austrian tenebrae dvd review

TENEBRAE
SIGMA CINEMATOGRAPHIA ; ITALY
dvd specification
original year of release: 1982
approximate running time: 101 minutes
aspect ratio: 1.85:1
system: NTSC (colour)
rating: unrated
sound: english dolby digital 5.1, english dolby digital 2.0 surround, german dolby digital 2.0
dvd release: sazuma productions
region: 2
region coding: none
dvd extras
subtitles in danish, dutch, english, finish, german, norwegian and swedish
theatrical trailer
3 deleted scenes
15 minute interview with Argento
biographies of the main actors

[video][sound][extras][conclusion]

For a review of the film, please click here.

video
Pretty good quality transfer, nice and crisp. The same print was used by Anchor Bay but here, probably because it is a PAL transfer, it is just that bit better. Very little digitally endused grain is visible and the colours are nice and vibrant giving the bright red blood a warm glow. It is presented in it's correct ratio of 1.85:1 and is non-anamorphic.

sound
Both Dolby Digital 5.1 and Dolby Surround give average results but with limited surround information present. I would have expected better from a 5.1 remix. The option of a German soundtrack is a bonus.

extras
A 15 minute interview with Argento and 3 deleted scenes along with all the subtitles means it scores pretty well on this count. The interview is reasonably interesting but was obviously done some time ago. The deleted scenes are nothing special and contain nothing interesting as far as plot development goes. However, I think these scenes are not so much deleted as missing from the print of the film that is used for the disc. It is well known that the Anchor Bay release is not complete because of frame damage to the source print. I think here we have those missing segments taken from a different print. Full marks to Sazuma for hunting them down.

The other major bonus with this disc is the amount of different language subtitles available. This makes it a much better prospect for European Argento fans.

conclusion
Another addition to the ever expanded Argento DVD catalogue and one of his finest films. This DVD is taken from the same print as the Anchor Bay TENEBRE and is labelled the 'Directors Approved Version'. However, it has the edge especially for Europeans because this one has so many different language subtitles. The inclusion of the 3 deleted scenes and an interview are also nice additions. As Sazuma's first DVD, I think the presentation shows that we could be in for some great releases in the future.
reviewed by NJD

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