I posted this earlier in the other thread - I didn't realise there was a seperate reviews thread.
Mods, please delete whichever one is in the wrong place, if you wish.
I watched the DC last night with Me Julie - though she was asleep after 5 minutes (she's had a long week).
The PQ is a significant step up over the SD DVDs. If you don't have this, or it's one of your favourite films, which you'd like to see at its best, and £15 or so won't break the bank, then I'd buy it.
Problems - it doesn't lok as good as BU's Bird With the Crystal Plumage, despite the earlier film only being shot flat on 2-perf Techniscope. Arrow have clearly used the same master as the Italian WMV, as the more yellow tinge visible in most shots is clearly there. Whilst being a step up over the DVD, it's still not quite as natural-looking as I'd hoped.
Clearly, if Arrow have used the WMV master, they can't be responsible for what has been done to it before, and making a fresh master may have been so expensive that we simply wouldn't have had this on BD. So, no slight on Arrow, any many thanks to them for bringing us this worthwhile effort.
On to the film - I doubt I'll watch the DC again. The style of Argento is there to see, with a great plot and impressive set pieces. But watching the film again after a gap of a few years merely underlines its flaws. It's over-long, character development is minimal, the dialogue is 'clunky' (and that's being charitable in the extreme), and apart from Hemmings the acting is largely abysmal. Daria Nicoodi - I've seen better acting from 15 year olds in GCSE drama lessons, and no that isn't a calculated overstatement, it's a hard fact.
The extra scenes in the DC add nothing of note to anyone's character (all of which are painted tissue-thin, anyway), bring nothing to any emotional arc (much of which is a flat line, anyway), and contain none of Argento's stylistic flashes.
In short, everything that is appealing about the film is in the shorter version, whilst everything which is less good, or which even detracts from its finer points, is contained in the additional scenes.
In addition, the swapping between English dialogue and English subtitles over Italian dialogue, often two or three times in a scene, is extremely distracting – especially as Nicolodi’s character’s voice alters by about an octave, depending whether she’s speaking English or Italian. I think I’d rather watch it all in Italian with subs, which perhaps I should have done.
Just my opinion, of course, and I'd be glad for anyone to point out and additional parts which are important.
Sorry that I've not had time to do more of a comparison. I'll post more if, as, and when I get chance.
Meanwhile, if you're a fan of the film and not totally skint, buy it.
Steve W
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