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S E A R C H D V D B e a v e r |
directed by Nunnally Johnson
USA 1954
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"You've never SEEN Gregory Peck until you've seen him in CINEMASCOPE." So read the publicity hype for 20th Century-Fox's Night People. Actually, Peck is his usual solid, stoic self as Col. Van Dyke, a CIA officer stationed in West Berlin. When an American soldier is kidnapped by the Soviets in the Eastern sector, Van Dyke is verbally assaulted by the soldier's influential industrialist father Leatherby (Broderick Crawford), who demands that something be done immediately. The Colonel realizes that it's not as simple as that: in return for the soldier, he is expected to turn over an elderly couple, both former anti-Nazi activists, to the East Germans, who will probably execute the couple. Leatherby backs off a bit when he meets the couple, then agrees to let Van Dyke handle the crisis in the most diplomatic manner possible. Things come to a head when the Colonel discovers that one of his trusted aides (Anita Bjork) is in league with the Soviets. Filmed on location in Germany, Night People is capped by a deliciously ironic coda. |
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Theatrical Premiere: March 11th, 1954
Reviews More Reviews DVD Reviews
Comparison:
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Visual Entertainment Group - Region 0 - PAL vs. Twentieth Century Fox Film Corporation - Region 0 - NTSC vs. Kino - Region 'A' - Blu-ray |
Big thanks to Gregory Meshman and Gary Tooze for the DVD Screen Caps!
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1) Visual Entertainment Group - Region 0 - PAL - LEFT 2) Twentieth Century Fox Film Corporation - Region 0 - NTSC - MIDDLE 3) Kino - Region 'A' - Blu-ray RIGHT
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| Box Covers |
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| Distribution |
Visual Entertainment Group Region 0 - PAL |
Twentieth Century Fox Film Corporation Region 0 - NTSC |
Kino Lorber - Region 'A' - Blu-ray |
| Runtime | 1:29:42 (4% PAL speedup) | 1:33:33 | 1:33:41.574 |
| Video |
2.40:1 Aspect Ratio
16X9 enhanced |
1.33:1 Aspect Ratio |
Aspect Ratio: 2.55 :11080P Single-layered Blu-ray Disc Size: 25,176,338,012 bytes Feature: 20,718,845,952 bytes Codec: MPEG-4 AVC Video Total Video Bitrate: 26.29 |
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NOTE: The Vertical axis represents the bits transferred per second. The Horizontal is the time in minutes. |
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Bitrate:
Visual Entertainment Group
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Bitrate:
Twentieth Century Fox Film Corporation
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Bitrate:
Blu-ray
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| Audio | Dolby Digital 2.0 (English) |
Dolby Digital 1.0 (English) |
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) |
| Subtitles | None | None | English, None |
| Features |
Release
Information: Studio: Visual Entertainment Group Aspect Ratio:
Edition Details: Chapters 6 |
Release
Information: Studio: Twentieth Century Fox Film Corporation Aspect Ratio:
Edition Details:
DVD Release Date:
October 17th, 2012 Chapters 10 |
Release Information: Aspect Ratio: 2.55 :11080P Single-layered Blu-ray Disc Size: 25,176,338,012 bytes Feature: 20,718,845,952 bytes Codec: MPEG-4 AVC Video Total Video Bitrate: 26.29
Edition Details:
• Interview with Cecilia Peck, Carey Peck and Anthony Peck (8:49) Standard Blu-ray Case Chapters:8 |
| Comments |
NOTE: The below Blu-ray captures were obtained directly from the Blu-ray disc. ADDITION: Kino Lorber - Region 'A' - Blu-ray July 17': Great job Kino - we finally get the full 2.55:1 ratio seeing all the side information and composition is correct. The 1080P is on a single-layered disc with a supportive bitrate for the 1.5 hour feature. It improves in terms of detail, better contrast and some pleasing, consistent, film grain. It looks solid in-motion.
Kino use a DTS-HD Master at 1555 kbps (16-bit). It exports the
film's modest effect sounds competently although is fairly
passive. The score is quite strong by Cyril J. Mockridge
(I
Wake Up Screaming,
Where
the Sidewalk Ends,
Thieves'
Highway, Desk
Set, The
Ox-Bow Incident,
The Dark Corner,
My Darling Clementine,
Nightmare Alley)
and the lossless transfer exports some heavy depth and bass. There are
optional English subtitles
and my
Oppo
has identified
it as being a region
'A'-locked.
Extras have a 9-minute interview, pieced together with Cecilia Peck,
Carey Peck and Anthony Peck discussing their father and his work. There
is also a trailer for the film and for 7 other Peck films.
Great release and I warmed to the film and performances far more than
viewing in SD. Great to see Kino give Night People its just due
with a competent HD transfer with supplements. Absolutely recommended!
*** ON THE
DVDs: Australian
disc is labeled region 4, but is actually for all
regions. The disc is single layered and progressive, but in
PAL format and the image is visibly horizontally
stretched to fit original very wide aspect ratio of
2.55:1 to 2.40:1 presented here. There is still some
image missing from the sides, as can be seen on the
second set of captures - missing information right to
Buddy Ebsen can be seen in the full screen image. Other
PAL discs are available in
Spain
and
Germany .
Spanish disc is letterboxed widescreen in 2.35:1 aspect
ratio and more recent German disc is anamorphic, in
2.40:1, like Australian disc reviewed here. This film
requires a new restoration, both video and audio (would
love to hear that original 4-track stereo), but Fox does
not care about most of their CinemaScope titles as can
be seen by their Cinema Archives releases. Until their
approach changes, Australian or German disc are the best
options to see this film. Cinema Archive disc is a
disgrace and we warn everyone to stay away from it.
On the Twentieth Century Fiox: Worst DVD transfer
of the year award. Ironically the
Tagline for Night People was "You've never SEEN
Gregory Peck until you've seen him in CINEMASCOPE" and it
was theatrically presented in 2.55: 1 ! So naturally Fox decides
to 'pan and scan' it to 1.33:1 although most everyone has a
widescreen system these days. What a bunch of imbeciles. I'm sure you know the usual -
No one else had reviewed it when I ordered it - so I get to impart the bad news. You can see for yourself the composition borders on the ridiculous with entire swaths of information and characters removed from the frame. This review only serves as a warning to forget this DVD. Not dissimilar to 23 Paces to Baker Street - hopefully someone else will be able to release this in its proper aspect ratio. Hard to believe it is 2015 and we're still doing reviews warning people about this practice... |
DVD Menus
(Visual Entertainment Group - Region
0 - PAL - LEFT vs. Twentieth Century Fox Film Corporation
- Region 0 - NTSC - RIGHT)
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Kino Lorber - Region 'A' - Blu-ray
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CLICK EACH BLU-RAY CAPTURE TO SEE ALL IMAGES IN FULL 1920X1080 RESOLUTION
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ubtitle Sample - Kino - Region 'A' - Blu-ray
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1) Visual Entertainment Group - Region 0 - PAL - TOP 2) Twentieth Century Fox Film Corporation - Region 0 - NTSC - MIDDLE 3) Kino - Region 'A' - Blu-ray BOTTOM
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1) Visual Entertainment Group - Region 0 - PAL - TOP 2) Twentieth Century Fox Film Corporation - Region 0 - NTSC - MIDDLE 3) Kino - Region 'A' - Blu-ray BOTTOM
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1) Visual Entertainment Group - Region 0 - PAL - TOP 2) Twentieth Century Fox Film Corporation - Region 0 - NTSC - MIDDLE 3) Kino - Region 'A' - Blu-ray BOTTOM
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1) Visual Entertainment Group - Region 0 - PAL - TOP 2) Twentieth Century Fox Film Corporation - Region 0 - NTSC - MIDDLE 3) Kino - Region 'A' - Blu-ray BOTTOM
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1) Visual Entertainment Group - Region 0 - PAL - TOP 2) Twentieth Century Fox Film Corporation - Region 0 - NTSC - MIDDLE 3) Kino - Region 'A' - Blu-ray BOTTOM
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1) Visual Entertainment Group - Region 0 - PAL - TOP 2) Twentieth Century Fox Film Corporation - Region 0 - NTSC - MIDDLE 3) Kino - Region 'A' - Blu-ray BOTTOM
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1) Visual Entertainment Group - Region 0 - PAL - TOP 2) Twentieth Century Fox Film Corporation - Region 0 - NTSC - MIDDLE 3) Kino - Region 'A' - Blu-ray BOTTOM
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Report Card:
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Image: |
Blu-ray |
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Sound: |
Blu-ray |
| Extras: | Blu-ray |
| Box Covers |
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| Distribution |
Visual Entertainment Group Region 0 - PAL |
Twentieth Century Fox Film Corporation Region 0 - NTSC |
Kino Lorber - Region 'A' - Blu-ray |
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Gary Tooze
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