(aka 'Floodtide')
USA 1950
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A deranged writer murders a maid after she resists his advances. The writer engages his brother's help in hiding the body, and then watches as the brother becomes the prime suspect. **** This film has been neglected, partly because prints are hard to come by, and those existing accentuate the gloominess of the period events and the atmospheric photography. More significantly the second-rung cast respond to the spirit but not the tone of the story about a writer (Hayward) who murders his servant and then implicates his brother (Bowman) in the crime. Adapted by Dinelli - a master of small-scale terror - from a novel, it stays in the house and on the weed-clogged river where the body is disposed of. It tumbles into melodrama after its opening nightmare, but that's not unusual in Lang's films. |
Posters
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Theatrical Release: March 25th, 1950
Reviews More Reviews DVD Reviews
DVD Comparison:
Kino - Region 1 - NTSC vs. Wild Side Video (2-disc) - Region 2 - PAL
(Kino - Region 1 - NTSC LEFT vs. Wild Side Video - Region 2 - PAL RIGHT)
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| Distribution | Kino Video - Region 1 - NTSC | Wild Side Video - Region 2 - PAL |
| Runtime | 1:24:39 | 1:24:39 (4% PAL speedup) |
| Video | 1.33:1
Original Aspect Ratio Average Bitrate: 5.21 mb/s NTSC 720x480 29.97 f/s |
1.33:1
Aspect Ratio Average Bitrate: 6.89 mb/s PAL 720x576 25.00 f/s |
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NOTE: The Vertical axis represents the bits transferred per second. The Horizontal is the time in minutes. |
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Kino |
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Wild Side |
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| Audio | English (Dolby Digital 2.0) | English (Dolby Digital 1.0) |
| Subtitles | None | French, none |
| Features |
Release Information: Edition Details: • Interview
with Pierre Rissient (7:39) |
Release Information: Edition Details: • Conversation with Fritz Lang and William Friedkin (47:32 in English) • Interview with Pierre Rissient (26:08 in French - no subtitles)
• Interview with Patrick Brion (25:38 in
French - no subtitles) |
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ADDITION: Wild Side Region 2 - PAL - June 07': Well it wouldn't be hard to better the 3.51 Gig single-layered Kino... and the new Wild Side have done just that. The pronounced sepia/grey tint of the Kino transfer is exemplified when sitting next to the Wild Side and its superior contrast. The Kino 'combing' (from interlaced source and/or unconverted PAL) is rife. I can't be positive that the Wild Side is not a culprit of standard conversion as there is a bit combing evident as well (alchemist transfer?) but overall it is vastly superior with less visible damage but it's is also single-layered (4.73 Gig). The Wild Side is in English with OPTIONAL French subtitles. Framing tends to have the French DVD show a shade more information - mostly on the left edge. I loved the, almost 50 minute, Fritz Lang - William Friedkin discussion on disc 2 of the Wild Side. In English with optional French subtitles. Fabulous stuff - worth the disc price alone. There are two other interviews but they are in French only (no subtitles). Classic Lang - the definitive transfer of the film and a great supplement interview. SOLD! ****
Gary on the Kino: I'm getting a
little tired of Kino Video - Shoddy transfers, no subtitle options,
prints with prevalent damage showing and available at higher-than-average prices.
You can
see various degrees of combing in captures # 4 and 8, proving this again
to be non-progressive - in fact - its not even dual layered - it takes
up only 3.51 Gig of disc space. This looks to possibly be from a PAL
source and there are scratches and damage marks showing throughout. This
is definitely overpriced and I am sick of lining Kino's pockets with my
money. No thanks.
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Wild Side Package
DVD Menus
(Kino - Region 1 - NTSC LEFT vs. Wild Side Video - Region 2 - PAL RIGHT)
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Screen Captures
(Kino - Region 1 - NTSC TOP vs. Wild Side Video - Region 2 - PAL BOTTOM)
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(Kino - Region 1 - NTSC TOP vs. Wild Side Video - Region 2 - PAL BOTTOM)
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(Kino - Region 1 - NTSC TOP vs. Wild Side Video - Region 2 - PAL BOTTOM)
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(Kino - Region 1 - NTSC TOP vs. Wild Side Video - Region 2 - PAL BOTTOM)
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(Kino - Region 1 - NTSC TOP vs. Wild Side Video - Region 2 - PAL BOTTOM)
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Recommended Reading in Film Noir (CLICK COVERS or TITLES for more information)
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The Dark Side of the Screen: Film Noir by Foster Hirsch |
Somewhere in the Night: Film Noir and the American City by Nicholas Christopher |
Shades of Noir: A Reader by Joan Copjec |
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 |
Film Noir Guide: 745 Films of the Classic Era,
1940-1959 by Michael F. Keaney |
| DVD Box Cover |
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| Distribution | Kino Video - Region 1 - NTSC | Wild Side Video - Region 2 - PAL |
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