|
Search DVDBeaver |
S E A R C H D V D B e a v e r |
|
|
The Vampire's Ghost [Blu-ray]
(Lesley Selander, 1945)
Review by Gary Tooze
Production: Theatrical: Republic Pictures Video: Olive Films
Disc: Region: 'A' (as verified by the Oppo Blu-ray player) Runtime: 0:58:59.160 Disc Size: 15,006,599,012 bytes Feature Size: 14,827,290,624 bytes Video Bitrate: 30.00 Mbps Chapters: 9 Case: Standard Blu-ray case Release date: October 31st, 2017
Video: Aspect ratio: 1.33:1 Resolution: 1080p / 23.976 fps Video codec: MPEG-4 AVC Video
Audio: DTS-HD Master Audio English 1771 kbps 2.0 / 48 kHz / 1771 kbps / 24-bit (DTS Core: 2.0 / 48 kHz / 1509 kbps / 24-bit)
Subtitles: • English, None
Extras: • None
Bitrate:
Description:
The Vampire’s Ghost, starring John Abbott (Gigi),
Charles Gordon (Road to Alcatraz), Grant Withers (Rio
Grande) and Peggy Stewart (The Runaways), grabs the viewer
by the throat and doesn’t let go.
The Film: It is altogether typical of Republic Pictures that the studio's 1945 horror effort The Vampire's Ghost was interrupted mid-film by a barroom brawl! Set in a coastal African village, the story concerns one Webb Fallon (John Abbott), an unprepossessing sort who holds the region in thrall because of his vampiric tendencies. Fallon attempts to exercise his influence over a local plantation owner, and almost succeeds-until the hand of God, in the form of an intellectual priest (Grant Withers), intervenes. Republic stalwart Peggy Stewart and newcomer Charles Gordon handle the romantic subplot. Vampire's Ghost was the first screenwriting effort by Leigh Brackett, who went on to somewhat loftier projects like The Big Sleep and Rio Bravo. Excerpt from B+N located HERE"Dark land" indeed! Except in the case of this very unusual B picture from Republic Studios, the darkness is imported in the form of a world traveling, world weary English vampire who's lived too long and seen too much. More unusual still, the native African characters, rather than being portrayed in typical '40s fashion as hapless, comic relief foils, are instead strong and knowledgeable, quickly catching on to the evil in their midst (and trying to do something about it), while the white Americans and Europeans are mostly portrayed as vulgar, or clueless, or both. Excerpt from FilmFromBeyond located HERE
Image : NOTE: The below Blu-ray captures were taken directly from the Blu-ray disc. The Vampire's Ghost arrives on Blu-ray from Olive Films. This is, typically, only single-layered but has a high bitrate. The image quality is remarkable with excellent contrast - from a source with maintained density. There is depth and a high level of detail. There is adept shadow detail. There are film-like textures and the 1080P image has inconsistencies but they seem inherent in the production - no fault of the transfer or damage (of which there is none to address.) The Blu-ray presentation is a strong one and adds to the film's nostalgic 'B' charms.
CLICK EACH BLU-RAY CAPTURE TO SEE ALL IMAGES IN FULL 1920X1080 RESOLUTION
Visible Cue-Blip
Audio :Audio is transferred to a DTS-HD Master 2.0 channel track at 1771 kbps (24-bit). There is no real score (a couple of dramatic flourishes and jungle drums) but the dialogue was clear and clean. It is all pretty unremarkable but audible with the visuals more prevalent in establishing mood. There are optional English subtitles and m y Oppo has identified it as being a region 'A'-locked.
Extras : No supplements - not even a trailer which is the bare-bones route that Olive are going with the majority of their releases.
BOTTOM LINE: Gary Tooze November 1st, 2017
|
CLICK PayPal logo to donate!
|
Gary Tooze
|
|
Thank You!
