Writings > DVD Image Comparisons > Death Walks at Midnight/La Morte Accarezza a Mezzanotte

Death Walks at Midnight/La Morte Accarezza a Mezzanotte

Region 0 (UK) - Mondo Macabro
vs. Region 0 (USA) - NoShame Films
vs. Region 2 (Italy) - NoShame Films

Details

Bit Rate

R0 UK

R0 USA

R2 Italy

Screen Captures

Example 1

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R0 UK | R0 USA | R2 Italy

Example 2

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Example 3

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Example 4

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Example 5

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Update, March 1, 2006 (R0 USA): The US version, released in a triple pack with Death Walks on High Heels and a CD featuring various pieces of music by Stelvio Cipriani, is more or less as I expected it to be. It gains English subtitles corresponding to the Italian dialogue, as well as an English dub (although, unlike most gialli, this one was actually recorded in Italian, so you'll probably want to give the English version a miss), but features a weaker transfer. As with all of NoShame's American output, the transfer has been sourced from the Italian DVD. As is now NoShame's custom, they have adjusted the frame rate appropriately, so we don't have to put up with interlacing or any nasty PAL to NTSC ghosting artefacts. However, a slight stair-stepping effect can be on diagonal edges (it isn't visible in these screen captures, but it is readily apparent during playback) is a telltale sign of a poor scaling job. The US version also loses quite a bit of detail and is noticeably darker than its Italian counterpart.

On the plus side, the audio synchronisation problem present on the Italian DVD has been corrected here, and a cropped, VHS-sourced copy of a slightly longer television version of the film has been provided here for curiosity value. Also, the Stelvio Cipriani compilation CD, while not relevant to this specific film, is a nice touch and contains some excellent music. It's just too bad that there are no interviews with Luciano Ercoli or Nieves Navarro, especially given that the three Sergio Martino gialli NoShame released last year were well-stocked in that department.

Ultimately, I suspect that people with small to average sized displays will be more than happy with this release, although those with a more critical eye will likely find it lacking.

Comments

I don't think I really need to tell you which of these has the better transfer. The UK release, sourced from an analogue master with an overly orange tint and cropped to an aspect ratio of around 1.85:1, was for a long time considered to be the best way to see this jaunty 1972 giallo from Luciano Ercoli. The version that has now been released in Italy (in a double box set with another Ercoli film, Death Walks on High Heels - both films starring his wife Nieves Navarro, a.k.a. Susan Scott) is nothing short of a revelation. The film can finally be enjoyed in its full 2.35:1 ratio, which takes full advantage of the frame for some very nice compositions. The image is smooth, detailed and film-like, and if the colours seem a bit muted, this is probably an intentional stylistic touch.

Unfortunately, the Italian release does not feature an English audio track or subtitles. Normally, I give DVDs without English options an automatic "0" for audio, but in this case, this seems unfairly harsh. Many gialli were shot silent with the actors speaking a multitude of languages and then later post-dubbed, and this one is no exception. As a result, there is no one "original" language, so either will suffice provided you can understand what is being said. It would have been nice if NoShame had included English subtitles, though. By the way, I must point out that there is a serious synchronization problem with the Italian DVD. At around the 30 minute mark, the audio falls about half a second behind the visuals and remains like this for the remainder of its running time. The effect is quite noticeable and, coupled with the lack of English options, means that in terms of sound, the UK release is superior.

The Italian release has no extras, unfortunately. The UK release has a simplistic but accessible introduction to the giallo genre by Adrian Luther Smith, as well as an in-depth text interview with Ercoli and Navarro, and biographies of several of the film's key talents.

Summary