Cult Films Discussion Thread

[Jamiouse]

Are they going to squeeze Opera out in time for Halloween?

[grahams76]

Originally Posted by Cremildo

Beaver review of The Vitelloni.

Gulp. The Criterion DVD is noticeably better.

Removed from wish list. Thanks.

[Nedoflanders]

Single layer?!? 1080i?!? Of the two releases, this is the one I was expecting to be (at least) decent.

Unless it's just the review disc, I'm passing on this.

[PaperThinWalls]

What an embarrassment. It's shameful that they think they can release product like this.

[Mahadeva]

Originally Posted by PaperThinWalls

What an embarrassment. It's shameful that they think they can release product like this.

What did you expect from Shameless' sister label?

[Nedoflanders]

So...after saying I’d never buy the Cult Films release of ‘I Vitelloni’, I chanced upon a copy for £2 in a charity shop (yep, that soon after the release date). Since it was so cheap and I’ve never owned the film, I couldn’t say no.

Gave it a quick spin and it is what it is: an upscaled SD master with a 4% speed up. However, it’s still perfectly watchable and not as waxy or oily in motion as the Beaver caps looked. It’s more like a serviceable DVD.

A trailer for ‘Juliet of the Spirits’ appears at the beginning of the disc - this one:

Juliet of the Spirits Trailer - YouTube

with a faint smattering of grain.

For the time being, it will do. But it’s getting chucked when Criterion finally decide to upgrade.

[Cremildo]

Juliet of the Spirits is 1080i.

[nitin]

Originally Posted by Cremildo

Juliet of the Spirits is 1080i.

It also looks like a garbage master irrespective of the 1080i.

[grahams76]

Originally Posted by grahams76

Removed from wish list. Thanks.

Ditto for Juliet Of The Spirits.

[leoganzi]

1080i transfer in 2018? Lovely...

[Gerby]

Disappointing to say the least about both Fellini's.
Maybe one day Criterion will oblige us.

[Nedoflanders]

Criterion better get their act together before I find this one in a charity shop as well.

Watched the 'I Vitelloni' disc all the way through last night. It really is quite a shambles.

[javi92]

Guess I have to add Cult Films to the list of labels that I wait for reviews before preordering.

[Nedoflanders]

Originally Posted by javi92

Guess I have to add Cult Films to the list of labels that I wait for reviews before preordering.

Same. It's a real shame because their reputation (in my book) was starting to go up since the rebranding.

[sjt]

Don't forget that it will be the centenary of Fellini's birth in 2020, and I'd be very surprised indeed if Criterion weren't busy right now planning something very similar to their imminent Bergman set - that is, an almost complete retrospective - bearing in mind that they still have the rights to a number of Fellini's films which they haven't so far transferred in HD (Variety Lights, The White Sheik, I vitelloni, Giulietta, E la nave va, La strada, Notti di Cabiria) as well as those that they have (La dolce vita, Amarcord, Satyricon, Roma, Otto e mezzo).

As for "Cult Films", I'm sure there's a misspelling in there somewhere,,,,,,

[robsinden]

Dario Argento's Opera Dual format just announced for 19 Nov

[Ste7en]

Originally Posted by robsinden

Dario Argento's Opera Dual format just announced for 19 Nov

Holy crap! Nice. I love Opera. I have the Koch Media mediabook but I'll be picking this bugger up as well.

[NLScavenger]

OPERA
Format: Dual-Format (BD/DVD)
Release date: 19 November

Dario Argento's horror masterpiece, restored in 2K with instruction from the maestro himself and with reference to his own print.

Dario Argento (SUSPIRIA) returns to CultFilms with this breath-taking new restoration of his visionary horror masterpiece OPERA. Splattered with stylistic bloodshed and soaring cinematography, OPERA shows Italy's master of horror at the very height of his game.

When young understudy Betty (Cristina Marsillach) takes the lead role in a new operatic production of Verdi's Macbeth, she soon attracts the attention of a knife-wielding psycho who forces her to watch as he despatches her friends and colleagues with sadistic delight. Can Betty free herself from this unending nightmare or does a more terrifying fate await? OPERA is a ravishing return to the giallo style Argento made his name with, awash with black-gloved killers, lavish bloodletting and the director's trademark Grand Guignol excess.

CultFilms is proud to bring you this gore-soaked terror classic in a stunning new 2K restoration, carried out with instructions from the maestro himself and in reference to his own, preferred, original cinema print.

SPECIAL FEATURES
• ‘Aria of Fear’: a brand new interview with director Dario Argento
• ‘Opera Backstage’: a unique behind the scenes documentary
• Restoration featurette

TECH SPECS
• 1080p HD
• Format: Dual-Format (BD/DVD)
• Aspect ratio: 2.35:1
• Feature length: BD: 107m 13s, DVD: 94m 38s
• DVD: 94mins 38secs
• Certificate: 18
• Audio: English and Italian
• Optional English subs
• Region code: BD: B, DVD: 2.
• Cat: CULT503
• RRP: £14.99
• Original Release: 1987

Pre-order coming soon.

[Hawkmonger]

Hoping Cult Films scrub up an improved Django blu next. Argents previous release left a great deal to be desired.

[rapta]

Cult Films are releasing a box set of Spaghetti Westerns in May - consisting of Django, A Bullet for the General and Keoma - as well as Django on its own.

I wonder what masters they'll be using for these? Can't be worse than the first one they used for Django, but I wonder if they bought Arrow's restorations of Django and Keoma from them?