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S E A R C H D V D B e a v e r |
(aka 'Le flic se rebiffe')
Directed by Roland Kibbee, Burt Lancaster
USA 1974
One night after finishing his rounds as security chief at Jordan College, Quartz Willinger (Cameron Mitchell) stops by an after-hours club for a drink and walks in on the middle of a robbery, during which he is savagely beaten by three hillbilly thugs. While recovering from his injuries, he needs a replacement and arranges to hire an old friend, Jim Slade (Burt Lancaster), an ex-cop who has just been paroled on a murder conviction, for killing the man he caught with his wife. He finds the job an awkward fit but a welcome relief from prison, especially once he meets his parole officer, Linda Thorpe (Susan Clark). On his first night on the job, there's a break-in at the office of the college's resident psychiatrist (Robert Quarry), and the theft of some tapes made by students, only one of whom -- Natalie Clayborne (Catherine Bach), a pretty yet troubled coed, and daughter of a very powerful politician (Morgan Woodward) -- isn't upset by the incident. |
Poster
Theatrical Release: March 7th, 1974
Reviews More Reviews DVD Reviews
Comparison:
Movinside - Region FREE - Blu-ray vs. Kino - Region 'A' - Blu-ray
1) Movinside - Region FREE Blu-ray LEFT 2) Kino - Region 'A' Blu-ray RIGHT |
Box Covers |
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|
Distribution |
Movinside |
Kino Region 'A' Blu-ray |
The Midnight Man is also available from Movinside in a 3 Blu-ray boxset with Stephen Frears, 1984 neo-noir, The Hit (Reviewed HERE) and Richard Fleischer's The Don is Dead (1973), with Anthony Quinn, Robert Forster, and Frederic Forrest. |
Runtime |
1:58:45.910 |
1:58:47.120 |
Video |
Disc Size: 24,962,102,024 bytes Feature Size: 24,139,793,856 bytes Average Bitrate: 21.99 MbpsSingle-layered Blu-ray MPEG-4 AVC Video |
Disc Size: 24,760,734,885 bytes Feature Size: 22,612,420,608 bytes Average Bitrate: 22.16 MbpsSingle-layered Blu-ray MPEG-4 AVC Video |
Bitrate:
Movinside Blu-ray
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Bitrate:
Kino Blu-ray
|
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Audio |
DTS-HD Master Audio English 1804 kbps 2.0 / 48 kHz /
1804 kbps / 24-bit (DTS Core: 2.0 / 48 kHz / 1509 kbps / 24-bit) |
DTS-HD Master Audio English 1555 kbps 2.0 / 48 kHz /
1555 kbps / 16-bit (DTS Core: 2.0 / 48 kHz / 1509 kbps /
16-bit) Dolby Digital Audio English 192 kbps 2.0 / 48 kHz / 192 kbps |
Subtitles | French, None | English, None |
Features |
Release
Information: Studio: Movinside
Disc Size: 24,962,102,024 bytes Feature Size: 24,139,793,856 bytes Average Bitrate: 21.99 MbpsSingle-layered Blu-ray MPEG-4 AVC Video
Edition Details:
Chapters: 13 |
Release
Information: Studio: Kino
Disc Size: 24,760,734,885 bytes Feature Size: 22,612,420,608 bytes Average Bitrate: 22.16 MbpsSingle-layered Blu-ray MPEG-4 AVC Video
Edition Details:
Chapters: 8 |
Comments |
NOTE: The below Blu-ray captures were taken directly from the Blu-ray disc. ADDITION: Kino - Region 'A' Blu-ray (February 2019): Technically a very similar transfer although I prefer the warmer and darker look of the Kino. It's probably the same source and looks as good - if not a shade better. Audio has a similar DTS-HD Master transfer but only 16-bit as opposed to 24. There is no French DUB on the Kino that also supports the score by Dave Grusin (Candy, The Friends of Eddie Coyle, ...And Justice For All, 3 Days of the Condor, The Front) and helps establish mood including "Come On Back Where You Belong ". Kino add optional English subtitles (see sample). Big difference is that the Kino adds a new commentary by Howard S. Berger and Nathaniel Thompson who seem to have a genuine affection for the film seeing how its stretched boundaries and was more complex that the films coming out at the time. They talk of Burt's son, Bill Lancaster, who plays a character in the story. Plenty of good information. There is also a trailer. I agree with Berger in the commentary in that you get more out of The Midnight Man in subsequent viewings where clues keep appearing that are less-obvious on an initial screening. Obviously the Kino Blu-ray is the way to go to indulge in this Lancaster neo-noir crime mystery effort. ***
The Midnight Man gets an HD transfer to
Blu-ray
from Movinside. It's single-layered disc and the image
quality is quite strong with some pleasing grain and it
looks consistent throughout. Detail is adept and the
image is-motion is impressive. This 1080P looked quite
film-like in the 1.85:1 aspect ratio and the
Blu-ray
gave me a solid video presentation.
NOTE: Despite
the menu - the French subtitles are fully optional on my Oppo and
this is a Region FREE disc (as are the other two films in
the boxset). - Gary Tooze |
Menus
Movinside - Region FREE Blu-ray
Kino - Region 'A' Blu-ray
CLICK EACH BLU-RAY CAPTURE TO SEE ALL IMAGES IN FULL 1920X1080 RESOLUTION
Subtitle Sample Kino - Region 'A' Blu-ray
1) Movinside - Region FREE Blu-ray TOP 2) Kino - Region 'A' Blu-ray BOTTOM
|
1) Movinside - Region FREE Blu-ray TOP 2) Kino - Region 'A' Blu-ray BOTTOM |
1) Movinside - Region FREE Blu-ray TOP 2) Kino - Region 'A' Blu-ray BOTTOM |
Box Covers |
|
|
Distribution |
Movinside |
Kino Region 'A' Blu-ray |
The Midnight Man is also available from Movinside in a 3 Blu-ray boxset with Stephen Frears, 1984 neo-noir, The Hit (Reviewed HERE) and Richard Fleischer's The Don is Dead (1973), with Anthony Quinn, Robert Forster, and Frederic Forrest. |
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S E A R C H D V D B e a v e r |