Blu-ray Movie Reviews

Barry Newman stars as Kowalski, the last American hero, who set out to prove that he can drive from Denver to San Francisco in just fifteen hours. Along the way, he meets an old prospector, a snake worshipper, a nude woman on a motorcycle, and a blind D.J. who "sees" danger ahead in this super-charged, action-packed adventure.

Long considered one of the greatest car chase movies of all time, Vanishing Point is a welcome addition to the Blu-ray format. Honestly, I never would have thought this one would make it to a high-def format this early on. The film is essentially one long car chase with the driver making his way from Denver to San Francisco and having flashbacks of his life before. The stunt driving on display is outstanding, but keep in mind this was a sort of B-Movie and there is a fine level of cheese in it. Still if you’re even remotely a car chase fan this is a must see. Fox even includes the UK cut of the film as a viewing option!

Fox does a great job with this low budget thrill ride and delivers a pretty solid HD transfer. The film print is in pretty good condition and it looks like some mild clean up has been done. Thankfully there is little in the way of obvious ringing and detail is in good shape. Fine detail in close up shots is quite good but the photography doesn’t lend to an overly detailed look in most shots. The image has a bit of a natural haze to it and contrast levels aren’t nearly as impressive as the newer films we see today. All things considered though, this is a great representation of the film.

The 5.1 soundtrack is pretty front heavy and like my recent review of The French Connection, it reminded me more of a good stereo soundtrack than a surround mix. There is some light use of the surrounds but you’ll barely notice it. The front soundstage is wide though and opens up quite a bit during the car chases. Fidelity is pretty lacking here and the mix has a very thin sound that is bright and a bit grating from time to time. The dubbing is also pretty bad and the tonal balance doesn’t quite match up with the visuals as well as you’d like. Sound effects are pretty cheesy by today’s standards but what can you expect from an older B-movie like this?

Fox includes some solid extras for this one including some production features and a feature commentary with the director. You also get an interactive look at the famous 1970’s Challenger from the film, some trivia and the trailers.

This has always been a must have for car fans and I’m blown away that Fox delivered it on Blu-ray this early on in the format. The presentation is better than I expected given the film’s roots making it a must have for fans!