6.8 | / 10 |
Users | 4.5 | |
Reviewer | 4.0 | |
Overall | 4.1 |
When his spaceship crash-lands on the barren wastelands of Mars, U.S. astronaut Commander "Kit" Draper must fight for survival, with a pet monkey seemingly his only companion. But is he alone?
Starring: Paul Mantee, Victor Lundin, Adam WestSci-Fi | Insignificant |
Adventure | Insignificant |
Video codec: MPEG-4 AVC
Video resolution: 1080p
Aspect ratio: 2.37:1
Original aspect ratio: 2.35:1
English: LPCM Mono (48kHz, 24-bit)
English SDH
50GB Blu-ray Disc
Single disc (1 BD)
Region A (locked)
Movie | 4.0 | |
Video | 4.0 | |
Audio | 4.0 | |
Extras | 3.5 | |
Overall | 4.0 |
Byron Haskin's "Robinson Crusoe on Mars" (1964) arrives on Blu-ray courtesy of Criterion. The supplemental features on the disc include an exclusive audio commentary with screenwriter Ib Melchior, actors Paul Mantee and Victor Lundin, production designer Al Nozaki, and Oscar-winning special effects designer and Robinson Crusoe on Mars historian Robert Skotak; short documentary feature by filmmaker and space historian Michael Lennick; collection of sketches; music video; and the film's original theatrical trailer. The disc also arrives with a 12-page illustrated booklet. In English, with optional English SDH subtitles for the main feature. Region-A "locked".
On the Red Planet
Presented in an aspect ratio of 2.37:1, encoded with MPEG-4 AVC and granted a 1080p transfer, Byron Haskin's Robinson Crusoe on Mars arrives on Blu-ray courtesy of Criterion.
The following text appears inside the booklet provided with this Blu-ray disc:
"This high-definition digital transfer was created on a Spirit 4K Datacine from 35mm 2-perforation A/B interpositive struck from the original negative. Thousands of instances of dirt, debris, scratches, splices, warps, jitter, and flicker were manually removed using MTI's DRS system and Pixel Farm's PFClean system, while Digital Vision's DVNR system was used for small dirt, grain, and noise reduction.
Telecine supervisor: Maria Palazzola.
Telecine colorist: Gregg Garvin/Modern Videofilm, Los Angeles."
Criterion's Blu-ray release of Robinson Crusoe on Mars represents a dramatic upgrade in quality over previous release of the film - fine object detail is very good, clarity substantially improved, and contrast levels (especially during the final third of the film) a lot more consistent than I expected them to be. Stability is also improved; on Criterion's DVD release of Robinson Crusoe on Mars there is quite a bit of background shimmer, and around the edges the image is not as tight as it is here. The macroblocking issues have also been eliminated, thus those of you with digital projectors should be pleased by the new depth and fluidity the image conveys. This being said, there are still a few scenes that look somewhat soft and a couple of minor discolorations that pop up here and there, but these are obviously inherited limitations. Lastly, I did not see any large damage marks, warps, debris, cuts, or stains to report in this review. (Note: This is a Region-A "locked" Blu-ray disc. Therefore, you must have a native Region-A 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 1.0. For the record, Criterion have provided optional English SDH subtitles for the main feature. When turned on, they appear inside the image frame.
The following text appears inside the booklet provided with this Blu-ray disc:
"The monaural soundtrack was remastered at 24-bit from a 35mm magnetic full-coat three-track master. Clicks, thumps, hiss, and hum were manually removed using Pro Tools HD. Crackle was attenuated using Audio Cube's integrated workstation."
The English LPCM 1.0 track has a surprisingly strong dynamic amplitude - during the spaceship attacks the bass is actually quite strong, while a few of the mine explosions nave a pretty strong edge. The dialog is crisp, clean, stable, and exceptionally easy to follow. There are no balance issues with Van Cleave's music score either.
Byron Haskin's Robinson Crusoe on Mars is the perfect film to see late at night - its retro look and moody score are indeed very calming. I enjoyed it quite a bit. As expected, Criterion's presentation of the film is very strong. The supplemental features included on the disc are also informative. HIGHLY RECOMMENDED.
1932
Extended Edition
2015
Voyage to the End of the Universe
1963
Limited Edition to 3000 - SOLD OUT
1985
2018
1977-1978
Includes "Silent Space" version
2013
1986-1987
1936
1972
Limited Edition to 5000 - SOLD OUT
1964
1936
1978
2013
45th Anniversary Edition
1978
2020-2023
1959
1995-2001
1939
Limited Collector's Edition
1976