Rating summary

Movie		4.0
Video		5.0
Audio		5.0
Extras		4.5
Overall		4.5

Amsterdamned Blu-ray Movie Review

Reviewed by Dr. Svet Atanasov October 18, 2017

Dick Maas' "Amsterdamned" (1988) arrives on Blu-ray courtesy of Blue Underground. The supplemental features on the disc include original trailers for the film; exclusive new audio commentary by writer/director Dick Maas and editor Hans van Dongen; new video interview with stunt coordinator Dickey Beer; new video interview with actor Huub Stapel; original music video; and more. The release also arrives with an 18-page illustrated booklet featuring Michael Gingold's essay "Canal Plus Murder: The Story of "Amsterdamned". In Dutch, with optional English, English SDH, and Spanish subtitles for the main feature. Region-Free.

The detective

I would like to quickly mention how I discovered Dick Maas’ Amsterdamned. It must have been two, possibly even three years after the film had already been released in Europe and at the time I actually did not know anything about Maas’ work. It was during one of my regular visits to a small independent theater that on the weekends had late-night double-bill screenings of very interesting films, mostly older black-and-white gems and occasionally rare foreign films that you could never see listed in your local fancy multiplex. During the day the owners had an older but more mainstream film and charged about half of what the nearby multiplex would charge which allowed them to get decent traffic and stay in business. The late-night screenings, which started after 10.00PM, were even cheaper and reserved for the older and more exotic films that attracted primarily film buffs and young people that did not have a whole lot of money to spend. So on the weekend when I discovered Amsterdamned I actually went to see David Hemmings’ Treasure of the Yankee Zephyr, but decided to stay for the second screening because I liked the promotional materials for the former that were placed in the lobby. The two films really could not be any more different, but someone had told the theater owners that because they both had long jet boat chases they would make a perfect double-bill. I wanted to mention this story so that I can return the favor. I do realize that this is an odd way of recommending another film, but perhaps just as I stumbled upon Amsterdamned after all these years someone else will accidentally ‘discover’ Treasure of the Yankee Zephyr.

Amsterdamned has the structure of a classic Italian giallo from the 1970s but it is set in the beautiful city of Amsterdam during the late 1980s. It follows closely the lonely detective Eric Visser (Huub Stapel) who basically handles himself as a Dutch replica of Alain Delon. (Like many of Delon’s classic cop characters, Stapel’s detective is always unshaved and like a magnet instantly attracts the beautiful ladies). So after a mysterious killer emerges from the city’s canals and begins to imitate the work of Jack the Ripper, Eric is ordered to track him down as quickly as possible because the gruesome murders are threatening to destroy the city’s tourism-dependent economy. While looking for clues, Eric also begins a romantic relationship with the beautiful museum guide Laura (Monique van de Ven), who eventually becomes one of the killer’s main targets.

Maas also wrote the script for Amsterdamned and while it is incredibly easy to tell that he borrowed from a number of different sources the end result is very attractive. Indeed, everything is done with full awareness of the fact that in order for the material to work as intended there has to be a special ambience that keeps you on the edge of your seat, which is essentially the main reason behind the success of the classic Italian gialli as well. In fact, even the very dark score that Maas composed supports the ambience in the exact same fashion that famous scores from the likes of Riz Ortolani, Bruno Nicolai, and Stelvio Cipriani serve various popular Italian gialli.

What gives Amsterdamned a unique identity is its desire to also appeal to action junkies. To be perfectly clear, it is not the type of film that would have made a huge impression on the crowds that flocked to see the newest big-budget Hollywood action film during the late 1980s, but there is European flavor in it that was almost certainly right for people that at the time would have enthusiastically lined up to purchase a ticket for the latest Georges Lautner action thriller.

Amsterdamned Blu-ray Movie, Video Quality 

Presented its original aspect ratio of 1.85:1, encoded with MPEG-4 AVC and granted a 1080p transfer, Dick Maas' Amsterdamned arrives on Blu-ray courtesy of Blue Underground.

UPDATE: This release comes from a second pressing that was initiated by Blue Underground. While it is sourced from the same new 2K master that director Dick Maas supervised and we initially discussed here it uses a new encode, and the technical presentation is now dramatically different. Indeed, the very distracting compression artifacts and macroblocking patches that were visible on the previous release are now eliminated; the smearing that collapsed the darker/nighttime footage is removed as well. Unsurprisingly, there are entire sections of the film, both during the nighttime and daytime footage, that now have proper delineation and depth. You can compare screencaptures #9 and 17 with the corresponding screencaptures from the previous review to see how dramatic the difference is; on the previous release it literally looks as if someone had filtered the entire film and wiped out massive chunks of detail(s). I have also attempted to match some well-lit close-ups, such as as the ones in screencaptures #14 and 23, so that you can see that there is a pretty substantial different even when there is an abundance of proper light. Everything else, from color reproduction to overall image stability, remains every bit as pleasing as it was on the previous release. (Note: This is a Region-Free Blu-ray release. Therefore, you will be able to play it on your player regardless of your geographical location).

EXCHANGE PROGRAM: If you own a copy of the first pressing of Amsterdamned and you wish to exchange it, you should contact Blue Underground with the following information:

Your Name
Complete Mailing Address (including country if outside the U.S.)
Copy of sales receipt showing purchase of the AMSTERDAMNED Collector's Edition
Email contact: AmsterdamnedBDReplacement@yahoo.com

Amsterdamned Blu-ray Movie, Audio Quality 

There are four standard audio tracks on this Blu-ray release: Dutch DTS-HD Master Audio 5.1, Dutch DTS-HD Master Audio 2.0, English DTS-HD Master Audio 2.0, and French Dolby Digital 2.0. Optional English, English SDH, and Spanish subtitles are provided for the main feature.

The Dutch DTS-HD Master Audio 5.1 track was created exclusively for the 2K remaster of Amsterdamned, but I viewed the film with the original 2.0 track and then did some random comparisons with the 5.1 track. In terms of clarity, depth, and especially dynamic intensity the end result could not be any more impressive. To be honest, if there ever were any age-related issues that plagued previous overseas home video releases it is impossible to tell because from balance to fluidity the audio delivers the type of consistent quality that the film demands. I tested some of the action sequences, including the big boat chase, and the 5.1 track definitely expands the sound field. As always, however, I think that the final decision whether to view the film with the 5.1 track or the 2.0 track is yours to make.

Amsterdamned Blu-ray Movie, Special Features and Extras 

• Audio Commentary - in this new audio commentary, writer/director Dick Maas and editor Hans van Dongen discuss in great detail exactly where in Amsterdam and how large portions of Amsterdamned were shot, some of the technical difficulties that the tech crew was presented with (especially during the boat chase sequence), the Dutch government's involvement with the film, its distribution history, the importance role music has for the narrative, the unique sense of humor that permeates the film, etc. The commentary is moderated by David Gregory from Severin Films, and was recorded exclusively for Blue Underground. In English.

• Trailers - two original trailers for Amsterdamned.
  
  1. Dutch Trailer - in Dutch, with optional English subtitles. (4 min).
  2. U.S. Trailer - In English, not subtitled. (2 min).

• Music Video - presented here is Lois Lane's original "Amsterdamned" music video, which was directed by Dick Maas. (4 min).

• Poster & Still Gallery - a large collection of original posters for Amsterdamned, German lovvy cards, archival production stills, behind-the-scenes stills, and home video and soundtrack covers from around the world. The gallery was complied by Gregory Chick with contribution by Dick Maas.

• The Making of Amsterdamned - this archival documentary takes a closer look at the production history of Amsterdamned. Included in it are clips from on-location interviews with cast and crew members as well raw footage from the shooting of the film. The documentary was produced by Hans Heijnen. In Dutch, with optional English subtitles. (37 min).

• Tales From the Canal - in this new video interview, actor Huub Stapel recalls his involvement with Amsterdamned and discusses director Dick Maas' style and working methods. The interview was conducted exclusively for the new 2K remaster of the film. In Dutch and English, with optional English subtitles where necessary. (9 min).

• Damned Stuntwork - in this new video interview, stunt coordinator Dickey Beer explains how he entered the film business and discusses his collaboration with Dick Maas on Amsterdamned. The interview was conducted exclusively for the new 2K remaster of the film. In English, not subtitled. (19 min).

• Booklet - 18-page illustrated booklet featuring Michael Gingold's essay "Canal Plus Murder: The Story of "Amsterdamned".

• Cover Art - reversible cover with original poster art.

Amsterdamned Blu-ray Movie, Overall Score and Recommendation 

Blue Underground's second pressing of Amsterdamned should make fans of the film, as well as director Dick Mass, enormously happy because it is a very beautiful presentation of a superb 2K restoration. I think that this Blu-ray release will remain the film's definitive presentation on the home video market, so grab one for your collections now. I also wish to say that the folks at Blue Underground deserve a lot of credit for doing what needed to be done to resolve the technical issues that were present on the original release. VERY HIGHLY RECOMMENDED.