Tenebrae
(1982/Synapse Blu-ray)
Picture:
B+ Sound: B+ Extras: B Film: B-
A
landmark in the career of Italian horror film director Dario Argento
(Suspiria, Opera), the 1982 film Tenebrae lands
on disc looking better than ever (no joke) thanks to Synapse. This
Giallo film is a mystery that will keep you guessing who is the
killer at the heart of an elaborate murder spree. Similar to other
films by the director there are killer dogs, breaking glass, over the
top gore, nudity, and a colorful palette that brings out lush and
groundbreaking cinematography. Some aspects of the film are pretty
dated and some of the special effects not as good as they could be if
done today, but the film is pretty fun and a must see for fans of
Italian horror cinema.
Tenebrae
stars Anthony Franciosa, John Saxon, Daria Nicolodi, and John
Steiner.
Taking
place in Rome, the film centers around the new release of a novel
named Tenebrae. After a woman gets caught trying to
steal the book from a store, she is soon found dead in her apartment
at the gloved bloody hands of a murderer, with pages from the book
shoved down her throat. Around the same time, the author of the book
comes to Rome with the police suspicious that he may be responsible.
As more and more bodies pile up, so do the suspects - all of which
are oddly related to the chilling novel.
Presented
in 1080p high definition with a widescreen aspect ratio of 1.85:1 and
and the original Mono 2.0 tracks in both English and Italian as
lossless DTS-HD MA (Master Audio) presentations, the film has
supervised color correction from the original camera negative, looks
fantastic and often defies its age.
Special
Features include....
Audio
commentary track featuring film critic and Argento scholar, Maitland
McDonagh
Rare
high-definition 1080p English sequence insert shots, playable within
the film via Seamless Branching
Feature-length
documentary, Yellow Fever: The Rise and Fall of the Giallo
by High Rising Productions, chronicling the Giallo film genre from
its beginnings as early 20th Century crime fiction, to its later
influences on the modern slasher film genre
Original
UNSANE (U.S. version of Tenebrae) end credits sequence
Alternate
opening credits sequence
International
theatrical trailer
Japanese
SHADOW theatrical trailer
A
great release that is definitely worth tracking down for horror fans
and long-awaited by Argento diehards, all will be impressed.
-
James Lockhart
https://www.facebook.com/jamesharlandlockhartv/
