Due on Blu: True Grit (1969)

Yahoo! Jeff Bridges may have missed out on an Oscar for playing Rooster Cogburn but you’ll be able to see why John Wayne won his when Paramount Pictures releases the original True Grit on Blu-ray next month.

A date has yet to be confirmed for the Coen Brothers version, either in NZ or the US.

But the 1969 Henry Hathaway hit will go on sale here from April 27.

Extras will include a commentary by western movie historians Jeb Rosebrook, Bob Boze Bell and J Stuart Rosebrook, and SD shorts on the adaptation of the novel, “the Duke”, the Colorado locations and the Wild West.

Blu-ray.com praised the “handsome” transfer for its exquisite detail and fine, film-like texture.

“Colours dazzle throughout; the Technicolor palette is steady and accurate, offering up sturdy whites and vibrant greens while handling the lesser earth tones — shades of brown and gray — with equal precision.”

High-Def Digest wasn’t quite as effusive but thought the transfer “satisfying and generally pleasing” and rated it 3.5/5: “There are a few scenes where resolution falters a tad, but overall, the transfer shows fairly good definition for a film already over 40-years-old.”

Concurred DVD Verdict: “The 1.78:1 widescreen image is bold and vibrant, with good detail evident in the film’s breathtaking vistas and very few signs of age or wear; for a movie that’s over 40 years old, True Grit looks very good in HD.”