Frank & Eva Blu-ray - Sylvia Kristel

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

(aka "Living Apart Together" or "Frank y Eva" or "Frank en Eva")

Directed by Pim de la Parra (as Pim de la Parra Jr.)
Netherlands 1973

Frank (BLUE MOVIE's Hugo Metsers) and Eva (THE LIFT's Willeke van Ammelrooy) cannot live with or without each other. In the liberal 1970s, Frank sleeps with every woman he can get. Eva, meanwhile, is looking for more security and wants to start a family. Frank's behavior frustrates her so much that she starts an affair with their mutual friend. This social drama offers a view on relationships not much different than today. For Sylvia Kristel (her debut prior to EMMANUELLE), a special role was written after she said to Pim de la Parra, "Why won't you discover me? I'm the best."

Frank & Eva is the second artsploitation film by director Pim de la Parra, after he produced BLUE MOVIE with his partner Wim Verstappen. Cult Epics presents its worldwide premiere on Blu-ray and DVD, in High-definition with extensive bonus features.

Posters

Theatrical Release: March 1st, 1973

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DVD Review: Cult Epics - Region FREE - Blu-ray

Box Cover		CLICK to order from:
Distribution	Cult Epics - Region FREE - Blu-ray
Runtime	1:37:21.085
Video	1.33:1 1080P Single-layered Blu-ray Disc Size: 21,912,608,726 bytes Feature: 18,495,909,888 bytes Video Bitrate: 20.00 Mbps Codec: MPEG-4 AVC Video
	NOTE: The Vertical axis represents the bits transferred per second. The Horizontal is the time in minutes.
Bitrate:
Audio	DTS-HD Master Audio Dutch 1856 kbps 2.0 / 48 kHz / 1856 kbps / 24-bit (DTS Core: 2.0 / 48 kHz / 1509 kbps / 24-bit) Commentary: DTS-HD Master Audio English 1839 kbps 2.0 / 48 kHz / 1839 kbps / 24-bit (DTS Core: 2.0 / 48 kHz / 1509 kbps / 24-bit)
Subtitles	English, None
Features	Release Information: Studio: Cult Epics 1.33:1 1080P Single-layered Blu-ray Disc Size: 21,912,608,726 bytes Feature: 18,495,909,888 bytes Video Bitrate: 20.00 Mbps Codec: MPEG-4 AVC Video Edition Details: • Introduction by Pim De La Perra (2:24) • Audio Commentary by Pim de la Parra (2018). • Up Front & Naked: Sex in Dutch films (2017) featurette with Willeke van Ammelrooy a.o. (12:03) • Frank & Eva Poster & Photo Gallery (3:25) • Sylvia Kristel Film Poster Gallery (3:32) • Original Theatrical Trailer (2:24) • Obsessions trailer (2:55) DVD Blu-ray Release Date: June 5th, 2018 Standard Blu-ray Case Chapters 14

Comments:

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

ADDITION: (June 2018) Cult Epics - Region FREE - Blu-ray: This Dutch 'artsploitation' flic is brought to 1080P by Cult Epics. It looks modest without restoration but I don't see any digitization and the 1.33:1 aspect ratio effort is fairly inconsistent with some appealing looking quality and then some weaker sequences. There are some speckles and light marks throughout. You can see grain and the limitations of the production budget. Colors seem true with minor richness - depending on the lighting and there is minor depth. It has been transferred on a single-layered disc with a modest bitrate but without a film-level restoration I doubt it will look any better. It was watchable and I wasn't expecting anything superior to this in terms of video.

The audio is in a DTS-HD Master 2.0 channel mono (24-bit) in the original Dutch. It also suffers from the limitation of the low budget and there are some inferiorities but nothing I found fatally poor impinging on the presentation. There are a few sophomoric effects - a cars crash etc. - but a score decent by Antoine Duhamel (Truffaut's Mississippi Mermaid, Godard's Weekend) that sounds 'appropriate' in the lossless. There are optional English subtitles (see sample below) on the Region FREE Blu-ray disc.

Extras include a brief introduction by director Pim De La Perra and an optional audio commentary by him as well where he discusses the low budget, how he made a million dollars off other films and working with 'good sport' Sylvia Kristel among other tidbit and anecdotes. Up Front & Naked: Sex in Dutch films is a 12-minute, 2017, featurette with Willeke van Ammelrooy in a group discussion about her career and the film. There is also a Frank & Eva poster & photo gallery, a Sylvia Kristel Film poster gallery and a theatrical trailer for both Frank and Eva and Obsessions. The package also contains a second disc DVD.

What can you say? I think most get the idea of Frank & Eva. It has some reasonably tasteful nudity, 70's graphic sex and a semblance of a plot - not unlike a Tinto Brass film. The plot described in the commentary as "Why got out for hamburger when you have steak at home". A positive is that it is a better film than I was anticipating and certainly fits in its genre. Those interested know who they are - a surprising film to reach Blu-ray - and a commentary too!

Gary W. Tooze

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