Badlands [The Criterion Collection]

Malick's movies would get more visually ambitious as his career went on, with sometimes a lesser emphasis on story over stunning visuals. This one however manages to maintain a nice balance between beautiful frames and an interesting storyline. It relies on great chemistry and performances from both leads, Martin Sheen and Sissy Spacek, who both shine here with, arguably the best performance of their careers, at least on the movie side. Sheen manages to be compelling, interesting and charming while playing a clear psychopath, which is a testament to his charisma as an actor. This new Criterion collection has great image and sound, accompanied with great documentaries about the making of the movie, and the real life people the main characters are semi-based on. The only thing missing from this release is a 5.1 surround track, it only has a monaural one, and a commentary track on the movie, but sound and image are top notch, clearly some great care was put into restoring this great little movie. At 93 minutes it's a very quick experience, and when it's over it's sort of a shame that there is no more of both these interesting characters.

You can read reviews of this " based on a true story " cracker of a film elsewhere, this is a review of the wonderful remastering that Criterion have done on Terrence Malick's first film. Restored in 4K with the colours rebalanced this is absolutely beautiful to watch especially the scenery in the second half of the film, depth and detail is incredible ( as is the acting). Audio is English LPCM 1.0 which is spot on considering this was released in 1973, English SDH subtitles are also available. Original trailer 3 mins. Making Badlands documentary 42 mins. Two interviews with producer and editor 35 mins. Charles Starkweather - a 1993 documentary about the real killing spree of Starkweather and Caril Anne Fugate, on whom the film is loosely based 21 mins. Last but not least, a 10 page illustrated booklet featuring an essay by filmmaker Michael Almereyda. Obviously it's a U.S. import so it's region A.I can't recommend this release highly enough. See also 'The Sadist ',' Natural born killers ' and 'Kalifornia'.

Every shot is like a painting. It’s a beautiful looking film. Easy 10/10 from me.

if not best then second best.. great performances and a good script, lovingly photographed

Fantastic movie which I have seen many times before but this is the version to see.

Excellent Service. Very Quick. The product itself is amazing. Well worth it.

Classic movie great service

I did not realise when ordering the DVDs that American blue ray does not perform on my British blue ray recorder

Malick's debut is a stunning achievement in cinematography and visual decadence. Malick was a Rhodes scholar who studied Heidegger and Wittgenstein among others, and one gets a sense from this film that the director is attempting to convey some sort of philosophical and holistic vision of the universe through the medium.

A masterwork is a hard thing to come by, and once you find one, it becomes impossible to let it go. Make no mistake about it, Badlands is a masterpiece of the highest order. It is a film I might never recover from, like all of Terrence Malick's films, Badlands aims to get personal with its audience. Badlands has officially entered my top ten favorite films ever made. Chilling, haunting, sublime, and enigmatic, Badlands is a blessing. It is a film about a savage murder spree and the lovers who went through with it. Kit and Holly, played incredibly well by Martin Sheen and Sissy Spacek, are the lovers on the run, killing anyone they see fit, all the while remaining charismatic, likable, and most of all, relatable. Just imagine if the films of Quentin Tarantino actually had soul. My interest in the films of Quentin Tarantino dwindles more and more as the years go by. I've come to the conclusion that the man is not only a hack but a thief, and his crimes against Badlands did not go unnoticed nor can they ever by forgiven or forgotten. If I could pick one word to describe the films of Terrence Malick, it would have to be 'poetry'. Badlands is one of the cinema's boldest and most chilling poems. I could go on forever about how I analyzed the film but these 'films of the day' are meant to be brief, so I'll spare myself the time and energy I'd spend on writing something that will never actually be read. Just know that the film is brilliant, in every single aspect, one the my favorite films of all time, and the best directorial debut ever. Beautiful and intimate, Badlands is a true treasure. Bare with me while I praise Martin Sheen. He was just incredible in the film. Badlands' Kit is quickly becoming one of my all time favorite screen characters. Sheen was extraordinary, and has definitely proven that he was one of the best actors of the seventies, and that's a pretty big accomplishment once you consider his contemporaries. I absolutely loved his performance. Great talent. The film is otherworldly, maybe even mystical. A visual poem full of lyrical beauty. I believe that Badlands best represents American cinema of the seventies. There is an intimacy that no other film, aside from maybe Malick's other ventures, has been able to match. An amazing film that I recommend to everyone I know. A top ten mainstay for me, and a film that like none other. An addictive film, I can watch Badlands over and over again, and I do. Kudos To Criterion For An EXCELLENT BLU RAY!

Great movie. Terrific customer service.

I saw Badlands when it first hit the theaters back in the 70's...and immediately went back to see it again. I believe it's director Terrance Malik's first major movie, and his best. My feeling is that it is one of the best ever made by any director. I won't write a summary of the true-life based storyline. That is available elsewhere. Let me just say that I love movies where everything "works": The story, the script, the direction, the acting, cinematography, the serendipidous background soundtrack (music the classical composer Carl Orff wrote for children); and the magnificent acting by Martin Sheen and Sissy Spacek, including her voice-overs throughout. If I had a "Top Ten" list, Badlands would be on it. I'm surprised it took so long to produce it on Blu-Ray. It's one of the most expensive single DVD's I've ever purchased...don't know why it's priced that high. But, I'm glad I waited for it. It's worth it. Check it out!

I really love this movie with a passion, it’s a weird but very great movie. Even for 1973 standards, the plot is shocking, interesting, and dramatic. Even the package itself is in super high quality! Not a single scratch is visible on the disc. A whopping 100/10!