6.3 | / 10 |
Users | 0.0 | |
Reviewer | 2.5 | |
Overall | 2.5 |
An escaped psychopathic killer who takes the family and neighbors of a police psychologist hostage reveals a recurring nightmare to the doctor.
Starring: William Holden, Nina Foch, Lee J. Cobb, Adele Jergens, Stephen DunneCrime | 100% |
Thriller | Insignificant |
Video codec: MPEG-4 AVC
Video resolution: 1080p
Aspect ratio: 1.33:1
Original aspect ratio: 1.37:1
English: LPCM Mono (48kHz, 24-bit)
BDInfo verified
English SDH
Blu-ray Disc
Single disc (1 BD)
Region B (locked)
Movie | 2.5 | |
Video | 4.5 | |
Audio | 5.0 | |
Extras | 2.0 | |
Overall | 2.5 |
Rudolph Mate's "The Dark Past" (1948) arrives on Blu-ray courtesy of Indicator/Powerhouse Films. The supplemental features on the disc include new program with critic Pamela Hutchinson; new audio commentary recorded by critic Eloise Ross; archival promotional materials for the film; and more. In English, with optional English SDH subtitles for the main feature. Region-B "locked".
Your mind is an enigma, but perhaps I can solve it.
Presented in an aspect ratio of 1.33:1, encoded with MPEG-4 AVC and granted a 1080p transfer, The Dark Past arrives on Blu-ray courtesy of Indicator/Powerhouse Films.
This release is sourced from another very solid old master. Indeed, while I could easily spot a few areas where ideally the density levels of the visuals ought to be superior, on my system the entire film actually looked a lot better than some recent restorations of other vintage films. Perhaps it does help that the vast majority of the footage comes from inside the villa because the lighting is carefully controlled, but the strength of the visuals is still quite impressive. Delineation, clarity, and depth are either very good or excellent. The grayscale wonderfully balanced as well, with the darker footage actually often looking even better than the well-lit footage. Grain is nicely exposed and there are no traces of digital anomalies. Image stability is very good. The entire film looks very healthy as well. (Note: This is a Region-B "locked" Blu-ray release. Therefore, you must have a native Region-B or Region-Free player in order to access its content).
There is only one standard audio track on this Blu-ray release: English LPCM 1.0. Optional English SDH subtitles are provided for the main feature.
There are no technical anomalies to report in our review. The audio is very clear, sharp, and stable. The dialog is very easy to follow. Dynamic balance is excellent, but do not expect any notable contrasts because the film is a dialog-driven project whose atmosphere is built by the words of its characters. There are no distracting age-related imperfections.
I found The Dark Past seriously underwhelming. It is an entirely predictable character study with dated trivial politics that make it look quite amateurish. What is really odd, however, is that William Holden and Lee J. Cobb's performances are so unconvincing that when the final credits roll it feels like both were miscast. The release we have reviewed here is sourced from an old but very good master that was supplied by Sony Pictures. It is included in Indicator/Powerhouse Films' Columbia Noir #3 box set.
(Still not reliable for this title)
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