I guess I have not been paying too much attention lately but I saw this Giallo title on NetFlix last PM & was wondering if this is a new US release. I Have the German disk but if this is a new release ,how might it differ from that one? Is it worth checking out, or just redundant?

There was a new US release recently - around Halloween, I believe - by Shriek Show/Media Blasters. In terms of extras, image and audio quality it represents a substantial step up from the German disc, although the new transfer is interlaced (like ALL Media Blasters releases - why? why? why?), which may or may not be a problem depending on your setup. I would definitely recommend you get it if you enjoyed the film. The interviews with Sergio Martino and George Hilton are fascinating.

I am thinking of buying the MB release although I already have the German one. what exactly do you mean by "interlaced"?

By the way I think it's time for Martino's NEXT! to be released as it's a lot better than ALL THE COLORS.. and certainly one of the best gialli out there. Anybody heard anything about a possible release?

It's not encoded for progressive scan equipment (e.g. HDTV, projectors, computer monitors) so there is a drop in resolution, as the DVD player or display has to de-interlace the video, which results in motion artefacts. If you have a standard interlaced TV, it won't be an issue.

I would love to see Next! released; Gently Before She Dies as well.

fwiw, 10000 bullets has a comparison between the german version and the newer us release:

http://www.10kbullets.com/reviews/atcotdcomparison.htm

I upgraded to the MB release of ALL THE COLORS OF THE DARK from my German DVD, and was glad I did! The interviews alone are worth it.

Great Bruno Nicolai soundtrack on that one too!

I think the interlacing issue has to do with Media Blasters' origins as an anime label. In the anime world it's pretty typical to issue a bad interlaced (mis-flagged) DVD and then if sales justify, to encourage a double-dip with a properly flagged version so they can sell the new version as progressive. Annoying to the extreme.

Thanks for that link to the comparison chart Chris. I've been debating whether to upgrade from my German import. I've heard many good things about the MB/SS one, and I think I'm overdue for an upgrade.

Dean

Just to add a slightly different opinion, here's my own comparison: http://whiggles.landofwhimsy.com/misc-dvdimage-colors.html

The Media Blasters region 1 DVD is the way to go. I hope they release more giallo's in the future with the same TLC and wealth of extras.

that was really helpful! thanks! there seems to be a huge difference between the image quality of the 2 discs. I intend to watch the film on my TV so probably I'll have no problems with the interlacing right?

I really hope so too! And more obscure unreleased stuff next time!

Yeah, if you're using a standard TV there should be no problems.

Thanks a bunch for those comparisons Michael. That really put the 2 in perspective for me, on which is the better dvd. For myself, I have just a standard tv. So those interlace problems won't be an issue on my set. I feel for the folks who are affected by this though. It must be frustrating.

Thanks again for those comparison shots.

Dean