Firstly, a massive thank you to our Patreon supporters. Your generosity touches me deeply. These supporters have become the single biggest contributing factor to the survival of DVDBeaver. Your assistance has become essential.

 

What do Patrons receive, that you don't?

 

1) Our weekly Newsletter sent to your Inbox every Monday morning!
2)
Patron-only Silent Auctions - so far over 30 Out-of-Print titles have moved to deserved, appreciative, hands!
3) Access to over 50,000 unpublished screen captures in lossless high-resolution format!

 

Please consider keeping us in existence with a couple of dollars or more each month (your pocket change!) so we can continue to do our best in giving you timely, thorough reviews, calendar updates and detailed comparisons. Thank you very much.


 

Search DVDBeaver

S E A R C H    D V D B e a v e r

(aka 'The Darkness' or Los otros' or 'Les autres')

Directed by Alejandro Amenábar
USA | Spain | France | Italy 200
1

 

The 4K UHD of The Others is reviewed/compared HERE

 

Screen sensation Nicole Kidman (The Hours, Moulin Rouge!, Eyes Wide Shut) delivers an utterly unforgettable performance in this scary and stylish suspense thriller. While awaiting her husband's return from war, Grace (Kidman) and her two young children live an unusually isolated existence behind the locked doors and drawn curtains of a secluded island mansion. Then, after three mysterious servants arrive and it becomes chillingly clear that there is far more to his house than can be seen, Grace finds herself in a harrying fight to save her children and keep her sanity. Acclaimed by critics everywhere, the unpredictable twists and turns of this compelling hit will keep you guessing as it keeps you riveted to the edge of your seat!
 

***


Fans of slasher horror - complete with spiralling body count, disfigured, wisecracking killer and hellishly sharp instruments of death - will find such things lacking in The Others.

The film marks the English language debut of Spanish writer-director, Alejandro Amenabar, already a Hollywood darling thanks to his previous effort, Open Your Eyes - which has been remade as the forthcoming Cameron Crowe/Tom Cruise collaboration, Vanilla Sky.

What you will get with The Others, however, are some of the creepiest, most atmospheric chills to permeate a cinema screen for years - for by choosing the unseen over the blatant, swapping graphic violence and gruesome murder for self-closing doors and self-playing pianos, and spilling not a single drop of blood along the way, Amenabar has created a haunting, imaginative shocker which is likely to rattle around in your brain for days after.

Exceerpt from Caroline Westbrook's review at EmpireOnline located HERE

Posters

Theatrical Release: September 1st, 2001 - Venice Film Festival

Reviews                                                                  More Reviews                                                            DVD Reviews

 

Comparison:

Dimension (2-disc) - Region 1 - NTSC vs. Alliance (Universal) - Region 'A' - Blu-ray vs. Miramax / Lionsgate - Region 'A' - Blu-ray

Box Cover

 

 

Coming to Blu-ray and 4K UHD from Criterion in October 2023:

 

Distribution Dimension (2-disc) - Region 1 - NTSC Alliance (Canada) - Region 'A' - Blu-ray Miramax / Lionsgate - Region 'A' - Blu-ray
Runtime 1:44:04 1:44:14.047 1:44:29.263
Video 1.78:1 Aspect Ratio
Average Bitrate: 7.56 mb/s
NTSC 720x480 29.97 f/s  

1080i Single-layered Blu-ray

Disc Size: 16,508,058,989

Feature: 16,439,998,464 bytes

Video Bitrate: 15.00 Mbps

Codec: MPEG-4 AVC Video

1080P Single-layered Blu-ray

Disc Size: 24,482,885,789 bytes

Feature: 19,503,249,408 bytes

Video Bitrate: 19.49 Mbps

Codec: MPEG-4 AVC Video

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

Bitrate:

DVD

Bitrate: Alliance

Blu-ray

Bitrate: Lionsgate

Blu-ray

Audio English (Dolby Digital 5.1), DUB: French (Dolby Digital 2.0)   DTS-HD Master Audio English 3906 kbps 5.1 / 48 kHz / 3906 kbps / 24-bit (DTS Core: 5.1 / 48 kHz / 1509 kbps / 24-bit)
Dolby Digital Audio English 448 kbps 5.1 / 48 kHz / 448 kbps
Dolby Digital Audio French 448 kbps 5.1 / 48 kHz / 448 kbps
DTS-HD Master Audio English 3902 kbps 5.1 / 48 kHz / 3902 kbps / 24-bit (DTS Core: 5.1 / 48 kHz / 1509 kbps / 24-bit)
Subtitles English, Spanish, None None English (SDH), Spanish, None
Features

Release Information:
Studio: Dimension (2-disc) Home Video

Aspect Ratio:
Original Aspect Ratio 1.85:1

Edition Details:

• A Look Inside "The Others" (21:53)
• A Look At The Disease (8:12)
A Look at the director (8:55)
• Visual Effects (4:29)
• Stills gallery
• Trailer

DVD Release Date:
May 14th, 2002
Double-thick Keep Case
Chapters: 19

Release Information:
Studio: Dimension (2-disc) Home Video

1080i Single-layered Blu-ray

Disc Size: 16,508,058,989

Feature: 16,439,998,464 bytes

Video Bitrate: 15.00 Mbps

Codec: MPEG-4 AVC Video

 

Edition Details:

• None

Blu-ray Release Date: July 7th, 2009

Standard
Blu-ray Case
Chapters: 16

Release Information:
Studio: Miramax Lionsgate

Aspect Ratio:
Original Aspect Ratio 1.78:1

1080P Single-layered Blu-ray

Disc Size: 24,482,885,789 bytes

Feature: 19,503,249,408 bytes

Video Bitrate: 19.49 Mbps

Codec: MPEG-4 AVC Video

Edition Details:

• A Look Inside "The Others" (21:56)
• A Look At The Disease (8:57)
• A Look at the director (8:14)
• Visual Effects (4:29)
• Trailer (2:30)

Bookmark ability

Blu-ray Release Date:
September 20th, 2011
Standard
Blu-ray Case
Chapters: 16

 

 

 

 

Comments:

The 4K UHD of The Others is reviewed/compared HERE

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

ADDITION: Miramax Lionsgate Blu-ray September 2011': Well, we've been here before - Alliance comes out with a Blu-ray first - but it's a limited interlaced transfer - while the US edition is progressive and more robust. What I'd say that is notable is that the colors on the Canadian edition fluctuate - sometimes warmer, frequently cooler... and paler. It is not a significantly higher bitrate on the Lionsgate but it shows up in-motion with less artifacts. The interlacing issue should be enough despite the US 1080P looking a shade green (like the Dimension DVD).

Audio is a wash with both having almost the exact kbps and both being DTS-HD Master 5.1. The Alliance does offer a French DUB but only the Lionsgate / Miramax has subtitle options. Both are region 'A'-locked.

Extras on the Lionsgate duplicate the Dimension 2-disc with the four production featurettes and the trailer (no gallery) - it also has a 'bookmark' ability for those keen to use. This handily beats the Alliance Blu-ray which was bare-bones.

Another significant attribute is the price - under $10! I thought this was a superb psychological mystery/horror and the Lionsgate Blu-ray seems like a no-brainer to me. Recommended!

***

ADDITION: Alliance Blu-ray July 09': Great, chilling, film but Alliance are up to their old tricks with an interlaced bare-bones transfer. It doesn't even have menus or subtitle options. To be honest, I don't understand the reason behind releasing this in 1080i with no extras. It advances upon the DVD but falls far short of the heights the new format can climb. You can see the comparative improvement below. The disc is only single-layered at only 16Gig. I mean... why bother? I suspect they are hoping to fool purchasers... but not on our watch Alliance!

***


 

This DVD was very good - a 2-disc affair with a decent, if not stellar, image and some viable extras on a 2nd single-layered DVD.

For the Blu-ray we say pass. Let's hope it comes to out via a reputable production in hi-def company soon.

Gary W. Tooze

 


DVD Menus

 

Dimension (2-disc) - Region 1 - NTSC


 

Miramax Lionsgate - Region 'A' - Blu-ray

 


Subtitle Sample

 

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

 

 

1) Dimension (2-disc) - Region 1 - NTSC TOP

2) Alliance (Universal) - Region 'A' - Blu-ray MIDDLE

3) Miramax Lionsgate - Region 'A' - Blu-ray BOTTOM

 

 


 

Screen Captures

 

1) Dimension (2-disc) - Region 1 - NTSC TOP

2) Alliance (Universal) - Region 'A' - Blu-ray MIDDLE

3) Miramax Lionsgate - Region 'A' - Blu-ray BOTTOM

 

 


1) Dimension (2-disc) - Region 1 - NTSC TOP

2) Alliance (Universal) - Region 'A' - Blu-ray MIDDLE

3) Miramax Lionsgate - Region 'A' - Blu-ray BOTTOM

 

 


1) Dimension (2-disc) - Region 1 - NTSC TOP

2) Alliance (Universal) - Region 'A' - Blu-ray MIDDLE

3) Miramax Lionsgate - Region 'A' - Blu-ray BOTTOM

 

 


1) Dimension (2-disc) - Region 1 - NTSC TOP

2) Alliance (Universal) - Region 'A' - Blu-ray MIDDLE

3) Miramax Lionsgate - Region 'A' - Blu-ray BOTTOM

 

 


1) Dimension (2-disc) - Region 1 - NTSC TOP

2) Alliance (Universal) - Region 'A' - Blu-ray MIDDLE

3) Miramax Lionsgate - Region 'A' - Blu-ray BOTTOM

 

 


1) Dimension (2-disc) - Region 1 - NTSC TOP

2) Alliance (Universal) - Region 'A' - Blu-ray MIDDLE

3) Miramax Lionsgate - Region 'A' - Blu-ray BOTTOM

 


1) Dimension (2-disc) - Region 1 - NTSC TOP

2) Alliance (Universal) - Region 'A' - Blu-ray MIDDLE

3) Miramax Lionsgate - Region 'A' - Blu-ray BOTTOM

 

 


1) Dimension (2-disc) - Region 1 - NTSC TOP

2) Alliance (Universal) - Region 'A' - Blu-ray MIDDLE

3) Miramax Lionsgate - Region 'A' - Blu-ray BOTTOM

 

 


1) Dimension (2-disc) - Region 1 - NTSC TOP

2) Alliance (Universal) - Region 'A' - Blu-ray MIDDLE

3) Miramax Lionsgate - Region 'A' - Blu-ray BOTTOM

 


Box Cover

 

 

Coming to Blu-ray and 4K UHD from Criterion in October 2023:

 

Distribution Dimension (2-disc) - Region 1 - NTSC Alliance (Canada) - Region 'A' - Blu-ray Miramax / Lionsgate - Region 'A' - Blu-ray




 

Hit Counter

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

DONATIONS Keep DVDBeaver alive:

CLICK PayPal logo to donate!

Gary Tooze

Thank You!