The Vagrant appears in an aspect ratio of 1.85:1 on this Blu-ray Disc. Though it remained a product of its era, this was a largely appealing presentation.
Sharpness worked fine. Interiors tended to seem a little soft, but in general, delineation seemed adequate, with good accuracy most of the time.
I saw no issues with jagged edges or shimmering. Both edge haloes and print flaws remained absent.
For the most part, the movie opted for a natural palette, with a lean toward an amber impression. The colors tended to feel a little heavy – not unusual for the era – but they were more than acceptable and occasionally pretty vivid.
Blacks seemed deep and dark, and shadows displayed nice smoothness and detail, even though we did get some softness in those low-light shots. Though the movie showed its age, it offered a reasonably positive image.
As for the film’s LPCM stereo soundtrack, it worked okay for its vintage. Given the movie’s ambitions, the mix didn’t shoot for much, but it added a little zest to the proceedings.
Music showed good stereo presence, and the various channels contributed reasonable engagement to the sides. Nothing excelled, but the soundscape gave us a bit of breadth.
Audio quality also seemed fine. Speech was reasonably natural and concise, while music showed acceptable pep and clarity.
Effects brought us accurate enough material. This was never a memorable track, but it suited the story.
As we move to extras, we start with Vagrant Memories. Recorded in 2022, this offers a 15-minute, 52-second chat with director Chris Walas.
The filmmaker looks at what led him to the project as well as cast/performances, issues during the production, sets and locations, props and production design, screenings and the movie’s release/legacy. Walas offers us a good take on the flick and makes me wish he’d done a commentary.
You Are In Hell runs 14 minutes, 59 seconds and features actor Marshall Bell. Also from 2022, he discusses how he got the title role along with aspects of his performance, thoughts about his coworkers and his experiences during the shoot.
Expect another solid chat here. Bell covers a good array of experiences and makes this a winning reel.
Next comes another circa 2022 interview called Barfuss, Homicide. During this 12-minute, 16-second piece, actor Michael Ironside covers his time on the film and related thoughts. This turns into a good piece, though not quite as informative as Bell’s.
Handling His Property also stems from 2022 and brings us a 12-minute, eight-second chat with actor Colleen Camp. She examines her casting and memories of the shoot. Camp provides a worthwhile take on these topics.
In addition to the film’s trailer, we finish with an Image Gallery. It displays 13 elements that mix movie shots, publicity stills and ads. Though it comes with decent material, we don’t get much.
At its core, The Vagrant wants to offer a thriller in the Hitchcock vein. However, director Chris Walas never settles on an appropriate tone so this becomes a flawed mix of genres. The Blu-ray boasts generally positive picture and audio along with a few bonus features. Though it sports potential, The Vagrant doesn’t satisfy.