MovieChat Forums > The Mafu Cage Discussion > Just got the new DVD...

Just got the new DVD...

posted 14 years ago by RHPSvegas
2 replies | jump to latest

The special features are amazing, however the print of the film is not that good. The back cover lies, saying it's a new HD transer - really? There are countless instances of dust, hair, blurriness, etc. Plus the title is "Deviation" and there's a voiceover at the beginning. What sort of HD transfer is this and where did this print come from? Was the original negative not available?

When I originally saw it on VHS, it was retitled "The Cage." After watching the interviews on the DVD, I understand that it went through several titles, but the final official title is "The Mafu Cage" - so why doesn't the print they used say that? "Alernate Title Cards" are provided (just the old Magnum VHS opening titles that say "The Cage"). It's definately watchable and looks a bit better than the old DVD release, but it's still not the best it could possibly look. At least the old DVD had the proper opening title sequence and no weird voiceover. I need to listen to the audio commentary, maybe that'll clear some of this weirdness up

[–] WarpedRecord 14 years ago

Thanks for your assessment of the DVD. Did the commentary clear up the weirdness, or add to it? And who delivered the commentary?

I'm actually surprised this was released on DVD at all. I found this for a buck at a used videos store – the Magnum VHS titled simply "The Cage," which is probably how you originally saw it. What were the other bonus features, and was the DVD at least widescreen? I suspect it was just a transfer of an old VHS release.

[–] orchidclub 10 years ago

The back cover says it's from an HD MASTER. I have no doubt this is the case. You can make an HD master from any old print - and this print is in very poor shape. It was probably the best element available for this obscure film. The original negative is most likely long gone.