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"The film made a sizeable profit at the box-office because Hitchcock had developed a loyal following and reputation for entertaining pictures, and because the film had a winning cast and was based on a popular book. Nevertheless, the critics were unkind to Jamaica Inn; one called it "a singularly dull and uninspired picture-highly lackadaisical melodrama." For people expecting a Hitchcock picture, it was a letdown, and it was obvious that the director had lost his interest in the property before he completed work on it. If Hitchcock's enthusiasm isn't so apparent on the screen, the phlegmatic acting of Charles Laughton is. Always the perfectionist, Laughton wore a putty nose because he thought that would make him look more like an indulgent squire-fat, bloated, wicked, mad, and shrewd. Laughton does give a powerful performance but, like the squire he portrays, it is self-indulgent and interferes with the story. With Jamaica Inn, Hitchcock's English period was concluded. He left England for his new country and the beginning of a lucrative and distinguished career in Hollywood." Extract© Richard A. Harris, Michael S. Lasky: The Complete Films of Alfred Hitchcock found at Britmovie.com HERE |
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Comparison:
Kino - Region 1 - NTSC vs. LaserLight - Region 0 - NTSC vs. Cohen Media Group '75th Anniversary Edition' - Region 'A' - Blu-ray vs. Arrow - Region 'B' - Blu-ray |
LaserLight screenshots courtesy of Ashirg
1) Kino - Region 1- NTSC LEFT 2) Laserlight - Region 0 - NTSC - SECOND3) C ohen Media Group - Region 'A' - Blu-ray THIRD4 ) Arrow Video - Region 'B' - Blu-ray RIGHT |
Box Covers |
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Distribution | Kino / Image Entertainment Region 1 encoded (North America) |
LaserLight
Region 0 |
Cohen Media '75th Anniversary Edition' - Region 'A' - Blu-ray |
Arrow Video Region 'B' - Blu-ray |
Runtime | 1:38:45 | 1:30:18 | 1:39:39.014 | 1:39:24.000 |
Video | 4:3 Full
Screen (Standard) - 1.33:1 Average Bitrate: 7.31 mb/s NTSC 704x480 29.97 f/s |
4:3 Full
Screen (Standard) - 1.33:1 Average Bitrate: undeterminable NTSC 704x480 29.97 f/s |
1080P Dual-layered Blu-rayDisc Size: 35,608,952,303 bytesFeature: 30,292,384,704 bytes Video Bitrate: 34.06 MbpsCodec: MPEG-4 AVC Video |
1080P Dual-layered Blu-ray Disc Size: 31,514,853,164 bytesFeature: 29,280,983,040 bytesCodec: MPEG-4 AVC Video Total Video Bitrate: 33.98 Mbps |
NOTE: The Vertical axis represents the bits transferred per second. The Horizontal is the time in minutes. |
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Bitrate: Kino |
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Bitrate: Laserlight |
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Bitrate: Cohen Blu-ray |
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Bitrate: Arrow Blu-ray |
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Audio | English (Dolby Digital 1.0) |
English (Dolby Digital 1.0) |
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 |
LPCM Audio English 768 kbps
1.0 / 48 kHz / 768 kbps /
LPCM Audio English 1536
kbps 2.0 / 48 kHz / 1536 kbps |
Subtitles | English or none | Spanish, Chinese, Japanese, None | None | English or none |
Features | Release
Information: Production Company: Kino Video Aspect Ratio: Edition Details: DVD Release Date:
August 13th, 1999
Chapters
12 |
Release Information: Aspect Ratio: Edition Details:
DVD Release Date: February 2nd, 2000 Chapters
24 |
Release Information: 1080P Dual-layered Blu-rayDisc Size: 35,608,952,303 bytesFeature: 30,292,384,704 bytes Video Bitrate: 34.06 MbpsCodec: MPEG-4 AVC Video
Edition Details:
•
8-page
liner notes
leaflet with photos |
Release Information: 1080P Dual-layered Blu-ray Disc Size: 31,514,853,164 bytesFeature: 29,280,983,040 bytesCodec: MPEG-4 AVC Video Total Video Bitrate: 33.98 Mbps
Edition Details:
• Audio commentary by film critic Jeremy Arnold
DVD included Chapters: 12 |
Comments |
NOTE: The below Blu-ray captures were obtained directly from the Blu-ray disc.
ADDITION: Arrow - Region 'B' - Blu-ray - October 16': The Arrow starts with Cohen's logo - derived from their restoration. It is basically the same release - the image is a bit brighter - audio may be flatter and less robust - it offers the same excellent commentary with film critic Jeremy Arnold (who, coincidentally, emailed me as I was listening to it!) - it has the same 13-minute video essay by Donald Spoto entitled Shipwrecked in a Studio, and both have the re-release trailer. One difference is that Arrow have included optional English (SDH) subtitles - and their BD is region 'B'-locked, a second disc DVD (Dual-Format) is included, a reversible sleeve featuring original and newly commissioned artwork by Dan Mumford, and for the first pressing only - a collector's booklet containing new writing on the film by Nathalie Morris.
So Arrow, marginally advance with some bells and whistles. Great to see this wayward classic treated right...
* ADDITION: Cohen Media Group '75th Anniversary' - Region 'A' - Blu-ray (April 2015): C ohen's new 1080P transfer is quite the revelation from what we have seen in the past on digital. This restoration is very impressive. It is on a dual-layered disc with a max'ed out bitrate and looks consistent, clean with infinitely superior contrast to the older SDs. There is even some depth and texture is very apparent. It looks quite immaculate to me and appears to be the full version with none of the cuts noted on the Laserlight DVD.
Audio-wise, Cohen have gone with a linear PCM 2.0 channel mono track at 2304 kbps. It sounds just as adept as the video with some nice echo effects in the cave scenes and depth in the shipwreck opening. The score by Eric Fenby is fairly unremarkable and sparsely utilized but when there is some need it is exported with appropriate depth and crispness. Dialogue is consistent and very clean. There are no subtitles on the region 'A'-locked Blu-ray disc.
Supplements include a wonderfully educational audio commentary with film critic Jeremy Arnold who explores much of the film's production, Hitch and more. There is a new, 13-minute video essay by Donald Spoto entitled Shipwrecked in a Studio that is also well-worth indulging in. We also get the new re-release trailer and the package has an 8-page liner notes leaflet with photos.
Fabulous release from Cohen - we can easily
endorse. I've always wanted a dynamically superior presentation of
Jamaica Inn and the extras add even more essential value. Out
highest recommendation! *** ON THE DVDs:
Urggg.. not much of a
transfer from either of these distributors... The Kino is brighter but
fraught with scratches and damage etc. There is chroma on both. The LaserLight is softer and
looks to be from a slightly better transfer. Both are pretty hazy.
Neither has much in the way of extras, actually 'none' at all for the
Kino and just a Tony Curtis intro and trailer for "The Birds"
with the LaserLight. The LaseLight has more chapters ( 24 vs. 12 ) but I
liked the Menu better on the Kino. With such a poor transfer its kind of
'6 or one/half a dozen of the other', but I would say get the
LaserLight, it is much cheaper.
**** Dave says
(thanks!):
The running time of the Laserlight "Jamaica Inn"
DVD had been bugging me, so I sat and watched it alongside the UK
Carlton DVD. |
(Kino left, LaserLight right)
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Cohen Media Group - Region 'A' - Blu-ray
Arrow Video - Region 'B' - Blu-ray
CLICK EACH BLU-RAY CAPTURE TO SEE ALL IMAGES IN FULL 1920X1080 RESOLUTION
Subtitle Sample Arrow Video - Region 'B' - Blu-ray
1) Kino - Region 1- NTSC TOP 2) Laserlight - Region 0 - NTSC - SECOND3) C ohen Media Group - Region 'A' - Blu-ray THIRD4 ) Arrow Video - Region 'B' - Blu-ray BOTTOM |
1) Kino - Region 1- NTSC TOP 2) Laserlight - Region 0 - NTSC - SECOND3) C ohen Media Group - Region 'A' - Blu-ray THIRD4 ) Arrow Video - Region 'B' - Blu-ray BOTTOM |
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1) Kino - Region 1- NTSC TOP 2) Laserlight - Region 0 - NTSC - SECOND3) C ohen Media Group - Region 'A' - Blu-ray THIRD4 ) Arrow Video - Region 'B' - Blu-ray BOTTOM |
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1) Kino - Region 1- NTSC TOP 2) Laserlight - Region 0 - NTSC - SECOND3) C ohen Media Group - Region 'A' - Blu-ray THIRD4 ) Arrow Video - Region 'B' - Blu-ray BOTTOM |
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1) Kino - Region 1- NTSC TOP 2) Laserlight - Region 0 - NTSC - SECOND3) C ohen Media Group - Region 'A' - Blu-ray THIRD4 ) Arrow Video - Region 'B' - Blu-ray BOTTOM |
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1) Kino - Region 1- NTSC TOP 2) Laserlight - Region 0 - NTSC - SECOND3) C ohen Media Group - Region 'A' - Blu-ray THIRD4 ) Arrow Video - Region 'B' - Blu-ray BOTTOM |
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More Blu-ray Captures
Report Card:
Image: |
Blu-ray |
Sound: |
Blu-ray |
Extras: |
Arrow Blu-ray |
Box Covers |
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Distribution | Kino / Image Entertainment Region 1 encoded (North America) |
LaserLight
Region 0 |
Cohen Media '75th Anniversary Edition' - Region 'A' - Blu-ray |
Arrow Video Region 'B' - Blu-ray |
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