Review: Mean Streets Limited Edition 4K UHD
4K UHD & Blu-ray: Mean Streets (1973)
Mean Streets is a movie so full of energy both in front of the camera and behind it, that you need a quiet few moments to relax after the end credits roll.
Directed by a young Martin Scorsese, who throws the viewer into every crevice of the narrative with a series of impressive visual scenes, the acting talent of Robert De Niro, Harvey Keitel, David Prevail, Amy Robinson and many more, all help to make this a viewing experience to linger long in the memory. All added to by it being yet another impressive 4K UHD release from Second Sight Films and a new 4K restoration supervised and approved by Director Martin Scorsese and Collaborator Thelma Schoonmaker.
The overall narrative ebbs and flows between a variety of shady characters trying to survive in a seedy early 1970s New York, the gritty realism of the place and time captured perfectly by the skilled eyes of Scorsese and the cinematography of Kent L. Wakeford. The red lights of bars and clubs looking better than ever in this release, with the dark corners revealing details that were hitherto unseen.
The dialogue hits as hard as the sporadic moments of violence, well crafted and flowing from the mouths of the actors in the most realistic manner, improvisational at times and all delivered with impeccable timing.
Low budget and ‘rough around the edges’ in relation to Scorcese’s later work, Mean Streets lays down a solid foundation for what his career would become.
A movie that surely every cinephile has devoured by now, this release ups the ante with superb picture and sound, accompanied by interesting and informative digital and physical extras.
An essential purchase if you’ve already seen the movie and an essential purchase if you haven’t.
Another winner from Second Sight Films.
Special Features:
- Dual format edition including both UHD and Blu-ray with main feature and bonus features on both discs
- New 4K restoration supervised and approved by Director Martin Scorsese and Collaborator Thelma Schoonmaker
- Restored original mono audio
- UHD presented in Dolby Vision HDR
- New audio commentary by Demetrios Matheou (author of BFI Films Classics Mean Street) and David Thompson (Co-Editor of Scorsese on Scorsese)
- Scene specific audio commentary with Martin Scorsese and Actor Amy Robinson
- Keep Moving Forward: a new interview with Producer Jonathan T Taplin
- Saints and Sinners: Dr Catherine Wheatley on Mean Streets
- 2011 Film at Lincoln Center screening introduction, interview and Q&A with Martin Scorsese
- Mardik: Baghdad to Hollywood feature-length documentary
- Archive featurette: Back on the Block
- Archive featurette: Home Movies
- Trailer
Limited Edition Contents:
- Rigid slipcase with original artwork
- 178-page book with new essays by Mark Asch, Daniel Bird, Charles Bramesco, Lillian Crawford, Elena Lazic, Manuela Lazic, Christina Newland and Extract from Scorsese on Scorsese
- 8 collectors’ art cards
Mean Streets on Limited Edition Dual 4K UHD /Blu-ray & Standard Editions out on 15th January.
Review by Dave from a disc kindly supplied by Second Sight Films via Aim Publicity.
