film, its ecological message, the impact of Star Wars on science fiction, the differently abled being cast in films, and Douglas Trumbull’s attention to technology, among other subjects. The older audio commentary with Trumbull and Bruce Dern was recorded in 2000 and features the two men in discussion about the making of the film, commenting upon it as they watch it together—though Trumbull does most of the talking. The isolated music and effects track is presented 2.0 LPCM. No Turning Back features a new audio interview with music historian Jeff Bond speaking about the film’s music and song selection. First Run is a new video essay by writer and filmmaker Jon Spira about the evolution of the film’s screenplay using illustrations and voice actors. The Making of Silent Running is a vintage 1972 documentary made concurrently with the film’s production. Silent Running by Director Douglas Trumbull and Douglas Trumbull: Then and Now features an interview with the director about the film in retrospect. In A Discussion with Bruce Dern, the actor discusses his career, how he got the main role, working with Douglas Trumbull, and his retrospective feelings on the film. The Behind-the-Scenes Gallery contains a whopping 635 full color and black white production stills.Also included is a 32-page insert booklet containing cast and crew information, Silent Running: Douglas Trumbull’s Visions of Nature by Barry Forshaw, Silent Running: Bruce Dern’s Star Turn Among the Stars by Peter Tonguette, and restoration information. Everything is housed in a clear amaray case with reversible artwork—new artwork on one side and the original theatrical poster on the other—within a slipcover featuring the same new artwork. All that’s missing from this release is the German Super 8 version of the film found on the Koch Media Blu-ray release, and the Trailers from Hell commentary featuring Edgar Wright.Arrow Video certainly ups the ante here, giving us a presentation of Silent Running that’s been given careful attention. With a quality transfer and extras, it’s definitely the kind of treatment that a film of its calibre deserves. Highly recommended.

Prodotto perfetto come da descrizione.... Amazon sempre attento al cliente.... E ora il 22 fate sciopero!

ＳＦ映画としては地味ですがとっても良い作品です。傑作、名作と言って良いと思います。