The extras are presented in 1080p High Definition (with standard definition upscaled material where applicable).
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.
Presentation:
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.
"The Long Goodbye" is a film adaptation of Raymond Chandler's novel of the same name. The movie stars Elliott Gould as private investigator Philip Marlowe. It's known for its complex narrative, which explores themes of friendship, loyalty, and betrayal.
The 1080p extras on the 2021 The Long Goodbye Blu-ray transform this release from a simple movie purchase into an educational archive. The combination of the retrospective documentary and the technical breakdown by Vilmos Zsigmond provides a holistic understanding of Altman’s vision. For cinephiles, this collection represents the gold standard of physical media curation.
Final Rating of Extras Package: 9/10
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)
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 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 release of The Long Goodbye (1973) the long goodbye 1973 extras 1080p bluray 2021
features a new 4K master from an interpositive, significantly improving image quality over previous versions. This special edition Blu-ray, released on December 7, 2021, includes both new supplements and legacy extras. Special Features
The disc contains several in-depth featurettes and analytical commentaries:
New Audio Commentary: Featuring film historian Tim Lucas, who discusses the film's production, its relationship to Raymond Chandler's novel, and technical details.
Rip Van Marlowe (24 min): A legacy featurette with director Robert Altman and star Elliott Gould exploring the concept of Marlowe as a 1950s character in a 1970s world.
Vilmos Zsigmond Flashes The Long Goodbye (14 min): Cinematographer Vilmos Zsigmond details the "flashing" technique used to create the film’s unique, hazy visual style. Biographical Featurettes:
David Thompson on Robert Altman: An overview of Altman's career and his deconstruction of genres.
Tom Williams on Raymond Chandler: A look at the author's life and his depiction of Los Angeles.
Maxim Jakubowski on Hard Boiled Fiction: A deep dive into the history of noir and pulp literature. Additional Material:
American Cinematographer 1973 Article: An animated on-screen reproduction of the original technical article.
Trailers from Hell: A segment featuring screenwriter Josh Olson.
Vintage Media: Two theatrical trailers, TV spots, and five radio spots. Technical Specs Resolution: 1080p High Definition.
Audio: English 2.0 Mono DTS-HD Master Audio with optional English SDH subtitles.
Packaging: Includes reversible cover art featuring original posters and a limited edition O-card slipcase (available with early orders).
This edition is currently available at retailers like Kino Lorber and Amazon. The Long Goodbye (Special Edition) (Blu-ray) - Kino Lorber
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 extras are presented in 1080p High Definition
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. Presentation:
Kino Lorber Studio Classics Blu-ray release of The Long Goodbye (1973), which features a new 4K restoration , includes several detailed special features. One of the standout features on this disc is: "Vilmos Zsigmond Flashes The Long Goodbye"
: A roughly 14-minute featurette where the legendary cinematographer discusses his technical approach to the film. He provides a deep dive into the "post-flashing" technique he used to achieve the movie's unique, desaturated, and hazy 1970s visual style by exposing the film negative to a small amount of light before development. The Digital Bits Other Major Extras on the 2021 Release: THE LONG GOODBYE (1973) – Blu-Ray Review - ZekeFilm
The 2021 Blu-ray release of Robert Altman's 1973 film The Long Goodbye
, distributed by Kino Lorber Studio Classics, features a significant upgrade in both picture quality and supplemental content. This "Special Edition" was released on December 7, 2021, and is built around a brand-new 4K restoration from the original 35mm interpositive. 2021 Special Edition Extras
The release includes a mix of newly produced features and archival materials ported over from previous editions:
New Audio Commentary: Featuring film historian and critic Tim Lucas, providing detailed analysis and comparisons between the film, Leigh Brackett's script, and Raymond Chandler's original novel. Exclusive New Featurettes:
David Thompson on Robert Altman: A look at the director's career and his unique approach to this adaptation.
Tom Williams on Raymond Chandler: Biographer Tom Williams discusses the author's background and his vision of Los Angeles.
Maxim Jakubowski on Hard-Boiled Fiction: An exploration of the history of the "hard-boiled" and pulp detective genres. Archival Featurettes:
"Rip Van Marlowe": A 24-minute documentary featuring interviews with director Robert Altman and star Elliott Gould.
"Vilmos Zsigmond Flashes The Long Goodbye": Cinematographer Vilmos Zsigmond explains the "post-flashing" technique used to give the film its signature desaturated, hazy look. Promotional & Vintage Materials:
Trailers From Hell: A segment with screenwriter and podcaster Josh Olson.
American Cinematographer Article: An animated reproduction/text piece of a 1973 article on the film's photography.
Audio/Visual Spots: Two theatrical trailers, a TV spot, and five radio spots. Packaging:
Reversible Art: Features original poster art by Jack Davis on one side.
Limited Edition O-Card Slipcase: Included in the initial print run (availability may now vary). Technical Specifications 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)
Here’s a concise report on the extras included in the 2021 1080p Blu-ray release of The Long Goodbye (1973).
In an era of 4K UHD, why buy a 1080p Blu-ray? For The Long Goodbye, the answer lies in the film’s texture. Altman and Zsigmond used a process called “flashing” (pre-exposing the negative to light) to reduce contrast. On lower-bitrate streams (Netflix, Amazon), this turns to digital noise. On a 1080p Blu-ray with a high bitrate, that “flashed” look becomes a warm, organic blanket. You don’t need 4K because the film was never meant to look sharp; it was meant to look like a memory fading in the sun.