Escape from Absalom / No Escape (1994)

[LordCrumb]

You mean you don't speak german?!

[Alister_M]

Nein

[AdubW1982]

What is the region code for this movie?

[Markgway]

Originally Posted by Alister_M

Well that'd be why I missed it, it's listed as "Flucht aus Absolom (No Escape)" and I searched for "Escape From Absolom"

You flucht up!

[Alister_M]

Originally Posted by Markgway

You flucht up!

Nah, whoever submitted it flucht up, and now it's been unflucht

[antennahead]

Originally Posted by Markgway

You flucht up!

[Grifter02]

Originally Posted by crisby1

Well I am German myself and I can tell you from another German movie forum that quite a few people have already imported the Umbrella release. Since I can confirm the audio issue on the German track, it's just fair to warn them.

Fair enough.

Originally Posted by crisby1

The label that is releasing it in Germany is usually tampering with the image a little bit by applying some DNR. So, the 'informed' people are always interested in avoiding these kinds of issues.

The German disc is the one making the rounds on "shady" sites and I checked it out to see if it was worth importing. It looks very good to me, so that's the version I'll be buying. The fact that it has 5.1 audio makes it an easier decision.

[skads_187]

Originally Posted by Grifter02

Fair enough.



The German disc is the one making the rounds on "shady" sites and I checked it out to see if it was worth importing. It looks very good to me, so that's the version I'll be buying. The fact that it has 5.1 audio makes it an easier decision.

what is the original audio? was this stereo or surround?

I wish these titles weren't so expensive, I'm debating getting the umbrella version. I cant remember this movie very well, I remember liking it. But I am also on this 90's purchasing spree, so it falls right in line.

[Markgway]

Dolby Digital Stereo.

So, 2.0 stereo should be right.

[ddwall]

Originally Posted by AdubW1982

What is the region code for this movie?

If you are revering to the Umbrella release deepdiscount says it is region 0 it is listed for$17.51 and is on back order Deepdiscount is where I have bought all my Umbrella disks I am sure it will be back in stock.

[SGB]

Originally Posted by Markgway

You flucht up!

[dannycj]

I watched this last night and was very disappointed with the PQ.
There was very low detail with occasional dirt and noise, but the sound was ok which was 2.0 master audio. I know with is an old film with little following but considering this is 2018 I expected a much better transfer.

[Markgway]

It looked miles better than the letterboxed DVD I had so no complaints from me.

[Splatterpunk]

Seemingly forgotten, Martin Campbell’s NO ESCAPE from 1994 offers up dystopian thrills on a medium size budget. Prescient in its use of private prisons, the film also seems like a bit of a throwback, taking inspiration from ‘80s action films and ‘70s exploitation fare.

In the far off future of 2022, Captain JT Robbins (haunted tough guy Ray Liotta) is condemned to the worst prison on the planet for murdering his superior officer and subsequently escaping from two different penitentiaries. After a futuristic train ride through a rather grim looking desert, he arrives at the facility which looks more like a hulking spaceship, it being the future and all. Almost immediately after he arrives, he pisses off the CEO (veteran character actor Michael Lerner) and is sent to an island where supposedly only the worst of the worst are sent. He soon finds that the population is divided into two warring factions, the Insiders, led by Father (noble and wizened Lance Henriksen), and the much larger Outsiders, led by Marek (cartoonishly unhinged Stuart Wilson). The Outsiders embrace savagery and regularly stage raids on the Insiders, who are trying to maintain a functioning society. Imagine LORD OF THE FLIES, except instead of a conch shell, there’s a rocket launcher. In any case, Robbins just wants to escape, but he reluctantly helps the Insiders as it offers him his best shot at getting off the island. Several other familiar faces show up, including Kevin Dillon as a wide-eyed young man impressed with Robbins’ capabilities, Ernie Hudson as Father’s right hand man, Kevin J O’Connor as the island’s wily businessman, and Ian McNeice as the Insiders’ prissy head of orientation.

Performances are fine, for this type of film. Liotta capably carries the film, but it’s Wilson and his scene chewing antics that make for the most fun. The costumes are nicely done, with the Outsiders rocking post-apocalyptic jungle gear and the Insiders opting for more refined, but still primitive, ponchos and armor. The true stars, as far as production values go, are the sets and locations, though. The abandoned resort where the Outsiders reside does a great job at making what was once welcoming look sinister. The Insiders’ village looks realistically hand-built and hardscrabble. Shot around the wilds of Australia, the jungle that surrounds everything is both beautiful and forbidding. This emphasis on the details of background makes for an immersive experience, even though the mood is more aligned with a heightened genre experience. Stunts and effects work also help in this regard, with the highlights being a full body burn and an impressive leap off of a towering cliff into a river. There’s some light CGI that’s a bit dodgy at this point, but the film leans heavily into the practical work. Violent and somewhat gory, the film’s atmosphere makes it seem more graphic than it actually is.

Though I’d say that the pacing could be tightened up by losing about ten to twelve minutes, Martin Campbell’s NO ESCAPE is still a bit of a hidden gem. Genre aficionados will definitely recognize certain elements, but the production values are so high and the performers so game that you probably won’t care. Recommended for fans of ESCAPE FROM NEW YORK, MAD MAX 2, and THE RUNNING MAN.

[Sky_Captain]

I'm a fan of all three of those movies, and sold this disc straight after watching it lol

Didn't hold up at all, IMO.

[Markgway]

I thought it held up just fine.

[MountainMan23]

Originally Posted by ddwall

If you are revering to the Umbrella release deepdiscount says it is region 0 it is listed for$17.51 and is on back order Deepdiscount is where I have bought all my Umbrella disks I am sure it will be back in stock.

It looks like Umbrella.com, Deepdiscount, and amazon only has the dvd now. I have a region free dvd player. Is the quality any good on the dvd umbrella release?

[Agent Kay]

Is this and the German OOP?

[huuru]

Originally Posted by Markgway

I thought it held up just fine.

That’s what I thought too

[Markgway]

Originally Posted by Markgway

Dolby Digital Stereo.

So, 2.0 stereo should be right.

Hmm... turns out that my quoted post may be bollocks.

Dolby Digital Stereo was the original name for Dolby Digital (5.1).

Although there are films with that logo that appear to have been stereo only (i.e. The Hudsucker Proxy, The Last Supper), No Escape had a 5.1 track on the letterboxed HBO DVD, an early disc for which no effort had been put in. I'm now thinking that perhaps 5.1 was the original audio here. Any opinions? Also, how is the German blu-ray in comparison?