U.K. original release from Jan. 2010 (Cine Express/Nouveaux Pictures) 1 x BD-25. Region Locked. Special Features in SD:-
Later U.K. re-mastered in 2K release from Nov. 2012 (Cult Films . . . same company as above). Same Extras looks like:-
New 4K re-master by TLEFilms (Italy release Feb. 2017). 1 x BD-50. Extras . . . what Extras !? (lol)
Previous releases compared:-
http://www.dvdcompare.net/comparisons/film.php?fid=20118
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The Synapse 4K re-master will/may/could be different to the Italian 4K re-master in certain as yet unknown ways and it's worth recalling what the gentleman and his team recorded about the restoration:-
" . . . This kind of relates also to a question people have been asking me repeatedly in the last months - and this may be the place and a good opportunity to put things a little into perspective - the question being why we were asked to work on SUSPIRIA given that a Blu-ray distributor in the U.S. is working on the title as well based on (almost) the same material and what the differences are/will be.
The U.S. distributor, I am sure, will do they best to insure that their trusted post-production vendor that was asked by them to do the work on their behalf will produce a good master for their blu-ray edition in the way fans would like to see it with extras and all.
One fundamental difference to the work that we do (TLEFilms FRPS was asked to do the restoration on behalf of the film's world-rights owner) and main aim of it in every respect
would be that the priority and eventual outcome/the end result is not a Blu-ray release/master - in fact, this would be "just a by-product", but the very
PRESERVATION of this film itself
that must reflect the original presentation with precise accuracy well beyond Blu-ray or even 4K UHD quality levels. The reason is to insure that even the generations of viewers in the decades to come and beyond have a reliable, identical image and sound that represent what was made in 1977, be it in theaters, on TV or physical media, regardless of the nature and make.
This means that the workflow, which made use of the 4K anamorphic scan of the (partially very fragile) original picture negative and intermediate negative elements but also exclusively IP sections as well such as titles and parts of the feature did not allow room for interpretations, subjective impressions or deviation from the original of any kind. As a consequence, absolute accuracy in relation to the original creation (in this case the Technicolor Reference Dye Transfer Master Positive of the 1977 theatrical release) of this film production is MANDATORY together with the reliability, responsibility and accountability that come with it.
So, regardless of the subject or looks and whether we like it the way they were made or not, we have to make absolutely sure that the result - the restored presentation - represents the original presentation in every detail. Very intensive research, background knowledge of the photochemical basics and well beyond as well as lots of detailed knowledge of the various stages of production/post-production and the chemical changes the materials were exposed to over the decades are, as one would imagine, also key in this equation - and much more.
In the case of SUSPIRIA, the work took more than a year to complete.
__________________
Torsten Kaiser
Technical Director / Head of Operations
TLEFilms FRPS - Film and Sound Mastering Restoration & Preservation Services"
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This release - v.expensive (4X) when compared to the only other re-mastered in 4K release that I'm aware of (Italian release from Feb. 2017) - is easily the best SUSPIRIA out there as far as Special Features go . . . and the artwork is pretty nifty too (by Malleus) if you like that style
The print of the steelbook front artwork has been described thus:-
"The variant edition for 'Suspiria' (the final print in the Malleus / Dark City Gallery Dario Argento Series). The print is made up of vibrant reds on black stock and glitter is added to small areas of the piece").
Variant --------------------------------------------------------------------------------- other:-
Other Malleus Argento artworks:-
https://www.google.co.uk/search?q=m...Wkj_XVAhWhA8AKHeNCAiAQsAQIJQ&biw=1024&bih=514
As for the artwork can't help getting an Alphonse Mucha (1860 - 1939) vibe,.
The concept O-card front of course being the same classic original poster image as on the front of the German futurepak from March 2016:-
As for the best release of the bunch - concerning PQ / AQ - there's only one (so far) releasing in Oct. 2017 in Italy - 4K UHD (2160p) 3 discs (1 x BD-66, 1 x BD-50, 1 x CD)
Personally speaking - after looking at screencaps of the available releases I'm in the philistine camp as I prefer the boosted contrast of the CultFilms edition compared to the soft, milky look of the newer 4K re-mastered release from Italy.
