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Cathy's Curse [Blu-ray]
(Eddy Matalon, 1977)
Review by Gary Tooze
Production: Theatrical: Les Productions Agora Video: Severin Films
Disc: Region: FREE (as verified by the Oppo Blu-ray player) Director's Cut Runtime: 1:30:44.021 / US Release Runtime: 1:21:49.362 Disc Size: 48,054,614,472 bytes Director's Cut Feature Size: 21,231,685,632 bytes US Release Feature Size: 19,293,278,208 bytes Video Bitrate: 27.99 Mbps Chapters: 8 / 8 Case: Transparent Blu-ray case Release date: April 11th, 2017
Video: Aspect ratio: 1.85:1 Resolution: 1080p / 23.976 fps Video codec: MPEG-4 AVC Video
Audio: DTS-HD Master Audio English 1575 kbps 2.0 / 48 kHz / 1575 kbps / 16-bit (DTS Core: 2.0 / 48 kHz / 1509 kbps / 16-bit) Commentary (on US Cut only): Dolby Digital Audio English 192 kbps 2.0 / 48 kHz / 192 kbps
Subtitles: English (SDH), none
Extras:
•
Audio Commentary on US Cut by BirthMoviesDeath Critic Brian
Collins and Filmmaker Simon Barrett • Alternate U.S. Release Cut • Tricks And Treats: Interview With Director Eddy Matalon (20:16) • Cathy & Mum: Interview with Actress Randi Allen and Costume Designer Joyce Allen (12:42) • Theatrical Trailer (2:36)
Bitrate: (Director's Cut TOP / US Release BOTTOM)
Description: Forget what you've seen in blurry bootlegs and
cruddy budget packs. This first-ever restoration of the
depraved Canadian shocker is being hailed as the genre
re-discovery of the year: In 1947, a young girl is roasted
alive in a car accident. Thirty years later, her grown
brother returns to their childhood home with his mentally
unstable wife and sweet daughter Cathy. But when the dead
aunt's vengeful spirit possesses the child, it will unleash
an unnerving nightmare of creepy mediums, demonic dolls, and
plenty of sick 70s foul-mouthed moppet mayhem.
The Film:
After her family relocates back into her father's childhood home, little
Cathy finds a strange unkempt doll in the attic. The film makers make no bones about the fact that Cathy is haunted by her long dead child aunt, but they can never seem to decide who is doing the haunting. Is the gruesome doll possessed? No, the doll is not always present when weird things happen. Why does the doll have her eyes sewn shut? Never explained. If the dead child's possessions were so odious and offensive, why were they not thrown out twenty years earlier after the daughter died? That would make too much sense for our illustrious director. Is the house haunted? Possibly, but by the dead daughter? There is no indication as to the daughter's possible evil. Maybe she is mad at the mind altering 1970's wallpaper treatments in her old home. I almost became possessed by Christopher Lowell just so I could pull the crappy decorating down. Is Cathy just having a spell of ESP and a case of major whoopass? She is able to make some characters "see" things such as rats, snakes, and leaches, but this little devilish power is never explored, either. Excerpt from eFilmCritic located HEREImage : NOTE: The below Blu-ray captures were taken directly from the Blu-ray disc. Cathy's Curse arrives on Blu-ray from Severin and includes the, 9-minute shorter, 'alternate U.S. release cut' in a separate, but duplicated transfer looking virtually identical in the screen captures we compared with only a few pixel shifts difference. From past, sloppy, iterations of the film to digital - this looks surprisingly impressive with bright colors and consistent detail in the film's many close-ups. The image is very clean with only a few hints of frame-specific issues. The visuals showcase some depth providing a strong representation - and that is all we ask. This dual-layered Blu-ray, with high bitrate and 1080P transfer should be like night and day for viewers of the previous home theater presentations.
CLICK EACH BLU-RAY CAPTURE TO SEE ALL IMAGES IN FULL 1920X1080 RESOLUTION
(Director's Cut TOP / US Release BOTTOM)
Audio :A reasonably robust DTS-HD Master 2.0 channel track at 1575 kbps (24-bit) in the original English language. It works for the film's modest effects adding some intensity. There is a score by Didier Vasseur that adds an unusual layer to the presentation, but it sounds quite clear and deep in lossless. There are optional English subtitles and my Oppo has identified it as being Region FREE playable worldwide.
Extras : The Blu-ray has extras that explore the film, as completely as anyone could have anticipated or wanted. As already mentioned we get the complete alternate U.S. release cut of the film and there is an audio commentary, only, on that shorter version, by BirthMoviesDeath critic Brian Collins and filmmaker Simon Barrett bringing up some salient details regarding the production, filmmakers and cast. There is a 5 minute introduction to a Cinematic Void Screening at American Cinematheque by Collins which looks like they are having fun. Tricks And Treats is a 20-minute interview with director Eddy Matalon enjoying the conversation about the project plus we get Cathy & Mum - a 13-minute interview with actress Randi Allen and costume designer Joyce Allen as she shows some newspaper clips she retained of the film's release etc. plus a sit down chat. Lastly is a theatrical trailer.
BOTTOM LINE: Gary Tooze April 4th, 2017
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About the Reviewer: Hello, fellow Beavers! I have been interested in film since I viewed a Chaplin festival on PBS when I was around 9 years old. I credit DVD with expanding my horizons to fill an almost ravenous desire to seek out new film experiences. I currently own approximately 9500 DVDs and have reviewed over 5000 myself. I appreciate my discussion Listserv for furthering my film education and inspiring me to continue running DVDBeaver. Plus a healthy thanks to those who donate and use our Amazon links.
Although I never wanted to become one of those guys who
focused 'too much' on image and sound quality - I
find HD is swiftly pushing me in that direction. 60-Inch Class (59.58” Diagonal) 1080p Pioneer KURO Plasma Flat Panel HDTV PDP6020-FD
Oppo Digital BDP-83 Universal Region FREE Blu-ray/SACD
Player APC AV 1.5 kVA H Type Power Conditioner 120V Gary W. Tooze ALL OUR NEW FORMAT DVD REVIEWS
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