Often imitated but never surpassed, Grand Slam is a classic heist thriller starring screen greats Janet Leigh (Touch of Evil), Edward G. Robinson (Night Has a Thousand Eyes) and Klaus Kinski (For a Few Dollars More). A quiet yet cunning school teacher (Robinson) recruits an elite team of international criminals for the ultimate caper: robbing $10 million in diamonds from an 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 history, are the wildest surprises of all yet to come? Hailed by Roger Ebert as “one of the best heist movies” with a slam-bang twist ending, Grand Slam co-stars Robert Hoffmann (Wake Up and Die), Riccardo Cucciolla (Un Flic), George Rigaud (All the Colors of the Dark) and Adolfo Celi (Thunderball) with taut direction by Giuliano Montaldo (Sacco & Vanzetti) and an ultra-swinging score by the legendary Ennio Morricone (The Good, the Bad and the Ugly).
For thoughts on Grand Slam, please check out our discussion on The Video Attic:
Video Quality
Kino Classics presents Grand Slam with a pretty strong upgrade in the form of a new 1080p transfer in 2.35:1 that is not noted as being sourced from a new master, but it looks good overall despite the fact that it could use some work. The very opening scene with Robinson exiting an airport looks really rough, but things shape up immensely after this poor start. The film does present a number of instances with damage and dirt, plus some recurring fluctuations in density. The film features some vibrant colors within the locations and specific costumes that are striking with good saturation.
Skin tones look natural, and the presentation offers up some fairly deep black levels that only begin to crush a bit in the darkest moments. There is a noticeable uptick in fine detail that should please fans of the film, even if some shots look more sharp than others. Luckily, there does not appear to have been any digital manipulation of the source. The transfer provides nice, natural film grain absent of any compression artifacts or other such digital anomalies. While a fresh scan would be preferable, Kino Classics has given this one a significant upgrade from standard definition.
Audio Quality
The Blu-Ray comes with a decent DTS-HD 2.0 Master Audio track that represents the film pretty well throughout. Dialogue and background noises are represented in pleasing harmony with all competing elements. Since this is an English-language track, which is faithful to the original release, the non-English speakers are dubbed over with a pretty tight sync. All of the sound effects and music appear to be faithful to the original sound. This disc maintains a capable sense of fidelity that is appreciated during the thrilling second half of the feature. Fans will notice the vibrancy and clarity of the Ennio Morricone soundtrack when certain scenes are aided with music. Despite the strength of this score, nothing ever overpowers the dialogue or other pertinent information. This track shows no overwhelming instances of age related wear and tear such as hissing or popping. There are optional English (SDH) subtitles included for the feature film.
Special Features
- Audio Commentary: Film Historians Howard S. Berger, Steve Mitchell and Nathaniel Thompson provide an entertaining and informative commentary track in which they discuss how this period in time was buoyed by a proliferation in international travel, the behind-the-scenes details of the production of the film, the careers of the creative figures involved, how this film was sold around the world, how the film works even better on a second viewing and more.
- Theatrical Trailer: There is a four-minute trailer provided for Grand Slam. There are also trailers provided for Bob le Flambeur, Topkapi, Un Flic, Max and the Junkmen, Loophole, Touch Of Evil and The Woman In The Window.
Final Thoughts
Grand Slam is a really engaging and tense heist movie that offers up twists and turns that you are bound to luxuriate in long after the credits have finished rolling. Despite the star power of the film, the real attraction might just be the luscious Rio de Janeiro setting which offers up a unique flavor to an often stagnant genre. The performers more than pull their weight as they nail their particular roles in the story, no one serving as a weak link. Kino Classics has provided a new Blu-Ray featuring a strong A/V presentation and an informative commentary track. If you are a fan of heist films or the talent involved, this is worth seeking out. Recommended
Grand Slam is currently available to purchase on Blu-Ray and DVD.
Note: Images presented in this review are not reflective of the image quality of the Blu-Ray.
Disclaimer: Kino Classics has supplied a copy of this disc 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.