Symptoms coming to Blu-Ray

[bgart13 Senior Member Find all posts View Profile Close bgart13]

Were there any discussions about including a 1.66:1 version as well?

[Jared A. Senior Member Find all posts View Profile Close Jared A.]

Were there any discussions about including a 1.66:1 version as well?

Not that I know of. The disc is pretty stacked already. I don't think there would be room.

[John Bernhard Senior Member Find all posts View Profile Close John Bernhard]

The film certainly wouldn't be ruined by going wide, but certain key scenes would be excessively tight.

Any chance of more info as to which scenes were deemed excessively tight?

You have to remember - most of the guys making films in the 70s grew up on films of the 30s and 40s, and that's certainly the case with Larraz. For a lot of them, widescreen was a commercial compromise.

No offence, but you can't be serious with this line of thinking. Maybe for working directors in the early 50's when widescreen came in, some may have felt that way.
But to suggest a director who began his career in 1970 had some deep connection to 1.33 composition is simply not credible.

[MichaelB Junior Member Find all posts View Profile Close MichaelB]

Well, several very credible people at the BFI, Mondo Macabro and the Brussels Cinemathek have reached the same decision (having the option to frame it any way they wanted, thanks to having access to the OCN), and on the basis of what I've seen so far I can see why they did. To my eyes, the film simply looks more convincing in 1.33:1.

I don't imagine it was an easy decision, for the historical reasons you cite, but sometimes you just have to trust the evidence of your eyes.

[Fundi Guest Find all posts View Profile Close Fundi]

why is everyone wanting a widescreen version, when it has been stated by Mondo Macabro that the film is meant to be shown 4:3? I mean Mondo Macabro has never released a film in the wrong aspect ratio, and I don't think they will screw this one up either, I don't want a 1.66:1 version included when the film is meant to be shown 4:3, that's the same as back in the old days when VHS would show 1.85:1 movies in 4:3, I mean the purpose of a films aspect ratio is not to fill up our new nice 16X9 TV's, but to be shown in their correct aspect ratio, whether it's 1.66:1 or 4X3 or 1.85 or 2.35:1

[Mark C. Senior Member Find all posts View Profile Close Mark C.]

Having had a spin through the new transfer, I can confirm that the image is certainly croppable to 1.66:1 and even 1.85:1, but it looks very tight indeed (especially at 1.85:1).

The last time I personally had to make a framing decision when supplied with a 4:3 master was for Russ Meyer's The Seven Minutes, which was a total no-brainer - I've never seen so much headroom in my life, and when reframed in widescreen the compositions looked properly dynamic in a way that they emphatically didn't in 4:3.

But with this, it's pretty much the other way round, and so I can absolutely see why the BFI and Mondo Macabro endorsed 4:3. And these people are not philistines - I suspect this would have been discussed in considerable detail during production and authoring.

Great Info, And welcome here MichaelB. Glad to see you.

[John Bernhard Senior Member Find all posts View Profile Close John Bernhard]

Official Mondo statement from Pete Tombs
http://mondomacabrodvd.blogspot.com/...ntroversy.html

[Keeth Senior Member Find all posts View Profile Close Keeth]

So, what is Symptoms like? The trailer looks interesting, sorta. I think the only Larraz film I've seen is Black Candles & I remember nothing about it.

[Paul L Scholar of Sleaze Find all posts View Profile Close Paul L]

So, what is Symptoms like? The trailer looks interesting, sorta. I think the only Larraz film I've seen is Black Candles & I remember nothing about it.

SYMPTOMS is very, very good. It's very claustrophobic and paranoid, with an excellently eerie use of the English countryside.

[Tom Clark Senior Member Find all posts View Profile Close Tom Clark]

Yeah if you're into films like Repulsion, Images and other films of the like then Symptoms will be right up your alley.

Hopefully that post from Pete will be the final word on the ratio question. Satan help us all if this turns into another Blood and Black Lace debacle.

[Keeth Senior Member Find all posts View Profile Close Keeth]

Okay, it sounds like it's worth the blind buy. Repulsion came to mind when I watched the video last week or so.

Images, the film directed by Robert Altman? I've never seen it but it sounds like I should.

[enandalusiskhund An Andalusian Dog Find all posts View Profile Close enandalusiskhund]

Pre-ordered the red Mondo. Don't want to miss out on those extras I'm never going to bother watching anyway.

[Randy G Senior Member Find all posts View Profile Close Randy G]

Very excited to see this in all its restored glory.

[Bogart Senior Member Find all posts View Profile Close Bogart]

So, what is Symptoms like? The trailer looks interesting, sorta. I think the only Larraz film I've seen is Black Candles & I remember nothing about it.

You don't remember the goat humping the woman ?

[Keeth Senior Member Find all posts View Profile Close Keeth]

You don't remember the goat humping the woman ?

I remember a scene with a goat but that's it. I've seen ALOT of bestiality so all of it just blends together