7 | / 10 |
Users | 0.0 | |
Reviewer | 4.0 | |
Overall | 4.0 |
A Korean War veteran returns to Washington D.C. only to discover his business partner had died and their public-research business sold, so he works there undercover to find out the trut
Starring: Dana Andrews, Dick Foran, Marilee Earle, Mel Tormé, Veda Ann BorgFilm-Noir | 100% |
Thriller | Insignificant |
Crime | Insignificant |
Drama | Insignificant |
Mystery | Insignificant |
Video codec: MPEG-4 AVC
Video resolution: 1080p
Aspect ratio: 1.85:1
Original aspect ratio: 1.85:1
English: DTS-HD Master Audio 2.0
English SDH
Blu-ray Disc
Single disc (1 BD)
Region A (locked)
Movie | 4.5 | |
Video | 4.5 | |
Audio | 5.0 | |
Extras | 2.0 | |
Overall | 4.0 |
Jacques Tourneur's "The Fearmakers" (1958) arrives on Blu-ray courtesy of Kino Lorber. The only bonus feature on this release is an exclusive new audio commentary recorded by professor and film scholar Jason A. Ney. In English, with optional English SDH subtitles for the main feature. Region-A "locked".
Showdown
Presented in its original aspect ratio of 1.85:1, encoded with MPEG-4 AVC and granted a 1080p transfer, The Fearmakers arrives on Blu-ray courtesy of Kino Lorber.
The release is sourced from a very nice exclusive new 2K master. To be honest aside from some tiny specks and blemishes that pop up here and there, I thought that the entire film looked quite wonderful on my system. Yes, you will probably notice a few very small density fluctuations as well, but all of them are organic, not digital anomalies that were introduced in a lab. They grayscale of the visuals is lovely as well. In fact, even though it is quite easy to tell that The Fearmakers was shot with fairly small budget, it is lensed extremely well and actually leaves the impression that it was a pretty big project. Image stability is very good. All in all, while there is room for some minor cosmetic improvements, the current presentation of The Fearmakers has very solid organic qualities and will likely remain the definitive one on the home video market. (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).
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 lossless audio is very clear, sharp, and nicely balanced. Irving Gertz's score does not produce any memorable contrasts, but the music has a solid presence throughout the entire film. I viewed the entire film with the volume set at a normal level and was able to hear all exchanges very nicely, so there are no age-related anomalies to report.
The Fearmakers isn't a pure film noir, so it is meaningless to try and compare it to an undisputed genre masterpiece like Out of the Past. However, the bold clarity of its message and the simple but very effective manner in which it is delivered are enough for me to declare that it is one of Jacques Tourneur's best films. Old claims that The Fearmakers is a 'small B film' are quite laughable considering that it essentially opens the door for the grand arrival of John Frankenheimer's The Manchurian Candidate. Kudos to Kino Lorber for giving this undeservedly ignored gem a proper individual Blu-ray release. It looks lovely after it was remastered in 2K as well. You can find The Fearmakers in Film Noir: The Dark Side of Cinema VII, a three-disc box set. VERY HIGHLY RECOMMENDED.
(Still not reliable for this title)
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1957
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