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S E A R C H D V D B e a v e r |
U.S. 1945
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The kind of film (made in six days, almost entirely in a Poverty Row studio, its extensive road scenes shot with back projection) that would be impossible to make today, even as a TV movie. Now it would require 100% locations (the 'art' of studio shooting having been discredited and thus lost), and the minimal narrative would never justify a go-ahead (pianist Neal is bumming from New York to rejoin his girl in California until tripped by hostile fate and the literally amazing femme fatale Savage). Neither pure thriller nor pure melodrama (though it has its true complement of doomed lovers, dead bodies, and a cruel sexual undertow), on an emotional level it most resembles the wonderful purple-pulp fiction of David Goodis. Passion joins with folly to produce termite art par excellence. |
Posters (CLICK to enlarge)
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Theatrical Release: November 30th, 1945 - USA
Reviews More Reviews DVD Reviews
DVD Comparison:
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Paramount (EU) - Region 0 - PAL vs. Alpha, Gotham Distribution - Region 0 - NTSC vs. Image - Region 0 - NTSC vs. Siren (UK) - Region All - PAL vs. Cinémalta - Region 2 - PAL |
Big thanks to Ole of DVD-Basen for the PAL Screen Caps and Gregory Meshman for the Alpha Caps !
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1) Paramount - EU - Region 0 - PAL LEFT 2) Alpha - Region 0 - NTSC SECOND 3) Image - Region 0 - NTSC - THIRD 4) Siren - Region All - PAL - FOURTH5 ) Cinémalta - Region 2 - PAL - RIGHT
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| Distribution |
Paramount (EU) Region 0 - PAL |
Alpha, Gotham Distribution Region 0 - NTSC |
Image Region 0 - NTSC |
Siren Region All - PAL |
Cinémalta Region 2 - PAL |
| Runtime | 1:07:32 | 1:07:32 | 1:07:50 | 1:07:50 | 1:07:40 |
| Video |
1.33:1
Original Aspect Ratio Average Bitrate: 4.58 PAL 720x576 25.00 f/s |
1.33:1
Original Aspect Ratio |
1.37:1 Original Aspect Ratio |
1.37:1
Original Aspect Ratio |
1.37:1
Original Aspect Ratio Average Bitrate: 6.97 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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Paramount (EU)
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Alpha
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Image
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Siren |
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Cinémalta
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| Audio | English (Dolby Digital 2.0 mono). | English (Dolby Digital 2.0 mono). | English (Dolby Digital 2.0 mono). |
English (Dolby Digital 2.0 mono). |
English (Dolby Digital 2.0 mono). |
| Subtitles | French, None | None | None | None | French, None |
| Features |
Release Information: Studio: Paramount (EU)
Aspect Ratio: • Trailers for 4 other noirs .DVD Release Date: April 14th, 2005 Slim transparent keep case Chapters 10 |
Release Information: Studio: Alpha, Gotham Distribution
Aspect Ratio: • none |
Release Information: Studio: Image Aspect Ratio: DVD
Release Date: September 26th, 2000
Chapters 12
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Release Information: Studio: Siren
Aspect Ratio: Chapters 12 |
Release Information: Studio: Siren
Aspect Ratio:
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Second DVD with The Hitch-Hiker
DVD
Release Date:
December 6th, 2006 Chapters 12 |
| Comments: |
ADDITION: Cinémalta
- Region 2 - PAL - June 11':
This comes in a 'Coffret' (boxset) with Ida Lupino's
The Hitch-Hiker. If you'd like a DNR'ed, boosted, cropped DVD
version from an unconverted standard - then, yeah! the Cinémalta is for
you! Okay, enough of the sarcasm - obviously this is a terribly weak
transfer - one that doesn't approach the Wade Williams one on the Image
Entertainment DVD. Audio seems clean and clear enough and there are optional French subtitles. The disc is coded region 2 in the PAL format. The included 2004 Michael Palm documentary Edgar G. Ulmer - The Man Off-screen has Bogdanovich, Wenders, Joe Dante, Roger Corman, John Landis, daughter Arianne Ulmer Cipes, Ann Savage and is in English and some parts in German and there are optional French subtitles. It's quite thorough and interesting. It would be one reason to consider buying the French Box. NOTE: Confession: in April of 2009, from Ann Savage's Estate, I purchased her original (1945) 16mm print of Detour. It is presumed to be a reduction print of the Wade Williams one (Image Entertainment) and the second best source of the film in existence. It has very good density and healthy grain structure. In most spots it shows less damage than the WW. Through a reputable Post House in Toronto I transferred in HD (twice!) - creating a personal Blu-ray for myself with the intention adding up to 7 commentaries (I've spoken to many including Dave Kehr, Jonathan Rosenbaum, from Eddie Muller to Guy Maddin) and making it available, through the DVDBeaver site, to fans of the iconic film. Unfortunately, I don't have the funds to restore it to a significantly high enough level to make it viable. I've added three captures below as examples (see very bottom for third sample). ***
ADDITION: Paramount (EU) - Region 0 - PAL - March 07': This may very well be my favorite Noir film and I thought as the French regard Ulmer so highly that they might have created a decent DVD release for this - arguably - his best film. It's a shame - the French Paramount DVD is from an NTSC source (see ghosting/combing in the last screen capture) because it has better contrast than the Alpha or Siren editions. It does win the extras as it has a nice photo gallery but really the Image Entertainment DVD is still the one to own at present. ***
ADDITION: (July - 04) - Looks like the Alpha edition is the worst of the lot. Hazy green tinge to the image, similar scratches and damage marks as the Image. I still say - buy the Image Entertainment Disc. ***
Hmmm... looks like the
exact same print (same damage spots) but the Image Entertainment was
telecin'ed in NTSC and the Siren has just ported from it (total time is
same) as opposed to doing their own in PAL. It has suffered in sharpness
because of this. The Siren looks to have a shade of contrast boosting as
well. No Extras on either edition, so obviously choose the Image DVD
while it is still in print. |
Recommended Reading in Film Noir (CLICK COVERS or TITLES for more information)
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Film Noir: An Encyclopedia Reference to the American
Style by Alain Silver, Elizabeth Ward |
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 |
Film Noir Guide: 745 Films of the Classic Era,
1940-1959 by Michael F. Keaney |
Detours and Lost Highways: A Map of Neo-Noir by Foster Hirsch |
More Than Night: Film Noir in Its Contexts by James Naremore |
DVD Menus
Paramount - EU - Region 0 - PAL
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(Alpha
- Region 0 - NTSC LEFT vs. Image
- Region 0 - NTSC - MIDDLE vs. - Siren - Region All - PAL - RIGHT)
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Cinémalta - Region 2 - PAL
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Screen Captures
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1) Paramount - EU - Region 0 - PAL TOP 2) Alpha - Region 0 - NTSC SECOND 3) Image - Region 0 - NTSC - THIRD 4) Siren - Region All - PAL - FOURTH5 ) Cinémalta - Region 2 - PAL - FIFTH6) Tooze-owned - Region FREE Blu-ray - BOTTOM 3) My Print 'B' Blu-ray transfer - ratio-corrected - contrast tweaked (not teranex'ed) BOTTOM
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1) Paramount - EU - Region 0 - PAL TOP 2) Alpha - Region 0 - NTSC SECOND 3) Image - Region 0 - NTSC - THIRD 4) Siren - Region All - PAL - FOURTH5 ) Cinémalta - Region 2 - PAL - BOTTOM
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1) Paramount - EU - Region 0 - PAL TOP 2) Alpha - Region 0 - NTSC SECOND 3) Image - Region 0 - NTSC - THIRD 4) Siren - Region All - PAL - FOURTH5 ) Cinémalta - Region 2 - PAL - BOTTOM
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1) Paramount - EU - Region 0 - PAL TOP 2) Alpha - Region 0 - NTSC SECOND 3) Image - Region 0 - NTSC - THIRD 4) Siren - Region All - PAL - FOURTH5 ) Cinémalta - Region 2 - PAL - BOTTOM
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1) Paramount - EU - Region 0 - PAL TOP 2) Alpha - Region 0 - NTSC SECOND 3) Image - Region 0 - NTSC - THIRD 4) Siren - Region All - PAL - FOURTH5 ) Cinémalta - Region 2 - PAL - BOTTOM
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1) Paramount - EU - Region 0 - PAL TOP 2) Alpha - Region 0 - NTSC SECOND 3) Image - Region 0 - NTSC - THIRD 4) Siren - Region All - PAL - FOURTH5 ) Cinémalta - Region 2 - PAL - BOTTOM
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1) Image - Region 0 - NTSC - TOP
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) Tooze-owned - Region FREE Blu-ray (after Terrenex cleaning, NOT ratio adjusted) - BOTTOM
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Report Card:
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Image: |
Image Entertainment |
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Sound: |
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Extras: |
Cinémalta |
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Menu: |
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| DVD Box Covers |
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| Distribution |
Paramount (EU) Region 0 - PAL |
Alpha, Gotham Distribution Region 0 - NTSC |
Image Region 0 - NTSC |
Siren Region All - PAL |
Cinémalta Region 2 - PAL |
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Gary Tooze
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