The Amazing Mr. X appears in an aspect ratio of approximately 1.37:1 on this Blu-ray Disc. Though not without positives, this felt like a bland presentation.
Some of the problems connected to sharpness, which became inconsistent. While plenty of shots offered appealing accuracy and delineation, more than a few seemed oddly blurry and soft.
I saw no issues with jagged edges or shimmering, and edge haloes remained absent. However, I noticed some awkward banding at times.
Grain seemed a bit awkward and slightly unnatural. Print flaws remained modest, as only minor specks ever materialized.
Blacks varied. Some dark tones felt dark and dense, while others appeared mushy and wan.
Ups and downs greeted low-light shots as well. Those varied from smooth and clear to murky and muddy. All of this left us with a watchable but spotty image.
As for the movie’s DTS-HD MA monaural soundtrack, it seemed blah as well. I got the impression the mix came with a fair amount of noise reduction, and those factors gave the audio a dull tone that took some life out of the material.
That said, dialogue always remained intelligible, if flat. The lines lacked edginess or obvious problems.
Music and effects followed suit, as those gave us restricted dynamics but also came free from distortion. Some pops and clicks occurred, but not often. This became a mediocre soundtrack.
A few extras appear here, and we open with an audio commentary from film historian Jason A. Ney. He offers a running, screen-specific look at genre domains, cast and crew, sets and locations, the “spiritualism” movement, and various production elements.
From start to finish, Ney brings us a more than solid commentary. He covers all the expected subjects and does so in a compelling, engaging manner that makes this chat a delight.
Inside the Cinematic World of Spiritualism runs 20 minutes, 27 seconds and brings remarks from authors Lisa Morton and C. Courtney Joyner.
“World” covers the rise of spiritualism after various 19th/20th century wars as well as the growth of “mediums”/debunkers, the use of the supernatural in movies and aspects of Amazing Mr. X. The show delivers a good little overview.
Finally, the set also includes a booklet that features photos and an essay from film historian Don Stradley. The booklet concludes the set on a positive note.
A mix of the supernatural and film noir, The Amazing Mr. X offers a clever genre effort. It offers some good twists and becomes a tight little tale. The Blu-ray offers bland picture and audio as well as a few bonus features. The Blu-ray seems lackluster, but I like the movie.