The Beyond –The Technical Debate

[Nosferatu@Cult Labs]

Originally Posted by Doris Karloff

Anyone? Please?

I haven't heard anything but, if and when I do, I'll post it in one of the threads in this section. Please don't think that anyone is withholding information because, at the moment, there isn't any information to withhold!

[L'enfant Errant]

The German Astro Filmworks DVD had the full color OP scene within the film proper. It was also taken from a much brighter print than the Grindhouse DVD:

Caps-A-Holic Comparison

I don't think either of them are quite perfect; the Astro print looks oversaturated while the Grindhouse print looks too dark. Check #6 for an example where the R1 DVD is basically a black hole!

The more time I spend looking at the Arrow transfer in general, the less convinced I am that it's "wrong". It's certainly brighter than I expected, and looks a little washed out compared to the Grindhouse transfer, but I wouldn't be surprised if the negative is relatively similar.

I look forward to seeing what changes are made between now and release day.

[Stephen@Cult Labs]

Originally Posted by L'enfant Errant

Caps-A-Holic Comparison

The more time I spend looking at the Arrow transfer in general, the less convinced I am that it's "wrong". It's certainly brighter than I expected, and looks a little washed out compared to the Grindhouse transfer, but I wouldn't be surprised if the negative is relatively similar.

That's the thing, we don't know what it's actually supposed to look like. Even the caps of the Arrow and Grindhouse versions over at dvdbeaver are completely different. I look at the Grindhouse version and think a scene looks better, then look at another and think the Arrow version looks better.

[springjack]

Originally Posted by Stephen@Cult Labs

That's the thing, we don't know what it's actually supposed to look like. Even the caps of the Arrow and Grindhouse versions over at dvdbeaver are completely different. I look at the Grindhouse version and think a scene looks better, then look at another and think the Arrow version looks better.

To put context in the history of the American releases, the difference between the Grindhouse Releasing and the Anchor Bay is that the Grindhouse version has more compression artifacts due to the new extra that´s included in the package. Comparing the two, you´ll notice less definition on the side of the Grindhouse version because of the mentioned compression. The print used is the same on both companies because it was a joint venture on the part of Anchor Bay, Grindhouse Releasing and Quentin Tarantino´s Rolling Thunder when they were transferring and remastering the movie for the theatrical release and the Anchor Bay edition.


Grindhouse said this when the remastering was done for their theatrical run, the same print they used for the Anchor Bay DVD and their Grindhouse Releasing DVD:
"GRINDHOUSE RELEASING HAS SPARED NO EXPENSE IN DIGITALLY REMASTERING THE BEYOND AND CANNIBAL FEROX FROM ORIGINAL NEGATIVE AND SOUND ELEMENTS NEWLY RESTORED BY TECHNICOLOR LAB IN ROME. TO ENSURE UTMOST PICTURE QUALITY, THE COLOR TIMING OF THE BEYOND WAS PERSONALLY SUPERVISED BY SERGIO SALVATI, THE ORIGINAL DIRECTOR OF PHOTOGRAPHY OF THIS TERROR CLASSIC."

As for the lab used, it could be many in Italy. But now we have confirmation that the color timing of the Anchor Bay/Grindhouse Releasing is supposed to be "correct" because it was supervised by the DP.

[Nosferatu@Cult Labs]

I guess the only person who could really tell us which release is the most like the director's vision would be Lucio Fulci but, sadly, that isn't going to happen.

[nekromantik]

Imo the DE DVD is a little too bright.
I prefer the Grindhouse DVD over the DE DVD.

[Inspector Tanzi]

Originally Posted by Stephen@Cult Labs

That's the thing, we don't know what it's actually supposed to look like.

Maybe, but one thing for sure, the intro shouldn't be in B&W

[bigandya]

Originally Posted by Inspector Tanzi

Maybe, but one thing for sure, the intro shouldn't be in B&W

Maybe Fulci intended it to be a darker version of The Wizard of Oz instead?

That starts in black and white too... though in a lot of prints I have seen, its sepiatone

No, I totally agree, and no one will ever convince me otherwise - this was never intended to start in black and white.

[Snatcher42]

Originally Posted by L'enfant Errant

Caps-A-Holic Comparison

Wow, I know it's just a compression issue but I'm surprised how much better the Anchor Bay DVD looks than the Grindhouse. That definitely seems like the one to beat!

[dvdrenato]

Well, looking especially at the screenshot of crucified Schwejk in B&W, I automatically get a Silent Movie vision and even "hear" some Slapstick music playing... That certainly wasn't the effect the sequence was supposed to have