Barney Cashman (Alan Arkin, The In-Laws), a middle-aged seafood restaurant owner in an unhappy marriage, realizes that his mother’s apartment will be vacant one afternoon each week, spurring numerous raucous attempts at seduction. In his consistently comedic quest to be a “red hot lover”, Cashman makes various discoveries about himself and, subsequently, the woman he pledged fidelity to.

Based on revered American playwright Neil Simon’s (The Odd Couple, Barefoot In the Park) play of the same name, LAST OF THE RED HOT LOVERS was adapted for the screen by Simon himself and directed by frequent stage and screen collaborator Gene Saks (The Odd Couple, play and film). Featuring a delightfully manic lead performance by Arkin and a gifted ensemble cast including Sally Kellerman (M*A*S*H), Paula Prentiss (The Stepford Wives) and Renée Taylor (A New Leaf), Cinématographe is proud to present this often overlooked entry in the careers of Neil Simon, Gene Saks and Alan Arkin in a new 4K restoration from its original camera negative, making its world blu-ray debut!

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Video Quality

This new Blu-Ray debut from Cinématographe gives Last of the Red Hot Lovers an AVC-encoded 1080p transfer in 1.85:1 derived from a 4K restoration from the 35mm Original Camera Negative. The fact that this title has been MIA on the format for so long is nearly criminal, so we greatly appreciate the label stepping up to rectify the situation. The presentation captures the natural qualities throughout with image stability and delineation proving to be exquisite. The natural film grain of the presentation delivers texture to the proceedings with a refined look.

Instances of print damage like nicks and scratches have been essentially cleared away with overall clarity and detail delighting at every turn. A handful of stray blemishes may have made it through the restoration process, but that does not take away from the care that was put into this release. This rich photography captures the nuanced colors of the environment with pleasant shades shining through. Black levels are deep with no major instances of crush or banding that we observed. Highlights similarly hold tight with nothing appearing overly bright. This is a top-notch presentation that is sure to please anyone who has been waiting for a proper release.

Audio Quality

This Blu-Ray comes with a DTS-HD 2.0 Master Audio mono track that captures the intentions of this talky narrative without issue. One of the most pleasant traits of this outing is the score from Neal Hefti that flows out with exceptional clarity and fidelity. This element is balanced perfectly with the Neil Simon dialogue, the true star of this picture. Exchanges and background noises are represented harmoniously with all competing elements throughout the different urban environments. This track shows no notable age-related wear and tear such as hissing, humming, or popping. Cinématographe delivered what was necessary for the audio track. Optional English (SDH) subtitles are included for the feature film.

Special Features

The Limited Edition version of Last of the Red Hot Lovers comes beautifully packaged in a hard outer slipcase that opens up to a MediaBook that includes a bound booklet featuring new essays by film critics Drew McWeeny, Chris Shields, and Justine Smith, plus select archival photo reproductions. These essays delve into the film from multiple angles and provide a great analysis in a thoughtfully written style. The on-disc special features are as follows:

Audio Commentary: Film historians Nathaniel Thompson and Howard S. Berger provide a commentary track that dives into the work of Neil Simon, how this fits into his output, the contemporary attitudes of society, the background of the performers, and more.

Interview with Actress Renee Taylor: A nearly eight-minute interview with one of the stars in which she discusses missing out on performing the stage play, memories of producer Robert Evans, performing with Alan Arkin, how she feels about the film, and more.

Beyond The Staged Play – A Video Essay By Matthew Zoller Seitz: A nearly 11-minute video essay that explores the direction of Gene Saks, his collaboration with Neil Simon, how he brings a staged play to the silver screen, and more.

Final Thoughts

Last of the Red Hot Lovers is an often overlooked entry in the career of the great Neil Simon. The writer has a way of taking serious topics and finding the humorous, human element at the crux of everything. Alan Arkin is one of the best to ever do it, and he is a treasure here, but the trio of women who act as his counterparts at least match or occasionally exceed him. Our heart belongs with Paula Prentiss, but Sally Kellerman might just be the MVP of the film. It is hilarious and thought-provoking, and it is a shame it is not as highly regarded as other Simon efforts from this era. Cinématographe has provided a Blu-Ray that features a stellar A/V presentation and a great assortment of supplemental features. Highly Recommended

Last of the Red Hot Lovers is currently available to purchase on Blu-Ray.

Note: Images presented in this review are not reflective of the image quality of the Blu-Ray.

Disclaimer: Cinématographe 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.