Popi (1969) (MGM)

[MifuneFan]

MGM will be releasing Arthur Hiller's Popi (1969) on Blu-ray via MOD distribution on January 2nd. The film stars Alan Arkin, and Rita Moreno among others.

https://www.amazon.com/Popi-Blu-Ray-...v%2C243&sr=1-1

https://www.moviezyng.com/popi-bd-bl...n/810134946644

Genial Puerto Rican widower Abraham Rodriguez (Alan Arkin), known as "Popi" to his preteen sons, grapples with poverty and hardship in their Spanish Harlem neighborhood. Desperate to provide his sons every opportunity to succeed, and noting the reverence with which Americans treat Cuban immigrants, Popi lights upon a wild scheme. He sets his boys afloat in a boat off the coast of Florida, confident that they will be "rescued" as Cuban refugees and adopted by wealthy patrons.

[Geode]

I came to quite like this relatively forgotten gem when it played in the theater in which I worked as the assistant manager. This has one of my favorite performances by Alan Arkin and it is nice to see it being released on Blu-ray. Its director, Arthur Hiller, is under-appreciated.

[Nicage22]

I'm delighted to see this NYC picture getting an HD release. It vividly captures the classic late '60s entering '70s era of New York on screen, and provides a nostalgic glimpse into the city's past. But it also stands out as a good film featuring the ever-wonderful Alan Arkin.

[Geode]

Originally Posted by Nicage22

I'm delighted to see this NYC picture getting an HD release. It vividly captures the classic late '60s entering '70s era of New York on screen, and provides a nostalgic glimpse into the city's past. But it also stands out as a good film featuring the ever-wonderful Alan Arkin.

What other films do you think notably feature NYC? In later years I think Toronto started being substituted for the real thing.

[Walter Kafka]

Originally Posted by Geode

What other films do you think notably feature NYC? In later years I think Toronto started being substituted for the real thing.

Bye Bye Braverman (Lumet does comedy!!!)

[Nocheduro]

Can anyone comment on the transfer for this one?

[benricci]

Originally Posted by Nocheduro

Can anyone comment on the transfer for this one?

Considering it's only 8 bucks on Amazon and it's likely never going to be pressed again, you may just want to take the gamble...

[MifuneFan]

Here is a brief review I came across

https://geekvibesnation.com/popi-blu-ray-review

Video Quality

Popi debuts on Blu-Ray with a 1080p transfer in its original 1.85:1 which looks to be derived from an older master courtesy of MGM that holds up pretty well. While it would have been lovely to freshen this one up a bit, at least we can be thankful the transfer avoids signs of excessive damage and digital manipulation. The picture maintains a notable sheen of natural film grain with some density fluctuations at play in different environments. The grain can resolve in a clumpy manner, but compression artifacts and other digital anomalies do not pop up consistently as an issue.