Jack the Giant Killer Blu-ray

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1) Kino (Original Version) - Region 'A' Blu-ray - TOP

2) Kino (Musical Version) - Region 'A' Blu-ray - BOTTOM

Directed by Nathan Juran

USA 1962

A pretty princess… an evil sorcerer… a hero for all ages! Forget about beanstalks – this vivid fairy tale brilliantly re-imagines the beloved fable as a rugged adventure that delights with vigorous acting and excellent trick effects. Reuniting the director (Nathan Juran) and stars (Kerwin Mathews and Torin Thatcher) of The 7th Voyage of Sinbad, this visual treat is a journey you'll want to take again and again. Farm boy Jack (Mathews) heroically rescues Princess Elaine (Judi Meredith) from sorcerer Pendragon (Thatcher) by slaying his bloodthirsty giant. But when Pendragon uses his evil powers to bewitch and imprison Elaine in his enchanted fortress, Jack must cross the ocean to brave dragons, two-headed ogres and an army of ghouls to save his lady love. This special edition includes both the original 94-minute cut and the re-envisioned 91-minute musical version of the classic.

***

Nathan Juran, director of The Seventh Voyage of Sinbad, tries to make the magic happen again on a much more attenuated budget in Jack the Giant Killer. Torin Thatcher, another Sinbad alumnus, plays a wicked wizard who kidnaps toothsome-princess Judi Meredith. Kerwin Mathews, still another veteran of Sinbad, plays Jack, who rescues Meredith and promises to escort her to safety. Stop-motion animator Jim Danforth creates several fire-breathing perils along the same lines as Ray Harryhausen's special effects in Sinbad; happily, Danforth emulates the Harryhausen style without stooping to imitation. Prominent among the supporting actors is Don Beddoe as an impish genie. In the recently reissued prints of Jack the Giant Killer, most of the original voices have been dubbed over, and incongruous musical numbers added.

Excerpt from B+N located HERE

Poster

Release: May 18th, 1962

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Review:

Kino - Region 'A' - Blu-ray

Box Cover		CLICK to order from:
Distribution	Kino Region 'A' Blu-ray
Runtime	1:34:24.659 (Original) + 1:30:47.525 (Musical version)
Video	Disc Size: 44,432,218,153 bytes Feature Size: 21,471,166,464 bytes Average Bitrate: 26.90 Mbps 1080P Dual-layered Blu-ray MPEG-4 AVC Video

Audio	DTS-HD Master Audio English 1557 kbps 2.0 / 48 kHz / 1557 kbps / 16-bit (DTS Core: 2.0 / 48 kHz / 1509 kbps / 16-bit) Commentary: Dolby Digital Audio English 192 kbps 2.0 / 48 kHz / 192 kbps
Subtitles	English (SDH), None
Features	Release Information: Studio: Kino Disc Size: 44,432,218,153 bytes Feature Size: 21,471,166,464 bytes Average Bitrate: 26.90 Mbps 1080P Dual-layered Blu-ray MPEG-4 AVC Video Edition Details: • Includes both original 94-minute cut and the re-envisioned 91-minute musical version (1:34:32 - 1:30:47) • Audio Commentary by Film Historian Tim Lucas (Original Cut) • Original Theatrical Trailer (3:19) Blu-ray Release Date: June 12th, 2018 Standard Blu-ray case Chapters: 8

Comments:

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

Kino give us a new HD digital restoration of the 1962 adventure-fantasy "Jack the Giant Killer" on a dual-layered Blu-ray disc. It includes both the original 94-minute cut and the re-envisioned 91-minute musical version. They are not seamlessly branched and have differences in the video quality. They both have the same technical quality in terms of transfer but the musical version has more information in the frame and colors shift in both - sometimes appear bolder in one and duller in an adjacent scene. However, both have very warm skin tones. The musical version may have a blue-leaning and doesn't support the grain as effectively as the original source. They are both in the 1.66:1 aspect ratio and look decent enough with depth and pleasing detail. Both have speckles and a few noticeable scratches and the effects become more transparent in the higher resolution. Bottom line - I don't think fans will be disappointed in the HD appearance.

Kino has given us a 2.0 (16-bit) track for both versions. There are monster-related effects - with guttural growls similar to the Cyclops in The 7th Voyage of Sinbad. The score is credited to Paul Sawtell (5 Steps to Danger, A Game of Death, Inferno, Silver City, The Fly, Denver and Rio Grande, Voyage to the Bottom of the Sea etc.) and Bert Shefter (teaming with Sawtell on The Bubble, She-Devil and Voyage to the Bottom of the Sea). It sounds lively and fanciful supporting the film's genre.There are optional English subtitles on the original version - not on the musical version - on this Region 'A' Blu-ray disc.

Kino have included an excellent new audio commentary by film historian Tim Lucas (only on the Original Cut) and he fills the viewing with degrees-of-separation detail of the performers, director Juran and so much more. It is, as he always is, interesting and impressive in the breadth of knowledge he exports. There is also an original theatrical trailer and trailers for a few other films.

The only flaw I see in Jack the Giant Killer is that the effects are not 'Harryhausen' and are predictably weaker, by comparison - looking a shade cartoonish. But the Kino Blu-ray package has plenty of value with both versions and the Lucas commentary. Fans of this genre will love this HD presentation and supplements. Absolutely recommended!

Colin Zavitz

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Subtitle Sample - Kino (Original Version) - Region 'A' Blu-ray