Screen Format	16:9 Enhanced (2.35:1)
	Audio Tracks	English MPEG5.1 (Default) English DD5.1
	Subtitles	none
	Region Code	4
	Chapters	17
	Running Time	97 minutes (PAL)
	Extra Features	Menu Selections Cast Bios Interviews Theatrical Trailer Featurette
	Classification	M15+

Back in 1961, Akira Kurosawa came up with a film that was something of a cross between a western and a samurai flick, and was somewhat praised by the critics.  Well of course where there's the smell of success, Hollywood tend to milk a film/story/idea/concept 'til it's bone dry.  And of course we have the cyclic nature of film making, where every twenty or thirty years (and usually less) that idea is "remade" and "updated" for today's audience.  Well this has happened again in the guise of Last Man Standing, based on the above mentioned movie.   But to make the transition of an update/remake, you need, at least today, a very bankable lead, top notch director and lots of bells and whistles, which is pretty much what you get with this film.  You have Bruce(Armegeddon was my last action film)Willis, playing John Smith, the loner, and behind the lens is the always reliable action director, and in this case writer, Walter (bungy straps make death by gunshots way cooler) Hill.  And thrown in for good measure is Bruce(That's Cartman god damn it!!) Dern.....(sorry couldn't think of anything else)....oh and how could I forget the guy everybody loves to hate.....Christopher Walken (sorry, my imagination can only stretch so far). 

John smith comes under the category as a lone gunman for hire.  He wanders into a small town called Jericho, where there are 2 rival gangs fighting over booze and what not during prohibition......John pretty much plays tag team with the gangs, changing from side to side, killing a few members here and there, of course there are a few battles over the girls of the main baddies, your usual western/action stuff.....there's really not much else to it, but it is beautifully shot by Lloyd Ahern (a Walter hill regular), and there is a snazzy little music score by another regular, Ry Cooder.  I found the score to be somewhat curious but it suited this film down to a T.

So How Does This Transfer Hold Up??

Columbia have presented.....Oh no wait that's Roadshow isn't it, so what does that tell you :-).......ahhhheemm  Roadshow have presented Last Man Standing as a 16:9 enhanced DVD in it's original 2.35:1 format and have done a bloody good job at that!!!....I won't go as far as to say this is the best I've seen, but it is the best from Roadshow, to date, and if this is a sign of things to come from them then we are in for some real treats (I guess the stink we all made about the original Die Hard 3 has paid off and made Roadshow rethink what is required for their DVD mastering process).  I did find that watching this as a 4:3 letterboxed that some of the striking imagery was reduced as opposed to the great detail seen as the proper 16:9 representation, but until you get yourself a 16:9 TV or one that is 16:9 switchable, you will be more than happy with what you'll see, if this is the case.  At times the images appeared soft, this is the way the film was shot to give the film that diffused look, as was the intentionally sepia tone of the film.   Of course there are some vividly striking scenes that are a real treat and only DVD will truly do them justice, and talk about clean, I think I spotted only 1 speck of dirt on the print (I was wondering if Roadshow borrowed New Lines NTSC transfer for this film:-).  From the opening scene I could tell this was going to be a great looking DVD, (as if this where a VHS tape, there is no way in hell that level of colour saturation could hold up like it did here), just watch it to see what I mean, you won't be disappointed....

Not only has this film being given a great transfer, but the sound track is a killer.....There are not that many films out there that reveal such aggression and that much subtly during a shoot out, or as the case is with this film shoot outS....prepare to be blown away.  The dialogue too was always clear and clean, and well placed within the soundfield, this sorta sound track truly justifies the expense many of us have to gone to in setting up a Home Theatre.

Included in this DVD are a few other goodies.  You have you usual cast bios, film trailer, cast interviews which are Again broken up into bites, but I'm told Roadshow are going to make a few changes to that style, (thanks for listening Phil), and a featurette that runs for a few minutes (a longer one would have been nice, but I guess it's not something that I'd watch over and over so who cares :-).  Interestingly, it seems that Roadshow have taken the idea of 16:9 DVD pretty seriously, as the entire disc has been encoded that way.  When played on a 4:3 TV you will notice that the interviews, trailer and featurette are boxed both above and to the sides.  This is so that when the DVD is played back on a 16:9 TV these features will be displayed in their proper ratio of 4:3 and at full height....kudos to Roadshow for some smart thinking (they did the same thing for Die Hard 3 by the way).  One oddity, or to be more accurate a bungle, is when you select the audio format from the menu. Instead of the disc playing the movie, it goes to the last chapter you where in, which for me was the theatrical trailer...selecting the audio track via the AUDIO button on your remote control does not do this (in case you wondered:-)

So yes, I'm very pleased with this DVD from Roadshow, and can highly recommend it for it's great piccy and excellent sound, the movie's theme is a bit old, but certainly never dull......Last Man Standing has a RRP $34.95 (although to be honest I rented this time:-)

Review Equipment: TV: Toshiba 48" RPTV, DVD: Samsung DVD905, Receiver: Marantz SR870, Speakers: Front - B&W 602's, Rears - Jamo, Subby - M&K V125 (grumble-growl-BOOM). Cinema Chairs (Gilberton Recliners....okay so there not REALLY cinema chairs but they're very comfy..)

Original Review Date 2nd September 1998