Hickey & Boggs (1972) - Kino Studio Classics - December 2, 2014

[EVERYONE LIES]

Anything on MGMHD is prime for blu-ray, they show this a lot

[Flex Mentallo]

Totally forgot there was a thread for Hickey and Boggs. First time I remember watching this was 1989 on Cinemax and I've loved it ever since.

This blu ray, like the film itself, is bad ass. Great pq and the audio, even on my tv speakers, was all around solid. No extras, not even a trailer, but for the price I'm not complaining.

Never in a million years did I think this would ever see the light of blu ray. From my understanding this had never gotten a solid home video release in it's original aspect ratio. When Hickey and Boggs started popping up in HD on MGMHD I had hope. Even then I had it on my DVR for at least 3 years. Almost bit the bullet and bought the MOD DVD. Glad I waited.

Hickey and Boggs is quintessential 70's cinema. If your a fan you gotta do right and pick up the blu ray.

[BTSMGL]

I wish they'd at least included subtitles. Maybe it's my ears, but some of the lines are mumbled so much I have to strain to understand what's being said.

PQ is better than I anticipated though, so that's a good thing!

[phoenixandrew]

Originally Posted by McCrutchy

He is as badass as he will ever get, that's for sure. As I recall, this is one of those PG-rated 70s films that would be firmly into PG-13 territory today.

I think Cosby even swears in this film.

Which is actually a reflection of his true character now that we all know he isn't the goody-two-shoes we thought he was.

[AKORIS]

Originally Posted by phoenixandrew

Which is actually a reflection of his true character now that we all know he isn't the goody-two-shoes we thought he was.

innocent until proven guilty???

[The Great Owl]

I just watched this Kino Lorber Blu-ray of Hickey & Boggs.

I liked this movie a lot. It took me about 20 minutes to get into the groove, because the specific plot developments take a backseat to the personalities and interactions of the two title characters, but I really enjoyed the ride once I stopped trying to track everything and decided simply to let the movie take me where it wanted me to go. Things ultimately come together plotwise, but Hickey & Boggs is rightly more focused on an overall sense of disillusioned seedy malaise. The end result is a gritty and violent 1970s "L.A. noir" of the highest order.

Bill Cosby plays it surprisingly straight as the private investigator, Hickey, and Robert Culp, whom most of us 1980s kids recognize from his role in the TV show, The Greatest American Hero, is a tough-as-nails partner. Both men are down on their luck with hardly a dime to their names, and, like Eastwood's Dirty Harry, they've long since stopped being surprised by the world around them.

Hickey & Boggs may not be everyone's cup of tea, but it was right up my alley as far as 1970s atmospherics go. The Blu-ray looks great, in terms of conveying the cinematic vibe of that decade, and the audio was good enough so that the lack of subtitles did not bother me.

[phoenixandrew]

Originally Posted by AKORIS

innocent until proven guilty???

People who "lawyer up," as Bill Cosy has done with regards to silencing, insulting and threatening his accusers, usually have something to hide.

[HuggyBear73]

So I see this is OOP now?

Damn! I kept meaning to pick this up.

So FOX/DISNEY own it now?

[meremortal]

Titles that go oop from Kino tend to balloon in price and become fairly scarce. A lot of them have a dvd from KL that should be made from the same master and thus may at least be superior to other dvds out there if they exist. But their blus may be a challenge to find for under the old msrp once out of print.

[phunkeebutt]

Originally Posted by HuggyBear73

So I see this is OOP now?

Damn! I kept meaning to pick this up.

So FOX/DISNEY own it now?

I just bought one for a decent price from this guy on eBay. There’s still one left.

https://www.ebay.com/itm/233957100444

[whiteberry]

Originally Posted by HuggyBear73

So FOX/DISNEY own it now?

No, it is owned by MGM.

Hickey & Boggs (1972) - Trailer HD 1080p - YouTube

[HuggyBear73]

Originally Posted by whiteberry

No, it is owned by MGM.

Hickey & Boggs (1972) - Trailer HD 1080p - YouTube

I just contacted RONIN FLIX and they told me they have no plans to release this on blu-ray.

I notice there's a few older Kino titles (still in print) that were owned by MGM... but also have the FOX logo on back (along with MGM logo): REVENGE OF THE NINJA... WHITE BUFFALO ..and HICKEY & BOGGS.

So did FOX eventually buy the rights to these films... distribution only???

Outside of RONIN..I can't see anyone else here in the US putting this out again.

Maybe INDICATOR in the UK?

EDIT: Indicator told me they don't have a deal with MGM, but maybe EUREKA or ARROW? Also got to consider no one wants to touch a Cosby film right now.