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The Projected Man - Blu-ray Review

2 beersDisfigurement!  Death!  Dastardly charges of electricity!  So this is why the lights went out last night, by golly!  This is why scientists – no matter how large or small their egos are – should NEVER experiment on themselves.  

The Projected Man, now on blu-ray courtesy of freshly minted 2K scan of the original film elements from Shout! Factory, is yet another forewarning on why sticking to experimenting with guinea pigs and rats is probably for the best.  And it’s all so very measured and British that it might just zap you into an extra long slumber…

…until a certain blonde-haired secretary, Sheila (Tracey Crisp), takes her clothes off…

…because her eyes hurt. 

Directed by Ian Curteis and starring Bryant Haliday as Dr. Paul Steiner, the scientist responsible for a projection machine that can transfer an object from one place to another is all about taking credit for someone else’s work.  Steiner is desperate to see that his passion project sees the light of day.  It does work – except when Dr. Blanchard (Norman Wooland), Steiner's boss, makes him display its effectiveness a bit too early – and it is also much desired.

You see, Blanchard is being blackmailed by Mr. Latham (Derrick De Marney), who wants to take credit for the projection machine, and so they plot to make a fool of Steiner by sabotaging initial demonstration.   This causes Steiner to lose his mind with rage.  Unfortunately, this solidifies Steiner’s will to see the machine work and, not willing to admit defeat, he places himself in the chamber and has his secretary flick the switch.

The results are far from glorious.  His body is vaporized and, yes, it reappears elsewhere BUT he’s deformed; half of his face is left melted off and completely disgusting.  He has little choice but to seek out revenge.  Good thing the accident has left him with the power to kill anyone upon a single touch. 

Co-starring Mary Peach, Norman Wooland, Ronald Allen, and Derek Farr as Inspector Davis, The Projected Man has an interesting backstory in that the screenplay was discovered by film producer Alex Gordon and rewritten to fit the needs of a first-time director, who was quickly in over his head, and a low-key studio that didn’t have near enough money to give the picture the flash and bang it required to be anything but a small time cult flick.  The resulting movie is an uneven slice of science fiction fruitiness.  It’s rough and a bit slow, yet it never fails to light up the screen with its electrically charged fingertips. 

The Projected Man isn’t all that original.  It behaves too much like 4D Man and The Fly; however, it works as a science fiction horror movie thanks to the make-up effects applied to Haliday’s face and hand.  They are still quite good even if they are limited.  Plus there’s the inclusion of Crisp, who spends the latter-half of the movie in just her underwear, as she gets swept up in the madness of Steiner’s revenge.

What psychosis is provoked when a matter-transmitter – using light instead of lasers – becomes a monster-maker with one flick of the switch?  Only The Projected Man knows for sure.  Ask him.  I dare you!

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The Projected Man - Blu-ray Review

MPAA Rating: Unrated.
Runtime:
77 mins
Director
: Ian Curteis, John Croydon
Writer:
John Croydon; Peter Bryan
Cast:
Mary Peach, Bryant Haliday, Norman Wooland
Genre
: Horror | Sci-fi
Tagline:
Born a man... turned into a living laser beam by science's most gruesome experiment.
Memorable Movie Quote: "Lembach is staying in London for another few days!"
Theatrical Distributor:
Universal Pictures
Official Site:
Release Date:
February 1966
DVD/Blu-ray Release Date:
January 30, 2018
Synopsis:A million volts of death in each of his hands!

Dr. Paul Steiner and Dr. Christopher Mitchell have created a projection device that can transmit any object within a few miles of their new device. The device works well on inanimate objects, but using it on a living device causes death. When Steiner is accidentally projected, he becomes a disfigured monster who has the ability to kill by electrification.This first-time-on-home-video release features a new 2K scan of the film's interpositive.

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The Projected Man - Blu-ray Review

Blu-ray

Blu-ray Details:

Home Video Distributor: Shout Factory
Available on Blu-ray
- January 30, 2018
Screen Formats: 2.35:1
Subtitles
: English SDH
Langauge:
English
Discs: Blu-ray Disc; single disc
Region Encoding: Locked to Region A

Shout! Factory’s 2K Scan of The Projected Man’s original film elements is indeed a strong one.  Black levels are strong.  Colors are a bit redder than desired.  There’s a nice contrast throughout the presentation that doesn’t disappoint, especially concerning some of the effects in the movie.  With a 2.35:1 aspect ratio, the presentation offers a solid contrast and the colors appear brighter than ever before. Skin tones are solid and the details in some of the period clothing with high levels of saturation.  While there is ZERO depth to many of the shots and dirt and some scratches still pop up, the film has never looked better. The DTS-HD Master Audio 2.0 is perfectly suited for home viewing.

Supplements:

Commentary:

  • None

Special Features:

Featuring five NEW interviews with The Projected Man’s cast and crew, this release is damn satisfying.  We get deleted scenes, the original opening, radio spots, and and a still gallery. 

  • Interview With Director Ian Curteis
  • Interview With Actress Mary Peach
  • Interview With Art Director Peter Mullins
  • Interview With Sound Editor Brian Blamey
  • Interview With Composer Kenneth V. Jones
  • Original UK Opening
  • Deleted Scenes
  • Radio Spot
  • Theatrical Trailer
  • Still Gallery

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The Projected Man - Blu-ray Review

 

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