The Man With Two Brains Blu-ray

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S E A R C H D V D B e a v e r

Directed by Carl Reiner
US 1983

When brilliant brain surgeon Dr. Michael Hfuhruhurr (Steve Martin) accidentally hits gold-digger Dolores Benedict (Kathleen Turner) with his car, he takes it upon himself to save her life using his own surgical technique. The two are soon married, but no sooner are the rings on their fingers than the marriage begins to fall apart. While honeymooning in Vienna, Hfuhruhurr is introduced to reclusive scientist Dr. Alfred Necessiter (David Warner), who practices some rather unorthodox procedures.

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Played by Steve Martin with the mixture of flat cynicism and crazed childishness which makes him a near successor to Jerry Lewis, brilliant brain surgeon Dr Hfuhruhurr falls foul of a wicked husband-collector (Turner), while still carrying on an affair with the talking brain of his dead wife, conveniently stored in a jar of purple fluid. Also in there somewhere are the crazed 'elevator' killer who turns out to be a very famous American TV chat-show host, the even more crazed Dr Necessiter (Warner, on his usual bonkers form transferring human brains into gorillas), and a condo apartment with an interior as large as Frankenstein's castle. It's a patchy affair, often hilarious, often thin, but it does contain a bewildering array of underwear adorning Ms Turner which would make a corpse sit up and steam. And any movie which contains the line 'Into the mud, scum-queen' is surely not totally devoid of cultural merit.

Excerpt from TimeOut.com

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Theatrical Release: June 3rd, 1983

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Comparison:

Warner - Region 1 - NTSC vs. Warner Archive - Region FREE - Blu-ray

1) Warner - Region 1 - NTSC - LEFT

2) Warner Archive - Region FREE - Blu-ray - RIGHT

Box Covers
Distribution	Warner - Region 1 - NTSC	Warner Archive Region FREE - Blu-ray
Runtime	1:29:39	1:29:45.171
Video	1.33:1 Original Aspect Ratio Average Bitrate: 5.53 mb/s NTSC 720x480 29.97 f/s	Disc Size: 23,222,769,115 bytes Feature Size: 22,431,424,512 bytes Total Bitrate: 29.48 Mbps Single-layered Blu-ray MPEG4 - AVC
	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 5.1), DUB: French (Dolby Digital 2.0 Mono)	DTS-HD Master Audio English 2047 kbps 2.0 / 48 kHz / 2047 kbps / 24-bit (DTS Core: 2.0 / 48 kHz / 1509 kbps / 24-bit)
Subtitles	Spanish, French, None	English, None
Features	Release Information: Studio: Warner Aspect Ratio: Original Aspect Ratio - 1.33:1 Edition Details: • Trailer (2:17) DVD Release Date: March 30th, 1999 Keep Case Chapters: 36	Release Information: Studio: Warner Archive Disc Size: 23,222,769,115 bytes Feature Size: 22,431,424,512 bytes Total Bitrate: 29.48 Mbps Single-layered Blu-ray MPEG4 - AVC Edition Details: • Trailer (1:48) Blu-ray Release Date: August 29th, 2017 Standard Blu-ray case Chapters 9

Comments:

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

ADDITION: Warner Archive - Region FREE - Blu-ray September 17': The DVD is eighteen years and, while Warner's BD is another cheapy - it gives the needed widescreen presentation (albeit in1.78:1 as opposed to 1.85:1) without the superfluous head space in the top of the frame. The Blu-ray's colors shift from the orange hue of the SD and it now offers a thick film-like appearance. Unfortunately, it's not crisp but this is probably all we will get - and it may be the best available for this hilarious film.

Warner Archive use an buoyant DTS-HD Master 2.0 channel track at 2047 kbps (24-bit). There are some effects. The score is by Joel Goldsmith - eldest child of the legendary composer Jerry Goldsmith who has done some interesting work on his own - from Prozzie to The Day Time Ended. And don't forgot "Under the Bamboo Tree" performed by Steve Martin and Sissy Spacek as the uncredited voice of Anne Uumellmahaye. There optional English subtitles (capitalized font) and the Blu-ray disc is Region FREE. The DVD offered only Spanish and French subs and a French DUB along with a 5.1 Dolby audio transfer.

Both discs include only a trailer - and the DVD has some liner notes. Neither offer anything more in terms of supplements. A commentary would have been fun.

This is one of my most re-visited comedies. Even our DVDBeaver FB group were quoting lines. This Warner Blu-ray is underwhelming but I was happy to have it in widescreen - the other technical factors (a/v) don't improve the jokes which are memorable and perfectly timed. Steve Martin, and Carl Reiner showed their comedic genius with this one - and the homage comedy "Dead Men Don't Wear Plaid" - another pricelessly fun film. Kudos to Kathleen Turner who, along with Randi Brooks, pushed the film to an "R"-rating.