Four Flies On Grey Velvet

[Paul A J Lewis]

Originally Posted by Paul Alaoui

I'm a little on the fence about this one, Troy. It's not in the league of Argento's best gialli, IMO, and nor is it in the league of some of Fulci and Martino's better gialli, neither. That said, it's got some amazing visuals and a couple of nicely executed set-pieces.

Although I've owned a bootleg for more than ten years, I've only see the film once, and that was when it was projected in 35mm at the National Film Theatre In London, back in the summer of '96.

I remember that screening. I wanted to go, but I was a poor student at the time and couldn't muster up enough money.

I like FLIES. It's a transitional film: like Troy says, it sits at the cusp of Argento's earlier, more conventional naturalistic thrillers (BIRD and CAT, which still remain my favourite of his movies) and the period of visual and narrative excess that dominated Argento's movies from the mid-1970s onwards. The dream sequence haunted me for days after I first saw the movie.

[Russ F]

"Yo Dario, am I a cop or a cabbie in this one? My outfit don't seem right somehow...."

Oooh, I gots me some ants in my pants....

[Troy Howarth]

Originally Posted by Paul Alaoui

I'm a little on the fence about this one, Troy. It's not in the league of Argento's best gialli, IMO, and nor is it in the league of some of Fulci and Martino's better gialli, neither. That said, it's got some amazing visuals and a couple of nicely executed set-pieces.

Although I've owned a bootleg for more than ten years, I've only see the film once, and that was when it was projected in 35mm at the National Film Theatre In London, back in the summer of '96.

So far as I'm concerned, none of Argento's early gialli are as good as Fulci's efforts in the genre, at least as far as One On Top of the Other, Lizard, Duckling and New York Ripper are concerned. Bird is surely better than 7 Notes in Black, but not by too, too much. I'd rate Strange Vice of Mrs. Wardh above the "animal trilogy," but again, not by too much. The other Martino gialli shrink in comparison.

[Michael Mackenzie]

Originally Posted by Paul Alaoui

Is that before or after you slag-off the release for not being a THX-certified transfer in one of your reviews

(To be fair, I've never criticised a DVD for lacking THX certification, which is little more than an expensive brand name.)

[Paul Alaoui]

Originally Posted by Michael Mackenzie

(To be fair, I've never criticised a DVD for lacking THX certification, which is little more than an expensive brand name.)

No, but I'm sure there'll be other "faults" for you to get your teeth into

[Marin_Spanic]

"You better get your coffin ready if we don't get this DVD out soon!"

[Marc Morris]

I spoke with Paramount about this title a few months ago and they were in the process of re-copyrighting it as there had been some complex legal issues which prvented it being issued.

[Michael Mackenzie]

Originally Posted by Paul Alaoui

No, but I'm sure there'll be other "faults" for you to get your teeth into

Just curious, but why is "faults" in quotes? Are you suggesting I make up problems that aren't there? I just calls it how I sees it.

[Richard W]

Originally Posted by Marc Morris

I spoke with Paramount about this title a few months ago and they were in the process of re-copyrighting it as there had been some complex legal issues which prvented it being issued.

So it's going to be a Paramount DVD ?

[Paul Alaoui]

Originally Posted by Michael Mackenzie

Just curious, but why is "faults" in quotes? Are you suggesting I make up problems that aren't there? I just calls it how I sees it.

Well, you are a little pedantic when it comes to some of the older releases. Other reviewers would probably be a little more forgiving. Just an opinion.

[Michael Mackenzie]

Originally Posted by Paul Alaoui

Well, you are a little pedantic when it comes to some of the older releases. Other reviewers would probably be a little more forgiving. Just an opinion.

That's fair enough, but do bear in mind that I write for a site that covers everything under the sun, from major new studio releases to the most obscure fare. As such, it would be difficult to have two completely different sets of criteria for low and high budget material. Wherever possible I try to be forgiving of flaws in the source material, only criticising what I see as problems that could have been avoided at the studio end (that's why I'll generally point out things like edge enhancement or bad compression, but am more likely to let print damage, splices and discolouration slide). Rest assured, if I get a chance to review this Four Flies DVD, I'll be 100% fair in my assessment of it, knowing very well that it must have been a major undertaking.

[Lefteris T]

Originally Posted by Paul Alaoui

Well, you are a little pedantic when it comes to some of the older releases. Other reviewers would probably be a little more forgiving. Just an opinion.

Noshame's releases are of "mediocre standards" and the flesh tones look "a little too magenta".

[Wim C.]

Sometimes I read posts of Eurocult-lovers being hesitant about buying this or that release because they read a review heavily criticising the transfer on the dvd. Invariably it turns out they read one of Michael's reviews on dvdtimes. Makes one wonder just how much you hurt the industry with your reviews on that important site. I mean - those potential buyers are the same ones that are perfectly happy with an average Shriekshow-release, suddenly turned off after reading your negative review of a NoShame or Blue Underground-release.

This review is a good example : http://www.dvdtimes.co.uk/content.php?contentid=62705

Your standards are way too high, Michael. You should really put things in perspective - Colt 38 Special Squad looks amazing when you consider just what sort of obscure movie you're watching, and the effort a small firm like NoShame put into it.

Sorry to go off-topic.

[Michael Mackenzie]

Originally Posted by Wim C.

Sometimes I read posts of Eurocult-lovers being hesitant about buying this or that release because they read a review heavily criticising the transfer on the dvd. Invariably it turns out they read one of Michael's reviews on dvdtimes. Makes one wonder just how much you hurt the industry with your reviews on that important site. I mean - those potential buyers are the same ones that are perfectly happy with an average Shriekshow-release, suddenly turned off after reading your negative review of a NoShame or Blue Underground-release.

This review is a good example : http://www.dvdtimes.co.uk/content.php?contentid=62705

Your standards are way too high, Michael. You should really put things in perspective - Colt 38 Special Squad looks amazing when you consider just what sort of obscure movie you're watching, and the effort a small firm like NoShame put into it.

Sorry to go off-topic.

Perhaps you might like to have a look at some of my many positive reviews of Eurocult titles instead of focusing on the ones that take a negative or mediocre slant. I think you'll find that I've given than my fair share of praise to the small companies that are putting these titles out. A few examples:

The Cursed Medallion ("a really nice transfer... Detail, too, is rarely less than spot on, with the close-ups being sharp enough for the actors' individual facial pores to be visible, while edge enhancement is not an issue")

The Girl Who Knew Too Much ("this transfer is of a very high standard given the age, condition and obscurity of the source materials")

A Lizard in a Woman's Skin (the remastered edition, which I doubt would even exist without the critical reaction to the previous disc)

Murder Rock ("Presented anamorphically in its original aspect ratio of 1.85:1, Murder Rock sports arguably the best transfer the company has ever done. You can literally see every bead of sweat on the various pieces of dancers' anatomy fetishised by the camera, and the shades of neon in the opening credits are perfectly captured")

The Night Evelyn Came Out of the Grave ("it goes without saying that it trounces every single previous release... this transfer is a revelation")

Short Night of the Glass Dolls ("it's hard to believe that the film is nearly 35 years old, as the print is in immaculate condition and the colours nicely saturated")

Suspiria ("The 2.35:1 anamorphic transfer is fabulous in almost every sense of the word")

Thriller: A Cruel Picture ("I highly doubt that the film could look any better than this on the DVD format: Synapse have clearly invested a huge amount of effort in making this release look as stunning as possible")

Who Saw Her Die? ("a rich, detailed anamorphic transfer... the encoder never seems to slip up and there are no visible compression artefacts... an excellent effort and one that looks very pleasing to the eye")

What Have You Done to Solange? ("It's incredibly close to being perfect - I don't normally rave about DVD image quality, but in this case I am willing to make an exception. The wait for someone to give this film a worthy transfer has definitely been worth it")

I have said this before but I will reiterate it just in case I haven't made myself clear: when I criticise a transfer, it is almost always for pitfalls that could have been avoided, regardless of how small the company responsible is and how little (or how much) money they have available. Things like invasive edge enhancement, excessive noise reduction and overly aggressive filtering are NOT the result of not having enough money available; every studio has, at one time or another, abused them, from the smallest independent to the most powerful of the majors. Likewise, even the smallest company can produce a stunning transfer: it doesn't cost extra money to ensure that edge enhancement etc are turned off. Likewise, there are numerous tools available on the Internet to download for free that can scale from PAL to NTSC (or vice versa) without adding the stair-stepped edges that are visible on certain titles that have been released.

There's a reason why I don't do many reviews of these titles any more, and it's that, among the Euro-cult fan base, there is a small by vocal minority that routinely attack those who give these titles an in-depth critical appraisal. Two or three individuals have said some pretty hurtful things to me, including one odious little man who spammed my web site for several days, making insulting and personal comments about me (naming no names). There was a time when I thought that people would be glad of reviews that put these titles under the magnifying glass, so to speak, but I've become increasingly aware that, for some people, this is not the case.

If you want to read about how amazing Colt 38 Special Squad looks, there are plenty of reviews which will tell you this (which I have absolutely nothing against - I'm sure they accurately represent the viewing experience of the writers, just as my reviews accurately represent MY viewing experience), including numerous sites that have as much, if not more, currency among both the cult and mainstream crowds than the one I write for. Also, it may have escaped your notice, but even if I give a critical review, I almost always end it by urging people to buy the disc all the same, usually pointing out that it blows away any previous incarnation.

Apologies for dragging this thread so far off-topic, but I felt compelled to respond to what feels like an accusation that I am somehow complicit in destroying the industry.

[Wim C.]

Originally Posted by Michael Mackenzie

There was a time when I thought that people would be glad of reviews that put these titles under the magnifying glass, so to speak, but I've become increasingly aware that, for some people, this is not the case.

It's just that it seems like you put them under a magnifying glass while everyone else just watches them on a TV-set, you know - what those dvds are intended for. You have a hardcore techno/videophile approach that's very uncommon in eurocult-loving circles. I mean - the public you should inform on whether a release is any good, has standards that aren't nearly approaching yours, and that makes for confusing information.

Originally Posted by Michael MacKenzie

Apologies for dragging this thread so far off-topic, but I felt compelled to respond to what feels like an accusation that I am somehow complicit in destroying the industry.

I probably did blow it out of proportion while trying to get my point across.