What’s out on Blu-ray and DVD 5/24/2016: Scream Factory Collector’s Edition – Manhunter, Fever

Adam RuhlBlu-Ray Review, DVD ReviewLeave a Comment

Manhunter

Scream Factory Collector’s Edition – Manhunter

Manhunter is a story that has been adapted many, many times. At last count it was a book (Red Dragon), a TV show, and two movies; this film stands head and shoulders above all other adaptations of the novel. Michael Mann (Heat, Collateral) directs an incredible cast in this tale of an almost psychically talented FBI profiler hunting a serial killer who wipes out entire families. This also marks the first onscreen appearance of the legendary Hannibal Lector (Lecktor here, brilliantly portrayed by Brian Cox several years before Anthony Hopkins took over the role). Manhunter is as terrifying as any horror film which explains how we came to have this amazing Scream Factory Collector’s Edition.

Manhunter looks beautiful in 1080P, this is a film where every shot is meticulously designed and filled with import. The videocam sequences do not fare well, suffering from a lot of digital noise that looks like transfer problem rather than just problematic low-res camcorder footage (this might have been unavoidable). The collector’s edition also features a separate disc with the Director’s Cut. This uses additional footage in standard definition spliced into the high-def movie, it’s distracting but not a deal breaker, I recommend watching both versions. Both discs are packed with a massive amount of extras:

Disc 1: Theatrical Version (HD)

  • The Mind of Madness – an interview with William Petersen
  • Courting a Killer – an interview with actress Joan Allen
  • Francis is Gone Forever – an interview with actor Tom Noonan
  • The First Lecktor – an interview with actor Brian Cox
  • The Eye of the Storm – an interview with director of photography Dante Spinotti
  • The Music of MANHUNTER – including interviews with composer Michel Rubini, Barry Andrews (Shriekback), Gary Putman (The Prime Movers), Rick Shaffer (The Reds) and Gene Stashuk (Red 7)
  • Theatrical Trailer
  • Still Gallery

Disc 2: Director’s Cut (HD with Standard Definition inserts)

  • Audio Commentary by writer/director Michael Mann
  • Director’s Cut
  • The Manhunter Look – A Conversation with cinematographer Dante Spinotti
  • Inside Manhunter with stars William Petersen, Joan Allen, Brian Cox and Tom Noonan

 

fever

Fever

This one arrived on my doorstep unannounced. I’ve mostly given up reviewing DVD’s (it’s 2016, there’s no good excuse to not be releasing 1080P and up) however, I can’t resist a good murder thriller so I gave it a look. Unfortunately, it turned out to be a mostly disappointing exercise. The story starts very much like Rope, Damien and Pierre, two French high school students, choose a woman and murder her to see if they can. Then this element of the story is mostly dropped and the film devolves into a bizarre randomness of Nazi studies and a little playful drag. I couldn’t make much sense of it, but the movie has a rather stellar soundtrack by an artist named Camille. No extras on the disc besides theatrical trailers.

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