1) Hollywood Classics Ltd. / Mælström - Region 2 - PAL LEFT
2) Arrow - Region 'B' - Blu-ray MIDDLE

3) Shout! Factory - Region 'A' - Blu-ray RIGHT

 Also available in Blu-ray Steelbook from Arrow:

Hollywood Classics Ltd. / Mælström

Region 2 - PAL

1.85:1 Original Aspect Ratio

16X9 enhanced
Average Bitrate: 8.17 mb/s
PAL 720x576 25.00 f/s

NOTE: The Vertical axis represents the bits transferred per second. The Horizontal is the time in minutes.

Aspect Ratio:
Widescreen anamorphic - 1.85:1

Edition Details:
• Disc Format: DVD 9
• Removable Dutch subtitles

DVD Release Date: March 27, 2006
Transparent keep case

Chapters 15

ADDITION: Shout! Factory - Region 'A' Blu-ray - November 2015: An opening screen on the Shout! Factory presentation indicated:

and indeed it is, virtually, the exact same 1080P transfer as the Arrow (described below.) We've compared two screen captures below that can substantiate this.

Audio does differ moderately as Shout! Factory offer the option of a DTS-HD Master 5.1 bump at 3833 kbps or a similar encode 2.0 channel (both 24-bit). Beyond the surround bump (that is not particularly discreet in its separations) my ears can't distinguish too much between the more robust linear PCM (surprising bass response) of the Arrow and the 2.0 channel DTS-HD Master of the US Blu-ray. Both quite excellent exporting the score by Nick Mason and Rick Fenn with added music; The Grand Tour (performed by David Keith), some Hank Williams Jr., Booker T. Jones and Hot Chocolate's You Sexy Thing. There are also optional English (SDH) subtitles (bolder, smaller font - see comparative sample) on the region 'A'-locked Blu-ray disc.

So what differences in the supplements? Much is duplicated. Both include the revealing audio commentary by Donald Cammell biographer Sam Umland (Donald Cammell: A Life on the Wild Side) and the 11-minute the “Into the White” interview with cinematographer and steadicam operator Larry McConkey, as well as the rare, 5.5 minutes, deleted scenes, newly transferred from the original camera negative, with commentary by Sam Umland - the alternate credit sequence and the 12-minutes of Flashback Sequences prior to the Bleach Bypass process. Both also include a second disc DVD. What we gain on the Shout! Factory are two interviews - “Into the Vortex” spends almost 18-minutes with actor Alan Rosenberg and "Eye of the Detective” has 1/4 hour with actor Art Evans. What we lose, that is on the Arrow, is the feature length documentary Donald Cammell: The Ultimate Performance – and Cammell's 72' short The Argument, booklet, revisable sleeve etc.

So it's close but with the added extras - the Arrow Blu-ray ekes out another win. Still a great package that region 'A' audiences should be very pleased with. True cinema and wonderfully discussed in the supplements. A very strong recommendation!

***

ADDITION: Arrow - Region 'B' Blu-ray - March 2014: Arrow's new Blu-ray (also available in Steelbook version) looks like a solid transfer in 1080P. It is dual-layered with a max'ed out bitrate and advances beyond the 2006 SD out of Holland. Colors are richer (skin tones warm), detail rises (notable in the many 'eyeball' close-ups) and grain is very prevalent - especially notable in the flashback scenes that, incidentally, went through a bleach-bypass treatment producing a thick, high-contrast appearance in those scenes (NOTE: there are 11-minutes in the extras of the appearance before this treatment). There is more information in the frame - on all 4 edges. The image varies -swinging quite extensively from the sharpness of the well-lit close-ups to the darker, grainy and a bit noisy flashback sequences. I can only feel it is totally accurate - or as close as we are ever likely to get. There are no speckles or damage.

Arrow provide a linear PCM 2.0 channel at 2304 kbps with some surprising effects exporting bass. The score is by Nick Mason and Rick Fenn with added music; The Grand Tour (performed by David Keith), some Hank Williams Jr., Booker T. Jones and Hot Chocolate's You Sexy Thing. It all sound very good, flat but clean and reasonably tight. There are optional English (SDH) subtitles (see sample) on the region 'B'-locked disc.

We get a very informative audio commentary by Donald Cammell biographer Sam Umland (author of Donald Cammell: A Life on the Wild Side). He fills in so much knowledge about the film, production and director. He can seem a bit dry at times as if he is reading from a prepared text, but it still flows exceptionally well. Very professional - Criterion-like. Arrow describe the supplements so well - I will use their descriptions. Another big extra is the 1 1/4 hour Donald Cammell: The Ultimate Performance feature length documentary by Kevin Macdonald and Chris Rodley (from BBC 1998) looks over the life and career of the rebel filmmaker and features interviews with Cammell and his closest friends, family and colleagues including Nicolas Roeg, Mick Jagger, Kenneth Anger, James Fox and many more. Included is The Argument – a 11-minute short film by Cammell in 1972, gorgeously shot by Vilmos Zsigmond in the Utah Desert. Rediscovered and assembled by Cammell’s regular editor Frank Mazzola in 1999, it is viewable with optional commentary by Sam Umland. There are 5-minutes worth of rare deleted scenes, newly transferred from the original camera negative, with commentary by Sam Umland. The scenes featuring John Diel's character were removed from release prints by Cannon, for reasons unknown. Unfortunately, the original audio is lost (in its place Umland's informative commentary).  A 'Making of...' entitled Into The White: Filming White of the Eye. It runs just over 11-minutes. As previously mentioned the flashback scenes, are here, as originally shot, prior to the bleach bypass processing that they underwent in the final film. Lastly, on the digital front are two minutes of an alternate credits sequence. The package is dual;-format with a DVD of the feature. The case contains a reversible sleeve featuring original and newly commissioned artwork by Nathanael Marsh and a collector’s booklet featuring new writing by Brad Stevens and Sam Umland, and a previously unpublished extract from the memoirs of producer Elliott Kastner, illustrated with original archive stills.

Highly interesting film - quite unique and... progressively curious. Arrow create another incredible Blu-ray package with the extensive extras including the knowledge-filled commentary. It's kind of a must-have for film fans. I kept thinking of Antonioni, and, of course, Roeg. WOW. Strongly recommended!     

***

1) Arrow - Region 'B' - Blu-ray TOP

2) Shout! Factory - Region 'A' - Blu-ray BOTTOM

1) Hollywood Classics Ltd. / Mælström - Region 2 - PAL TOP
2) Arrow - Region 'B' - Blu-ray MIDDLE

3) Shout! Factory - Region 'A' - Blu-ray BOTTOM