A quiet
yet cunning schoolteacher recruits an elite team of
international criminals for the ultimate caper: robbing $10
million in diamonds from and impenetrable Rio de Janeiro vault
at the frenzied peak of the city's Carnival. The planning is
meticulous. The crime must run like clockwork. But even if they
can pull off the most daring theft in criminal history, are the
wildest surprises of all yet to come?
The 1967
film GRAND SLAM hardly breaks any exceptional
grounds but it definitely has its moments. GRAND SLAM
is a clever story that never gets tiresome. Director Giuliano
Montaldo knows how to capture the audience’s attention. Although
not a unique film, GRAND SLAM has the packaging
for a decent classic heist thriller offering a reasonably
entertaining experience.
The
Video
GRAND SLAM
appears in an aspect ratio of 2.35:1 on this single-sided,
dual-layered DVD; the image has been enhanced for 16X9
televisions. Based on the movie's age the DVD presented a
dazzling picture that consistently appeared admirable.
GRAND SLAM looks about as good as it ever will.
Sharpness seemed immaculate. I noticed no problems related to
softness or fuzziness. Even during wide shots, the picture
stayed perfect and solid. Print flaws seemed to be
insignificant.
Throughout
the movie, I noticed a couple of speckles, grit, grain,
scratches and streaks, but those came about occasionally. Edge
enhancement caused no major concerns, and I noticed no signs of
jagged edges. Overall, the image worked well in this transfer.
The
Audio
GRAND SLAM
is presented in a Dolby Pro Logic 2.0 surround mix. The film
offered a simple mix, principally because it only consists of
dialogue and simple effects. Speech sounded like it may have
been dubbed at some point in time, although this seems to be how
the director intended to have the movie filmed.
Effects
seemed clear and decisive, without any alteration. Overall, the
track seemed fairly typical of its era and type of film despite
the fact that the audio came across as somewhat better than
average.
The
Extras
Theatrical
Trailer
Poster &
Still Gallery
Overall
Blue
Underground continues its string of attractive DVDs with
GRAND SLAM. Fans of the genre will be very pleased with
Blue Underground’s transfer. I would have to say that the DVD
has a very eye-catching presentation that would make others
envious. For those of you who enjoyed films like Heist, The Score, and Ocean’s Eleven,
GRAND SLAM is where it all began. Highly
Recommended.
