One of Peckinpah's most controversial films, "STRAW DOGS," is now available on blu-ray from MGM/FOX.  Dustin Hoffman stars as David Sumner, a nerdy mathematician, whom along with his beautiful wife, Amy(Susan George), leave America for the quiet village of Amy's hometown in England, so he can work on a book.  From early on, it's evident that David's meek persona is something Amy can't fully embrace. David is the kind who avoids confrontation, and appears almost uncomfortable in his own skin.  Not helping matters, Amy used to date the town's biggest bully, and her opting to showcase her physical attributes, comes across like a cat in heat, almost daring David to man up, or something....

When David hires locals to help fix up the home they've purchased, it's easy for the viewer to see the perilous potential coming, whereas the young couple appears ignorant. The events that follow, leave few options for David to consider, remain victimized or become more than what he has been.

And, while David and his transformation, wherein his primal instincts let loose, are the focal point of the film's narrative, Amy's actions and motivations are just as crucial. Peckinpah doesn't over-emphasize anything in "STRAW DOGS," opting to leave questions for the viewer to ponder. This tactic works, and leaves room for viewers to have strong differences of perspective, which there will be, regarding characters' motivations and responsibilities. A famous rape scene isn't nearly as graphic as so common in films today, but because there is so much sub-text to the scene, it's more polarizing than one could even imagine.

MGM/FOX has provided the correct 1.85:1 aspect ratio for this AVC MPEG-4 1080p blu-ray release. Colors appear more solid than in previous dvd incarnations, although the grim locations of the film, inherently lack a necessity for anything vibrant. Colors and fleshtones appear natural throughout. Contrast is impressive, allowing for fine detail to be retained due to deep, but less than inky blacks.  A layer of grain is present throughout, retaining the film's gritty atmosphere. While a few artifacts pop up occasionally, they are never intrusive.

While MGM/FOX has remastered the original mono mix for the DTS-HD MA 5.1 provided, don't expect any sense of immersion. This isn't a criticism, however, as this is the kind of mix that "enhances" the film without altering it to a ridiculous degree. Ambient effects are few and far between, with surrounds used mostly to compliment the subtle score. Dialogue is intelligible in the lossy mix, and that alone is a great improvement over the mediocre sound offerings of most previous presentation formats.(Of course the Criterion dvd was also great in the sound department)

A trailer and tv spots are the only extras, and these are only offered in standard resolution.