6.9 | / 10 |
Users | 4.5 | |
Reviewer | 4.0 | |
Overall | 4.0 |
Hercule Poirot travels to an exclusive island resort frequented by the rich and famous. When a murder is committed, everyone has an alibi...
Starring: Peter Ustinov, Colin Blakely, Jane Birkin, Nicholas Clay, Maggie SmithMystery | 100% |
Thriller | Insignificant |
Crime | Insignificant |
Drama | Insignificant |
Video codec: MPEG-4 AVC
Video resolution: 1080p
Aspect ratio: 1.85:1
Original aspect ratio: 1.85:1
English: DTS-HD Master Audio 2.0 (48kHz, 16-bit)
English SDH
Blu-ray Disc
Single disc (1 BD)
Region A (locked)
Movie | 3.5 | |
Video | 4.5 | |
Audio | 5.0 | |
Extras | 3.0 | |
Overall | 4.0 |
Guy Hamilton's "Evil Under the Sun" (1982) arrives on Blu-ray courtesy of Kino Lorber. The supplemental features on the disc include vintage making of featurette, promotional materials, as well as an exclusive new audio commentary by by critics Howard S. Berger, Steve Mitchell, and Nathaniel Thomson. In English, with optional English SDH subtitles for the main feature. Region-A "locked".
Presented in an aspect ratio of 1.85:1, encoded with MPEG-4 AVC and granted a 1080p transfer, Evil Under the Sun arrives on Blu-rayc courtesy of Kino Lorber.
In 2017, StudioCanal produced this release of Evil Under the Sun, which was sourced from a brand new 2K master. I expected this release to offer an identical presentation, but it does not, and I am unsure why.
The film again looks very fresh and healthy, but on this release its entire color scheme is warmer. The balance between the primaries and supporting nuances, particularly in highlights and darker areas where shadow definition is a factor and affects the perception of depth, is superior as well. I can see that some of the difference can be traced back to the gamma settings on the Region-B release, but there are color values that are actually not identical. How noticeable is the difference while viewing the film? In darker areas it is immediately recognizable, though I must say that you will have to have both releases to be able to tell. Furthermore while comparing the two releases I thought that this release had a slightly more pleasing organic appearance, but there are no traces of problematic digital work on the Region-B release. Image stability is excellent. All in all, while not by a lot, I think that this release offers a slightly better and ultimately more convincing technical presentation of Evil Under the Sun. My score if 4.75/5.00. (Note: This is a Region-A "locked" Blu-ray release. Therefore, you must have a native Region-A or Region-Free player in order to access its content).
There is only one standard audio track on this Blu-ray release: English DTS-HD Master Audio 2.0. Optional English SDH subtitles are provided for the main feature.
There are no technical issues to report in our review. The audio is clear, sharp, and stable. The music score easily adds to the drama (and humor) and there are no balance issues.
I believe that Guy Hamilton's Evil Under the Sun will appeal primarily to folks who have seen John Guillermin's Death on the Nile and enjoyed Peter Ustinov's Hercule Poirot. He is even more convincing in this film. The story is more casual, but this actually helps the film because it is easier to believe that the main characters are real people. StudioCanal remastered Evil Under the Sun a few years ago and were the first to release it on Blu-ray, but Kino Lorber's technical presentation is superior. RECOMMENDED.
1978
1980
50th Anniversary Edition
1974
1945
Warner Archive Collection
1946
1944
Includes They Call Me MISTER Tibbs! and The Organization on standard BD
1967
1946
Limited Edition to 3000
1954
1947
1968
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1967
Warner Archive Collection
1972
1954
2010
1975
1963
4K Restoration
1973
2006