Laserblast - Kim Milford

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S E A R C H D V D B e a v e r

directed by Michael Rae
USA 1978

Although hassled by the law and the local bullies, young Billy Duncan (singer Kim Milford, CORVETTE SUMMER) doesn't have revenge on his mind when he discovers an laser weapon in the desert. As cool as it is to blow things up, Billy's also got a sweet (and hot) girlfriend in Cathy (Cheryl Smith, LEMORA: LADY DRACULA). In his sleep, however, he is causing mayhem in his small California town with the laser; and he soon being hunted by the government - in the form of your standard "Man in Black" (Gianni Russo, THE GODFATHER) - and the stop-motion aliens who obliterated the enemy alien owner of the laser gun. As Billy starts to undergo an alien transformation, he is in danger of obliterating the entire town. Keenan Wynn and Roddy McDowall also star.

Eric Cotenas

Posters

Theatrical Release: 1 March 1978 (USA)

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DVD Comparison:

Cult Video - Region 0 - NTSC vs. 88 Films - Region 0 - PAL

Big thanks to Eric Cotenas for all the Screen Caps!

(Cult Video - Region 0 - NTSC - LEFT vs. 88 Films - Region 0 - PAL - RIGHT)

DVD Box Covers
Distribution	Cult Video Region 0 - NTSC	88 Films Region 0 - PAL
Runtime	1:22:00	1:18:42 (4% PAL speedup)
Video	1.65:1 Original Aspect Ratio Average Bitrate: 5.96 mb/s NTSC 720x480 29.97 f/s	1.67:1 Original Aspect Ratio 16X9 enhanced Average Bitrate: 5.56 mb/s PAL 720x576 25.00 f/s
	NOTE: The Vertical axis represents the bits transferred per second. The Horizontal is the time in minutes.
Bitrate: Cult Video
Bitrate: 88 Films
Audio	English Dolby Digital 2.0 mono	English Dolby Digital 2.0 mono
Subtitles		None
Features	Release Information: Studio: Cult Video Aspect Ratio: Widescreen letterboxed - 1.65:1 Edition Details: • Trailers for ‘Attack of the Killer Bimbos’ , ‘Beach Babes from Beyond’ , ‘Sorority Babes in the Slimeball Bowl-o-Rama’, ‘Creepozoids’, ‘Slave Girls from Beyond Infinity’, • ‘Bimbo Movie Bash’, and ‘Cannibal Women in the Avocado Jungle of Death’ • Biographies • Merchandise • Weblnks DVD Release Date: 6 August 1999 Amaray Chapters 26	Release Information: Studio: 88 Films Aspect Ratio: Widescreen anamorphic - 1.67:1 Edition Details: • Theatrical Trailer (1:23) • Trailers for ‘The Pit and the Pendulum’, ‘Puppet Master’, ‘Dr. Alien’, ‘Puppet Master II’, ‘Tourist Trap’, ‘Mandroid’, ‘Reel Evil’, ‘Puppet Master III’, ‘Castle Freak’, and ‘Slave • Girls from Beyond Infinity' DVD Release Date: August 12th, 2013 Amaray Chapters 8

Comments

88 Films' single-layer, anamorphic 1.67:1 transfer - which opens with a logo for The Samuel Goldwyn Company (who had US rights in the eighties) - is not much of an improvement at all over the American 4:3 letterbox transfer other than being more HDTV-friendly. Edge-enhancement outlines and haloes are pronounced on both transfers and detail is generally poor (the original photography also doesn't seem to have been all that impressive even in the context of Charles Bands' other seventies and early eighties productions). The Dolby Digital 2.0 mono audio tracks are comparable with clear dialogue and a nice rendering of the electronic score and laser sound effects.

Extras are marginally in favor of the UK disc due to the inclusion of the film's original trailer, and also only marginally for the anamorphic video.

- Eric Cotenas

DVD Menus
(Cult Video - Region 0 - NTSC - LEFT vs. 88 Films - Region 0 - PAL - RIGHT)