The Stranger (1946)

[L.A. Guy]

Those shots look nifty!!

[Arkadin]

YES!!!
The Stranger finally looking like it should on blu-ray!!
so happy!!

[dsman71]

I can unload the MGM DVD finally...I owned it once, got rid of it for the first Blu ray...wasnt happy with the Blu Ray , bought the DVD back and now here we are again in full circle !

[GxyExpress999]

My copy has been allocated at importcds (for a few days now) but I guess it's too early to ship. Or I have other pre-order titles in the same order so maybe they won't ship until everything is ready.

[RiFiFi1955]

Originally Posted by dsman71

I can unload the MGM DVD finally...I owned it once, got rid of it for the first Blu ray...wasnt happy with the Blu Ray , bought the DVD back and now here we are again in full circle !

You want to know how lucky I am? I actually haven't seen this movie yet. I did own the previous blu-ray but never watched it. Once this release was announced I sold it... so my first viewing of the film will be from this blu-ray.

[dsman71]

Originally Posted by RiFiFi1955

You want to know how lucky I am? I actually haven't seen this movie yet. I did own the previous blu-ray but never watched it. Once this release was announced I sold it... so my first viewing of the film will be from this blu-ray.

This will be the best way for you to see the film. It is a great picture !

[*PREACHER*]

Review is up:

https://www.blu-ray.com/movies/The-S.../79646/#Review

Will definitely be buying this, thanks Kino and thank you Mr. Broadwater for your splendid review.

[Tatifan]

Thanks for the review!

I'm curious about one point made about the old release. Surely the fact there was no lossless audio track is besides the point, give the poor quality of the source audio material. Not that I'm suggesting Kino or any other company revert to lossy audio, but I would imagine if the situation were reversed, the Kino would STILL sound better (in lossy) compared to Film Chest's inferior material presented in lossless. The bitrate can't turn garbage into gold.

[GxyExpress999]

It came in a slipbox.

[The Great Owl]

The Kino Blu-rays of The Stranger and The Hitch-Hiker are shipping to me right now. I expect that I'll get them sometime next week. November is going to be a sweet month of film noir flicks.

[bigshot]

The Hitch Hiker is a fantastic film. Ida Lupino was a really good director.

[spanky87]

Hitch-hiker doesn't come with a slipbox. I saw it in stores today but had to save it for next time since I bought The Stranger and Big Combo instead.

[Mansinthe]

dunno why kino cant put english SDH on all their releases.. cant be that expensiv....

[The Great Owl]

The 1946 Orson Welles film, The Stranger, is an engaging postwar suspense story that benefits from powerhouse acting and incredible cinematography. Iconic actor Edward G. Robinson plays an officer of the UN War Crimes Commission who travels to a small Connecticut town in pursuit of a Nazi fugitive. Orson Welles is riveting in the title role as the professor living a double life, and his taut performance effectively conveys the character's obsessive precision and planning as he spins one web of lies after another. The film is graced with fascinating camera angles, especially during the character close-ups, that add intensity to the narrative as sinister motivations come to light. The final confrontation is a glorious payoff even by today's blockbuster standards.

The Stranger utilizes early film noir visual styles to generate thrills, and this Kino Blu-ray transfer of the public domain film brings out the best in the shadows and light, considering the badly damaged source material. Scratches and missing frames are noticeable throughout the feature, but I am glad that the high definition presentation is not brushed over with obtrusive digital tampering. None of the picture quality shortcomings affected my enjoyment of the film during my first viewing. The audio presentation is good, and I had no trouble with the dialogue, despite the lack of subtitles.

In terms of the overall package, this Kino Blu-ray of The Stranger does a stellar job of outlining this film's place in postwar history. A series of wartime radio broadcasts by Welles are marvelous additions that provide an example of how entertainers went above and beyond the call of duty to do their part for support of the Allied cause. A commentary by historian Bret Wood is thorough with its discussion of each scene setup.

The most memorable supplementary feature is Death Mills, a 1945 short film directed by Billy Wilder for screenings to German audiences about the dark truth behind the Nazi parades and grandiose ceremonies. Death Mills is, quite frankly, one of the most disturbing works of film that I have ever seen, and the unflinchingly graphic footage of concentration camps emphasizes the seriousness of the free world's apprehension about Nazi influence even during the postwar years. Like the short film, Blood of the Beasts, that supplements the Criterion Collection title, Eyes Without a Face, Death Mills is a feature that I will only watch one time, although I appreciate its inclusion in terms of providing a backstory for the main title.

[the sordid sentinel]

Excellent review Owl. A week ago I received The Stranger along with a couple of other Kino releases purchased during their 25% sale. Haven't got around to checking this out yet but will rectify that soon.

[UNCMT9]

Can anyone else that picked this up comment on the audio and picture quality?

[the sordid sentinel]

Originally Posted by UNCMT9

Can anyone else that picked this up comment on the audio and picture quality?

Just watched it tonight. A/V quality is decent to good. There is a good bit of print damage that rears its ugly head and the audio has some hiss, but nothing distracting. It won't wow you and is by no means a reference presentation, but it is quite watchable. The movie itself is terrific. Welles' trademark flourishes are fully on display. The man was a genius. As Owl mentioned above, the Death Mills documentary is indeed disturbing. Hard to believe human beings can be that freaking cruel and evil.

[dougotte]

Originally Posted by the sordid sentinel

Just watched it tonight. A/V quality is decent to good. There is a good bit of print damage that rears its ugly head and the audio has some hiss, but nothing distracting. It won't wow you and is by no means a reference presentation, but it is quite watchable. The movie itself is terrific. Welles' trademark flourishes are fully on display. The man was a genius. As Owl mentioned above, the Death Mills documentary is indeed disturbing. Hard to believe human beings can be that freaking cruel and evil.

IMO, the print damage is very distracting. Nevertheless, there probably isn't a better print available, and it's about the best it will look or sound. I highly recommend it for Welles' bravura take on a straight thriller.

[spanky87]

Did the MGM dvd show this much print damage?

[walkerb1983]

can anyone tell me if this is region free? It says on the review on the site it is but on Amazon says its Region A locked.

Many Thanks