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directed by Jeff Lieberman
USA 1976
THIS WAS THE NIGHT OF THE CRAWLING TERROR! One of the most original and entertaining of
the revenge-of-nature films that characterised mid-1970s
American horror, Squirm begins with a pylon being downed
by a thunderstorm, sending millions of volts into the wet,
conductive mud, which naturally gives hundreds of thousands of
its wriggly inhabitants an insatiable hunger for human flesh. |
Theatrical Release: 30 July 1976 (USA)
Reviews More Reviews DVD Reviews
Comparison:
MGM - Region 1 - NTSC vs. Arrow - Region 'B' - Blu-ray
Big thanks to Eric Cotenas and Gary Tooze for the Screen Caps!
Box Covers |
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Distribution |
MGM Region 1 - NTSC |
Arrow Video Region 'B' - Blu-ray |
Runtime | 1:32:42 | 1:32:46.852 |
Video |
1.85:1 Original Aspect Ratio
16X9 enhanced |
1080P Dual-layered Blu-rayDisc Size: 30,402,506,783 bytes Feature: 24,548,229,120 bytes Video Bitrate: 29.98 MbpsCodec: MPEG-4 AVC Video |
NOTE: The Vertical axis represents the bits transferred per second. The Horizontal is the time in minutes. |
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Bitrate:
MGM
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Bitrate:
Arrow Blu-ray
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Audio | English Dolby Digital 2.0 mono |
LPCM Audio English 1536 kbps 2.0 / 48 kHz
/ 1536 kbps / 16-bit |
Subtitles | English, English (CC), French, Spanish, none | English SDH, none |
Features |
Release Information: Studio: MGM Aspect Ratio:
Edition Details:
Chapters 16 |
Release Information: Studio: Arrow Video Aspect Ratio:1.85:1 1080P Dual-layered Blu-rayDisc Size: 30,402,506,783 bytes Feature: 24,548,229,120 bytes Video Bitrate: 29.98 MbpsCodec: MPEG-4 AVC Video
Edition Details: Chapters 12 |
Comments |
NOTE: The below Blu-ray captures were taken directly from the Blu-ray disc.
ADDITION: Arrow Video - Region 'B' - Blu-ray (September 2013): Image and Audio take the HD leap and both are superior to the SD rendering. I suspect it was the same Master used but the higher, 1080P, resolution advances the a/v in the expected areas - detail, contrast and colors tighten. This is a dual-layered transfer with a solid bitrate. There is no noise or artefacts and grain is marginally more prevalent. The Robert Prince score benefits from the linear PCM track in 2.0 channel and there are optional English subtitles.Gary Tooze
On the Extras: The commentary with
director Jeff Lieberman has been carried over from the 2003 MGM
US DVD release. He mentions that a lot of people - including
Mystery Science Theater 3000 - failed to realize that SQUIRM was
already a spoof ("you can't goof on something that's already
a goof"). He points out bits that were snipped from the film
for a PG rating (like Patricia Pearcy's nudity) and Rick Baker's
effects (which I recall being grisly enough when I first saw the
film on television before MGM started restoring and remastering
their AIP titles). He also discusses R.A. Dow's "Method"
approach to his part, as well as Jean Sullivan's Tennessee
Williams-esque reading that he was too inexperienced as a
director to tone down at the time. He also reveals that Martin
Sheen was originally cast in the lead, that Sylvester Stallone
wanted to play the role of Roger (all the while waiting to hear
about
ROCKY getting greenlighted), and turning down Kim
Basinger for Patricia Pearcy's role since he though she looked
to glamorous too be "a girl who lived next to a worm farm" (he
now regrets those casting decisions). He also frankly discusses
all those little heavy-handed "jerk-off" artistic touches which
seem charming by overblown contemporary standards. - Eric Cotenas |
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(MGM - Region 1 - NTSC - LEFT vs.
Arrow - Region 'B' - Blu-ray -
RIGHT)
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CLICK EACH BLU-RAY CAPTURE TO SEE ALL IMAGES IN FULL 1920X1080 RESOLUTION
Subtitle Sample - Arrow - Region 'B' - Blu-ray
Screen Captures
(MGM - Region 1 - NTSC - TOP vs. Arrow - Region 'B' - Blu-ray - BOTTOM)
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(MGM - Region 1 - NTSC - TOP vs. Arrow - Region 'B' - Blu-ray - BOTTOM)
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(MGM - Region 1 - NTSC - TOP vs. Arrow - Region 'B' - Blu-ray - BOTTOM)
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(MGM - Region 1 - NTSC - TOP vs. Arrow - Region 'B' - Blu-ray - BOTTOM)
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(MGM - Region 1 - NTSC - TOP vs. Arrow - Region 'B' - Blu-ray - BOTTOM)
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