A handsome nerd journeys the globe to turn the conventional art world on its head, set to prove to historians and critics alike that movie props are as important an art form as the greatest paintings and sculptures in history.

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Video Quality

Mad Props comes to Blu-Ray from Virgil Films and Kino Lorber with a stellar HD master which presents this movie exactly as intended. This feature is a mixture of newer interviews along with older footage and pictures to help give more context to the props we are seeing. The interview segments look incredibly clear depending on the filming conditions with natural skin tones and some detailed facial features.

Modern material captured in convention centers and other places outside of a controlled setting is likewise sharp and detailed. The older footage seems to be derived from the most stable sources possible, even if some of them are clearly from a weaker element. The colors featured in the footage have a wondrous sense of vibrancy to them. The transfer does not suffer anything in the way of compression artifacts or digital nuisances of the sort. We are glad this one made the cut for an HD presentation.

Audio Quality

This Blu-Ray disc comes with a DTS-HD 2.0 Master Audio track that ideally captures all individual elements. This is primarily an interview showcase with an abundance of talking heads to complement the candid footage and vintage clips. Dialogue is the focus in the center channel as you get these personal stories relayed in a mostly controlled environment. Musical moments come through with a natural fidelity as they wonderfully saturate the room. This soundscape is not too ambitious, but it nails everything that is asked of it. There were no digital anomalies or other issues experienced. This track delivers in every respect. There are optional English SDH subtitles provided.

Special Features

Trailers: The two-minute trailer for Mad Props is provided here. There are also trailers provided for The Eichmann Trial, OPEN, What Rhymes With Reason, and Yes I Am: The Ric Weiland Story.

Final Thoughts

Mad Props is a pretty decent documentary that gives a surface-level overview of the world of movie prop collecting. The film is at its best when it is focused on the props themselves and what they mean to those who collect them and those who used them in the films. The movie takes a bit of a turn toward the distasteful when you realize how much this space is dominated by wealthy men who can afford to outbid everyday folks. Seeing someone drop over $100K with barely a second thought just feels wrong. The way the documentary is positioned feels like the audience is being left out of the fun and excitement. Virgil Films and Kino Lorber have released a Blu-Ray featuring a great A/V presentation but almost nothing in terms of special features.

Mad Props is currently available to purchase on Blu-Ray and Digital.

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

Disclaimer: Virgil Films & Kino Lorber have supplied a copy of this disc free of charge for review purposes. All opinions in this review are the honest reactions of the author.