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(aka "Doctor Cyclops")
Directed by Ernest B. Schoedsack
USA 1940
From Ernest B. Schoedsack and Merian C. Cooper, the legendary team behind King Kong, The Most Dangerous Game and Mighty Joe Young, comes this early Technicolor science-fiction classic about a brilliant but deranged physicist who learns how to shrink his enemies to one-fifth their normal size! Four explorers are summoned to the remote jungle laboratory of the legendary scientist Dr. Thorkel (Albert Dekker, Kiss Me Deadly, The Killers, Beau Geste). When they arrive, they discover that his brilliant mind has been warped by radiation and decide to return him to civilization for help. But the half-blind, half-mad Dr. Cyclops will have none of that and uses his experimental body-shrinking device to stop them. Now, harmless items and small creatures suddenly become giant-sized instruments of death! The impressive use of landmark special effects, which garnered an Oscar nomination (Best Effects, Special Effects), helped make this sci-fi yarn one of the most imaginative and memorable horror-fantasy films of all time. *** The first Technicolor horror film since Mystery of the Wax Museum, Dr. Cyclops was directed by Ernest Schoedsack, of King Kong fame. Albert Dekker chews the scenery as mad scientist Dr. Thorkel, who has developed a process that will shrink human beings to doll size. His first victims include mining engineers Bill Stockton (Thomas Coley) and Steve Baker (Victor Kilian) and biologists Mary Mitchell (Janice Logan) and Dr. Bullfinch (Charles Halton). At first willing to play-act the role of benevolent despot with his miniaturized captives, Thorkel reveals the more sinister side of his personality by abruptly murdering Bullfinch in cold blood (easily the film's most frightening sequence). The rest of the picture details the escape efforts of the three pint-sized protagonists as they hack their way through a jungle of gigantic foliage and do battle with oversized wildlife. Though the cheery Technicolor hues tend to dilute the "scare" quotient in Dr. Cyclops, the special effects are superbly convincing throughout. Excerpt from B+N located HERE |
Posters
Theatrical Release: April 10th, 1940
Reviews More Reviews DVD Reviews
Comparison:
Universal - Region 1 - NTSC vs. Kino - Region 'A' - Blu-ray
Box Cover |
Bonus Captures: |
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Distribution | Universal (3-disc) - Region 1 - NTSC | Kino - Region 'A' - Blu-ray |
Runtime | 1:17:03 | 1:17:00.616 |
Video |
1.33:1
Aspect Ratio Average Bitrate: 6.53 mb/s NTSC 720x480 29.97 f/s |
1.33 :1 1080P Single-layered Blu-rayDisc Size: 25,558,943,001 bytesFeature: 23,517,333,504 bytes Video Bitrate: 36.90 MbpsCodec: MPEG-4 AVC Video |
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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Bitrate Blu-ray: |
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Audio | English (Dolby Digital mono) |
DTS-HD Master
Audio English 1553 kbps 2.0 / 48 kHz / 1553 kbps / 16-bit (DTS Core: 2.0 /
48 kHz / 1509 kbps / 16-bit) Dolby Digital Audio English 192 kbps 2.0 / 48 kHz / 192 kbps |
Subtitles | English (Hoh), French, None | English (SDH), None |
Features |
Release Information:
Edition Details:
• Theatrical Trailers for each feature
DVD
Release Date: September 11th, 2007 Chapters: various |
Release Information: Studio: Kino
1.33 :1 1080P Single-layered Blu-rayDisc Size: 25,558,943,001 bytesFeature: 23,517,333,504 bytes Video Bitrate: 36.90 MbpsCodec: MPEG-4 AVC Video
Edition Details:
• NEW Audio Commentary by Film Historian Richard Harland Smith
Standard Blu-ray Case Chapters 9 |
Comments: |
NOTE:
The below
Blu-ray
captures were taken directly from the
Blu-ray
disc.
NOTE: 30
more full resolution (1920 X 1080)
Blu-ray
captures for Patrons are available
HERE.
Kino use a DTS-HD Master 2.0 channel mono track (16-bit)
in the original English language. It exports the dramatic score by
Gerard Carbonara (Abilene
Town), Albert Hay Malotte and Ernst Toch (Address
Unknown) with some depth not exported on the DVD. Kino offer optional English
subtitles on their Region 'A'
Blu-ray.
The Kino sports a new audio commentary by
film historian Richard Harland Smith who adds some fun and background on
the 'secretive nature' of the production - its origins (short story, stage play etc.), the
performers - including the Doctors; Thorkel (Albert Dekker), Dr. Mary
Robinson (Janice Logan) and Dr. Mendoza (Paul Fix) plus some interesting
facts on director Ernest B. Schoedsack (the "B" stood for "BIG"). He is
always good to listen to. There is a 'Trailers From Hell' segment
with Jesús Treviño and a theatrical trailer.
Dr. Cyclops
is another imaginative joy from the era -
inspiration for such
nostalgic fun films as Joe Dante's
Matinee
(1993) as well as with Cyclops - obviously the TV show
The Land of the Giants |
Universal - Region 1 - NTSC
Kino - Region 'A' - Blu-ray
CLICK EACH BLU-RAY CAPTURE TO SEE ALL IMAGES IN FULL 1920X1080 RESOLUTION
1) Universal - Region 1 - NTSC TOP2) Kino - Region 'A' - Blu-ray BOTTOM |
1) Universal - Region 1 - NTSC TOP2) Kino - Region 'A' - Blu-ray BOTTOM |
More full resolution (1920 X 1080) Blu-ray Captures for DVDBeaver Patreon Supporters HERE
Box Cover |
Bonus Captures: |
|
Distribution | Universal (3-disc) - Region 1 - NTSC | Kino - Region 'A' - Blu-ray |
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