Author Topic: "Earthquake" DVD: with SENSURROUND!  (Read 1264 times)

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Offline Mr. Hankey

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"Earthquake" DVD: with SENSURROUND!
« on: May 06, 2006 at 11:57 PM »


Earthquake (1974)

I just purchased this DVD, and was pleasantly surprised to find that in addition to a new Dolby Digital 5.1 audio track, it also has an "English Sensurround 3.1" track, to faithfully recreate the theatrical experience of SENSURROUND from the 1970s!  ;D

Are there any other films with a 3.1 track?

Very clean widescreen anamorphic transfer for this "Disaster Classic," as well. But DVDs do not get any more barebones than this - it doesn't have a trailer. Heck, it doesn't even have an on-screen index of its chapters! Just a sound selection/play button. Nothing else!

Still, this is a must-have for fans of cheesy all-star 70s disaster flicks. I'm sure there are a few of us out there, and the number might grow with the upcoming theatrical release of the remake of The Poseidon Adventure.
« Last Edit: May 07, 2006 at 12:06 AM by Mr. Hankey »
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Offline SPaCeMaN SPiFF

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Re: "Earthquake" DVD: with SENSURROUND!
« Reply #1 on: May 07, 2006 at 12:54 AM »
"YOU'LL FEEL IT AS WELL AS SEE IT"



Quote
Sensurround, another dispensable gimmick, evolved in 1975 for the Universal production, EARTHQUAKE. According to Halliwell's Film Companion the process involved "the augmentation of violent action on screen by intense waves of high decibel sound, enough, in some documented cases, to crack ribs." The process was used for two subsequent films ROLLERCOASTER and MIDWAY. The process never caught on due to the disturbances at the local cineplex. When EARTHQUAKE opened in December of 1974, GODFATHER II opened the same week and often played in the next theatre auditorium. Theatre managers were inundated with complaints from audience members, literally shaken, by the bleeding of Sensurround into their theatre exhibiting GODFATHER II. The disruption was not worth the effort for most theatre owners.

SOURCE

another website lists these as movies with sensurround:

- Battlestar Galactica
- Earthquake
- Midway
- Rollercoaster
- Zoot Suit.

a more "techie" explanation of sensurround (maybe one of the HT gurus can make heads or tails of this) from the "sensurround manual":
Quote
The Sensurround Model II system developed by MCA Universal brings a new dimension to the motion picture theatre. It is designed to generate special audible and sub audible effects not yet possible to reproduce on presently available systems. The audience will actually be participating in the film. The torso will vibrate. So will the diaphragm. Flesh and auditory nerves will receive the sensations one might feel while experiencing the event depicted on the screen. Rather than the structure-shaking resulting from a natural disaster, this vibrating movement is actually airborne. Although some vibration can be felt - on thin wall surfaces, the amplitude is so small that no appreciable displacement can be measured. Also, the Sensurround effects will not cause hearing damage. The system is composed of high-level electro-acoustic with solid-state power amplifiers capable of up to 1000 watts of audio power. The system develops 100 to 120 dB sound pressure level (SPL) on the "C" scale in the theatre.

The amplifiers that power the electro-acoustic transducers are provided with programmed signals from a specially recorded sound track that contains frequencies below audible range as well as within the lower audible frequency range. The Sensurround electro-acoustic transducers reproduce very low frequency components intentionally recorded on the sound track. These frequencies are too low to reproduce efficiently on theatre speaker systems. Sensurround transducers in the front and rear of the theatre are energized with the low frequencies of the sound track when commanded by special control tones recorded on the sound track.

* i imagine this "high decibel sound" is a "speaker killer". HT owners beware. LOL.
« Last Edit: May 07, 2006 at 01:01 AM by SPaCeMaN SPiFF »

Offline baby

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Re: "Earthquake" DVD: with SENSURROUND!
« Reply #2 on: May 07, 2006 at 09:44 AM »
So it's like you're inside of a fully audio set up car. or something like that.  I'll get this one to find out. :)

Offline Mr. Hankey

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Re: "Earthquake" DVD: with SENSURROUND!
« Reply #3 on: May 07, 2006 at 09:26 PM »
Hmm... regarding the Sensurround track: I don't know if there's something else I should adjust, but I "feel" the on-screen earthquake a lot more using the DD 5.1 track.  ;D
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