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S E A R C H    D V D B e a v e r

(aka 'Doc')

 

Directed by Frank Perry
USA 1971

 

In 1881, Doc Holliday enters the 'No Name Saloon' and challenges a man to a game of poker. He bets his horse for the opponent's wife, the whore Katie Elder, and wins. From then on, Elder goes wherever Doc goes. When they arrive in Tombstone, Sheriff Wyatt Earp is standing as a candidate in the local election, but hostilities erupt and the Clanton family, a gang of outlaw cowboys, make their opposition felt. Doc soon joins forces with Earp and his brothers to take on the Clanton gang.

This gritty, revisionist take on the true story of the legendary gunfight at the OK Corral stars Stacy Keach as Doc Holliday and Faye Dunaway as Kate Elder, and features music by the legendary songwriter Jimmy Webb ( Wichita Lineman.).

***

Frank Perry's "Doc" works very well just as a Western, no matter what its higher ambitions may be. But because it has the presumption to mess with the saga of Doc Holliday and Wyatt Earp, it is getting some knocks from the New York Critics. Doc and Wyatt were immortalized (for film buffs anyway) by John Ford's masterpiece "My Darling Clementine." In using the same characters it's almost as if Perry were a bad guy like Martin Rackin -- who had the gall to remake Ford's "Stagecoach."

Well, a remake is one thing (and a travesty in Rackin's case). But another look at characters in the public domain is something else again, and Perry's approach to those strange events so many years ago in Tombstone is altogether fascinating. It is also a good Western, by the by.

Excerpt from Roger Ebert located HERE

Posters

Theatrical Release: August 4th, 1971

Reviews                                                                                                       More Reviews                                                                                       DVD Reviews

 

Comparison:

Signal One Entertainment - Region 'B' - Blu-ray vs. Kino - Region 'A' - Blu-ray

Box Cover

Bonus Captures:

Distribution Signal One Entertainment - Region 'B' - Blu-ray Kino - Region 'A' - Blu-ray
Runtime 1:35:57.501         1:36:20.274 
Video

1.85:1 1080P Single-layered Blu-ray

Disc Size: 37,471,315,571 bytes

Feature: 20,955,989,568 bytes

Video Bitrate: 24.99 Mbps

Codec: MPEG-4 AVC Video

 

1.85:1 1080P Dual-layered Blu-ray

Disc Size: 32,549,874,485 bytes

Feature: 30,185,760,768 bytes

Video Bitrate: 37.91 Mbps

Codec: MPEG-4 AVC Video

NOTE: The Vertical axis represents the bits transferred per second. The Horizontal is the time in minutes.

Bitrate Signal One Blu-ray:

Bitrate Kino Blu-ray:

Audio LPCM Audio English 1152 kbps 1.0 / 48 kHz / 1152 kbps / 24-bit
Commentary:
Dolby Digital Audio English 192 kbps 2.0 / 48 kHz / 192 kbps

DTS-HD Master Audio English 1554 kbps 2.0 / 48 kHz / 1554 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 (HoH), None English, None
Features

Release Information:
Studio: Signal One Entertainment

1.85:1 1080P Single-layered Blu-ray

Disc Size: 37,471,315,571 bytes

Feature: 20,955,989,568 bytes

Video Bitrate: 24.99 Mbps

Codec: MPEG-4 AVC Video

Edition Details:

• Audio commentary by C. Courtney Joyner
• Truth Be Told (2015, 19:55): new interview with award-winning actor Stacy Keach
• The Guardian Interview with Faye Dunaway (1980, 1:35:57, audio only): the star of Doc discusses her career with critic Alexander Walker
• Outside the System (2015, 24:33): new interview with celebrated editor Alan Heim
• Lobby cards, posters and stills gallery
• Theatrical trailer (HD - 2:46)

Blu-ray Release Date:: February 29th, 2016
Double-lock Keep Case 
Chapters: 17

Release Information:
Studio:
Kino

 

1.85:1 1080P Dual-layered Blu-ray

Disc Size: 32,549,874,485 bytes

Feature: 30,185,760,768 bytes

Video Bitrate: 37.91 Mbps

Codec: MPEG-4 AVC Video

 

Edition Details:

NEW Audio Commentary by Filmmaker Alex Cox
Theatrical Trailer (2:42)


Blu-ray Release Date:
March 23rd, 2021
Standard Blu-ray Case

Chapters 9

 

 

Comments:

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

ADDITION: Kino Blu-ray (February 2021): Kino have also transferred Frank Perry's 'Doc' to Blu-ray. It is described as being from a "Brand New 2K Master". One of the most notable differences from the 2016 Signal One BD, is the amount of information in the frame. There is much more on all sides of the Kino Blu-ray. It also has a more robust, dual-layered, transfer with about 50% higher bitrate than the UK 1080P. This shows in a richer, darker, image with warmer skins tones and deeper black levels. Overall, the Kino easily wins the HD video presentation.

NOTE: We have added 46 more large resolution Blu-ray captures (in lossless PNG format) for DVDBeaver Patrons HERE

On their Blu-ray, Kino use a DTS-HD Master 2.0 channel track (16-bit) in the original English language. There are horse and gun effects typical of the western genre. The score is credited to acclaimed songwriter Jimmy Webb (his first feature) who's music you will hear in such films as Michael Mann's Heat, The Coen Brothers Fargo and the recent TV documentary The Jinx: The Life and Deaths of Robert Durst. You'd have to say the Signal Entertainment audio transfer wins this feature with with 24-bit rednering - but it would be slight. Kino also offer optional English subtitles put their package is a Region 'A'-locked Blu-ray.

The Kino Blu-ray also offer a new commentary. This one is by Alex Cox (author of 10,000 Ways to Die: A Director's Take on the Spaghetti Western.) He is the director of Tombstone Rashomon a different take on the gunfight at the OK Corral so seems and excellent choice. He talks about director Frank Perry, 'negative space', scriptwriter Pete Hamill who based the character of Wyatt Earp on Lyndon Johnson who hew was covering as a political journalist. Cox extols the cinematography of Gerald Hirschfeld (Fail-Safe, Young Frankenstein, The Car). He discusses production designer Gene Callahan (Eyes of Laura Mars, The Stepford Wives, The Friends of Eddie Coyle, The Effect of Gamma Rays on Man-in-the-Moon Marigolds etc.) He talks about this film being shot in Spain as many westerns were at that time, the performance of Harris Yulin. I always enjoy listening to Alex Cox - a wonderful, revealing, commentarist... with his dog sometimes growling in the background. There is also a trailer. The Kino Blu-ray has a reversible sleeve with alternate artwork (see below.)

The Gunfight at the O.K. Corral is a highly appealing myth that "Doc" attempts to set straight as a kind of anti-western. I am a big fan of Frank Perry films like Diary of a Mad Housewife, The Swimmer (with Sydney Pollock) Man on a Swing and his first David and Lisa. This is a talented filmmaker and "Doc" is a film worth multiple revisitations. For Region 'A' audiences - the Kino Blu-ray has strong value with a strong HD presentation and Alex Cox commentary addition. Absolutely recommended!  

Gary Tooze

ON THE SIGNAL ENTERTAINMENT (FEB 2016: "Doc" gets an solid transfer to Blu-ray from Signal One in the UK. It is single-layered with a supportive bitrate for the 1.5 hour feature. With subtle but brilliant cinematography by Gerald Hirschfeld we get some impressive visuals (notable in the desert-crossing sequence) the original 1.85:1 aspect ratio. The HD transfer produces consistent heavy textures, realistic, earthy western, colors and adept contrast layering. I see no damage or scratches and only minor speckles. This looked very strong, IMO. Perhaps we will compare to a Region 'A' edition one day.

Audio comes in a linear PCM 1.0 channel track at 1152 kbps. The typical western effects (winds, horses, guns etc.) are flat and carry some weight in lossless.  There are optional English (HoH) subtitles on the region 'B'-locked Blu-ray.

Signal One are certainly no slouch in the supplements department. This disc is stacked, starting with an excellent audio commentary by C. Courtney Joyner author of The Westerners: Interviews with Actors, Directors, Writers and Producers. He is also an award-winning writer of screenplays, with over 25 produced movies to his credit. So... he knows his stuff and gives some highly interesting discussion of Doc referencing many other westerns and Perry's films plus giving important historical context. One of my favorite commentaries so far this year. Truth Be Told is a new 20-minute interview with award-winning actor Stacy Keach as done by Robert Fischer of Fiction Factory and its revealing plus we get another from Fischer entitled Outside the System - also from 2015 - and it runs 25-minutes as an interesting interview with celebrated editor Alan Heim. These are expertly produced and add significant value to the package. There is also a 1 1/2 hour Guardian Interview with Faye Dunaway with critic Alexander Walker from 1980 (audio only) played to the film running. There are Lobby cards, posters and stills gallery and a theatrical trailer.

Without another transfer to compare it to - the Signal One Blu-ray is solid - pleasing a/v, and stacked with extras including the valuable commentary that many will appreciate.  

Gary Tooze

 


Signal One Entertainment - Region 'B' - Blu-ray

 

Kino - Region 'A' - Blu-ray


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

 

1) Signal One Entertainment - Region 'B' - Blu-ray  TOP

2) Kino - Region 'A' - Blu-ray BOTTOM

 

 


1) Signal One Entertainment - Region 'B' - Blu-ray  TOP

2) Kino - Region 'A' - Blu-ray BOTTOM

 

 


1) Signal One Entertainment - Region 'B' - Blu-ray  TOP

2) Kino - Region 'A' - Blu-ray BOTTOM

 

 


1) Signal One Entertainment - Region 'B' - Blu-ray  TOP

2) Kino - Region 'A' - Blu-ray BOTTOM

 

 


1) Signal One Entertainment - Region 'B' - Blu-ray  TOP

2) Kino - Region 'A' - Blu-ray BOTTOM

 

 


1) Signal One Entertainment - Region 'B' - Blu-ray  TOP

2) Kino - Region 'A' - Blu-ray BOTTOM

 

 


 

More full resolution (1920 X 1080) Blu-ray Captures for DVDBeaver Patreon Supporters HERE

 

 

 
Box Cover

Bonus Captures:

Distribution Signal One Entertainment - Region 'B' - Blu-ray Kino - Region 'A' - Blu-ray


 


 

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