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Robert Harris

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The final installment of the Bradbourne / Goodwin Christie's, Evil Under the Sun (1982) is a worthy addition to the Kino series, although some who have the earlier Blu-rays may be happy sticking with what they already own.

Having not seen the earlier Blu, I can merely note that the Kino edition is a quality release, with wonderfully rich color, and grainus intactus. Beautiful whites, great blacks. It's all here.

Audio is fine.

For those who lack the earlier editions, this one is worth picking up.

Interesting cast, although I still have a problem equating Sylvia Miles with the likes of Maggie Smith and James Mason.

Image – 4.75

Audio – 5

Pass / Fail - Pass

Upgrade from earlier blu-ray - probably not if you have it

Recommended.

RAH
 

Will Krupp

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Interestingly, the new KINO disc matches the framing and mimics warmer color tone of the original 2013 blu-ray release rather than the quite different 2017 remaster.
 
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Big Gay Andy

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For this Jewish boy, Sylvia Miles' main claim to fame will always be her unforgettable performance in Joan Micklin Silver's Crossing Delancey.
 

RichMurphy

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And for me, her appearance in Paul Morrissey's and Andy Warhol's HEAT, with Joe Dallesandro. Love the billing, although "...Sylvia Miles in Heat" is sort of an obvious joke.

1599247326272.png
 

Will Krupp

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The more time I spend with this, the more I'm becoming convinced that, for some inexplicable reason, the new Kino release is sourced from the 2013 scan rather than the 2017 remaster. I no longer have that original 2013 release to compare but we know Kino worked with whatever master Studio Canal supplied them and I can't imagine SC doing yet another scan so soon after the last. With the aforementioned framing differences and color tone between the two releases, I can't really come to any other conclusion.
 

Big Gay Andy

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I've watched all three now on my LG Blu-ray player and LG flat-screen TV, and I had no issues whatsoever with the picture or audio on any of them.
 

Will Krupp

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I've watched all three now on my LG Blu-ray player and LG flat-screen TV, and I had no issues whatsoever with the picture or audio on any of them.

I don't say there's a specific issue with it, but that the two most recent releases of EVIL are decidedly different. Do you have the 2017 UK release from Studio Canal for comparison?
 
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Will Krupp

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Yes but I haven't compared them yet.

If you get the chance, look at the difference in the initial shot of the island (at about the 9:15 mark on the SC and about the 9:25 mark on the KINO)

The review is up this morning at the other forum. The reviewer mentions a lot of the same things I said earlier (though he misses that the framing matches the original release) but, interestingly, comes to the opposite conclusion that I do in that he slightly prefers to the new KINO release to the SC remaster.

In 2017, StudioCanal produced this release of Evil Under the Sun, which was sourced from a brand new 2K master. I expected this release to offer an identical presentation, but it does not, and I am unsure why.

The film again looks very fresh and healthy, but on this release its entire color scheme is warmer. The balance between the primaries and supporting nuances, particularly in highlights and darker areas where shadow definition is a factor and affects the perception of depth, is superior as well. I can see that some of the difference can be traced back to the gamma settings on the Region-B release, but there are color values that are actually not identical. How noticeable is the difference while viewing the film? In darker areas it is immediately recognizable, though I must say that you will have to have both releases to be able to tell. Furthermore while comparing the two releases I thought that this release had a slightly more pleasing organic appearance, but there are no traces of problematic digital work on the Region-B release. Image stability is excellent. All in all, while not by a lot, I think that this release offers a slightly better and ultimately more convincing technical presentation of Evil Under the Sun.

It's going to come down to whichever look you happen to prefer, I think.
 
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Big Gay Andy

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"Red River Sally
lived in an alley,
in a room above the general store,
whore-dee-whore,

Giving joy without end
ev'ry day without fail,
hers was a fascinatin' tail."
 

Holmesian

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The more time I spend with this, the more I'm becoming convinced that, for some inexplicable reason, the new Kino release is sourced from the 2013 scan rather than the 2017 remaster. I no longer have that original 2013 release to compare but we know Kino worked with whatever master Studio Canal supplied them and I can't imagine SC doing yet another scan so soon after the last. With the aforementioned framing differences and color tone between the two releases, I can't really come to any other conclusion.

I'm new on the forum, but I did want to share my thoughts as this^ is an interesting observation, and I own both the 2013 Studio Canal version and this new Kino edition (I do not have the 2017 Studio Canal version).

My observations are as follows: This Kino version is significantly superior both in color and clarity to the 2013 SC version. I don't know if they're derived from the same base scan or not, but if they are then there was some serious color re-timing and other forms of restoration performed on it prior to Kino releasing it.

In looking at screencaptures on Blu-ray.com though, I 100% see what you mean. This Kino version does not much resemble the 2017 SC version either...perhaps even less so than the 2013.

Maybe the Kino is from a new scan, and this new scan is of the same elements that were scanned for the 2013 SC master (and the 2017 SC version was from a scan of different elements)? Idk, this is getting complicated, but I'm just trying to come up with some sensible hypothesis, because Will Krupp's logic certainly makes sense! :)
 

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