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S E A R C H    D V D B e a v e r

directed by David Fincher
Germany / USA 1999

With its kinetic style, visceral approach, compelling storyline, and powerful social message, Fight Club makes a commanding case to be considered the '90s version of A Clockwork Orange. In a time when so few motion pictures leave an impact, Fight Club refuses to be ignored or dismissed. The experience lingers, demanding to be pondered and considered, and, unlike 95% of modern-day thrillers, there is a great deal here to think about and argue over. Fight Club presents an overload of thought-provoking material that works on so many levels as to offer grist for the mills of thousands of reviews, feature articles, and post-screening conversations.

Pre-release interest in Fight Club was understandably high, primarily because of those involved with the project. Jim Uhls' script is based on an influential novel by Chuck Palahniuk (a book that, while not required material in schools, has consumed the free time of countless readers). The lead actor is the ever-popular Brad Pitt, who makes his strongest bid to date to shed his pretty boy image and don the mantle of a serious thespian. Those dubious about Pitt's ability to pull this off in the wake of his recent attempts in Seven Years in Tibet (which is briefly referenced as an in-joke during Fight Club) and Meet Joe Black will suffer a change of heart after seeing this film. Pitt's male co-star, Edward Norton, is widely recognized as one of the most intelligent and versatile performers of his generation. And Fight Club's director, David Fincher, has already made a huge artistic impression on movie-goers with only three features to his credit: Alien 3, Seven (starring Pitt), and The Game. Mix these elements together in Fox's publicity blender, and Fight Club will not carry the title of "Best Movie of 1999 That No One Saw."

Excerpt from James Berardinelli at Reelreviews.com located HERE

Posters

Theatrical Release: October 6th, 1999

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Comparison:

20th Century Fox (2 disc) - Region 1 - NTSC vs. 20th Century Fox (2 Disc CE) - Region 2 - PAL vs. 20th Century Fox - Region FREE - Blu-ray

Big thanks to Maarten de Haas for the 20th Century Fox (2 Disc CE) DVD Screen Caps!

1) 20th Century Fox (2 disc) - Region 1 - NTSC - LEFT

2) 20th Century Fox (2 Disc CE) - Region 2 - PAL - MIDDLE

3) 20th Century Fox - Region FREE - Blu-ray - RIGHT

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Distribution

20th Century Fox

Region 1 - NTSC

20th Century Fox
Region 2 - PAL
20th Century Fox
Region FREE -
Blu-ray
Runtime 2:19:00 2:13:25 (4% PAL speedup) 2:19:08.381
Video

2.40:1 Original Aspect Ratio

16X9 enhanced
Average Bitrate: 7.25 mb/s
NTSC 720x480 29.97 f/s

2.40:1 Original Aspect Ratio

16X9 enhanced
Average Bitrate: 7.30 mb/s
PAL 720x576 25.00 f/s

1080P / 23.976 fps Dual-layered Blu-ray

Disc Size: 46,278,055,124 bytes

Feature: 34,166,661,120 bytes

Video Bitrate: 23.45 Mbps

Codec: MPEG4 AVC Video

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

Bitrate:

 

20th Century Fox (2 disc)

Bitrate:

 

20th Century Fox (2 Disc CE)

Bitrate:

Blu-ray

 

Audio English (Dolby Digital 5.1), English (Dolby Digital 2.0 Surround), French (Dolby Digital 2.0 Surround)

English Dolby Digital EX 5.1, French Dolby Digital 5.1

DTS-HD Master Audio English 3266 kbps 5.1 / 48 kHz / 3266 kbps / 24-bit (DTS Core: 5.1 / 48 kHz / 1509 kbps / 24-bit)
DUBs: DTS Audio French 768 kbps 5.1 / 48 kHz / 768 kbps / 24-bit
Dolby Digital Audio Portuguese 448 kbps 5.1 / 48 kHz / 448 kbps
Dolby Digital Audio Spanish 448 kbps 5.1 / 48 kHz / 448 kbps
Dolby Digital Audio English 224 kbps 2.0 / 48 kHz / 224 kbps / Dolby Surround
Commentaries: Dolby Digital Audio English 224 kbps 2.0 / 48 kHz / 224 kbps
Dolby Digital Audio English 224 kbps 2.0 / 48 kHz / 224 kbps
Dolby Digital Audio English 224 kbps 2.0 / 48 kHz / 224 kbps
Dolby Digital Audio English 224 kbps 2.0 / 48 kHz / 224 kbps
Subtitles English, French, None English, Dutch, French and Greek, None English (SDH), English, Chinese, Danish, Dutch, Finnish, French, Norwegian, Portuguese, Spanish, Swedish, None
Features Release Information:
Studio: 20th Century Fox

Aspect Ratio:
Widescreen anamorphic - 2.40:1

Edition Details:
• Commentary by director David Fincher
• Commentary by composers
• Commentary by
Brad Pitt, Helena Bonham Carter, Edward Norton etc.
• Five Deleted Scenes and Outtakes
• Still Galleries: Set Design Stills, Costume Stills, Original sketches, Oil paintings, Storyboards, P
• 17 behind-the-scenes vignettes
• Making-Of Fight Club
• THX Optimode
• Number of discs: 2

DVD Release Date: June 6th, 2000
Digi-pak inside handsome slipcase

Chapters
 

Release Information:
Studio: 20th Century Fox

Aspect Ratio:
Widescreen anamorphic - 2.40:1

Edition Details:
• Audio commentary by director David Fincher, actors Brad Pitt and Edward Norton and actress Helena Bo
nham Carter
• Multi-angle featurettes with commentary
• On Location featurette
• Seven deleted scenes and alternate takes
• Two theatrical trailers
• 12 TV spots
• Two
• Dust Brothers music video
• Edward Norton interview transcript
• Storyboards
• Visual effects stills
• Paper street house & Costumes and makeup artwork
• Pre-production paintings
• Brain ride map
• Booklet with production notes

 

DVD Release Date: November 15th, 2000
Digipack

Chapters 36

Release Information:
Studio: 20th Century Fox

 

1080P / 23.976 fps Dual-layered Blu-ray

Disc Size: 46,278,055,124 bytes

Feature: 34,166,661,120 bytes

Video Bitrate: 23.45 Mbps

Codec: MPEG4 AVC Video

 

Edition Details:
Four commentaries:
• Director David Fincher
• Fincher and actors Brad Pitt, Edward Norton and Helena Bonham Carter
• Novelist Chuck Palahniuk and screenwriter Jim Uhls
• Crew (Alex McDowell, Jeff Cronenweth, Michael Kaplan and Kevin Haug)

Featurettes:

• Flogging Fight Club - Guys Choice Award (9:58 in HD!)
• A Hit in the Ear: Ren Klyce and the Sound Design of Fight Club (5:44 in HD!)

• Insomniac Mode: I Am Jack's Search Index viewing option

• Seven deleted and alternate scenes
• Welcome to Fight Club
• Angel Faces Beating
• The Crash
• Tyler's Goodbye
• Work: Production; Visual Effects; On Location 

Publicity Material
• 12 TV spots
• Trailers (including the 8 Rules of Fight Club)

• 2 PSA's
• Promotional and art galleries
Internet spots

 

Blu-ray Release Date: November 17th, 2009
Standard Blu-ray case inside cardboard slipcase with flipout

Chapters 36

 

Comments

NOTE: The below Blu-ray captures were ripped directly from the Blu-ray disc.

ADDITION: 20th Century Fox - Region FREE Blu-ray - October09:

After a trailer for Braveheart, very amusingly, this Blu-ray presentation starts with a 'Never Been Kissed' DVD menu for a long enough period of time to make you strongly consider that you have the wrong disc in package you purchased.

Seeing as this is such a dark film - the improvements in the move to HD are more subtle than one might see in other comparisons we've done. However, they certainly exist with the previous DVDs being hazier with a yellow/greenish mask. On the Blu-ray everything tightens up - contrast become more pure and there is more depth to the image. Grain is very prevalent and blacks are not frequently crushed but I saw a few instances where figures appeared a bit waxy - akin to DNR - but if it was applied it was with a deft enough hand not to ruin the overall presentation. The visuals have a very artistic, and thick, look - based on the image quality if I was to compare it to another Blu-ray - the Fight Club transfer reminds me of Paramount's Zodiac. With the feature filling over 34 Gig of the dual-layered disc, this looks like a solid transfer - just don't expect to be 'wow'ed' by the extremely dark visuals. It's crisp and tight with a frequent absence of light and demonstrative color. 

NOTE: I have the feeling this transfer is different than the unremarkable German Region 'B'-locked Blu-ray one but perhaps someone can inform us who has that disc.

As expected - it's a kick-ass audio track with a strong 5.1 DTS-HD Master at 3266 kbps. The opening theme is loud and as abrasive as its intention. Effects noises give your surround speakers an exhaustive workout. Dialogue can be a bit hushed in comparison but I never touched the volume button. This is one of the more aggressive tracks I've heard in a while - it's a very well mixed, immersive track. The music selection are incredibly diverse from André Previn's theme from 'Valley of the Dolls' to "Where is the Mind" by Frank Black and the Pixies. Complimenting that is the compositions of  'the Dust Brothers'. It's a wild array of sounds that perfectly suit the narrative intent - and the lossless track sounds all encompassing and magnificent in supporting the film.    

Both the 6-minute featurette A Hit in the Ear: Ren Klyce and the Sound Design of Fight Club in HD and the 9:38, Guys Choice Award, also in HD - hosted by Mel Gibson on a horse - appear to be the only new featurette extras. The latter has Fincher, Pitt and Norton on stage reading some of the very negative initial reviews of the film by the likes of Rex Reed ("a load of rancid depressing swill from start to finish"), Kenneth Turan ('witless mishmash of whiny, infantile philosophizing and bone-crunching violence"), - who, I think, Pitt describes after as 'a cock' - and Roger Ebert ('It's macho porn -- the sex movie Hollywood has been moving toward for years, in which eroticism between the sexes is replaced by all-guy locker-room fights.').

The four commentary tracks were on the US Special Edition and on the second German Edition - the 2-disc Steelbook one. I most enjoyed the one with Fincher alone and the other with novelist Chuck Palahniuk and screenwriter Jim Uhls. Certainly there is enough discussion of this, now cultish, film to satisfy even the most fervent of fans.

Most (maybe all?) of the shorter extras from the 2-disc DVD appear to be available - including the 'deleted scenes' and 2 Public Service Announcements (in SD).  Within a labyrinth of menu options we get Insomniac Mode: I Am Jack's Search Index is a viewing option  accessing a 'Commentray Guide' which allows you to view the topics being discussed in each of the four featurette commentaries in 'real time' You can then switch between commentary tracks during the film to pursue the discussion topics that most interest you.  Ex. for the 'Behind the Scenes' section you can choose 4 alternate angles - textless or different font styles and even 2 audio options. You cal alternately access a 'brain-ride' map that seemed to bring up storyboards and art. It can be quite extensive... and confusing. It's a stacked extras package to say the least with few stones left unturned. 

This surely is the best of all editions with a vastly superior image, flawless audio and old - as well as new - extras. Like it or love it - the film is an unforgettable ride and a milestone in the careers of the director and two lead stars. This Blu-ray surely replicates the theatrical experience better than ever before for your home theater. An impressive amount of effort has gone into this 20th Century Fox release and for anyone, even remotely, keen on the film - we are highly recommending it as the definitive way to see David Fincher's inventive, surprising and subversive Fight Club. Great price too. Wow. 

-Gary Tooze

 

 


DVD Menus

(20th Century Fox (2 disc) - Region 1 - NTSC - LEFT vs. 20th Century Fox (2 Disc CE) - Region 2 - PAL - RIGHT)
 

 

 

Extras - 20th Century Fox - Region FREE - Blu-ray

 


 

CLICK EACH BLU-RAY CAPTURE TO SEE ALL IMAGES IN FULL 1920X1080 RESOLUTION

 

Screen Captures

 

1) 20th Century Fox (2 disc) - Region 1 - NTSC - TOP

2) 20th Century Fox (2 Disc CE) - Region 2 - PAL - MIDDLE

3) 20th Century Fox - Region FREE - Blu-ray - BOTTOM

 


1) 20th Century Fox (2 disc) - Region 1 - NTSC - TOP

2) 20th Century Fox (2 Disc CE) - Region 2 - PAL - MIDDLE

3) 20th Century Fox - Region FREE - Blu-ray - BOTTOM

 


1) 20th Century Fox (2 disc) - Region 1 - NTSC - TOP

2) 20th Century Fox (2 Disc CE) - Region 2 - PAL - MIDDLE

3) 20th Century Fox - Region FREE - Blu-ray - BOTTOM

 


1) 20th Century Fox (2 disc) - Region 1 - NTSC - TOP

2) 20th Century Fox (2 Disc CE) - Region 2 - PAL - MIDDLE

3) 20th Century Fox - Region FREE - Blu-ray - BOTTOM

 


1) 20th Century Fox (2 disc) - Region 1 - NTSC - TOP

2) 20th Century Fox (2 Disc CE) - Region 2 - PAL - MIDDLE

3) 20th Century Fox - Region FREE - Blu-ray - BOTTOM

 


1) 20th Century Fox (2 disc) - Region 1 - NTSC - TOP

2) 20th Century Fox (2 Disc CE) - Region 2 - PAL - MIDDLE

3) 20th Century Fox - Region FREE - Blu-ray - BOTTOM

 

More Blu-ray Captures

 

 


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Extras:

Blu-ray

 

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Gary Tooze

Mississauga, Ontario,

   CANADA

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