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S E A R C H D V D B e a v e r |
(aka "Sudden Terror" or "Eyewitness")
Directed by John Hough
UK 1970
The 2024 4K UHD of Sudden Terror (Eyewitness) is reviewed / compared HERE
Pins You to the Edge of Your Seat! Living on the island of Malta, Ziggy (Mark Lester, Crossed Swords) is an 11-year-old boy with an overactive imagination and a habit of telling wild lies. But when he sees the brutal assassination of a visiting African president by two rogue policemen, nobody will believe his story. Can Ziggy convince anybody that he is telling the truth before the psychotic cops are able to hunt down and murder the only eyewitness? This is no ordinary boy-who-cried-wolf story. Legendary director John Hough (Twins of Evil, The Legend of Hell House) packs Sudden Terror with plenty of tense style, stunning locations and startling violence. Susan George (Fright, Straw Dogs, Venom), Lionel Jeffries (The Quatermass Xperiment, First Men in the Moon), Jeremy Kemp (The Blue Max), Peter Vaughan (Game of Thrones), Peter Bowles (The Offence) and Tony Bonner (Quigley Down Under) co-star in this shocking and terrifying suspense-thriller featuring music by legendary British art-rock bands Fairfield Parlour and Van der Graaf Generator. *** Ziggy (Mark Lester) is the young boy who witnesses the murder of a visiting black official by the police. Much like the boy who cried wolf, Ziggy has been known to stretch the truth and exaggerate. He is unable to convince the adults that he witnessed the killing. The murderous cops are soon on his trail as he hits the road with his sister (Susan George) and her new boyfriend (Tony Bonner). The real police soon follow, after convincing his parents that Ziggy has told the truth for once. The boys grandfather (Lionel Jeffries) is the retired Colonel, a lighthouse keeper and lovable curmudgeon. Jeremy Kemp is the police chief, and the main heavy is played by Peter Vaughan. The boyfriend's car is cornered on a treacherous cliff where the villains try to ram the vehicle to the jagged rocks below. Excerpt from B+N located HERE |
Posters
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Theatrical Release: June 1970
Reviews More Reviews DVD Reviews
Comparison:
Kino - Region 'A' - Blu-ray vs. Network - Region 'B' - Blu-ray
Box Cover |
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Coming to 4K UHD from Kino in August 2024: |
BONUS CAPTURES: |
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Distribution | Kino - Region 'A' - Blu-ray | Network - Region 'B' - Blu-ray |
Runtime | 1:32:08.856 | 1:31:54.000 |
Video |
1. 66:1 1080P Dual-layered Blu-rayDisc Size: 28,516,286,854 bytesFeature: 26,156,937,216 bytes Video Bitrate: 33.92 MbpsCodec: MPEG-4 AVC Video |
1. 66:1 1080P Single-layered Blu-rayDisc Size: 24,404,769,478 bytesFeature: 20,582,264,832 bytesVideo Bitrate: 24.98 MbpsCodec: MPEG-4 AVC Video |
NOTE: The Vertical axis represents the bits transferred per second. The Horizontal is the time in minutes. |
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Bitrate Kino Blu-ray: |
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Bitrate Network Blu-ray: |
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Audio |
DTS-HD Master
Audio English 1558 kbps 2.0 / 48 kHz / 1558 kbps / 16-bit (DTS Core: 2.0 /
48 kHz / 1509 kbps / 16-bit) Dolby Digital Audio English 192 kbps 2.0 / 48 kHz / 192 kbps Dolby Digital Audio English 192 kbps 2.0 / 48 kHz / 192 kbps |
LPCM
Audio English 1536 kbps 2.0 / 48 kHz / 1536 kbps / 16-bit LPCM Audio English 1536 kbps 2.0 / 48 kHz / 1536 kbps / 16-bit |
Subtitles | English, None | English, None |
Features |
Release Information: Studio: Kino
1. 66:1 1080P Dual-layered Blu-rayDisc Size: 28,516,286,854 bytesFeature: 26,156,937,216 bytes Video Bitrate: 33.92 MbpsCodec: MPEG-4 AVC Video
Edition Details:
• Commentary by John Hough, and uncredited-writer/producer Bryan Forbes
Standard Blu-ray Case Chapters 9 |
Release Information: Studio: Kino
1. 66:1 1080P Single-layered Blu-rayDisc Size: 24,404,769,478 bytesFeature: 20,582,264,832 bytesVideo Bitrate: 24.98 MbpsCodec: MPEG-4 AVC Video
Edition Details:
• Mark Lester interview (11:04)
Standard Blu-ray Case Chapters 12 |
Comments: |
The 2024 4K UHD of Sudden Terror (Eyewitness) is reviewed / compared HERE
NOTE:
The below
Blu-ray
captures were taken directly from the
Blu-ray
disc.
ADDITION: Network
Blu-ray
(November 2020): Short story; The Network (UK) image quality appears to
be from the same source (or even D1) and is almost exactly the same. We'll
give Kino an edge in-motion with the higher bitrate. Audio - also 16-bit but
linear PCM and may export the higher end better but a shade less in the
bass. Both have optional English subtitles (see samples below.) The Network
Blu-ray
is Region 'B'-locked.
NOTE: We have added 20 more large
resolution Blu-ray captures
(in lossless PNG format) for DVDBeaver Patrons HERE
The greatest difference is in the supplements - both have the same Mark
Lester interview but it is extended on the Network and the UK package
includes an isolated score track option, trailer and image gallery. It has
no commentary where the Kino offers two.
Sudden Terror
is still an
effective 70's Brit thriller. Mark Lester and
Susan George are great
- as
is Lionel Jeffries. We encourage seeing it for those interested on
either side of the pond.
***
On their
Blu-ray,
Kino use a DTS-HD Master 2.0 channel track (16-bit) in the original
English language. There is a lot of action and chase scenes in the film
that have some sharp and penetrating sound effects coming through the lossless
transfer. There is a rock music in the film by Fairfield Parlour
(psychedelic harmony) and the English progressive rock band Van der
Graaf Generator. Kino offer optional English
subtitles on their Region 'A'
Blu-ray.
The Kino
Blu-ray has
supplements. Admittedly, I have not had time to full listen to the two
commentaries included on Kino's
Blu-ray.
I only sampled about 1/4 hour of each. The first is by John Hough,
writer/producer Bryan Forbes and we get a second by Howard S. Berger and
Nathaniel Thompson. There is also a 5-minute interview with Mark Lester
where he discuss the films he made in the early 70's and how much he
liked Sudden Terror as an action thriller and he said it was
quite physically demanding. He jokingly states that
Susan George was too
old for him and how much fun he had with Lionel Jeffries. There is also
a trailer and the reversible sleeve shows the film's other title (see
below).
The two commentaries give further value to this Blu-ray package which showcases a highly entertaining action-flic from 70's Britain. Recommended! |
Menus / Extras
Kino - Region 'A' - Blu-ray
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Network - Region 'B' - Blu-ray
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CLICK EACH BLU-RAY CAPTURE TO SEE ALL IMAGES IN FULL 1920X1080 RESOLUTION