That TV commercial actress is so seductive she could sell you anything. She’s only a computer-generated illusion. What about the real beauty who was the computer’s model? Sorry, you can’t meet her: She and others like her have been murdered.

Writer/director Michael Crichton (ER, Coma) reaches into his brain-teasing bag of tricks for a mesmerizing thriller full of unfriendly persuasion generated by high-tech trickery. Albert Finney stars as a Beverly Hills plastic surgeon whose supermodel clients start dying mysteriously. Susan Dey plays his latest patient, also now in peril. And James Coburn is the head of a research facility that has developed a subtly hypnotic way to sell things. Take a good look at sleek, chic, scary Looker. There’s a lot more than meets the eye.

For thoughts on Looker, please check out our discussion on The Video Attic:

[youtube https://youtu.be/FjQ9S0XiZNo?si=RatP6vukZh-VhIBa&t=1292]

Video Quality

Looker was released on Blu-Ray in 2018 courtesy of the Warner Archive with a pleasing 1080p transfer derived from a 2K scan of the Interpositive featuring color correction and clean-up. Technically, this disc is in top shape as there are no signs of compression artifacts or banding to be found. The transfer maintains the substantially textured natural film grain that does not spike under any circumstances. This allows for a lot of texture to come through in the numerous aesthetically sterile environments. This is not a film bursting with color, choosing instead to keep things neutral with a lot of white and grey. Even still, when more complex hues do come through, they look brilliant. Warner Archive has served up a pretty good release for this one.

Audio Quality

This Blu-Ray comes with an agreeable DTS-HD 2.0 Master Audio stereo track that showcases the soundscape without issue. This track provides a presentation absent of any major blemishes or digital anomalies that would compromise the viewing experience. The score from Barry De Vorzon establishes the proper tone for this one and balances well within the mix. Dialogue is clear without being suppressed by sound effects like the light guns or other mechanical noises. This track is not going to bring the house down, but the label has delivered a fine listening experience for fans. Optional English SDH subtitles are provided for those who desire them.

Special Features

Audio Commentary: Writer/Director Michael Crichton delivers a perfectly solid commentary track in which he reflects on the production, the groundbreaking nature of some of the elements, the difficulties of capturing certain moments, the different ways he worked with individual performers, why he wanted to tackle this subject, and much more.

Introduction by Michael Crichton: A nearly five-minute introduction is provided in which Crichton discusses many of the elements featured in his commentary.

Deleted Scene: An eight-minute unused scene is provided in standard definition in which Reston gets a chance to deliver his classic villain speech. This scene was previously included in network television airings of the movie.

Trailer: The minute-and-a-half trailer is provided here.

Final Thoughts

Looker is a pretty silly movie on the face of it, but at the same time, it is very prescient. Michael Crichton had the right idea about where technology was heading, leaving this film to feel a bit less ridiculous now than it may have seemed upon its initial release. Even with the kudos the filmmaker gets for his foresight, the movie itself is a bit all over the place with its pacing and narrative logic. The performers are doing the best they can with the material, but what should be a smart thriller feels very dumb by the time the credits start rolling. Warner Archive has released a Blu-Ray featuring a great A/V presentation and a few nice special features. If you are looking for slightly dumb sci-fi fun, this may scratch the itch.

Looker can be purchased directly through MovieZyng or through various other online retailers.

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

Disclaimer: Warner Archive 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.