6.6 | / 10 |
Users | 4.0 | |
Reviewer | 2.0 | |
Overall | 3.1 |
A thug is convicted and undergoes experimental brain surgery to remove criminal element in his brain. The operation wipes out all memory of his past life, including where he stashed the loot.
Starring: Edmond O'Brien, Audrey Totter, Ted de Corsia, Dan Riss, Horace McMahonFilm-Noir | 100% |
Crime | Insignificant |
Drama | Insignificant |
Thriller | Insignificant |
Video codec: MPEG-4 MVC
Video resolution: 1080p
Aspect ratio: 1.33:1
Original aspect ratio: 1.37:1
English: DTS-HD Master Audio Mono (48kHz, 24-bit)
Music: DTS-HD Master Audio 2.0 (48kHz, 24-bit)
English SDH
25GB Blu-ray Disc
Single disc (1 BD)
Blu-ray 3D
Region free
Movie | 2.0 | |
Video | 4.5 | |
Audio | 4.0 | |
Extras | 0.5 | |
Overall | 2.0 |
It’s pop quiz time: name the first major studio release of a 3D film (from the fifties' short lived 3D craze). Chances are, most people automatically think of the 1953 Vincent Price outing House of Wax 3D as the recipient of that particular honor, but the fact is a little remembered Columbia film called Man in the Dark actually beat House of Wax to the punch by a couple of days. (Film buffs will of course know that 1952’s Bwana Devil actually started the short-lived fifties 3D craze.) Some might argue that calling Columbia (at least the Columbia of the early fifties) a “major studio” might be stretching the truth just a bit, but while the studio was probably reeling a bit more from the decline in audiences than some of the other big production houses, it was nonetheless still churning out some sizable hits in those days, including iconic pictures like From Here to Eternity. Man in the Dark is nonetheless a pretty cheap looking (and feeling) film, running barely an hour and not exactly offering much in the way of drama or character, and instead relying on a veritable laundry list of “in your face” 3D shenanigans to create whatever inherent interest in the property there might be. The film’s advertising campaign, at least as evidenced by the trailer included on the Blu-ray (the only non-music supplement) and a cursory review of its posters, shows that Columbia was touting Man in the Dark as an exciting “thriller” jam packed with action and suspense. My personal hunch is most modern day viewers are going to find the film passable at best, a potboiler that oddly presages elements of Michael Crichton’s The Terminal Man while never really exploiting its central conceit— a hardened criminal who’s given an experimental brain operation to “cure” him of his antisocial tendencies—to any great degree. The film does have a few fun 3D effects, but those are hardly enough to warrant investing much time (let alone money to own) this lackluster offering.
Man in the Dark is presented on Blu-ray with AVC (2D) and MVC (3D) encoded 1080p transfers in 1.33:1. This little
remembered film has been sourced from pristine elements and I personally have a hunch Columbia have had the original
camera negative available based on the results. (Even if that isn't the case, the film's brief length and relative lack of star
power probably meant it was not broadcast very much—I certainly don't remembering ever having seen it growing up—and
so even secondary elements could be in tip top condition.) Contrast is extremely strong, offering a nicely variegated array of
gray scale, whites and blacks. There are a couple of oddly soft shots—some of them at the amusement park later in the film
—but the bulk of this transfer looks sharp as a tack, with a completely intact layer of grain and no egregious signs of any
digital tampering.
The 3D experience is similarly excellent, yet another example of the old method having made the transition into
modern day efforts with surprising impact. Director Lew Landers exploits the medium throughout the film, with several "in
your face" shots (see screenshot 3 for a typical example). Some viewers may experience very minor crosstalk depending on
their setups in some of these shots where objects are thrust directly straight forward at the viewer, rather than being seen
from an angle. Otherwise, though, the 3D experience here is remarkably nuanced, with clear foreground differentiation and
a nice amount of depth into the frame.
Man in the Dark features a lossless DTS-HD Master Audio Mono track which is perfectly serviceable for a film that has few real sonic ambitions. Most of the film is simply dialogue driven, though there are a couple of good sequences where the soundtrack kicks up a notch, including the early chase after Rawley is abducted, and the final sequence in the amusement park. Fidelity is fine on this track, and there's no damage to report.
Man in the Dark may hold some historical value for discriminating cineastes, but when viewed objectively, the film really doesn't have a lot to offer. The plot is threadbare and at times completely illogical, the performers are decent journeymen but hardly the type anyone is going to "ooh" or "aah" over, and aside from the admittedly fun 3D effects, there's not much else to recommend this film. The fact that there are no mitigating factors like fantastic supplements here (even the isolated score is really nothing to write home about) makes this the very definition of a niche purchase. At least the technical merits are top notch, and those with a 3D home theater who are jonesin' for a new poke in the eye may get a kick out of this release.
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