40 The Reckoning

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MichaelB
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Re: Indicator

#1 Post by MichaelB » Wed Jun 07, 2017 5:49 am

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THE RECKONING
£15.99

PRE-ORDER NOW: THIS ITEM WILL BE RELEASED ON 21 AUGUST 2017, BUT YOU CAN PRE-ORDER IT NOW TO BE GUARANTEED A COPY. PLEASE NOTE THAT YOUR PAYMENT WILL BE TAKEN IMMEDIATELY, AND THE ITEM WILL SHIP JUST BEFORE THE RELEASE DATE.

(Jack Gold, 1969)
Release date: 21 August 2017
Limited Dual Format Edition (Blu-ray premiere / UK DVD premiere)

A ruthless business executive (an intense tour de force performance by leading man Nicol Williamson) returns home to his Liverpool roots to investigate his father’s death. An unflinching exploration of the British class system, Jack Gold's penetrating, brutal drama stands alongside contemporary classics Up the Junction and Room at the Top, and prefigures Get Carter by several years. Underrated and underexposed, The Reckoning may well be one of the most essential British films ever made.

Available for the first time ever in the UK.

INDICATOR LIMITED EDITION SPECIAL FEATURES:
• High Definition remaster
• Original mono audio
• Audio commentary
• New interview with actor Ann Bell (2017, tbc mins)
• Original theatrical trailer
• Image gallery: on-set and promotional photography
• New English subtitles for the deaf and hard-of-hearing
• Limited edition exclusive booklet with a new essay by Michael Pattison, an overview of contemporary critical responses, and historic articles on the film
• World premiere on Blu-ray
• UK DVD premiere
• Limited Dual Format Edition of 3,000 copies
• More TBC

#PHIDFE040
BBFC cert: TBC
REGION FREE
EAN: 5037899071199

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Der Spieler
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Re: Indicator

#2 Post by Der Spieler » Sun Aug 20, 2017 11:32 am

Ribs wrote:Beaver now chimes in again on Joe Egg & The Reckoning
What's the consensus on The Reckoning? Is it worthy of a blind buy?

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Re: Indicator

#3 Post by MichaelB » Sun Aug 20, 2017 11:46 am

Der Spieler wrote:What's the consensus on The Reckoning? Is it worthy of a blind buy?
Put it like this: you can argue till the cows come home which of The Reckoning or Get Carter is more resonant a portrait of a man who finds himself confronted by his past when he's unexpectedly called north (to Liverpool/Newcastle) because of a family bereavement, but there's no question that they're not so far apart that one deserved to become a major cultural icon that still gleams brightly nearly half a century later while the other has been all but forgotten.

Both Mike Hodges (Get Carter) and Jack Gold/screenwriter John McGrath (The Reckoning) had very similar ambitions to inject a note of hard-nosed realism into genres that more often tended towards silly melodrama, and both Michael Caine and Nicol Williamson deliver hugely charismatic performances - although Williamson doesn't try at any point to ingratiate himself with the audience, which may have been part of the problem. He's absolutely riveting to watch from beginning to end, but his Michael Marler is a very tough character to actually like.

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Der Spieler
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Re: Indicator

#4 Post by Der Spieler » Sun Aug 20, 2017 2:44 pm

MichaelB wrote:
Der Spieler wrote:What's the consensus on The Reckoning? Is it worthy of a blind buy?
Put it like this: you can argue till the cows come home which of The Reckoning or Get Carter is more resonant a portrait of a man who finds himself confronted by his past when he's unexpectedly called north (to Liverpool/Newcastle) because of a family bereavement, but there's no question that they're not so far apart that one deserved to become a major cultural icon that still gleams brightly nearly half a century later while the other has been all but forgotten.

Both Mike Hodges (Get Carter) and Jack Gold/screenwriter John McGrath (The Reckoning) had very similar ambitions to inject a note of hard-nosed realism into genres that more often tended towards silly melodrama, and both Michael Caine and Nicol Williamson deliver hugely charismatic performances - although Williamson doesn't try at any point to ingratiate himself with the audience, which may have been part of the problem. He's absolutely riveting to watch from beginning to end, but his Michael Marler is a very tough character to actually like.
Thanks for the comments! For what it's worth I absolutely loved Get Carter, so I think I'll give this one a try.

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Re: Indicator

#5 Post by antnield » Fri Aug 25, 2017 8:47 am

M Sanderson wrote:I was certain I'd read about The Reckoning in Sight & Sound's feature for films unreleased on home digital video, but am struggling to find the issue.
July 2015. The author of that piece, Michael Pattinson, is also responsible for the booklet essay in the Indicator release.

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Re: Indicator

#6 Post by M Sanderson » Fri Aug 25, 2017 2:43 pm

Excellent, thanks for that.

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Re: Indicator

#7 Post by peerpee » Fri Aug 25, 2017 3:18 pm

I was extremely impressed and thrilled by THE RECKONING. Up there with PERFORMANCE and GET CARTER for me.

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Indicator

#8 Post by MichaelB » Sat Aug 26, 2017 4:59 am

Blueprint Review on The Reckoning.
This violent temperament, on top of a few short bursts of action (including some terrifyingly dangerous driving sequences) and an occasionally quite punchy editing style, make for an incredibly intense film, which is pretty impressive considering the film is really just about a businessman travelling up north to see his dead father.

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Re: Indicator

#9 Post by NABOB OF NOWHERE » Sat Aug 26, 2017 5:06 am

MichaelB wrote:Blueprint Review on The Reckoning.
This violent temperament, on top of a few short bursts of action (including some terrifyingly dangerous driving sequences) and an occasionally quite punchy editing style, make for an incredibly intense film, which is pretty impressive considering the film is really just about a businessman travelling up north to see his dead father.
One thing did jump out in this review , namely the reference to "Anglo-Saxon Teddy boys" . As opposed to what ? Viking teddy boys?

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Indicator

#10 Post by MichaelB » Sat Aug 26, 2017 5:07 am

I suspect this is to firmly establish that they don't share Mick's Irish heritage (which could hardly be more dramatically significant in the relevant context), but were there any Irish Teddy Boys?

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NABOB OF NOWHERE
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Re: Indicator

#11 Post by NABOB OF NOWHERE » Sat Aug 26, 2017 7:38 am

MichaelB wrote:I suspect this is to firmly establish that they don't share Mick's Irish heritage (which could hardly be more dramatically significant in the relevant context), but were there any Irish Teddy Boys?
Yes . My Dad (from Kilrush) who did literally have blue suede shoes.

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Re: Indicator

#12 Post by MichaelB » Sat Aug 26, 2017 8:45 am

Well, there you go.

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Re: Indicator

#13 Post by MichaelB » Thu Oct 12, 2017 6:55 am

tenia wrote:I'd however be wary of using too many very dated hd masters. I know not everything is lavishly restored, and I know some movies might be perceived as worthy of a re-release, but something like The Reckoning HD master is really borderline HD worthy.
The Reckoning had never previously had a video release on any format in its native country, so it was absolutely worth doing. Yes, it's not exactly a 4K restoration (and neither is a film like that ever likely to get one, unless the Indicator release belatedly turns it into a major cult hit), but on its own terms it's perfectly watchable.

You have to be pragmatic about these things - if we obsessively prioritised picture quality above all else, a key part of the raison d'être of the Indicator label (namely, rescuing and showcasing undeservedly neglected films) would evaporate. I mainly freelance for Powerhouse and Second Run these days, and both labels have more in common philosophically than you might think from glancing at their catalogues. Indeed, I was rather tickled by the fact that both labels were putting out Ray Harryhausen and Karel Zeman releases more or less simultaneously.

(True, Second Run could still get away with a VHS-quality master in a way that Powerhouse emphatically couldn't, but with a major studio library you expect minimum technical standards in a way that you don't with ultra-obscure eastern European films that haven't had a fresh telecine for decades.)

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tenia
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Re: Indicator

#14 Post by tenia » Thu Oct 12, 2017 8:25 am

MichaelB wrote:The Reckoning had never previously had a video release on any format in its native country, so it was absolutely worth doing. Yes, it's not exactly a 4K restoration, but on its own terms it's perfectly watchable.
I understand the difficulties of having to deal with this kind of pragmatism, but I suppose many people buying Indicator's DFs releases certainly are doing so for the BD disc (as Indicator themselves said when switching to BD-only releases) and this certainly comes with certain technical expectations (and one could argue “perfectly watchable” could be insufficient). Why then not releasing the movie just on DVD if it’s to otherwise release a mediocre-at-best BD ?

That's the consumer nuance I wanted to provide. It's not so much a question of obsessively prioritise PQ, but rather a question of making sure that if you're selling a movie on a superior video format, the capacities of this superior format are adequately used. With some dated HD masters, it just isn't the case.

Regarding The Reckoning specifically, if I had to give it a grade, I’d probably give it something like 5.5 out of 10. That’s not what I expect of a BD. I’m OK with something going down to, say, 7 out of 10 (which doesn’t need a brand new 4K OCN restoration to reach), I'd still believe my money is well spent, but otherwise, it might not feel so, hence my concern. For instance, I’m OK with some old HD masters like Day of the Jackal, Le samourai, Mickey One, Brute Force or others, they feel OK enough to warrant a BD release. But Dark Water, The Reckoning, Sword of Doom ?

I'm not saying it's an easy decision to make for the labels and I don't want to belittle some of these decisions (though I'm certain some labels just don't care at all, and those should be pointed ou). I'm just saying that, from a BD-buyer point of view, using such type of material might dilute the will to purchase the release because in the majority of the cases, I could have just got the DVD for cheaper.

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Re: Indicator

#15 Post by Jack Phillips » Thu Oct 12, 2017 10:30 am

tenia wrote:
MichaelB wrote:The Reckoning had never previously had a video release on any format in its native country, so it was absolutely worth doing. Yes, it's not exactly a 4K restoration, but on its own terms it's perfectly watchable.
I understand the difficulties of having to deal with this kind of pragmatism, but I suppose many people buying Indicator's DFs releases certainly are doing so for the BD disc (as Indicator themselves said when switching to BD-only releases) and this certainly comes with certain technical expectations (and one could argue “perfectly watchable” could be insufficient). Why then not releasing the movie just on DVD if it’s to otherwise release a mediocre-at-best BD ?

That's the consumer nuance I wanted to provide. It's not so much a question of obsessively prioritise PQ, but rather a question of making sure that if you're selling a movie on a superior video format, the capacities of this superior format are adequately used. With some dated HD masters, it just isn't the case.

Regarding The Reckoning specifically, if I had to give it a grade, I’d probably give it something like 5.5 out of 10. That’s not what I expect of a BD. I’m OK with something going down to, say, 7 out of 10 (which doesn’t need a brand new 4K OCN restoration to reach), I'd still believe my money is well spent, but otherwise, it might not feel so, hence my concern. For instance, I’m OK with some old HD masters like Day of the Jackal, Le samourai, Mickey One, Brute Force or others, they feel OK enough to warrant a BD release. But Dark Water, The Reckoning, Sword of Doom ?

I'm not saying it's an easy decision to make for the labels and I don't want to belittle some of these decisions (though I'm certain some labels just don't care at all, and those should be pointed ou). I'm just saying that, from a BD-buyer point of view, using such type of material might dilute the will to purchase the release because in the majority of the cases, I could have just got the DVD for cheaper.
This is spot on. I have the Region 1 DVD of The Reckoning and was seriously considering what I thought was going to be an upgrade. After reading reviews and comments, I realized I would do well to simply stick with what I had. Had I not had that information--had I purchased the Blu-ray disc in ignorance only to discover for myself its lackluster quality--I would have been seriously annoyed. Now I realize I cannot blind buy Indicator product. As much as I like, say, The Pumpkin Eater, I won't be purchasing that until I know for certain the BD is offering a significant visual upgrade.

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Re: 40 The Reckoning

#16 Post by Slaphappy » Sun Sep 09, 2018 7:25 am

Recommended for fans of Shock to the System and the corporate sociopath/anti-hero -genre as well as fans of Get Carter and vigilante movies.

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Re: 40 The Reckoning

#17 Post by kuzine » Sun Apr 07, 2019 5:26 am

Don't remember what made me pick this up as a blind buy in the last sale as I was unfamiliar with both the film, director and lead but thought this was a terrific film and release. Especially liked all the material in the booklet, with discussion of the class nuances in the essay, some of which went over my head during my viewing.

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Re: 40 The Reckoning

#18 Post by Drucker » Wed Nov 13, 2019 4:52 pm

I picked this up a while back, it seemed like one of the Indicator titles that was more up my alley than a lot of the early releases. I guess I had assumed it would be similar to The Collector, which I also watched for the first time a few weeks ago. For some reason I had it in my head that it would be a sex-freak crime film.

How wrong I was! And I cannot stress how quickly this movie whizzed by and the incredible portrait it paints of its protagonist. The film does a superb job of bouncing between moods. Williams does a fantastic job as a guy you sort of love to hate, while still eliciting a tremendous amount of sympathy from the viewer. I try to stock up on Indicator films a lot these days, partially because these are definitely films I wouldn't have encountered otherwise, and there are often times I feel the films are sort of too British for me. This film allowed me to easily overlook that discomfort I face with some of the releases, and I was gripped basically from the outset. Not sure if this is one of the better-known Indicator releases but definitely not one to miss out on.

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Re: 40 The Reckoning

#19 Post by therewillbeblus » Tue Mar 31, 2020 9:49 pm

I'll add to the praise for this seemingly sterile portrait of a man who is rough around the edges but has conditioned himself to be such through a complicated relationship with his own social context, including familial ideologies, economic class, and forged an identity with goals that contrast with those of his conditioned upbringing. His emotional blunting only covers up his anger brewing at the contradictions between his nature and convoluted nurtures. If this sounds familiar that's because it is, but only in superficialities, for the devastated insides create a vacuum that removes the fat to show brutal honesty that is far less cinematically showy than dull as it is in real life.

This is a fierce film with abrasive performances, sharp editing, confrontational violations of personal space by the camera, and spacious narrative areas that are allowed to just exist in obscure impermanent energy, like his post-boxing tryst. Speaking of, despite all his manipulations for selfish gain throughout the film, this extended rendezvous breathes so well, with Williamson taking the role of compassionate active listener who also happens to be interested in meeting his needs, that I actually felt aligned with him completely in his vulnerable side. In a film with no detectable flaws this was the most surprising and welcome detour.

The film's greatest strength is that it humanizes the people we box away as nasty without making any melodramatic didactic plea for us to give him rope and offer forgiveness, or even pause for any length of time in empathy. He can be sympathetic without earning a change in stance; and that’s far more realistic and honest than most films would, or could, bring themselves to do. It’s the simplest way to draw a complex figure and I loved it. Since everyone is making comparisons to Get Carter I’ll just say that I went into this expecting something far less compelling or intense, and came away loving it so much more, in part because Nicol Williamson is a much more interesting character than Caine’s, a man unraveling externally who was already undone long before any trigger emerged, contained beneath a facade of steady temperament that is actually apathy as a defense against the world and himself, just like so many out there. The self-destructive finish only doubles down on the struggle he endures to prove to himself that his ego is worth a damn. A high bar to self-impose, to put it mildly, and one he faces daily.
SpoilerShow
The moment where Nicol stops after cornering the kid who he blames for his father’s death, sober to what he’s doing and removed from his emotional response, is striking. He looks genuinely composed and contemplative with the situation he’s in, aware of his complete control of the actions he’s pursuing and the consequences, and even pained by where his life has taken him. He then makes a conscious choice to follow through, rationalizing it out loud with logic, not the emotion that drives most crime. As he says later, he believes he is and always has been “bad,” and has iced the cake of his engagement in a self-fulfilling prophecy. Noir fatalism at its most raw, swollen and infected.

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Re: 40 The Reckoning

#20 Post by Slaphappy » Sat Apr 04, 2020 12:26 pm

^Good write-up! My expectations of The Reckoning was that it would be some sort of dress rehearsal of Get Carter's laconic treatment of introverted vigilante rage. At first I interpreted The Reckoning's unexpected moody intensity for some sort of attempt of satire and when towards the end the protagonist grew into real flesh and blood character I just deemed the movie a bit uneven though really interesting curiosity. But the more I've given it thought afterwards, the more intrigued I am to watch it again.

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Re: 40 The Reckoning

#21 Post by ethel » Sat Sep 12, 2020 10:00 am

A terrific film which I’ve never previously been able to see. Punchy and flavourful special features were an added pleasure.

At one point in the action, the main character refers to his old Irish mother and her pals as “the camp-wenches of the Fianna” (look it up in Wikipedia). I picked up the Fenian sound, but switched on the subtitles to check what I’d heard. They read “the camp when she’s at the theatre”. Oh dear. :shock:

Were the subtitles produced (and timed and checked) by intelligent software? Or by a Polish au pair learning English?

I recommend increased use of [UNINTELLIGIBLE]. Or a quick trip to the BFI Library to see if they have a copy of the shooting script.

Essential British film.

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Re: 40 The Reckoning

#22 Post by MichaelB » Sat Sep 12, 2020 10:20 am

ethel wrote:
Sat Sep 12, 2020 10:00 am
Were the subtitles produced (and timed and checked) by intelligent software? Or by a Polish au pair learning English?
No, by me. In fact, for future reference, you can safely assume in the vast majority of instances that I was responsible for all post-Sinbad Trilogy Indicator subtitles.

And I do have to hold up my hands and admit to letting that one slip through - which is particularly annoying in this instance because I remember cleaning up loads of subtitles with this one. As is so often the case with Columbia productions of British films, the official transcription was decidedly tone-deaf to anything that deviated from standard English.

In fact, at the time I ended up turning this process into a Facebook narrative:
This morning's job: reinstating numerous colourful Irish idioms that the official transcriber of 'The Reckoning' ironed out. Even allowing for unavoidable timing issues, I can't for the life of me see why "yer Da" is harder to grasp than "your dad", or why a clearly enunciated "meself" should be transcribed as "myself", especially since both are repeated often enough to make them contextually clear.
It's hard to describe what a difference reinstating the "for" in the line "Liam Mooney called upon them for to desist" makes, but it's certainly out of all proportion to the effort involved.
I also think it's quite important to acknowledge the difference between the film's two worlds: the London dialogue is all clipped and corporate, while the Liverpool dialogue (conducted by Irish immigrants) is much more colloquial, and it's surprisingly easy to convey this with only a few small tweaks.
...and then I posted a screengrab captioned "Oh dearie me" that highlighted the subtitle "And David Wolftone, the Land League, a socialist Ireland", which was of course then immediately corrected to "And Davitt, Wolfe Tone..."

So I can't tell you how annoyed I am that after all this attention to detail and innumerable corrections along the way, a mistake still slipped through - but these things happen. Now, what's your excuse for those cheap, unnecessary, and frankly patronising insults?

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Re: 40 The Reckoning

#23 Post by ethel » Sat Sep 12, 2020 10:55 am

Michael, you’re forgave.

Ah sure me insults are never cheap. :wink:

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