I have not yet had time to sit down and watch either film all the way through (although I'm probably going to spin Battle right after I finish this post), but I have given both discs a quick scan. Battle looks gorgeous. There are a few specks and scratches here and there, but it's a quantum improvement over the original New Concorde DVD from a decade or so ago (that print looked like it had been stored in a ditch). I would never have imagined that this low-budget Roger Corman space opera could ever look as good as it does here. For one thing, you can finally appreciate all the skill that the miniature crew put into designing and detailing the model spaceships.
The Damnation Alley transfer doesn't quite fare as well; the film was shot on very grainy 70s film stock, and all the optical effects that were added in post only degrade the image further. Still, it looks vastly better than any cable TV print I've seen, with much stronger colors and contrast - and it's in its correct 2.35:1 'scope aspect ratio.The extras look promising, too.
Look for full reviews shortly, both here and at my DVD Late Show site.
Come on Christopher, don't keep it from us...exactly HOW clear is Sybil Danning in this?
ReplyDeleteThese are interesting films... I say interesting, because I only saw them once each on tv back in the 80s. Never got to really add them to my list of things I'd watch again and again like some of the classic Ray Harryhausen films. I really dug the RV transports from Damnation Alley; those really stick in my mind. I liked the battle with the giant scorpions. Good cast; wasted Las Vegas was very interesting, and another standout scene is the one in the casino where the guys are playing and the gal comes out and stands on the railing overlooking the gaming area; reminded me of classic Western saloon sets, with her as a girl from the brothel upstairs. I also recall the names of cities getting knocked out, including my own Portland. I love disaster films! Thanks for the fun memories!
ReplyDeleteGordon Long