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[tab title="Movie Review"]

4D Man (1959)

Atomic fusion gets jazzed up! 

Thanks to a righteously jazzy score from composer Ralph Carmichael and an off-kilter (but campy) vibe, an underappreciated science fiction gem gets the blu-ray treatment courtesy of Kino Lorber.  The 4D Man, starring Robert Lansing (Under the Yum Yum Tree), Lee Meriwether (Catwoman/Miss Kitka of Batman: The Movie), and James Congdon (The Left Handed Gun), is back on the block, Daddy-O! 

"This movie, about the discovery of an electronic amplifier that allows objects to pass right through it, is STILL wildly successful in its B-movie spills and thrills"


This movie, about the discovery of an electronic amplifier that allows objects to pass right through it, is STILL wildly successful in its B-movie spills and thrills . . . and a lot of that has to do with the wherewithal of legendary producer Jack H. Harris and director Irvin S. Yeaworth, the team responsible for The Blob and Dinosaurs!

The thing is, apparently, science projects and women do not mix well with brothers.  In 4D Man, one brother, Dr. Tony Nelson takes his brother’s girl and the now-lonely brother. Scott (also a scientist) takes his brother’s discovery and makes it his own.   While both preach morals to the other, none of that stops them from betraying each other and, thanks to Scott’s changes to what Tony discovered, he decides to experiment with a new ability to pass through walls and becomes a bank robber and a jewel thief . . . among other things. {googleads}

But the ability to pass through objects is taking its toll on Scott.  Soon, he has to figure out how to slow down a sudden and unexpected aging process that is taking its toll on him.  With rapid wrinkles developing, he becomes desperate and, with no other solution, decides to pass through humans, robbing them of their life but keeping his intact. 

Co-starring Patty Duke (The Miracle Worker), 4D Man is a fast and furious science fiction darling.  It is colorful, pretty charming, and with some kooky scenes of science fiction discoveries, it never takes itself seriously, making it perfectly suited for an afternoon of light and breezy rock ‘em, schlock ‘em fun.4D Man (1959)

The movie might not be the most solid of science fiction offerings, but when you see Scott pass through walls, well, the shock and the surprise of the optical effects is definitely still there.  Especially with this brand new 4K restoration from the original camera negative and that smooth score definitely keeps us moving and swaying to its beat.  Even as Scott loses his cool and goes off the deep end with his new abilities, we remain perfectly cool. 

But where is all this going for Scott?  And how will it end?  Turns out that the fourth dimension isn’t all that welcoming to criminals.

The 4D Man is just passing through.  Catch him quick!

3/5 beers

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[tab title="Blu-ray Review"]

4D Man (1959)

Blu-ray

Blu-ray Details:

Home Video Distributor: Kino Lorber
Available on Blu-ray
- August 20, 2019
Screen Formats: 1.85:1
Subtitles
: English SDH
Audio:
English: Mono
Discs: Blu-ray Disc; single disc
Region Encoding: Locked to Region A

With bright colors by DeLux, this 4K restoration is a glowing success.  Remaining true to the glowing color palette of its original run, the crisp 1080p results are positively luminous.  Kino Lorber delivers another fantastic restoration.  The film looks clean and clear throughout with little grain, a stable image and a minimum of dust and scratches. Most of the film takes place at night but thanks to good contrast and shadow detail the picture is very watchable. The saturated colors are particularly vivid the white levels are strong without blooming.  The mono soundtrack is handled with the same care.  While the dynamic range is limited and a hiss is audible, there are no pops or other major flaws and the dialogue and music are quite clear. The audio track issues are more from the original recording technology than from its transfer to Blu-ray.

Supplements:

Commentary:

  • There are two commentaries.  See Special Features for the details.

Special Features:

Fans will dig what Kino Lorber has dug up here.  We get two commentaries, an interview with Jack H. Harris, an interview with Lee Meriwether, an animated image gallery, and the film’s original trailer.

  • Audio Commentary by Film Historian Richard Harland Smith
  • Audio Commentary by Kris Yeaworth
  • Reflections from The 4D Man - Interview with Producer Jack H. Harris
  • Interview with Co-star Lee Meriwether
  • Animated Image Gallery
  • Theatrical Trailer

Blu-ray Rating:

  Movie 4/5 stars
  Video  4/5 stars
  Audio 4/5 stars
  Extras 4/5 stars

Overall Blu-ray Experience

3.5/5 stars

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[tab title="Film Details"]

4D Man (1959)

MPAA Rating: Unrated.
Runtime:
85 mins
Director
: Irvin S. Yeaworth Jr.
Writer:
Theodore Simonson, Cy Chermak
Cast:
Robert Lansing, Lee Meriwether, James Congdon
Genre
: Horror | Sci-fi | Romance
Tagline:
He Walks Through Walls Of Solid Steel And Stone... Into The 4th Dimension!
Memorable Movie Quote: "Two objects *can* occupy the same space, under the right conditions."
Theatrical Distributor:
Universal Pictures
Official Site:
Release Date:
October 7, 1959
DVD/Blu-ray Release Date:
August 20, 2019
Synopsis: Science whiz Dr. Tony Nelson (Congdon) has made an amazing discovery: he has developed a method of stimulating the molecular structure of solid objects so that they can be joined or passed through one another. Stumbling upon this incredible secret is Tony’s older brother, Scott (Lansing), a fellow scientist who decides to take the experiment one step further—and soon finds himself able to pass through doors and walls. But his newfound freedom of movement has unforeseen side effects, for each time the power is used, Scott ages a bit, and only by touching other living beings and draining their energy (and thus, their lives) can he maintain his age. In addition, this incredible force is driving Scott quite mad... and he’s just noticed his beautiful would-be fiancée (Meriwether) expressing an interest in his brother Tony

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[tab title="Art"]

4D Man (1959)

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