They’re big. They’re bad. They scuttle along in caverns miles beneath the Earth
The Black Scorpion (1957)
New 2018 1080p HD Remaster
Run Time 88:00
Subtitles English SDH
DTS HD-Master Audio 2.0 Mono – English
ORIGINAL ASPECT RATIO – 1.78:1, 16×9 Widescreen
B&W
BD 25
Special Features: “Stop Motion Masters” with Ray Harryhausen; Las Vegas Monster and the Beetlemen test footage; Harryhausen’s Dinosaur sequence from “The Animal World”; Giant Monsters Trailer Gallery; Theatrical Trailer (HD)
They’re big. They’re bad. They scuttle along in caverns miles beneath the Earth – until an earthquake opens paths to the surface. Now, these monsters of genus Arachnida are invading our world with deadly force! With top special effects co-designed by King Kong’s Willis O’Brien, The Black Scorpion is horror with a sting more lethal than the king-sized ants that overran Los Angeles’ sewers in the classic Them! Can humankind survive these invincible juggernauts? That fate rests on the shoulders of Hank Scott (1950s monster-movie stalwart Richard Denning) as the creatures rip a train from its track, snatch a helicopter from the sky and, in the film’s most gripping sequence, battle each other in their subterranean lair.
![[IMG]](https://scontent-ort2-1.xx.fbcdn.net/v/t1.0-0/p480x480/28168733_10156189838306563_3067988566574490453_n.jpg?oh=bb202393f10ad7f531894146268043ce&oe=5B1D3617)
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Interdimensional
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I don't suppose any of the special features will be HD? The Harryhausen Animal World and Pete Peterson footage made the original dvd release an absolute must-have. That disc was a real testatment to Peterson's talent.
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THE ANIMAL WORLD is available in its complete 80-minute form through the Warner Archives, on DVD only. Trust me, though, the Harryhausen sequence (9 minutes) is the only worthwhile thing about it.
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Interdimensional
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That's all anyone really wanted to see! I never did pick up the 80 minute version. I don't suppose that'll ever make it to blu-ray.
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The Warner Archive DVD that I reviewed three years ago looked very good, so I'm sure that the Blu-ray will be superb.
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Just received and watched the Blu-ray of "The Black Scorpion" tonight.
The encoding is poor,
and this only adds to making all the many (and might I add, many) opticals look even worse than they should:
All the dissolves stay in the lower rez optical from the beginning of the shot going into the dissolve and all the way to the end of the shot coming from the dissolve -- Yes, I know it was done a lot in the 1950s.
Yes, there are many composite optical shots in the film, but this encoding is poor for many "clean" shots.
I really don't understand what happened here, as Warner usually does nice work.
But, opticals aside (which is a baked-in problem), the encoding on this disc makes for some shots (even those not in an optical) look messy.
Weakest job that I have even seen from Warner Brothers.
The encoding is poor,
and this only adds to making all the many (and might I add, many) opticals look even worse than they should:
All the dissolves stay in the lower rez optical from the beginning of the shot going into the dissolve and all the way to the end of the shot coming from the dissolve -- Yes, I know it was done a lot in the 1950s.
Yes, there are many composite optical shots in the film, but this encoding is poor for many "clean" shots.
I really don't understand what happened here, as Warner usually does nice work.
But, opticals aside (which is a baked-in problem), the encoding on this disc makes for some shots (even those not in an optical) look messy.
Weakest job that I have even seen from Warner Brothers.
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Some people may not notice, but I could not help.
It is still nicer to have than the 1.33 DVD.
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And I said encoding, but it has a good bit-rate and it may be the master for the Blu-ray. Again, many may not notice. I would be interested in other opinions
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I thought it looked great. I dont go looking for encode issues, i look at how the film appears on my television and was very happy
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Here is part of the review from George Reis at DVD Drive-in. He has been reviewing since Laserdisc days so I always trust his reviews:
Through the years, Warner always seemed to give attention to THE BLACK SCORPION, as it was previously available on VHS, laserdisc, and then on full frame DVD. Several years ago, the Warner Archive Collection re-released the film on made-on-demand DVD (finally in widescreen), and now in this noticeably better-looking Blu-ray. The film is presented here in 1080p HD in a fitting 1.78:1 aspect ratio (previous boxy, full frame transfers appeared awkward). The black and white image is very crisp with rich detail, and there’s healthy filmic grain structure on display. It also features good grayscale, deep black levels with plenty of shadow detail. For a 1950s B movie, the DTS-HD Master Audio 2.0 track is pretty clear and solid. Optional English subtitles are included.
Through the years, Warner always seemed to give attention to THE BLACK SCORPION, as it was previously available on VHS, laserdisc, and then on full frame DVD. Several years ago, the Warner Archive Collection re-released the film on made-on-demand DVD (finally in widescreen), and now in this noticeably better-looking Blu-ray. The film is presented here in 1080p HD in a fitting 1.78:1 aspect ratio (previous boxy, full frame transfers appeared awkward). The black and white image is very crisp with rich detail, and there’s healthy filmic grain structure on display. It also features good grayscale, deep black levels with plenty of shadow detail. For a 1950s B movie, the DTS-HD Master Audio 2.0 track is pretty clear and solid. Optional English subtitles are included.
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