Bringing Out the Dead - 4K Blu-ray Review

[Michael Scott]

Bringing Out the Dead



Movie:
4K Video:
Video:
Audio:
Extras:
Final Score:



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Movie
I’m not sure why, but while I have seen just about ever Scorsese film out there, and while I have pretty much seen every theatrical releasing Nic Cage movie out there, I somehow have managed to avoid watching Bringing Out the Dead for the last 25 years. I don’t know why, I don’t know how, but every time I saw the trailer I thought to myself “huh, I need to see that, looks crazy”, only for the film to get lost in the sea of new releases over the years. So when I found out that Scorsese’s notorious bomb was getting a release on 4K/Blu-ray for the very first time I sort of perked up and paid attention. Not only was I going to get to see it for the first time, but this would be the first time it ever got a physical release past the aging DVD, AND we get a 4K combo pack at the same time. Tempting, tempting.

Anyways, upon viewing the film I now understand why it slipped through the cracks. It’s an over indulgent, chaotic mess of a film that really stands out as neither something that Paul Schrader is known for, and something that Scorsese is really known for either. Using the almost hypnotic and bizarre tonalities of Crash, with Schrader’s influence on Taxi Driver, mixed with pure Nic Cage over acting (it’s not The Wicker Man level of over acting, but it gets close at times), Bringing Out the Dead is so bizarre and over the top, yet strangely forgettable at the same time.

Told over the course of a three night bender, we’re introduced to the ever slipping sanity of Manhattan EMT paramedic Frank (Nic Cage) who is slowly losing his grip on reality. He’s watched the worst of the worst happen to the worst people, and the bearing weight of responsibility for people dying under his care is getting under Frank’s skin. He’s losing sleep, barely able to do his job, and just begging for the day that his under staffed department will finally fire him and allow the ghosts that haunt his mind thanks to his thankless job are put to rest for good. But for some strange reason the haunted Paramedic can’t seem to let go on his own. Despite his mental faculties sliding deeper and deeper into depression, the haunted memory of a young girl that he accidentally allowed to die keep forcing him to try and rescue as many people as he can.

While Nic is the front and center star as Frank, Scorsese employs a whole host of great actors to act as a backdrop for Frank’s decline. His angry partner Larry (John Goodman) who quits on Frank’s first night of the film, the over exuberant partner Marcus (Ving Rhames) who gets high off the job itself, and the bitter EMT Tom (Tom Sizemore) who has let the job get to him more than a few times. Mix in a depressed young woman from 49th street named Mary Burke (Patricia Arquette) that sort of anchors Frank for a a bit, a slick talking drug dealer with a heart (played by the ever impressive Cliff Curtis) and Scorsese attempting to go full Neo-Noir dramedy and you have an absolutely INSANE time.

I’m not sure how to really say this, but this is by far the most forgettable and boring Scorsese film I’ve ever seen. I had heard by more than a few people that this is kind of an “acquired taste” type of film, but it certainly doesn’t live up to the greatness that Scorsese is known for. Especially since this is actually the fourth outing between Scorsese and writer Paul Schrader (having previously worked on Taxi Driver, Raging Bull, and The Last Temptation of ), so the confusing neo-noir dramedy is a bit of a strange detour for the pair. Scorsese tries to utilize similar over the top visual elements ala Fight Club, but the dark comedy and noir esque tonalities make it hard to really grasp, and even after having watched the film twice this week alone, I’m having a hard time wondering WHY some of the choices were made. Kind of like Crash, Bringing Out the Dead is one of those movies that is just known for over indulgent melodrama that doesn’t hold up that well today. And while I HATE to say this considering how big of a Martin Scorsese fan I am, this is a film that I’m probably never going to revisit, despite some interesting elements and great acting (or in Nic Cage’s situation, OVER acting).




Rating:

Rated R for gritty violent content, drug use and language




4K Video: Video:

Given a full remaster from the Original Camera Negative (OCN) and overseen by Martin Scorsese, cinematographer Robert Richardson, and editor Thelma Schoonmaker, the 4K UHD disc (and the Blu-ray) looks fantastic on home video. It may not be the traditional jaw dropper with razor sharp visuals and picture perfect effects, but it replicates the moody atmosphere that Scorsese was going for perfectly. Skin tones and black scenes tend to look really pale and clammy looking, with fantastically organic look film grain and fine detailing on faces and clothing. Sometimes the style gets a bit OVER the top (much like Cage’s acting), but there are no major signs of artifacting, and the grain and imaging appears to be spot on. This is a very desaturated and “sickly” looking film, but it’s replicated about as faithfully as you can imagine, with a great heavy bitrate that means it doesn’t suffer like some of Paramount’s recent 4K blunders on the encode.








Audio:

I wouldn’t have expected this, but Bringing Out the Dead features a killer Atmos track that makes FULL use of all channels due to the very atmospheric mix that Scorsese utilizes for the film. Dialog is solid all the way around (although I noticed he allowed for more natural peaks and valleys in the dialog mixing, vs. making it sound like it was recorded on a level sound stage) and surround channels are just FILLED with crazy antics ranging from the shrieking of the sirens to people in Manhattan yelling in the streets at our intrepid Paramedic. The score is absolutely breathtaking, with a haunting/creepy track that just permeates the mood and feel of the entire picture, and actually hits you from all angles. I was shocked at how well the overheads were utilized, though mainly for ambient noises and the crushing score rather than any major discrete sounds.









Extras:

• NEW FILMMAKER FOCUS – MARTIN SCORSESE ON BRINGING OUT THE DEAD - Visionary filmmaker Martin Scorsese shares stories behind the production, touching on casting, shooting in New York City, and the music and art that inspired his approach.
• NEW A RUMINATION ON SALVATION – NICOLAS CAGE ON BRINGING OUT THE DEAD - Academy Award® winner Nicolas Cage relates tales of wild nights in New York City, his cerebral approach to his character, and his time with Scorsese prior to shooting.
• NEW CEMETERY STREETS – SCREENWRITER PAUL SCHRADER ON BRINGING OUT THE DEAD - Legendary screenwriter Paul Schrader talks about adapting author Joe Connelly's novel, how traveling with real paramedics informed his writing, and his creative partnership with Scorsese.
• NEW CITY OF GHOSTS – CINEMATOGRAPHER ROBERT RICHARDSON ON BRINGING OUT THE DEAD - Frequent Scorsese collaborator and Academy Award® winning cinematographer Robert Richardson opens up about shooting Bringing Out the Dead and how the film personally resonated with him.
• NEW ON SET WITH PATRICIA ARQUETTE - Actress Patricia Arquette reflects on working with Nicolas Cage, the creative openness of director Martin Scorsese, and how her own background allowed for a personal understanding of her character.
• NEW ON SET WITH JOHN GOODMAN - Actor John Goodman talks about the intensity of portraying a paramedic, working with Nicolas Cage, and the honor of appearing in a Martin Scorsese film.
• NEW ON SET WITH VING RHAMES - Actor Ving Rhames shares how Martin Scorsese's New York City differs from his personal experience and how his character relates to Nicolas Cage's character.
• NEW ON SET WITH TOM SIZEMORE - Actor Tom Sizemore celebrates the opportunity to appear in Bringing Out the Dead and reflects on how life is full of surprises.
• NEW ON SET WITH MARC ANTHONY - Actor Marc Anthony shares how he turned witnessing real-life hardship on the streets of New York City into an unforgettable performance.
• EXCLUSIVE CAST AND CREW INTERVIEWS
• THEATRICAL TRAILERS
• Collectible packaging featuring a foldout image of the film's theatrical poster and an interior spread with key movie moments

Final Score: ​

According to everything that I dug up on the film it seems that film goers felt catfished back in 1999. They were sold a trailer that sort of hinted at being an action thriller with Nic Cage, only to get a neo-noir surrealist dramedy that let most film goers feeling cheated. The flick didn’t exactly make much at the box office for a Scorsese film, and I can sort of see why. I haven’t paid attention to the film for over 25 years, but I felt the same way after watching the trailer and then watching the film right after. It’s a bizarre flick that can SORT OF work, but feels like Oliver Stone and Darren Aranofsky tried to collab together, with the same results. As for the 4K UHD set, this is quite the stunner. Paramount went all out with the video remaster and Atmos track, and the extras and collectible packaging is very solid. If I liked the film better this would be a must buy release (and it most certainly is for fans of the film), but being that I couldn’t really mesh that well with what I saw, I’m going to recommend people check out the film first before committing to a blind buy.


Technical Specifications:

Starring: Nic Cage, Patricia Arquette, Ving Rhames, John Goodman, Marc Anthony, Tom Sizemore
Directed by: Martin Scorsese
Written by: Joe Connelly, Paul Schrader
Aspect Ratio: 2.39:1 HEVC
Audio: English: Dolby Atmos (Dolby TrueHD 7.1 Core), English Dolby TrueHD 5.1,
Subtitles: English SDH, English
Studio: Paramount
Rated: R
Runtime: 121 minutes
Blu-Ray Release Date: September 17th, 2024

Recommendation: Interesting Watch