PORK CHOP HILL (1959)
Imprint Collection #196
Label: Imprint Films
Region Code: Region-Free
Rating: PG
Duration: 97 Minutes 56 Seconds
Video: 1080p HD Widescreen (1.66:1)
Audio: English LPCM 2.0 Mono with Optional English Subtitles
Director: Lewis Milestone
Cast: Gregory Peck, Harry Guardino, Rip Torn, George Peppard, Woody Strode, Norman Fell, Harry Dean Stanton, Robert BlakeMartin Landau
In the Korean conflict combat classic Pork Chop Hill (1959), directed by Lewis Milestone (All Quite on the Western Front) and based upon the book by U.S. military historian Brigadier General S. L. A. Marshall. we have the stoic Lt. Joe Clemons (Gregory Peck, The Omen) who has been given orders to re-take Pork Chop Hill which has fallen to the Chinese. Meanwhile, seventy miles away US negotiators are at the Panmunjom peace conference, with a cease fire seemingly immanent the soldiers expect to be ordered to pull back, but leaders from both sides fear losing face and are unwilling to give up and what is essentially a strategically worthless
bit of land. As Clemons leads his troops into combat he meets adversity not only from a fierce enemy that holds the high ground, but by dissent among his own men, and the knowledge that no reinforcements are on the way.
The combat flick is tough and gritty, as the the tensions mount the risk is palpable, and the casualties are massive. It's not a film that looks away from the carnage either, it's not all glory, there's plenty of grit to accompany the valor, with hard fighting men exhausted and stretched thin from the start and chiseled down either by machine gun fire or fatigue, Clemons forces eventually whittled down to 25 men versus a horde of Chinese, under constant attack and on the brink of breaking - it's terrific stuff.
The cast is phenomenal, obviously we have Peck at the top, but the amount of star power seen here among the troops is killer; we have Woody Strode (Vigilante), George Peppard (The A-Team), Norman Fell (The Boneyard, but best-known as Mr. Roper from TV's Three's Company), Rip Torn (The Beastmaster), Harry Dean Stanton (Repo Man), Robert Blake (Lost Highway) and Martin Landau (Without Warning) popping up - it's a veritable whose who, and quite a treat for star-spotting move fans. Pork Chop Hill is a must-own combat classic that's been given a terrific HD release from Imprint Films, making this an easy recommend.
Audio/Video: Pork Chop Hill (1959) gets a region-free Blu-ray from Via Vision Entertainment's prestige sub-label Imprint Films sourced from an HD master provided by MGM, seen here in 1080p HD and framed in 1.66:1 widescreen. The source looks fantastic, the stark black and white cinematography provides a properly gritty accounting of the story. Contrast is string, grayscale is on point and the blacks are pleasing, plus fine detail is impressive throughout. Audio comes by way of uncompressed English LPCM 2.0 Mono with optional English subtitles. The vintage track's range is limited by source and recording limitations but the battle scenes with explosive ordinance and the crack and snap of gunfire come through with a strong presence, and it's a clean sounding track that's free of hiss and distortion.
Extras on this release include a brand new Audio commentary by film historians Steven Jay Rubin & Steve Mitchell that is quite a solid listen. They cover the source material, production, and there's quite a bit of pointing out all the stars in smaller roles seen in the film. I also enjoyed how they pointed out the cool touches that make this stand apart from other combat film of the era and beyond.
Not new but still appreciated is the 59-min Gregory Peck, His Own Man – a vintage documentary from 1988 featuring Peck as well as his friends and co-stars Lauren Bacall, Jane Fonda, Audrey Hepburn, Jack Lemmon, Virginia Mayo, Liza Minnelli, Robert Mulligan, David Niven, Laurence Olivier, Anthony Quinn, Lee Remick and his son Stephen Peck discussing the actor's career and strong personal character. There's plenty of archival images and clips from film, I particularly enjoyed the discussion of The Boys from Brazil, To Kill A Mockingbird and The Omen. The disc is buttoned-up with a 3-min Theatrical Trailer for the film.
The single-disc release arrives in a clear keepcase with a 2-sided, non-reversible artwork option featuring the original illustrated film poster, plus a Limited Edition slipcase on the first 1500 copies with an alternate illustrated theatrical poster artwork.
Special Features:
- 1080p High-definition presentation on Blu-ray from a 2K scan
- NEW Audio commentary by film historians Steven Jay Rubin & Steve Mitchell
- Gregory Peck, His Own Man – Vintage documentary (59 min)
- Theatrical Trailer (3 min)
- Limited Edition slipcase on the first 1500 copies with unique artwork
Screenshots from the Imprint Films Blu-ray:
