THE PUNISHER (Mark Goldblatt, 1989)

[leigh1975]

I do believe the Blu Ray just arrived from Amazon today... aargh, I need my hands on that parcel NOW!!!!

[Jox]

Wow, they ship early now?

[leigh1975]

Well, I can sometimes get my stuff as early as the thursday before release... so I guess so! I will let you know when I have my hands on the package in the morning!

[Mosquito]

Yep!

Mediabook 3 discs limited edition - 1 Blu-ray - 2 DVDs
Blu-ray: 89 Minutes (R-Rated), 90 Minutes (Unrated)
DVD: 94 Min. (Unrated-Workprint)

Oh wow! But why is the DVD five minutes longer? Does the workprint have scenes that didn't make it into the final movie? Does the Bluray contain the uncut version? I've seen a previous German version before and it was butchered.

[Mosquito]

I do believe the Blu Ray just arrived from Amazon today... aargh, I need my hands on that parcel NOW!!!!

Great. I cannot see the Bluray on Amazon even if I try amazon.at or amazon.com. Seems that they filter based on my location allthough I can see other FSK 18 titles. *sigh* What was the price? I can only find it on one other website for 29,98 Euro / free shipping.

[Jox]

Leigh is referring to the UK barebones edition (Anchor Bay) coming out on Monday, you're referring to the German/Austrian ultimate 3 discs edition (Koch Media) coming on the 22nd

And from what I read, because it contains uncut (hence unrated by the FSK) version it then cannot be on Amazon.de. So I don't know other sites than these two at the moment:
http://shop.dtm.at/product_info.php?products_id=51271
http://www.medienversand.at/xtcommerce/ ... -ray-.html

[Mosquito]

Oh my, thanks. Seems I should really go to sleep now. I can't read properly.

I've found it here:
http://www.ofdb.de/view.php?page=fassung_vorab&fid=388&vid=43992

Seems that they all have the same price then.

[leigh1975]

The UK blu is 1080i and 1.78:1... um.

Wow, they ship early now?

It's the easter weekend, friday and monday are national holidays here... no post, and Amazon always make sure the pre-orders are either early or on time... never let me down so far

[Jox]

The UK blu is 1080i and 1.78:1... um.

How is the sound, is it a real 2.0 stereo or surround sound (instead of a 2.0 mono)?

[leigh1975]

I'm pretty sure it was actually 5.1 DTS hd master audio, I will check when I get back home again... that's not a direct quote. I do know it was an excellent track... not sure if there was a stereo track. and as for the image interlace, I watched it on a 42" tv, and interlacing wasn't an issue.

[Jox]

What I need to know is how it sounds on the hear, not what they say officially (the previous German edition had a 5.1 track that was still a shitty remix made from a mono track so it still sounded MONO)...

P.S. Sorry to brag but this fits the PUNISHER topic: Mark Goldblatt just sent me birthday wishes on FB, how nice!

[Jox]

Dolph Lundgren’s Punisher: Great Punisher Film, Or BEST Punisher Film?
http://www.unleashthefanboy.com/news/co ... film/49782

The film also has a gritty, grainy texture that I absolutely love and I think works perfectly with the material. The low production value translates into cheaper film stocks and, hence, a harsher, dirtier look that is well suited to both the Punisher’s 1970s origins and his better comics outings.

What I want out of a Punisher film is a gritty, nihilistic story with a hint of humanity, but I also want it to be perfectly balanced between comic book imagination and gritty, 70’s realism. It needs to be a drive-in movie, a marathon movie, a late-night, pizza and beer movie. And, on those terms, Lundgren’s Punisher fits the bill.

Kudos for saying that especially the first part.

[leigh1975]

What I need to know is how it sounds on the hear, not what they say officially (the previous German edition had a 5.1 track that was still a shitty remix made from a mono track so it still sounded MONO)...

P.S. Sorry to brag but this fits the PUNISHER topic: Mark Goldblatt just sent me birthday wishes on FB, how nice!

Sorry, I've missed this thread!!! Right, the box is incorrect, which is where my confusion came in. The runtime is not 85 minutes as listed on the box, it's 89.05. It's actually a very nice 1080p transfer, not the advertised 1080i. It's a really surprising picture, definitely not upscaled there is healthy grain, nice detail, the palette is really nice, and there is no noticable DNR. There is a really good 5.1 HD-MA track, you really get some meaty bass on the explosions and punches, and they've done a really good job boosting the score. It's actually hard to believe it's been mixed from a mono source. The second (unadvertised) track is indeed listed as a 2.0 Stereo track in the setup menu... if it matters, the track is shown as a PCM track on my amp... i'm not sure if that makes a difference. This also has far more kick than previous DVD versions, while there is obviously less punch than the 5.1 track when it comes to the action, it's a definite improvement over the previous DVD tracks.

[Jox]

Cool!

About to receive the Koch Media edition very soon so I can check it...

[Jox]

About to receive the Koch Media edition very soon so I can check it...

And I just did!


Quickly went through the boxset which is heavy and looks pretty cool.
The mediabook is printed on good paper and features quite a few rare stills and posters from my collection (also 100+ featured in the gallery). While not fluent in German I could tell the liner notes cover the comic books more than the movie but that's fine.

The menus are for once pretty kick-ass old school and like the boxset they kept the original fonts used for the film which is nice.

DVD 1: Unrated/uncut version
with the Special Features (audio commentary, gag reel, gallery, trailers)
Dolby Digital 2.0 English & German
German subs
1.85:1 - 16/9

Bonus DVD: Workprint in pristine condition! Forget the previous VHS-rip, this one really gives you look at this former cut (while it was being edited), notably the omitted prologue and other scenes. Looks great for an old workprint of a film which of course was not yet color-graded.
Dolby Digital 2.0 English
German subs
1.85:1 - 4/3 (Letterboxed)

Blu-ray:
Unrated/uncut + R-rated versions
with the Special Features (audio commentary, gag reel, gallery, trailers)
Dolby Digital 2.0 English & German
German subs
1.85:1 - 16/9
Region B

Oh and I just had the time to watch the GAG REEL (6mins) which is one of the best (if not the best) gag-reels I've ever seen! Very well restored (from 35mm?) as well and in 1.85:1-16/9. It's great because it's so vintage and feels more like a behind the scenes montage than a gag reel (only a few, best one being Dolph literally crashing through the Japanese screens and missing Tanaka's daughter). It's kinda of made as a crew home movie but in a good way (even starts off as a Troma movie), and a real throwback to the 80s (check out the crew gals big earrings and hairdo).

I can't wait to watch the full movie (uncut and workprint) again and listen to Goldblatt's commentary...

The movie looks great by the way, it might be missing a 5.1 track but the 2.0 is excellent and finally buries the old DVDs (the movie was mixed in stereo anyway).

This is fantastic edition, not as packed but still on par with Synapse's RED SCORPION!

GO FOR IT AND GET IT!!!
(and get a firmware, a multi-region player or anything if you live outside Europe because it's worth it even at this price, and I don't think there'll be one as good as this in the US or anywhere else)