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http://www.dvdbeaver.com/film/direct-chair/lang.htm
USA 1953

"Somebody's going to pay… because he forgot to kill me." Ruthless criminals, a dedicated honest cop, sultry women and a gripping plot - all the elements of a classic police action-drama are here in full force. Police Sergeant Bannion (Glenn Ford) is investigating the apparent suicide of a corrupt cop, then is suddenly ordered to stop - and The Big Heat is on. Driven to unravel the mystery, Bannion continues probing until an explosion meant for him, kills his wife. He resigns from the force and soon learns that behind it all is the powerful underworld led by Mike Lagana (Alexander Scourby) and his cold-blooded henchman, Vince Stone (Lee Marvin). When Stone's girl Debby (Gloria Grahame) makes a play for Bannion, Stone disfigures her face. In revenge, she tells all she knows. Ultimately, Bannion and Stone square off in a life-or-death confrontation.

***

Renegade cop Dave Bannion takes on a politically powerful crime syndicate and after his family brought into the picture, his efforts know no bounds. A perfect Noir vehicle with master Fritz Lang at the helm. Glenn Ford is his usual powerful-but-understated character and Gloria Grahame just does it for me. Tumble it together in the dryer and you have a classic Film Noir.

Posters

Theatrical Release: October 14th, 1953

Reviews                                                                  More Reviews                                                         DVD Reviews

 

Comparison:

Columbia Tri-Star - Region 1, 3, 4 - NTSC vs.  Sony (5-disc) - Region 1 - NTSC vs. Twilight Time - Region FREE - Blu-ray vs. Résen (Spain) - Region FREE - Blu-ray vs. Wild Side Video - Region Free- Blu-ray vs. Twilight Time (Encore Edition) - Region FREE - Blu-ray vs. Indicator (UK) - Region FREE - Blu-ray

 

1) Original Columbia Tri-star DVD TOP LEFT

2) Sony Noir Collection Volume 1 TOP MIDDLE

3) Twilight Time - Region FREE - Blu-ray TOP RIGHT

4) Résen - Region FREE - Blu-ray BOTTOM LEFT

5) Wild Side Video - Region FREE - Blu-ray - BOTTOM SECOND

6) Twilight Time (Encore Edition) - Region FREE - Blu-ray - BOTTOM THIRD

7) Indicator - Region FREE - Blu-ray - BOTTOM RIGHT

 
Box Covers

 

 

 

Distribution Columbia Tri-Star Home Video - Region 1, 3, 4 - NTSC Sony - Region 1 - NTSC

Twilight Time

Region FREE - Blu-ray

Coming to 4K UHD by Criterion in July 2025:

Standard (no book) Blu-ray coming in May 2020:

or directly from:

Résen

Region FREE - Blu-ray

 Wild Side Video
Region Free - Blu-ray

Twilight Time (Encore Edition)

Region FREE - Blu-ray

Indicator (Powerhouse)

Region FREE - Blu-ray
Distribution Columbia Tri-Star Home Video - Region 1, 3, 4 - NTSC Sony - Region 1 - NTSC

Twilight Time

Region FREE - Blu-ray

Résen

Region FREE - Blu-ray

 Wild Side Video
Region Free - Blu-ray

Twilight Time (Encore Edition)

Region FREE - Blu-ray

Indicator (Powerhouse)

Region FREE - Blu-ray
Runtime 1:29:30  1:29:27 1:29:33.409 1:29:33.409 1:29:46.881 1:29:33.618 1:29:34.577
Video 1.33:1 Original Aspect Ratio
Average Bitrate: 5.57 mb/s
NTSC 720x480 29.97 f/s		 1.33:1 Original Aspect Ratio
Average Bitrate: 5.57 mb/s
NTSC 720x480 29.97 f/s

1080P Single-layered Blu-ray

Disc Size: 23,720,865,234 bytes

Feature: 23,294,521,344 bytes

Video Bitrate: 29.99 Mbps

Codec: MPEG-4 AVC Video

1080P Single-layered Blu-ray

Disc Size: 22,903,588,547 bytes

Feature: 22,709,434,368 bytes

Video Bitrate: 29.99 Mbps

Codec: MPEG-4 AVC Video

1080P Single-layered Blu-ray

Disc Size: 23,970,457,528 bytes

Feature: 23,505,297,408 bytes

Video Bitrate: 28.90 Mbps

Codec: MPEG-4 AVC Video

1080P Dual-layered Blu-ray

Disc Size: 28,503,994,508 bytes

Feature: 23,954,841,600 bytes

Video Bitrate: 29.98 Mbps

Codec: MPEG-4 AVC Video

1080P Dual-layered Blu-ray

Disc Size: 37,388,254,021 bytes

Feature: 28,080,074,304 bytes

Video Bitrate: 35.01 Mbps

Codec: MPEG-4 AVC Video

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

Bitrate: Twilight Time Blu-ray

Bitrate: Resen Blu-ray

Bitrate: Wild Side Blu-ray

Bitrate:

Twilight Time (Encore Edition) Blu-ray

Bitrate:

Indicator (Powerhouse)

Region FREE - Blu-ray 

Audio English (Dolby Digital 2.0), DUB French (Dolby Digital 2.0)   English (original mono)

DTS-HD Master Audio English 1064 kbps 1.0 / 48 kHz / 1064 kbps / 24-bit (DTS Core: 1.0 / 48 kHz / 768 kbps /
24-bit)
Isolated Score:

DTS-HD Master Audio English 1617 kbps 2.0 / 48 kHz / 1617 kbps / 16-bit (DTS Core: 2.0 / 48 kHz / 1509 kbps /
16-bit)

 Dolby Digital Audio Spanish 192 kbps 2.0 / 48 kHz / 192 kbps / DN -4dB
DTS-HD Master Audio English 1064 kbps 1.0 / 48 kHz / 1064 kbps / 24-bit (DTS Core: 1.0 / 48 kHz / 768 kbps / 24-bit)
Dolby Digital Audio German 192 kbps 2.0 / 48 kHz / 192 kbps / DN -4dB
Dolby Digital Audio French 192 kbps 2.0 / 48 kHz / 192 kbps / DN -4dB
Dolby Digital Audio Italian 192 kbps 2.0 / 48 kHz / 192 kbps / DN -4dB		 DTS-HD Master Audio English 2017 kbps 2.0 / 48 kHz / 2017 kbps / 24-bit (DTS Core: 2.0 / 48 kHz / 1509 kbps / 24-bit)
DTS-HD Master Audio French 2022 kbps 2.0 / 48 kHz / 2022 kbps / 24-bit (DTS Core: 2.0 / 48 kHz / 1509 kbps / 24-bit)

DTS-HD Master Audio English 1064 kbps 1.0 / 48 kHz / 1064 kbps / 24-bit (DTS Core: 1.0 / 48 kHz / 768 kbps / 24-bit)
DTS-HD Master Audio English 1039 kbps 2.0 / 48 kHz / 1039 kbps / 24-bit (DTS Core: 2.0 / 48 kHz / 768 kbps / 24-bit)
Commentary:

DTS-HD Master Audio English 1500 kbps 2.0 / 48 kHz / 1500 kbps / 24-bit (DTS Core: 2.0 / 48 kHz / 768 kbps / 24-bit)

LPCM Audio English 1152 kbps 1.0 / 48 kHz / 1152 kbps / 24-bit
Commentary:

Dolby Digital Audio English 192 kbps 2.0 / 48 kHz / 192 kbps
Isolated Score:

LPCM Audio Undetermined 2304 kbps 2.0 / 48 kHz / 2304 kbps / 24-bit

Subtitles English, French, Spanish, Chinese, Thai, Portuguese, Korean, None English, None English (SDH), None Spanish, English, Portuguese, None French, None (non-removable on English text) English (SDH), None English (SDH), None
Features

Release Information:
Studio: Columbia Tri-Star Home Video

Aspect Ratio:
Original aspect Ratio 1.33:1

Edition Details:

• Vintage Advertising lobby cards
• Theatrical trailers

DVD Release Date: December 18th, 2001
Keep Case
Chapters: 28

Release Information:
Studio: Sony

Aspect Ratio:
All Original: The Sniper (1952) The Big Heat (1953) are 1.33 and 5 Against the House (1955), The Lineup (1958) and Murder by Contract (1958) are anamorphic 1.85:1.

Edition Details:
• Featurette: “Martin Scorsese on The Big Heat” (5:47)
• Featurette: “Michael Mann on The Big Heat” (10:56)

• Trailer for The Big Heat

DVD Release Date: November 3rd, 2009
Custom digi-pak case (see image below)
Chapters: 12 X 5

Release Information:
Studio: Twilight Time

Aspect Ratio:
Original aspect Ratio 1.33:1

1080P Single-layered Blu-ray
Disc Size: 23,720,865,234 bytes
Feature: 23,294,521,344 bytes
Video Bitrate: 29.99 Mbps
Codec: MPEG-4 AVC Video

Edition Details:

• Isolated Score Track
• Original Theatrical Trailer
• extensive Julie Kirgo liner notes and film art package

Blu-ray Release Date: May 7rth, 2012
Standard Blu-ray Case
Chapters: 12

 

Release Information:
Studio: Résen

Aspect Ratio:
Original aspect Ratio 1.33:1

1080P Single-layered Blu-ray

Disc Size: 22,903,588,547 bytes

Feature: 22,709,434,368 bytes

Video Bitrate: 29.99 Mbps

Codec: MPEG-4 AVC Video

Edition Details:

• None

Blu-ray Release Date: October 15rth, 2013
Standard Blu-ray Case
Chapters: 6

 

 Release Information:
Studio: Wild Side Video

 

Aspect Ratio: 1.33:1
 

1080P Single-layered Blu-ray

Disc Size: 23,970,457,528 bytes

Feature: 23,505,297,408 bytes

Video Bitrate: 28.90 Mbps

Codec: MPEG-4 AVC Video

 

Edition Details:
• Blu-ray of the film (90')
• PAL DVD of the film (87')
• Interview with Martin Scorsese (5:48)
• Interview with Michael Mann (10:57)
• Original trailer (1:39)

• 160-page Book with 100's of photos and text in French only
 

Blu-ray Release Date: November 26th, 2014
Custom Blu-ray Case with book

Chapters 12

Release Information:
Studio: Twilight Time

Aspect Ratio:
Original aspect Ratio 1.33:1

1080P Dual-layered Blu-ray

Disc Size: 28,503,994,508 bytes

Feature: 23,954,841,600 bytes

Video Bitrate: 29.98 Mbps

Codec: MPEG-4 AVC Video

Edition Details:

• Isolated Score Track
• Audio Commentary with Film Historians Lem Dobbs, Julie Kirgo, and Nick Redman
• Michael Mann on The Big Heat (10:57)
• Martin Scorsese on The Big Heat (5:48)
• Original Theatrical Trailer (1:43)
• Liner notes by Julie Kirgo
Limited to 3,000 Copies!

Blu-ray Release Date: February, 2016
Standard Blu-ray Case
Chapters: 24

Release Information:
Studio: Indicator

Aspect Ratio:
Original aspect Ratio 1.33:1

1080P Dual-layered Blu-ray

Disc Size: 28,503,994,508 bytes

Feature: 23,954,841,600 bytes

Video Bitrate: 29.98 Mbps

Codec: MPEG-4 AVC Video

Edition Details:

• Audio commentary by film historians Lem Dobbs, Julie Kirgo and Nick Redman
• New filmed appreciation by film historian Tony Rayns (33:22)
•Martin Scorsese on The Big Heat (5:48)

• Michael Mann on The Big Heat (10:57)
• Isolated score
• Original theatrical trailer (1:43)
• Image gallery: on-set and promotional photography
Limited edition exclusive 36-page booklet with a new essay by critic Glenn Kenny
Limited Dual Format Edition of 3,000 copies
UK Blu-ray premiere

Blu-ray Release Date: March 27th, 2017
Transparent Blu-ray Case
Chapters: 10

 

 

 

Comments:

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

 

ADDITION: Indicator (Powerhouse) - Region FREE Blu-ray April 2017': To keep it short the Indicator is the definitive digital release of the film to-date... and here's why:

 

It advances on the video with a higher bitrate - I've only compared one capture below (and you can see it the pixels have shifted slightly) - but it is really only evident in-motion with a superior home theatre set-up (that you might get, one day.) Audio is the same to my ears although a linear PCM mono as opposed to TT's DTS-HD Master - both 24-bit and both offer English (SDH) subtitles. It is region FREE as well.

 

In extras it matches the latest Twilight Time with the same audio commentary by film historians Lem Dobbs, Julie Kirgo and Nick Redman, same 6-minute piece with Martin Scorsese on The Big Heat and 11-minutes of Michael Mann on The Big Heat, the Isolated score and the original theatrical trailer. But it adds even more a wonderful new, 33-minute, filmed appreciation by film historian Tony Rayns as well as an image gallery of on-set and promotional photography (check out THIS), a gorgeous exclusive 36-page booklet with a new essay by critic Glenn Kenny and a second disc DVD. This is also a 'Limited Edition' of 3,000 copies.

 

For the booklet, 1/2 hour of Tony Rayns, and the iconic film - make this Indicator Blu-ray worth a double, triple or quadruple dip for serious Noir aficionados. Get it while you can... it never gets old.

 

***

ADDITION: Twilight Time (Encore Edition) - Region FREE Blu-ray February 2016': Twilight Time's new 1080P has moved the pixels around but it's as close as dammit is to swearing in replicating the original release. Grain may be exported slightly differently and perhaps even superior in some instances but it's the same HD transfer - more or less. Same audio (DTS-HD mono) in 24-bit but the isolated score gets a bump from 16-bit to 24. Same optional English subtitles - slightly different position. And the Blu-ray disc is still region FREE and limited to 3,000 copies.

 

So, the difference is in the cover (tasteless to one chap on FB) and the supplements - We get a much deserved new commentary with Film Historians Lem Dobbs, Julie Kirgo, and Nick Redman and two video pieces found on the Wild Side - appreciations by Scorsese and Mann. Julie Kirgo's liner notes remain.

 

It's the best of the six (of which 4 are, surprisingly, Blu-rays!) Those who missed the original, bought the Spanish bootleg or the expensive French "book included" edition (both flawed in their own right - a BD-R and French subs on English text) - this is worth it for the commentary alone and one of the best Noirs. Pick it up before it, too, goes out-of-print.

 

***

ADDITION: Wild Side - Region FREE Blu-ray - December 2014: Too similar to quibble over - also single-layered and just about the same bitrate. Also good grain and the image is equally as strong as the others - plus it is also 1080P and region free - the audio is lossless but there are only French subtitles - that are totally removable (except on 'text' scenes). Extras duplicate the Sony 2009 DVD with the Scorsese and Mann interviews (although I had trouble accessing the latter) and a trailer. The package contains a PAL DVD of the film but more importantly a gorgeous 160-page booklet (see photo below) with 100s of beautiful photos and French text. It IS sweet. I believe this is a limited edition and for those very keen and don't have the out-of-print Twilight Time should consider this alternative.

***

ADDITION: Résen - Region FREE Blu-ray - March 2014: Just a quick note to those that may have missed the Limited Edition Twilight Time release. There is a Spanish - Region FREE - Blu-ray available. It is the exact same running time as the Twilight Time (to the 1/1000th of a second), has the exact same bitrate and DTS-HD Master lossless audio - same subtitle font size and positioning (see sample below). And look at the bitrate graphs! Hmmm...  It has optional foreign language DUBs and subtitle options, crappy menus (see below) and no extras. At current exchange rates it is about $17.00 US. It defaults to the Spanish DUB (but can be changed via the remote.)

I have contacted Twilight Time not knowing whether this has been licensed to Résen (by Sony?)... or not. NOTE: Obviously a bootleg and a BD-R!

***

ADDITION: Twilight Time - Region FREE Blu-ray - May 2012: Sweet stuff! Nice grain showing through - a shade of noise on the single-layered transfer but improves in other areas as well - like the more layered contrast. This offers English subtitles (see sample below). lossless sound that definitely improves over the SD version. Extras are Twilight Time's typical 'Isolated Score Track', an original theatrical trailer and the Julie Kirgo liner notes. Nice package art - an easy essential for Noir fans. LOVE Grahame and Ford...

***

This DVD was produced at a time when Columbia seemed to be more keen on investing some real effort into their discs. Great image with some good film grain - a few scratches and marks but otherwise a very strong representation. Solid contrast and shadow detail. The DVD is actually Region 1,3 and 4 and has a host of subtitles (awful bright yellow though) so it was made to be sold elsewhere (Asia and Brazil) as well. Audio was clear and consistent throughout. Virtually no extras but at least they tried with the vintage lobby cards. Heck of a film and treated well on DVD. out of    

Gary W. Tooze

 

Menus

 

 

 

Twilight Time - Region FREE - Blu-ray

 

 

Résen - Region FREE - Blu-ray

 

 

Wild Side - Region FREE - Blu-ray

 

Wild Side - Region FREE - Blu-ray Package

 

Twilight Time (Encore Edition) - Region FREE - Blu-ray

 

 

Indicator - Region FREE - Blu-ray

 

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

 

Subtitle Sample

 

1) Original Columbia Tri-star DVD TOP

2) Twilight Time - Region FREE - Blu-ray SECOND

3) Résen - Region FREE - Blu-ray THIRD

4) Wild Side Video - Region FREE - Blu-ray - FOURTH

5) Twilight Time (Encore Edition) - Region FREE - Blu-ray BOTTOM

 

 
Screen Captures
 

1) Original Columbia Tri-star DVD TOP

2) Twilight Time - Region FREE - Blu-ray SECOND

3) Résen - Region FREE - Blu-ray THIRD

4) Wild Side Video - Region FREE - Blu-ray - FOURTH

5) Twilight Time (Encore Edition) - Region FREE - Blu-ray FIFTH

6) Indicator - Region FREE - Blu-ray - BOTTOM

 

 

1) Original Columbia Tri-star DVD TOP

2) Twilight Time - Region FREE - Blu-ray SECOND

3) Résen - Region FREE - Blu-ray THIRD

4) Wild Side Video - Region FREE - Blu-ray - FOURTH

5) Twilight Time (Encore Edition) - Region FREE - Blu-ray BOTTOM

 

 

1) Original Columbia Tri-star DVD TOP

2) Sony Noir Collection Volume 1 MIDDLE

3) Twilight Time - Region FREE - Blu-ray BOTTOM

 

 -

 

1) Original Columbia Tri-star DVD TOP

2) Sony Noir Collection Volume 1 MIDDLE

3) Twilight Time - Region FREE - Blu-ray BOTTOM

 

 

More Blu-ray Captures

 

 

 
 

 

 
 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Recommended Reading in Film Noir (CLICK COVERS or TITLES for more information)

 

 

 

Box Cover

 

 

 

Distribution Columbia Tri-Star Home Video - Region 1, 3, 4 - NTSC Sony - Region 1 - NTSC

Twilight Time

Region FREE - Blu-ray

Coming to 4K UHD by Criterion in July 2025:

Standard (no book) Blu-ray coming in May 2020:

or directly from:

Résen

Region FREE - Blu-ray

 Wild Side Video
Region Free - Blu-ray

Twilight Time (Encore Edition)

Region FREE - Blu-ray

Indicator (Powerhouse)

Region FREE - Blu-ray

 




 

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