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H D - S E N S E I

A view on Blu-ray by Gary W. Tooze

Murders in the Rue Morgue aka "Double assassinat dans la rue Morgue" [Blu-ray]

 

NOTE: The Masters of Cinema Blu-ray package of Three Edgar Allan Poe Adaptations Starring Bela Lugosi includes Murders in the Rue Morgue (1932), The Black Cat (1934) and The Raven (1935) is reviewed and compared HERE!

 

(Robert Florey, 1932)

 

     

 

 

Elephant Films in France have been bringing many classic Universal Horrors with Lon Chaney Jr., Bela Lugosi, Basil Rathbone, Boris Karloff, Nastassja Kinski to REGION FREE Blu-ray.

 

Revenge of the Creature (1955) Blu-ray

House of Dracula (1945) Blu-ray Werewolf of London (1935) Blu-ray Frankenstein Meets the Wolf Man (1943) Blu-ray Son of Frankenstein (1956) Blu-ray

The Invisible Man Returns (1940) Blu-ray The Invisible Man's Revenge (1944) Blu-ray The Mummy's Curse (1944) Blu-ray The Mummy's Hand (1940) Blu-ray Cat People (1982)

 

Review by Gary Tooze

 

Production:

Theatrical: Universal Pictures Company Inc.

Video: Elephant Films / Shout! Factory

 

NOTE: The Masters of Cinema Blu-ray package of Three Edgar Allan Poe Adaptations Starring Bela Lugosi includes Murders in the Rue Morgue (1932), The Black Cat (1934) and The Raven (1935) is reviewed and compared HERE!

 

Disc:

Region: FREE / 'A'  (as verified by the Oppo Blu-ray player)

Runtime: 1:00:35.631 / 1:00:38.593

Disc Size: 20,754,771,180 bytes / 19,599,863,664 bytes

Feature Size: 13,043,927,424 bytes / 18,279,149,568 bytes

Video Bitrate: 25.50 Mbps / 36.00 Mbps

Chapters: 12 / 12

Case: Transparent Blu-ray case inside cardboard slipcase / Standard Blu-ray Case

Release date: January 25th, 2017 / December 17th, 2019

 

Video (both):

Aspect ratio: 1.33:1

Resolution: 1080p / 23.976 fps

Video codec: MPEG-4 AVC Video

 

Audio:

DTS-HD Master Audio English 1641 kbps 2.0 / 48 kHz / 1641 kbps / 16-bit (DTS Core: 2.0 / 48 kHz / 1509 kbps / 16-bit)

 

DTS-HD Master Audio English 1662 kbps 2.0 / 48 kHz / 1662 kbps / 24-bit (DTS Core: 2.0 / 48 kHz / 1509 kbps / 24-bit)
Commentaries:

Dolby Digital Audio English 192 kbps 2.0 / 48 kHz / 192 kbps / DN -4dB
Dolby Digital Audio English 192 kbps 2.0 / 48 kHz / 192 kbps / DN -4dB

 

Subtitles:

French, none

English (SDH), none

 

Extras:

• Le Film Par Jean-Pierre Dionnet (10:16)
• Trailers (1:48 for film)
• Egalement Disponibles

Gallery Photos (6:01)
• Credits
Second disc DVD included

 

NEW Audio Commentary By Author/Film Historian Gregory William Mank
NEW Audio Commentary By Author/Film Historian Gary D. Rhodes
Theatrical Trailer (1:35)
Still Gallery

 

Bitrates:

1) Elephant Films - Region FREE - Blu-ray  TOP

2) Shout! Factory - Region 'A' - Blu-ray BOTTOM

 

 

Description: In 1845 Paris, mysterious Dr. Mirakle (Bela Lugosi) demonstrates his theories on evolution using his ape, Erik, at a carnival visited by medical student Pierre Dupin (Leon Waycoff) and his girlfriend, Camille Espanaye (Sidney Fox). Unknown to his audience, Mirakle performs experiments in his secret laboratory that involve mixing human blood with that of Erik's. After three prostitutes are found dead from being injected with a strange substance, Pierre is alarmed when Camille goes missing.

 

 

The Film:

Lugosi lost out on his chance to be Universal's top horror star upon the release of Murders in the Rue Morgue; the studio instead put its publicity machine behind Boris Karloff to the point of giving him the one-word billing of "Karloff." Lugosi did not remain idle long. Following unforgettable turns in White Zombie (1932) and Island of Lost Souls (1933), Lugosi was paired with Karloff in the first of several horror star team-ups, The Black Cat (1934).

Excerpt from TCM located HERE

Very loosely based on a tale by Poe, this is a pedestrian but still highly enjoyable account of a mad scientist (Lugosi) scouring Paris for young female victims to prove his rather unusual theory of evolution: experiments involve mixing the blood of the women with that of a gorilla. The perverse and sordid sexual implications of the story are rarely made explicit, although there are a couple of genuinely unpleasant scenes. Stylistically (it's beautifully shot by Karl Freund) the whole thing owes more to The Cabinet of Dr Caligari than to Poe.

Excerpt from TimeOut located HERE

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

The Pre-code Murders in the Rue Morgue delightfully comes to Blu-ray from Elephant Films in France - along with a history of many past Uni-Horrors not picked-up for North American release. The image is 1080P transferred and the source is excellent with plenty of rich grain textures and some scenes look like 8 X 10 glossies they are so crisp. There are predictable surface scratches and speckles - but they run a distant second to the impressive contrast and high level of detail. Wow. This Blu-ray visuals are very appreciated by fans for this 85-year old film.

 

Shout! Factory advance on the Elephant Films transfer. The US release has a max'ed out bitrate which shows in superior contrast and deeper black levels. It is the same source - same marks - just a more robust 1080P rendering and a slightly superior image quality.    

 

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

 

Subtitle Sample - Shout! Factory - Region 'A' - Blu-ray

 

 

1) Elephant Films - Region FREE - Blu-ray TOP

2) Shout! Factory - Region 'A' - Blu-ray BOTTOM

 

 

1) Elephant Films - Region FREE - Blu-ray TOP

2) Shout! Factory - Region 'A' - Blu-ray BOTTOM

 

 

1) Elephant Films - Region FREE - Blu-ray TOP

2) Shout! Factory - Region 'A' - Blu-ray BOTTOM

 

 

1) Elephant Films - Region FREE - Blu-ray TOP

2) Shout! Factory - Region 'A' - Blu-ray BOTTOM

 

 

More Blu-ray Captures

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Audio :

Elephant Films use a lossless DTS-HD Master 2.0 channel track at 1641 kbps (16-bit) in the original English with optional (via your remote's 'subtitle button') French subtitles. With the usual atmospheric conventions and some may note Tchaikovsky's Swan Lake Overture in the film's music - it sounds supportive in lossless. There are, fully optional, French subtitles and my Oppo has identified it as being a region FREE - playable worldwide.

 

NOTE: Tim Lucas tells us in our FB Group: "...this release contains newly added music to augment dramatic scenes previously without it. This is a terrible liberty to take with a classic film, especially without also offering it in its original form. It is indeed a beautiful transfer but the musical impositions will make this a deal-breaker for many fans."

 

Shout! Factory also advance on the audio transfer with a 24-bit DTS-HD Master lossless track that carries depth better than the French release. It also seems to have the original music (a rather gravelly Swan Lake Overture in the opening) - imperfect but authentic and I didn't hear additional soundtracks augmenting the film. Shout! add optional English subtitles on their Region 'A'-locked Blu-ray disc.       

 

 

Extras :

Some discussion (in 1080i) in French by Jean-Pierre Dionnet, and introduction, but not English-friendly (no subs). There is a photos gallery and 5 trailers of films from this collection. A PAL DVD is included.

 

So, yes - the supplements too go the way of Shout! Factory with two excellent commentaries by Gary D. Rhodes (author of Bela Lugosi - Dreams and Nightmares) and a second by Gregory William Mank (author of Bela Lugosi and Boris Karloff: The Expanded Story of a Haunting Collaboration, with a Complete Filmography of Their Films Together) who relates a story of a 'real-life' ape-man terrorizing young girls in the day. A third commentary with Mr. Lucas would have been nice too, but Rhodes and Mank cover an immense amount considering it is only an hour-long film. There are also a trailer and stills gallery.  

 

Elephant Films - Region FREE - Blu-ray

 

 

Shout! Factory - Region 'A' - Blu-ray

 

 

BOTTOM LINE:
Murders in the Rue Morgue maintains the strong desirability of unflinching Pre-code, (scantily clad dancing girls, bondage, sadistic torture, bestiality etc.) although the effects are dated - it still has immense appeal as a horror. Bela is at some of his most dramatic and the story is rich with genre charisma. Wow. The Elephant Blu-ray has the, unforgivable, black-mark of the added music and is essentially bare-bones for English-buyers. Let's hope Universal release it in the US, on Blu-ray with original music and extras... soon! 

 

It took 2 years but Shout! Factory came to the rescue with un-bastardized audio, superior a/v transfers plus two audio commentaries etc. It's a must-own from the Pre-Code bondage, bestiality, torture, crucifixion and more... to Lugosi's over-the-top, superstar, performance as diabolically insane Dr. Mirakle. Fabulous cover too - this may get some love in our year-end poll! A true 'keeper' Blu-ray. You must own...     

Gary Tooze

September 27th, 2017

December 17th, 2019

 

NOTE: The Masters of Cinema Blu-ray package of Three Edgar Allan Poe Adaptations Starring Bela Lugosi includes Murders in the Rue Morgue (1932), The Black Cat (1934) and The Raven (1935) is reviewed and compared HERE!

 

     

 

 

 

Elephant Films in France have been bringing many classic Universal Horrors with Lon Chaney Jr., Bela Lugosi, Basil Rathbone, Boris Karloff, Nastassja Kinski to REGION FREE Blu-ray.

 

Revenge of the Creature (1955) Blu-ray

House of Dracula (1945) Blu-ray Werewolf of London (1935) Blu-ray Frankenstein Meets the Wolf Man (1943) Blu-ray Son of Frankenstein (1956) Blu-ray

The Invisible Man Returns (1940) Blu-ray The Invisible Man's Revenge (1944) Blu-ray The Mummy's Curse (1944) Blu-ray The Mummy's Hand (1940) Blu-ray Cat People (1982)

 


 




 

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