6.6 | / 10 |
Users | 4.0 | |
Reviewer | 3.5 | |
Overall | 3.8 |
A film editor gets embroiled in a string of murders.
Starring: Paz de la Huerta, Laurence R. Harvey, Adam Brooks (V), Conor Sweeney (II), Udo KierHorror | 100% |
Mystery | 7% |
Comedy | Insignificant |
Video codec: MPEG-4 AVC
Video resolution: 1080p
Aspect ratio: 2.38:1
Original aspect ratio: 2.39:1
English: DTS-HD Master Audio 5.1
English: DTS-HD Master Audio 2.0
English
50GB Blu-ray Disc
Two-disc set (1 BD, 1 DVD)
DVD copy
Slipcover in original pressing
Region A (B, C untested)
Movie | 3.5 | |
Video | 4.0 | |
Audio | 4.0 | |
Extras | 3.5 | |
Overall | 3.5 |
A kind of interesting double feature could be built out of two homages to giallo which take almost diametrically opposed approaches to the genre. 2009’s Amer reinvented the giallo in a post- modern setting that saw tropes reimagined in inventive ways, while a more traditional giallo mood permeated the piece at the same time. By contrast, The Editor is something of a deadpan goof—a film that may never quite reach any great heights of hilarity, but which is obviously meant to gently (and sometimes not so gently) poke and prod at some of the more hyperbolic aspects of giallo while also luxuriating in the genre's pulpier aspects. The Editor also wants to luxuriate in some “meta” elements, especially with regard to a last minute revelation that makes the film play like something akin to a guy looking at a mirror image of himself in yet another mirror, creating an infinite loop (think The Lady from Shanghai's famous climactic scene), but along the way the anarchic creative crew of Astron-6 (Father's Day, Manborg) provide a winking take on giallo that will probably play like gangbusters to genre aficionados but leave others out in the veritable cold (with or without a gloved stranger about to slice open their neck).
The Editor is presented on Blu-ray courtesy of Scream Factory, an imprint of Shout! Factory, with an AVC encoded 1080p transfer in 2.38:1. Shot digitally with both a Red One as well as a Canon EOS 7D, The Editor features a vivid palette that exploits the deep reds and blues (if ironically few yellows) that are often an element of the genre. Black levels are beautifully deep and contrast is also consistent and convincing. The filmmakers have intentionally tweaked a lot of the elements, including speckling the film within a film moments and adding digital grain that (perhaps intentionally?) clumps into the splotchiness that has sometimes afflicted other Shout! releases (see screenshot 9). While not incredibly sharp by contemporary standards, but evoking its circa 1970s-1980s era quite convincingly, The Editor offers suitable detail and well above average fine detail in close-ups.
The Editor's lossless DTS-HD Master Audio 5.1 track is quite vibrant at times, offering good support for a properly moody score and some great immersion, especially in the gory kill scenes. Dialogue is cleanly rendered, though there are occasional intentional sync issues (as alluded to above in the main body of the review). Fidelity is excellent and dynamic range is quite wide, including a few bursts of boisterous LFE.
- Nurses (1080p; 00:44)
- Fantori Nightmare (1080p; 1:29)
- Police Station (1080p; 2:05)
- Bridge Confrontation (1080p; 1:43)
Fans of giallo will most likely love The Editor, while those who have never experienced the weirdnesses of Bava or Argento may be wondering what the frell is going on in this film. The Astron-6 consortium may be playing things a good deal smarter in The Editor than they did in some of their prior outings, but that very facet may mean that some aspects of this film may in fact zing over the heads of some potential audience members. Technical merits are generally great and some of the supplemental material is very enjoyable as well. Recommended.
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