The Cooler (101 Films) Black Label 006 - 2003 - William H. Macy, Maria Bello

[robw285]

It is the uncut version which is the only positive thing that you can say about this disc.

[buck135]

Originally Posted by robw285

It is the uncut version which is the only positive thing that you can say about this disc.

The documentary is amazing.

[OldBoy15]

Originally Posted by buck135

The documentary is amazing.

I was gonna say. The pic quality isn’t bad, it’s uncut, an incredibly underrated movie and has that docu. This and In Bruges are now my favorite other region releases.

[Matt_Stevens]

Originally Posted by OldBoy15

I was gonna say. The pic quality isn’t bad, it’s uncut, an incredibly underrated movie and has that docu. This and In Bruges are now my favorite other region releases.

Uncut? I thought this release was the cut version. Which is it?

[Hatman]

Originally Posted by Matt_Stevens

Uncut? I thought this release was the cut version. Which is it?

It's uncut. There's definitely an insert used from another source in the scene where you can see Maria Bello's pubic hair during the oral scene and it looks like it might have been taken from a theatrical print in very good shape with very strong/intense colors compared to the incredibly muted appearance of the rest of the film on the 101 Blu-ray.

I'll admit I didn't notice the runtime/encode problems until afterwards and I did also thankfully stumble on the superior 5.1 audio track by pressing the audio button on my remote because I didn't like the 2.0 track.

Interestingly enough, the muted color palette of this release works for the scenes in the film where Bernie is down on his luck and working as The Cooler but to argue a thematic relevance for that there would have needed to be a color contrast in other scenes.

If you're reading this, Mr. Kramer, even with the caveats of this presentation, The Cooler is an outstandingly melancholic and bittersweet film with great characters and feels like a very intimate companion to Scorsese's more grandiose Casino.

That said, I'd love a 4K remastered version of this, for sure, but the documentary (sadly missing Maria Bello) is definitely worth the price for this release.

[robw285]

Originally Posted by buck135

The documentary is amazing.

To be fair that's true and better presented than the film itself.

[CelestialAgent]

I understand the (understandable) perception as coasters, but if anyone is selling the dual format DVDs from some of the Blu-ray releases with crappy transfers (101 Films, CultFilms) - The Cooler, Juliet of the Spirits, I will happily buy the second disc loose just for the extras