5.9 | / 10 |
Users | 0.0 | |
Reviewer | 2.5 | |
Overall | 2.5 |
A mad scientist transforms himself into a prehistoric caveman, his cat into a saber-toothed tiger, and his housekeeper into an ape person, which does not enhance his popularity.
Starring: Robert Shayne, Beverly GarlandSci-Fi | 100% |
Adventure | Insignificant |
Video codec: MPEG-4 AVC
Video resolution: 1080p
Aspect ratio: 1.35:1
Original aspect ratio: 1.37:1
English: DTS-HD Master Audio Mono
None
50GB Blu-ray Disc
Two-disc set (1 BD, 1 DVD)
Region A (B, C untested)
Movie | 2.0 | |
Video | 3.5 | |
Audio | 3.5 | |
Extras | 0.0 | |
Overall | 2.5 |
Note: This film is currently available only in the double feature The Beast of Hollow Mountain / The
Neanderthal Man.
Let’s face it: cineastes haven’t had much to complain about as the Blu-ray format has blossomed into its
maturity. Many (if not quite all) of the “all time classics” in the annals of film have already been released in high
definition (some more than once), titles as iconic as Gone with the Wind,
Citizen Kane, and Citizen
Kane. Foreign classics like La
Grande Illusion and 8½ are well
represented, as are silent legends like
Intolerance and Nosferatu
. Even more greats in virtually all genres are on tap for this year, which brings us to the not exactly stellar pairing
of The Beast of Hollow Mountain and The Neanderthal Man. It’s either a good sign or a bad one that
movies (it hardly seems fair to call them films) like this are being released on Blu-ray. The positive response is
engendered by a feeling that the market can support frankly Grade Z material like this. The negative response is
perhaps a result of film lovers asking why product like this is coming out when there are still at least a few (and
maybe more than a few) more deserving titles that have yet to see the Blu-ray light of day.
The Neanderthal Man is presented on Blu-ray courtesy of Scream Factory, an imprint of Shout! Factory, with an AVC encoded 1080p transfer in 1.35:1 (see the main body of the review, above, for some brief comments on the aspect ratio). Perhaps surprisingly for such a low budget and little remembered affair, the elements here are in remarkably good shape, with only occasional specks and the like offering minor distractions from an otherwise nice looking image. Contrast is quite strong here, though occasionally a bit variable, especially when the film ventures out of doors. Gray scale is nicely rendered, with good modulations between tones. The image is decently if not overwhelmingly sharp. As should be expected, some of the process photography has additional softness and dirt, but nothing exceptionally bad or troublesome.
The Neanderthal Man's lossless DTS-HD Master Audio Mono track (presented via DTS-HD Master Audio 2.0) sounds fine, given reasonable expectations. Dialogue is presented very cleanly and Albert Glasser's typically hyperbolic score sounds fine, if a bit shallow in the midrange. There are some kind of goofy foley effects in this film which sound fine, but which actually may provoke a giggle or two. Fidelity is fine, if unremarkable, and there's no real damage to report here.
No supplements are offered on this Blu-ray disc.
The Neanderthal Man is often very funny, as Shayne chews the scenery rather admirably and marauds through the movie as a Nietzschean übermensch who nonetheless is a hulking Troglodyte (the irony is no doubt unintentional, but hilarious all the same). Baby Boomers will also get a kick out of seeing Beverly Garland in one of her first featured roles. This is a fairly derivative and lame-brained enterprise, but it's goofily enjoyable all the same. The technical merits of this presentation are rather surprisingly good and fans of this title should be well pleased with this Blu-ray despite the absence of any supplements.
(Still not reliable for this title)
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Warner Archive Collection
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Collector's Edition
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