Robert Duvall and Joe Don Baker take on The Outfit. The John Flynn crime thriller is new to Blu-ray from Arrow Video.
The Film
Let us not play games. The Outfit, much like director John Flynn’s other lean and mean crime thriller Rolling Thunder, is a low-key masterpiece. Starring Robert Duvall, Joe Don Baker, and Robert Ryan, this 70s-era crime thriller is as brutal as an ice pick to the face.
Earl Macklin (Duvall) is released from prison as his brother is murdered. What begins as business as usual for the Outfit becomes a personal vendetta for the career criminal. Enlisting the help of his old partner Cody (Baker), the two, along with Macklin’s girl Bett (Karen Black), begin a war against the Outfit. A war so costly it involves Mailer (Ryan), one of the top captains. Can Mailer’s army of vicious hitmen and double-crossing plans get the better of Macklin and Cody… or are the duo just too damn good at what they do?
Author Donald Westlake, much like Jim Thompson, wrote a particular kind of brutal and sparse pulp stories that were artful in their violence and criminality. Co-writer/director Flynn (with an uncredited rewrite by Walter Hill) has adapted the sparse and brutal world Westlake created almost verbatim. They have (for reasons) left the iconic Parker character out of their film, creating Earl Macklin (a close approximation of Parker) and Cody in his place. They are not substitutes but adjustments to fit the needs of the story. Macklin is a smart and calculating force of nature but nowhere near the brutalist mug that Parker is. By pairing him with the loquacious Cody, it allows at least some interaction and interplay that the novels internalize through Parker’s thoughts. It’s a smart adaptation that manages to make a Parker movie without ever having Parker step foot on screen.
The casting of Robert Duvall and Joe Don Baker as Macklin and Cody, respectively, seems odd before one watches The Outfit. Ten minutes into the film, one can see no one else but Duvall as Macklin. There is an efficiency in the way he moves and acts that works perfectly in Flynn’s film. The same for Baker, whose wild, sweaty energy reminds one of a younger John Goodman in his early Coen Brothers film roles. Or should I say John Goodman was channeling Joe Don Baker in his roles in those Coen Brothers movies? Once the film pairs them together, it soars, with Cody and Macklin having a relationship that supersedes the one between Macklin and Bett. Duvall and Baker have a chemistry that creates an unspoken history akin to William Devane and Tommy Lee Jones’ relationship in Rolling Thunder. In many ways it’s the broken soul of the film.
Many of its contemporaries feel stuck in the era produced, The Outfit, with its sharp dialogue, unadorned visual style, and economical editing feels like it was released last week. The Outfit is as cold a piece and adroit a piece of crime cinema as the 1970s produced.
Note: One should watch the version with Flynn’s original ending.
The Transfer
The all-new restoration from the original 35mm camera negative by Arrow Films is another standout release for Arrow Video. The film looks wonderful on Blu-ray without any blemishes or artifacts. The noirish look of this early 1970s Bruce Surtees-shot film. The 35mm shot film has a wonderful patina of active grain, adding to the splendor of this Neo-Noir set around and outside of Los Angeles. Another winning disc.
The Extras
They include the following;
Original and alternate ending options available via seamless branching
Brand new audio commentary by critic & author Jedidiah Ayres and film critic Mike White of The Projection Booth Podcast
The Man With the Getaway Face, Levi Stahl on Donald Westlake
Paths Not Taken
Tapping into the Outsider
Walter Hill on John Flynn
Theatrical trailer
Image galleries
The all-new audio commentary by critic & author Jedidiah Ayres and film critic Mike White of The Projection Booth Podcast begins with their introductions before diving into the film. Some of the details include a discussion of the career of director John Flynn; the various filmed adaptations of the Parker character; the critical response at the time and its reassessment; a discussion of the Parker and who he is as a literary character throughout the series; a discussion of the novel The Outfit that the film is based off; the work and career of actor Joe Don Baker; a discussion of the portrayal and use of the female characters in the film; the influence the film had on Quentin Tarantino and a purported remake that almost happened; Westlake’s thought on the film; a larger discussion of the adaptation and what was changed, dropped, and added in the film; a discussion of the various actors that appear in the film; and much more.
The Man With the Getaway Face, Levi Stahl on Donald Westlake (26:20) – in this all-new interview with Westlake expert Levi Stahl, the writer discusses the author, his work, and possibly his greatest invention, the character Parker. Stahl goes on to discuss Westlake’s professionalism and theories on writing; the author’s varied work beyond crime fiction; the various pseudonyms he’s written under beyond Richard Stark; the various adaptations of the Westlake novels and Parker novels; Westlake’s work as a screenwriter – including being nominated for an Academy Award for his work on The Grifters; and much more.
Paths Not Taken (9:29) – is an all-new appreciation of The Outfit by critic Walter Chaw that begins with a context in which Westlake created his character Parker. Chaw goes on to discuss the career of director John Flynn; the contribution of Walter Hill; Hill’s thoughts on his friend and collaborator’s career; the casting of Robert Duvall and his performance; Joe Don Baker and his performance; the tragedy of Bett played by Karen Black; and much more.
Tapping into the Outsider (10:58) – in this all-new interview with Alissa Marmol-Cernat and Shay Dennis, creators of Tough Business: A Parker Site, we begin with a Westlake quote about Parker and dive into the filmed version of The Outfit and the other Parker Novels. Marmol-Cernat and Dennis go on to discuss the Parker in the various books; the various filmed versions of the character – including Lee Marvin and Robert Duvall; the theme of blue-collar worker (Macklin/Parker) vs. corporate America (the Outfit) that plays throughout Westlake’s books and Flynn’s adaptation; and more.
Walter Hill on John Flynn (13:11) – this archival interview from 2013 with filmmaker Walter Hill discusses his friendship and working relationship with director John Flynn. Hill goes on to discuss Flynn’s mentorship with director Robert Wise; their mutual admiration of Donald Westlake’s novel; the development of the original idea that Flynn had for making a period piece and how that evolves; the difficulty working with MGM during the film; the changing of the end; Flynn’s directorial style and reverence for the golden age of Hollywood; and much more.
Theatrical trailer (1:54)
Image galleries – the three galleries can be accessed through a submenu.
Posters – 11 various theatrical posters from around the world.
Color Promotional Stills – 86 various color stills taken during the production.
Black & White Promotional Stills – 53 various black & white stills taken during the production.
The Final Thought
Arrow Video has given The Outfit an excellent edition filled with special features. Highest Possible Recommendations!!
Robert Duvall and Joe Don Baker take on The Outfit. The John Flynn crime thriller is new to Blu-ray from Arrow Video.
The Film
Let us not play games. The Outfit, much like director John Flynn’s other lean and mean crime thriller Rolling Thunder, is a low-key masterpiece. Starring Robert Duvall, Joe Don Baker, and Robert Ryan, this 70s-era crime thriller is as brutal as an ice pick to the face.
Earl Macklin (Duvall) is released from prison as his brother is murdered. What begins as business as usual for the Outfit becomes a personal vendetta for the career criminal. Enlisting the help of his old partner Cody (Baker), the two, along with Macklin’s girl Bett (Karen Black), begin a war against the Outfit. A war so costly it involves Mailer (Ryan), one of the top captains. Can Mailer’s army of vicious hitmen and double-crossing plans get the better of Macklin and Cody… or are the duo just too damn good at what they do?
Author Donald Westlake, much like Jim Thompson, wrote a particular kind of brutal and sparse pulp stories that were artful in their violence and criminality. Co-writer/director Flynn (with an uncredited rewrite by Walter Hill) has adapted the sparse and brutal world Westlake created almost verbatim. They have (for reasons) left the iconic Parker character out of their film, creating Earl Macklin (a close approximation of Parker) and Cody in his place. They are not substitutes but adjustments to fit the needs of the story. Macklin is a smart and calculating force of nature but nowhere near the brutalist mug that Parker is. By pairing him with the loquacious Cody, it allows at least some interaction and interplay that the novels internalize through Parker’s thoughts. It’s a smart adaptation that manages to make a Parker movie without ever having Parker step foot on screen.
The casting of Robert Duvall and Joe Don Baker as Macklin and Cody, respectively, seems odd before one watches The Outfit. Ten minutes into the film, one can see no one else but Duvall as Macklin. There is an efficiency in the way he moves and acts that works perfectly in Flynn’s film. The same for Baker, whose wild, sweaty energy reminds one of a younger John Goodman in his early Coen Brothers film roles. Or should I say John Goodman was channeling Joe Don Baker in his roles in those Coen Brothers movies? Once the film pairs them together, it soars, with Cody and Macklin having a relationship that supersedes the one between Macklin and Bett. Duvall and Baker have a chemistry that creates an unspoken history akin to William Devane and Tommy Lee Jones’ relationship in Rolling Thunder. In many ways it’s the broken soul of the film.
Many of its contemporaries feel stuck in the era produced, The Outfit, with its sharp dialogue, unadorned visual style, and economical editing feels like it was released last week. The Outfit is as cold a piece and adroit a piece of crime cinema as the 1970s produced.
Note: One should watch the version with Flynn’s original ending.
The Transfer
The all-new restoration from the original 35mm camera negative by Arrow Films is another standout release for Arrow Video. The film looks wonderful on Blu-ray without any blemishes or artifacts. The noirish look of this early 1970s Bruce Surtees-shot film. The 35mm shot film has a wonderful patina of active grain, adding to the splendor of this Neo-Noir set around and outside of Los Angeles. Another winning disc.
The Extras
They include the following;
The all-new audio commentary by critic & author Jedidiah Ayres and film critic Mike White of The Projection Booth Podcast begins with their introductions before diving into the film. Some of the details include a discussion of the career of director John Flynn; the various filmed adaptations of the Parker character; the critical response at the time and its reassessment; a discussion of the Parker and who he is as a literary character throughout the series; a discussion of the novel The Outfit that the film is based off; the work and career of actor Joe Don Baker; a discussion of the portrayal and use of the female characters in the film; the influence the film had on Quentin Tarantino and a purported remake that almost happened; Westlake’s thought on the film; a larger discussion of the adaptation and what was changed, dropped, and added in the film; a discussion of the various actors that appear in the film; and much more.
The Man With the Getaway Face, Levi Stahl on Donald Westlake (26:20) – in this all-new interview with Westlake expert Levi Stahl, the writer discusses the author, his work, and possibly his greatest invention, the character Parker. Stahl goes on to discuss Westlake’s professionalism and theories on writing; the author’s varied work beyond crime fiction; the various pseudonyms he’s written under beyond Richard Stark; the various adaptations of the Westlake novels and Parker novels; Westlake’s work as a screenwriter – including being nominated for an Academy Award for his work on The Grifters; and much more.
Paths Not Taken (9:29) – is an all-new appreciation of The Outfit by critic Walter Chaw that begins with a context in which Westlake created his character Parker. Chaw goes on to discuss the career of director John Flynn; the contribution of Walter Hill; Hill’s thoughts on his friend and collaborator’s career; the casting of Robert Duvall and his performance; Joe Don Baker and his performance; the tragedy of Bett played by Karen Black; and much more.
Tapping into the Outsider (10:58) – in this all-new interview with Alissa Marmol-Cernat and Shay Dennis, creators of Tough Business: A Parker Site, we begin with a Westlake quote about Parker and dive into the filmed version of The Outfit and the other Parker Novels. Marmol-Cernat and Dennis go on to discuss the Parker in the various books; the various filmed versions of the character – including Lee Marvin and Robert Duvall; the theme of blue-collar worker (Macklin/Parker) vs. corporate America (the Outfit) that plays throughout Westlake’s books and Flynn’s adaptation; and more.
Walter Hill on John Flynn (13:11) – this archival interview from 2013 with filmmaker Walter Hill discusses his friendship and working relationship with director John Flynn. Hill goes on to discuss Flynn’s mentorship with director Robert Wise; their mutual admiration of Donald Westlake’s novel; the development of the original idea that Flynn had for making a period piece and how that evolves; the difficulty working with MGM during the film; the changing of the end; Flynn’s directorial style and reverence for the golden age of Hollywood; and much more.
Theatrical trailer (1:54)
Image galleries – the three galleries can be accessed through a submenu.
The Final Thought
Arrow Video has given The Outfit an excellent edition filled with special features. Highest Possible Recommendations!!
Arrow Video’s Blu-ray Edition of The Outfit is out July 27th.
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