7.4 | / 10 |
Users | 0.0 | |
Reviewer | 4.5 | |
Overall | 4.5 |
1942: The Libyan war zone, North Africa. After a German invasion a British ambulance crew are forced to evacuate their base but become separated from the rest of their unit.
Starring: John Mills (I), Sylvia Syms, Anthony Quayle, Harry Andrews, Diane ClareWar | 100% |
Drama | 30% |
Adventure | Insignificant |
Video codec: MPEG-4 AVC
Video resolution: 1080p
Aspect ratio: 1.66:1
Original aspect ratio: 1.66:1
English: LPCM 2.0
English SDH
50GB Blu-ray Disc
Single disc (1 BD)
Slipcover in original pressing
Region B (locked)
Movie | 4.5 | |
Video | 4.5 | |
Audio | 4.0 | |
Extras | 3.5 | |
Overall | 4.5 |
Winner of the International Critics Award at the Berlin International Film Festival, J. Lee Thompson's "Ice Cold in Alex" (1958) arrives on Blu-ray courtesy of British distributors Optimum Home Entertainment. The supplemental features on the disc include the film's original theatrical trailer; video interview with actress Sylvia Syms; John Mills' home movie footage; and behind the scenes stills gallery. In English, with optional English SDH subtitles for the main feature. Region-B "locked".
Well, which way do we go now?
Presented in its original aspect ratio of 1.66:1, encoded with MPEG-4 AVC and granted a 1080p transfer, J. Lee Thompson's Ice Cold in Alex arrives on Blu-ray courtesy of British distributors Optimum Home Entertainment.
In the press materials that I was sent it is noted that Ice Cold in Alex has undergone a full digital restoration -- and it clearly shows. There are some minor flecks and scratches that occasionally pop up here and there, but the high-definition transfer is very strong. The large panoramic vistas from the desert, for instance, convey tremendous depth and impressive clarity. Additionally, all of the background shimmer and light blocking present on the R2 UK DVD release of the film are now gone. Edge-enhancement is never a serious issue of concern (the only scenes where I noticed some extremely mild sharpening are early into the film, before Captain Anson and Sergeant Major Tom Pugh meet the nurses, but are far from problematic). The best news, however, is that heavy DNR corrections have not been applied. Naturally, there is a solid light layer of fine grain throughout the entire film. Lastly, aside from a few inherited shaky frame transitions, none of which are problematic, there are absolutely no stability issues whatsoever. All in all, this is yet another very pleasing Blu-ray release of a famous classic film by Optimum Home Entertainment. (Note: This is a Region-B "locked" Blu-ray release. Therefore, you must have a native Region-B "locked" or Region-Free PS3 or SA in order to access its content),
There is only one audio track on this Blu-ray disc: English LPCM 2.0 (with portions of German). For the record, Optimum Home Entertainment have provided optional English SDH subtitles for the main feature.
The English LPCM 2.0 track does not disappoint. Understandably, its dynamic amplitude is somewhat limited, but the audio has all of the organic qualities one would expect from a strong loseless track -- the audio has very pleasing depth and fluidity, and does not suffer from any distortions. For the record, I also did not detect any pops, cracks, excessive hissing, or audio dropouts to report in this review.
I cannot recommend J. Lee Thompson's Ice Cold in Alex highly enough. It is a very entertaining, beautiful film, which has been recently restored and now released on Blu-ray. I am definitely looking forward to see more classic films coming through Optimum Home Entertainment and Studio Canal as their recent Blu-ray releases have been simply terrific. VERY HIGHLY RECOMMENDED.
Note: The newly restored version of Ice Cold in Alex will be showing at the Odeon Panton St. (in London) from June 17th. So if you are visiting London, this would be a terrific opportunity to see the film theatrically.
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