In time for the spooky season is this stunning release of the seminal classic ‘DEEP RED’ aka Profondo Rosso, by the legendary Dario Argento – in UHD format. A seemingly simple murder mystery, ‘DEEP RED’ transcends these tropes and elevates itself into a unique cat-and-mouse escapade, complete with an unremarkable but curious protagonist played by David Hemming. Being somewhat of a blank slate, Argento’s story weaves the audience into the mystery, thus becoming part of the piece – with such investment leading to abject terror.
Despite the carnage and sinister subtext ‘DEEP RED’ is beautifully disturbing and for this journalist, rates as the Italian Maestro’s best film; which is hard to assert given that his movie catalogue is unforgettable. Although Argento’s works are stylised and intricate in design, his name is more known within the cult cinema goers rather than in the mainstream and that in itself is sacrilege.
The release on UHD should no doubt introduce audiences to this underrated master of horror, as much as it will consolidate the a greater awareness of the excellence in Italian horror cinema. Dare I say, the higher resolution format might indeed enhance the frights, with the thickness and viscosity of the traditional blood effects making more of an impact on the terrified viewer. Personally, DEEP RED is one of my all-time favourite horror films, so my gushing praise is indeed a clear recommendation – yet this release tempts me to make the purchase in a new format; let’s face it with the added features it is a likely buy.
I humbly welcome you all to read an earlier retro piece I wrote for it back in October 2020 to learn more of my thoughts on this highly-regarded horror classic, and please feel free to use the links below to pre-order your copies today in the U.K., the U.S. and Canada ahead of their respective October 2021 release dates!
Pre-order Deep Red on 4K UHD in the UK: https://bit.ly/3zSR4BO
Pre-order Deep Red on 4K UHD in the US: https://bit.ly/3ibaLyF
Pre-order Deep Red on 4K UHD in Canada: https://bit.ly/3xc0qH9
Pre-order Deep Red (Arte Originale Limited Edition) on 4K UHD in the UK: https://bit.ly/3BWgi4b
Pre-order Deep Red (Arte Originale Limited Edition)on 4K UHD in the US: https://bit.ly/3zIfZYS
Pre-order Deep Red (Arte Originale Limited Edition)on 4K UHD in Canada: https://bit.ly/3Av8a9j
“From Dario Argento, maestro of the macabre and the man behind some of the greatest excursions in Italian horror (Suspiria, The Bird with the Crystal Plumage), comes Deep Red – the ultimate giallo movie.
One night, musician Marcus Daly (David Hemmings, Blow Up), looking up from the street below, witnesses the brutal axe murder of a woman in her apartment. Racing to the scene, Marcus just manages to miss the perpetrator… or does he? As he takes on the role of amateur sleuth, Marcus finds himself ensnared in a bizarre web of murder and mystery where nothing is what it seems…
Aided by a throbbing score from regular Argento collaborators Goblin, Deep Red (aka Profondo Rosso and The Hatchet Murders) is a hallucinatory fever dream of a giallo punctuated by some of the most astonishing set-pieces the sub-genre has to offer.
4K ULTRA HD BLU-RAY LIMITED EDITION CONTENTS
– New 4K restoration of both the original 127-minute Italian version and the 105-minute export version from the original negative by Arrow Films
– 4K (2160p) UHD Blu-ray presentations of both versions in Dolby Vision (HDR10 compatible)
– Limited edition packaging with reversible sleeve featuring originally and newly commissioned artwork by Obviously Creative
– Illustrated collector’s booklet featuring writing on the film by Alan Jones and Mikel J. Koven, and a new essay by Rachael Nisbet
– Fold-out double-sided poster featuring original and newly commissioned artwork by Obviously Creative
– Six double-sided, postcard-sized lobby card reproduction artcards
DISC 1 (4K ULTRA-HD BLU-RAY) – DEEP RED: ORIGINAL VERSION
– Restored original lossless mono Italian and English soundtracks*
– Optional lossless 5.1 Italian soundtrack
– English subtitles for the Italian soundtrack
– Optional English subtitles for the deaf and hard of hearing for the English soundtrack
– New audio commentary by critics Troy Howarth and Nathaniel Thompson
– Archival audio commentary by Argento expert Thomas Rostock
– Almost three hours of new interviews with members of the cast and crew, including co-writer/director Dario Argento, actors Macha Méril, Gabriele Lavia, Jacopo Mariani and Lino Capolicchio (Argento’s original choice for the role of Marcus Daly), production manager Angelo Iacono, composer Claudio Simonetti, and archival footage of actress Daria Nicolodi
– Italian trailer
– Arrow Video 2018 trailer
– Image galleries
DISC 2 (4K ULTRA-HD BLU-RAY) – DEEP RED: EXPORT VERSION
– Restored original lossless mono English soundtrack
– Optional English subtitles for the deaf and hard of hearing
– Archival introduction to the film by Claudio Simonetti of Goblin
– Profondo Giallo – an archival visual essay by Michael Mackenzie featuring an in-depth appreciation of Deep Red, its themes and its legacy
– Archival interviews with Dario Argento, Daria Nicolodi, Claudio Simonetti and long-time Argento collaborator Luigi Cozzi
– US theatrical trailer
*The English audio track on this original cut has some portions of English audio missing. English audio for these sections was never recorded for these scenes. As such, they are presented with Italian audio, subtitled in English.”
