Tenebrae 4K Ultra HD

Dario Argento's 1982 giallo "Tenebrae" is what I feel to be the legendary Italian filmmaker's best film. It features a great cast, an unsually strong plot/script for an Argento film, breathtakingly violent murders and some of the most unique & virtuoso camera work either before or since. If you haven't seen any of Argento's classic output, "Tenebrae" is a great one to start with! As for Arrow Video's blu ray release of the film, if you scour the internet you'll see a lot of grumbling & controversy about a supposedly inferior hi-def transfer. This couldn't be further from the truth! I own both the anamorphic Anchor Bay DVD and this blu-ray and have done a direct comparison and I can safely say that the blu-ray blows the DVD out of the water and is truly like seeing the film again for the first time. Where there is possibly a slight problem with the film is that throughout the movie, there is a slight layer of video noise that isn't film grain that is somewhat noticeable but not intrusive at all in my opinion. It does resemble digital noise at times. A lot of recent blu-rays of Italian films have had the same slight visual peculiarity so maybe it's just how the negatives/film stock were back then or the production house used to author the hi-def transfers themselves are utilizing a particular kind of high def restoration process. Colors though are very strong and the detail is truly astounding compared to past DVD releases. The bit-rate is also very high too. There was also a slight issue with the old Anchor Bay DVD in which it was missing approximately 30 seconds due to print damage with the only print they had access to at the time. The Arrow Video blu ray is the full 1 hour 40 minute 54 second uncut version. Extras involve some interviews with Dario Argento, actress (and Dario's former wife) Daria Nicolodi and composer Claudio Simonetti. You also get two commentary tracks and a live performance by Claudio's former band Goblin too. The audio includes both the Italian & English tracks. So, if you've been on the fence about picking up this particular blu ray, don't be and pick it up immediately. The film looks truly stunning and the nice array of extras compliment this classic giallo very nicely. Highly recommended!

One of Argento's Best. Large ,mostly gruesome body count with one of the creepiest moments EVER! Be prepared for it a few minutes before the end. It's also a great mystery with a terrific, unexpected reveal. Four stars for the movie and an extra star for all of the great extras. Three commentaries and much, much more. Get it before it goes out of print.

One of the best giallo films to ever be made finally at the best viewing format. Looks fantastic. Watch this Italian gem color pop in this 4K slasher filled flick.

Gorgeous restoration of this Italian horror classic! This 4K UHD release by Synapse Films is a must own for any true horror fan!

One Argento's last great films. The guy just can't make em like this anymore.

Disc, case and slipcover arrived in good condition. No disc authoring errors or other issues noted during playback. Truly gorgeous 4K restoration.

The enhanced resolution brings out the vibrant colors and intricate cinematography, immersing viewers in the atmospheric world of mystery and suspense. From the stylish direction to the haunting score, every aspect of the film is elevated to new heights in 4K, making it a must-watch for fans of Italian horror and cinephiles alike.

I liked this movie

Perfect

Il miglior thriller di Dario Argento ritorna in blu ray con il nuovissimo restauro della Arrow Video. Dopo le pessime edizioni in dvd con colori morti e una prima edizione hd scadente, qui è stato utilizzato un nuovo master rispetto a quelli precedenti, riversato semplicemente in 1080p raggiungendo un'ottimo livello di qualità. Il livello di definizione è più che soddisfacente e restituisce un quadro molto più stabile e dettagliato come le trame dei tessuti delle giacche visibili per la prima volta, gli sfondi ora perfettamente nitidi o le scarpe rosse di Eva Robins diventate più che mai lucidissime. Le immagini sono ottimamente contrastate e luminose e le poche scene scure rendono al massimo, ma ciò che fa veramente la differenza rispetto alle edizioni passate sono i nuovi colori finalmente più accesi e dinamici, come le inedite tinte turchese di alberi e piante, le sfumature blu mai apparse in questo film e dove si riesce ad apprezzare lo stile fotografico volutamente diurno per contrasto con le tenebre dell'anima. La visione è abbastanza piacevole se visto su un monitor IPS o un tv Oled, e anche se non eccezionale come i restauri di riferimento, fa di questa edizione di Tenebre la migliore che si è vista finora anche se si poteva fare qualcosa di più come una scansione in 2k. Il film è integrale senza tagli, i titoli di testa e di coda sono in italiano compreso il titolo Tenebre e non Tenebrae come sulla fascetta, l'audio italiano selezionabile tramite menù setup, è un pcm mono più che soddisfacente per apprezzare la bellissima colonna sonora dei Goblin, i sottotitoli in inglese sono disattivabili tramite il tasto subtitle del telecomando del lettore. Tra i tantissimi extra ci sono le interviste in italiano a Dario Argento (15min) e Daria Nicolodi (16min), una in inglese a Claudio Simonetti (10min), un estratto di un concerto live di Simonetti (15min), 2 commenti audio al film in inglese, l'intervista a un critico cinematografico dei film di Argento (12min) e il trailer. tutti i contenuti in inglese non hanno sottotitoli in italiano. La fascetta della custodia è reversibile e mostra da un lato la locandina home video e dall'altro quella originale. Acquisto super consigliato per tutti gli appasionati di questo stupendo thriller di Dario Argento.

Alles bestens Danke :)

I will admit that I am not a huge follower/fan of "Giallo" movies. Over many years I have seen quite a few, and being a loyal reader of "The Dark Side" I read a lot of articles/interviews/reviews etc. Mario Brava crops up a lot obviously, and this may be one of his best? (Discuss)! It benefits from terrific photography and an excellent HD transfer from ARROW (2023 release). The picture, colour and sound are impressive. You get the choice of the Italian version with English subs, or the English one ditto subs. This is what my wife and I watched. Franciosa and Saxon are always VFM though Saxon's part is a waste of his talents and didn't seem to suit him. The women are gorgeous (though I have to say I didin't know who was who - my problem). The murders are pretty grusome as one would expect, and the killer's identity....? The film gets a bit confusing sometimes, but the dubbing is good and I was never bored. The 5 stars are basically because the ARROW release is so good (and the film ain't bad!)

Tenebrae is in my opinion, beautifully filmed, greatly casted, and has a suspenful story. I have watched this over and over. It takes place in Rome, like a lot of other Italian Gialli films. An American writer comes to Rome to promote his book. The book his wrote is called Tenebrae. Crazy things start happening, like murders are taking place, which are coincidentally similiar to the book. The gore is really grusome. There is a scene where arms are severed. Oh my goodness, it is cool! It was even included as a Video Nasty in 1982 or `84. I didn`t find it nasty at all, it love this film!