Seven Days to Noon Blu-ray Movie

Rating summary

Movie		4.0
Video		3.5
Audio		3.0
Extras		0.5
Overall		3.0

Seven Days to Noon Blu-ray Movie Review

Reviewed by Dr. Svet Atanasov January 20, 2020

John Boulting and Roy Boulting's "Seven Days to Noon" (1950) arrives on Blu-ray courtesy of Kino Lorber. There are no supplemental features on the disc. In English, with optional English SDH subtitles for the main feature. Region-A "locked".

The man who wanted to obliterate London

In London, government officials receive a letter from Professor Willing (Barry Jones) informing them that he has stolen an atomic bomb from a military facility and plans to detonate it if the Prime Minister (Roland Adam) does not terminate the country’s nuclear program. The Prime Minister has exactly seven days to comply with the request and make his decision official in a public address.

Under the supervision of Superintendent Folland (Andre Morell), special agents from Scotland Yard begin tracking down the fugitive, but then quickly realize that looking for him in busy London is a lot like trying to find a needle in a haystack. With time running out the Prime Minister authorizes a full evacuation of the city plus a thorough search of all areas that the fugitive might have chosen to hide, but one after another the military units on the ground fail to spot him.

John and Roy Boulting’s film Seven Days to Noon is broken into two contrasting parts that have an identical desire to strengthen the seriousness of its message. In the first part the film focuses on the mechanics of the search for Professor Willing and the specific decisions the agents make while feeling pressured by government officials and time. As a result, the viewer gets a real sense of the magnitude of the disaster that different people are trying to avoid. (Despite some intimate situations that clarify the motivation behind the fugitive’s decision, the melodrama is kept to an absolute minimum). In the second part the drama is observed from a different angle. A friendly widow (Olive Sloane) encounters the fugitive and convinces him to spend the night at her place while the military units begin evacuating the city. When he eventually reveals his true identity to her and then leaves, the viewer gets a chance to see different corners of a desolated city on the verge of total destruction.

Visually the film is very effective, but it takes a simple tweak to make its message even more relevant today. Consider the following scenario: Instead of having a ‘concerned’ scientist with access to top-secret military materials and equipment trying to force a government to reconsider its nuclear program, the man at the center of the story could be an anarchist that simply does not wish to communicate with anyone. He would consider himself a ‘messenger’ and at the right time initiate his deranged plan. Also, advancements in technology will almost certainly make identifying and neutralizing the anarchist more complicated, not less, because in the borderless world that we live in he would have a much great pool of targets to choose from.

There is an abundance of atmospheric visuals in the second half that will likely, and rightfully so, inspire some viewers to compare Seven Days to Noon to The Quatermass Xperiment and perhaps even Quatermass and the Pit as they offer some equally chilling vistas from a desolated London. The sense of paranoia that emerges in Seven Days to Noon, however, at times adds a borderline documentary authenticity to the mass chaos that ultimately makes it a drastically more realistic film.

The Boulting brothers were able to secure the services of cinematographer Gilbert Taylor, whose legacy includes such blockbusters as Star Wars, Flash Gordon, A Hard Day's Night, and Dr. Strangelove or: How I Learned to Stop Worrying and Love the Bomb.

Seven Days to Noon Blu-ray Movie, Video Quality 

Presented in an aspect ratio of 1.33:1, encoded with MPEG-4 AVC and granted a 1080p transfer, Seven Days to Noon arrives on Blu-ray courtesy of Kino Lorber.

The contrast levels are slightly higher than they should be, which is the reason why at times the film tends to look a tad harsher. However, because plenty of the action takes place at night the effect is often very easy to ignore. Depth and clarity range from good to very good, but in some areas less than optimal shadow definition obstructs native detail. (You will see 'thicker' than usual blacks). The overall balance is still good, but a proper brand new master will introduce some meaningful improvements. Also, there are a couple of rather large damage marks that pop up throughout the film, as well as some minor scratches and tiny black marks. Image stability is good. (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).

Seven Days to Noon Blu-ray Movie, Audio Quality 

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.

The audio is clear and easy to follow. However, you will hear multiple 'thumps' -- this is the only way I can describe the strange effect -- throughout the film. My guess is that this is some sort of an inherited audio defect, but there are digital tools now that can easily address it. In other words, if this film is ever redone, expect the future master to come with a fixed audio track. Even with the 'thumps', however, I still able to enjoy the film.

Seven Days to Noon Blu-ray Movie, Special Features and Extras 

• Trailers - trailers for the following titles from Kino Lorber's catalog:
  
  1. It Always Rains on Sunday
  2. Juggernaut
  3. When Eight Bells Toll
  4. The File of the Golden Goose

Seven Days to Noon Blu-ray Movie, Overall Score and Recommendation 

There are equal doses of substance and style in Seven Days to Noon that I think merge really well. The second half of the film where London is evacuated, in particular, is very effective. Kino Lorber's release is sourced from a dated master with some rough spots and an audio track that can use some proper restoration work. I think that it is still worth picking up, but only if found on sale.