| DVDBeaver has reviewed/compared
the 5 discs individually of the Redemption Pete Walker Collection,
Volume 2;
Man of Violence (aka 'Moon') with The Big Switch as an
extra
HERE compared to the 2009 BFI Blu-ray
release,
The Flesh and Blood Show
(1972),
Frightmare
(1974)
House of Mortal Sin
(1976) and
Home Before Midnight
(1979). Below are portions of
those complete reviews. The bonus Blu-ray
disc with
Man of Violence (aka 'Moon') and The Big Switch that
includes the new 15-minute interview with Pete Walker by Elijah Drenner
produced by Kino is not sold separately at this time and is only
available in the boxset. |
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Man of Violence aka Moon
[Blu-ray]
(Pete Walker, 1971)
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Offered as a Dual Format Edition October 24th, 2011
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Review by Gary Tooze
Production:
Theatrical: Pete Walker
Film Productions
Video:
BFI Video
vs. Redemption (USA)
Disc:
Region: FREE!
/
Region 'A'
(as verified by the
Momitsu region FREE Blu-ray player)
Runtime: Moon - 1:48:37.598
/ 1:49:07.541
Big Switch - 1:07:58.032
/ 1:08:44.120
Disc Size: 45,852,206,472 bytes
/ 47,596,254,968 bytes
Feature Size: 26,505,370,368 bytes
/ 26,271,530,688 bytes
Video Bitrate: 28.99 Mbps
/ 28.33 Mbps
Chapters: 21
/ 11
Case: Standard Blu-ray case
/ Double case with 4 discs
Release date: August 24th, 2009
/ April 21st, 2015
Video (same
for both):
Aspect ratio: 1.33:1
Resolution: 1080p
Video codec: MPEG-4 AVC Video
Audio:
LPCM Audio English 2304 kbps 2.0 / 48 kHz / 2304 kbps /
24-bit
LPCM Audio English 2304 kbps 2.0 / 48
kHz / 2304 kbps / 24-bit
Subtitles:
English, none
None
Extras:
•
The Big Switch (aka
Strip Poker) (1968, 75 mins): Pete Walker's pulp thriller
which includes a climactic shoot-out in the snow on
Brighton's now destroyed West Pier
•
Original trailers for
Man of Violence and The Big Switch in HD!
•
Alternative 'Moon'
title-card
•
Extensive illustrated
booklet featuring newly commissioned contributors from Pete
Walker, novelist Cathi Unsworth, producer and critic David
McGillivray, and film historian Julian Petley
• The Big Switch (aka Strip
Poker) (1968,
1:08:44.120):
Pete Walker's pulp thriller which includes a climactic shoot-out in the snow on
Brighton's now destroyed West Pier
•
Interview with Pete Walker by Elijah Drenner (14:58)
Bitrate:
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Description: In a world of gangs and villains, one man -
Moon - will stop at nothing to get the girl and take the
spoils. Pete Walker's affectionate low-budget homage to the
gangster thriller is packed with sights and sounds from a
Britain about to swing out of the Sixties and into a
somewhat less optimistic decade. It offers not only rare
glimpses of a world gone by, but also some unexpected twists
on generic convention. The cast includes Hammer girls Luan
Peters (Lust for a Vampire, Twins of Evil) and Virginia Wetherell (Doctor Jekyll & Sister Hyde,
Demons of the Mind).
Presented here in a stunning new High Definition transfer
from the original negative, this release also includes Pete
Walker's earlier thriller The Big Switch (aka Strip Poker).
The Film:
Moon (Michael Latimer) is the mercenary
hired to steal 90 million dollars in gold from an Arab country decimated
by political chaos. Promiscuity, violence and mayhem accompany the group of
double-crossing heavies who covet the purloined loot. Burgess (George Belbin) is the crook who poses as a cop, and Nixon (Derek Aylward) is
the criminal who poses as a policeman. A bevy of females willingly
submit to seduction, and a sadistic homosexual murderer trails Moon and
his malevolent gang for the gold in this uneven crime drama. ~ Dan
Pavlides, All Movie Guide.
Image :
NOTE:
The below
Blu-ray
captures were ripped directly from the
Blu-ray
disc.
We have another exciting BFI 'Flipside' package. Both
Man of Violence and The Big Switch were
transferred in High Definition from their original 35mm
combined negatives. The, longer, export version
of The Big Switch was transferred from separate
picture and sound negatives. Both look wonderful and I
suppose credit goes to the healthy sources and the HD-DVNR
and MTI restoration systems utilized in the transfer. Man
of Violence, a 38-year old film, looks virtually brand
new. Colors are very bright - skin tones seem slightly red
at times. Detail is astounding. If there is a flaw it might
be that grain has taken a backseat and the image is probably
a shade more glossy than it was when originally shown. The MPEG-4
encode for 1080P exports tight and clean visuals which are clear of
any damage or speckles and it even exhibits some desirable
depth of field. I was incredibly impressed with the
appearance and hopefully the screen captures below will bear
that out to some degree. This image is so perfect it really
transports you back to the early 70's.
To
clarify, the Redemption (US)
Blu-ray is not sole separately
at this time but is part of the Pete Walker Collection
Volume 2 (Reviewed
HERE) as a bonus disc.
It also has The Big Switch as well as the main
feature 'Man of Violence' (aka Full Moon).
Even though the Redemption states that this is digitally
remastered by the BFI, and they have similar technical
stats, - the image quality is quite different. I don't know
which is more theatrically accurate - I think they both look
quite strong. The US transfer has warmer skin tones, is
darker overall and the UK release has richer, deeper colors,
cooler skin tones and is brighter.
CLICK EACH
BLU-RAY
CAPTURE TO SEE ALL IMAGES IN FULL 1920X1080 RESOLUTION
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Audio :
Pure original audio with a
linear PCM 2.0 channel mono track at 2304 kbps. It does a superlative job of
exporting the film's dialogue and campy, repetitive, music (it's still
in my head).
There really isn't any need for heavy separations and the economic 2.0
channel is more than up to the test of replicating a clean, crisp sound
experience. I noted no flaws - dropouts or hiss. There are optional subtitles in English and,
like the other Flipside releases, my
Momitsu
has identified this as being region FREE!
Audio is exactly the same as far as I can determine - technically and by
my ear. The Redemption is region 'A'-locked and does not offer optional
English subtitles.
Extras :
The main supplements is another HD-transferred Walker feature
entitled The Big Switch (aka Strip Poker) from 1968. It's
another pulpy thriller which is advertised as 'including a climactic
shoot-out in the snow on Brighton's now destroyed West Pier!' You
can watch this via a 'domestic' (1:07:58) version or the nine-minute
longer, and slightly raunchier, 'export' version (1:16:42). It might be
closer to a Drive-In flic from the early 70's not quite reaching the
status of 'Grindhouse'. We also get original trailers for Man of
Violence and The Big Switch in HD, plus an alternative 'Moon'
title-card. Included is another extensive illustrated booklet (26 pages)
featuring newly commissioned contributors from Pete Walker, novelist
Cathi Unsworth, producer and critic David McGillivray, and film
historian Julian Petley. This is all perfectly in keeping with the
kitsch of the Flipside label cinema.
As we stated the Redemption also includes Walker's
The Big Switch in 1080P. It adds a further extra in a new
15-minute interview with Pete Walker by Elijah Drenner produced by Kino.
Of course, the US package is filled with extras and the 4 other Pete
Walker flics -
The Flesh and Blood Show (1972),
Frightmare (1974)
House of Mortal Sin (1976) and
Home Before Midnight (1979).
BFI - Region
FREE - Blu-ray
Redemption - Region
'A' -
Blu-ray
BOTTOM LINE:
I don't know if I followed all of Man of Violence
with perfect understanding but in that sense it may be more
akin to Seijun Suzuki with plenty of its own style - and
unapologetic about filling all salient points of the story
with cohesion. I believe this was Walker's last effort of
this genre before moving onto horror - where he would
eventually make more of a name for himself. Luan Peters is
hot as a pistol in her bikini and many attractive outfits and some
of her scenes give the exploitive quality that many love to
leer and snicker at. On
Blu-ray this is another amazing package (I promise to never tire of
these!) and one I can't see it ever looking or sounding any
better. Luckily, I love the cheese and The Big Switch
fits the mold even more perfectly in helping define this
cinema that is more respectful in nostalgia than it ever was
in it's prime. This is VERY cool, but it's appeal may be
limited - I'll bet the BFI releases though are certainly
establishing its growth.
Not much to add - the Redemption
Blu-ray disc is a
valuable bonus extra in the
Pete Walker Collection Volume 2.
The price offers some good value, and these two films are an
essential part of the director's oeuvre.
Gary Tooze
August 18th, 2009
April 7th, 2015
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Offered as a Dual Format Edition October 24th, 2011
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The Flesh and Blood Show
[Blu-ray]
(Pete Walker, 1972)
Review by Gary Tooze
Production:
Theatrical: Peter Walker (Heritage) Ltd.
Video: Redemption / Kino
Disc:
Region: 'A'
(as verified by the
Oppo Blu-ray player)
Runtime: 1:36:19.106
Disc Size: 38,786,499,458 bytes
Feature Size: 27,015,768,000 bytes
Video Bitrate: 33.93 Mbps
Chapters: 10
Case: Standard Blu-ray case
Release date: March 18th, 2014
Video:
Aspect ratio: 1.66:1
Resolution: 1080p / 23.976 fps
Video codec: MPEG-4 AVC Video
Audio:
LPCM Audio English 1536 kbps 2.0 / 48 kHz / 1536 kbps /
16-bit
Subtitles:
None
Extras:
• "Flesh and Blood
Censorship" - Interview with Pete Walker (12:13)
• Anaglyph 3-D sequence (10:14)
• Stereoscopic 3-D sequence (10:14)
• Pete Walker Trailers - The Flesh and Blood Show
(3:44),
Die Screaming, Marianne,
Frightmare,
House of Whipcord, The Comeback
Bitrate:
Description: A group of trendy young actors and actresses
assemble at a run-down theatre at the end of a pier in an
out-of-season British coastal resort. Hired by the
mysterious Theatre Group 40 to put together the
improvisation revue, The Flesh and Blood Show, the
actors are soon at the mercy of a madman who begins working
his way through their number. The story takes its cue from
Agatha Christie's venerable
Ten Little Indians - a group of strangers are
invited to a remote locale, where they fall prey to an
unseen assassin. While Walker's subsequent horror pictures
tended to phase out the carnal aspect, his background in
sexploitation is abundantly evident here - softcore groping
and plentiful nudity dominate the first half of the picture,
and there is plenty of mayhem.
The Film:
This sick little horror film from British
gore/exploitation director Pete Walker finds a group of
actors summoned by an anonymous producer to take part in
a gruesome Grand Guignol play being staged at an
isolated resort, only to find that their characters'
elaborately staged theatrical deaths are designed to do
them in for real. It is revealed that their unseen
benefactor is a former stage performer, driven psychotic
after catching another actor in bed with his wife, who
now seeks symbolic retribution against all actors for
their immoral behavior. Though not quite as sleazy as
some of Walker's later work, this is still fairly
gruesome stuff. The same theme gets vastly superior
treatment in the following year's
Theatre of Blood, featuring a tour-de-force
performance from Vincent Price.
Excerpt from MRQE located HERE
The Flesh and Blood Show was Pete Walker’s second venture into
genre material. For this reason, the film is not as sophisticated as
some of his later ones – certainly, Walker learned quickly, making his
best film
House of Whipcord
only two years later. Here he contrives a clumsy whodunnit centred
around the group of people rehearsing in a theatre. On a directorial
level, the film has a competence but Walker fails to generate much in
the way of tension. Certainly, on the flesh angle, Walker gets his
female cast frequently undressed but the blood angle is relatively tame
– the number of murders we see is few and Walker has not yet developed
the sadism that would permeate his later films.
Excerpt
from Moria located HERE
Image :
NOTE:
The below
Blu-ray
captures were taken directly from the
Blu-ray
disc.
Firstly, this Redemption
Blu-ray
package offers the end sequence in 3-D but the segment can be
seen in 2-D (black and white - see sample below).
When viewed on a compatible 3-D monitor and 3-D
Blu-ray
player set-up, the 10-minute sequence near the conclusion
will play as 3-D, but when this disc is viewed on a
regular 2-D monitor and 2-D
Blu-ray
player, the 3-D segment will play as black-and-white -- the "Play Movie" option defaults solely
to the 2-D version -- there is nothing wrong with your disc,
the specialized encoding merely prevents the 3-D sequence
being incorrectly displayed on a 2-D system.
Pete Walker's The
Flesh and Blood Show has arrived on
Blu-ray
from Kino's Redemption label. Unfortunately, the image, as
on the old DVD, is fairly inconsistent. This is more a
function of the source. This
is dual-layered with a very high bitrate and I expect this
is as good as the film has ever looked on digital. There is
softness here and there but also a few scenes that look
significantly sharper. There is a section, shot outside,
with damage marks and excessive speckles (see sample at
bottom). This has some grain textures and is in the original 1.66:1
aspect ratio. Colors are mostly flat - a few times appearing
richer.
Skin tones look true. There are plenty of very dark scenes
but no intrusive noise. Generally, a less than stellar
image, but this
Blu-ray
transfer is not at fault.
CLICK EACH
BLU-RAY
CAPTURE TO SEE ALL IMAGES IN FULL 1920X1080 RESOLUTION
3D Sequence as seen in 2D
Audio :
The linear PCM
2.0 channel track at 1536 kbps does a competent job of exporting the
film's modest sound requirements although, like the video, there are
some weak patches. The high
end is scratchy but probably more a function of the 40-year old
production's audio limitations. The score is by Cyril Ornadel (Die Screaming, Marianne)
but I found it fairly forgettable. The audio here is subject to the weakness
of the production and this is probably as good as it will get. There is
some depth via the lossless. There are no subtitles offered
and my
Oppo
has identified
it as being a region
'A'-locked.
Extras :
"Flesh and
Blood Censorship" is a new 12-minute interview with Pete Walker
produced by Elijah Drenner. He discusses the censorship of the film and
more. Interesting to fans of the 3D process, Redemption include the
film's 10-minute sequence using the anaglyph (red/blue) method. The
package does not include the glasses required to view it. Also included
is a modified sequence for stereoscopic playback on 3-D TVs. A 3-D
player and glasses are required. Lastly are a group of five Pete Walker
Trailers -
The Flesh and Blood Show
(3:44),
Die Screaming, Marianne,
Frightmare,
House of Whipcord, The Comeback.
BOTTOM LINE:
I think this would have been quite highly regarded if it had
a larger budget and was, hence, more polished.
This style of
70's Brit horror is quite adept - it's just quite rough
around the edges - which for some - can be appealing in
itself. Despite weaknesses in the source I don't point
fingers at the Redemption
Blu-ray. The 3-D effects looks largely unimpressive. I still put
Die Screaming, Marianne and
Frightmare ahead of this, but it still had some 'Walker' charisma.
This presentation is imperfect but I doubt the director's
niche fans will be bothered. We recommend to those keen on
the genre.
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Frightmare aka Cover Up
[Blu-ray]
(Pete Walker, 1974)
Review by Gary Tooze
Production:
Theatrical: Peter Walker (Heritage) Ltd.
Video: Redemption / Kino
Disc:
Region: 'A'
(as verified by the
Oppo Blu-ray player)
Runtime: 1:26:44.282
Disc Size: 34,971,599,598 bytes
Feature Size: 25,530,625,344 bytes
Video Bitrate: 33.93 Mbps
Chapters: 10
Case: Standard Blu-ray case
Release date: March 18th, 2014
Video:
Aspect ratio: 1.66:1
Resolution: 1080p / 23.976 fps
Video codec: MPEG-4 AVC Video
Audio:
LPCM Audio English 1536 kbps 2.0 / 48 kHz / 1536 kbps /
16-bit
Commentary:
LPCM Audio English 1536 kbps 2.0 / 48 kHz / 1536 kbps /
16-bit
Subtitles:
None
Extras:
• Commentary by Pete Walker and cinematographer Peter Jessop
• For the Sake of Cannibalism (11:56)
• Sheila Keith Profile (13:53)
• Pete Walker Trailers
Bitrate:
Description: Just released from an insane asylum, an elderly
British couple (Davies and Keith) retire to a remote
farmhouse, where Keith immediately resumes her cannibalistic
activities, while Davies covers up for her. In addition to
knocking off the psychiatrist sent to check up on them,
Keith even enlists her adult daughter (Butcher) in the
service of her perversion. Easily the best of notorious
British gore director Walker's efforts (and that's including
the sadistic
House of Whipcord,
1974), this film is stylishly directed and contains several
good performances, most notably that of Keith.
Excerpt from TV Guide located HERE
The Film:
Frightmare (1974) - With Frightmare following on
House of Whipcord, David McGillivray's
scriptwriting is undoubtedly having a marked effect on Walker's exploitation
pictures. Where he used to settle for routine plots, his films now teem with
demonic life, plus vicious and genuinely disturbing shock effects. Frightmare
is about a psychopathic mum (Keith) who has the nasty habit of going at her
victims with an electric drill before devouring them raw. It is far better
written and acted than you might expect, and Walker's direction is on another
level altogether from Cool It Carol! or
The Flesh and Blood Show. The problem is
that there is absolutely no exposition or analysis, no flexibility about the
theme; still contained within a basic formula, it tends to leave a highly
unpleasant aftertaste.
Excerpt from TimeOut Film Guide located HERE
Sheila Keith, eh? Quite how director Pete Walker decided that such a
sweet-looking mumsy type could play the variety of nutters she does in
his films is anyone's guess. I'll just put it down to the man's genius.
In Frightmare she's a deranged cannibal granny, who spends much
of her time luring people into her home to have their fortunes read. Of
course, reading these poor unfortunates' fortunes doesn't take very long
at all when "You will be brutally killed and eaten within the next ten
minutes" is a dead cert.
Sheila has been released from psychiatric care after being "cured", her
unfortunate (and sane) husband being so much in love with her that he
had himself committed too to remain close.
Excerpt
from British Horror Films located HERE
Image :
NOTE:
The below
Blu-ray
captures were taken directly from the
Blu-ray
disc.
Much to the delight of his fans, Pete Walker's
Frightmare has made it to
Blu-ray
from Kino's Redemption label. The image takes a wide
step beyond the flat, artifact-ridden, and questionable
colors of the old DVD package reviewed
HERE (and compared, a few captures, below). This
is dual-layered with a very high bitrate and I expect this
is as good as the film has ever looked on digital. There is
a tightness and depth - skin tones may be a tad warm at
times but I'm not complaining. The SD was in an odd ratio
and this 1.78:1 shows more information in the frame - mostly
on either top or bottom of the frame. Colors seem more
authentic to my eye and there was no noise to speak of.
Pretty solid. This
Blu-ray
probably looks like the film Frightmare and it
advances beyond the last DVD editions in several key areas -
notably detail and colors.
CLICK EACH
BLU-RAY
CAPTURE TO SEE ALL IMAGES IN FULL 1920X1080 RESOLUTION
Shriek Show (Media Blasters) - Region 1 - NTSC TOP vs.
Redemption - Region 'A' - Blu-ray
BOTTOM
Shriek Show (Media Blasters) - Region 1 - NTSC
TOP vs. Redemption - Region 'A' -
Blu-ray BOTTOM
Shriek Show (Media Blasters) - Region 1 - NTSC
TOP vs. Redemption - Region 'A' -
Blu-ray BOTTOM
More Blu-ray Captures
Audio :
The linear PCM
2.0 channel track at 1536 kbps does a competent job of exporting the
film's modest sound requirements. There is a bit of weakness in the high
end but I can only anticipate that this is a function of the 40-year old
production's audio limitations. The music is quite excellent by
none-other than Stanley Myers - who, besides doing a couple of other Pete
Walker films - has Cimino's
The Deer Hunter on his resume, and Nicolas Roeg's amusing
Insignificance. Bravo! The audio here is subject to the weakness
of the production and this is probably as good as it will get. There are
some effects with depth via the lossless. There are no subtitles offered
and my
Oppo
has identified
it as being a region
'A'-locked.
Extras :
Included is the
same commentary by Pete Walker and cinematographer Peter Jessop from the
previous DVD. I didn't indulge a second time - but I recall it being
fairly interesting - especially to those keen on the director's work.
There are two new video releases; Elijah Drenner's 2014 For the Sake
of Cannibalism runs a dozen minutes chatting with Pete Walker and we
also get a fairly in-depth profile of Sheila Keith running closer to a
1/3 of an hour. She was frequently seen in 60's TV series series such as
The Saint, Public Eye and Sherlock Holmes. Fans
will appreciate these additional supplements. There are also some Pete
Walker film trailers which are usually quite intense/exploitive.
BOTTOM LINE:
I'm no expert on Pete Walker's oeuvre but I think this is
the best of his films that I have seen. I have a soft spot
for
Die Screaming Marianne (probably because of the
pouty Susan George). Frightmare has a nice balance, but eventually extends
beyond it (I'd be disappointed if hit didn't!) This style of
70's Brit horror is quite appealing - in a more modern vein
of stories to the Hammer 'classic monster' variety. I was
pleased with this Redemption
Blu-ray. I only wished I had saved my viewing for a late Friday night!
This presentation was world's away from the SD I watched
years ago - with a stronger film-sense and visceral impact
(what this film evokes!). We certainly recommend to those
keen on the genre. If you are going to give Pete Walker a
chance - take Frightmare as the first option!
Gary Tooze
February 26th, 2014
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House of Mortal Sin aka 'The Confessional'
[Blu-ray]
(Pete Walker, 1976)
Review by Gary Tooze
Production:
Theatrical:
Columbia-Warner Distributors
Video: Redemption / Kino
Disc:
Region: 'A'
(as verified by the
Oppo Blu-ray player)
Runtime: 1:44:39.147
Disc Size: 35,698,755,621 bytes
Feature Size: 30,131,733,312 bytes
Video Bitrate: 33.93 Mbps
Chapters: 10
Case: Standard Blu-ray case
Release date: June 17th, 2014
Video:
Aspect ratio: 1.66:1
Resolution: 1080p / 23.976 fps
Video codec: MPEG-4 AVC Video
Audio:
LPCM Audio English 1536 kbps 2.0 / 48 kHz / 1536 kbps /
16-bit
Commentary:
LPCM Audio English 1536 kbps 2.0 / 48 kHz / 1536 kbps /
16-bit
Subtitles:
None
Extras:
• Commentary by Pete Walker and Jonathan Rigby
• An Eye For Terror (Part2 of an interview with Pete Walker) (11:00)
• Pete Walker Trailers
Bitrate:
Description: Acidic black comedy, or typically crass 70s
horror flick brought out with the sole aim of shocking a
jaded public? The jury's still out on House Of Mortal Sin
(aka The Confessional), but you can't deny that it's
entertaining.
Excerpt from British Horror Films located HERE
The Film:
The macabre tale of a priest who records his
parishioners' confessions and uses the tapes to
blackmail his victims. Those unable or unwilling to meet
his demands soon discover they must pay the ultimate
price. After several parishioners turn up dead, a
housekeeper begins to have her suspicions about him.
Excerpt from ShriekShow DVD located HERE
Director Walker claims that some of his films were "a deliberate attempt
to try and get some controversy." Such was clearly the case with this
one, which uses the premise of a deranged, degenerate priest as a
platform to point a finger at the hypocrisies and secretive nature of
the Catholic church.
Excerpt from The Bloody Pit of Horror located HERE
Jenny, (Susan Penhaligon) a troubled young girl, seeks help at her local
church. Unfortunately for her, the frustrated priest Father
Meldrum (Anthony Sharp) she confesses to, becomes obsessed with her. He
begins to stalk her, however as his increasingly unhinged mindset
continues to unravel, it becomes obvious he will stop at nothing,
including blackmail and murder, just to get close to Jenny.
Excerpt
from Watching Horror Films from Behind the Couch located HERE
Image :
NOTE:
The below
Blu-ray
captures were taken directly from the
Blu-ray
disc.
Primo
Pete Walker - House of Mortal Sin - has made it to
Blu-ray
from Kino's Redemption label. The image seems a little
loose in the opening credits but soon settles in to, what we
have come to expect from this production company - as a
strong, consistent presentation. This
is dual-layered with a very high bitrate and any
imperfections will directly relate to the source and not the
1080P transfer. Colors (blood!) are deep and tight and the
image's inherent softness is reflective of a film-like
appearance. This 1.66:1 AR doesn't show much depth but
contrast seems reasonable and there is impressive detail in
close-ups. This
Blu-ray
is no demo but appears to do its job effectively in
replicating the film's more positive visual attributes.
CLICK EACH
BLU-RAY
CAPTURE TO SEE ALL IMAGES IN FULL 1920X1080 RESOLUTION
Audio :
The linear PCM
2.0 channel track at 1536 kbps does a competent job of exporting the
film's sound requirements - which include some aggression. There is a bit of weakness in the high
end but I can only anticipate that this is a function of the, almost, 40-year old
production's audio limitations. The score is atmospheric by
Stanley Myers - who, besides doing a coupe of other Pete Walker films -
composed for Cimino's
The Deer Hunter and Nicolas Roeg's amusing
Insignificance. The audio is probably as good as it will get via the lossless. There are no subtitles offered
and my
Oppo
has identified
it as being a region
'A'-locked.
Extras :
Value is added with a commentary by Pete Walker and Jonathan
Rigby (author of
Studies in Terror: Landmarks of Horror Cinema) as more of the
film's production and subversive tones are revealed. We also get part
two of the An Eye For Terror interview with the director -
sunning about 11-minutes. There are also the obligatory 5 Pete Walker
trailers.
BOTTOM LINE:
The more I indulge in
Pete Walker films, the more I am impressed. His undercurrent
of disdain and criticism is at its most acerbic in House
of Mortal Sin where the target of his attack is religion
- more pointedly 'Catholicism'. Protagonist Susan Penhaligon
sure reminds me of the consummate Brit-Comley-Blonde,
pouty, Susan George.
House of Mortal Sin has it all - social commentary, horror, gore and a little
titillation. I was, again,
pleased with the Redemption
Blu-ray. I'd kinda like to see this again, for the first time. This
presentation was solid and we can recommend as one of the
superior efforts from this enigmatic and multi-layered
director.
Gary Tooze
May 22nd, 2014
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Home Before Midnight
[Blu-ray]
88 Films (UK) Home Before Midnight
Blu-ray is reviewed/compared
HERE
(Pete Walker, 1979)
Review by Gary Tooze
Production:
Theatrical: Peter Walker (Heritage) Ltd.
Video: Redemption / Kino
Disc:
Region: 'A'
(as verified by the
Oppo Blu-ray player)
Runtime: 1:51:26.373
Disc Size: 36,706,661,246 bytes
Feature Size: 30,195,543,552 bytes
Video Bitrate: 32.78 Mbps
Chapters: 10
Case: Standard Blu-ray case
Release date: June 17th, 2014
Video:
Aspect ratio: 1.66:1
Resolution: 1080p / 23.976 fps
Video codec: MPEG-4 AVC Video
Audio:
LPCM Audio English 1536 kbps 2.0 / 48 kHz / 1536 kbps /
16-bit
Subtitles:
None
Extras:
• Promiscuous
Behavior - Interview with Pete Walker (11:10)
• Theatrical Trailer (2:02)
• 5 Pete Walker Trailers
Bitrate:
Description: A successful rock lyricist becomes romantically
involved with a girl he picks up hitchhiking only to learn
that she is only fourteen. Her parents take action against
him.
The Film:
The rock music business... Money, Fame, Girls... and
whole lot of trouble! This exploitationer from British
low-budget specialist Pete Walker Frightmare, the
Flesh and Blood Show tells of a songwriter for a
rock band who is accused of raping a 14-year-old girl.
Although he is innocent of the crime, he finds his life
being destroyed by the girl's vengeful parents and a
legal system that he believes gives him no rights at
all.
Excerpt from ShriekShow DVD located HERE
Home Before Midnight is one of Pete Walker's more controversial
flicks in terms of subject matter, although it's dealt with in a very
Pete Walker way (if you know what I mean). Mike Beresford (James Aubrey)
is a successful 28-year-old lyricist for one of the big bands of the
moment. He's rich, successful and cruising the highways in his Jensen
Interceptor. He spots a young girl in the cafe, then gives the
hitchhiker a lift home to London. Things develop and before too long,
they're out on a date, spending time together and in a relationship. But
there's just one thing that Ginny Wilshire (Alison Elliott) has forgot
to mention to her new partner - she's just 14 years old and still at
school. Not that you'll guess - the actress playing her must have been
in her 20s when she took the role (thankfully).
Excerpt
from Cinedelica located HERE
Image :
NOTE:
The below
Blu-ray
captures were taken directly from the
Blu-ray
disc.
88 Films (UK) Home Before Midnight
Blu-ray is
reviewed/compared
HERE
Pete Walker's fans are treated to more of this work with
Home Before Midnight coming to
Blu-ray
from Kino's Redemption label. The image is another strong
one considering the production limitations. This
is dual-layered with a very high bitrate and I expect this
is as good as the film has ever looked on digital. There is
a tightness and depth - but the most appealing attribute are
the grain textures. This is transferred in the original
1.66:1 aspect ratio. Colors seem
authentic exporting some richness.
Pretty solid all around. This
Blu-ray
provides a consistent and clean 1080P presentation, most
likely, replicating the original theatrical appearance to a
very high degree.
CLICK EACH
BLU-RAY
CAPTURE TO SEE ALL IMAGES IN FULL 1920X1080 RESOLUTION
Audio :
Redemption
transfer the audio via a linear PCM 2.0 channel at 1536 kbps. There
isn't much go9ing on effects-wise but what is kind of amusing is the
period rock/pop music written by Clive Scott and Des Dyer written tunes,
mostly performed by 'Jigsaw'. I found it quite irritating but suitable
to the protagonists profession. There are no subtitles offered
and my
Oppo
has identified
it as being a region
'A'-locked.
Extras :
No commentary, this time, but we do get 11-minutes with the
director in an interview entitled Promiscuous Behavior. He's always
interesting to listen to. There is also a theatrical trailer for the
film and 5 other Pete Walker film trailers.
BOTTOM LINE:
This is quite an odd-duck
in Pete Walker's oeuvre but, regardless I found it effective
as a treatise warning of the reproductions of statutory rape.
What is unusual are the sans clothing and sex scenes - which, seem quite
creepy in retrospect. I think the director's forte is
certainly horror but this showed promise although not a film
we can strongly recommended despite an excellent
Blu-ray transfer from Redemption. It may be most suitable to 'Pete Walker completists'.
Gary Tooze
May 22nd, 2014
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