Season of the Witch Blu-ray

(aka "Season of the Witch")

directed by George A. Romero

USA 1972

The film’s heroine is Joan Mitchell (Jan White), a suburban housewife with a successful business executive husband (Bill Thunhurst) and an almost-grown daughter (Joedda McClain). Romero sets the stage in the film’s opening moments, in which he uses an effectively surreal dream sequence (clearly modeled on European art films) to depict Joan’s current place in life. Using simple imagery such as Joan following behind her husband through spindly tree branches that he pushes aside and allows to slap back on her or Joan being literally led on a leash and put into a dog cage, Romero establishes both the film’s political stakes and Joan’s state of mind.

As an escape from the increasing doldrums of her life, Joan becomes interested in witchcraft, which she learns a woman in her neighborhood practices. Unlike her boozy friend Shirley (Ann Muffly), Joan is not intrigued by witchcraft as another passing fad handed down to suburbia via the counterculture, but rather as a genuine religious experience, something into which she can invest her energy and emotions because both her husband and her daughter have become empty voids. It promises release, but also a sense of power and control over her life.

Excerpt from Qnetwork located HERE

Posters

Theatrical Release: May 1972

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Comparison:

Anchor Bay - Region 0 - PAL vs. Arrow - Region FREE - Blu-ray

(Anchor Bay - Region 0 - PAL - LEFT vs. Arrow - Region FREE - Blu-ray - RIGHT)

Box Covers
		Released individually, on Blu-ray, by Arrow, in March, 2018:
	This is part of Arrow's George A. Romero Between Night and Dawn Blu-ray package with There's Always Vanilla, Season of The Witch and The Crazies.
Distribution	Anchor Bay Region 0 - PAL	Arrow Region FREE - Blu-ray
Runtime	1:44:12	1:29:44.379 / 1:44:19.378
Video	1.76:1 Aspect Ratio Average Bitrate: mb/s PAL 720x576 25.00 f/s	1080P Dual-layered Blu-ray Disc Size: 48,664,948,149 bytes Feature: 26,575,590,528 bytes Codec: MPEG-4 AVC Video Total Video Bitrate: 35.00 Mbps Alternate Extended Version: Feature: 13,012,808,832 bytes Codec: MPEG-4 AVC Video Total Video Bitrate: 15.49 Mbps
	NOTE: The Vertical axis represents the bits transferred per second. The Horizontal is the time in minutes.
Bitrate: Anchor Bay
Bitrate: Arrow (Theatrical) Blu-ray
Bitrate: Arrow (Extended) Blu-ray
Audio	English Dolby Digital 2.0 mono	LPCM Audio English 1152 kbps 1.0 / 48 kHz / 1152 kbps / 24-bit Commentary: Dolby Digital Audio English 320 kbps 2.0 / 48 kHz / 320 kbps Dolby Digital Audio English 320 kbps 1.0 / 48 kHz / 320 kbps
Subtitles	None	English (SDH), none (only for the Theatrical)
Features	Release Information: Studio: Anchor Bay Aspect Ratio: Widescreen letterboxed - 1.76:1 Edition Details: DVD Release Date: 18 October 2005 Amaray Chapters	Release Information: Studio: Arrow 1080P Dual-layered Blu-ray Disc Size: 48,664,948,149 bytes Feature: 26,575,590,528 bytes Codec: MPEG-4 AVC Video Total Video Bitrate: 35.00 Mbps Alternate Extended Version: Feature: 13,012,808,832 bytes Codec: MPEG-4 AVC Video Total Video Bitrate: 15.49 Mbps Edition Details: • Alternate extended version [104 mins] • Brand new audio commentary by Travis Crawford (theatrical version only) • When Romero Met Del Toro filmmaker Guillermo Del Toro in conversation with George Romero (9:54) • The Secret Life of Jack s Wife archive interview with actress Jan White (17:17) Alternate Opening Titles • Location Gallery with audio commentary by Romero historian Lawrence DeVincentz • Memorabilia Gallery • Trailer • Reversible sleeve featuring original and newly-commissioned artwork by Gilles Vranckx DVD Transparent Blu-ray case Blu-ray Release Date: October 23rd - November 14th, 2017 Chapters: 14 + 6

Comments

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

ADDITION: Arrow - Region FREE - Blu-ray October 17': This is part of Arrow's George A. Romero Between Night and Dawn Blu-ray package with There's Always Vanilla, Season of The Witch and The Crazies.

Arrow's Blu-ray release is a "Brand new 4K restoration of the original theatrical version from the camera negative".

This is the another Arrow Blu-ray release that is being simultaneously released in both region 'A' (US) and 'B' (UK). It is the exact same package.

NOTE: As Michael Brooke informed us on Facebook in regards to Day of Anger: 'As the producer of Arrow's release, I can confirm first hand that the UK and US discs are absolutely identical: we only paid for one master, so there's no doubt about this at all! Which means that no matter which package you buy, the discs will play in any Region A or B setup (or Region 1 or 2 for DVD - and in the latter case the video standard is NTSC, to maximise compatibility). The booklets are also identical, but there are minor cosmetic differences on the disc labels and sleeve to do with differing copyright info and barcodes, and the US release doesn't have BBFC logos.' Season of the Witch is the same situation.

Arrow's George A. Romero Between Night and Dawn Blu-ray package of Season of the Witch offers both the theatrical release - cited as "Brand new 4K restoration of the original theatrical version from the camera negative". It also includes the 1/4 hour longer 'Extended version' in a far less robust transfer. The DVD was letterboxed but widescreen and is no competition for the 1.33:1 1080P presentation(s). Colors are far more vibrant, detail rises and it looks better in every visual facet. The Extended version shows some weakness but is also ahead of the SD. The theatrical has a max'ed out bitrate and looks excellent in-motion within the context of its age and budget (cited as shot with an Arriflex 16) - bright, plenty of texture, very clean etc.

Audio gets a linear PCM mono track (24-bit) in the original English language. It seemed adequate with some rudimentary sound effects. The uncompressed faithfully exports the score by Steve Gorn (There's Always Vanilla) and, of course, Donovan's Season of the Witch - both sounding restrained by the production limitations. There are optional English (SDH) subtitles - for the theatrical cut only - on the Region FREE Blu-ray disc.

As mentioned - we get the 104-minute alternate extended version for those curious. I enjoyed the brand new audio commentary by Travis Crawford (on the theatrical version only) where he extolling the ambitiousness of the film, being his most underrated, a complex Feminist character study, how it would preface later work, the editing and much more. He is extremely well-prepared and wonderful to listen to. When Romero Met Del Toro has a 10-minute conversation between filmmaker Guillermo Del Toro and director George Romero. I'm sure it could have been hours. The Secret Life of Jack's Wife is a 17-minute archival interview with actress Jan White. There are some alternate opening titles, a location gallery with audio commentary by Romero historian Lawrence DeVincentz, a 'Memorabilia gallery' and a trailer. The package has a reversible sleeve featuring original and newly-commissioned artwork by Gilles Vranckx and Arrow's George A. Romero Between Night and Dawn has a Limited Edition 60-page booklet featuring new writing on the films by Kat Ellinger, Kier-La Janisse and Heather Drain.

Brilliant package exploring many important aspects of this underrated Romero film. An essential part of the George A. Romero Between Night and Dawn Blu-ray package. Amazing work by Arrow!

-Gary and Eric

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(Anchor Bay - Region 0 - PAL - LEFT vs. Arrow - Region 0 - PAL - RIGHT)