The Taking of Pelham 1 2 3 (1974) (Ultra HD Blu-ray) (UK Import)

Strap yourself in for the edge-of-your-seat thrill ride that wrote the rulebook on high-stakes heist movies – Joseph Sargent’s 1974 masterclass in relentless suspense, The Taking of Pelham One Two Three.

Beneath the streets of Manhattan, on an afternoon like any other, four armed men hijack a subway carriage, demanding a $1 million ransom within an hour – or they’ll start executing their hostages. Upstairs, in the New York Transit Authority’s control room, world-weary transit cop Lt Garber (Walter Matthau) is forced into a deadly game of cat and mouse with the cool, calculating “Mr Blue” (Robert Shaw), parrying the demands of both the hijackers and the city’s authorities as the clock counts down to the fateful deadline.

One of the seminal New York crime films of the seventies, shot on location and oozing period detail and authenticity, The Taking of Pelham One Two Three boasts pitch-perfect performances, pitch-black humour, an unrelenting pace and an unforgettable score by David Shire. Oft-imitated, never bettered, this rugged gem of Hollywood heist cinema remains a perennial classic of the genre – and one hell of a ride.

4K ULTRA HD BLU-RAY LIMITED EDITION CONTENTS
• 4K restoration from the original camera negative
• 4K (2160p) UHD Blu-ray presentation in Dolby Vision (HDR10 compatible)
• Original lossless mono audio
• Optional lossless 5.1 DTS-HD Master Audio remix
• Optional English subtitles for the deaf and hard of hearing
• Audio commentary by film historians Steve Mitchell and Nathaniel Thompson
• Audio commentary by actor / filmmaker Pat Healy and film programmer / historian Jim Healy
• The Mapping of Pelham One Two Three – brand new “then and now” tour of the film’s locations by critic Bryan Reesman, featuring Jodi Shapiro, curator of the New York Transit Museum
• Central to Pelham One Two Three – brand new filmed appreciation by Barry Forshaw, author of American Noir
• 12 Minutes with Mr. Grey and Shades of Grey – two interviews with actor Hector Elizondo
• Cutting on Action – 2016 interview with editor Gerald B. Greenberg
• The Sound of the City – 2016 interview with composer David Shire
• Above and Below – 2018 interview with director of photography Owen Roizman
• Taking the Ride – 2018 featurette exploring the film’s New York City locations
• The Making of Pelham One Two Three – vintage production featurette from the point of view of real-life New York City transit policeman Carmine Foresta
• Theatrical trailer • TV spot
• Radio spots
• Image and poster gallery
• Reversible sleeve featuring original and newly commissioned artwork by Sam Hadley
• Collector’s booklet featuring new writing on the film by Priscilla Page, Glenn Kenny, Mark Cunliffe and Guy Adams