Deep Red 4K UHD - David Hemmings

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S E A R C H D V D B e a v e r

(aka "Profondo Rosso" or "The Hatchet Murders" or "Deep Red: The Hatchet Murders" or "Suspiria 2" )

directed by Dario Argento
Italy 1975

English jazz pianist Marcus Daly (David Hemmings, BLOW-UP) is living and teaching music in Turin. When he witnesses the brutal murder of his psychic neighbor Helga (Macha Meril, BELLE DE JOUR, UN FEMME MARIEE, and NIGHT TRAIN MURDERS), he - along with nosy reporter Gianna (Daria Nicolodi, INFERNO) - begins to investigate the murder and its ties to the murderous recollections Helga picked out from an anonymous audience member and the story of "The House of the Screaming Child." The killer always seems to be on step ahead of Marcus and those who might provide him clues end up brutally murdered and he may be the next victim. In the audio commentary on the new Arrow DVD (recorded for the Another World Entertainment release), Thomas Rostock points out that while the film seems like a stylistic quantum leap from Argento's THE BIRD WITH THE CRYSTAL PLUMAGE and CAT O'NINE TAILS, there were were indications of some of these leanings in the lesser-seen FOUR FLIES ON GREY VELVET. Despite the complex camera tricks and atypical rock score from Ennio Morricone in FOUR FLIES, DEEP RED really encapsulates everything that most associate with Argento at his prime (major American exploitation distributor American International turned down the film because of the unconventional scoring). The plotting (with co-scenarist Bernardino Zapponi who scripted Fellini's SATYRICON and Tinto Brass' ALL LADIES DO IT) is unusually tight and the visual are endlessly inventive (cinematographer Luigi Kuveiller had shot Lucio Fulci's second Giallo LIZARD IN A WOMAN'S SKIN and his later NEW YORK RIPPER, where he was assisted by Mario Bava's camera operator Ubaldo Terzano who also operates on this film). Franco Fraticelli's editing clicks with the music of Goblin (on their first scoring assignment for Argento, with some orchestral interludes by Giorgio Gaslini of Antonioni's LA NOTTE) while some of Giuseppe Bassan's art deco art direction is a dry run for the world he would create in Argento's SUSPIRIA. DEEP RED is also an early genre credit for Carlo Rambaldi (who also dished out the gore for Mario Bava's BAY OF BLOOD). Argento novices who may have started out on SUSPIRIA should check out DEEP RED next.

Eric Cotenas

Posters

Theatrical Release: March 7th, 1975

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Review: Arrow (2 4K UHD discs) - Region FREE - 4K UHD

Box Cover		CLICK to order from: Re-released ion January 2022 on 4K UHD: Bonus Captures:
Distribution	Arrow - Region FREE - 4K UHD
Runtime	Original Version: 2:06:38.799 International version: 1:44:32.209
Video	2.35:1 2160P 4K Ultra HD Director's Cut: Disc Size: 95,675,926,028 bytes Feature: 84,268,699,584 bytes Video Bitrate: 79.54 Mbps Export Version: Disc Size: 92,956,338,688 bytes Feature: 80,744,226,396 bytes Video Bitrate: 81.24 Mbps Codec: HEVC Video
	NOTE: The Vertical axis represents the bits transferred per second. The Horizontal is the time in minutes.
Bitrate 4K Ultra HD:
Audio	Director's Cut: DTS-HD Master Audio Italian 1047 kbps 1.0 / 48 kHz / 1047 kbps / 24-bit (DTS Core: 1.0 / 48 kHz / 768 kbps / 24-bit) DTS-HD Master Audio Italian 2201 kbps 5.1 / 48 kHz / 2201 kbps / 16-bit (DTS Core: 5.1 / 48 kHz / 1509 kbps / 16-bit) DTS-HD Master Audio English 1033 kbps 1.0 / 48 kHz / 1033 kbps / 24-bit (DTS Core: 1.0 / 48 kHz / 768 kbps / 24-bit) Commentaries: Dolby Digital Audio English 192 kbps 2.0 / 48 kHz / 192 kbps / DN -30dB Dolby Digital Audio English 192 kbps 2.0 / 48 kHz / 192 kbps / DN -31dB Export Version DTS-HD Master Audio English 1033 kbps 1.0 / 48 kHz / 1033 kbps / 24-bit (DTS Core: 1.0 / 48 kHz / 768 kbps / 24-bit)
Subtitles	Director's Cut: English for Italian track, English (SDH) for English version, none Export Version: English (SDH), none
Features	Release Information: Studio: Arrow 2.35:1 2160P 4K Ultra HD Director's Cut: Disc Size: 95,675,926,028 bytes Feature: 84,268,699,584 bytes Video Bitrate: 79.54 Mbps Export Version: Disc Size: 92,956,338,688 bytes Feature: 80,744,226,396 bytes Video Bitrate: 81.24 Mbps Codec: HEVC Video Edition Details: 4K Ultra HD disc One • New audio commentary by critics Troy Howarth and Nathaniel Thompson • Archival audio commentary by Argento expert Thomas Rostock • Almost three hours of new interviews with members of the cast and crew, including co-writer/director Dario Argento, actors Macha Méril, Gabriele Lavia, Jacopo Mariani and Lino Capolicchio (Argento’s original choice for the role of Marcus Daly), production manager Angelo Iacono, composer Claudio Simonetti, and archival footage of actress Daria Nicolodi • Italian trailer • Arrow Video 2018 trailer • Image galleries 4K Ultra HD disc Two • Archival introduction to the film by Claudio Simonetti of Goblin Profondo Giallo – an archival visual essay by Michael Mackenzie featuring an in-depth appreciation of Deep Red, its themes and its legacy • Archival interviews with Dario Argento, Daria Nicolodi, Claudio Simonetti and long-time Argento collaborator Luigi Cozzi • US theatrical trailer Limited edition packaging with reversible sleeve featuring originally and newly commissioned artwork by Obviously Creative Illustrated collector’s booklet featuring writing on the film by Alan Jones and Mikel J. Koven, and a new essay by Rachael Nisbet Fold-out double-sided poster featuring original and newly commissioned artwork by Obviously Creative Six double-sided, postcard-sized lobby card reproduction artcards 4K Ultra HD Release Date: October 25th, 2021 Black 4K Ultra HD Case inside custom box (see below) Chapters 16

Comments:

NOTE: The below Blu-ray and 4K UHD captures were taken directly from the respective discs.

ADDITION: Arrow 4K UHD (October 2021): Arrow's are releasing Dario Argento's masterpiece Giallo Deep Red in 4K UHD. This 2 disc package includes new 4K restorations of both the original 127-minute Italian version (also cited as the 'Director's Cut') and, on a second 4K UHD disc, the 105-minute export (or 'international cut') version from the original negative by Arrow Films. These are 4K (2160p) 4K UHD presentations of both versions in Dolby Vision (HDR10 compatible.) It improves in all anticipated areas, a deeper richer image (appropriately the color 'red'), contrast is more layered and grain textures more consistently fine. There is no beating this resolution - advancing to easily be the best home theater presentation of this essential Giallo. Both 3840 X 2160 original and export versions are of the same impressive image quality. Delicious in-motion. A great film to see in 4K UHD.

It is likely that the monitor you are seeing this review is not an HDR-compatible display (High Dynamic Range) or Dolby Vision, where each pixel can be assigned with a wider and notably granular range of color and light. Our capture software if simulating the HDR (in a uniform manner) for standard monitors. This should make it easier for us to review more 4K UHD titles in the future and give you a decent idea of its attributes on your system. So our captures may not support the exact same colors (coolness of skin tones, brighter or darker hues etc.) as the 4K system at your home. But the framing, detail, grain texture support etc. are, generally, not effected by this simulation representation.

NOTE: 66 more more full resolution (3840 X 2160) 4K UHD captures, in lossless PNG format, for Patrons are available HERE

We have reviewed the following 4K UHD packages to date: Misery (software uniformly simulated HDR), The Silence of the Lambs (software uniformly simulated HDR), John Carpenter's "The Thing" (software uniformly simulated HDR), The Cat' o'Nine Tails (software uniformly simulated HDR), The Bird With the Crystal Plumage (software uniformly simulated HDR), Dr. Strangelove or: How I Learned to Stop Worrying and Love the Bomb (software uniformly simulated HDR), Perdita Durango (software uniformly simulated HDR), Django (software uniformly simulated HDR), Fanny Lye Deliver'd (software uniformly simulated HDR), The Good, the Bad and the Ugly, (NO HDR applied to disc), Rollerball (software uniformly simulated HDR), Chernobyl (software uniformly simulated HDR), Daughters of Darkness (software uniformly simulated HDR), Vigilante (software uniformly simulated HDR), Tremors (software uniformly simulated HDR), Cinema Paradiso (software uniformly simulated HDR), The Bourne Legacy (software uniformly simulated HDR), Full Metal Jacket (software uniformly simulated HDR), Psycho (software uniformly simulated HDR), The Birds (software uniformly simulated HDR), Rear Window (software uniformly simulated HDR), Vertigo (software uniformly simulated HDR), Spartacus (software uniformly simulated HDR), Jaws (software uniformly simulated HDR), The Invisible Man, (software uniformly simulated HDR), Steven Spielberg's War of the Worlds (software uniformly simulated HDR), Lucio Fulci's 1979 Zombie (software uniformly simulated HDR),, 2004's Van Helsining (software uniformly simulated HDR), The Shallows (software uniformly simulated HDR), The Bridge on the River Kwai (software uniformly simulated HDR), The Deer Hunter (software uniformly simulated HDR), The Elephant Man (software uniformly simulated HDR), A Quiet Place (software uniformly simulated HDR), Easy Rider (software uniformly simulated HDR), Suspiria (software uniformly simulated HDR), Pan's Labyrinth (software uniformly simulated HDR), The Wizard of Oz, (software uniformly simulated HDR), The Shining, (software uniformly simulated HDR), Batman Returns (software uniformly simulated HDR), Don't Look Now (software uniformly simulated HDR), The Man Who Killed Killed and then The Bigfoot (software uniformly simulated HDR),, Bram Stoker's Dracula (software uniformly simulated HDR), Lucy (software uniformly simulated HDR), They Live (software uniformly simulated HDR), Shutter Island (software uniformly simulated HDR), The Matrix (software uniformly simulated HDR), Alien (software uniformly simulated HDR), Toy Story (software uniformly simulated HDR), A Few Good Men (software uniformly simulated HDR), 2001: A Space Odyssey (HDR caps udated), Schindler's List (simulated HDR), The Neon Demon (No HDR), Dawn of the Dead (No HDR), Saving Private Ryan (simulated HDR and 'raw' captures), Suspiria (No HDR), The Texas Chain Saw Massacre (No HDR), The Big Lebowski, and I Am Legend (simulated and 'raw' HDR captures).

On their Director's Cut 4K UHD, Arrow offer options for DTS-HD Master mono Italian-language track at 1046 kbps (24-bit) or a DTS-HD Master 5.1 surround Italian-language track at 2199 kbps (but only 16-bit) or a DTS-HD Master English mono track at 1031 kbps (24-bit). This duplicates their 2016 Blu-ray and remains highly supportive in the lossless. The surround, bump, was notable - and the 24-bit tracks had rich, authentically flat, tones - the score never sounding more urgent or deep. Wow. The 1 3/4 hour International version sported a liner PCM - English mono. It has one of the best scores for the genre with the music of Goblin (on their first scoring assignment for director Argento) with some orchestral interludes by Giorgio Gaslini (the gruesome giallo So Sweet So Deadly, Night of the Devils, Antonioni's La Notte) who was let go earkly in the film for not providing what Argento wanted. English subtitle options abound - for all Italian tracks and English (SDH) for the English tracks. Arrow add optional English (SDH) subtitles on the Region FREE 4K UHD disc and included Region 'A'-locked Blu-ray.

NOTE: It's pretty much common knowledge by now but to restate: the English audio track on this original cut has some portions of English audio missing. English audio for these sections was never recorded for these scenes. As such, they are presented with Italian audio, subtitled in English.

While Arrow's recent 4K UHD's of Argento's The Cat O' Nine Tails and The Bird With the Crystal Plumage didn't have new supplements but ported over the ones from the previous Arrow Blu-rays, Deep Red does in the form of a new audio commentary by critics Troy Howarth (author So Deadly, So Perverse: 50 Years of Italian Giallo Films) and Nathaniel Thompson (Mondo Digital.) It's wonderful as they state they love of Deep Red, it's wonderful styling, Nathaniel's, and my own, favorite - and Troy's favorite Giallo as well as the best of this cycle of films. They discuss Argento's return to the form and how he came back with a vengeance being tired of the wannabes and immitators of his work and, seemingly decided to make the best of this genre that it helped define - succeeding immensely. Giallo was in disrepair at the time and Argento revived it with Deep Red. They talk about Daria Nicolodi and her essential importance in Argento's films, their affair (1974-85), the value of editor Franco Fraticelli, many of the bit players, The Japanese LaserDisc (Suspiria Part 2), the timeline the film takes place over, David Hemmings great performance and voice - exuding how well it works in the English language version. It's a fabulous commentary and they fill the 2+ hours with insightful comments, facts, anecdotes, discussion of other films - most of Argento's oeuvre, the Jewish references in Deep Red - and plenty of other fascinating minutia. This commentary is strongly recommended!

There are plentiful extras on the 4K UHD discs - that duplicate the video supplements on the last Blu-ray, including the audio commentary with Argento expert Thomas Rostock - the same one as found on Arrow's first Blu-ray. There are a few extras duplicated from that original release. There is a short introduction to the Director's Cut film by Claudio Simonetti of Goblin. I was quite impressed with the 33-minutes Profondo Giallo new visual essay from Michael Mackenzie offering an in-depth look at Dario Argento's early films and the road to Deep Red. It's very detailed and certainly worth indulging for any level of Argento fan. NOTE: It does contain spoilers for both Deep Red and The Bird With the Crystal Plumage. Rosso Recollections is about a dozen minutes spent with Dario Argento's reflecting on films he admires and his own work. The Lady in Red spends almost 20-minutes with Daria Nicolodi recalling her experiences making Deep Red. Music to Murder For! has almost 15-minutes with Claudio Simonetti discussing the music of Deep Red. Rosso From Celluloid to Shop is a 1/4 hour tour of the Profondo Rosso shop in Rome with long time Argento collaborator Luigi Cozzi. There is also an Italian trailer and on the International version Blu-ray - and English trailer. The package generously contains 6 x postcard-sized lobby card reproductions, a double-sided fold-out poster featuring two original artworks, limited edition packaging with reversible sleeve featuring originally and newly commissioned artwork by Obviously Creative, and an illustrated collector’s booklet featuring writing on the film by Alan Jones and Mikel J. Koven author of La Dolce Morte: Vernacular Cinema and the Italian Giallo, and a new essay by Rachael Nisbet and a fold-out double-sided poster featuring original and newly commissioned artwork by Obviously Creative.

Arrow's magnificent 4K UHD release of Dario Argento's masterpiece Giallo Deep Red is a must-own for new adopters and lovers of this addictive genre. It can be quite graphic - lots of blood and gruesome murders. It's done with such intentional style; precise editing, inventive camera angles, intense scoring etc. that - even as an newly acquired taste - you can embrace its cinematic beauty quite rapidly. Deep Red is actually a great starting pointing for some to embrace Argento's Giallo work. I have watched it three times since the 4K UHD package arrived. Our highest recommendation!

Gary Tooze

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