Tenebre

Anchor Bay | minutes | | | Standard DVD reviewed by: Fusion3600

Writer Peter Neal (Anthony Franciosa) is on tour promoting his latest novel, "Tenebrae." His travels have brought him to Rome, a very unusual series of murders begins to unfold. As the bodies keep piling up, it becomes obvious that someone is using Neal's book as a guide of sorts. Each murder can somehow be related and traced to an event inside Neal's novel. Hapless as ever, the police have nothing going for them, so Neal agrees to help them capture the killer and end the spree. As the case continues, the killings become more violent and brutal, and no one is sure how to solve this mystery. But with Neal, his assistant and agent, and the police force cracking down, the killer is bound to surface. How many more innocent people will die before someone can track down the killer and end his/her reign of terror?

Anchor Bay has issued yet another Dario Argento horror masterpiece, in it's original and uncut form. For the first time, fans can own a high quality version of the original film, with ten minutes of cut footage restored. While not as creepy or weird as some of Argento's flicks, this one surely is a joy to watch. The storyline is quite good, and dialogue is better here than any other Argento film. This is a very good movie which takes Argento off the gore driven path a bit, focusing on the plot more. But there is blood, don't be fooled, just not as much. You really can't find a more stylish horror master than Argento, and this is a movie that should not be missed. I recommend this disc very highly, especially to followers of horror and Argento.

While you might recognize even a single name on the cast list, this group does a wonderful job of fleshing out the movie's atmosphere. Anthony Franciosa garners some serious screen time, and he fills his character's shoes very well. While the name might not be familiar, Franciosa has been in a fair amount of movies, such as Death Wish 2 and Web of the Spider. Also giving noteworthy acting turns are John Saxon (From Dusk 'Til Dawn, A Nightmare on Elm Street) and horror movie regular Daria Nicolodi (Shock, Inferno). The supporting cast includes Mirella D'Angelo, Giuiliano Gemma (Battleforce), and John Steiner (Yor, the Hunter from the Future).

Tenebre is presented in a 1.85:1 non anamorphic widescreen transfer. Simply put, this is the best looking version of Tenebre I could hope for. Aside from very minor grain and flecks, this transfer is gorgeous. Colors have that 70s flowery pastel look kickin', but the hues come through well, and capture the mood of the flick well. Not to be outdone, the contrast levels are natural also, creating accurate shadow depth and high visible detail levels. I noticed no compression errors with the transfer either.

The disc features a remastered Dolby Digital 5.1 track for the audio, and watch out, this sounds awesome! You'll hear active elements all through the movie, especially during the gruesome murder scenes. Not wanting to be left out, the dialogue makes a commanding and consistent presence as well. The audio really makes the viewing experience enhanced, and I applaud Anchor Bay for issuing the remastered track.

The disc includes the theatrical trailer, two very brief behind the scenes featurettes, and a commentary track. The commentary track features Dario Argento, composer Claudio Simonetti, and journalist Loris Curci. While the track has some high points, there's just not much shared by the participants.