Arrow have transferred the exciting Spaghetti western, Texas Adios to Blu-ray in a "New restoration from a 2K scan from the original camera negative by Arrow Film". The image has inconsistencies - more a function of the poor condition, but as evidenced by the matched screen captures this is an obvious leap beyond the SD editions. It is on a dual-layered disc with a max'ed out bitrate. There is damage (see last three captures) and some waxy softness in spots that I don't like (could be digitization) but the overall image is quite pleasing in-motion and without a film-level restoration this is probably the best the film will look on digital. It's in a sharp 2.35:1 widescreen and shows significantly more information in the frame than the DVDs.

The audio gives the option of DTS-HD Master mono (24-bit) tracks - in English or Italian. The sound is flat and has some hollowness (that we often note in Italian productions of this era,) The DUB is, as usual, a bit awkward but the dialogue is clear and there is a score by Antón García Abril (The Werewolf Versus the Vampire Woman, The Loreley's Grasp) that isn't Morricone but fits the western genre well running beside the film. Arrow offer optional English subtitles for the Italian soundtrack or English subtitles for the deaf and hard of hearing for the English soundtrack (samples of both below) on their Region FREE Blu-ray.

I enjoyed the educational audio commentary for by spaghetti western experts C. Courtney Joyner and Henry C. Parke as they discuss many facts of the film including Nero's lawful character, his stunts and Texas Adios representation as one of the best 'American-imitators' of the genre. There is a newly filmed 20-minute interview with star Franco Nero who always looks great as well as new interviews with co-star Alberto Dell'Acqua, for 1/2 hour, and co-writer Franco Rossetti who is not in premium health. Hello Texas! is new 16-minute appreciation by Spaghetti Westerns scholar Austin Fisher (author of Radical Frontiers in the Spaghetti Western: Politics, Violence and Popular Italian Cinema) and the supplements include a gallery of original promotional images from the Mike Siegel Archive, an original trailer (with optional English subtitles) and the package with Django has a double-sided fold-out poster, a limited edition 60-page perfect-bound book featuring new writing on the film by Howard Hughes and Roberto Curti, and original reviews and has a reversible sleeve featuring original and newly commissioned artwork by Sean Phillips.

Genre fans should be happy that Arrow have given fans a Blu-ray of this Spaghetti western classic. Franco Nero is in peak charismatic form and the Arrow - in this imperfect video, with valued commentary, should be strongly considered. Don't hesitate - I envy those who get to see Texas, Adios, for the first time.

Gary Tooze

***

ADDITION: Blue Underground - March 07': This 'new' issue by Blue Underground is EXACTLY the same (from image to extras to menus) as the Anchor Bay but about $7 cheaper - that is, of course, what we recommend!

NOTE: We expect Keoma (Enzo G. Castellari, 1976) and Bullet for the General (Damiano Damiani, 1966) also released by Blue Underground on the same day to be less expensive duplicates of the older Anchor Bay editions as well. If we can compare though we will.

***

The Anchor Bay is much sharper and appears to adhere to the widescreen integrity much more fully than the Carat edition which is cropped noticeably on the right edge as well as the top. The sound is occ on the Carat version - very poor while the Anchor Bay's is quite strong and also have the original Italian. The Extras also go in Anchor Bay's favor and for true spaghetti western fans there is only one choice for this DVD and that is the Region 0 NTSC.   

- Ole Kofoed