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S E A R C H D V D B e a v e r |
directed by David DeCoteau
USA 1987
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Your flesh will crawl right off your bones! World War III has turned the world into a smoking cinder. The year is 1998, six years after the nuclear apocalypse, and the fallout continues to plague survivors with periodic bouts of highly toxic acid rain. A group of army deserters take refuge in a seemingly abandoned laboratory complex. They soon discover that the lab was once a top-secret government research centre gone awry. Still lurking in its corridors, a hideous genetically engineered monster emerges and a mysterious substance transforms one of them into another deadly creature! Now trapped, the four survivors must destroy the blood-thirsty beast...or die in its dripping jaws.). |
Posters
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Theatrical Release: 2 October 1987 (USA)
Reviews More Reviews DVD Reviews
Comparison:
Shadow Entertainment - Region 0 - NTSC vs. 88 Films - Region 0 - PAL vs. 88 Films - Region 'B' - Blu-ray
Big thanks to Eric Cotenas for all the DVD Screen Caps!
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1) Shadow Entertainment - Region 0 - NTSC - LEFT2) 88 Films - Region 0 - PAL - MIDDLE3) 88 Films - Region 'B' - Blu-ray - RIGHT
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| Box Covers |
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Also available on Blu-ray from Full Moon, in the US:
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| Distribution |
Shadow Entertainment Region 0 - NTSC |
88 Films Region 0 - PAL |
88 Films Region 'B' - Blu-ray |
| Runtime | 1:11:51 | 1:08:54 (4% PAL speedup) | 1:12:13.162 |
| Video |
1.33:1 Open Matte format |
1.33:1 Open Matte format |
Disc Size: 16,273,386,600 bytes Feature Size: 15,822,170,112 bytes Average Bitrate: 26.96 MbpsSingle-layered Blu-ray MPEG-4 AVC Video |
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NOTE: The Vertical axis represents the bits transferred per second. The Horizontal is the time in minutes. |
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Bitrate:
Shadow Entertainment
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Bitrate:
88 Films
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Bitrate:
88 Films Blu-ray
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| Audio | English Dolby Digital 2.0 mono |
English Dolby Digital 2.0 mono |
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 | none | English, none |
| Features |
Release Information: Studio: Shadow Entertainment Aspect Ratio:
Edition Details:
Chapters 14 |
Release Information: Studio: 88 Films Aspect Ratio:
Edition Details:
DVD Release Date: January
14th, 2013 Chapters 8 |
Release Information: Disc Size: 16,273,386,600 bytes Feature Size: 15,822,170,112 bytes Average Bitrate: 26.96 MbpsSingle-layered Blu-ray MPEG-4 AVC Video Edition Details: • Commentary by David DeCoteau • Trailer (1:16)
Reversible sleeve incorporating original poster |
| Comments |
NOTE:
The below
Blu-ray
captures were taken directly from the
Blu-ray
disc.
88 Films offer its
Blu-ray transfer described as "Remastered
and restored from the original 35mm camera negative and
armed with a new 5.1 surround sound mix". It's in the
1.78:1 aspect ratio and takes a large step beyond the SDs in
terms of detail, even colors and the 1080P presentation
exports depth. It looks surprisingly strong for the low
budget film on a single-layered disc with a supportive
bitrate. There was no damage, maybe a speckle or two but the
end result is very pleasing in terms of HD video.
88 Films give us the option of lossy 5.1 surround or 2.0
channel. Unfortunately not DTS-HD but the audio does a
decent job of exporting the film's sound effects and the
score by Guy Moon - his first of many film compositions.
There is minor separation and some depth. There are optional
English subtitles on the Region 'B'
Blu-ray.
88 Films include a new entertaining commentary by director David DeCoteau although he struggles to recall a few specific details - he shares some interesting anecdotes and stories of the production, about future porn star Ashlyn Gere, how they always use the same door throughout most of the film - and painted the walls to make it look like a different room and much more. I enjoyed it. There is also a trailer. The package has a reversible sleeve incorporating original poster (see below.)
This is one of the better cult 'B' post nuclear-apocalypse 'Alien' rip-offs. The acting is decent and their well conceived adventure and horror scenes, DeCoteau did a great job with the low budget. For fans of this genre - I thought this was one of the better efforts even with the super-cheesy rat-monster effects. Thumbs up.
ON THE DVD: Although apparently sourced from a PAL master of the same age as the distractingly-interlaced 2001 US release (possibly the same one for the now out-of-print 2004 Screen Entertainment [HERE] release), the 88 Films release sports better encoding and compression. The UK release also seems to be hair brighter, with slightly less saturated reds unfortunately; but it is definitely the better video presentation. The Dolby Digital mono audio is of similar quality for the most part. In terms of extras, the UK release is superior with its inclusion of the original trailer (with a nice tagline) and the unrelated bonus feature-length compilation FILMGORE (see below). The UK release also features a nicer cover and superior menus. There does exist a German DVD release which not only includes an interview with actress Linnea Quigley, but also reportedly the film's script in English. |
DVD
Menus
(Shadow Entertainment - Region 0 -
NTSC - LEFT vs. 88 Films - Region 0 - PAL - RIGHT)
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88 Films - Region 'B' - Blu-ray
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CLICK EACH BLU-RAY CAPTURE TO SEE ALL IMAGES IN FULL 1920X1080 RESOLUTION
Subtitle Sample - 88 Films - Region 'B' - Blu-ray
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Screen Captures
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1) Shadow Entertainment - Region 0 - NTSC - TOP2) 88 Films - Region 0 - PAL - MIDDLE3) 88 Films - Region 'B' - Blu-ray - BOTTOM
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1) Shadow Entertainment - Region 0 - NTSC - TOP2) 88 Films - Region 0 - PAL - MIDDLE3) 88 Films - Region 'B' - Blu-ray - BOTTOM
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1) Shadow Entertainment - Region 0 - NTSC - TOP2) 88 Films - Region 0 - PAL - MIDDLE3) 88 Films - Region 'B' - Blu-ray - BOTTOM
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1) Shadow Entertainment - Region 0 - NTSC - TOP2) 88 Films - Region 0 - PAL - MIDDLE3) 88 Films - Region 'B' - Blu-ray - BOTTOM
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1) Shadow Entertainment - Region 0 - NTSC - TOP2) 88 Films - Region 0 - PAL - MIDDLE3) 88 Films - Region 'B' - Blu-ray - BOTTOM
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1) Shadow Entertainment - Region 0 - NTSC - TOP2) 88 Films - Region 0 - PAL - MIDDLE3) 88 Films - Region 'B' - Blu-ray - BOTTOM
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More Blu-ray Captures
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| Box Covers |
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Also available on Blu-ray from Full Moon, in the US:
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| Distribution |
Shadow Entertainment Region 0 - NTSC |
88 Films Region 0 - PAL |
88 Films Region 'B' - Blu-ray |
directed by Ken Dixon
USA 1983
Poster
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Reviews More Reviews DVD Reviews
DVD Review: 88 Films - Region 0 - PAL
Big thanks to Eric Cotenas for the Review!
| Distribution |
88 Films Region 0 - PAL |
| Runtime | 1:59:12 |
| Video |
1.33:1 Original Aspect
Ratio |
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NOTE: The Vertical axis represents the bits transferred per second. The Horizontal is the time in minutes. |
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| Bitrate |
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| Audio | English Dolby Digital 2.0 mono |
| Subtitles | none |
| Features |
Release
Information: Studio: 88 Films
Aspect
Ratio:
Edition
Details: Chapters 10 |
| Comments |
As mentioned above, a compilation of scenes from releases on three related video labels, the quality is of course uneven as they are all sourced from the same soft and dark video masters used to strike the rental tapes of the individual films. The wrap-around footage is in similarly soft and dark condition (shot on the cheap in the early eighties). The NTSC presentation was already interlaced and the conversion to PAL hasn't done it any favors (the image also softened further by upscaling the image to the higher PAL resolution). Audio also varies based on the sources. One really can't complain since it's an bonus feature, but |
DVD Menus
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Screen Captures
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Report Card:
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Image: |
88 Films Blu-ray |
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Sound: |
Draw |
| Extras: | 88 Films |
| Box Covers |
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Also available on Blu-ray from Full Moon, in the US:
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| Distribution |
Shadow Entertainment Region 0 - NTSC |
88 Films Region 0 - PAL |
88 Films Region 'B' - Blu-ray |
Search DVDBeaver |
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