Nightmare In A Damaged Brain - The Code Red Release

[bdc]

Which interview do you mean?

Btw apparently the UK Hard Gore disc is a boot.
It's unlicensed.

[bgart13]

Your mate is wrong.

[bdc]

Again?
So according to him it's 2.35:1?

Seems nobody else seems to think that...including the director and Imdb who state 1.33:1...

[keirarts]

Originally Posted by bdc

Again?
So according to him it's 2.35:1?

Seems nobody else seems to think that...including the director and Imdb who state 1.33:1...

or the 1:85:1 attributed to the director elswhere?

honestly I have no idea regarding this, he's seen the film WAAY more times than me, both the pre-cert video nasty and the dutch release, so if he's saying somethings up it makes me wonder.

That said, running my own comparison with the box of the banned version, it looks good enough, shame code red had so much trouble with the release, still it fits nicely on my code red shelf with all the other releases

[nekromantik]

well the way I see it, just cause the aspect was different on the VHS dont mean thats the correct one.

[keirarts]

The interview where he discusses his preffered aspect ratio, he must have stated it somewhere as people are pretty adamant.

Had no idea hargore's release was a boot, though they were legitimate, still leitimate enough for anchor bay to put it out in the box of the banned.

Ah well, the vageries of film distribution often leave me baffled...

I will say on reflection, and with all the kind info provided so far my opinion has been swayed on this particular title, hopefully I can talk my mate round as well, he's seriously talking about roasting the disc on amazon. Personally i want't THAT dissapointed to begin with, just not as overwhelmingly impressed as what I was with their phenomenal messiah of evil, a film i've talked a great many people into buying, or even carrier or the redeemer.
Nontheless its good to own a classic nasty!

[Gojirosan]

There is absolutely no way Nightmare was shot in or intended to be displayed in a 'scope ratio. So 2.35:1 is not right.

The film was quite clearly shot in 1.33:1 Academy(ish) ratio and just about survives matting into the US cinema Widescreen ratio of 1.85:1 or TV Widescreen of 1.78:1.

The Code Red package offers the best options. Personally I think the film looks best in 1.33:1.

[bdc]

Does your mate have the disc?
And what's his proof exactly this was 2:35.1,the old tape ending?
Did he compare all the versions on the CR disc because they differ quite a bit.

I found this comment on the CR blog:
"In 1980, Markovic was hired by Scavolini to work as an assistant editor on "Nightmare." When Code Red acquired the DVD rights to the film, we had access to the original negative which had been stored improperly for more than two decades. Knowing that Markovic had worked on the film and -- even better -- was now an employee of DuArt Labs, we brought the negative to him hoping that he could assist us in the restoration process.

Unfortunately, more than two decades of improper storage had imposed an irreversibly fate. Plagued with mold, crinkling, and years of water damage, the negative had suffered damage beyond repair. Markovic will attest to this in an interview in our DVD of "Nightmare." Without a useable negative with which to work, we had no choice but to turn to the best possible known source; a theatrical release print which is actually a composite of the best reels of seven release prints known to exist. While this source definitely shows wear, it's the best source available and we are in the process of digitally cleaning it up for the DVD release.

As for the aspect ratio, indeed the film was projected at the 1x1.85 aspect ratio in its theatrical release. However, it was shot full aperture as evidenced by the existing release prints. Despite ongoing debate on the internet about how the aperture was set back in 1980 when Scavolini shot the film, the simplest confirmation comes from simply looking at the film elements themselves; there is no 1:1.85 matting. Period.

Furthermore, having already released other letterboxed titles (such as "The Forest" and "Devil Times Five" and the up coming "Sole Survivor", "Teenage Hitchhikers", "The Dead Pit", "The Visitor", "Beyond the Door" and "Hot Moves" etc), why would we deliberately choose to crop an 35mm print matted to 1:1.85? Where's the logic in that? If you have an answer to that, swing it our way. It would be quite amusing to read. For the record, Mr. Markovic will also attest to the film's aspect ratio in our interview with him.

Our choice to transfer the full frame image is consistent with the logic applied by George Romero in the Anchor Bay releases of "Martin" and "Night of the Living Dead," Frank Henenlotter in the DVD release of "Basket Case," and even Stanley Kubrick's preference for this format in the DVD releases of "The Shining" and "Eyes Wide Shut." Our own releases of "Doom Asylum" and "Don't Go In The Woods" were released as full frame for the same reasons, with director approval and supervison in each case.

Doing so, however, would compromise some key images, most specifically the beheading of the prostitute in the flashback scene. We feel that this showcase of the film's most incredible effects work deserves full exposure for the film's most devoted admirer's. THIS is the reason for our choice to do the film justice by giving it a full frame release.

Other films that have lost such integrity in their DVD incarnations due to letterboxed matting include the Anchor Bay DVD release of "Fade To Black," in which a shower scene loses the exposure of Linda Kerridge's breasts and the same company's release of "Mischief," in which Kelly Preston's pubic hair is lost due to matting.

As for missing scenes, obviously we would include these if we could confirm A) their current where-abouts and (most importantly), B) whether or not they were shot to begin with. Scavolini has only confirmed that one such missing scene was ever shot: A scene in which he cameos as a psychiatrist. Romano suspects that this was most likely destroyed after all the film's negative trims were trashed.

Beyond that, Baird Stafford, who plays George Tatum in the film, informed us that most effects scenes were shot two ways: One version for the American release (which all involved thought at the time would end up with an R-rating) and a gorier version originally intended for European audiences. On that note, a last minute choice was apparently made by the 21st Century, the American distributor, to forego an R-rating and release the film unrated. (Although in 1983, a cut version was eventually submitted to the MPAA and successfully secured an R-rating. According to Markovic, however, this R-rated version contained no new footage; it was merely a cut version of the unrated version. In our search, we haven't come across any prints of this R-rated version.

Rumors of additional missing scenes have none the less persisted on the internet, but our investigation of their very existence has been based on the following: The surviving film elements, and the testimony of those involved; Romano Scavolini himself, Baird Stafford, and make-up effects artist Cleve Hall. Our conversations with Romano, Baird, and Cleve have all elicited the same response: NONE of them recall anything other than the psychiatrist scene ever having been shot. these rumored scenes ever having been shot."

So the US prints found back then seem to have been 1:33.1 open matte and were soft matted to 1:85:1 in theatres.

Also there's some interesting things on the avmaniacs forum I seem to remember but I can't access it at the moment.

[bdc]

Btw maybe you're mate could post a screencap from his vhs to compare?
Once av maniacs forum is back up,I'll have more info.

[keirarts]

Thanks for the clarrification!

Yeah my mate owns the dutch vhs and a boot of the pre-cert uk version as well as the new code red dvd (shipped early from the states, i have mine as well.)

He bases the 2:35:1 from the dutch tapes end credits which go into this format, personally I'm not so sure but i'll forward this to him.

I have to say weighing up the arguments, my mind has been changed, hopefully I can change his too!

As for missing scenes, I' did'nt notice any, as far as I can tell this is the complete print and as I said, print damage aside the film does look good, certainlly the colors and image sharpness are better than the box of the banned version at any rate. Now the ratio issue has been cleared up I can rest easy that I have the best version available of this crazy film.

Many thanks!