Buy Physical Copy At:
Licensor Information
Janus Films
Directed by: John Huston
Under the Volcano follows the final day in the life of self-destructive British consul Geoffrey Firmin (Albert Finney, in an Oscar-nominated tour de force) on the eve of World War II. Withering from alcoholism, Firmin stumbles through a small Mexican village amidst the Day of the Dead fiesta, attempting to reconnect with his estranged wife (Jacqueline Bisset) but only further alienating himself. John Huston’s ambitious tackling of Malcolm Lowry’s towering “unadaptable” novel gave the incomparable Finney one of his grandest roles and was the legendary The Treasure of the Sierra Madre director’s triumphant return to filmmaking in Mexico.
Streaming Options
22938.
+11590
Release Information:
Technical Specifications
Format:
DVD
Discs:
DVD-9 (2 Discs)
Total: 2 Discs
Regions:
1 (DVD)
Aspect Ratio:
1.78:1
Audio Options:
English Dolby Digital Mono 1.0
Resolution:
480p/29.97
Subtitles:
English
Supplements
Types of Supplements Included: Audio Commentary, Theatrical Trailer, Interview, Audio Interview, Documentary, Booklet
- Audio commentary featuring executive producer Michael Fitzgerald and producers Wieland Schulz-Keil and Mortiz Borman
- Theatrical trailers
- New video interview with Jacqueline Bisset
- New audio interview with screenwriter Guy Gallo
- 1984 audio interview with John Huston conducted by French film critic Michel Ciment
- Notes from Under the Volcano (1984), a 59-minute documentary by Gary Conklin shot on the set during the film’s production, featuring interviews with Huston, cast, and crew
- Volcano: An Inquiry into the Life and Death of Malcolm Lowry (1976), filmmaker Donald Brittain’s 99-minute, Academy Award–nominated documentary, narrated by Richard Burton, examining the connections between Under the Volcano author Malcolm Lowry’s life and that of his novel’s main character
- Booklet featuring a new essay by film critic Christian Viviani
Forum Member Statistics
Sign-in with your forum account to rate this release
Film
Picture
Audio
Supplements
Artwork
Release Credits
Producer: Karen Stetler
Artwork: Michael Boland
Release Notes on Restoration
Under the Volcano
Under the Volcano is presented in aspect ratio of 1.78:1. On standard 4:3 televisions, the image will appear letterboxed. On widescreen televisions, the image should fill the screen. Upervised by film editor Roberto Silvi, this new high-definition digital transfer was created on a Spirit Datacine from a 35mm interpositive. Thousands of instances of dirt, debris, and scratches were removed using the MTI Digital Restoration System. To maintain optimal image quality through the compression process, the picture on this dual-layer DVD-9 has been encoded at the highest-possible bit rate for the quantity of materials included.
The soundtrack was mastered at 24-bit from a 35mm magnetic track, and audio restoration tools were used to reduce clicks, pops, hiss, and crackle. The Dolby Digital 1.0 signal will be directed to the center channel on 5.1-channel sound systems, but some viewers may prefer to switch to two-channel playback for a wider dispersal of the mono sound.
The soundtrack was mastered at 24-bit from a 35mm magnetic track, and audio restoration tools were used to reduce clicks, pops, hiss, and crackle. The Dolby Digital 1.0 signal will be directed to the center channel on 5.1-channel sound systems, but some viewers may prefer to switch to two-channel playback for a wider dispersal of the mono sound.