Review by Gary Tooze

Production:

Disc:

Video:

Audio:

• Audio Commentary by Film Historian Richard Harland Smith
• The Complete 1934 Feature Film BACK PAGE Starring Peggy Shannon, the star of Deluge(1:04:50.428 - 13 Meg - 23.98 Mbps)
• Trailers - The Hurricane (2:42), Avalanche (2:12), Meteor (3:36)

Bitrate:

 

 

Excerpt from B+N located HERE

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

Firstly, Deluge is a hoot. What an ambitious, pre-code film topic. The Kino Lorber Blu-ray is transferred in 1080P. It has some predictable marks and damage (see last 2 captures) but it seems to lessen after the first 15-minutes but there are frame-specific marks throughout. The grain is rich but the visuals, can vary from scene to scene. It looks like Lobster Films and Serge Bromberg are to thank for restoring and reviving this title (and 'Back Page'). This Blu-ray gave me a pleasurable viewing but individuals should be aware of its inherent weaknesses. I find that they add an intangible historical value to the film experience. The texture is a gorgeous attribute - exemplified by this higher resolution.

CLICK EACH BLU-RAY CAPTURE TO SEE ALL IMAGES IN FULL 1920X1080 RESOLUTION

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Examples of damage

 

 

 

Screen captures from 'Back Page' included in the set

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Kino Lorber use a DTS-HD Master 2.0 channel track at 1553 kbps (16-bit) in the original English language. There many effects in the film - wind, rain, rumbling earthquakes, floods, gunplay but they are at the mercy of the production's modest capabilities. The dialogue was a bit scattered but audible - which would probably on-par with the production. There was an uncredited score by Val Burton (doing a few film compositions including James Whale's 1931 Waterloo Bridge) and it rocks and rolls right along with the intense action of the first 1/3 of the film. Super. There are optional English subtitles offered and my Oppo has identified it as being a region 'A'-locked.

Extras :

Kudos to the, new, audio commentary by film historian Richard Harland Smith - it's filled with interesting research, references and production details. I found it very rewarding. Kino also include the complete 1934 feature film BACK PAGE, another early effort (still pre-code?) also starring Peggy Shannon, the lead of Deluge. It runs about 1 hour 5-minutes and is of decent video quality (see captures). It's about a young female reporter who is fired from a big city newspaper, then decides to take over a troubled small town journal. She encounters difficulties bringing up details about 1930's feminism etc. There are also trailers for The Hurricane, Avalanche, and Meteor.

 

 

BOTTOM LINE:
Deluge combines two of my favorite genres - pre-code and limited survivor apocalypse features (we should now add this to our recent article HERE.) It seems one of the most desirable commodities after the apocalypse is not only guns and food but lithe hottie Peggy Shannon - a former Ziegfeld gal once proposed to replace Clara Bow! She's carried near naked, twice, saved but only to return looking better than ever - and eventually realizing her prospects have become limited in the aftermath of fewer men than she would appreciate. The Kino Lorber Blu-ray is a fabulous way to see this gem - a totally imperfect presentation but no doubt the best available. The commentary adds significant value and I am immediately putting this on my 'keeper' shelf. Wow - I loved the modest effects - great package. Absolutely recommended to the right crowd! 

Gary Tooze

February 18th, 2017