I know Synapse has been touting their release to be the definitive restoration and something they were going to take their time on, but news of their Blu-ray broke in 2013 and it's a few days shy of 2016 and still no word on a release date. Other companies manage to get titles out within months of their announcement, how can it possibly take three years (and counting) for one release?
shareSeriously. We are on the verge of the next video format and I'm still holding onto my damn DVD.
shareI've brought this up before and people have actually gotten offended and been like "Oh, well Synapse is a great company and they are just making sure they do a thorough, top-notch transfer, just be patient"—which, I mean, fine. Their Blu-ray releases of Prom Night and Curtains were outstanding—but it's been three years. Don't scold people for being curious. Everyone keeps harping on about "the colors, the colors, they have to get the colors right!" Anchor Bay's transfer had the colors in the film spot-on, and I somehow doubt that was a three year process.
They posted an update about it almost a year ago on their Facebook, in June 2015— I went back and looked and a guy innocuously commented in September saying "I just came here to check for an update on Suspiria. Looks like this is the latest update.", and they wrote back: "And it will remain as such until Don decides to share something new."
Like, *beep* off. What kind of condescending, gatekeeper-ish answer is that? Don't publicize the fact that you're releasing a cult classic on Blu-ray and then get huffy when fans are asking what the status is when THREE YEARS have passed and nothing has reached fruition. That's your own damn fault for a premature ejaculation of an announcement.
Their recurring excuse is, "We want to make sure it's the definitive release"—but, as another poster pointed out, at this rate Blu-ray will be the new DVD by the time they get it out.
They already have 4K Blu-rays for sale at stores. I saw some in Best Buy just the other day. So Blu-ray already isn't the best physical format, and we still don't have a North American release of Suspiria. It is ridiculous. They may as well make it a dual 4K/regular Blu-ray release now to spare fans of the new format waiting another 10 years to see it in 4K.
Synapse puts out some quality releases, I'll give them that, but should the work they do on them take three years? No. They've been slow in putting out product before, but none of their titles have ever taken as long to be offered to consumers and they wonder why we're getting antsy. I have friend's kids who are celebrating their third birthdays when they weren't even BORN when their Suspiria Blu-ray was announced, I mean give me a break here. They either need to make it a higher priority or stop holding on to it. They released screenshots of their work ages ago, I mean I want to say it was 2014 or something when we saw some screenshots of their work, and it's 2016 and we still don't even have a release date.
My guess is the work is done already and they're sitting on it to release it in some limited to 3000 or 5000 copies special edition with the soundtrack, which might be what's holding it up. The reason I say this is because they just released Tenebre in February in one of those limited edition 3000 copy steelbooks at $39 with the soundtrack. Then a few days later they said they were doing the same thing with Phenomena--a limited edition with the soundtrack. Bet money that this is going to be what they do with Suspiria, too, as they also followed the pattern for Demons and Demons 2. All of their Italian horror releases are this steelbook limited edition crap, and if they pull that stunt with Suspiria and it sells out almost instantly, fans are going to go bonkers. It's not enough we've been waiting three years, but to have it immediately sell out would just be the icing on the cake.
I really hope I'm wrong and they're smarter about it, but I can definitely see it going that route.
And if they're tired of being asked about it and want to get all snarky about updates, then don't announce you acquired a beloved title and sit on it for three years without even a projected release date. Give the fans SOMETHING. A damn year it will come out will be appreciated, even. Will it even be 2016 at this point? No one knows.
I agree with you.
I brought this up yesterday in a Horror DVD/Blu-ray Sale & Trade group and they literally bit my head off for it. I was called a petulant child and a *beep* crybaby and "the reason why companies stay off internet forums and treat their fans like entitled jerks."
I was so pissed off I had to get off my computer. Synapse seems to have a cult around them that will not allow any criticism without ensuing lashings. I don't get what the big deal is. All I said was that they hadn't updated on the status for almost a year, and people were like "Well, they'll update when they have updates." Okay, whatever. But at least throw people a bone. I suppose my saying that their announcement of the Blu-ray three years ago was a "premature ejaculation" hurt some of these nutjobs' feelings.
It doesn't make sense to me that they announced this release and then have been so resistant to letting their fans know what's going on with it. I know they're a small company, but that's even more incentive for them to be able to keep their followers informed.
Oh trust me, I've seen their fanboys on Facebook. Scream Factory has a similar, if less fervent, fandom that at least allows marginal criticism. With Synapse, if you aren't kissing the ground Don walks on, you're risking a lynching. I think it stems from the fact Synapse is such a small company and fans feel gratitude for the fact they take these films which are mostly seen by others as trash and treat them with the utmost respect and care. And they do. Taking the time they do on films such as Prom Night and Curtains, slasher films which barely got any respect upon their release, and giving them Criterion-like transfers, is laudable. But if it's going to take you years on one release, maybe your company should be more than two people. Don was on Facebook saying the company is literally him and some other guy. I have no idea how much they pay for the rights to acquire these films, but selling them at $39 a pop seems like it would more than recoup those costs and allow you to hire some more staff so you and one other person aren't running the entire show. I mean Don and that other guy literally package and send out the orders themselves on a daily basis in addition to running the company. They seriously can't hire someone for $9 an hour to box up orders and slap a shipping label on them? How strapped for cash can these guys be?
shareOh god, tell me about it.
I remarked on one forum that the delay was "remarkable" and expressed "amazement" that another new scan had to be ordered when it was discovered the tapes they received were corrupt but only well after the film had been stored away and it would take several months to retrieve it and rescan it.
You would have thought I had insulted the virgin mary judging by the response I got. "You don't know what you're talking about" , "How many film transfers have you ever done?", "This will be the best blah blah blah....."
Apparently it's not remarkable at all that it is taking another year thanks to logistic screw ups. It's not remarkable at all that quality control was only begun after the source material was put out of reach for almost a year.
I praise Synapse for their ambitions for this release and I appreciate they are not a large corporation with plentiful resources. But the over protectiveness and fawning of some folk regarding them, and Criterion for that matter, is absurd and rather creepy at times. It gets to the point that the narrative for whatever disc they release is made out to be like some sort of religious rite of passage.
Like when the recent Dr Strangelove Criterion BD came out using the exact same transfer and master as previous Sony releases and was described as looking exactly the same but I wondered aloud why it received half a star more than the Sony in PQ rating. Jesus! It was like I had asked where babies come from, the amount of condescension that rolled down Criterion afficionados.
"Who can't use the Force now?! I can still use the Force!" - Yarael Poof
Its Suspiria's 40th anniversary next year.
So with a bit of luck we'll get it in time for its 50th.
Yeah-maybe. I watched my Anchor Bay DVD last night, and was once more impressed with the picture quality. The audio (to my ears, anyway) was fine, if a bit too low. When that version was released, with it's soundtrack disc, on-camera interviews, trailers, still galleries, booklet and lobby card set, some ''fans'' were still not satisfied, and attacked it like it with gusto. Synapse is probably dreading the same thing happening again-although they could very well be sitting on the ''definitive'' version. Still, no matter how well it turns out, there will be some who won't be satisfied. It's ALWAYS been true that you can't please everyone-so why try?. Just get the Blu-Ray out, and let the chips fall where they may. From the screen captures I have seen, I, for one, will be content.
shareThe Anchor Bay limited edition is one of the best horror DVD releases ever as far as I'm concerned. I remember when it came out. I was in junior high, and was in Best Buy with my dad. He was looking at computer stuff and I always browsed the movies (this was back when Best Buy still sold legit stuff). I remember seeing how thick the case was and pulling it off the shelf. I was immediately intrigued, especially when the front cover claimed it to be one of the scariest films of all time. I was a precocious cinephile who loved horror movies from a young age, and my dad never tried to quash that—I remember convincing him to buy it for me—I think it was like $35 or something—but I was so excited.
I remember opening it and being even more fascinated by all of the lobby cards, the book, etc. inside. I still have it, and probably will never get rid of it. I really miss Anchor Bay; they were the s#!% back in the day.
I bought Anchor Bay's at Best Buy, the first day it was released (on 9/11) but that's another story. I still think it's great. Of course I bought the ''Special Edition'' because of the booklet, lobby cards and the separate discs with the soundtrack and documentary. They'll have their work cut out for them topping this one. And, whether they do or not, I would never sell mine, either.
shareThe Anchor Bay version does still look great (I just rewatched it), but the audio on the dialogue is a bit low (though there was a ton of whispering in all fairness).
shareIf you are not region locked the new german bluray transfer looks gorgeous if you don't want to wait for the synapse release, AQ and PQ are superb in my opinion, it was like watching it for the first time, they really got the colors right which is really important for this film.
Perfection takes time I guess haha
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