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S E A R C H    D V D B e a v e r

(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:

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-ray

Disc Size: 25,558,943,001 bytes

Feature: 23,517,333,504 bytes

Video Bitrate: 36.90 Mbps

Codec: MPEG-4 AVC Video

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

Bitrate:

Bitrate Blu-ray:

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)
Commentary:

Dolby Digital Audio English 192 kbps 2.0 / 48 kHz / 192 kbps

Subtitles English (Hoh), French, None English (SDH), None
Features

Release Information:
Studio: Universal Home Video

Aspect Ratio:
Original Aspect Ratios (Deadly Mantis, Dr. Cyclops are 1.33 and Leech Woman, Cult of the Cobra 1.85 anamorphic and Land Unknown 2.35 anamorphic)

Edition Details:

• Theatrical Trailers for each feature
 

DVD Release Date: September 11th, 2007
3 - tired Digipack (2 overlapping)

Chapters: various

Release Information:
Studio:
Kino

 

1.33:1 1080P Single-layered Blu-ray

Disc Size: 25,558,943,001 bytes

Feature: 23,517,333,504 bytes

Video Bitrate: 36.90 Mbps

Codec: MPEG-4 AVC Video

 

Edition Details:

• NEW Audio Commentary by Film Historian Richard Harland Smith
• Trailers From Hell with Jesús Treviño (2:28)
• Theatrical Trailer (2:02)


Blu-ray Release Date:
January 7th, 2019
Standard Blu-ray Case

Chapters 9

 

 

Comments:

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

ADDITION: Kino Blu-ray (December 2019): Kino have transferred another classic Universal science-fiction gem from the 1940's vault Dr. Cyclops to Blu-ray, advertised as being from a "new 4K Master". It has a max'ed out bitrate on the single-layered disc and has more earthy brown tones, is brighter and warmer skin tones. There is depth and the green tinted opening sequences looks marvelous. Overall the image is very pleasing in 1080P at over 5 X the bitrate of the 2007 SD that is part of the The Classic Sci-Fi Ultimate Collection Vol. 2 reviewed HERE.

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 (would love to see that reach 1080P). These flawed gems resonate such innocence and evoke personal memories of childhood fascination. For me this Blu-ray. is a keeper and the Harland Smith commentary make it a must-have for fans of vintage sci-fi fantasy efforts.

Gary Tooze

 


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  TOP

2) Kino - Region 'A' - Blu-ray BOTTOM

 

 


1) Universal - Region 1 - NTSC  TOP

2) Kino - Region 'A' - Blu-ray BOTTOM

 

 


1) Universal - Region 1 - NTSC  TOP

2) 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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