The Keep DVD - Scott Glenn

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

Directed by Michael Mann
USA 1983

They were all drawn to The Keep—the soldiers who brought death, the father and his daughter fighting for life, the people who have always feared it, and the one man who knows its secret. Tonight, they will all face its evil.

A one-of-a-kind gothic thriller, The Keep combines elements of horror, romance and the supernatural, in a World War II setting. Featuring an atmospheric music score by Tangerine Dream, The Keep stars Scott Glen, Jürgen Prochnow, Robert Prosky and Ian McKellen.

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Nazis take over an ancient fortress that contains a mysterious entity that wreaks havoc and death upon them.

Posters

Theatrical Release: December 16th, 1983

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Review: Imprint - Region 0 - NTSC

Box Cover		CLICK to order from:
Distribution	Imprint - Region 0 - NTSC
Runtime	1:35:36
Video	2.35:1 Dual-layered DVD MPEG2 16X9 enhanced Average Bitrate: 7.69 mb/s NTSC 720x480 29.97 f/s
	NOTE: The Vertical axis represents the bits transferred per second. The Horizontal is the time in minutes.
Bitrate
Audio	English (Dolby Digital mono)
Subtitles	None
Features	Release Information: Studio: Imprint 2.35:1 Aspect ratio Edition Details: • Theatrical Trailer (2:13) DVD Release Date: June, 2020 Transparent Keep Case Chapters 9

Comments:

ADDITION: Imprint (June 2020): Newcomer 'Imprint' out of Australia (part of ViaVision) have transferred Michael Mann's 1983 The Keep to DVD. This has two layers taking up 5.5 Gig with a high bitrate for the SD format. We are spoiled by 1080P but this didn't look too bad on my system - a shad thin with compression artifacts surfacing. There isn't much depth and colors aren't particularly vibrant. The contrast seems acceptable if not stellar and overall it is quite watchable if failing to be dynamic. It's a shame because the film has quite a bit of impressive visual sequences.

On their DVD, Imprint use a lossy Dolby track. Like the video is sounds serviceable. There is some intensity in the film's effects and score by Tangerine Dream (Firestarter, Miracle Mile, Risky Business, Thief, Sorcerer etc.) sounding quite unique but a shadow of what lossless could attain. Still I always enjoy Tangerine Dream compositions. They add a certain flavor and atmosphere to The Keep. Imprint offer no subtitles on their Region 0 NTSC disc.

The Imprint DVD offers only a 4:3 theatrical trailer.

Mann's The Keep has always been a curious title - held up in limbo with a 3.5 hour original cut that hasn't seen the light of day on digital. I always thought the issue was with a sexual assault scene in the film but it remains on this DVD version that was the same as the one released on VHS. It such a hard film to describe - a Golem-like entity in this maintained religious fortress can be released to reek havoc on the Nazis... but there is a question of its own evil intent. I watched this when I was young and loved it - plenty of light-induced effects, the cool score, a muscular supernatural giant of a ambiguously-moral monster, performances from Scott Glenn as a blind guardian, Jürgen Prochnow as a questioning Nazi, Ian McKellen as the vengeful scientist and, William Morgan Sheppard as a spooky, mysterious gatekeeper. I would LOVE to see this reach Blu-ray but I was just happy to see it again - even in the lesser quality of SD. I'll be keeping it to revisit and I doubt a BD is on the horizon.