The Sting Blu Ray Digibook

'Not only are you a cheat, you're a gutless cheat, as well.'

 

Fig 1. The Cover is Classic and in keeping

 

This is one that I have been after for a long time, I never managed to pick it up on DVD and I was to busy not caring in my youth to get it on VHS. But i'm so glad they gave it the Special Treatment for the Restored Blu Ray. For anyone who is not familiar with the story its set in 1936 Illinois where a con man ends up being conned by a crew and his fellow mentor Luthor gets murdered, (played by Robert Earl Jones), Hooker(Robert Redford) decides to go on the run to Chicago not only from the gangsters but the crooked police officer Lt. Snyder (Charles Durning) and meets up with long time card shark and conman Henry Gondoff (Paul Newman). He convinces Gondoff to side with him and together they decide to take down New York mobster Doyle Lonnegan (Robert Shaw) whom Hooker lost his $3000 dollars in a card game. They aren't Murder's so they devise a scheme to rip Lonnegan off.  Nearly all the card sharks and con men want to take part to pay their respects to Luther. Gondoff is himself a wanted man by the FBI and they have hunted him down to Chi town, So they are wanted by all forms of so called Goodie and Baddie. Whilst on a train trip Hooker makes himself known to Lonnegan and manages to get him on his side and cleverly gets him to put up the money to take down the pretend disgruntled employee of Gondoffs racket. But there are only so many people he can con at one time, so what happens when things don’t go to plan?. Its a classic bit of original movie making and some very funny things unfold, to me along with 'Butch Cassidy and the Sundance Kid' Newman and Redford are at there very, very best as you can tell I have gone on for a while here but it's so very worth it.

 

 

Fig 2. The Back is Just as Fitting as the Front.

Fig 3. Inside Artwork is Bold Red but a Little Dull.

Fig 4. a Very Informative Book with Some Lovely Detail.

 

 

 

 

VIDEO***

Presented in 1080p at a 1.85:1 Aspect Ratio

Before anybody says anything NO it isn't a straight 3 stars here it's 3 and a half. First off the bad and to be honest with you there isn't that much of it. Universal's use of DNR (Digital Noise Reduction) has been used here but to there credit this time it doesn't seem to obvious, in fact edges look sharp where they can be and colours are a bit muted but that's the look of the film source and the film itself with it's brownish tinge. Fine grain is still noticeable and that's good. There is also some minor artifacting that crops up but I think that's to be a little expected.

 

 

AUDIO****

DTS MASTER AUDIO 5.1 English and French DTS Mono

The Sting has a great sounding lossless soundtrack and its all the better for it 1930's Chicago sounds just as it should with old car horns going off and cars chugging past you in the busy streets, it provides a fun and immersive movie experience, and it's also surprisingly weighty on the low end of things. Dialogue is tight with voices crisp and clean. a near full house on the sound for me 4 out of 5.

 

 

EXTRAS****

THE ART OF THE STING.

3 Documentary on the creation of the film featuring interviews with Robert Redford, Paul Newman and many more

100 YEARS OF UNIVERSAL: RESTRORING THE CLASSICS.

An in depth look at the intricate process of preserving the studio's film legacy

100 YEARS OF UNIVERSAL: THE '70'S.

A look at Universal's iconic movies and filmmakers during this dynamic decade

100 YEARS OF UNIVERSAL: THE LOT.

A behind the scenes look at the movie magic created on the famous Universal lot

THEATRICAL TRAILER.

 

So cards on the table here I like this set a lot and I urge you to take the plunge