Blood and Black Lace - 4K UHD Blu-ray - Arrow Films NEW ART Limited Edition - Rare OOP Sold-out - MINTY w/ O-Card/Slipcover

This brand new worldwide 4K disc debut release of Blood and Black Lace is easily one of Arrow's greatest accomplishments to date, and one you'll surely be returning to again and again! I could talk about this film, all its greatness, and its importance in cinema history all day, but if you're looking at this then you probably already know the deal. So let's skip all that and just go over this release and its technical merits shall we?

PQ: The 4k restoration, transfer, HDR, and encode here are all FANTASTIC! Seriously, this is top-tier stuff and will serve as a shining example of how a 4K release of an older film should be handled for years to come. This isn't just a minor upgrade. Improvements in fine detail, clarity, and depth are substantial. Film grain resolves beautifully and colors are robust without being oversaturated. This is the disc you want to showoff to your friends and family when explaining why physical media is second to none and just how good an older film can look when given the proper treatment. You'll feel like you're watching this for the first time, and if you're a big fan you will truly be overjoyed. Aside from a wonderful restoration/transfer from the original camera negative, you get a fantastic and impactful HDR grade as well as a stellar encode job by none other than FiM (Fidelity in Motion). Remember that name and let it serve you as a stamp of sheer quality. Simply put, PQ here is nothing short of glorious! And don't just take my word for it. Do your own research and see what others are saying. Seriously, go look now because this is a must-own!

AUDIO: Top-notch. Nothing left to be desired. Restored original lossless mono Italian and English soundtracks with subtitles for both. What more could you want for this film? The audio tracks are exactly what they should be and sound excellent! "No Dolby Atmos?!" nerds can kick rocks. Or better yet, they can use this disc as a learning experience that not every new release needs to come with a fancy revisionist audio track.

PACKAGING: Let's be real. Arrow Limited Edition rigid slipcase sets are without a doubt the best of the best, hands down, no question. Sure, Vinegar Syndrome does cool and unique work. And yes, Second Sight sets are very nice as well. But Arrow has the edge over every company currently in the game. With Arrow sets you get a thick chipboard/rigid slipcase, double-sided poster on high-quality paper, postcard-sized lobby card reproductions, a perfect-bound book which is often times hardback, reversible art sleeve, and most importantly UNIFORMITY. They stick to their formula because it's pretty much the perfect package. With that being said, Arrow has found a way to make their total package even better. They've gotten rid of the dreaded J-Card (at least for this release) that most of us keep but either fold and force inside the slipcase or stash away with our many other annoying J-cards. This is the first single release rigid slipcase LE (hopefully of many) to implement an O-card/slipcover! Yeah, Arrow just did that, and if they stick to it then it'll be a gamechanger for us collectors who can't stand J-cards but reluctantly keep them around for the printed info found on the back. Not to mention people love collecting slipcovers, so there's that too. In the world of physical media there's nothing quite like having a nice row (or an entire shelving unit) of chunky Arrow Video box sets all lined up and ready to be pulled for digging into and viewing, and this lovely Blood and Black Lace set with wonderful newly commissioned art is up there with the very best of them. We're nearly done with the year, and as of right now I can say without a moment of hesitation that this is my favorite single-film release of 2023.

CONDITION OF MY STOCK: All copies are brand new, sealed, and at least in Near Mint to Mint Condition range. Photos depict the average condition of my stock. Some items may have small shrink-wrap tears or very minor box/package/slipcover imperfections, hence the possibility of near mint. Please do not purchase if that is an issue for you.

RELEASE DETAILS/SPECS/EXTRAS:

• Brand new 4K restoration from the original camera negative by Arrow Films

• 4K (2160p) UHD Blu-ray presentation in Dolby Vision (HDR10 compatible)

• Restored original lossless mono Italian and English soundtracks

• Optional English subtitles for the Italian soundtrack

• Optional English subtitles for the deaf and hard of hearing for the English soundtrack

• Audio commentary by Mario Bava’s biographer Tim Lucas

• Psycho Analysis – a documentary on Blood and Black Lace and the origins of the giallo genre featuring interviews with directors Dario Argento (Suspiria) and Lamberto Bava (Demons), screenwriter Ernesto Gastaldi (All the Colours of the Dark), critics Roberto Curti and Steve Della Casa, and crime novelists Sandrone Dazieri and Carlo Lucarelli

• An appreciation by Hélène Cattet & Bruno Forzani, the creative duo behind Amer and The Strange Colour of Your Body’s Tears

• Gender and Giallo – a visual essay by Michael Mackenzie exploring the giallo’s relationship with the social upheavals of the 1960s and 70s

• Blood and Bava – a panel discussion on Mario Bava featuring Dario Argento, Lamberto Bava and Steve Della Casa, recorded at the 2014 Courmayeur Film Festival

• The Sinister Image: Cameron Mitchell – an episode of David Del Valle’s television series, devoted to the star of Blood and Black Lace and presented in full

• The alternative US opening titles, sourced from Joe Dante’s private print

• Original theatrical trailer

• Image galleries

• Limited edition packaging with reversible sleeve featuring original and newly commissioned artwork by Ilan Sheady

• Limited edition 60-page perfect bound book featuring writing on the film by Howard Hughes, Alan Jones and David Del Valle, plus new writing by Rachael Nisbet and Kat Ellinger

• Fold-out double-sided poster featuring original and newly commissioned artwork by Ilan Sheady

• Six double-sided collector’s postcards

SHOPPING FAT DOG FILMS GUARANTEES YOU THE FOLLOWING:

• SHIPS SECURELY IN A STURDY BOX WITH BUBBLE WRAP FOR A GUARANTEED SAFE DELIVERY

• YOUR ORDER WILL ARRIVE IN NEAR MINT TO MINT CONDITION RANGE

• YOUR ORDER WILL SHIP WITHIN ONE BUSINESS DAY (MON-FRI) AND POSSIBLY SAME-DAY DEPENDING ON TIME OF PURCHASE

• $5 OFF TWO ITEMS, $10 OFF THREE, AND $15 OFF FOUR

• Check my feedback and know you're buying from a trusted and reliable seller. Take a look at my other listings if you're a collector of physical media. I hope you find something you like!