Phantom of the Paradise (1974) Arrow pre-order

[Beauvoir]

Just logged into my account and apparently Arrow has received stock in their warehouse!

[Rockercub]

Originally Posted by Beauvoir

Just logged into my account and apparently Arrow has received stock in their warehouse!

I don't know if we're looking at the same thing, but my order's been showing as "sent to warehouse" since the 1st of the month. I know we should get it a bit early, but I'm not holding my breath either.

[Beauvoir]

Just got an email that my steelbook has been dispatched!

[Rockercub]

Me too! Can't wait!

[Spiderwalk]

Just received the steelbook, very nice finish similar to Tenebrae. Had a quick flick through the disc, transfer looks gorgeous.

[Beauvoir]

Originally Posted by Spiderwalk

Just received the steelbook, very nice finish similar to Tenebrae. Had a quick flick through the disc, transfer looks gorgeous.

NICE!


Can't wait for mine to arrive!

[NoirFan]

DVD Beaver has their review/comparison up.

[Aunt Peg]

Originally Posted by NoirFan

DVD Beaver has their review/comparison up.

The Arrow transfer looks awfully dark in some of those comparison shots.

[MacEachaidh]

Originally Posted by Aunt Peg

The Arrow transfer looks awfully dark in some of those comparison shots.

Yes, doesn't it? I take the reviewer's point that the French release looks brightened, but maybe a point somewhere between the two would have been preferable.

And — this is not consistent, from shot to shot, and I know this is going to make some people groan, but I think it's fair comment — some of those shots look disturbingly colour-shifted towards ... teal. Look at the close-up of the contract Swan gets Winslow to sign: the blood is no longer even red. (Though it's certainly red in the shot where Winslow starts bleeding through his leather suit.) And the skin tones in many of the shots have that preserved-leather greyish cast to them that a teal push brings.

That seems a pity to me. Let's hope it scrubs up better in action, eh?

[rybev]

I watched this the other day and the darker look wasn't an issue at all, I thoroughly enjoyed the film.

Screenshots

[adamhopelies]

Originally Posted by rybev

I watched this the other day and the darker look wasn't an issue at all

I'd like to echo this point. I too watched the film this week, and had I not been aware that this were darker than the French disc I would not thought for 1 second that the Arrow disc was particularly dark.

[adamhopelies]

As for the film itself, it's probably the least fun I've had with any of the Arrow Blu-rays, but obviously that's not a bad mark against Arrow. I'm glad that it's out there, and look forward to delving in to the extras.

[CinemaScope]

Originally Posted by Rockercub

Me too! Can't wait!

Seeing your avatar, I'm reminded that Sissy Spacek has a credit in this movie...as a set dresser! Her husband (Jack Fisk) was the production designer, I suppose she was earning a bit of money between acting gigs. They're still married.

[dvdmike]

Originally Posted by NoirFan

DVD Beaver has their review/comparison up.

Their caps are not to be trusted ever

[rybev]

Originally Posted by dvdmike

Their caps are not to be trusted ever

Why do you say that? Just curious.

[Mentasm]

Originally Posted by dvdmike

Their caps are not to be trusted ever

In this case they aren't wrong. It does look exactly like the images on their site. I have no idea which of the transfers is closer to the original intent, but if I hadn't seen the French disc I wouldn't have given it a second thought. The Arrow disc looks perfectly good in motion and the crush wasn't really an issue. If anything that French disc looks too bright in some of those images. The colour grading does look quite modern though, but the transfer was done by Fox not Arrow.

Originally Posted by rybev

Why do you say that? Just curious.

Because they're notoriously unreliable. I don't know if he's finally figured out how to consistently take accurate caps, but many, many of his older ones are just plain wrong (fuzzy, incorrect colours etc).

[tenia]

Originally Posted by Mentasm

Because they're notoriously unreliable. I don't know if he's finally figured out how to consistently take accurate caps, but many, many of his older ones are just plain wrong (fuzzy, incorrect colours etc).

I don't think Gary has changed anything, because the numeours times he has been challenged on this, he always said "nope, not my fault !"

[Mentasm]

Originally Posted by tenia

I don't think Gary has changed anything, because the numeours times he has been challenged on this, he always said "nope, not my fault !"

Well, Mr. Tooze must have done something because the last few comparisons I looked at had images that were representative of what's on the disc (after doing my own caps and comparing), whereas a lot of the old ones were completely wrong. Doubt he's gonna put his hand up and say 'yeah, I was wrong so disregard loads of my comparisons'.

[Braktastic]

Originally Posted by Mentasm

The colour grading does look quite modern though, but the transfer was done by Fox not Arrow.

This sentence gets right to the heart of the matter for me. I do not like the color grading, and I don't think there's anyway a 70s production would have ever looked this way in the theater. Did Fox do this transfer with any input from Brian DePalma?

So, what to do... I guess I'll wait to see if the Shout/Scream Factory disc has different coloring for starters, and then I'll have a decision to make. It doesn't look like the Opening disc is readily available unfortunately.

[rybev]

Originally Posted by Mentasm

Because they're notoriously unreliable. I don't know if he's finally figured out how to consistently take accurate caps, but many, many of his older ones are just plain wrong (fuzzy, incorrect colours etc).

Thanks, I didn't realise they had that reputation.