José Ramón Larraz Double Feature Blu-ray ADDED

[Darrel_Griffin]

Title: José Ramón Larraz Double Feature (Collector's Limited Edition of 700) Blu-ray

single disc, includes:

Emma, puertas oscuras (1974)
Estigma (AKA Stigma) (1980)


Country: USA
Region: ALL (mentioned on back of case and also confirmed by me)
Releasing Studio: Dorado Films
Case Type: Keep Case (clear blue or clear colourless)


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Emma, puertas oscuras (1974) :

Aspect Ratio: 1.85:1

(N.B. The picture seems to be a little bit stretched horizontally. Changing the picture setting to 4:3 makes it look too squeezed. IMDb does not report the OAR, but perhaps it should have been 1.66:1)

Codec: AVC MPEG-4
Picture: 1080p 24fps
Soundtracks: Spanish Dolby Digital 2.0 dual mono
Subtitles: English, Italian, Spanish, Brazilian Portuguese (optional)
Cuts: no known cuts (75:16) - presumably uncut
Commentaries: commentary by Bryan Martinez


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Estigma (AKA Stigma) (1980) :

Aspect Ratio: 1:33.1

(N.B. IMDb does not report the OAR, but 1.33:1 seems to be the OAR)

Codec: AVC MPEG-4
Picture: 1080p 24fps
Soundtracks: English Dolby Digital 2.0 dual mono
Subtitles: English, Italian, Spanish, Brazilian Portuguese (optional)
Cuts: no known cuts (95:18) - presumably uncut longer version (according to IMDb a shorter 86min version also exists)
Commentaries: commentary by Bryan Martinez


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Extras:

short movie: 'My Friend Lisa' (Bryan Martinez, 2017) (5:33) - consisting of intro by director (0:23) and the short movie (5:10)

Notes: In the case: 8 page booklet 'Dark Doors and Stigmas' containing notes on the movies, 4 page booklet containing an interview with José Ramón Larraz, 2 mini posters - one for each movie, 5 picture cards for Estigma

Easter Eggs: none known
Amazon ASIN: B07CKHFWB6
Source: I own a copy


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Additional Note:

The set seems to be available in a non-limited edition version (perhaps without the booklets and physical artwork, but I'm not sure) from Dorado Films:

https://www.doradofilms.com/shop-dorado

or

https://www.doradofilms.shop/products/j ... ure-bluray

[Eric_Cotenas]

Added

[Darrel_Griffin]

There are a few issues:

1. For "Emma, puertas oscuras", the movie description at the top seems to be incomplete, ending mid-sentence with "...and the personality of".

2. For "Emma, puertas oscuras", the aspect ratio is about 1.85:1, not 1.78:1. I didn't measure it, but there are definitely small black bars top and bottom, so this should be amended.

Also, my suggestion that it has been stretched from 1.66:1 is only a guess of mine, but if you know that 1.66:1 is the OAR, then it is probably correct. Unfortunately I have no means to manipulate the image to check how stretched it actually is, but I would say that it must be more than 1.78:1 -> 1.85:1, because I don't think I would have noticed such a small stretch.

UPDATE: I have discovered a discussion on this issue here:

https://forum.blu-ray.com/showthread.ph ... &styleid=1

One contributor suggests that the image has been taken from a 1.33:1 version, cropped (to approx. 1.66:1) and then stretched to 1.85:1. I don't know if this 1.33:1 version is open matte. If it is, then it might be considered acceptable to crop it, but the subsequent stretching is definitely bad practice.


3. For "Estigma", it does not mention that it is Limited Edition of 700 Copies. This should be added.

4. For "Estigma", the only soundtrack (apart from the commentary track in English) is English Dolby Digital 2.0 Mono. There is no Spanish soundtrack, so this should be removed.

5. For "Estigma", as far as I am aware there are no trailers, so this should be removed.

[Eric_Cotenas]

fixed

[Darrel_Griffin]

Thanks Eric. Everything seems to be fixed now, with the exception of point 1 above, about the description of "Emma, puertas oscuras" ending mid-sentence.

It seems this is taken from IMDb, so it should perhaps be completed by adding:

"...Emma becomes very aggressive, causing a regrettable series of assassins and violence."

Or if this is too long it could be shortened instead.

Also, I hadn't actually read it properly before, but part of it says "... and her needs even psychiatric cares." which doesn't seem to be good English. Perhaps it could be replaced with "...and she needs psychiatric care."

I will leave all of this to your discretion, but whatever, I don't think it should end mid-sentence!

[Eric_Cotenas]

Fixed. Do you have the Dorado DVD of EMMA that was released earlier. I think it came from a tape master.

[Darrel_Griffin]

Thanks, all seems good now.

No, unfortunately I don't own the Emma DVD, and I won't be buying it now as I have the Blu-ray. I might have bought it previously if I'd known about it, as I love Larraz's work, but I wasn't aware of it. As you probably know, It is available from Amazon, ASIN: B01E4L4MDG . It seems to be released by Cadicy International, with packaging by Dorado Films. There are no reviews of it on either the UK or USA Amazon sites, but the photos suggest it is 1.33:1, with Spanish language. It does not seem to mention whether there are subtitles, but since the writing on the back of the case is all in Spanish, I wouldn't be confident of it having English subtitles.

As for the Blu-ray releases, it would appear that the non-limited edition double bill is also available from diabolikdvd.com. I don't know the difference, although as I previously stated, I suspect it is essentially the same but minus the booklets and physical artwork.

The limited edition version seems to be available via ebay, but perhaps not for long given it's rarity.

[Eric_Cotenas]

Cadacy is/was Dorado's Spanish-only line. No subtitles. The only version of the film I have seen was a DVD-R of a Spanish tape with tracking issues to which I added downloaded subtitles.

[Darrel_Griffin]

Well if you like Larraz's work, I would recommend this Blu-ray release, despite its shortcomings. Personally I find a horizontally stretched image to be easier to watch than a squeezed one. It's not ideal of course, but depending on what hardware/software you use to view it, you might be able to correct for this, although the colour grading is also a bit off. But it DOES have subtitles.

I have every Larraz movie currently listed on this site, and I would also highly recommend the Arrow box set, although I've only watched Whirlpool so far (but I've seen previous releases of the other 2 movies, although the version of 'Coming Of Sin' I previously watched was a cut DVD).

The only one I don't have on Blu-ray is 'Scream... and Die!', but the only Blu-ray release I know of is heavily cut. I have a DVD of the uncut version, but it is a 'grey market' release from Substance. It's from a VHS source, so not great, but I prefer this to a heavily cut version.

[Eric_Cotenas]

I covered the Arrow set for DVD Drive-in. It is still a mystery as to why the old UK DVD of THE COMING OF SIN has a different cue over the opening credits from the Blu-ray. The cue heard on the Blu-ray is the one heard on all of the Spanish releases. I suppose it is possible that it was changed for the English version but the Pagan VHS/DVD is the only source we have of the English version that has the gallery credits sequence. All versions based on the VIOLATION OF THE BITCH cut drop the sequence entirely, as did the Italian hardcore version.

I also have a DVD-R with the longer, time-coded WHIRLPOOL cut, DEVIATION, SYMPTOMS (both the old TV recording and the US Blu-ray), the old COMING OF SIN DVD, the SCREAM OR DIE VHS and unauthorized DVD as well as a DVD-R of the complete HOUSE THAT VANISHED cut (same replacement title card background as Hallmark's DON'T LOOK IN THE BASEMENT), subtitled tape-sourced versions of LA MUERTE INCIERTA and EMMA, DVD-Rs of POLVOS MAGICOS and LA MOMIA NACIONAL, the US DVD of STIGMA, and tapes of EDGE OF THE AXE and REST IN PIECES (I used to have DEADLY MANOR under the SAVAGE LUST title but it went missing in the move).

[Darrel_Griffin]

Right, yeah sorry I should have spotted your name at the bottom of the pages for the Arrow box set. I don't know if you get to keep the set after reviewing it - hopefully you do!

I own the HB Films DVD of 'Coming of Sin', which I believe is identical to the earlier Pagan Films release apart from the different cover. I already had a note about the different music in my own notes, although I probably got that information from this site, in other words, from you!

That's an impressive list of Larraz's movies that you've seen! I've never seen any of his later work such as 'Rest in Pieces', 'Edge of the Axe' and 'Deadly Manor'.

The extras on the 'Whirlpool' Blu-ray do discuss the longer version, and it sounds like most of the extra footage is quite boring - mostly shots of cars driving along roads etc., that I can live without.

I'd love to see 'La Muerta Incierta' (1973), but I mostly prefer to wait for good quality releases rather than get poor VHS transfers, so I'll wait and see for now. On the 'Whirlpool' Blu-ray it seems to be suggested that a good quality source of 'Deviation' (1971) does exist, but that it was not possible to include it in the box set due not knowing who owns the rights to it. How frustrating!

You didn't mention 'Black Candles' (1982), but I assume you've seen it as you added the DVD entry for the BCI double feature with 'Evil Eye' AKA 'Malocchio' (Mario Siciliano, 1975). I own this release, which has quite poor quality picture, but I also recently got the Code Red Blu-ray. I've not watched it yet though. My general impression is that Code Red releases have quite good detail, but little or no work in terms of cleaning up dirt/scratches etc.

[Eric_Cotenas]

For Black Candles, I have the Midnight Video DVD-R, the bci dvd with The Evil Eye, and a dvd-r copy of the Naked Dreams recut version

Arrow has Deadly Manor and Edge of the Axe. They might have Rest in Pieces since it is owned by Jose Frade like Coming of Sin and Edge of the Axe. Clips from the HD masters of Edge and Deadly Manor are on view in the Blood Hunger extras

[Darrel_Griffin]

I assume that means Arrow will be releasing them in due course. Cool - I'll look out for them!