Search - California Split on DVD

MPAA Rating: R Content Advisory: Brief Nudity, Adult Situations, Questionable for Children, Adult Language Movie Release: 1974 DVD Release: 11/02/2004 Format: DVD - Enhanced Wide Screen Letterbox for 16x9 TV - Closed Captioned Edition: Restored/Remastered Audio Tracks: English Subtitles: English, Japanese SwapaDVD Credits: 1 Number of Discs: 1 Run Time: 1 hrs 45 mins Studio: Columbia TriStar Members Wishing: 6 Genres: Comedy Drama, Buddy Film, Addiction Drama

The most narratively loose of Robert Altman's '70s films, California Split details the haphazard lives of two compulsive gamblers searching for that ever-elusive big score. Newly single and soon-to-be-unemployed Bill (George Segal) joins live-wire pal Charlie (Elliott Gould), as the pair moves from Fruit Loops with Charlie's hooker roommates Sue (Gwen Welles) and Barbara (Ann Prentiss) to bets on horses, backroom card games, boxing, and basketball. They make it to Reno, but Bill comes to realize that even the big score may not be the answer to the meaning (or meaninglessness) of life. For Charlie, however, that's all there is. ~ Lucia Bozzola, All Movie Guide

George Segal - Bill Denny
Elliott Gould - Charlie Waters
Ann Prentiss - Barbara Miller
Gwen Welles - Susan Peters
Ed Walsh - Lew

One of director Robert Altman's most engaging films finally gets its debut on home video with this nicely appointed DVD release. California Split has been transferred to disc in letterboxed format at its original widescreen aspect ratio of 2.35:1, which has also been enhanced for anamorphic play on 16 x 9 monitors. The English-language audio has been mastered in Dolby Digital Stereo (Altman and his sound crew originally mixed the film for stereo, but in those days before Dolby Stereo was common in theaters, few heard the multi-channel mix), and optional subtitles in English and Japanese are included. This edition also includes a very entertaining and enlightening commentary track which features Altman, screenwriter Joseph Walsh, and stars Elliott Gould and George Segal. This a fine release of a film that has long deserved wider circulation than it's received. ~ Mark Deming, All Movie Guide