6.3 | / 10 |
Users | 0.0 | |
Reviewer | 3.5 | |
Overall | 3.5 |
Rival gangsters from Chicago move to London and attempt to extort money from rich Britons.
Starring: Christopher Lee, Marisa Mell, Adrian Hoven, Pinkas Braun, Klaus KinskiForeign | 100% |
Mystery | 18% |
Crime | Insignificant |
Thriller | Insignificant |
Video codec: MPEG-4 AVC
Video resolution: 1080p
Aspect ratio: 1.66:1
Original aspect ratio: 1.66:1
German: DTS-HD Master Audio 2.0 Mono (48kHz, 24-bit)
English: DTS-HD Master Audio 2.0 Mono (48kHz, 24-bit)
English, English SDH
Blu-ray Disc
Single disc (1 BD)
Region A (B, C untested)
Movie | 3.5 | |
Video | 4.0 | |
Audio | 3.5 | |
Extras | 3.5 | |
Overall | 3.5 |
Note: This film is available on Blu-ray as part of The Eurocrypt of Christopher Lee Collection 2.
When is Dracula not Dracula? When Christopher Lee, obviously famous for playing that character, insists on "stretching" his range (and/or fangs) by
frankly playing the character under a different name, as kind of comically happens at least a couple of times in this appealing second go round from
Severin Films of some of Lee's European output. This sequel of sorts of (relative) rarities featuring Lee follows Severin's enjoyable The Eurocrypt of Christopher Lee Collection from last
year, and my hunch is some Lee fans may actually enjoy the films aggregated in this set more than those that were part of this first release, perhaps
due at least in part to the fact that Lee does get to strut his vampiric stuff on more than one occasion, no matter what name his character
goes by. This is
another nicely packaged release from Severin that also offers a really nicely done perfect bound booklet with some excellent writing by the always
reliable
Jonathan Rigby and a glut of great stills and promotional materials.
Secret of the Red Orchid is presented on Blu-ray courtesy of Severin Films with an AVC encoded 1080p transfer in 1.66:1. The back cover of this release states that this is "the first official U.S. disc release with English and German language tracks", and also further specifies that it was "scanned in 2K from the dupe negative and presented with its English and German language tracks for the first time ever in America". The "look" here may not quite get into traditional film noir territory, but the black and white cinematography generally looks great throughout this presentation, with secure contrast, good (if arguably not great) blacks, and well modulated gray scale. The midcentury modern costumes in particular offer some nicely rendered fine detail on fabrics. Occasional minor age related wear and tear can be spotted. Grain resolves naturally throughout.
Secret of the Red Orchid features DTS-HD Master Audio 2.0 Mono options in either German or English. As mentioned above, Lee speaks fluent German in the German language version, but is really badly dubbed in the English language version (Lee's character is supposed to be an American, and so an American voice actor was used, but it's still kind of grating). One of the film's highlights is a swingin' score by Peter Thomas, which kind of reminded me at times of Bert Kaempfert, I guess appropriately given this film's German origins. The German language track is noticeably brighter than the English, with a clearer high end and a bit more amplitude, but also with more apparent hiss, probably for those selfsame reasons. Optional English subtitles are available.
It may be best to simply forget any putative "mystery" element with Secret of the Red Orchid, and simply go with the flow of some really fun performances. My advice is to stick with the original German language version, if only to delight in how at ease Lee is in the often notoriously difficult language. Both commentaries are excellent and technical merits are generally solid. Recommended.
(Still not reliable for this title)
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Slipcover in Original Pressing
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1975
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1983
Il gatto a nove code | Special Edition
1971
Island of the Damned / ¿Quién puede matar a un niño?
1976
Giallo in Venice / Giallo a Venezia
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