Snapshot Blu-ray - Chantal Contouri

(aka "The Day After Halloween" or "Snapshot" or "One More Minute" or "The Night After Halloween")

directed by Simon Wincer
Australia 1979

The 4K UHD of Snapshot is reviewed/ compared HERE

Angela (Sigrid Thornton) is a young hair-dresser having a hard time making ends meet. Looking for a fast way to earn some extra money, she accepts a job working as a model. Soon, however, she gets the feeling that someone is watching her; following her…stalking her. Is it her deranged ice cream truck driving ex boyfriend? A psychotic admirer? Or someone more sinister… As Angela delves further into her new and sordid lifestyle, she finds herself growing closer and closer to the deadly truth.

Director Simon Wincer’s (QUIGLEY DOWN UNDER) slow burn psychological thriller, SNAPSHOT, melds character drama with moments of shocking violence and nail biting suspense. Featuring atmospheric scope photography by Vincent Monton (ROAD GAMES) and a pounding soundtrack from Brian May (MAD MAX), SNAPSHOT is a forgotten piece of Ozploitation and is proudly presented on Blu-ray from Vinegar Syndrome, newly restored from its original 35mm camera negative.

Posters

Theatrical Release: 1 June 1979 (Australia)

Reviews More Reviews DVD Reviews

Comparison:

Magna Pacific - Region 4 - PAL vs. Scorpion Releasing (US Theatrical Cut) - Region 0 - NTSC vs. Scorpion Releasing (International Version) - Region 0 - NTSC vs. Vinegar Syndrome - Region FREE - Blu-ray

Big thanks to Eric Cotenas for all the Screen Caps!

Box Covers				Coming to Blu-ray from 88 Films in the UK in September 2021:
Distribution	Magna Pacific Region 4 - PAL	Scorpion Releasing Region 0 - NTSC		Vinegar Syndrome Region FREE - Blu-ray
Runtime	1:40:24 (4% PAL speedup)	1:32:21	1:40:12 (4% PAL speedup)	1:32:40.763	1:40:25 (480i - 5.6 Gig)
Video	1.72:1 Original Aspect Ratio 16X9 enhanced Average Bitrate: 5.46 mb/s PAL 720x576 25.00 f/s	2.45:1 Original Aspect Ratio 16X9 enhanced Average Bitrate: 5.83 mb/s NTSC 720x480 29.97 f/s	1.75:1 Aspect Ratio 16X9 enhanced Average Bitrate: 4.47 mb/s NTSC 720x480 29.97 f/s	2.40:1 Disc Size: 45,801,067,916 bytes Feature Size: 26,955,692,928 bytes Total Bitrate: 34.93 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: Magna Pacific
Bitrate: Scorpion Releasing (US Theatrical Cut)
Bitrate: Scorpion Releasing (International Version)
Bitrate: Vinegar Syndrome Region FREE - Blu-ray
Audio	English Dolby Digital 2.0 mono	English Dolby Digital 2.0 mono	English Dolby Digital 2.0 mono	DTS-HD Master Audio English 1742 kbps 1.0 / 96 kHz / 1742 kbps / 24-bit (DTS Core: 1.0 / 48 kHz / 768 kbps / 24-bit) Commentary: Dolby Digital Audio English 192 kbps 2.0 / 48 kHz / 192 kbps / DN -4dB
Subtitles	none	none	none	English (SDH), none
Features	Release Information: Studio: Magna Pacific Aspect Ratio: Widescreen anamorphic - 1.72:1 Edition Details: • none DVD Release Date: Amaray Chapters 12	Release Information: Studio: Scorpion Releasing Aspect Ratio: Widescreen anamorphic - 2.45:1 Edition Details: • International Version (16:9; 1:40:12) - see below • Audio Commentary on international version by producer Anthony Ginnane • Alternate Title Card (4:3; 5:35) • Optional Playback with KATARINA'S NIGHTMARE THEATER hostess segments DVD Release Date: 24 July 2012 Amaray Chapters 14	Release Information: Studio: Scorpion Releasing Aspect Ratio: Widescreen anamorphic - 1.75:1 Edition Details: • see left	Release Information: Studio: Vinegar Syndrome 2.40:1 Disc Size: 45,801,067,916 bytes Feature Size: 26,955,692,928 bytes Total Bitrate: 34.93 Mbps Dual-layered Blu-ray MPEG4 - AVC Edition Details: • Commentary track with: Simon Wincer (director), Tony Ginnane (producer), Sigrid Thornton (lead actress), Vincent Monton (cinematographer) • Alternate feature length Australian cut (sourced from video - 480i) • “Producing SNAPSHOT” – interview with Tony Ginnane (27:56) • “Not Quite Hollywood – Interviews” – extended interviews from the NQH documentary (36:30) • 2 TV spots (:58) • Behind-the-scenes still gallery (4:04) • Original cover artwork by Speed Blur • Reversible cover artwork Blu-ray Release Date: August 29th, 2017 Transparent Blu-ray Case inside slipcase Chapters: 5

Comments

The 4K UHD of Snapshot is reviewed/ compared HERE

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

ADDITION: Vinegar Syndrome - Region FREE - Blu-ray (August 2017): The new Vinegar Syndrome 1080P transfer is cited as being "Newly scanned and restored in 2k from the 35mm original camera negative". The version presented of Snapshot is the 'International' cut, which was distributed everywhere other than Australia. For reasons unknown, the original negative was re-cut to conform to this version. This is the only version of Snapshot believed to survive on film." They have included the, 8-minute longer, 'Australian Cut' from a video source transferred in 480i SD on the BD disc.

The HD rendered feature is in the 2.4:1 aspect ratio, on a dual-layered disc with a max'ed out bitrate. It rises above all digital releases to date with tighter colors and an overall sharp image. It looks impressive adding a sliver more information in the frame from Scorpion DVD widescreen.

Vinegar Syndrome go with an authentic DTS-HD Master mono track (24-bit) and it handles the film's effects with some robust depth. There is a score by Brian May (Road Games, The Survivor, Turkey Shoot, Nightmares) with piercing piano that adds to the film's thrills and mystery with a dynamic, occasionally aggressive, undercurrent supported via the lossless. There is other music including the 'Angela' theme and 'Magazine Madonna' performed by Sherbet. There are optional English (SDH) subtitles on the region FREE Blu-ray disc.

As stated Vinegar Syndrome include the, 100-minute, alternate feature length Australian cut (sourced from video - 480i) - we've added a capture for comparison below. There are extras, all related to the film with an expressive commentary track featuring Simon Wincer (director), Tony Ginnane (producer), Sigrid Thornton (lead actress) and Vincent Monton (cinematographer) with reminiscences of production details. "Producing SNAPSHOT” is a 28-minute interview with producer Tony Ginnane and “Not Quite Hollywood – Interviews” are 37-minute worth of extended interviews conducted by director Mark Hartley from the NQH documentary from 2008. There are 2 TV spots and a behind-the-scenes still gallery. The cover artwork by Speed Blur is reversible through the transparent case.

A slow and measured Ozploitation drama-cum-horror-esque yarn that has potential but seems to get bogged down with obtuse characterizations. I thought Sigrid Thornton and Chantal Contouri were excellent. The thriller aspects built reasonably but the horror elements seem ham-fisted. Some intelligent twists are infused. It's quirky enough that I will watch it again one day. The, region-free, Vinegar Syndrome Blu-ray is the best way to watch Snapshot and the supplements give it more value.

***

ON THE DVDs: Scorpion's DVD features the only correct aspect ratio (2.35:1), progressive, anamorphic transfer of the film; but it is the shorter 92 minute U.S. version (released theatrically as ONE MORE MINUTE and THE DAY AFTER HALLOWEEN). The longer Australian cut of the film is included, but it is a PAL-NTSC conversion of a vertically-cropped, horizontally-stretched, panned-and-scanned ancient video master that looks darker and muddier. This same master was for the previous US DVD releases by Platinum Disc Corp. and Elite Entertainment; since the latter company provided restored, OAR anamorphic transfers of Anthony Ginnane's other Australian horror films, the Australian DVD release by Magna Pacific (and presumably the current one by Umbrella Entertainment), and Ginnane provided an audio commentary for Scorpion's release (as he did on THE SURVIVOR), one must assume that better elements for the Australian cut no longer exist.

Katarina Leigh Waters introduces the film and moderates an audio commentary with producer Anthony Ginnane, who says that the production was mounted quickly to get another thriller out on the market after their international success with PATRICK. The original script CENTERFOLD was problematic, so he hired PATRICK author Everett de Roche and his wife to put together a similar script about two women in the fashion business in the space of two weeks. No trailers for the film are included (it would have been nice to see how they advertised it as THE DAY AFTER HALLOWEEN) but the "Alternate Title Card" includes that US title along with the prologue and title sequence in its five-minute entirety.

- Eric Cotenas

DVD Menus
(Magna Pacific - Region 4 - PAL - LEFT vs. Scorpion Releasing (US Theatrical + International Cut) - Region 0 - NTSC - RIGHT)

Vinegar Syndrome - Region FREE - Blu-ray

CLICK EACH BLU-RAY CAPTURE TO SEE ALL IMAGES IN FULL 1920X1080 RESOLUTION

Screen Captures

1) Magna Pacific - Region 4 - PAL - TOP

2) Scorpion Releasing (US Theatrical and International Cut) - Region 0 - NTSC - SECOND