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Re: PENTATHLON (Bruce Malmuth, 1994)

PostPosted: 30 Jul 2012, 17:00
by Dida

Re: PENTATHLON (Bruce Malmuth, 1994)

PostPosted: 31 Jul 2012, 07:04
by Nickofdoom
Can anyone who got the blu confirm it is region B locked? I really want to import this. Thanks.

Re: PENTATHLON (Bruce Malmuth, 1994)

PostPosted: 01 Aug 2012, 18:50
by Jox
I cannot test the region as I have unlocked my player, but the region is not specified on the disc so it might be "all region". Are from outside of Europe because otherwise it should play fine?

Re: PENTATHLON (Bruce Malmuth, 1994)

PostPosted: 02 Aug 2012, 02:02
by Nickofdoom
Jox wrote:I cannot test the region as I have unlocked my player, but the region is not specified on the disc so it might be "all region". Are from outside of Europe because otherwise it should play fine?


I'm from the U.S. I asked a few reviewers and one said it was locked and one said it wasn't. I finally got impatient and ordered it from Amazon. It will take a while to get here, but I guess that's the only way to find out for sure.

Re: PENTATHLON (Bruce Malmuth, 1994)

PostPosted: 02 Aug 2012, 11:12
by Jox
The seemingly unrestored print is framed at a ratio of 1.78:1 and, whilst mostly clean, is a touch on the soft side. Clarity and level of detail does waver from scene to scene - with some shots looking pleasingly sharp, others considerably less so - though I suspect there isn’t a great deal to separate this HD offering from the simultaneously released DVD edition. Colours are strong though, perhaps too strong - at one point Coleman dons an item of red athletics gear which is a tad intense. The soundtrack (originally recorded in Ultra Stereo) comes in both LPCM and DTS-HD Multi-Channel formats, the latter being the crisper of the two. There are no optional subtitles available, English or otherwise, whilst the sole extra is the original trailer.

http://film.thedigitalfix.com/content/i ... thlon.html

I suspect there isn’t a great deal to separate this HD offering from the simultaneously released DVD edition
Indeed the running time of 97 mins indicate they used a 25 frames per sec PAL master to make the Blu disc whereas in HD the proper 24 frames per sec running time should be 101 mins had it been made from original 35mm elements. The blu looks good enough for this title though.

Re: PENTATHLON (Bruce Malmuth, 1994)

PostPosted: 03 Aug 2012, 11:21
by Jox
http://www.dvdactive.com/reviews/dvd/pentathlon.html

Feature: 6/10
Video: 4/10
Audio: 4/10
Extras: 0/10
Overall: 5/10


Video
Released in 1994, Pentathlon still manages to look like an episode of The A-Team for the most part. Soft, TV-esq visuals with a presentation that looks like it needs a good dust only feels boosted by the HD upgrade. Warm reds, that often get so bright they wind up being pink, bright blues that pop off the screen and generally a vast array of bright primary Olympics based colours give the presentation that boosted look all while highlighting the bare minimum has been done to give this a real remaster.

Edges are not all that defined at all really and it’s only good lighting that highlights detail, textures or depth. The image here isn’t bad but the HD upgrade is more of an illusion of improvements as opposed to anything that looks impressive.


Audio
The DTS-HD Master Audio option is a hollow track. Everything sounds a bit tinny and with the overly uplifting or generic score simply hovering around the track (mostly in the front speakers) there’s no real oomph here at all. Dialogue is fine but never anything more, the minimal action sequences are more of a volume increase than anything else and really this audio presentation isn’t anything to get excited about at all.


Extras
Simply the trailer (02:20 SD)


Overall
Pentathlon is a good flick for nostalgia and quite an apt choice considering the Olympics are in full swing for its release. I sort of ended up liking it for it's goofiness and how madcap David Soul was more than anything else. That said, this is not a great actioner, it’s a tepid thriller and beyond a few choice moments, it doesn’t have much character either. Gold medalist action hero thrillers are still to find their champion, maybe on the 20th anniversary of Pentathlon Hollywood will give it another shot. Tom Daley has been pushed too far, now he wants revenge!



Re: PENTATHLON (Bruce Malmuth, 1994)

PostPosted: 07 Aug 2012, 09:37
by xclaw
I almost want to complain but any version of this film right now is an upgrade and I'll take it.

Eagerly waiting on word if it's region free or not.

Re: PENTATHLON (Bruce Malmuth, 1994)

PostPosted: 09 Aug 2012, 03:14
by Nickofdoom
I just got it, it is region B locked :(

Re: PENTATHLON (Bruce Malmuth, 1994)

PostPosted: 09 Aug 2012, 08:56
by Jox
Get a Toshiba player BDX1200, 3100 or 3200 you can unlock them the region very easily! ;)
http://www.avforums.com/forums/15346762-post41.html

Re: PENTATHLON (Bruce Malmuth, 1994)

PostPosted: 09 Aug 2012, 18:42
by Jox

Re: PENTATHLON (Bruce Malmuth, 1994)

PostPosted: 09 Aug 2012, 22:54
by xclaw
Is there any news or hope of a more widespread release to the other regions?

PENTATHLON (Bruce Malmuth, 1994)

PostPosted: 12 Aug 2012, 21:05
by Mosquito
I have the Dion Horizon player. It's cheap, good and very easy to unlock. You'll never have to worry about region blocking and by buying this kind of player you support customer freedom.

Re: PENTATHLON (Bruce Malmuth, 1994)

PostPosted: 18 Nov 2012, 17:59
by Jox
PENTATHLON will be released in Sweden as a Blu-ray+DVD combo and a single DVD on February 12, 2013
http://www.discshop.se/filmer/bluray/pe ... vd/P106277
http://www.discshop.se/filmer/dvd/pentathlon/P106276

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Re: PENTATHLON (Bruce Malmuth, 1994)

PostPosted: 19 Nov 2012, 15:35
by Jox
Polish VHS
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Re: PENTATHLON (Bruce Malmuth, 1994)

PostPosted: 19 Nov 2012, 15:48
by dolphage
Haha, is that for real?! What a cover! Looks like something you'd find under Justin Bieber's matress, with a bottle of hand lotion next to it!