The Escapees – Indicator Series (4k UHD)

Theatrical Release Date: France, 1981
Director: Jean Rollin
Writers: Jean Rollin, Serge Moati
Cast: Laurence Dubas, Christiane Coppé, Marianne Valiot, Patrick Perrot, Louise Dhour, Jean-Louis Fortuit, Brigitte Lahaie, Natalie Perrey, Jean-Loup Philippe

Release Date: December 9th, 2024 (UK), December 10th, 2024 (USA)
Approximate Running Times: 106 Minutes 55 Seconds (Original Version), 105 Minutes 31 Seconds (Alternate Version)
Aspect Ratio: 1.66:1 Widescreen / 2160 Progressive / HEVC / H.265 / Dolby Vision HDR10 (Both Versions)
Rating: 18 (UK), NR (USA)
Sound: LPCM Mono French (Both Versions)
Subtitles: English (Both Versions)
Region Coding: Region Free
Retail Price: £24.99 (UK), $49.95 (USA)

"When two young women, the wayward Michelle (Laurence Dubas) and the withdrawn Marie (Christiane Coppé), escape from an asylum, they find themselves drifting through a nightmarish world of burlesque troupes, lascivious sailors, and hardened criminals. After a violent confrontation, the police close in..." - synopsis provided by the distributor

Video: 5/5 (Both Versions)

Here’s the information provided about the transfer, “The Escapees was scanned, restored and color corrected in 4k HDR at Silver Salt Restoration, London, using original 35mm negative film materials. Phoenix and PFClean image-processing tools were used to remove many thousands of instances of dirt, eliminate scratches and other imperfections, as well as repair damaged and missing frames. No grain management, edge enhancement or sharpening tools were employed to artificially alter the image in any way.”

The Escapees comes on a 100 GB triple layer 4K UHD.

Disc Size: 92.1 GB

Feature: 69.7 GB

This release uses seamless branching for the two versions. The source used for this transfer looks exceptional. Image clarity, depth, contrast, black levels, and compression are solid. Flesh tones look healthy, colors are nicely saturated and at times vivid, and grain remains intact; the image always looks organic.

Audio: 4.5/5

This release comes with one audio option, a LPCM mono mix in French with removable English subtitles. This audio track is in great shape. Dialog always comes through clearly, and everything sounds balanced and robust when it should.

Extras:

Extras for this release include an image gallery (42 images - stills/production paper work/home video art), an appreciation by author and musician Stephen Thrower titled A Secret Room (34 minutes 55 seconds, Dolby Digital stereo English with removable English subtitles for French film clips), a previously unseen interview with Jean-Loup Philippe titled Monsieur Loup et la folie, he discusses his work as a writer and his friendship with Jean Rollin (8 minutes 46 seconds, Dolby Digital stereo French with removable English subtitles), an interview with Jean Rollin regulars Natalie Perrey and Jean-Pierre Bouyxou titled Quant à Louise, they remember actress Louise Dhour (4 minutes 41 seconds, Dolby Digital stereo French with removable English subtitles), a new presentation of an in-depth 2008 interview with Jean Rollin in which he discusses The Escapees and his other films titled One Day in Paris (29 minutes 20 seconds, Dolby Digital stereo English and French with removable English subtitles for French), an audio commentary with film expert Tim Lucas, and an 80-page booklet with cast & crew information, an essay titled Of Dropouts and Lost Films written by Lucas Balbo, The Escapees synopsis, archival writing by Jean Rollin titled Introducing The Escapees, an archival interview with Jean Rollin conducted by Jean-Marie Sabatier, a tribute to Jean Rollin titled Jean Rollin: The Other Side of the Mirror written by Nicolas Stanzick, an archival interview with composer Philippe D’Aram conducted by Damien Deshayes, and information about the restoration.

Summary:

Directed by Jean Rollin, a filmmaker whose career spanned five decades. His films are known for their fantasy and erotic elements. Notable films he directed are The Iron Rose, Lips of Blood, and The Night of the Hunted.

Two orphans, whose lives have been plagued by tragedy, escape from an asylum. Now free, they seek out the happiness that has always eluded them. Will they find what they are looking for, or will their past destroy them?

Known for vampires, pirates, and the living dead, The Escapees is an unusual film from Jean Rollin. Where most of his films fit into the horror genre, The Escapees is a film that unfolds like a straightforward melodrama. Though there are sinister characters, The Escapees lacks the foreboding mood that's synonymous with his most celebrated films. That said, the opening setup bears some similarities to another Jean Rollin film, Night of the Hunted.

The thing that you immediately notice about The Escapees is that it is dialogue heavy, and its 107-minute running time is one of Jean Rollin's longest films. The narrative does not feel more fleshed out despite the increased dialogue; it feels like a series of random events. And though things start off strong, there are many stretches where the narrative lags. Fortunately, things pick up considerably in the final act and culminate with a brutal finale.

For the leads, Jean Rollin would cast two first-time actresses: Laurence Dubas in the role of Michelle and Christiane Coppé in the role of Marie. These two characters are polar opposites; Michelle is the dominant personality while Marie is introverted. Both actresses deliver pitch-perfect performances that are among the best to appear in a Jean Rollin film. Frequent Jean Rollin collaborators Louise Dhour, Nathalie Perrey, Jean-Loup Philippe, and Brigitte Lahaie round out the cast.

Once again, Jean Rolling picks some inspired locations, all of which factor in The Escapees most striking moments. There is a lengthy cabaret sequence in a junkyard, a moment of serenity when one of the girls ice skates, and a carnage-filled finale. Despite its shortcomings, the positives outweigh any negatives; there are a few magical moments that are undeniably Jean Rollin.

The Escapees makes its way to 4K UHD via a definitive release from Powerhouse Films, highly recommended.

Note: This release is a limited edition of 10,000 numbered units (6,000 4K UHDs and 4,000 Blu-rays) for the UK and US.

Note about the 4K screenshots: It is not possible to make Dolby Vision or HDR10 screenshots that faithfully match the experience of watching a film in motion on a TV. Instead of not having any screenshots, all of the 4K screenshots are m2ts taken with a MPC-HC player and lossless PNGs.

Written by Michael Den Boer