Under the Skin - Samantha Morton

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S E A R C H D V D B e a v e r

directed by Carine Adler
UK 1997

A wild, heartbreaking young actress named Samantha Morton plays the central role in Carine Adler's ''Under the Skin'' with incredible abandon. This 20-year-old newcomer stars as Iris, the younger of two English sisters whose mother (Rita Tushingham) rather wishfully named them for flowers. And it is pregnant, matronly Rose (Claire Rushbrook, Brenda Blethyn's sulky daughter in ''Secrets and Lies'') whom their mother clearly favors. That makes life all the more excruciating for Iris when, with little warning, their adored mother dies.

Angry and rebellious to begin with, Iris falls into a whirlwind of self-punishment as she mourns this loss. She dresses up in her mother's gaudiest artifacts, covering her own shorn hair with a slatternly wig, and goes on the prowl. Desperate for consolation and sexually reckless, she drifts into a string of raw, dangerous encounters that send her heading for oblivion. If Ms. Adler did not force the film toward a redemptive ending, it would seem as if there were no way out of Iris's flamboyant despair.

Excerpt from Janet Maslin at the NY Times located HERE

Posters

Theatrical Release: August 29th, 1997 - Venice Film Festival

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DVD Comparison:

BFI - Region 2- PAL vs. Arrow Home Entertainment - Region 0 - NTSC vs. MK2 - Region 2 - PAL

Big thanks to Eric Cotenas for the Arrow and MK2 Screen Caps!

1) BFI - Region 2 - PAL LEFT

2) Arrow Home Entertainment - Region 0 - NTSC - MIDDLE

3) MK2 - Region 2 - PAL - RIGHT

DVD Box Covers
Distribution	BFI Video - Region 2 - PAL	Arrow Home Entertainment Region 0 - NTSC	MK2 Region 2 - PAL
Runtime	1:19:21	1:19:18 (4% PAL speedup)	1:19:21 (4% PAL speedup)
Video	1.64:1 Original Aspect Ratio Average Bitrate: 7.59 mb/s PAL 720x576 25.00 f/s	1.62:1 Original Aspect Ratio Average Bitrate: 6.43 mb/s NTSC 720x480 29.97 f/s	1.64:1 Original Aspect Ratio Average Bitrate: 7.16 mb/s PAL 720x576 25.00 f/s
	NOTE: The Vertical axis represents the bits transferred per second. The Horizontal is the time in minutes.
Bitrate: BFI
Bitrate: Arrow Home Entertainment
Bitrate: MK2
Audio	English (Dolby Digital 2.0 Dolby), English (Dolby Digital 3.0 Dolby)	English Dolby Digital 2.0 stereo	English Dolby Digital 5.0
Subtitles	None	None	French (forced)
Features	Release Information: Studio: BFI Video Aspect Ratio: Original aspect Ratio 1.64:1 Edition Details: • Featurette- "Fever" (17:31) • Trailer (1:47) • Sleeve notes by Pam Cook DVD Release Date: January 31st, 2005 Keep Case Chapters: 10	Release Information: Studio: Arrow Home Entertainment Aspect Ratio: Widescreen letterboxed - 1.62:1 Edition Details: • U.S. Theatrical Trailer (4:3; 2:15) • Still Gallery • Poster Gallery • Production Notes • Trailers for SOFIE and RESTLESS DVD Release Date: 4 December 2001 Amaray Chapters 16	Release Information: Studio: MK2 Aspect Ratio: Widescreen letterboxed - 1.64:1 Edition Details: • Introduction by Thierry Jousse (4:3; 3:02 - in French) • Short Film: FEVER (4:3; 17:30) • Trailer (4:3; 0:47) • Trailers for BEAUTIFUL PEOPLE, FATHERLAND, I AM JOSH POLONSKI'S BROTHER, CLAIRE DOLAN, SUNDAY, CURE, • GOODBYE SOUTH GOODBYE, MADE IN HONG KONG, TAXI BLUES, and LE MUR DVD Release Date: 19 March 2003 Amaray Chapters 10

Comments

Arrow's out-of-print 2001 US DVD unsurprisingly features a PAL-NTSC conversion (all three discs are sourced from the same non-anamorphic master) with heavy combing. Whereas the MK2 and BFI releases include a 5.0 track (luxurious for a 16mm-shot, UK government funded feature), the Arrow disc features a 2.0 stereo mix. The Arrow disc also features a US theatrical trailer for its limited release (the MK2's French teaser is comprised of the film's opening sequence with burnt-in French subtitles).

The BFI and MK2 discs feature better picture and audio quality as well as Adler's short film FEVER. MK2 also features an audio introduction over stills from the film, but that will be of limited use to English-only audiences. Although the French subtitles are forced on the MK2 edition, I was able to turn them off (some players may not be able to do this). The 2003 MK2 DVD is out of print, but there is a 2008 edition from MK2 (B001F8LQXG) with a nicer cover that is apparently still in print (or at least, more readily available). There also exists an Australian R4 DVD with a cover that showcases one of the film's more risque scenes. It is 4:3 as well and apparently lacks the short film present on the French and UK DVDs. The Scandinavian edition features the short film.

- Eric Cotenas

DVD Menus

BFI - Region 2 - PAL