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S E A R C H D V D B e a v e r |
directed by
Robert Aldrich
USA 1965
I'm a little appalled , yet not surprised, that a remake of this magnificent film has reared its ugly head. It is also fascinating to me how many incredible films Jimmy Stewart has starred in (and how many poor ones Dennis Quaid appears?) - no I won't compare the two films... it is unnecessary. Perhaps the 2004 edition will ignite some interest in the older, more polished gem.
Robert Aldrich's 1965 "The Flight of the Phoenix" rates as one of the best psychological adventure films of the 60's (which is saying a whole heap!). The premise, though simple, resonates to an astounding tale of survival, male bonding, fortune and hope. A twin-engine propeller plane (circa 1940) takes off from a mining operation in the Middle East piloted by Capt. Frank Towns (Jimmy Stewart) with inexperienced co-pilot Lew Moran (Sir Richard Attenborough). When the harsh desert sandstorms stands up on its hind legs the plane crashes in the middle of nowhere... with no hopes of being found or rescued. Now survival mode kicks in - rationing - slim chances of trekking the desert - waiting. A key reason for the success of this film, aside from a marvelous narrative, are the strength of the cast including some of the greatest supporting players ever available: Peter Finch, Hardy Krüger, Ernest Borgnine, Ian Bannen, Christian Marquand, Dan Duryea and George Kennedy. Stewart, always excellent, may actually be at the zenith of his onscreen charisma as the disgruntled pilot looking for a reason to lose. With all the characters getting slightly touched in the head by the circumstances and the sun, they decide to build a new plane from the wreckage of the old. This is more in line with keeping themselves busy before death slowly arrives. The interaction between male characters here is like a keynote in sociology - ever gripping and consistently degrading their humanity as time wears on. This film is beyond a mere adventure story - it is a tale of survival, courage and most of all - communication.
NOTE: The plane they leave on at the end of the film was to be a C-82 Boom. The stunt of taking off was too dangerous, so legendary stunt pilot Paul Mantz was asked to merely come in low, run his landing gear along the ground, then take off again, simulating a take-off. On the second take the plane crashed and was destroyed, killing Mantz. As all main footage had already been shot, a North American O-47A observation plane from the Air Museum was substituted for the remaining close-ups. |
Posters
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Theatrical Release: December 15th, 1965 - USA
Reviews More Reviews DVD Reviews
Comparison:
20th Century Fox - Region 1 - NTSC vs. Masters of Cinema - Region 'B' - Blu-ray
1) Fox - Region 1 - NTSC LEFT2) Masters of Cinema - Region 'B' - Blu-ray RIGHT
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Box Covers |
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Distribution | 20th Century Fox - Region 1- NTSC |
Masters of Cinema - Spine # 149 Region 'B' - Blu-ray |
Runtime | 2:21:45 | 2:22:00.011 |
Video | 1.83:1
Original Aspect Ratio Average Bitrate: 7.11 mb/s NTSC 720x480 29.97 f/s |
1.85:1 Aspect Ratio Disc Size: 49,422,588,951 bytes Feature Size: 42,752,665,152 bytes Total Bitrate: 34.83 Mbps Dual-layered Blu-ray MPEG-4 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 2.0 Stereo), English (mono), DUBs: French (mono) , Spanish (mono) |
LPCM Audio English 1536 kbps 2.0 / 48 kHz / 1536 kbps / 16-bit Isolated Score: LPCM Audio English 1536 kbps 2.0 / 48 kHz / 1536 kbps / 16-bit |
Subtitles | English, Spanish, None | English (SDH), None |
Features |
Release Information:
Edition Details: • Theatrical
Trailer |
Release Information: Studio: Masters of Cinema
1.85:1 Aspect Ratio Disc Size: 49,422,588,951 bytes Feature Size: 42,752,665,152 bytes Total Bitrate: 34.83 Mbps Dual-layered Blu-ray MPEG-4 Video
Edition
Details: Chapters 11 |
Comments: |
NOTE: The below
Blu-ray captures were
taken directly from the
Blu-ray disc.
ADDITION: Masters of Cinema - Region 'B' Blu-ray August 2016': My initial reaction is - AMAZING! That's how the MoC, max'ed out bitrate, dual-layered image quality compares to the old DVD from 13 years ago. This 1080P looks fabulous - richer colors, far superior contrast and some impressive detail on the film's many close-ups. N OTE: I noticed two very abrupt, unusual cuts, but believe they were also like that on the DVD.Audio is likewise impressive. Frank De Vol's (The Dirty Dozen, Kiss Me Deadly, The Big Knife (1955), What Ever Happened To Baby Jane?, McLintock) memorable score is able to advance the film's despair and tension - shifting between the two - and sounds superb in the linear PCM, lossless, audio transfer (also available in an isolated track option.) Plane engine noise adds intensive depth. There are optional English (SDH) subtitles and the Blu-ray disc is region 'B'-locked. As well as offering the isolated music and effects track, there is a new 25-minute video interview with film historian Sheldon Hall who has written Zulu: With Some Guts Behind It about the 1964 film. He gives some nice insights and I quite enjoyed it. There is also an original theatrical trailer and the package has a liner notes booklet featuring a new essay by film scholar Neil Sinyard and archival images. This Blu-ray presentation is magnificent and the film is a masterpiece. This has our highest recommendation! ***
ON THE DVD: Not a bad image at
all. Minor softness, but true filmic experience with no digital
manipulations. Colors may be slightly washed, but contrast is very good.
Subtitles are excellent, audio gives 4 choices (English stereo and mono)
and 2 DUBs in mono. No
extras save the trailers. It seems to have been a forgotten film - but a
true gem so I doubt it will be SE'ed soon. It deserves it though. This
DVD gets
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Masters of Cinema - Region 'B' - Blu-ray
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CLICK EACH BLU-RAY CAPTURE TO SEE ALL IMAGES IN FULL 1920X1080 RESOLUTION
Subtitle Sample
1) Fox - Region 1 - NTSC TOP2) Masters of Cinema - Region 'B' - Blu-ray BOTTOM
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Screen Captures
1) Fox - Region 1 - NTSC TOP2) Masters of Cinema - Region 'B' - Blu-ray BOTTOM
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1) Fox - Region 1 - NTSC TOP2) Masters of Cinema - Region 'B' - Blu-ray BOTTOM
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1) Fox - Region 1 - NTSC TOP2) Masters of Cinema - Region 'B' - Blu-ray BOTTOM
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