Betrayed Blu-ray (original) (raw)

Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer | 1988 | 127 min | Rated R | Jun 11, 2024

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Betrayed

(1988)

Betrayed Blu-ray offers decent video and superb audio, but overall it's a mediocre Blu-ray release

In Chicago, the host of a controversial radio talk show Sam Kraus is assassinated in the garage of his building by the terrorist group Z.O.G. - "Zionist Occupied Government. FBI agent Catherine Phillips is assigned to work undercover in a rural area to investigate the prime suspect Gary Simmons using the identity of Katie Weaver.

For more about Betrayed and the Betrayed Blu-ray release, see Betrayed Blu-ray Review published by Randy Miller III on September 4, 2024 where this Blu-ray release scored 2.5 out of 5.

Director: Costa-Gavras
Writer: Joe Eszterhas
Starring: Debra Winger

, Tom Berenger, John Heard, John Mahoney, Ted Levine, Jeffrey DeMunn
Producer: Irwin Winkler

» See full cast & crew

Betrayed Blu-ray Review

Mid west.

Reviewed by Randy Miller III, September 4, 2024

MGM recently reissued a few Blu-ray catalog titles formerly exclusive to the now-defunct boutique label Olive Films (Class, The Boost, and Betrayed, with presumably more on the way), offering a straight port of their existing 1080p transfers and lossless audio with a few minor tweaks, including the long-overdue addition of English subtitles if none were included the first time around. So while there's not much to see here, these quiet reissues at least give fans a chance to pick up largely identical Blu-ray copies much easier and without paying out-of-print prices.

For a synopsis and critique of Betrayed, please see Svet Atanasov's review of Olive's 2016 Blu-ray. I'm totally in agreement with his assessment of the film in that it rapidly loses sight of its goal and, despite a few bright spots, feels like a missed opportunity when compared to director Costa-Gavras' European films which include taut political thrillers like Z and Missing. In short, Betrayed is a film whose main characters outshine their situation due to performances and chemistry... but without a solid foundation, the end result ultimately misses its mark by a notable margin.

Betrayed Blu-ray, Video Quality

Without question, this 1080p transfer of Betrayed appears 100% identical to the one MGM supplied for Olive's 2016 Blu-ray, which is a disappointment for sure. Of the three catalog titles recently reissued by MGM (see the other two above), Betrayed is ranked dead-last with a noticeably dated master that resembles video rather than film, even if by and large it's a clean and stable presentation. Lightly blown-out whites and other contrast-related speed bumps don't help matters any, nor do the patchy clumps of noise, limited fine detail, and almost total lack of tangible textures on clothing and other elements. I mean, I've certainly seen worse and at least no ugly post-processing has been applied here (edge enhancement, etc.), but there's clearly room for improvement even if this isn't a total loss.

Betrayed Blu-ray, Audio Quality

Similarly, MGM's DTS-HD 2.0 Master Audio mix sounds identical to the one featured on Olive's 2016 Blu-ray, so again please reference Svet's review for more details. Betrayed was one of the rare Olive Blu-rays that actually featured optional English subtitles (maybe enough people complained?), so of course they're also on board here.

Betrayed Blu-ray, Special Features and Extras

This one-disc release ships in a standard keepcase with front artwork that almost goes out of its way to be uglier than Olive's already-bad 2016 Blu-ray cover; the split image of Debra Winger and Tom Berenger's characters set against a burning cross is so dark that it's hardly even readable. Sadly, even the minimal extras from that older Blu-ray -- in this case, the film's theatrical trailer -- have again not been carried over here, which is another strike against it.

Betrayed Blu-ray, Overall Score and Recommendation

Costa-Gavras' Betrayed is an emotionally-charged thriller with room in its narrative for white supremacist and neo-Nazi groups, which sadly means that it's still somewhat relevant... but in any decade, it's not a great film due to the uneven nature of its plot and story. Decent performances by Debra Winger, Tom Berenger, and John Heard add a bit of luster to the proceedings, but ultimately it's not enough and makes Betrayed more of a one-time curiosity at the most. Sadly, much like MGM's other recent reissues of OOP Olive Films Blu-rays, this retains an older transfer and omits that earlier disc's only extra. It's still easier to get than Olive's Blu-ray, but neither are worth their current price tag.

Betrayed: Other Editions

Blu-ray1-disc

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Betrayed Blu-ray, News and Updates

• Upcoming British Film Institute Blu-ray Releases

- August 10, 2019

The British Film Institute has revealed its Q4 slate of Blu-ray releases. Amongst them are : Michael Caton-Jones' Scandal (1989), Paul Verhoeven's Spetters (1980), and John Huston's Moulin Rouge (1952).

• Olive Films Announce April Titles - February 1, 2016

Independent distributors Olive Films have announced that they will add ten new titles to their Blu-ray catalog in April. Amongst them are acclaimed director Costa-Gavras' Betrayed, Carl Reiner's Sibling Rivalry, and Sam Fuller's Dead Pigeon on Beethoven Street ...

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