Salo - BFI Blu-ray 09/22/2008 (1 Viewer)

[BethHarrison]

Up for Pre-order at amazon.


Amazon.co.uk: Salo, Or The 120 Days Of Sodom [Blu-ray] [1975]: Paolo Bonacelli, Giorgio Cataldi, Pier Paolo Pasolini: DVD

 

[Jesse Blacklow]

That's from BFI, not Criterion. They don't distribute in the UK. Also, BFI may not have a good master of the film, and IIRC Criterion announced a new version coming soon that may be worth it to wait for:

Salo Pasolini

 

[Thivanka R. Perera]

I remember BFI's DVD release for this film, and the master on it wasn't that bad for a film of this caliber. But the Colombia Tristar release seems to have best picture out of all three.

 

[Jeff Adkins]

Wow, you're right! The Columbia version is clearly the best of the three. The Criterion looks hideous by comparison.

Salo DVD Comparison

 

[Jesse Blacklow]

Confirmation and specs from BFI: *WARNING!* Link includes DVD cover that is not safe for work! *WARNING*
DVD Times - Salò or The 120 Days of Sodom (UK BD) in September

 

[RickER]

Interesting cover. Of course i had to look after your warning, Jesse.

 

[Seppo]

Best cover ever.

 

[Profanisaurus]

From what I hear, both the new Criterion and BFI editions are based on brand new transfers, so those comparisons are meaningless.

I'm sure DVD Beaver will update them as soon as they get hold of the new versions.

 

[vidmarc]

The new Criterion release is still missing that 25s poem recital sequence.

It will be present in the Uk BFI DVD and Blu-ray releases.

 

[Thivanka R. Perera]

The UK are getting some nice old flicks--I say they're releasing 'Starw Dogs' there as well. I mean, I never thought this would be released on BD so soon.
Good signs, I guess.

 

[Jeff Adkins]

Wow, you would think they would know their previous release was cut after all these years. Looks like BFI is the way to go.

 

[Charlie O.]

Are we sure the Criterion release is still missing that 25s poem recital sequence? Is there a review or something that states this?

 

[cafink]

DVD Beaver mentions it in their comparison.

 

[Charlie O.]

Oh wow. I didn't even realize Criterion released a new SD-DVD. I wonder what reason they have for leaving it out.

 

[Mark Zimmer]

I suppose Criterion is not interested in reissuing the reissue to fix the missing footage?

 

[Profanisaurus]

This is just to confirm that the new BFI edition does feature the extra 25 seconds (sourced from a 35mm print as opposed to the original negative, so the picture quality changes slightly at that point) - but also that the Blu-Ray is definitely Region B.

 

[Jean-Michel]

Criterion says the missing scene doesn't appear in the interpositive or in any of the archival material they checked, including the Pasolini Foundation's prints -- which would make sense, given that it isn't in the negative either. They don't explain why the UK version ended up with the scene (it seems to me a call to the BFI would sort that out) or why it wasn't included as an extra on their release.

 

[Profanisaurus]

The BFI sourced its original DVD of Salo from an unsubtitled 35mm print that subsequently ended up in the BFI National Archive. As a result, when mastering it to HD for the Blu-ray and new SD-DVD it was relatively straightforward to telecine that print to HD and drop the scene in - the only downside is that despite extensive efforts to get the colours to match the rest of the transfer (sourced from the original negative), the scene is noticeably contrastier. However, because it's 35mm-sourced, we're emphatically not talking a Wicker Man situation - this footage is as high-resolution as everything else.

As to whether or not the footage should have been included, there's no obviously correct answer to this. True, it's not present in the original negative - but it was present in a 35mm print, presumably struck in the late 1990s, and no-one seems to know where it came from or why it was removed. (Or who removed it). And since the original BFI release featured it, albeit unwittingly (no-one noticed until someone did a comparison with the Criterion), it made sense for the new BFI release to follow suit. It certainly doesn't unbalance the film in any way.

 

[Dave_P.]

Wow, the region B thing is disappointing.

 

[Jeff Adkins]

I don't think it's just a coincidence that the 25 seconds removed involve a copyrighted poem. That almost certainly had something to do with its removal no matter what Criterion says.

I'm glad I found out in time about the region code to cancel my order. I would've been sorely disappointed to find that out after it had already arrived.