6.3 | / 10 |
Users | 0.0 | |
Reviewer | 3.5 | |
Overall | 3.5 |
The monster, which looks like a nastier version of "The Creature from the Black Lagoon," invades a sleepy lighthouse town. The superstitious lighthouse keeper is worried for the safety of his beautiful teenage daughter, so he leaves food for the monster, who dwells in a nearby cave. When bodies wash up ashore, the locals take notice.
Starring: Les Tremayne, John Harmon, Jeanne Carmen, Pete Dunn, Forrest LewisHorror | 100% |
Sci-Fi | 14% |
Video codec: MPEG-4 AVC
Video resolution: 1080p
Aspect ratio: 1.78:1
Original aspect ratio: 1.85:1
English: DTS-HD Master Audio Mono (48kHz, 24-bit)
English SDH
Blu-ray Disc
Single disc (1 BD)
Region A (locked)
Movie | 3.0 | |
Video | 4.5 | |
Audio | 5.0 | |
Extras | 0.0 | |
Overall | 3.5 |
Irvin Berwick's "The Monster of Piedras Blancas" (1959) arrives on Blu-ray courtesy of independent distributors Olive Films. There are no supplemental features on the disc. In English, with optional English SDH subtitles for the main feature. Region-A "locked".
There is something evil in the dark
Presented in an aspect ratio of 1.78:1, encoded with MPEG-4 AVC and granted a 1080p transfer, Irvin Berwick's
The Monster of Piedras Blancas arrives on Blu-ray courtesy of Olive Films.
The release is sourced from a fairly recent and healthy master. While grain could be slightly better defined close-ups and larger panoramic shots typically boast very good to excellent definition and clarity, while fluidity is consistently very pleasing. Depth is good. The grayscale is convincing, never exhibiting balance issues or similar anomalies that could potentially destabilize the integrity of the image. There are no traces of problematic sharpening adjustments. Finally, a few tiny specks sneak in, but there are no distracting large cuts, debris, damage marks, warped or torn frames to report in our review. Indeed, this is a very solid and competent technical presentation. (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 yellow English SDH subtitles are provided for the main feature.
There are no technical anomalies to report. Clarity and depth are very good, while fluidity is consistently very pleasing. Also, there are no balance issues to report, though there are a few segments -- mostly during the footage from the beach -- where some minor fluctuations can be detected. These fluctuations, however, are part of the film's original sound design. There are no audio dropouts, pops, cracks, distracting background hiss, or digital distortions to report.
Most unfortunately, there are no supplemental features to be found on this Blu-ray release.
What makes films such as Irvin Berwick's The Monster of Piedras Blancas worth revisiting is the fact that they have a certain retro vibe that make many of them look quite charming. I personally find them most effective when seen late at night. If you have a soft spot for these types of genre films, consider adding The Monster of Piedras Blancas to your collection. It does not break any new boundaries, but it has a good atmosphere and even a few interesting surprises. RECOMMENDED.
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