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S E A R C H D V D B e a v e r |
Directed by Joseph Losey
UK 1968
Joseph Losey’s lurid and often misunderstood drama stars the great Elizabeth Taylor (Suddenly, Last Summer) as an ageing London prostitute who befriends a young woman (Mia Farrow, See No Evil) that reminds her of her long-dead daughter. As the bizarre relationship between the two evolves, the appearance of Robert Mitchum (Cape Fear), as Farrow’s abusive stepfather, ignites deep emotions and dark passions. *** Psychological thriller starring Elizabeth Taylor, Mia Farrow and Robert Mitchum. Leonora (Taylor) is an aging prostitute mourning for her dead daughter. The unbalanced Cenci (Farrow) comes to believe that Leonora is her own dead mother, and the two women are content to bolster each other's fantasies. But when Cenci's sinister stepfather Albert (Mitchum) comes on the scene, he reveals some long-hidden secrets that could destroy their relationship. |
Posters
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Theatrical Release: October 23rd, 1968
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Reviews More Reviews DVD Reviews
Comparison:
Universal (UK) - Region 2 - PAL vs. Indicator - Region 'B' - Blu-ray vs. Kino - Region 'A' - Blu-ray
Box Cover |
Coming to the UK from Indicator in a 'standard version' Blu-ray in October 2022: or buy directly from Indicator: |
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Distribution | Universal (UK) Home Video - Region 2 - PAL | Indicator - Region 'B' - Blu-ray | Kino - Region 'A' - Blu-ray |
Runtime | 1:44:16 (4% PAL Speedup) | 1:49:09.834 | 1:49:23.682 |
Video |
1.85:1
Aspect Ratio Average Bitrate: 4.48 mb/s PAL 720x576 25.00 f/s |
1.85 :1 1080P Dual-layered Blu-rayDisc Size: 44,092,454,542 bytesFeature: 32,151,107,136 bytesVideo Bitrate: 34.94 MbpsCodec: MPEG-4 AVC Video |
1.85 :1 1080P Dual-layered Blu-rayDisc Size: 34,777,111,449 bytesFeature: 33,874,876,416 bytes Video Bitrate: 37.45 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 Indicator Blu-ray: |
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Bitrate Kino Blu-ray: |
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Audio | English (Dolby Digital 2.0) |
LPCM Audio English
1152 kbps 1.0 / 48 kHz / 1152 kbps / 24-bit Dolby Digital Audio English 192 kbps 2.0 / 48 kHz / 192 kbps |
DTS-HD Master Audio English 1555 kbps 2.0 / 48 kHz / 1555 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, None | English (SDH), None | English (SDH), None |
Features |
Release Information: Edition Details: • none |
Release Information: Studio: Indicator
1.85 :1 1080P Dual-layered Blu-rayDisc Size: 44,092,454,542 bytesFeature: 32,151,107,136 bytesVideo Bitrate: 34.94 MbpsCodec: MPEG-4 AVC Video
Edition Details:
• Audio commentary with authors and critics Dean Brandum and Alexandra
Heller-Nicholas (2019)
Standard Blu-ray Case inside cardboard sleeve Chapters 12 |
Release Information: Studio: Kino Lorber
1.85 :1 1080P Dual-layered Blu-rayDisc Size: 34,777,111,449 bytesFeature: 33,874,876,416 bytes Video Bitrate: 37.45 MbpsCodec: MPEG-4 AVC Video
Edition Details: • NEW Audio Commentary by Film Historian Tim Lucas• Theatrical Trailer (2:03 in SD)
Standard Blu-ray Case Chapters 9 |
Comments: |
NOTE:
The below
Blu-ray
captures were taken directly from the
Blu-ray
disc.
ADDITION: Kino
Lorber
Blu-ray
(April 2020): Kino have transferred Joseph Losey's Secret
Ceremony
to Region 'A' Blu-ray. The image
colors, detail, contrast are all extremely comparable to the Indicator
Blu-ray
- also on a dual-layered disc with a max'ed out bitrate.
But there is a slight framing
difference with the UK rendering showing less information than the Kino. I
don't know why but have identified it more easily in this animated gif:
On their
Blu-ray,
Kino use a DTS-HD Master 2.0 channel track (but only 16-bit) in the
original English language. It takes a small step behind the UK editions
but the
Richard Rodney Bennett score (Billy
Liar
Figures
in a Landscape Far
From the Madding Crowd, The
Witches,
Equus,
The Man Who Could Cheat Death)
still sounds full with a highly appealing and fitting haunting quality. Kino offer optional English
subtitles on their Region 'A'
Blu-ray.
The Kino
Blu-ray
includes a new audio commentary by film historian Tim Lucas who
appropriately describes Secret Ceremony as 'strange and
beguiling'. Quarantine is not so bad if you are privy to two
Lucas commentaries in the same week! He shares details of Debenham House
(or Peacock House) in London where the exteriors were filmed. He
discusses Richard Rodney Bennett's score and also identifies that a
belch onscreen was also in the novel. His 'degrees of separation' on the
cast and crew spread far, but are always interesting with occasional
anecdotal minutia. It is the type of commentary I would need to listen
to multiple times to soak in all of the information. It's a brilliant
dissertation on the film sprinkled with snippets of analysis and
detailed descriptions of scenes - pretty much a perfect commentary, imo.
There are also some trailers including one (in SD) for the film.
I don't consider the slight image
discrepancies a deal-breaker by any stretch, but the Tim Lucas
commentary would justify a double-dip as far as I am concerned.
Losey's film gets better each time I indulge in it and with the included
analysis only advances my appreciation. Region 'A'ers now have access to
a Blu-ray
with a stacked commentary.
Absolutely recommended!
***
On their
Blu-ray,
Indicator use a linear PCM mono track (24-bit) in the original English
language. It is another advancement in the film's audio and subtly
mysterious score by
Richard Rodney Bennett's (Figures
in a Landscape Far
From the Madding Crowd, The
Witches,
Equus, Billy
Liar,
The Man Who Could Cheat Death), sounding a bit deeper with
more consistent dialogue. Indicator offer optional English (SDH) subtitles on
their Region 'B'
Blu-ray.
Indicator include a new audio commentary
with authors and critics Dean Brandum and Alexandra Heller-Nicholas both
Australian 'Losey-ologists' and they give a great analysis seeing
rituals, repetition, power structure, role-playing and comparisons to
Boom and
The Servant. It is excellent and they really advanced my
appreciation of Secret Ceremony from simply over-the-top
pretentious camp. There is a 1/4 hour archival Interview with Joseph
Losey from 1969 represented as an extract from the French television
programme Cinéma critique, featuring the celebrated director
promoting the release of Secret Ceremony and an appreciation by
critic Michel Mourlet. The Beholder’s Share is a new 25-minute
interview with Gavrik Losey, son of Joseph Losey. Losey fans will love
the inclusion of 18-minutes worth of the TV version's additional scenes
that represent a unique epilogue and prologue produced for US television
screenings, with Robert Douglas and Michael Strong. Included is an
original theatrical trailer plus a 'TFH' Larry Karaszewski
trailer commentary from 2015 where he gives a short critical
appreciation. There is an extensive image gallery of promotional and
publicity material and the extensive package contains a limited edition
exclusive 40-page booklet with a new essay by Neil Sinyard, an archival
location report, Joseph Losey on Secret Ceremony, a look at the
source novella, an overview of contemporary reviews, and film credits.
Indicator keep hitting it out of the park. |
Universal (UK) - Region 2 - PAL
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Indicator - Region 'B' - Blu-ray
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CLICK EACH BLU-RAY CAPTURE TO SEE ALL IMAGES IN FULL 1920X1080 RESOLUTION
Subtitle Samples-
1) Indicator - Region 'B' - Blu-ray TOP2) Kino - Region 'A' - Blu-ray BOTTOM |
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1) Universal (UK) - Region 2 - PAL TOP2) Indicator - Region 'B' - Blu-ray MIDDLE 3) Kino - Region 'A' - Blu-ray BOTTOM |
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1) Universal (UK) - Region 2 - PAL TOP2) Indicator - Region 'B' - Blu-ray MIDDLE 3) Kino - Region 'A' - Blu-ray BOTTOM |
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1) Universal (UK) - Region 2 - PAL TOP2) Indicator - Region 'B' - Blu-ray MIDDLE 3) Kino - Region 'A' - Blu-ray BOTTOM |
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1) Universal (UK) - Region 2 - PAL TOP2) Indicator - Region 'B' - Blu-ray MIDDLE 3) Kino - Region 'A' - Blu-ray BOTTOM |
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1) Universal (UK) - Region 2 - PAL TOP2) Indicator - Region 'B' - Blu-ray MIDDLE 3) Kino - Region 'A' - Blu-ray BOTTOM |
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Box Cover |
Coming to the UK from Indicator in a 'standard version' Blu-ray in October 2022: or buy directly from Indicator: |
![]() |
|
Distribution | Universal (UK) Home Video - Region 2 - PAL | Indicator - Region 'B' - Blu-ray | Kino - Region 'A' - Blu-ray |
Search DVDBeaver |
S E A R C H D V D B e a v e r |