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S E A R C H D V D B e a v e r |
directed
by Otto Preminger
USA 1952
The Angel Face
Blu-ray is compared to these DVDs HERE
This intense Freudian melodrama by Otto Preminger (1953) is one of the forgotten masterworks of film noir. Jean Simmons, beautifully blank, plays the ultimate femme fatale, a rich girl who seduces her beefcake chauffeur (Robert Mitchum) when daddy (Herbert Marshall) resists her advances. The film is a disturbingly cool, rational investigation of the terrors of sexuality, much as Preminger's later masterpiece Bunny Lake Is Missing is a detached appraisal of childhood horrors. The sets, characters, and actions are extremely stylized, yet Preminger's moving camera gives them a frightening unity and fluidity, tracing a straight, clean line to a cliff top for one of the most audacious endings in film history. Excerpt from Dave Keher's review at the Chicago Reader located HERE
Diane (Jean Simmons) is the daughter of wealthy
Charles Treymayne (Herbert Marshall). She has an angelic
appearance that masks an unbridled psychotic personality who'll let nothing stand in the way of
her perceived happiness. When her hated stepmother, Catherine (Barbara O'Neal), threatens to
take Charles away from her, Diane attempts to kill her stepmother, making it
look like a gas leak. The attempt fails. Responding to the “accident” is ambulance driver
Frank Jessup (Robert Mitchum), whom Diane becomes infatuated with, is eventually
hired as the family chauffeur at her request. She steals Frank away from his
sweetheart Mary and forces him to become supportive, but unaware, accomplice in
the wealthy stepmother's successful murder plot. When she is killed, it is
unfortunately with the father in a rigged auto accident. A trial ensues with
both Frank and Diane as defendants. They are eventually acquitted but Frank
quickly rebukes Diane soon after and when she finally realizes that she'll never be able to
keep him, she decides to punish him as she does anyone who
keeps her from what she wants…. |
Posters
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Theatrical Release: December 11th, 1952- USA
Reviews More Reviews DVD Reviews
DVD Comparison:
Warner - Region 1,4 - NTSC vs. 5-Minutes To Live - Region 0 - NTSC vs. Montparnasse Editions (France) - Region 2 - PAL vs. Kinowelt - Region 2 - PAL |
DVD Box Covers |
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The Warner is also available as part of the Robert Mitchum - The Signature Collection . It includes Angel Face / Macao / The Sundowners / Home from the Hill / The Good Guys and the Bad Guys and The Yakuza. |
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Distribution |
Warner Region 1,4 - NTSC |
5-Minutes to Live (Bootleg) Region 0 - NTSC |
Montparnasse
Editions (France)
Region 2 - PAL |
Kinowelt (Germany)
Region 2 - PAL |
Runtime | 1:31:13 | 1:30:42 | 1:31:18 (4% PAL speedup) | 1:31:18 (4% PAL speedup) |
Video |
1.33:1 Original Aspect Ratio
Average Bitrate: 5.91 mb/s |
1.33:1 Original Aspect Ratio
Average Bitrate: 4.51 mb/s |
1.33:1 Original Aspect Ratio Average
Bitrate: 5.4 |
1.33:1 Original Aspect Ratio
Average Bitrate: 7.41 |
NOTE: The Vertical axis represents the bits transferred per second. The Horizontal is the time in minutes. |
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Bitrate:
Warner
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Bitrate:
5_Minutes to Live
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Bitrate:
Montparnasse
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Bitrate:
Kinowelt
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Audio |
English (mono), DUB: French (mono) |
English (mono) |
English (Dolby Digital 2.0 Mono), DUB: French (Dolby Digital 2.0 Mono) |
English (Dolby Digital 2.0 Mono), DUB: German (Dolby Digital 2.0 Mono) |
Subtitles | English and none | none | French and none | German and none |
Features |
Release Information: Studio: Warner / Turner Aspect Ratio:
Edition Details: DVD
Release Date: January 23rd, 2007 Chapters 21
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Release Information: Studio: 5-Minutes to Live Aspect Ratio: Edition Details:
Chapters
1
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Release Information: Studio: Montparnase Editions (France) Aspect Ratio:
Edition Details: DVD
Release Date: March 14th, 2001 Chapters 12 |
Release Information: Studio: Kinowelt (Germany) Aspect Ratio:
Edition Details:
• Trailer DVD
Release Date: January 11th, 2005 Chapters 1 9 |
Comments: |
The Angel Face Blu-ray is compared to these DVDs HEREADDITION: Kinowelt - Region 2 - PAL - June 11': While having better contrast than the French edition it suffers from the same 'combing/ghosting' issue because of unconverted standards. Otherwise it is quite strong with the highest bitrate of all SD releases - however doesn't beat out the sharpness of the Warner. But it deserves mention because of the excellent 25-minute Tag Gallagher Visual Essay. It imparts some great information regarding Howard Hughes and Simmons plus much more - very much worth indulging in. *** ADDITION: Warner - Region 1- NTSC - January 07': As we anticipated - the Warner edition is superior to the other available releases in every category. It is still single-layered and exhibits a few artefacts but it shows more detail and more of the frame than the Montparnasse (and especially the 5-Minutes To Live). The gem I was waiting for with this was the Eddie Muller commentary... and it was no disappointment. Eddie, the best at Noir commentaries, gives us anecdotes of feuding between Mitchum and Preminger and much more! It really is chocked full of information and a favorite Noir commentary to match a favorite Noir - no, strike that - favorite film period! This is so dark and devious - contrary to most anything produced by Hollywood at this time. A truly authoritative representative of the 'black cinema'. ***
On the French vs. the
5-Minutes-To-Love: I don't have to say
too much here... do I?
The "5-Minutes to
Live" looks to be bootlegged by some guy in his basement. It is
horrible in every respect - a decent VHS tape would even blow it away.
The Montparnasse PAL version is far superior, but not at perfection
levels itself. It shows some weakness and damage now and again and I think it may
be taken from a NTSC source (look at the times) so there are scenes with
"ghosting". The French version is at least an honest attempt
and this is a pretty 'culty" Hollywood films showing Jean Simmons as the
evil girl (a deviation from other roles at the time for her). Bottom
line: and don't ever buy
anything from "5-Minutes to Live"... ever.
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Recommended Reading in Film Noir (CLICK COVERS or TITLES for more information)
Film Noir: An Encyclopedia Reference to the American
Style by Alain Silver, Elizabeth Ward |
The Dark Side of the Screen: Film Noir by Foster Hirsch |
Somewhere in the Night: Film Noir and the American City by Nicholas Christopher |
Film Noir Reader 4 : The Crucial Films and Themes
(Film Noir Reader) by Alain Silver |
The Art of Noir: The Posters and Graphics from the
Classic Era of Film Noir by Eddie Muller |
The Little Black and White Book of Film Noir:
Quotations from Films of the 40's and 50's by Peg Thompson, Saeko Usukawa |
Film Noir by Alain Silver |
DVD Menus
(Warner - Region 1,4 - NTSC)
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(5-Minutes
to Live
- Region 0 - NTSC - LEFT vs. Montparnasse Editions - Region 2 - PAL - RIGHT)
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Kinowelt (Germany) - Region 2 - PAL
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Screen Captures
1) Warner - Region 1,4 - NTSC TOP2) 5-Minutes To Live - Region 0 - NTSC SECOND 3) Montparnasse Editions (France) - Region 2 - PAL THIRD 4) Kinowelt (Germany) - Region 2 - PAL BOTTOM
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1) Warner - Region 1,4 - NTSC TOP 2) 5-Minutes To Live - Region 0 - NTSC SECOND 3) Montparnasse Editions (France) - Region 2 - PAL THIRD 4) Kinowelt (Germany) - Region 2 - PAL BOTTOM
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1) Warner - Region 1,4 - NTSC TOP 2) 5-Minutes To Live - Region 0 - NTSC SECOND 3) Montparnasse Editions (France) - Region 2 - PAL THIRD 4) Kinowelt (Germany) - Region 2 - PAL BOTTOM
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1) Warner - Region 1,4 - NTSC TOP 2) 5-Minutes To Live - Region 0 - NTSC SECOND 3) Montparnasse Editions (France) - Region 2 - PAL THIRD 4) Kinowelt (Germany) - Region 2 - PAL BOTTOM
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1) Warner - Region 1,4 - NTSC TOP 2) 5-Minutes To Live - Region 0 - NTSC SECOND 3) Montparnasse Editions (France) - Region 2 - PAL THIRD 4) Kinowelt (Germany) - Region 2 - PAL BOTTOM
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1) Warner - Region 1,4 - NTSC TOP 2) 5-Minutes To Live - Region 0 - NTSC SECOND 3) Montparnasse Editions (France) - Region 2 - PAL THIRD 4) Kinowelt (Germany) - Region 2 - PAL BOTTOM
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Report Card:
DVD Box Covers |
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The Warner is also available as part of the Robert Mitchum - The Signature Collection . It includes Angel Face / Macao / The Sundowners / Home from the Hill / The Good Guys and the Bad Guys and The Yakuza. |
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Distribution |
Warner Region 1,4 - NTSC |
5-Minutes to Live (Bootleg) Region 0 - NTSC |
Montparnasse
Editions (France)
Region 2 - PAL |
Kinowelt (Germany)
Region 2 - PAL |
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Gary Tooze
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Many Thanks...