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S E A R C H D V D B e a v e r |
(aka "Barbarella: Queen of the Galaxy" or "BARBARELLAaaaaaah!")
Directed by Roger Vadim
USA 1968
Slip out of your spacesuit and into something more comfortable! It’s time to
join Barbarella on a series of cosmic adventures in this Dino De Laurentiis
production directed by Roger Vadim (And
God Created Woman) and starring Jane Fonda as the intergalactic glamour
puss created by comic book artist Jean-Claude Forest. *** Barbarella is marked by the same audacity and originality, fantasy, humor, beauty and horror, cruelty and eroticism that make comic books such a favorite. The setting is the planet Lythion in the year 40,000, when Barbarella (Jane Fonda) makes a forced landing while traveling through space. She acts like a female James Bond, vanquishing evil in the forms of robots and monsters. She also rewards, in an uninhibited manner, the handsome men who assist her in the adventure. Whether she is wrestling with Black Guards, the evil Queen, or the Angel Pygar, she just can't seem to avoid losing at least a part of her skin-tight space suit! |
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Theatrical Release: October 10th, 1968
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Reviews More Reviews DVD Reviews
Review: Arrow - Region FREE - 4K UHD
Box Cover |
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CLICK to order from: Also released on Blu-ray by Arrow: Bonus Captures: |
Distribution | Arrow - Region FREE - 4K UHD | |
Runtime | 1:38:02.293 | |
Video |
2.35:1 2160P 4K Ultra HD Disc Size: 85,361,703,147 bytes Feature: 81,439,758,912 bytesVideo Bitrate: 93.52 MbpsCodec: HEVC Video |
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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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Bitrate 4K Ultra HD: |
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Audio |
LPCM Audio English
1152 kbps 1.0 / 48 kHz / 1152 kbps / 24-bit LPCM Audio French 1152 kbps 1.0 / 48 kHz / 1152 kbps / 24-bit Dolby TrueHD/Atmos Audio English 3989 kbps 7.1 / 48 kHz / 3669 kbps / 16-bit
(AC3 Embedded: 5.1-EX / 48 kHz / 320 kbps / DN -31dB) Dolby Digital Audio English 192 kbps 2.0 / 48 kHz / 192 kbps / DN -30dB
Isolated Score: |
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Subtitles | English (SDH), None | |
Features |
Release Information: Studio: Arrow
2.35:1 2160P 4K Ultra HD Disc Size: 85,361,703,147 bytes Feature: 81,439,758,912 bytesVideo Bitrate: 93.52 MbpsCodec: HEVC Video
Edition Details: 4K Ultra HD disc
• Audio commentary by film critic Tim Lucas
Arrow - Region 'A' - Blu-ray
• Another Girl, Another Planet, an appreciation of Barbarella by film
critic Glenn Kenny (23:03)
Chapters 12 |
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Comments: |
NOTE:
The below
Blu-ray
and
4K UHD
captures were taken directly from the respective
discs.
It is likely that the monitor you are seeing this review is not an HDR-compatible display (High Dynamic Range) or Dolby Vision, where each pixel can be assigned with a wider and notably granular range of color and light. Our capture software if simulating the HDR (in a uniform manner) for standard monitors. This should make it easier for us to review more 4K UHD titles in the future and give you a decent idea of its attributes on your system. So our captures may not support the exact same colors (coolness of skin tones, brighter or darker hues etc.) as the 4K system at your home. But the framing, detail, grain texture support etc. are, generally, not effected by this simulation representation. NOTE: 64 more more full resolution (3840 X 2160) 4K UHD captures, in lossless PNG format, for Patrons are available HERE
We have reviewed the following 4K
UHD packages to date:
The Last Picture Show
(software uniformly simulated HDR),
The Man Who Knew Too Much
(software uniformly simulated HDR),
Rope
(software uniformly simulated HDR),
Frenzy
(software uniformly simulated HDR),
American Graffiti
(software uniformly simulated HDR),
East End Hustle,
Three Days of the Condor
(software uniformly simulated HDR), Witness
(software uniformly simulated HDR),
Fascination
(software uniformly simulated HDR),
Lips of Blood
(software uniformly simulated HDR),
The Others
(no HDR),
It Came From Outer Space
(software uniformly simulated HDR),
Don't Look Now,
Rosemary's Baby
(software uniformly simulated HDR),
The Last Wave
(no HDR),
The Train
(software uniformly simulated HDR),
The Trial
(software uniformly simulated HDR),
The Walkabout
(software uniformly simulated HDR),
Black Magic Rites,
The Night of the Hunted
(software uniformly simulated HDR),
The Rape of the Vampire
(software uniformly simulated HDR),
Gorgo
(software uniformly simulated HDR),
Akira Kurosawa's Dreams
(software uniformly simulated HDR),
The Man From Hong Kong
(software uniformly simulated HDR),
One False Move,
The Tall T
(software uniformly simulated HDR),
Cold Eyes of Fear (software uniformly simulated HDR),
Rules of the Game
(no HDR),
The Manchurian Candidate
(software uniformly simulated HDR),
After Hours,
Rain Man
(software uniformly simulated HDR),
The Changeling
(software uniformly simulated HDR),
The Night of the Hunter
(software uniformly simulated HDR),
12 Angry Men
(software uniformly simulated HDR),
Branded to Kill
(no HDR),
Picnic at Hanging Rock
(software uniformly simulated HDR),
Two Orphan Vampires,
The Shiver of the Vampires,
Drowning By Number
(software uniformly simulated HDR),
Serpico
(software uniformly simulated HDR),
Cool Hand Luke
(software uniformly simulated HDR),
The Seventh Seal
(software uniformly simulated HDR), The Maltese Falcon
(software uniformly simulated HDR).
On their
4K UHD,
Arrow offer a few choices. The HD presentation defaults to a linear PCM mono track (24-bit) in the
original English language. There is also a French DUB in lossless mono
(as stated Fonda DUBs herself) and Arrow have also included a remixed
Dolby Atmos surround bump.
NOTE: For Atmos many non-compliant systems will
recognizes it as TrueHD 7.1, but from
Wikipedia: "Because of limited bandwidth and lack of
processing power, Atmos in home theaters is not a real-time mix rendered
the same way as in cinemas. The substream is added to Dolby TrueHD or
Dolby Digital Plus. This substream only represents a losslessly encoded
fully object-based mix. This substream does not include all 128 objects
separated. This is not a matrix-encoded channel, but a spatially-encoded
digital channel. Atmos in home theaters can support 24.1.10 channel, but
it is not an object-based real-time rendering. Filmmakers need to remix
and render the TrueHD and Dolby Digital Plus soundtracks with Dolby
Media Producer."
"Barbarella" is filled with various types of
quirky electronic sci-fi sounds and the Atmos advances on the, perfectly
adept, mono tracks and, frankly, it does suit the pristine
4K UHD visuals but purists may opt
for the mono - and sample the French DUB. Atmos adopters may be
surprisingly pleased. It's great to have the options. The songs in Barbarella
are credited to a band known as 'The Glitterhouse'. But in the
commentary Tim Lucas informs us that it was all composed by Charles Fox
and lyricist Bob Crewe. These include 'Barbarella', 'Love,
love, love Drags Me Down', 'I Love All the Love In You' and 'An
Angel is Love'. Tim says these were really cut by studio musicians
although it is Michael Gayle (The Glitterhouse) singing. It's all quite
psychedelic, with a Morricone-vibe, and adds to the viewing experience
with lounge-y overtones. Arrow include an isolated score track of this
music.
The disc offers optional English (SDH) subtitles - and is, like all
4K UHD, region FREE,
playable worldwide. The
Blu-ray
of extras is also region free.
There are
extras on the
4K UHD disc - firstly
a new commentary by DVDBeaver's favorite,
novelist (The
Book of Renfield: A Gospel of Dracula) and critic
(Video
Watchdog) Tim Lucas. He informs us that Dino de Laurent's first
choices for Barbarella had been Brigitte Bardot or Sophia Loren (who
had both refused) and how Jane Fonda had thrown the letter with the offer
from Dino into the garbage telling her husband, eventual director Roger
Vadim, that is was for a role based on a French comic
strip. Tim tells us how the effect of the anti-gravity striptease at the
beginning of the film was achieved - he includes other examples where it has
been utilized in films. He gives us a primer on the history of French comic books,
he talks about the oil-wheel projector creating the large lava-lamp-like
effects, costume designer Jacques Fonteray, director of photography, Claude
Renoir, details on special effects guru Carlo Rambaldi, Durand-Durand and the
subsequently named British Pop Group (Duran Duran), he informs us that
Jean-Louis Trintignant DUB'ed David Hemmings on the French version of the
film and Jane Fonda DUB'ed herself... in French! (this DUB'ed track is
included as an option on the
4K UHD disc.) He identifies many differences
from the graphic novel and much more. It is as entertaining and
informative as he always is. Excellent. Also on the
4K UHD disc are an
alternative credit opening, running over 2-minutes, and closing credits
running just over a minute - both in 4K with Dolby Vision. The feature disc
also offers the opportunity to listen to the isolated score track.
The second disc
Blu-ray,
does not include the feature film but instead has a girth
of extras. These include the 23-minute appreciation of Barbarella by
Glenn Kenny entitled Another Girl, Another Planet, which was nice to
hear his thoughts (and see him!) We get a 1/4 hour of a behind the scenes featurette; Paul Joyce’s
Barbarella Forever! with wonderful photos and tidbits on production.
Love, is a two-hour in-depth discussion between film and cultural
historians Tim Lucas and
cartoonist Stephen R. Bissette (co-author of
Studio of Screams.
I really enjoyed his commentary on the recent
4K UHD of
Gorgo) They discuss the impact and legacy of
Barbarella... and it covers a lot with many references and
keen observations. Very fun - and deep. Dress to Kill spends a 1/2 hour with
film fashion scholar Elizabeth Castaldo Lundén on Jacques Fonteray’s
world-changing costume designs used in Barbarella including Fonda's
unique outfits. He made costumes for many films including H.G. Clouzot's
Inferno (L'enfer), 1965's "Rapture"
by John Guillermin, René Clément "Is
Paris burning ?" with Kirk Douglas, Sydney Pollack's
Castle Keep from 1969 with Burt Lancaster, Jacques Deray's
Borsalino, Frankenheimer's "French
Connection 2" among others. Framing for Claude is a 17-minute
interview with camera operator Roberto Girometti (Starcrash.)
Tognazzi on Tognazzi, has actor/director Ricky Tognazzi discussing
the life and work of his father and Barbarella star Ugo Tognazzi (he
played Mark Hand.) This runs just shy of 22-minutes. An Angel’s Body
Double, has actor Fabio Testi (The
Garden of the Finzi-Continis) discussing his early career as a
stuntman and body double for John Phillip Law on Barbarella for
almost 25-minutes. Dino and Barbarella, is a video essay by Eugenio
Ercolani on producer Dino De Laurentiis for 1/4 hour. I thought this, also,
was excellent. Lastly are a trailer, US TV and radio spots and an image
gallery. The package has a reversible sleeve featuring original and newly
commissioned artwork by Tula Lotay and a double-sided fold-out poster
featuring original and newly commissioned artwork by Lotay plus there are
six double-sided collector’s postcards and lastly an illustrated collector’s
booklet featuring new writing on the film by Anne Billson, Paul Gravett,
Véronique Bergen and Elizabeth Castaldo Lundén, and select archival
material.
Roger Vadim's "Barbarella" is
overflowing with style. The design is wonderful -packed with psychedelic plastic,
golden shag rugs, funky spaceships, glimpses of impressionist paintings and
extravagant costuming. It's been called "the perfect film to watch when
you are high". The 60's nostalgia factor of Fonda's cheesecake and Little
Annie Fanny-style innocence is immensely appealing. The, over 11-years
old, Paramount Blu-ray was bare-bones
with only a trailer.
Arrow's
4K UHD
release knocks it out of the park with outstanding a/v (stunning 2160P video
and added Atmos option), King Lucas commentary, appreciations, visual essay,
interviews, a 2-hour discussion of the impact and
legacy of Barbarella,
booklet and accoutrements. This will get plenty of attention in our
year-end poll. What an incredible package. Arrow perfection again. Our
highest recommendation. |
Menus / Extras
4K UHD Disc
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Blu-ray (Supplements)
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CLICK EACH BLU-RAY and 4K UHD CAPTURE TO SEE IN FULL RESOLUTION
1) Paramount - Region FREE - Blu-ray - TOP 2) Arrow - Region FREE - 4K UHD - BOTTOM |
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1) Paramount - Region FREE - Blu-ray - TOP 2) Arrow - Region FREE - 4K UHD - BOTTOM |
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1) Paramount - Region FREE - Blu-ray - TOP 2) Arrow - Region FREE - 4K UHD - BOTTOM |
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1) Paramount - Region FREE - Blu-ray - TOP 2) Arrow - Region FREE - 4K UHD - BOTTOM |
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More full resolution (3840 X 2160) 4K Ultra HD Captures for Patreon Supporters HERE
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Box Cover |
|
CLICK to order from: Also released on Blu-ray by Arrow: Bonus Captures: |
Distribution | Arrow - Region FREE - 4K UHD |
Search DVDBeaver |
S E A R C H D V D B e a v e r |