Color of Night Blu-ray Review

Kino Lorber's Blu-ray release of "Color of Night" falls short in its video presentation, mirroring many of the limitations seen in Mill Creek's earlier edition. Both the 139-minute director's cut and the 123-minute theatrical cut have been encoded using dated DVD-vintage transfers, neither having undergone a fresh scan. While Kino has made efforts to clean up the worst dust, nicks, speckles, and splotches from the earlier transfer, the image quality remains subpar. Colors are undersaturated, the picture is overly soft, and the detail is disappointingly weak. Despite some additional cleanup, these antique transfers appear to be a direct port from previous releases.

Authoring both cuts onto separate BD-25s—resulting in average bitrates of 17.67 Mbps and 20.07 Mbps respectively—further compromises the visual quality. Although artifacts are minimized, a BD-50 would have been a more appropriate choice for a feature of this length. The director's cut exhibits soft, grainy, and dim visuals with dull and muddy colors. Persistent speckles and damage further mar the video experience. By contrast, the theatrical cut offers a marginally improved picture. Framing differences and slightly better color brightness and saturation suggest minor digital noise reduction measures, though overall sharpness and detail are still lacking.

Ultimately, neither version exceeds expectations, but the theatrical cut is visibly less affected by grain and slightly more vibrant. However, both cuts fall short of what modern viewers expect from a high-definition format, making the investment in this Blu-ray potentially frustrating for fans anticipating a substantial upgrade from previous releases.

The audio presentation of "Color of Night" on Kino's Blu-ray offers a mixed experience in terms of quality and consistency across its multiple versions. Both the Theatrical Cut and Director's Cut are provided in lossless DTS-HD Master Audio 5.1 and 2.0 mixes. The Theatrical Cut, likely sourced from its original release, delivers a clearer and more engaging audio experience. Dialogue is tighter and more distinct, Dominic Frontiere's score enjoys slightly more presence, and there is modest surround activity, mainly through music bleed. However, despite these improvements, the overall sonic landscape remains forward-oriented with limited bass extension and dynamic range.

Conversely, the audio quality of the Director's Cut is notably inferior. Comparatively described as unrefined and submerged, it suffers from weak volume, dull music reproduction, shrill highs during loud scenes, and bloated bass. The DTS-HD Master Audio 5.1 and 2.0 options for the Director's Cut fail to offer any significant surround activity, turning what should be a more immersive experience into something lackluster. This disparity is surprising given the expectations set by the format and competitors such as the Mill Creek Blu-ray, which lacked a 5.1 track but still delivered better surround sound via a matrixed 2.0 track upmixed through Dolby Surround. This inconsistency raises questions about the source of Kino's Director's Cut audio mix, making it an underwhelming offering compared to its Theatrical counterpart.

The Blu-ray release of "Color of Night" provides a comprehensive selection of extras that adequately explore the film’s tumultuous production history through insightful, albeit uneven, commentary tracks and visual supplements. Director Richard Rush's commentary is a standout, offering passionate and candid reflections on the casting choices, his directorial approach, visual style, and the friction with producer Andrew Vajna, with filmmaker Elijah Drenner effectively moderating the discussion. In contrast, the screenwriter Matthew Chapman’s commentary, moderated by Heather Buckley, falls short due to its tangential nature and lack of focus on the film itself. The extras are rounded out with trailers for multiple films and an animated image gallery comprising production stills and posters. Essentially, while not all inclusions hit the mark, they collectively provide valuable insights for aficionados of this often-maligned thriller.

Extras included in this disc:

• Audio Commentary by Director Richard Rush: Insightful and candid reflections on the film's production.
• Audio Commentary by Screenwriter Matthew Chapman: A less focused commentary with tangents and personal anecdotes.
• Trailers: Includes Color of Night, The Rich Man's Wife, The Tie That Binds, Deceived.
• Animated Image Gallery: A brief montage featuring production stills and poster art.

Richard Rush's Color of Night has been revisited in a new Blu-ray reissue by Kino Lorber, presenting fans with both the Director’s Cut and the producer Andrew Vajna's theatrical version. This intricate dual-format release allows viewers to delve into the film's tumultuous history and stark contrasts in storytelling techniques. Rush's version, which replaced Vajna's cut on video after a box office failure and a Razzie Award for Worst Film, earned a loyal following and respectable reviews. The film itself, while aiming high, is riddled with flaws, yet its unique narrative and cinematic ambitions have carved out a niche audience.

Rewatching both versions highlights the significant impact of editing on filmmaking. Rush's preferred cut exhibits a coherent flow, meticulously constructed scenes, and emotional continuity. In contrast, Vajna’s version feels disjointed and lacks the narrative finesse of Rush's original vision. Specific omissions in Vajna's cut, such as the modified suicide scene of Dr. Capa’s patient and the complete removal of a subplot involving characters Martinez and Buck, deprive the story of depth and crucial context. Additionally, unnecessary scene extensions in Vajna's cut dilute the narrative's momentum.

Overall, Color of Night showcases a bemusing blend of psychological intrigue and campy eroticism, amplified by its notorious sex scenes and Willis's inconsistent performance. The film’s sequels may feel redundant, but the restored scenes in the Director’s Cut make it the superior version. The reissue by Kino Lorber, featuring both cuts and new extras including insightful commentaries from Rush and co-screenwriter Matthew Chapman, provides an invaluable resource for those interested in exploring the depths of this '90s thriller and its complex production background.

Color of Night’s Blu-ray reissue from Kino Lorber serves a curious purpose: resurrecting a movie widely regarded as a misfire for its notorious blend of psychological thriller and erotic elements. The offering includes both the theatrical and director's cuts, along with a couple of new commentary tracks. Bruce Willis's performance, often cited as a saving grace, doesn't manage to lift the film from its convolutions and absurdities, making it inadvertently entertaining in an ironic manner.

Technically, the reissue is a mixed bag. The video quality remains subpar, failing to offer the high-definition upgrade one would expect from a Blu-ray disc. The color grading appears inconsistent, and despite efforts to clean the image up, graininess persists in many scenes. The audio presentation is serviceable but doesn't deliver the immersive experience modern viewers may desire, aligning more with DVD-era standards rather than those of contemporary Blu-ray releases.

One has to give Kino their due. They've performed a service for Color of Night's fans by exhuming the failed theatrical cut so that one can experience just how bad it is and why it fizzled in theaters. And the new commentary by Rush is a gold mine of information and insight. On the downside, however, the film's video presentation remains inferior, and its audio is merely adequate. As for the second commentary, it's as bad as the theatrical cut it accompanies, and possibly worse. Maybe that's poetic justice. Recommended with appropriate caveats for fans of Rush's work in general and devotees of Color of Night in particular, especially since Mill Creek's disc is now out of print.