Review by Gary Tooze

 

Production:

Theatrical: Falling Sky Entertainment

Video: Anchor Bay / Starz

 

Disc:

Region: 'A' (as verified by the Momitsu region FREE Blu-ray player)

Runtime: 1:27:08.097

Disc Size: 18,316,584,312 bytes

Feature Size: 18,270,523,392 bytes

Video Bitrate: 26.03 Mbps

Chapters: 9

Case: Standard Blu-ray case

Release date: February 2nd, 2010

 

Video:

Aspect ratio: 1.78:1

Resolution: 1080p / 23.976 fps

Video codec: VC-1 Video

 

Audio:

Dolby Digital Audio English 640 kbps 5.1 / 48 kHz / 640 kbps / DN -4dB

 

Subtitles:

• None

 

Extras:

• None

 

Bitrate:

 

 

Description: On a cold night in a remote cabin, Professor John Oldman (David Lee Smith of CSI: MIAMI) gathers his most trusted colleagues for an extraordinary announcement: He is an immortal who has migrated through 140 centuries of evolution and must now move on. Is Oldman truly Cro-Magnon or simply insane? Now one man will force these scientists and scholars to confront their own notions of history, religion and humanity, all leading to a final revelation that may shatter their world forever.

 

 

The Film:

Jerome Bixby's Man From Earth directed by Richard Schenkman quietly restores dignity to science fiction of the mind. Accomplished on a shoestring budget under two weeks time, the film transcends its production limitations to deliver a thought-provoking meditation on immortality. Recently experiencing its "world premiere" at San Francisco's 4th Annual Another Hole in the Head Film Festival, I could only wonder what Schenkman might have achieved with more time and more money? On its own merits, however, the film picks itself up by its bootstraps to seduce audiences into a solid mindbender. For those who believe science fiction requires millions of dollars worth of CGI effects, gut-gobbling monsters or interstellar pyrotechnics, Man From Earth will keenly disappoint. All special effects in this film are firmly grounded in the strength of the imagination. For those who like to flex their brain, Man From Earth is a rewarding workout.

Excerpt from Twitch located HERE

 

 

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

Technically this VC-1 single-layered Blu-ray transfer isn't much. It can look very 'videoy' and soft with plenty of grain and noise. It surpasses DVD but the visuals have a lot of instability. Frankly though, I don't know that it could look vastly better. It's all pretty grassroots with limited (as in 'none') production values. This is not negative towards the film itself - which I actually really liked. It's a very cool, and very cerebral sci-fi - kinda like a Rohmer-esque version of the genre. Don't expect sterling video quality but it honestly is not a prerequisite to enjoying the presentation.

 

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

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Audio :

We have a similarly lame, and unnecessary, 5.1 track for the audio. The whole thing is flat dialogue and it is reproduced effectively supporting the The Man From Earth adeptly. Nothing is lossless and separation is virtually non-existent. I'll repeat - these limitations didn't effect my enjoyment. Like Anchor Bay/ Starz other Blu-ray line of pragmatic packages this has no subtitles options and my Momitsu has identified it as being a region 'A'-locked.

 

 

Extras :

Like He Was A Quiet Man this is devoid of any extras - or even menus. I believe there is a commentary on the film's website for those keen to indulge. To be fair the price reflects the lack of supplements. It's cheaper than the DVD and the image is technically more than double - so that's where the value lies.

 

BOTTOM LINE:
This would lean more to the cinephile than the Blu-ray aficionado. I'm quite glad that this did get a bump to high-definition because it gave me the opportunity to actually see it - and I really liked it - rewatching almost 3/4's again immediately after my first viewing. For $10 this is an easy recommendation just be sure to keep your A/V expectations at the very low end - this isn't that type of science fiction! 

Gary Tooze

January 27th, 2010