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S E A R C H    D V D B e a v e r

 

Directed by Sidney J. Furie
UK 1965

 

Bowing in the same year Bond was saving the world from total destruction in Thunderball, bespectacled Harry, more modestly engaged in slowing the brain drain of British scientists, immediately endeared himself to average blokes. Harry Palmer is forever enshrined as the credible everyman alternative to Bond. In conception and in Caine's performance he was a fantasy figure for guys who wear glasses, people living in anonymous flats, driving unglamorous, functional cars and shopping for groceries after work. You can relate to Harry Palmer. He's capable and crafty. He's sexy. And he can cook.

Bond's fabulous world is one of exotic locations, babes, stupendous stunts, ingenious gadgets and gizmos. It is rich with explosively lavish underground lairs of megalomaniacal masterminds with whom 007 contends when he isn't between the sheets, behind the wheel of an Aston Martin or BMW, in a casino or relaxing with a vodka martini. Palmer's world is surveillance shifts in a grotty attic, furtive shenanigans in British Rail stations, the rendezvous on park benches, an HQ disguised as a domestic employment bureau, and a villains' lair in a disused warehouse. Harry drinks whiskey, plays the horses, is issued the keys to a boring blue Zodiac that doesn't do anything except go, and he is the first swinging London bachelor to be seen grinding his own coffee.
  

Except from Empire Online (UK) located HERE

Posters

Theatrical Release: July 2nd, 1965

Reviews                                                              More Reviews                                                      DVD Reviews

Comparison:

Network (2-disc) - Region 2 - PAL vs. ITV - Region FREE - Blu-ray vs. Kino - Region 'A' - Blu-ray

Box Covers

 

Network (UK) released their Blu-ray in July 2014:

Bonus Captures:

Distribution Network - Region 2 - PAL ITV - Region FREE - Blu-ray Kino - Region 'A' - Blu-ray
Runtime 1:43:08 (4% PAL Speedup)  1:47:39.791 1:47:59.473
Video 2.35:1 Aspect Ratio
Average Bitrate: 7.95 mb/s
NTSC 720x480 29.97 f/s

Disc Size: 20,426,750,828 bytes

Feature Size: 19,600,809,984 bytes

Average Bitrate: 24.27 Mbps

Single-layered Blu-ray MPEG-2 Video

Disc Size: 39,257,464,594 bytes

Feature Size: 34,608,181,248 bytes

Average Bitrate: 36.42 Mbps

Dual-layered Blu-ray MPEG-4 AVC

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

Bitrate:

 DVD

Bitrate ITV:

 Blu-ray

Bitrate Kino:

 Blu-ray

Audio English (Dolby Digital mono)  Dolby Digital Audio English 640 kbps 5.1 / 48 kHz / 640 kbps
Dolby Digital Audio English 224 kbps 2.0 / 48 kHz / 224 kbps

DTS-HD Master Audio English 1958 kbps 5.1 / 48 kHz / 1958 kbps / 16-bit (DTS Core: 5.1 / 48 kHz / 1509 kbps / 16-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)
Commentaries:

Dolby Digital Audio English 192 kbps 2.0 / 48 kHz / 192 kbps
Dolby Digital Audio English 192 kbps 2.0 / 48 kHz / 192 kbps

Subtitles None English, None English, None
Features

Release Information:
Studio: Network

Aspect Ratio:
Original Aspect Ratio 2.35:1

Edition Details:

• Commentary with track by Sidney Furie and editor Peter Hunt
• Theatrical Trailer (1:04)

Disc 2

• Interview with Michael Caine (21:08)
• Interview with Sir Ken Adam (10:30)
• Michael Caine Goes 'Stella' - Comedy Sketch by Phil Cornwell (4:57)
• Candid Caine - 1969 'Self Portrait' documentary (44:20)
• US radio spots
• Stills Gallery


DVD Release Date: January 16th, 2006

Transparent Keep Case

Chapters: 12

Release Information:
Studio: ITV

Aspect Ratio:
Original Aspect Ratio 2.35:1

Disc Size: 22,529,514,590 bytes

Feature Size: 20,055,435,264 bytes

Average Bitrate: 23.17 Mbps

Single-layered Blu-ray VC-1

Edition Details:

• Photo Gallery (In HD!)

• Trailer (In HD!)

Blu-ray  Release Date: November 10th, 2008
Standard
Blu-ray  Case
Chapters: 12

Release Information:
Studio: Kino

Aspect Ratio:
Original Aspect Ratio 2.35:1

Disc Size: 39,257,464,594 bytes

Feature Size: 34,608,181,248 bytes

Average Bitrate: 36.42 Mbps

Dual-layered Blu-ray MPEG-4 AVC

Edition Details:

• Audio Commentary by Director Sidney J. Furie and Editor Peter Hunt
• NEW Audio Commentary by Film Historian Troy Howarth and Film Historian/Filmmaker Daniel Kremer
• Interview with Star Michael Caine (19:59)
• Interview with Production Designer Ken Adam (11:00)
• TRAILERS FROM HELL with Howard Rodman (1:21)
• Theatrical Trailer in HD (3:07)
• Theatrical Trailer (1:08)
-4 Radio Spots (2:49)

Blu-ray  Release Date: October 27th, 2020
Standard
Blu-ray  Case
Chapters: 10

 

Comments:

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

ADDITION: Kino Blu-ray (October 2020): Kino have transferred Sidney J. Furie's The Ipcress File to Blu-ray. It is cited as being from a "2K Restoration". The 2008 ITV was one of their early Blu-rays  - MPEG2 with lossy audio. It's weaker qualities are more apparent in-motion than in the comparative stills below. The Kino 1080P is a significant improvement - smoother, a better support of grain, the image is darker and it is on a dual-layered disc with a max'ed out bitrate - more than 50% higher than that of the ITV. It still has a thick look and is far more film-like.

NOTE: We have added 50 more large resolution Blu-ray captures (in lossless PNG format) for DVDBeaver Patrons HERE

On their Blu-ray, Kino give the option of a DTS-HD Master 5.1 surround bump or a lossless 2.0 channel - both 16-bit and both in the original English language. The surround has some modest separations - frequently gunfire but occasionally automobiles. There are effects related to the genre and a brilliant score by the iconic John Barry (Inside Moves, The Whisperers, Boom, Deadfall, The ChaseMidnight CowboyDances With Wolves and the Bond themes among his many credits) with lone string chords adding further flavour to the viewing experience. Kino offer optional English subtitles on their Region 'A' Blu-ray.  

The Kino Blu-ray offers two commentaries - the 1998 LaserDisc one with director Sidney J. Furie and editor Peter Hunt. The second is a new one by Troy Howarth and Daniel Kremer (author of Sidney J. Furie: Life and Films.) The discuss Sidney J. Furie at length - how he is underrated and the keen visuals elements of the film including the many frame-within-frame refracted images throughout. I loved it - Kremer understandably talks with confidence about the production and I always appreciate Howarth (accurately introduced as a European-cult cinema aficionado.) There is the same 20-minute interview with Michael Caine as found on the Network 2006 DVD, and there is a 11-minute interview with Production Designer Ken Adam, an episode of Trailer From Hell with Howard Rodman, trailers and radio spots.

Sidney J. Furie's The Ipcress File is a wonderful Len Deighton spy thriller and the director has crafted a real gem - debatably his best film. It has a unique atmosphere - encouraged by the frequent obtuse camera angles and the solitary-evoking Barry score. Caine is wonderful - a real defining role for the 32-year old actor. The Kino Blu-ray is at their usual complete standard - strong a/v and two commentaries. This is a very worthwhile positioning in the digital library.

***

NOTE: I can confirm that the ITV Blu-ray is region free and will play on Blu-ray machines worldwide.

There are two major problems with the Network DVD image - the first is the obvious contrast boosting (badly blown out whites) and the second, perhaps even more unsightly, is that it appears to have been vertically compressed - with faces, especially noticeable, appearing quite distorted and unnatural (harder to distinguish at times due to the many obtuse camera angles used in the film.) The single-layered Blu-ray is hardly stellar but looks quite remarkable beside the standard-def image. Colors are more true and detail a fairly big leap in improvement but there is still some noise while grain is not wholly as visible as some might appreciate. Still, visually this is easily the best digital representation of The Ipcress File - a wonderfully 'real' spy drama. Contrast is also not pristine but significantly improves upon the dual-layered DVD release. The Blu-ray leans to a soft palette but looks far more faithful in my opinion.

Audio-wise the DVD's mono was quite strong and the Blu-ray has an undemonstrative 5.1 bump and a 2.0 channel option as well. This is not as action-infused (especially the first 2/3rds of the film) as a typical genre example but there is a bit of separation and subtleties. I wouldn't say the 2.0 channel is an overly-obvious superiority over the fine SD mono but enthusiasts who prefer (fake) bumps have the option to indulge in the surround. The Network as no subtitles offered where the ITV Blu-ray has removable English.

Extras are where the DVD vaults to a big advantage - not enough to forgive the feature image quality but certainly for some, especially Caine fans, to consider double-dipping. I really enjoyed the commentary track with director Sidney J. Furie and editor Peter Hunt (of James Bond fame.) Canadian Furie is not afraid to voice his displeasure with Ipcress Producer Harry Saltzman (also of Bond fame) and Hunt backs him up quite a bit. They don't follow much of what is transpiring onscreen but have a lovely chat reminiscing with a few choice anecdotes. Disc one of the DVD also offers a short theatrical trailer. We then get a second DVD disc with a 21 minute interview with Michael Caine and another with production designer Sir Ken Adam for 10 minutes. There is an amusing spoof with a 'Michael Caine Goes 'Stella' - Comedy Sketch by Phil Cornwell running just under 5 minutes and Candid Caine - a 45 minute 'Self Portrait' documentary made in 1969. The DVD is capped off by some crisp US radio spots and a huge stills gallery. The Blu-ray only has an HD Photo Gallery and HD trailer (both playable on any Blu-ray machine).

Great film - solid and pure spy drama devoid of the silliness that we see caked on in all Hollywood productions - give me this over Quantum of Solace any day of the week.  So the Blu-ray is definitely the best way to go for home viewing but the DVD has some great extras. Both releases are reasonable and have some merit - I endorse the Blu-ray and for those keen on supplements - the DVD is more than worth the money in my opinion.    

Gary W. Tooze

 



DVD Menus/ Extras

Network - Region 2 - PAL LEFT vs. ITV - Region FREE - Blu-ray RIGHT


 

Disc 2 DVD

 

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) Network - Region 2 - PAL TOP

2) ITV - Region FREE - Blu-ray  MIDDLE

3) Kino - Region 'A' - Blu-ray BOTTOM

 


 

1) Network - Region 2 - PAL TOP

2) ITV - Region FREE - Blu-ray  MIDDLE

3) Kino - Region 'A' - Blu-ray BOTTOM

 


1) Network - Region 2 - PAL TOP

2) ITV - Region FREE - Blu-ray  MIDDLE

3) Kino - Region 'A' - Blu-ray BOTTOM

 


1) Network - Region 2 - PAL TOP

2) ITV - Region FREE - Blu-ray  MIDDLE

3) Kino - Region 'A' - Blu-ray BOTTOM

 


1) Network - Region 2 - PAL TOP

2) ITV - Region FREE - Blu-ray  MIDDLE

3) Kino - Region 'A' - Blu-ray BOTTOM

 


1) Network - Region 2 - PAL TOP

2) ITV - Region FREE - Blu-ray  MIDDLE

3) Kino - Region 'A' - Blu-ray BOTTOM

 


More full resolution (1920 X 1080) Kino Blu-ray Captures for DVDBeaver Patreon Supporters HERE

 

 


Box Covers

 

Network (UK) released their Blu-ray in July 2014:

 

 

Distribution Network - Region 2 - PAL ITV - Region FREE - Blu-ray Kino - Region 'A' - Blu-ray




 

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