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    • WSR Detailed LaserDisc Review

    Earthquake
    Genre:Action Adventure

    Reviewed In Issue 10 Of Widescreen Review® Stars:
    Charlton Heston, Ava Gardner, George Kennedy, Lorne Greene, Genevieve Bujold, Richard Roundtree.

    WSR Review Scores
    Picture Rating: 4.5
    Sound Rating: 2.5
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    Reference Systems
    Critics' Composite Score:
    Internet Links

    Supplementals

    DVD General Information
    (Studio/Distributor): MCA/Universal Home Video
    (Catalog Number): 42072
    (MPAA Rating): PG
    (Retail Price): $39.98
    (Running Time In Minutes): 123
    (Color Type): Color
    (Chaptered/Scene Access): Yes
    (Closed Captioned): Yes
    (Theatrical Release): 1974
    (LD Release Date): 08/01/94
    (THX® Digitally Mastered): No

    Credits Information
    (Director): Mark Robson
    (Screenplay/Written By): George Fox & Mario Puzo
    (Story): NA
    (Music): John Williams
    (Director Of Photography):
    (Production Designer): Alexander Golitzen
    (Visual Effects):
    (Costume Designer):
    (Editor): Dorothy Spencer
    (Supervising Sound Editors):
    (Re-Recording Mixers):
    (Executive Producers): NA
    (Co-Producers): NA
    (Producers): Jennings Lang

    DVD Picture Information
    (Principal Photography):
    (Theatrical Aspect Ratio): 2.35:1
    (Measured LaserDisc Aspect Ratio): 2.38:1

    DVD Sound Information
    (DVD Soundtrack): Dolby Surround
    (Theatrical Sound): Sensurround
    (Theatrical Re-Issue Soundtrack):
    (Remastered Dolby Digital):
    (Remastered DTS Digital Surround):
    (Additional Languages):

    WSR Narrative Review
    Story Synopsis:
    A major earthquake devastates the Los Angeles area, leaving survivors to flounder for themselves in the wake of massive destruction and the disruption of civil services. A handfull of people (cop Kennedy, engineer Heston) come to the aid of others. Recorded in gimicky Sensurround, which used subwoofers to simulate low-bass rumbles of a quake.

    LaserDisc Picture:
    The 2.38:1 picture is sharp with excellent detail, accurate fleshtones and good color fidelity. Blacks are deep and the picture is generally artifact-free.

    LaserDisc Soundtrack:
    The film’s most published effect was its soundtrack, which was encoded with a process dubbed “Sensurround,” an idea and technique developed by Cerwin-Vega. The sound system, with augmented subwoofers, was designed to put theatre audiences in the epicenter of a quake that would measure a 10+ on the Richter scale. The film was released in several audio formats: 70mm mag stereo, 35mm mag three-track stereo with Sensurround on optical tack and 35mm optical with encoded Sensurround cues. This edition has the Sensurround completely rolled off below 40 Hz. Though the music score is well recorded and spatial.
    (Surround Bass Below 50Hz):
    (Aggressive System Surround):
    (Intense 25Hz Bass):
    (Deep Bass Challenging):
    (Aggressive 0.1 LFE):
    (Holosonic Soundfield):
    (Aggressive Split Surround):
    (Center Back Surround Imaging):
    (Directionalized Dialogue):
    Superb Sound Effects Recording Quality:
    Superb Music Score Recording Quality:
    Superb Special Visual Effects Quality:
    Superb Color Fidelity:
    Superb Cinematography:
    Reference LaserDisc:
    Collector Edition: