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Originally Posted by keirarts  Few issues with this release.
1. 3 versions of the film, all look scratchy. 4:3 version seems to look best. Better quality than the poor anchor bay release in terms of detail and coloring, but i'm sure the old pre-cert vhs looked better than this.
2. Wrong aspect ratio? The old pre-cert tape went to 2:35:1 in the end credits, is code reds version really in the right aspect ratio?
3. 95 minute interview in italian without subtitles...really 
Overall not terrible, but not one of code reds finer jobs from my perspective...
what does anyone else think... queries, opinions? |
I have to disagree with you, keirarts...
1. I think the 4:3 looks worst, and they're all scratchy but that is the best it'll ever look. Bill @ CR spent a long time trying to figure this out and he did the best he could with what materials even still exist for the movie. I thought the colors mostly looked good on the 16:9 versions, and there is some surprisingly good detail in those transfers too (since they were done in HD). Ultimately, you can't polish a turd. And Anchor Bay never released this.
2. Aspect ratio is correct. In fact, the 4:3 version is the one that Scavolini prefers, but 16:9 is the theatrical ratio. That tape must've had it screwed up (which tapes often did).
3. If you check online, you'll see the history of why the interview is unsubbed. Quickly, CR spent a ton of money on the transfers and couldn't really afford to sub the interview any longer. It was supposed to be done in English, but the interviewer screwed up and did what he wanted to do (even though both he and the director speak very good English). Some folks tried to help out with subbing it for CR, myself included for transcribing them anyways, but it apparently fell through. The fellow doing the subbing agreed to do it over a year ago for free but in his free time. Apparently he never had free time... This was a cursed release, so the fact that it was actually released is just short of a miracle.
And I'd say it's one of Code Red's top releases. I'm thinking you haven't followed the history of this release and maybe your expectations were higher than the ought to have been. That's not a bash, btw, just a guess I'm making.
EDIT: Ah! I see others replied quicker than I did.