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Edge of Eternity (Blu-ray)
[Blu-ray]
Blu-ray B - United Kingdom - Powerhouse Films Review written by and copyright: Rick Curzon (20th December 2024). |
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The Film
 Cornel Wilde (Shockproof), Victoria Shaw (The Crimson Kimono), and Mickey Shaughnessy (Jailhouse Rock) star in Edge of Eternity, a riveting murder mystery from director Don Siegel (Madigan, Charley Varrick). When a series of killings plagues an Arizona ghost town on the edge of the Grand Canyon, Deputy Sherrif Martin (Wilde) forms an unlikely partnership with playgirl Janice (Shaw) to investigate. Made on location, and shot in CinemaScope by the great Burnett Guffey (The Sniper, The Reckless Moment), Edge of Eternity is one of Don Siegel's most arresting and thrilling crime films.
Video
This effective murder mystery from Dirty Harry (1971) director Don Siegel is a forgotten gem given a lovely new release from Powerhouse Films as part of their Indicator Series. It's taken from Sony's superb HD master according to the booklet: Edge of Eternity was sourced from Sony’s HD remaster. The film’s original mono soundtrack was remastered at the same time.The image is generally strong given the usual issues associated with CinemaScope of the era with mild anamorphic distortion towards the edges of the frame. Colours are strong, favouring a rich, warm palette with vibrant primaries; seen in Elizabeth Shaw's outfits for instance, her red and green dresses really kick out. Flesh tones are naturalistic with tans displaying more rich colouring. Fine detail and textures are generally excellent along all focal planes although some slight softness is evident probably due to the anamorphic lensing. Black levels are deep and rich with mostly good shadow detail although there are some moments of extremely mild crush in darker scenes in interiors. Most of the film is shot in bright, sunny daylight. Highlights are well supported by the contrast which is nicely judged to avoid blown out skies, reflections and white fabrics, which could've been a problem with less expert handling of such a well lit film. Grain is ever present as one would expect from a moderately budgeted film such as this and using the technical resources and film stocks of the era. Encoding ensures it all looks filmic with no evidence of digital tinkering. There's the very occasional speckle but beyond that I saw no signs of age related wear and tear on the source used. A fine transfer of a good-looking, under appreciated film deserving to get wider exposure ('A-'). 1080p24 / AVC M-PEG 4 / BD50 / 79:46
Audio
English LPCM 1.0 (48kHz, 16-bit) Subtitles: English HoH The soundtrack is very much a mono track of its era with clear dialogue and music and effects integration. Some mild hiss is to be expected with analogue sources like these and it's present, especially when the volume is turned up. But, despite lacking the presence and range of more modern films this is still a strong aural representation of the elements which, like the image source, as been looked after and stored with care. I heard no signs of damage or distortion. Hard of hearing subtitles are excellent and very comprehensive ('B+').
Extras
Audio commentary with film historian Jason A. Ney (2024) Ney, an academic at The Colorado Christian University, has apparently done many commentaries and although I couldn't offhand recall any that I'd experienced, this one is a fine, well researched piece of work that provides fans with nice overview of the film. Presented in lossy Dolby Digital 2.0 mono (48kHz, 192Kbps). "Into the Canyon: José Arroyo on Don Siegel and Edge of Eternity" 2024 interview (16:49) "Closer to the Edge: José Arroyo on Edge of Eternity" 2024 interview (30:01) "An Australian Cinderella: Stephen Morgan on Victoria Shaw" 2024 interview (16:40) 63:30 worth of new excellent new interviews that cover Siegel, the film and his career. Actor-writer-producer-cartoonist José Arroyo goes to town on Siegel and the film; Stephen Morgan, of King's College London, gives us an brief but comprehensive career retrospective of sadly forgotten Australian actress Victoria Shaw who appeared in a number of films and television episodes between 1963 and 1978. Presented in 1080p24 1.78:1 Edge of Eternity Image Gallery: Original Promotional Material (34 images) The usual fine HD gallery of promotional images. -page liner notes booklet with a new essay by Peter Cowie, an archival piece on the making of the film by producer Kendrick Sweet, an extract from Don Siegel’s autobiography and film credits Cowie covers the use of CinemaScope, the career of superior "journeyman" Siegel, production of the film and finally it's cast and release. Sweet gives us a contemporary view of the making of the film and we get a great extract from Siegel's biography with some fine anecdotes told in his inimitable, no-nonsense style. A fine film and a great booklet to accompany it.
Packaging
Not sent for review.
Overall
Another rarely revived minor work gets brought back into the light by powerhouse Films. Previously released in a limited edition from Twilight Time in 2017 this new release uses the same master probably improving on it by affording the main film a higher bitrate on a BD50 and a top notch encode from Fidelity in Motion (the older disc was on a BD25). Extras are well up to the usual high standard with iver an hour of new interview, an informative commentary and another superb booklet. Essential for buffs ('A').
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