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    • BLU-RAY REVIEW

    American Heist

    Featured In Issue 202, December 2015

    Picture4
    Sound5
    WSR Score3.5
    Basic Information on new release titles is posted as soon as titles are announced. Once reviewed, additional data is added to the database.
    (Studio/Distributor):
    Lionsgate Home Entertainment
    (Catalog Number):
    4754
    (MPAA Rating):
    R
    (Rating Reason):
    Strong violence, pervasive language, some sexual material and brief drug use.
    (Retail Price):
    $24.99
    (Disc Type):
    Single Side, Dual Layer (BD-50)
    (Widescreen Edition):
    Yes
    (Full Screen Edition):
    (Running Time In Minutes):
    95
    (Color Type):
    Color
    (Chaptered/Scene Access):
    Yes
    (Closed Captioned):
    Yes
    (Regional Coding):
    A
    (Theatrical Year):
    (Theatrical Release):
    Yes
    (Direct-To-Video Release):
    (Disc Release Date):
    9/8/2015
    (THX® Digitally Mastered):
    (Director):
    Sarik Andreasyan
    (Screenplay/Written By):
    (Story):
    (Music):
    (Director Of Photography):
    (Production Designer):
    (Visual Effects):
    (Costume Designer):
    (Editor):
    (Supervising Sound Editors):
    (Re-Recording Mixers):
    (Executive Producers):
    (Co-Producers):
    (Producers):
    (Academy Awards):
    (Principal Photography):
    (Theatrical Aspect Ratio):
    (Measured Disc Aspect Ratio):
    (Disc Soundtrack):
    DTS HD High Resolution 5.1
    (Theatrical Sound):
    (Theatrical Re-Issue Soundtrack):
    (DTS Bit Rate):
    (Dolby Digital Bit Rate):
    (Additional Languages):
    (Subtitles):

    American Heist is the unraveling tale of two brothers torn apart and reunited by the reckless and perilous world of crime. James (Christensen) owes his life to his older brother Frankie (Brody) after taking the rap for a crime they committed together. Now, Frankie is released and back on the streets with no money and no place to go. He turns to his underworld connections and convinces James to join him in hopes that one last job will be the solution to change both their lives. (Gary Reber)

    Special features include the featurette Creating A Complex Caper: Pulling Off American Heist (HD 25:57), upfront previews, and an UltraViolet digital copy.

    The 2.39:1 1080p AVC picture exhibits a gritty natural appearance with a balanced color palette with nicely saturated hues. The imagery is often darkly rendered, but fleshtones consistently appear naturally balanced. Contrast is good with deep, solid blacks and revealing shadow delineation. The lighting is also well executed to enhance the dynamic image quality. Resolution is excellent, with fine detail revealed in facial features, hair, clothing, and object texture. This is an effectively rendered picture that casts a dark, criminal setting and energy. (Gary Reber)

    The DTS-HD Master Audio™ 5.1-channel soundtrack is quite dynamic, with an energized music track, with a heavy emphasis on rap. The recording quality is good, with a wide soundstage that aggressively extends to the surrounds, which along with other sound elements sounds holosonic®. Atmospherics and sound effects are realistic sounding and well integrated. During the intense bank heist, gunfire is aggressively directionalized throughout the soundfield. Deep bass is heightened during the action segments with .1 LFE effective below 26 Hz. Dialogue is consistently natural sounding and generally well integrated spatially. This is a well-executed soundtrack that perfectly energizes the imagery. (Gary Reber)

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