directed by David Lynch
U.S. 1986

Jeffrey (MacLachlan) is the contemporary knight in slightly tarnished armour, a shy and adolescent inhabitant of Lumberton, USA. After discovering a severed ear in an overgrown backlot, he embarks upon an investigation that leads him into a hellish netherworld, where he observes - and comes to participate in - a terrifying sado-masochistic relationship between damsel-in-distress Dorothy (Rossellini) and mad mobster Frank Booth (Hopper). Grafting on to this story his own idiosyncratic preoccupations, Lynch creates a visually stunning, convincingly coherent portrait of a nightmarish substratum to conventional, respectable society. The seamless blending of beauty and horror is remarkable - although many will be profoundly disturbed by Lynch's vision of male-female relationships, centred as it is on Dorothy's psychopathic hunger for violence - the terror very real, and the sheer wealth of imagination virtually unequalled in recent cinema.

 Excerpt from TimeOut Film Guide located HERE

Posters

Theatrical Release Date: 19 September, 1986

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DVD Comparison:

MGM (SE) - Region 2,4 - PAL vs. MGM SE- Region 1 - NTSC vs. Castle Home Video - Region 2 - PAL

  Thanks to Enrique B Chamorro and Vincent Bouche for the screen caps!

(MGM SE - R2 - PAL  LEFT vs. MGM SE - R1 - NTSC - MIDDLE vs. Castle Home Video - R2 - PAL - RIGHT)

DVD Box Covers

 

Distribution

MGM SE

Region 2/4  - PAL

MGM SE

Region 1  - NTSC

Castle Home Video 
Region 2 - PAL
Runtime 1:55:36 (4% PAL speedup) 2:00:20 1:55:16 (4% PAL Speedup)
Video

2.35 Original Aspect Ratio 16X9 enhanced
Average Bitrate: 4.84 mb/s

PAL 720x576 25.00 f/s

2.35 Original Aspect Ratio 16X9 enhanced
Average Bitrate: 4.84 mb/s
NTSC 704x480 29.97 f/s

2.10:1 cropped 16X9 enhanced
Average Bitrate: 4.70
 PAL 720x576 25.00 f/s

NOTE: The Vertical axis represents the bits transferred per second. The Horizontal is the time in minutes
Bitrate:

MGM- SE (NTSC)

 

UNAVAILABLE
Bitrate:

MGM- SE (NTSC)

.

Bitrate:

 

Castle Home

Video

Audio English and French DD5.1 English (Dolby Digital 5.1), DUBS: French (Dolby Digital 2.0 Stereo), Spanish (Dolby Digital 2.0 Mono)

English (Dolby Digital 5.1), French (Dolby Digital 2.0 Mono), Spanish (Dolby Digital 2.0 Mono)

Subtitles French, English, Dutch, Portuguese, Polish, Greek, Hungarian, Czech and None English, Spanish, French, Portuguese and none English, Spanish, French and none
Features Release Information:
Studio: MGM/UA Video
 

Aspect Ratio:
Widescreen anamorphic - 2.35:1

Edition Details:

• New Digital Anamorphic Transfer Supervised by David Lynch
• Mysteries of Love
• Deleted Scenes Montage
• Siskel & Ebert : At the Movies
• Theatrical Trailer
• 2x TV Spots
• Photo Galleries

 

DVD Release Date: 18 September 2002
Keep Case

Chapters 32

 

 Release Information:
Studio: MGM/UA Video
 

Aspect Ratio:
Widescreen anamorphic - 2.35:1

Edition Details:

• New Digital Anamorphic Transfer Supervised by David Lynch
• "Mysteries of Love" Documentary Featuring New Interviews with Isabella Rossellini, Kyle MacLachlan and Other Cast and Crew
• Archieve Interview With David Lynch
• "Are You A Pervert? Deleted Scenes Montage
• Siskel and Ebert Critical Review
• Photo Gallery
• Widescreen anamorphic format

• 4 page insert "booklet"

 

DVD Release Date: June 4, 2002
Keep Case

Chapters 29

Release Information:
Studio: Castle Home Video

Aspect Ratio:
Widescreen anamorphic   - 2.20:1

Edition Details:

• "Dennis Hopper in conversation with Tony Watts, talks about his career in the movies as an actor and as a director." 44 min 46 sec, 10 chapters

• 8 page insert "booklet" with photos and an essay by Alan Robinson, August 2000

DVD Release Date: 18 September, 2000
Keep Case

Chapters 19

Comments: ADDITION: (Region 2/4 MGM PAL edition - Sept -04) - THE MGM PAL version is slightly cropped on both sides and the bottom and although the colors appears accurate (if less vibrant), it is a bit hazier than its NTSC counterpart. It has most of the same extras of the Region 1 release, and loses a Spanish DUB but has more subtitle options. We still say stick to the Region 1 MGM in all departments.

**************

The UK version is more than slightly cropped as you can tell by the captures below (2.10:1 from 2.35:1). It is also quite hazy in direct comparison to the Region 1 SE version. I note a shade of edge enhancement in the SE Region 1 (look at the roses) . I think that the Region 1 SE has also had some contrast boosting and it has manipulated the colors ( look at the ear ). The Region 1 is better for many reasons, but it is far from a perfect DVD. Lots of extras on the Region 1 and a nice long Dennis Hopper interview on the UK edition. A shame, I doubt a better version will come out for a while, so the Region 1 and its flaws are the one to buy.    

- Gary W. Tooze




DVD Menus

(MGM SE - R2 - PAL  LEFT vs. MGM SE - R1 - NTSC - MIDDLE vs. Castle Home Video - R2 - PAL - RIGHT)

 

Screen Captures

(MGM SE - R2 - PAL  TOP vs. MGM SE - R1 - NTSC - MIDDLE vs. Castle Home Video - R2 - PAL - BOTTOM)


(MGM SE - R2 - PAL  TOP vs. MGM SE - R1 - NTSC - MIDDLE vs. Castle Home Video - R2 - PAL - BOTTOM)

(MGM SE - R2 - PAL  TOP vs. MGM SE - R1 - NTSC - MIDDLE vs. Castle Home Video - R2 - PAL - BOTTOM)

(MGM SE - R2 - PAL  TOP vs. MGM SE - R1 - NTSC - MIDDLE vs. Castle Home Video - R2 - PAL - BOTTOM)

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Report Card:

 

Image:

MGM - SE (NTSC)

Sound:

MGM - SE (NTSC)
Extras: MGM - SE (NTSC)
Menu: MGM - SE (NTSC)

 

DVD Box Covers

 

Distribution

MGM SE

Region 2/4  - PAL

MGM SE

Region 1  - NTSC

Castle Home Video 
Region 2 - PAL




 

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