ADDITION: Anchor Bay 16X9 - May 08': Well, aside from anamorphicity there is no other update from the previous Anchor Bay. It has the exact same extras. Even the 16X9 enhancement doesn't appear to have a demonstrative effect on image improvement, but technically, it should look superior on an advanced systems.

Still no subtitles and the same audio options.

The Argento set seems a decent deal if you don't have all of the individual titles already (or depending on which ones you have). Phenomena (also boosted to 16X9) has a more noticeable improvement and that comparison is forthcoming. Stay tuned!

NOTE: Dan says (in email): "Just read your Tenebre comparison and noticed (or at least thought I did) that the new Anchor Bay seems to be vertically stretched. The actress in the first capture has a long face in the new Anchor Bay and a more naturally proportioned one in the other two captures. Tellingly the camera lens is far more of an oval than in should be in the forth 16:9 capture. The (admittedly unreliable) IMDB has the film at 1.85:1 and stretching this to fill the 1.78:1 16:9 image would account for this distortion. While seemingly minor this is one of those things that can't help but niggle at me when watching a film. It's that slight distortion of the film's reality that ultimately proves more annoying than any loss in resolution of a non-anamorphic image (on a 16:9 display)." - Thanks Dan!

Robert tells us in email: "I would second Dan’s comment about vertical stretching in the 16x9 Anchor Bay TENEBRE (now available as a single disc as well as part of the Argento 5-disc set). He is absolutely on target: the initial, non-anamorphic version (from the same source as the Austrian Sazuma disc) is in the usual theatrical aspect ratio of 1.85:1 (it may even be a trifle wider: it is listed here at 1.91:1). The vertically distorted AB 16x9 version was apparently an attempt to fill modern 1.78:1 16x9 TV screens. Why it was deemed necessary when so many anamorphically enhanced DVDs retain their theatrical 1.85:1 shape is inexplicable. Moreover, Anchor Bay did it on the cheap: rather than returning to an unmatted original film element for real re-framing, they simply stretched the old video master’s image at the time they did the anamorphic enhancement. There is little difference between 1.85 and 1.78, so AB might have gotten away with it, but they carelessly over-stretched it so much that the bottom of the image is obviously cropped; ironically, the generous 1.78:1 aspect ratio would more than have accommodated all the material nearly unnoticeably if the stretching had been done judiciously.

The result is that the only available 16x9 version of TENEBRE is a failure. As Dan points out, several of the screen caps here show the extent of the distortion. An even better example occurs in the film (both releases) at 32:41, the close-up of a camera lens--an emblematic image in this particular film. In the old version, it is round, as expected; in the vertically over-stretched 16x9 version, it is absurdly oval. No DVD reviewer has preferred the 16x9 Anchor Bay version to its predecessor, and the very astute Ian Jane, writing for DVD Talk at HERE is quite clear about the vertical stretching, saying that the transfer has “serious problems.”

One somewhat more positive thought: while both Anchor Bay editions of TENEBRE contain an Italian audio option but no subtitles, the 16x9 version, unlike its predecessor, does have English closed-captions. These could substitute for true subtitles (however poorly) when playing the Italian track. On the other hand, HDMI connections, which are preferred for HD viewing, don’t support old-style closed-captions like these.

Closed-captions aside, I would vote to replace the AB 16x9 with the original non-anamorphic AB for preferred video status in the “Report Card.”.

(Thanks to Robert E. Seletsky!) 

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The picture quality is pretty much the same as Anchor Bay and Sazuma both took their print from the Roan Group LD. If I was forced to lean one way I think the Anchor Bay is slightly sharper as I can notice a touch of contract boosting in the Sazuma. Both have noticeable scratches.

The Austrian DVD is shorter as there are missing scenes and are treated as deleted scenes ( and shown in the Extras ) : ex. the end of the scene where Nicolodi and Franciosa enter his hotel room and a quick insert shot of a stab -under 10 seconds in total. The Anchor Bay shows the film with these scenes and adds about 4 minutes to the total time.

The Extras, I gave to Anchor Bay for the commentary, but the Sazum ahs some nice additions as well including the 15:00 minute interview with Argento. I suppose the bottom line is that you should make your won determinations. If you want the so-called "deleted scenes", if you want the Argento commentary, but basing it solely on sound and image it is a toss-up.  

- Gary W. Tooze