The
Bird With The Crystal Plumage
(1970/MVD Visual/Arrow Limited Edition Blu-ray/DVD Set)
Picture:
B+/B Sound: B+/B Extras: B+ Film: B
Dario
Argento's 1970 debut masterpiece, The
Bird with the Crystal Plumage
(also known as L'uccello
dalle piume di cristallo),
explores the director's passion for Italian Giallo pictures (that he
helped pioneer) and helped redefine the genre. Eloquently shot,
directed, and produced, this is one of Argento's best looking films,
with many inspiring moments in horror that deems it a notable
landmark in the Director's filmography and was the film that really
put him on the map. This limited edition release from Arrow Films is
now available in the US and UK and is a must have for Argento fans as
it's loaded with great extras, collectible inserts and packaging, and
a superior presentation that makes this one of the company's best
releases this year.
The
film stars Tony Musante, Suzy Kendall, Eva Renzi, Enrico Maria
Salerno, Mario Adorf, and Renato Romano. It is both written and
directed by Dario Argento.
When
Sam (Musante), an American writer in Rome, witnesses a murder attempt
on the wife of the owner of an art gallery by a sinister man in a
raincoat and black leather gloves, his entire life is turned upside
down. The woman lives and is the first surviving victim of a
notorious serial killer, which sparks Sam's interest in forming his
own investigation. As the clues begin to unravel, Sam soon becomes a
pawn in this murder's vicious scheme.
This
newly restored 4K presentation from the original 35mm
Techniscope/Chromoscope 2-perf film negative in 1080p high definition
with it's original widescreen aspect ratio of 2.35:1 and a DTS-HD MA
(Master Audio) 2.0 Mono (48kHz, 24-bit), is far better (and more
contrasty) than other editions of the film that have been released on
disc in the past few years, including the VCI and Blue Underground
releases that shared the same HD master Color is at least as good as
those older editions, but more wide-ranging. The original mono
Italian and English soundtracks (lossless on the Blu-ray Disc) are
also included in this edition, which also features a standard DVD
presentation of the film in lesser quality. However, it does NOT
have the multi-channel sound upgrades the Blue Underground edition
offers that is one of the many reasons that out-of-print edition is
going for so much.
We
bet this edition will be as pricey when it sells out.
Special
Features...
New
audio commentary by Troy Howarth, author of So Deadly, So
Perverse: 50 Years of Italian Giallo Films
The
Power of Perception, a new visual essay on the cinema of Dario
Argento by Alexandra Heller-Nicholas, author of Devil's Advocates:
Suspiria and Rape-Revenge Films: A Critical Study
New
analysis of the film by critic Kat Ellinger
New
interview with writer/director Dario Argento
New
interview with actor Gildo Di Marco (Garullo the Pimp)
Reversible
sleeve featuring original and newly commissioned artwork by Candice
Tripp
Double-sided
fold-out poster
6
Lobby Card reproductions
Limited
edition 60-page booklet illustrated by Matthew Griffin, featuring an
appreciation of the film by Michael Mackenzie, and new writing by
Howard Hughes and Jack Seabrook.
This
is a great time for Argento fans, as many great discs have been
announced in recent days and are coming later this year including
Synapse's recent release of Phenomena
(the steelbook is a web only exclusive and a standard edition has
been announced for this fall) and Blue Underground's upcoming three
disc Blu-ray of The
Stendhal Syndrome.
Arrow also has plans to make a few more notable additions to their
library by Argento, it has been rumored.
Hopefully,
Synapse can get their remaster of Suspiria to the presses
soon, as everybody and their brother has been waiting for it. For
now, though, this fantastic new release is enough to get us through
the hot summer.
This
is our latest look at the film, one we've covered often over the
years. For more on the film, start with this link to our coverage of
the Blue Underground Blu-ray, which offers links to even more
coverage...
http://www.fulvuedrive-in.com/review/8971/The+Bird+With+The+Crystal+Plumage+(1970/Blue
-
James Lockhart
https://www.facebook.com/jamesharlandlockhartv/
