Suspiria (1977) 40th Anniversary 4K Steelbook (Synapse Exclusive) (LE) (US)

[Brian81]

I guess with the slip being the original art, as long as I have that, I can deal with the ugly SteelBook art..

I did dig out my old Anchor Bay DVD's press stills replicas and I guess I really dont need to keep this around for those. Can do without them. I did find some amusement as all the stills look nothing like either this or the TLE transfer, but people use stills as a reference for titles like The Terminator on BD and how that one is supposed to look. All the stills have a faded and dull appearance to them. Except for the razor wire one.

[Hazel Motes]

man I wish Suspiria (2018) was getting a 4K steelbook.

[BerryTheMusicMan]

Originally Posted by Hazel Motes

man I wish Suspiria (2018) was getting a 4K steelbook.

Said no on ever ! LOL

[Worship.my.wreck]

Originally Posted by Hazel Motes

man I wish Suspiria (2018) was getting a 4K steelbook.

Originally Posted by BerryTheMusicMan

Said no on ever ! LOL

I do

[dickdarlington]

Originally Posted by BerryTheMusicMan

Said no on ever ! LOL

The 4K master for the Suspiria remake looks phenomenal. It’s a shame that Lionsgate/Amazon didn’t give a 4K UHD.

(And I’m in the camp that did not like the film.)

[BuckNaked2k]

Did they print more of these or find some? I saw it on the home page on sale for $80.

[Ray Jackson]

Originally Posted by BuckNaked2k

Did they print more of these or find some? I saw it on the home page on sale for $80.

I don’t see what you’re seeing Buck.

[BuckNaked2k]

Originally Posted by Ray Jackson

I don’t see what you’re seeing Buck.

I see it on the home page under New Blu-ray Deals. Also here:

https://www.blu-ray.com/deals/?sortby=time

[thebarnman]

Does anyone remember what the original cost of the Synapse steelbook cost when it was originally released? I just looked on Amazon and couldn't believe what they are charging for this now.

Maybe it was always that amount and I just don't remember?

[Brian81]

Originally Posted by thebarnman

Does anyone remember what the original cost of the Synapse steelbook cost when it was originally released? I just looked on Amazon and couldn't believe what they are charging for this now.

Maybe it was always that amount and I just don't remember?

Thank you for your order with Synapse Films.

Order ID:
QTY TITLE PRICE
1 Suspiria – 40th Anniversary Synapse Exclusive 4K Remaster [Limited Edition Two-Disc Blu-ray + CD Steelbook] (Only 6000 Produced) - Blu-ray $49.95
Total $49.95

[thebarnman]

Originally Posted by Brian81

Thank you for your order with Synapse Films.

Order ID:
QTY TITLE PRICE
1 Suspiria – 40th Anniversary Synapse Exclusive 4K Remaster [Limited Edition Two-Disc Blu-ray + CD Steelbook] (Only 6000 Produced) - Blu-ray $49.95
Total $49.95

Wow, I'm glad I already have it, it's now double that on Amazon.

I wasn't sure if I could talk price on this forum so thank you for that. As you can see from my collection, I have three versions of this movie! I'll be sure to check out the UHD Blu-ray version when I finally get around to buying a 4K QD-OLED.

By the way, you did a great job on "Hot Dog The Movie" (1984!)

[Brian81]

Originally Posted by thebarnman

Wow, I'm glad I already have it, it's now double that on Amazon.

I wasn't sure if I could talk price on this forum so thank you for that. As you can see from my collection, I have three versions of this movie! I'll be sure to check out the UHD Blu-ray version when I finally get around to buying a 4K QD-OLED.

By the way, you did a great job on "Hot Dog The Movie" (1984!)

I have...four. The Image Entertainment LD, the Anchor Bay LE DVD, and the two Synapse releases. I would pick up the UK 4K if it were still available. Just for the alternate look. I've yet to see any concrete evidence showing either as correct. The Synapse looks great, but really doesn't look like the trailer, or better said, I don't necessarily see how one gets to the look like the other. Colors aren't even remotely as saturated as the Synapse/Anchor Bay/etc. Also, that one murderer is completely hidden in the shadows, except for the eyes, on the old DVD, the trailer, and the LD, but you see the character as plain as day in the 4K remaster. There's no jump scare to the viewer. That can't possibly be correct.

Official Trailer: Suspiria (1977) - YouTube

at 31 secs.

[thebarnman]

Originally Posted by Brian81

I have...four. The Image Entertainment LD, the Anchor Bay LE DVD, and the two Synapse releases. I would pick up the UK 4K if it were still available. Just for the alternate look. I've yet to see any concrete evidence showing either as correct. The Synapse looks great, but really doesn't look like the trailer, or better said, I don't necessarily see how one gets to the look like the other. Colors aren't even remotely as saturated as the Synapse/Anchor Bay/etc. Also, that one murderer is completely hidden in the shadows, except for the eyes, on the old DVD, the trailer, and the LD, but you see the character as plain as day in the 4K remaster. There's no jump scare to the viewer. That can't possibly be correct.

As far as the color is concerned, the highly saturated colors are correct based from everything I've read. Shot I think on Eastman film and released in Technicolor. When it was transferred to Technicolor, lots of work went into making sure it had a certain look which we can see today on the Synapse release.

I'm certain the trailer was not a Technicolor print. The film that was used for the trailer was some sort of mono color film (meaning full color on one strip of film as compared to three strip Technicolor) which as it is the Eastman color film degrades greatly over a short period of just a few years.

Now about the murderer in that one scene. The movie restoration was overseen and supervised by Argento’s director of photography Lucian Tovoli. If anyone knows how certain scenes should look, it would be him. The original negative was used, but lots of work when into creating the look as to what was visioned for theatrical release.

I'm not saying one is correct and the other is not, however it was four years in the making. Lots of time and effort was put into preserving it's original intent.

[JohnCarpenterLives]

Originally Posted by Brian81

I have...four. The Image Entertainment LD, the Anchor Bay LE DVD, and the two Synapse releases. I would pick up the UK 4K if it were still available. Just for the alternate look. I've yet to see any concrete evidence showing either as correct. The Synapse looks great, but really doesn't look like the trailer, or better said, I don't necessarily see how one gets to the look like the other. Colors aren't even remotely as saturated as the Synapse/Anchor Bay/etc. Also, that one murderer is completely hidden in the shadows, except for the eyes, on the old DVD, the trailer, and the LD, but you see the character as plain as day in the 4K remaster. There's no jump scare to the viewer. That can't possibly be correct. Official Trailer: Suspiria (1977) - YouTube at 31 secs.

I wanna play. Here's what I got:

[Christian Muth]

Originally Posted by thebarnman

As far as the color is concerned, the highly saturated colors are correct based from everything I've read. Shot I think on Eastman film and released in Technicolor. When it was transferred to Technicolor, lots of work went into making sure it had a certain look which we can see today on the Synapse release.

I'm certain the trailer was not a Technicolor print. The film that was used for the trailer was some sort of mono color film (meaning full color on one strip of film as compared to three strip Technicolor) which as it is the Eastman color film degrades greatly over a short period of just a few years.

Now about the murderer in that one scene. The movie restoration was overseen and supervised by Argento’s director of photography Lucian Tovoli. If anyone knows how certain scenes should look, it would be him. The original negative was used, but lots of work when into creating the look as to what was visioned for theatrical release.

I'm not saying one is correct and the other is not, however it was four years in the making. Lots of time and effort was put into preserving it's original intent.

The U.S. trailer was definitely NOT an IB Technicolor print. None of the U.S. prints were, Technicolor's U.S. labs stopped IB printing in 1974 (the last U.S. film printed in I.B. Technicolor having been THE GODFATHER PART II). Technicolor Rome and London continued I.B. printing into 1977, which is why SUSPIRIA was able to be printed that way in Europe (select prints), and why there are I.B. Technicolor prints of JAWS and the first STAR WARS in existence.

Re: the "man in the shadows", while his outline is more visible now than in the part, I disagree that he's "plain as day". I think perhaps he is if you're looking for him, but if your eyes are focused on Sarah, you only really notice his glowing eyes, which have always been visible here. There also seems to be an ever-so-slight adjustment to the light behind him as Sarah walks by, which makes him stand out a bit for just a moment. I have to think Dean Cundey might have had this scene in mind when he did that creeping light effect on Michael Myers in the original HALLOWEEN, where he slowly fades up in the darkness of the doorway behind Laurie before he first attacks her.

As for copies of SUSPIRIA I've owned or still do:

"Grey market" VHS dub of the pan-and-scan Japanese laserdisc that I bought when I was still in high school in the 1980s (the first time I ever saw SUSPIRIA)

Original Japanese pan-and-scan laserdisc (CX analog stereo)

Image Entertainment letterboxed laserdisc (PCM digital stereo)

Japanese remastered letterboxed laserdisc (for some reason, MONO!!!)

Anchor Bay DVD (3-disc limited edition set)

French Blu-ray from 2007

U.K. Blu-ray from 2007

Japanese Blu-ray from 2007

Cult Epics remastered Blu-ray from 2017 (TLE 4K restoration)

Synapse 4K remastered Blu-ray steelbook set

Synapse 4K UHD.

Chris

[thebarnman]

Originally Posted by Christian Muth

The U.S. trailer was definitely NOT an IB Technicolor print. None of the U.S. prints were, Technicolor's U.S. labs stopped IB printing in 1974 (the last U.S. film printed in I.B. Technicolor having been THE GODFATHER PART II). Technicolor Rome and London continued I.B. printing into 1977, which is why SUSPIRIA was able to be printed that way in Europe (select prints), and why there are I.B. Technicolor prints of JAWS and the first STAR WARS in existence.

Re: the "man in the shadows", while his outline is more visible now than in the part, I disagree that he's "plain as day". I think perhaps he is if you're looking for him, but if your eyes are focused on Sarah, you only really notice his glowing eyes, which have always been visible here. There also seems to be an ever-so-slight adjustment to the light behind him as Sarah walks by, which makes him stand out a bit for just a moment. I have to think Dean Cundey might have had this scene in mind when he did that creeping light effect on Michael Myers in the original HALLOWEEN, where he slowly fades up in the darkness of the doorway behind Laurie before he first attacks her.

As for copies of SUSPIRIA I've owned or still do:

"Grey market" VHS dub of the pan-and-scan Japanese laserdisc that I bought when I was still in high school in the 1980s (the first time I ever saw SUSPIRIA)

Original Japanese pan-and-scan laserdisc (CX analog stereo)

Image Entertainment letterboxed laserdisc (PCM digital stereo)

Japanese remastered letterboxed laserdisc (for some reason, MONO!!!)

Anchor Bay DVD (3-disc limited edition set)

French Blu-ray from 2007

U.K. Blu-ray from 2007

Japanese Blu-ray from 2007

Cult Epics remastered Blu-ray from 2017 (TLE 4K restoration)

Synapse 4K remastered Blu-ray steelbook set

Synapse 4K UHD.

Chris

Chris, that's a very interesting post. The first thing I'd like to mention is I too was thinking about that scene in Halloween, other video releases showed him a little bit brighter, but the (I think it's the 30th anniversary) Blu-ray I have was said to have the levels back to how it was when it first shown in the theatres (I watched it originally when it first came out and I do remember being startled since I didn't see him at first!) He's still visible but barely which makes it more scary just like it was in the theatre.

I'm very aware of those last Technicolor prints in the U.S. except I didn't know there was one of Jaws.

I think there was some Technicolor prints of some movies during the later 90s, but there's not too many of them. Pearl Harbor (2001) being one of them. And I see Technicolor at the end of movies this past few years or so, but I don't understand what involvement they have with digital prints.

The only reason I know as much as I know about Technicolor, I actually read through this whole book titled "The Dawn of Technicolor 1915-1935" and "Technicolor Movies The History Of Dye Transfer Printing." Crazy I know because that first one is a huge book, just strike it up as simply being interested in the history of color in cinema.

I would imagine digitally the original negative of Suspiria (1977) could be scanned and three color records easily crated in just one pass (I don't know, just an idea) where much of the same kind of work can be done with a computer rather than chemically. Even if the original color is faded, there's probably enough color left over in the original negative to create separates...and if any of one of those color records has a low level of color, it could be boosted independently as to not effect the other color records. Again, just speculating. Actually, I'd really would love how they did that.

In any case, I think they did an excellent job of recreating that look!

[bigrob]

Since we're comparing...

US Anchor Bay 3 disc Limited Edition DVD
Custom DVD (Laserdisc audio synced to Anchor Bay DVD)
Italian 4K Restored Blu-ray
US Synapse 4K UHD

Watched the 4k UHD last night and was absolutely blown away

wouldn't mind getting hold of the UK limited edition for the bonus disc though.

[Christian Muth]

Originally Posted by thebarnman

...

I think there was some Technicolor prints of some movies during the later 90s, but there's not too many of them. Pearl Harbor (2001) being one of them. And I see Technicolor at the end of movies this past few years or so, but I don't understand what involvement they have with digital prints.

Yes, Technicolor briefly reintroduced IB printing in the late 1990s for a few years. The 35mm prints of APOCALYPSE NOW REDUX were printed in IB, for example.

The Technicolor labs still existed for decades after they abandoned the IB process, which is why you'd still see the credit at the end of movies for so long. They did negative developing and made "standard" Eastmancolor prints.

I would imagine digitally the original negative of Suspiria (1977) could be scanned and three color records easily crated in just one pass (I don't know, just an idea) where much of the same kind of work can be done with a computer rather than chemically. Even if the original color is faded, there's probably enough color left over in the original negative to create separates...and if any of one of those color records has a low level of color, it could be boosted independently as to not effect the other color records. Again, just speculating. Actually, I'd really would love how they did that.

In any case, I think they did an excellent job of recreating that look!

While the negative for SUSPIRIA was physically heavily damaged, it wasn't faded, so it wasn't very hard to recreate the intended look via digital color grading. Synapse went back and forth with Luciano Tovoli in Italy to get the look "just right". He'd send them his notes, they'd send him samples that he'd look at on a calibrated system, and they'd go back and forth this way until they got it right and he signed off on the final color grade.

Chris

[Aclea]

The 1996 restoration and reissue of Giant was another one.