STEALING. CHEATING. KILLING. WHO SAYS ROMANCE IS DEAD? In 1993, action movie supremo Tony Scott teamed up with a hot new screenwriter named Quentin Tarantino to bring True Romance to the screen, one of the most beloved and widely-quoted films of the decade. Elvis-worshipping comic book store employee Clarence Worley (Christian Slater) is minding his own business at a Sonny Chiba triple bill when Alabama Whitman (Patricia Arquette) walks into his life – and from then on, the two are inseparable. Within 24 hours, they’re married and on the run after Clarence is forced to kill Alabama’s possessive, psychopathic pimp. Driving a Cadillac across the country from Detroit to Hollywood, the newlyweds plan to sell off a suitcase full of stolen drugs to fund a new life for themselves… but little do they suspect that the cops and the Mafia are closing in on them. Will they escape and make their dream of a happy ending come true? Breathtaking action set pieces and unforgettably snappy dialogue combine with a murderers’ row of sensational performances from a stunning ensemble cast in Scott and Tarantino’s blood-soaked, bullet-riddled valentine, finally restored in dazzling 4K with hours of brilliant bonus features.
For thoughts on True Romance, please check out our discussion on The Video Attic:
Video Quality
Arrow Films presents True Romance with a terrific 2160p transfer in its original 2.39:1 aspect ratio sourced from a 4K restoration of both the Theatrical Cut and the Director’s Cut from the original 35mm camera negative and additional intermediary elements that were graded in 4K HDR/Dolby Vision. Arrow always knocks it out of the park with their restorations, and things are no different for this hotly anticipated title.
The presentation provides nearly the perfect amount of natural film grain that helps bring out the textural details of the setting. Scott is such a tactile director who really establishes a sense of reality within his world even in the most violent, over-the-top situations. The subtle textures on display in the costumes and within the environments are unbelievable. This disc handles every environmental change from the dingy apartment of Drexl to the sun-drenched open road to California without fault. The black levels are properly deep with nothing in the way of crush present, and white levels show no evidence of blooming even in the brightest outdoor scenes. The enhanced detail and clarity will allow you to pick up elements of the production design you never noticed before, which is especially helpful in a Tarantino story where all of the characters have highly specific tastes.
One of the most fetching aspects of the disc is the application of Dolby Vision for increased color output that takes this visually dynamic film and allows it to look better than you ever could have dreamed. The new restoration features some colors from the dreary Detroit landscape to the vibrant California setting that are generally presented with a great complexity. Certain costumes and lighting choices radiate off the screen without seeming artificially boosted. This new transfer features absolutely nothing in the way of print damage. This 5-star presentation always appears natural with the added resolution bringing out more nuances within the environment. I did not notice any unsightly digital anomalies such as compression artifacts, banding or any other such nuisances. The only time shots become slightly more gritty are the unique moments to the Director’s Cut, but even this blends well. This presentation is a top-tier effort from the good people at Arrow Video.
Audio Quality
This 4K UHD Blu-Ray comes with a lossless DTS-HD 5.1 and 2.0 Master Audio track which both capture this film really well. One of our favorite things about the film is the score from Hans Zimmer which provides a fantastical atmosphere for this story which fills the speakers well. The music that Scott lifts from Badlands likewise aids in this distinct mood. Throughout the journey, there are no issues with fidelity or damage to the track. The movie is filled with a vast array of environmental sounds such as automobiles and wildlife that come alive in the surround sound channels.
The classic dialogue comes through crystal clear primarily in the front channel without being overwhelmed by any sound effects or score. The track has a great sense of directionality with sounds always emanating from the appropriate channels. The film is not packed to the gills with big action sequences, but there are plenty of moments that really kick the low end into gear. This audio presentation is everything you could ask from this film. There are optional English SDH subtitles provided.
Special Features
The Limited Edition Collector’s Set of the Arrow Video 4K UHD Blu-Ray of True Romance comes beautifully packaged in a hard outer case and includes a 60-page bound book featuring new writing on the film by Kim Morgan and Nicholas Clement, a 2008 Maxim oral history featuring interviews with cast and crew, and Edgar Wright’s 2012 eulogy for Tony Scott. These works provide a great analysis of the film and the talent at large in a thoughtfully written style. This package also includes a double-sided poster and six double-sided, postcard-sized lobby card reproductions. The on-disc special features are as follows:
- Original Theatrical Version (1:58:14) and the DIrector’s Cut (2:00:36)
- Feature Commentaries
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- Audio Commentary #1: Director Tony Scott provides this archival commentary track in which he discusses first reading the script for this and Reservoir Dogs, his admiration of Quentin Tarantino, his disappointment with not getting approval to use actual Elvis songs, his homages to Badlands, trying to find more inspired ways to shoot a love scene, the casting of the picture, issues that popped up during production and more. There are some small stretches of silence, but overall this is a terrific, honest overview of the production of the film.
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- Audio Commentary #2: Writer Quentin Tarantino delivers the high-energy archival commentary track that you would expect as he talks about his early script writing as a teenager, how True Romance became his first finished script, the kung fu triple feature spotlighted in the film, his struggle to get something made, monologues he lifted from other projects he planned to make, moments that were omitted from the final film, how certain elements changed from the time he wrote the script until it actually got made and more. If you love hearing Tarantino talk about movies, you will not be disappointed
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- Audio Commentary #3: Another archival audio commentary track with actors Christian Slater and Patricia Arquette in which they recall their memories of making the film. There is quite a bit of silence in this one, and the insights are often pretty surface level with the occasional intriguing anecdote to keep you listening. Surprisingly, this is the weakest of the four tracks.
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- Audio Commentary #4: Film Critic Tim Lucas provides a great new commentary track which takes a more analytical and historical look at the feature including the careers of the creatives involved, how the film differs from the script, background info on elements of the production design and allusions to other works, the elements Gary Oldman brought from his Dracula role, the legacy of the film and more. Lucas is a huge admirer of the film, and he speaks about it with great passion.
- Select Scene Commentaries: You thought you were done with commentary tracks? Absolutely not! There are so many great stories left to hear with the selection of archival and new commentary bits including Brad Pitt’s original aversion to the script, Bronson Pinchot vehemently turning down Beverly Hills Cop 2 and Saul Rubinek telling off Tony Scott during an audition.
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- Dennis Hopper (2002) – (11:17)
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- Val Kilmer (2002) – (4:08)
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- Brad Pitt (2002) – (5:47)
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- Michael Rapaport (2002) – (34:40)
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- Bronson Pinchot (2021) – (15:57)
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- Saul Rubinek (2021) – (6:51)
- New Interviews
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- You’re So Cool with Susan Becker: A ten-minute conversation with the costume designer in which she discusses her working relationship with Tony Scott, coming up with the thematic ideas behind each character’s look, memories of the performers, and more.
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- Relentless Romance with Michael Tronick: An 11-minute piece with the co-editor in which he discusses what he learned from Tony Scott, editing on film, having a ton of different coverage to choose from in the edit, the joy of having independence in the construction, his feelings on the film and more.
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- Amid The Chaos of the Day with Mark Mancina and John Van Tongeren: A nearly 12-minute conversation with the composers in which they discuss their creative backgrounds, collaboration with Hans Zimmer, their favorite scenes to compose, the notes from Tony Scott, how this film factors into their careers and more.
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- A Hunger For Mayhem with Larry Taylor: A seven-minute piece with Larry Taylor, author of Tony Scott: A Filmmaker on Fire, in which you get to hear about how this film fits into the Scott filmography, allusions to other works from the director, the box office disappointment and more.
- Deleted & Extended Scenes: Eleven deleted scenes totaling 29 minutes are provided here which are mostly just small extensions that were cut for length but are worth checking out. You do get an option to watch these with a Tony Scott commentary that helps you better understand why these moments were ultimately not included.
- Alternate Ending: A six-minute alternate ending which ends the film on less of a “fairytale” approach. There are optional commentary tracks with both Tony Scott and Quentin Tarantino.
- Electronic Press Kit: A collection of archival featurettes and interviews which provides some great on-set anecdotes, an overview of the production process and more tidbits here and there.
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- US Featurette 1 (5:39)
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- US Featurette 2 (5:41)
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- International Featurette (7:48)
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- Behind The Scenes (15:21)
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- Interview with Tony Scott (4:19)
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- Interview with Christian Slater (1:52)
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- Interview with Patricia Arquette (2:00)
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- Interview with Dennis Hopper (1:48)
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- Interview with Gary Oldman (3:00)
- Trailers & TV Spots: This disc provides the US Theatrical Trailer (2:17), US TV Spots (1:04) and International Trailer (2:27).
- Image Galleries: A collection of Production Stills and Poster & Video Art are provided.
Final Thoughts
True Romance is a wild and rollicking male fantasy that only someone like Quentin Tarantino could finesse into something that does not reek of toxicity – for the most part. As you expect from the creative, every performer is given something distinct to really sink into to deliver a feature filled with memorable moments. This chaos is controlled by the late, great Tony Scott, who is one of the handful of people who could make a Tarantino script not suffocate the other creative aspects of the project. This film truly is a perfect marriage of director and screenwriter. Arrow Video has released a 4K UHD Blu-Ray featuring an unbelievable A/V presentation and an overwhelming amount of special features. If you are a fan of the film, this is the type of release you have been dreaming about for years. Recommended
True Romance is currently available to purchase on 4K UHD Blu-Ray and Blu-Ray.
Note: Images presented in this review are not reflective of the image quality of the 4K UHD Blu-Ray.
Disclaimer: Arrow Video has supplied a copy of this set free of charge for review purposes. All opinions in this review are the honest reactions of the author.
Dillon is most comfortable sitting around in a theatre all day watching both big budget and independent movies.