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 S E A R C H    D V D B e a v e r

Directed by Joe Giannone
 US 1982

Gather around the campfire, and hearthe tale of Madman Marz an ill-tempered farmer who, one dark night, chopped up his wife and two children into pieces. When the locals learned of his heinous crimes, they exacted revenge sinking an axe into his head and hanging him from a nearby tree. But the next day, Marz's body was gone...

Thus the camp counsellor finishes his tale, closing with the warning never to say Marz's name above a whisper, lest the hideously-deformed farmer comes looking for them. Naturally, the first thing that one of the young campers does is calls out Marz's name precipitating a terrifying night of murder, mayhem and sexy Jacuzzi vignettes!

Inspired by the same Cropsey urban legend which informed 1981's The Burning and starring Dawn of the Dead's Gaylen Ross (appearing under the pseudonym Alexis Dubin), Madman stands as one of the finest offerings from the golden age of hack n slash.

 

  Posters

Theatrical Release:  January 1st, 1982

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Comparison:

Vinegar Syndrome - Region FREE - Blu-ray vs. Arrow - Region FREE - Blu-ray

1) Vinegar Syndrome - Region FREE - Blu-ray - LEFT

2) Arrow - Region FREE - Blu-ray - RIGHT

 
Box Covers

  

Distribution Vinegar Syndrome - Region FREE - Blu-ray Arrow
Region FREE - Blu-ray
Runtime 1:28:42.233 1:28:42.233
Video

1.78:1 Disc Size: 40,050,685,336 bytes

Feature Size: 21,882,454,656 bytes

Total Bitrate: 29.91 Mbps

Dual-layered Blu-ray MPEG4 - AVC

1.78:1 Disc Size: 42,789,117,935 bytes

Feature Size: 26,305,969,536 bytes

Total Bitrate: 34.98 Mbps

Dual-layered Blu-ray MPEG4 - AVC

NOTE: The Vertical axis represents the bits transferred per second. The Horizontal is the time in minutes.
Bitrate: Vinegar Syndrome Blu-ray

Bitrate: Arrow Blu-ray

Audio

DTS-HD Master Audio English 1080 kbps 1.0 / 48 kHz / 1080 kbps / 24-bit (DTS Core: 1.0 / 48 kHz / 768 kbps / 24-bit)

Commentaries:
Dolby Digital Audio English 96 kbps 1.0 / 48 kHz / 96 kbps / DN -4dB
Dolby Digital Audio English 96 kbps 1.0 / 48 kHz / 96 kbps / DN -4dB

LPCM Audio English 1152 kbps 1.0 / 48 kHz / 1152 kbps / 24-bit
Commentaries:

Dolby Digital Audio English 192 kbps 2.0 / 48 kHz / 192 kbps
Dolby Digital Audio English 192 kbps 2.0 / 48 kHz / 192 kbps
Subtitles English, None English (SDH), None
Features Release Information:
Studio: Vinegar Syndrome

 

1.78:1 Disc Size: 40,050,685,336 bytes

Feature Size: 21,882,454,656 bytes

Total Bitrate: 29.91 Mbps

Dual-layered Blu-ray MPEG4 - AVC

 

Edition Details:

• Commentary track by The Hysteria Continues!

• Commentary by Joe Giannone, Gary Sales, Paul Ehlers and Tony Fish

• Producer Introduction (:50)
• The Legend Lives: 91 minute documentary on the Making of Madman (1:31:42)

• Madman Alive at 35! (21:00)

• The Early Career of Gary sales (14:15)

• Stills and Artwork Gallery (7:21)

• Music Inspired by Madman (13:17)

• In Memoriam (5:46)
• Interview with Gary Sales (3:37)

• Interview with Paul Ehlers (5:15)
• TV spots (1:59)
• Original Theatrical Trailer (1:49)

Second disc DVD of the feature

 Blu-ray Release Date: May 26th, 2015
Standard Blu-ray Case
Chapters:8

Release Information:
Studio: Arrow

 

1.78:1 Disc Size: 42,789,117,935 bytes

Feature Size: 26,305,969,536 bytes

Total Bitrate: 34.98 Mbps

Dual-layered Blu-ray MPEG4 - AVC

 

Edition Details:

• Introduction (2:39)

• Commentary track by The Hysteria Continues!

• Commentary by Joe Giannone, Gary Sales, Paul Ehlers and Tony Fish
• The Legend Still Lives! Thirty Years of Madman a feature-length retrospective documentary on the slasher classic including interviews with various cast and crew (1:31:44)
• Madman: Alive at 35 Sales, Ehlers and star Tom Candela look back at the making of Madman, 35 years after it was filmed (21:01)
• The Early Career of Gary Sales the Madman producer discusses his career in the film industry (14:26)
• Convention interviews with Sales (3:39) and Ehlers (5:17)
• Music Inspired by Madman a selection of songs inspired by the movie, including the track Escape From Hellview from former CKY frontman Deron Miller (12:39)
• In Memoriam producer Sales pays tribute to the some of the film s late cast and crew, including director Giannone and actor Tony Fish (5:48)
• Original Theatrical Trailer (1:49)
• 5 TV Spots (1:55)
• Stills & Artwork Gallery with commentary by Sales (7:21)
• Reversible sleeve featuring original and newly commissioned artwork by Matthew Griffin
Collector's booklet featuring new writing on the film by critic James Oliver, illustrated with original archive stills and posters

Second disc DVD of the feature
 

Blu-ray Release Date: August 24th, 2015
Transparent Blu-ray case

Chapters 13

 

 

 

Comments:

NOTE: The below Blu-ray captures were taken directly from the Blu-ray disc.

ADDITION: Arrow/Vinegar Syndrome - Region FREE - Blu-rays August 15': These are, basically, the same releases. They are both region FREE, both 1.78:1, there is a slight edge in transfer quality to Arrow (although both are from a '4K transfer from the original camera negative') with a slightly higher bitrate. It is not a big difference at all but Arrow's skin tones are marginally warmer and the grain textures are slightly finer and more consistent. The Vinegar Syndrome can occasionally look more green. Both show the same light damage in the same spots (see samples at bottom.) Both offer lossless mono audio and almost exactly the same extras (discussed below) as well as the extact same running time to the 1/1000th of a second.

Vinegar Syndrome use a DTS-HD Master 1.0 channel mono track at 1080 kbps - 24-bit, where Arrow go linear PCM at 1152 kbps - 24-bit. It sounds the same, authentic to the original with the unique score by Stephen Horelick sounding buoyant as does a number of songs in the film written by Sales including Song of the Fifth Wind and I Don't Need Words as sung by Tony Fish (as Tony Nunziata), I Don't Ask Why as sung by Gary Sales and Song of Madman Marz. Both offer optional English subtitles and, as we stated, both Blu-rays are region FREE.

Let's deal with the differences first - while both offer an introduction, the Vinegar Syndrome one is with producer Gary Sales and is only 50-seconds long while the Arrow is 2.5 minutes long. Both have the same two commentary tracks - one by The Hysteria Continues! and a second with director Joe Giannone, producer Gary Sales and stars Paul Ehlers and Tony Fish. Another major inclusion (on both) is the 1.5 hour retrospective documentary on the slasher classic including interviews with various cast and crew entitled The Legend Still Lives! Thirty Years of Madman. It's in 480i on the VC and 1080i on the Arrow. Both releases also have the 20-minute Madman: Alive at 35 Sales with Paul Ehlers and star Tom Candela looking back at the making of Madman, 35 years after it was filmed. Also included is the 15-minute piece on the Early Career of Gary Sales with the Madman producer discussing his career in the film industry. There are convention interviews with Sales (3:39) and Ehlers (5:17) and a piece on selection of songs inspired by Madman including the track Escape From Hellview from former CKY frontman Deron Miller. There is a 6-minute piece with producer Sales paying tribute to the some of the film's late cast and crew, including director Giannone and actor Tony Fish. Both include an original theatrical trailer, TV Spots, a stills and artwork gallery with commentary by Sales and both include a second disc DVD. Arrow package is more polished offering a reversible sleeve featuring original and newly commissioned artwork by Matthew Griffin and a collector's booklet featuring new writing on the film by critic James Oliver, illustrated with original archive stills and posters.

I can see Madman as having a reasonable cult following - it is one of the better of the 'slash' genre that I have seen. I thought it was reasonably well-made - especially for a limited budget. The Arrow has a slight edge but there is a lot of parity in these two Blu-ray editions.  It's always nice to have a choice. Fans will be very pleased with either release.   

Gary W. Tooze



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1) Vinegar Syndrome - Region FREE - Blu-ray - LEFT

2) Arrow - Region FREE - Blu-ray - RIGHT

 

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Subtitle Sample - Arrow - Region FREE - Blu-ray

 

1) Vinegar Syndrome - Region FREE - Blu-ray - TOP

2) Arrow - Region FREE - Blu-ray - BOTTOM

 

1) Vinegar Syndrome - Region FREE - Blu-ray - TOP

2) Arrow - Region FREE - Blu-ray - BOTTOM

 

More Blu-ray Captures

 

Similar, light, damage in a few scenes

 

 

Box Covers

  

Distribution Vinegar Syndrome - Region FREE - Blu-ray Arrow
Region FREE - Blu-ray




 

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Gary Tooze

Many Thanks...