Macbeth [Olive Signature] [Blu-ray] [1948]

Something wicked this way comes in Orson Welles' cinematic retelling of William Shakespeare's MacBeth. Welles stars as the titular MacBeth-a doomed Scottish lord tragically undone by his own ambition. Welles' noir-tinged interpretation bubbles over with supernatural prophecy and murderous intrigue, effectively mixing the use of shadow and oblique camera angles to achieve an ominous sense of a land in peril. Beautifully shot by John L. Russell (Psycho) and starring Orson Welles (who also adapted, produced and directed), Jeanette Nolan (The Man Who Shot Liberty Valance), Dan O'Herlihy (Robinson Crusoe), Roddy McDowall (How Green Was My Valley) and Alan Napier (TV's Batman), MacBeth is an altogether unique interpretation of Shakespeare's Scottish play. This special Olive Signature edition includes both the original 1948 107-minute cut, replete with affected highland accents, and the 1950 pared-down 85-minute re-release that removed most of the accented dialogue. New High-Definition digital restoration; Includes 1948 and 1950 versions; Audio Commentary with Welles biographer Joseph McBride; quot;Welles and Shakespearequot; - an interview with Welles expert, Professor Michael Anderegg; quot;Adapting Shakespeare on Filmquot; - a conversation with directors Carlo Carlei (Romeo & Juliet) and Billy Morrissette (Scotland, PA); Excerpt from We Work Again, a 1937 WPA documentary containing scenes from Welles' Federal Theatre Project production of MacBeth; quot;That Was Orson Wellesquot; - an interview with Welles' close friend and co-author, Peter Bogdanovich; quot;Restoring MacBethquot; - an interview with former UCLA Film & Television Archive Preservation Officer Bob Gitt; quot;Free Republic: The Story of Herbert J. Yates and Republic Picturesquot;; quot;The Two MacBethsquot; - an essay by critic Jonathan Rosenbaum.

Dark Sky Films has done well by fans of Eurocult fare with this disc of Ricco The Mean Machine. The transfer has some minor flaws but is solid overall: despite a few moments of video grain in a few dark scenes, it offers an anamorphic widescreen image that has a nice levels of detail. Fans will also be happy to know that the film is uncut and all the film's notorious acid-bath scenes are presented intact here. The mono audio uses the English dub of the film and delivers a solid, basic soundscape. Dialogue is sometimes low in the mix but this seems like an aspect of the mix rather than a technical flaw because the other sonic elements come through just fine. Also included are a few extras. The first is an Italian-language trailer (thankfully, the producers saw fit to add English subtitles). The more substantial extra is a video interview with star Chris Mitchum, which not only discusses Ricco The Mean Machine but also offers a nice thumbnail sketch of his career, including some interesting stories about his friendship with John Wayne. All in all, this disc is a solid and reasonably-priced effort that is worth the time for Eurocult fans.