Among the barebones MGM titles, these two are polar opposites, at least as far as the transfers are concerned.

Both of these movies are great IMHO but it almost made me sick when I found out that Kill Me Again was a fullscreen transfer. I can't seem to find what the OAR for this title was but the framing definitely doesn't look right. It's even more sickening as this film uses some interesting camera angles.....wish I could see what it was supposed to have looked like http://talk.dvdtalk.com/ubb/frown.gif Visual quality is mediocre but not a complete disaster. The sound is Pro-Logic...nothing special but the dialog is clear.

At Close Range, on the other hand, is really worth picking up if you like this film. The transfer is great, looks like a new film. Who at MGM decides which title will receive butchery and which will receive an unexpectedly good restoration? Definitely no complaints about the visual quality on this one - it's beautiful. This movie has such great atmosphere. The photography is awesome....excellent use of widescreen. The wife didn't like it http://talk.dvdtalk.com/ubb/rolleyes.gif thought it was boring and went to play on her computer. Whatever. This film is just about perfect. Aside from being featureless, the sound is the only nitpicking I'd have on this title. The score and some sound effects sound great, but the dialog is a little muffled. Combined with Christopher Walken's delivery for his role, it was often hard to tell what was being said. But that's not a big problem....this film is more about mood and being a portrait so you often get the gist of what's being said.

anybody?

I noticed, and commented on, the remarkable disparity in quality among MGM's catalog releases back when I reviewed two of their 11/21 releases, The Bounty and Class.

Both films are roughly the same age. Both were released trailer only with anamorphic widescreen transfers. That's where the similarities ended.

The image transfer on The Bounty is simply fantastic considering the film's age. Likewise, it has received a decent 5.1 remaster. Class, on the other hand, comes with a filthy, discolored image and is presented in 2-channel mono (and not terribly impressive mono at that). The two discs even come in different packaging and the discs themselves were manufactured by different companies.

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"The whole aim of practical politics is to keep the populace alarmed (and hence clamorous to be led to safety) by menacing it with an endless series of hobgoblins, all of them imaginary." -H. L. Mencken

At Close Range is a forgotten masterpiece. Incredible performances. The DVD is anamorphic, with razor sharp picture. After having viewed this one for years on both VHS and LD, this new transfer blew me away. The sound is 2-channel mono, but is still very clear and crisp. Comes with a theatrical trailer. With a MSRP of $19.98, this is definitely one to grab.