‘On The Yard’/’A Walk On The Moon’: Two Films By Raphael D. Silver Blu-Ray Review – An Overlooked Talent

COHEN FILM COLLECTION Presents Two NEWLY RESTORED and RARELY SEEN Films Directed By RAPHAEL D. SILVER. 

ON THE YARD: Landing himself in a state penitentiary, Juleson (John Heard), a bookish con artist, fails to adjust to the intricate social order of the prison system. Juleson’s independent way of thinking does little to impress his fellow inmates and runs him afoul of Chilly (Thomas Waites), the leader of one of the most powerful gangs in the prison. Facing a group of cold-blooded killers on his own, Juleson discovers firsthand what individualism can bring to a loner behind bars.

A WALK ON THE MOON: Summer 1969. The Apollo 11 mission brought the first human to set foot on the moon and with it a renewed sense of optimism that anything is possible, while on a farm in upstate New York, Woodstock would become an icon of the power of the counterculture’s influence on America and the world. It’s against this backdrop that the story of an idealistic Peace Corps volunteer named Everett Jones (played by Steppenwolf Theatre Ensemble regular Kevin Anderson) assigned to a remote Colombian village is set. When he arrives, he is confused by the cynical attitude of his predecessor (Terry Kinney, Steppenwolf co-founder) and the apathy the villagers seem to hold toward him. It’s both a tale of hubris and hope, as Jones attempts to bring his version of progress to the rural village. Featuring stunning color cinematography by Adam Greenberg (TERMINATOR, GHOST, NEAR DARK), this feature was produced by director Raphael and Joan Micklin Silver’s daughter Dina and includes an extended cameo by Claudia Silver.

For thoughts on On The Yard/A Walk On The Moon, please check out our discussion on The Video Attic:

[youtube https://youtu.be/tZ_w9yoCx1s?t=1843]

Video Quality

On The Yard and A Walk On The Moon have been “newly restored” and released by the Cohen Film Collection with brand new 1080p masters in their original aspect ratios. The exact details of the source elements were not readily available, but the only way to describe these presentations is very pleasing. The considered photography which captures the gritty underbelly of the prison in On The Yard or the remote villages of Columbia sparkles in high definition with natural grain intact and nicely resolved. There is a fantastic amount of detail present with nice textures on the clothing, and the new transfers show off a great amount of depth and enhanced detail. 

The close-up shots hold up better than the long shots when it comes to the most subtle elements. There are elements like the production design that look quite striking in their clarity. Black levels are deep with no major occurrence of black crush or compression artifacts. Some very minor color temperature fluctuations give certain darker scenes a more milky appearance, but for the most part this is not an issue. The contrast is well defined, and there is very little in the way of print damage to be found outside a few stray specks and marks. The Cohen Film Collection has done a standout job with all of these transfers in a way that should make anyone who decides to pick this set up extremely happy. 

Audio Quality

These films are given a DTS-HD 2.0 Master Audio track in the original English with optional English subtitles. Each of these tracks represents these worlds in a pretty solid way sonically, although On The Yard seems to showcase a few deficiencies that trace back to the original capture. These tales mostly take place in remote yet densely populated settings which creates a din of sound that creeps through to provide some excellent ambient details.

All of the various sounds in the mix seem accurately rendered so that nothing ever feels off. The dialogue itself comes through crystal clear without being overshadowed by the sound effects or score. There are a few moments of violence that pack enough of a punch without becoming a muddled mess in the ensuing chaos. The haunting music throughout these films brings a very distinct mood to the proceedings that is represented well in the mix. The only instance that sounds a bit off is when it comes to the brash nature of On The Yard which can struggle at higher amplitudes. Everything else is presented with a formidable fidelity with only the occasional instance of sound presenting as a bit thin or boxy. This presentation is free of any hiss or other age-related wear-and-tear. The Cohen Film Collection has done quite a nice job here. 

Special Features

• Trailer: The minute-long trailer is provided for On The Yard. 

Final Thoughts

On The Yard and A Walk On The Moon stand out as two solid films from a little known filmmaker who seems to have had the skill set to make further engaging films if he had chosen a path in the director’s chair. While neither film might not be an all-time classic, each one features a captivating narrative with an array of strong performances. The Cohen Film Collection has released a Blu-Ray featuring two new restorations boasting a strong A/V presentation, but not much at all in the way of special features. If you are a fan of gritty independent cinema, you should be pleased with the quality of the disc. Recommended 

On The Yard/A Walk On The Moon: Two Films By Raphael D. Silver 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: Cohen Media Group and 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.