Obsession Blu-ray Movie

Rating summary

Movie		4.0
Video		4.5
Audio		3.5
Extras		4.0
Overall		4.0

Obsession Blu-ray Movie Review

My colleague Dr. Svet Atanasov reviewed the global Blu-ray debut of Brian De Palma's Obsession (1976) in 2011. To read Svet's synopsis and analysis of the film as well as his critique of Arrow's Limited Edition package, please click here.

Two star-crossed lovers take in Florence.

Obsession Blu-ray Movie, Video Quality 

Shout! Factory has released a Collector's Edition of Obsession that comes housed in a slipcover along with reversible cover art in the inside. De Palma's ninth feature appears in its original theatrical aspect ratio of 2.35:1 on a BD-50. This is the same 2K scan that Arrow used for its 1080p transfer almost eight years ago. (The film has since been released on BD in Japan, France, and Germany.) If you compare the very bottom part of Geneviève Bujold's left hand in Screenshot #s 19 and 20, you'll notice the same tiny nick/video artifact present. Cinematographer Vilmos Zsigmond came up with a water rippling effect for Michael Courtland's (Cliff Robertson) dream sequence (see #10). On one of the original release prints, film critic Peter Smith of The Greenville (SC) News noted the camera's focus "is often hazy." The Tucson (AZ) Daily Citizen's Micheline Keating observed that Zsigmond's muted camerawork imbued the color with "the wet look of fine watercolor." Zsigmond's aesthetic palette has been preserved on this 2K transfer. Shout! has employed the standard MPEG-4 AVC encode which sports a mean video bitrate of 36000 kbps, which is slightly above Arrow's 34949 kbps. The full disc carries a total bitrate of 43.65 Mbps.

Screenshots 1-14, 16, 18, & 20 = Shout! Factory 2018 2K Transfer
Screenshots 15, 17, & 19 = Arrow Video 2011 2K Transfer

The 98-minute feature comes with a dozen scene selections.

Obsession Blu-ray Movie, Audio Quality 

Shout! has supplied a DTS-HD Master Audio 5.1 Surround remix (3173 kbps, 24-bit) and the film's original monaural as a DTS-HD Master Audio Dual Mono (1838 kbps, 24-bit). All dialogue is relatively clear. On the 5.1 track, I noticed three instances where the sound was muffled (such as during a reel change, for instance.) The master is in imperfect condition and could use a new restoration.

When I first watched Obsession, I thought that De Palma and his sound editor David Ronne had made Bernard Herrmann's music sound too loud. Upon re-watching it, I realized that the organ and chorus function to remind Michael Courtland of his dearly departed wife when he revisits the same church in Florence seventeen years after the couple's ten-year anniversary. The score's acoustics are meant to reverberate inside Michael's head as well. The music is the best part of the lossless 5.1 remix. It demonstrates very good balance from front to back. Herrmann's score was released by Decca Records when the film came out and later reissued on CD in Canada by Masters Film Music in the late eighties. In 2015, Music Box Records unveiled a "Special Archival Edition" consisting of two CDs with Herrmann conducting. That set was limited to 3,000 units and sadly has gone out of print. Conductor Nic Raine, who has re-recorded many classic scores, conducted the City of Prague Philharmonic Orchestra and Chorus in 2015. Tadlow Music put this new recording of the complete score on CD and also included a Blu-ray of the performance.

Obsession Blu-ray Movie, Special Features and Extras 

• NEW Audio Commentary with Author Douglas Keesey (Brian De Palma's Split-Screen: A Life in Film) - Keesey is scripted and speaks in a very slow, deliberative manner. The track contains quite a few gaps and is a lot like an oral recitation of the chapter on Obsession in his book (which I own). The content varies somewhat, though, and Keesey splits his time on the commentary between describing the on-screen action and analyzing the film's themes. In English, not subtitled.

• NEW Producing Obsession – An Interview with Producer George Litto (26:19, 1080p) - the very affable Litto is interviewed presumably in his Philadelphia home. He looks back at his circuitous journey as a musician, literary agent (very briefly), Hollywood talent agent, and full-time producer. He recounts how he first worked with De Palma on Sisters and tells how he got involved with Obsession. He share some colorful anecdotes about his meetings with De Palma, Paul Schrader, and Herrmann. Litto has to clear his throat several times before resuming speaking. In English, not subtitled.

• NEW Editing Obsession – An Interview with Editor Paul Hirsch (20:30, 1080p) - this interview gets off to a slow start until Hirsch remembers first becoming aware of De Palma at Universal. The editor recounts "Benny" Herrmann's extreme temperament, POV editing, and challenges he faced while cutting Obsession. In English, not subtitled.

• Obsession Revised (37:31, upconverted to 1080p) - this vintage featurette produced by Laurent Bouzereau was initially found on Columbia Tri-Star's 2001 DVD. It features interviews with director Brian De Palma, Cliff Robertson, and Geneviève Bujold. It's presented in non-anamorphic widescreen and isn't subtitled.

• Theatrical Trailer (1:35, 1080p) - an old trailer reel for Obsession that shows the normal wear and tear.

• Radio Spots (0:59) - five brief radio spots that Columbia broadcast in 1976 when Obsession went in general release.

• Still Gallery (6:17, 1080p) - eighty-four images comprised of black-and-white and color still photos, lobby cards, and poster sheets from US and several international ad campaigns.

Obsession Blu-ray Movie, Overall Score and Recommendation 

Obsession is a near-great picture by De Palma that boasts masterful cinematography by Vilmos Zsigmond and flawless performances by the three leads. The film drags in the middle as De Palma could have abridged elongated scenes that overemphasize points. This CE courtesy of Shout! Factory recycles the same transfer that Arrow used eight years prior. It adds a decent commentary by Douglas Keesey and two new interviews with the producer and editor that I'd rank pretty high for their informational value. Unfortunately, the Arrow LE is OOP and the standard reissue drops a thick booklet containing Schrader's original script, Déjà vu. Arrow does retain two of De Palma's earlier short films and a few nominal extras. De Palma completists (such as this reviewer) will want to have both versions. If you already own the Arrow, then I'd suggest waiting for the Shout! to drop below $20. A classic from the seventies by one of the era's true mavericks. STRONGLY RECOMMENDED.