The Kino Lorber Studio Classics release of The Long Goodbye (1973), published on December 7, 2021, stands as a definitive high-definition edition of Robert Altman’s neo-noir masterpiece. This 1080p Blu-ray is headlined by a brand new 4K restoration that finally captures the film’s unique "flashed" visual aesthetic with modern precision. Comprehensive Special Features and Extras
The 2021 Special Edition is "stacked" with supplements that provide deep historical and technical context:
Audio Commentary by Tim Lucas: A new "film class in a box" track where the film historian compares the final film to Leigh Brackett's script and Raymond Chandler's novel.
Rip Van Marlowe (24.5 min): A legacy featurette featuring director Robert Altman and star Elliott Gould discussing the film's controversial reception and Altman's improvisational style.
Vilmos Zsigmond Flashes The Long Goodbye (14.5 min): The legendary cinematographer explains the "flashing" technique used to create the film’s hazy, dream-like 1970s Los Angeles look.
David Thompson on Robert Altman (21 min): An overview of Altman's career and his penchant for deconstructing classic Hollywood genres.
Tom Williams on Raymond Chandler (14.5 min): A biographical look at the author and the enduring legacy of the Philip Marlowe character.
Maxim Jakubowski on Hard-Boiled Fiction (14.5 min): A crime critic’s rumination on the evolution of the hard-boiled genre.
Trailers From Hell with Josh Olson: A brief (2.75 min) discussion of the film layered over its theatrical trailer.
Archival Promotional Materials: Includes the original 1973 American Cinematographer article with animation, radio spots, TV spots, and two theatrical trailers. Technical Specifications
Video: 1080p High-Definition transfer from a 4K master, presented in its original 2.39:1 aspect ratio. The new restoration offers richer contrast and deeper black levels compared to previous releases. Audio: English Master Audio Two-Channel Mono. Subtitles: Optional English SDH.
Format: Region A locked, single-disc standard Blu-ray case (initial orders included a limited O-card slipcase). Film Background and Legacy
Released in 1973, The Long Goodbye famously transplants Raymond Chandler’s 1950s private eye, Philip Marlowe (played by a "mischievous" Elliott Gould), into the hedonistic, cat-obsessed culture of 1970s Hollywood. While initially divisive, it is now celebrated for its original vision and its iconic filming locations, such as the High Tower Apartments in Los Angeles. The film also features a notable early, non-speaking appearance by Arnold Schwarzenegger as a mob thug.
For those looking to secure this edition, it is available through the Kino Lorber official store and major retailers like Amazon.
2021 Kino Lorber Studio Classics Blu-ray release of The Long Goodbye
(1973) is a definitive special edition that finally does justice to director Robert Altman and cinematographer Vilmos Zsigmond’s unique visual style. Based on a new 4K restoration
, this release offers a significant leap in fidelity over the previous 2014 edition, making it a "revelatory" upgrade for fans of this neo-noir masterpiece. Visual Presentation Restoration Quality
: The new 4K scan manages the film’s difficult "flashing" technique—a process used by Zsigmond to create a hazy, dream-like pastel look—with far greater precision than earlier home video transfers. Contrast & Detail
: Colors are deeper and more vibrant, and black levels are significantly improved without being crushed. While the film retains its intentional softness, fine details in costumes and décor now stand out more clearly. Film Grain the long goodbye 1973 extras 1080p bluray 2021
: The transfer preserves a consistent, filmic grain structure that resolves naturally, avoiding the "scrubbed" look of heavy digital noise reduction. Audio Performance : The disc features a 2.0 DTS-HD Master Audio mono track
: While constrained by the age of the original mix, the audio is clean and problem-free. It effectively captures Elliott Gould’s "mumble" performance and the iconic, recurring John Williams/Johnny Mercer theme song. Subtitle Support
: Optional English SDH subtitles are included, which are helpful for following Altman’s signature overlapping dialogue. Blu-ray.com Comprehensive Bonus Features
The 2021 Kino Lorber Studio Classics 1080p Blu-ray of Robert Altman's The Long Goodbye
(1973) features a brand new 4K master. Released on December 7, 2021, this special edition includes a mix of newly commissioned content and legacy archival materials. 2021 Special Edition Extras The release includes the following supplements: The Long Goodbye Blu-ray (Arrow Academy) (United Kingdom)
In this film Marlowe is a laid-back, soft, frequently confused and out of sync with reality man who somehow always gets it right - Blu-ray.com The Long Goodbye Blu-ray
Originally recorded for an early DVD, this 2021 reissue includes Altman’s legendary commentary. The director is wry, defensive, and hilarious. He explains why he cast Gould (“the only actor who could make Marlowe seem vulnerable”), why he had a gaggle of naked hippie neighbors move in next door, and how he taught a cat to do a five-minute continuous take. Essential listening.
The 2021 Blu-ray extras succeed in painting a complete picture of a film that was initially critically divisive but is now revered as a classic.
Strengths:
Presentation:
Title: The Long Goodbye
Year of Film: 1973
Director: Robert Altman
Blu-ray Edition: 2021 1080p Blu-ray (typically from Kino Lorber or Arrow Video, depending on region; this report covers the widely available Kino Lorber Studio Classics release in the U.S.)
A standalone featurette focusing solely on the cinematography. The 1080p transfer allows you to see the subtle imperfections Zsigmond loved: the lens flares, the under-exposed shadows, the handheld jitter during the Mexican border climax. This extra explains why the film looks the way it does.
Summary
Concise recommendation
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The Kino Lorber Studio Classics special edition Blu-ray of The Long Goodbye
(1973), released on December 7, 2021, features a brand new 4K master and an extensive collection of bonus materials. Audio & Video Specifications Resolution: 1080p High Definition. Aspect Ratio: 2.35:1 (Widescreen). Audio: English DTS-HD Master Audio 2.0 Mono. Subtitles: Optional English SDH. New Special Features (2021 Release) The Kino Lorber Studio Classics release of The
Audio Commentary by Tim Lucas: A new, fact-filled track by the film historian.
David Thompson on Robert Altman: A featurette (approx. 21 mins) exploring the director's career and this film's place within it.
Tom Williams on Raymond Chandler: A featurette (approx. 14 mins) on the author’s life and Altman’s adaptation.
Maxim Jakubowski on Hard Boiled Fiction: A discussion on the evolution of the genre and the Marlowe character. Archival Features (Ported from Previous Editions) The Long Goodbye (Special Edition) (Blu-ray) - Kino Lorber
Product Extras : * LIMITED O-CARD SLIPCASE NO LONGER PROMISED FOR NEW ORDERS. KINDLY REFRAIN FROM ASKING. * Brand New 4K Master. * Kino Lorber The Long Goodbye Blu-ray (4K Restoration)
The 2021 Kino Lorber Studio Classics Special Edition Blu-ray of Robert Altman's The Long Goodbye
(1973) is headlined by a brand new 4K master and a robust collection of both legacy and newly commissioned supplemental materials. Newly Produced Features (2021 Release) The Long Goodbye Blu-ray (4K Restoration)
In 2021, Kino Lorber Studio Classics released a definitive 1080p Blu-ray of Robert Altman’s 1973 neo-noir masterpiece, The Long Goodbye. This Special Edition serves as a significant upgrade over previous home video versions, specifically the 2014 Blu-ray, by introducing a brand new 4K master and a robust collection of new and archival extras. A New 4K Restoration for the 1080p Format
The standout feature of this 2021 release is the 4K restoration, which addresses the unique technical challenges of the film's original production. Director Robert Altman and cinematographer Vilmos Zsigmond famously used a technique called "flashing"—exposing the negative to controlled light before development—to achieve a hazy, muted "old postcard" aesthetic.
Enhanced Visuals: Reviewers from The Movie Isle noted that modern technology finally captures the film’s dream-like visuals without losing fidelity, offering a cleaner grain structure and improved sharpness compared to older, "snowy" transfers.
Audio Quality: The disc features an English DTS-HD Master Audio 2.0 Mono track, providing clear dialogue and a strong presentation of the protean variations of the theme song by John Williams and Johnny Mercer. Special Features and Extras
The 2021 edition is "stacked" with supplemental material, mixing newly produced content with essential archival pieces. Key Supplements Included
The release is packed with both new and legacy content, including a detailed audio commentary by film historian Tim Lucas, featurettes with experts David Thompson and Maxim Jakubowski, and a discussion on Raymond Chandler. Archival extras include the "Rip Van Marlowe" documentary with Altman and Elliott Gould, an interview with cinematographer Vilmos Zsigmond on the "flashing" technique, an American Cinematographer article, and various promotional materials like radio and TV spots. Packaging and Verdict The Long Goodbye Blu-ray (4K Restoration)
In this film Marlowe is a laid-back, soft, frequently confused and out of sync with reality man who somehow always gets it right - Blu-ray.com Long Goodbye, The (Blu-ray Review) - The Digital Bits
Title: The Last Goodbye to the 70s: Deconstructing Altman’s Noir in 1080p
There is a specific moment in Robert Altman’s The Long Goodbye—roughly forty-two minutes in—where Philip Marlowe (Elliott Gould) stops looking for his friend Terry Lennox and starts looking for a ghost of himself. He stands in a grocery store, buying cat food for a cat that doesn’t belong to him, in a Los Angeles that has asphalted over its dreams. Watching this film in 2021 via Kino Lorber’s 1080p Blu-ray transfer is not merely watching a detective story; it is watching the 1970s cannibalize the 1940s.
But the real excavation happens in the extras. And for a film about moral decay, hidden motives, and the death of the "old world," the 2021 Blu-ray extras serve as a forensic autopsy of American cinema.
The Transfer: A Dirty, Sunny Hangover
Let’s start with the obvious: Vilmos Zsigmond’s cinematography has never looked this beautifully bleached. The 2021 1080p transfer (sourced from a new 4K master) refuses to scrub away the flaws. The halation around car headlights, the grain in the Malibu beach house, the sickly yellow-green of the LA smog—it’s all intact. This is not a shiny, HDR-blasted revision. It is a hangover. You feel the heat radiating off the frame. The extras contextualize why: this was Altman’s "flattened" look, meant to make the wealthy (Sterling Hayden’s drunken writer) look just as grimy as the street thugs.
The Commentary Track: Listening to a Funeral
The primary gem is the audio commentary by film historians. Unlike modern puff-pieces, this track treats The Long Goodbye as a eulogy. They walk you through the corpse of old Hollywood. Did you know that Altman bought the rights to Chandler’s novel specifically to "break its back"? The commentators dissect how Gould’s Marlowe isn't a hero; he’s an anachronism. He says "It’s OK with me" to everything because he has realized the code of honor is worthless.
One specific extra delves into the casting of Arnold Schwarzenegger (yes, pre-Terminator) as a silent, muscle-bound thug. In the featurette "Rip Van Marlowe: 1973 vs. 2021", they argue that Arnie’s character represents the future: brute force without dialogue, spectacle without reason. Marlowe talks; Arnie just punches. Watching that in 2021, you realize Altman predicted the death of the literate protagonist.
The Deleted Scenes: The Cat’s Second Act
The most haunting extra is the 8mm dailies of the cat. If you know the film, you know the opening ten minutes—Marlowe trying to get his finicky cat to eat the wrong brand of food. The 2021 Blu-ray includes a silent, grainy reel of Altman directing that cat for six hours. No dialogue. Just the director whispering, "Walk left. No, stop." The featurette "Feline Noir: On Set Mayhem" explains that the cat was a rescue who hated Gould. The metaphor is unavoidable: the 1940s Marlowe (the cat) refuses to cooperate with the 1973 version. Eventually, Altman gave up. He kept the cat's resistance in the final cut. That’s the thesis of the whole film: you can’t train the past to eat your present.
The Audio Interview (1975): Elliot Gould’s Wounded Heart
Buried in the menu’s "Archival" section is a 1975 radio interview with Gould, digitized from a crackling reel. He is raw. He talks about how the studio (United Artists) hated the ending. Spoiler: Marlowe kills his best friend in cold blood and walks off whistling. The studio wanted a shootout. Altman refused. Gould says: "Bob said, 'Elliot, in this town, friendship is just the time between betrayals.'"
Listening to that interview after watching the 2021 transfer, you understand the "extra" value. It’s not about technical specs. It’s about the anger. The Long Goodbye is an angry film. It’s angry at the 1940s for lying to us about justice. It’s angry at the 1970s for being too stoned to care.
The Visual Essay: "The Long Take of the Long Goodbye"
Finally, there is a 22-minute visual essay by a critic named Imogen Sara Smith. She tracks a single, unbroken shot from the police station scene. As Marlowe is booked, the camera never cuts. In the background, a cop eats a donut. Another files his nails. Smith argues this is Altman’s thesis: the system isn't evil; it's boring. Indifference is the real villain. She overlays the shot with footage of 2021 LA—homeless tents, self-driving cars, influencers filming themselves. The essay concludes: "Marlowe didn't lose because he was weak. He lost because he expected someone to care."
Final Verdict: The Disk as Time Capsule
Most Blu-ray extras are fluff. Commercials for the film’s legacy. But the 2021 The Long Goodbye extras are a mirror. They force you to watch the film not as a period piece, but as a prophecy. Altman’s Los Angeles is our Los Angeles. The wealthy are still insane (Sterling Hayden’s wife-beating writer is just a less online version of today’s moguls). The police are still indifferent. And somewhere, a man in a rumpled suit is trying to buy the right brand of cat food for a cat that will never love him.
Upgrade to the 1080p for the grain. Stay for the supplements. They won’t give you closure. Because, as Altman knew, a long goodbye is just a death you refuse to name.
Rating: ★★★★½ (Five stars for the film, four for the hope that we learn anything from it).
Watch it with the lights off. And don’t trust your friends.
The 2021 Blu-ray extras are excellent for both casual viewers and scholars. Highlights include Tim Lucas’s commentary (essential for Altman fans) and Imogen Sara Smith’s video essay, which places the film in its cultural moment. The inclusion of technical material on Zsigmond’s cinematography is rare and valuable. The only minor absence is a full-length cast reunion or deleted scenes (none known to survive).