The imagery on Shout Factory’s new Blu-ray of the 1974 all-star epic catastrophe production, Earthquake, is of requisite enough quality to show off the film’s effects for their analogue quality.
Which were not good.
While many top actors, or actors of the past, got themselves a paycheck to appear in this film, the actual star was probably the publicity sizzle of the Sensurround process, as explained in a short piece by Ben Burtt.
I recalled the “landing airliner” in the TV version as being the best part of the broadcast, but my memory must be going, as it’s truly awful.
Some films are best left to one’s memories of them. This is probably one of those.
Imagery is more than acceptable for the feature version, and audio is fine. The TV version is probably best left undiscussed.
Image – 4.5
Audio – 5
Pass / Fail – Pass
Upgrade from DVD – If you must
RAH
Robert has been known in the film industry for his unmatched skill and passion in film preservation. Growing up around photography, his first home theater experience began at age ten with 16mm. Years later he was running 35 and 70mm at home.
His restoration projects have breathed new life into classic films like Lawrence of Arabia, Vertigo, My Fair Lady, Spartacus, and The Godfather series. Beyond his restoration work, he has also shared his expertise through publications, contributing to the academic discourse on film restoration. The Academy Film Archive houses the Robert A. Harris Collection, a testament to his significant contributions to film preservation.
Post Disclaimer
Some of our content may contain marketing links, which means we will receive a commission for purchases made via those links. In our editorial content, these affiliate links appear automatically, and our editorial teams are not influenced by our affiliate partnerships. We work with several providers (currently Skimlinks and Amazon) to manage our affiliate relationships. You can find out more about their services by visiting their sites.
Similar threads