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A view on Blu-ray by Gary W. Tooze

Voices from Beyond aka "Voci dal profondo" [Blu-ray]

 

(Lucio Fulci, 1991)

 

 

Review by Gary Tooze

 

Production:

Theatrical: Scena Film

Video: Code Red

 

Disc:

Region: 'A' (as verified by the Oppo Blu-ray player)

Runtime: 1:31:05.501 

Disc Size: 21,601,097,181 bytes

Feature Size: 21,574,846,464 bytes

Video Bitrate: 27.70 Mbps

Chapters: 15

Case: Standard Blu-ray case

Release date: October, 2013

 

Video:

Aspect ratio: 1.78:1

Resolution: 1080p / 23.976 fps

Video codec: MPEG-4 AVC Video

 

Audio:

Dolby TrueHD Audio English 1241 kbps 2.0 / 48 kHz / 1241 kbps / 24-bit (AC3
Embedded: 2.0 / 48 kHz / 640 kbps)

 

Subtitles:

None

 

Extras:

None

 

Bitrate:

 

 

Description: If you think the dead rest in peace, prepare yourself for Voices from Beyond, a chilling ghost story with a modern twist. The unexpected death of wealthy, middle-aged Giorgio from an internal hemorrhage has cast suspicion on his scheming family, all of whom had reasons to commit murder. Rosy, the innocent daughter, is tormented by her father's spirit, who demands the revelation of his killer. Could it be Giorgio's wife, his mistress, his stepson or his stepmother? Or perhaps an even more fiendish mind is at work within the dark, deadly confines of their sprawling estate? Soon Rosy's life is in danger as well as she races against time to unmask the face of true evil and silence the unearthly voice of a ghost out for justice. From the diabolical mind of Italian horror legend Lucio Fulci, the man behind The Beyond and Aenigma, comes one of his final voyages into the supernatural, laced with his trademark scenes of terror and mayhem. Turn down the lights, curl up tight, and listen closely - the voices from beyond might be out there waiting for you, too!

 

 

The Film:

Who killed Giorgio Mainardi? He was a middle aged man, but fit and healthy, sill energetic enough to have a wife and a mistress, still shrewdly managing his business interests and keeping out rivals with their eyes on the family fortune. This is the stuff of pure soap opera, luridly hysterical Italian melodrama, but with a genre twist. The person most anxious to find out who killed Giorgio is Giorgio himself. Reaching out from beyond the grave through an impassioned voiceover, he begs his teenage daughter, "the only one I ever truly loved", to solve the mystery before his body decomposes and he loses his connection with the world.

Excerpt fromEyeForFilm located HERE

Voices from Beyond is a poetic revenge movie. It's beautifully shot, one of the most good looking Fulci-movies since Murder Rock. It's also seems like Fulci maybe had a little bit money, a little bit more time, to make this movie. The direction is very good and the camera compositions is up there among his best. Just look at the details, the shadow at the train or the camera movements during the funeral. It's a master at work. There's master touches all over the movie, even if it's far from perfect - but it's far from bad either. The actors do what they can do with cheesy dialogue, but turns out okay performances. The music is one of the best things. Very simple, almost meditative electronic stuff that fits very good to the dream-like quality of the movie.

Excerpt from NinjaDixon located HERE

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

The single-layered Code Red Blu-ray of Voices from Beyond looks decent for 1080P if not particularly dynamic. The source is imperfect with a few inconsistencies and speckles but the visuals seem to improve as the film runs along. The transfer is adept and there are sequences of color richness and the grain texture is consistent. Contrast is adequate and detail has some surprising moments in the film's occasional close-ups. There isn't much depth.  I noticed no intrusive noise or digitization. It is in the, slightly bastardized, 1.78:1 aspect ratio. This Blu-ray gave me a watchable viewing in regards to the picture quality, in advance of SD but not reaching the heights of the format.

 

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

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Audio :

Code Red use a Dolby TrueHD track at 1241 kbps (24-bit) in the, majority, DUBBED English language. The sync mismatches were as common as we usually expect. I found the audio had a few fluctuations but no notable drops. There area few effects in the film and an atmospheric Giallio-esque score by Stelvio Cipriani (Nightmare City, The Blood Stained Shadow, Killer Cop, Rabid Dogs, Baron Blood, A Bay of Blood) and it sounds buoyant with some impacting depth adding to the film's flavor. There are no subtitles offered and my Oppo has identified it as being region FREE playable worldwide.

 

Extras :

Nutt'in.

 

 

BOTTOM LINE:
I had never seen Voices from Beyond but was, again, keen to see it as it's a bona-fide Giallo - part of our listing HERE. It's not premium fare but has an inventive facet (decaying body/spirit interacting with his, less-trustworthy, relatives.) Duilio Del Prete reminded me many times of Farley Granger (who has done a few Giallos including Silvio Amadio 's Amuck!) It is certainly part of this genre with the ghastly visages, music, story and overall style - well instituted by Fulci. The bare-bones Code Red
Blu-ray seems the only way to see this effort in 1080P. A commentary, or any relevant extras, and the Italian-language option would have been appreciated but for those simply interested in seeing the film from the curious to Giallo aficionados and completists - I think it's worth owning at a reasonable price. 

Gary Tooze

November 1st, 2017

 

About the Reviewer: Hello, fellow Beavers! I have been interested in film since I viewed a Chaplin festival on PBS when I was around 9 years old. I credit DVD with expanding my horizons to fill an almost ravenous desire to seek out new film experiences. I currently own approximately 9500 DVDs and have reviewed over 5000 myself. I appreciate my discussion Listserv for furthering my film education and inspiring me to continue running DVDBeaver. Plus a healthy thanks to those who donate and use our Amazon links.

Although I never wanted to become one of those guys who focused 'too much' on image and sound quality - I find HD is swiftly pushing me in that direction.

Gary's Home Theatre:

60-Inch Class (59.58” Diagonal) 1080p Pioneer KURO Plasma Flat Panel HDTV PDP6020-FD

Oppo Digital BDP-83 Universal Region FREE Blu-ray/SACD Player
Momitsu - BDP-899 Region FREE Blu-ray player
Marantz SA8001 Super Audio CD Player
Marantz SR7002 THX Select2 Surround Receiver
Tannoy DC6-T (fronts) + Energy (centre, rear, subwoofer) speakers (5.1)

APC AV 1.5 kVA H Type Power Conditioner 120V

Gary W. Tooze

 

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