The Leopard Man Blu-ray Review
Score: 80
from 4 reviewers
Review Date:
The Leopard Man Blu-ray offers a stunning rescan, great mono audio mix, and insightful extras, revitalizing this exotic horror classic and appealing to genre enthusiasts.
Disc Release Date
DTS-HD MA
Video: 87
"The Leopard Man" Blu-ray impresses with its 4K scan of the original negative, offering a clean and clear AVC-encoded 1080p image in a 1.37:1 aspect ratio. Grain is naturally detailed, black levels are deep without crush, and encoding parameters handle high-resolution detail superbly with minimal artifacts, ensuring a crisp and engaging visual presentation.
Audio: 82
The DTS-HD MA 2.0 Mono track for 'The Leopard Man' delivers clean and clear vocals, detailed dialogue, and stable sound effects with minimal age-related issues. There’s notable clarity and depth, while the score and ambient sounds are well-blended, exhibiting only a barely perceptible ambient hiss.
Extra: 72
The 4K remaster of 'The Leopard Man' Blu-ray includes insightful audio commentaries by Constantine Nasr and William Friedkin, along with a theatrical trailer and an extensive still gallery for an enriching historical and visual experience.
Movie: 77
Scream Factory presents a technically impressive 1940s thriller, 'The Leopard Man,' in a striking 4K Blu-ray edition. Jacques Tourneur's direction, combined with Robert De Grasse's cinematography, delivers a visually captivating, emotionally charged film blending noir with horror. Engaging commentaries enhance the package.
Video: 87
The Leopard Man Blu-ray presents an impressive video transfer, thanks to a meticulous 4K scan from the original nitrate camera negative. The AVC-encoded image in a 1.37:1 aspect ratio maintains the film's gritty authenticity, showcasing a pleasing amount of grain that remains unobtrusive and natural. The transfer avoids common pitfalls of older films, such as noisy grain and errant artifacts, largely due to Scream Factory’s high-quality encoding, which affords excellent bitrates for minimal digital interference.
Visually, the film exhibits strong contrast and sharpness, particularly within its shadowy scenes, rendering facial nuances and textured costuming with remarkable clarity. Despite its age, the print is generally spotless with instances of chemical dissolve degradation kept to a minimum. The high-resolution scan ensures exemplary detail and depth, with notable highlights including facial textures and set decorations, supported by consistent grain replication.
Black levels are deep and handled adeptly without crushing, while grayscale spans widely to create enriching contrasts in both dimly lit and brighter scenes. The result is a film that benefits from pristine imaging and dynamic depth, enhancing the cinematic experience with smooth motion and solid detail retention. This release underlines Scream Factory's commitment to preserving classic cinema with the utmost care, making The Leopard Man a standout example in vintage film restoration.
Audio: 82
The DTS-HD MA 2.0 Mono track for "The Leopard Man" offers a commendable auditory experience considering the film's age. The audio presentation exhibits a rather minimalist sound design, yet it manages to deliver clean and well-defined vocals, score, and ambient sound effects. Details such as dialogue exchanges are strong and free from significant age-related distortions. There's an ever-so-slight ambient hiss present, barely noticeable and adding a touch of classic analog charm to the overall mix. The orchestral scoring, particularly the precise clicks of the castanets, enriches the track with a satisfactory depth.
Equally notable is the instrumentational clarity, which adeptly shifts moods without veering into distortive extremes during scenes of terror. The mix achieves a fair balance with no glaring hissing or popping and brings out a smooth analog quality free of imperfections. High frequencies resolve brightly when needed while maintaining minimal tinniness in the treble. Though the low frequencies may not particularly impress, their reliable performance ensures they do not detract from the immersive experience. Overall, this DTS-HD MA Mono track provides a solid technical foundation with effective blending of music, effects, and dialogue, ensuring a satisfying listening experience.
Extra: 72
The extra features on the Blu-ray of "The Leopard Man" are a must-see for cinephiles and enthusiasts of classic thriller cinema. The new 4K remaster from the original camera negative ensures pristine visual quality, enhancing the viewing experience. The standout features include two insightful audio commentaries: one by film historian Constantine Nasr and another by filmmaker William Friedkin, both providing rich context and analysis that will deepen your appreciation of the film. Additionally, the disc includes a theatrical trailer and an extensive still gallery featuring film stills, publicity shots, concept art, and more.
Extras included in this disc:
- BRAND NEW 4K REMASTER STRUCK FROM THE ORIGINAL CAMERA NEGATIVE: Presents the film in pristine visual quality.
- NEW Audio Commentary With Filmmaker/Film Historian Constantine Nasr: Offers insightful background and analysis.
- Audio Commentary With Filmmaker William Friedkin: Features engaging insights from the acclaimed director.
- Theatrical Trailer: Original promotional trailer.
- Still Gallery: Collects a variety of production-related images.
Movie: 77
The Leopard Man (1943) is a unique and effective thriller that stands as a notable achievement in horror history, credited as the first film to explore the concept of serial killers. Produced by Val Lewton and masterfully directed by Jacques Tourneur, it expertly blends elements of mystery and horror through a tightly-paced 66-minute runtime. This film is an atmospheric portrayal of fear incited by an escaped leopard in a small New Mexico town, with questions about whether the real threat is from beast or man creating an engaging suspense.
The cinematography by Robert De Grasse shines brightly, featuring gorgeously lit sets that enhance its chilling scenes. From the stalking sequences to the depiction of a terrified village, the film makes full use of its black-and-white visuals to maximize tension. The dynamic use of sound complements this, amplifying terror during critical moments. The Blu-ray release by Scream Factory takes this to the next level with a meticulous 4K scan that enhances the film's visual depth and clarity while providing insightful commentaries that add to its rich historical value.
Narratively, The Leopard Man delves deeper than mere surface chills, presenting a nuanced examination of guilt and societal responsibility within the class divide of its setting. Characters such as Jerry Manning (Dennis O’Keefe) and Clo-Clo (Margo) are drawn with complexity, influencing audience perception and empathy significantly. The rural-urban contrast and the ensuing fear accentuated by an escaped predator provide a tense backdrop for the unfolding mystery. The tension culminates in scenes that consistently leave viewers guessing, showcasing Lewton and Tourneur's deft handling of suspense which keeps the audience captivated until the final reveal.
Total: 80
"The Leopard Man," directed by Jacques Tourneur, offers a compelling blend of horror and mystery, intriguingly marketed as a creature feature but ultimately revealing itself to be a suspenseful whodunit. Authored by Ardel Wray and Edward Dein, and released by Scream Factory, this classic is visually captivating with the exotic beauty that rivals Universal’s golden era horror films. The Blu-ray release showcases a stellar rescan and a well-executed DTS-HD MA 2.0 Mono audio mix. This revitalized presentation breathes new life into the 1943 film, making it accessible for both genre aficionados and new viewers alike.
Scream Factory’s Blu-ray release of "The Leopard Man" is an exemplary effort in curating classic horror content. Technical specifications include an aspect ratio of 1.37:1 AVC and English SDH subtitles for clarity. The release boasts an enriching selection of extras, notably two insightful commentaries, one from Oscar winner William Friedkin. The running time is a concise 66 minutes, yet it manages to deliver a dense narrative characterized by chilling suspense and compelling character development.
In conclusion, Scream Factory's initiative to diversify its horror film catalog with ultra-classic titles like "The Leopard Man" is both commendable and refreshing. The excellent audio-visual presentation, coupled with substantial extras, makes this Blu-ray a must-have for any classic horror thriller enthusiast. This release underscores the rich heritage and evolution of the horror genre while providing a superb viewing experience that both honors and revitalizes this cinematic gem.
Technical Specifications:
- Starring: Dennis O'Keefe, Margo, Jean Brooks
- Directed by: Jacques Tourneur
- Written by: Ardel Wray, Edward Dein
- Aspect Ratio: 1.37:1 AVC
- Audio: English: DTS-HD MA 2.0 Mono
- Subtitles: English SDH
- Studio: Scream Factory
- Rated: NR
- Runtime: 66 minutes
- Blu-Ray Release Date: July 16th, 2019
Recommendation: Highly Recommended
AV Nirvana review by Michael ScottRead review here
Video: 90
There’s a nice helping of grain in the image, but there’s a tone of natural detail and the grain doesn’t look noisy like some really old films tend to do....
Audio: 80
There’s a nice mild ambient hiss that is BARELY noticeable (I had to strain to hear it), but overall this is a very solid Mono track that is in great shape from what I could hear....
Extras: 50
• BRAND NEW 4K REMASTER STRUCK FROM THE ORIGINAL CAMERA NEGATIVE • NEW Audio Commentary With Filmmaker/Film Historian Constantine Nasr • Audio Commentary With Filmmaker William Friedkin • Theatrical Trailer...
Movie: 70
A new killing, this time of Clo-Clo, the entertainer who caused the beast to be startled in the first place, occurs and now Jerry is CONVINCED that this is the work of someone other than a beast, but the...
Total: 80
All in all, this release is well done and will appeal to fans of classic thrillers/horro films with ease....
Blu-ray.com review by Brian OrndorfRead review here
Video: 90
Detail is strong, finding facial nuances and textured costuming, which delivers crisp formal wear....
Audio: 80
Instrumentation is satisfactory, with emphasis on the castanets, which offer precise clicks throughout....
Extras: 80
Image Gallery (8:36) collects film stills, publicity shots, a theater display, concept art, poster art, lobby cards, and pages from an exhibitor manual....
Movie: 80
The other side of "The Leopard Man" isn't quite as chilling, working through a sluggish detective story with a flaccid resolution, but the writing does pay attention to class divide, raising questions...
Total: 80
What's most interesting about "The Leopard Man" is the way it was marketed, sold as a creature feature highlighting the wrath of a half-human/half- cat monster, with such a lofty promise extending to the...
DoBlu review by Matt PaprockiRead review here
Video: 80
That gives way to various chemical dissolves, suffering some degradation from dirt and scratches, along with the usual loss of resolution....
Audio: 80
There’s little tinniness in the treble and while lows don’t impress, they also don’t fail....
Extras: 60
For an additional 17 Leopard Man screenshots, early access to all screens (plus the 30,000+ already in our library), 75+ exclusive 4K UHD reviews, and more, support us on Patreon....
Movie: 80
It’s a trio of cliches, rising because all of this blends organically and raises in intensity to an eventual scream as a young woman sees her killer....
Total: 75
Exotic and beautiful horror, The Leopard Man has all the markings of Universal classics and in some aspects bests their golden era work....
Why So Blu?Read review here
Video: 90
This is a pretty sound looking image given the age of the film and it comes with a pretty crisp, detailed image....
Audio: 80
Audio Format(s): English 2.0 Mono DTS-HD MASubtitles: EnglishDynamics: This is a pretty solid track with good blending of the music, effects and vocals here in the mix with a solid analog foundation which...
Extras: 50
Audio CommentaryBy Filmmaker/Film Historian Constantine Nasr By Filmmaker William FriedkinTheatrical Trailer (HD, 1:05)Still Gallery (HD, 8:36)...
Movie: 60
However, going to it today, one might bring about a slightly off expectation, expecting something more in the traditional lines of horror or a monster movie, given the title and the brand releasing the...
Total: 70
Scream Factory as put forth a good effort here with a pretty terrific audio and video presentation to give this 76 year old film a new life....
Director: Jacques Tourneur
Actors: Dennis O'Keefe, Margo, Jean Brooks
PlotIn a small New Mexico town, nightclub performer Kiki Walker convinces her manager Jerry Manning to use a leopard for a publicity stunt. However, the plan goes awry when the leopard escapes, sowing fear and panic among the locals. Soon after, a young girl named Teresa is found dead, brutally mauled. The town's residents believe the leopard is responsible, but Jerry and Kiki begin to suspect that something more sinister is at play. As they delve deeper into the mystery, they uncover peculiarities that suggest a human hand behind the killing.
Their investigation uncovers a series of strange and tragic events linked to the escaped leopard. Suspense builds as more attacks occur, throwing the town into turmoil and paranoia. The line between human and animal savagery blurs, leading to a series of chilling revelations. As Jerry and Kiki’s quest for truth intensifies, they realize that the danger is closer than they had ever anticipated.
Writers: Ardel Wray, Edward Dein, Cornell Woolrich
Release Date: 25 Jun 1943
Runtime: 66 min
Rating: Approved
Country: United States
Language: English, Spanish