Digi-Schlock: PHENOMENA (Synapse 2-Disc 4K UHD Standard Edition)

A year ago, Synapse put out a deluxe double UHD disc edition of Phenomena. This year, they have continued their trend of putting out cost-effective standard edition versions of their prestige releases with a new edition of Phenomena: it drops the slipcase packaging, booklet, poster and lobby card reproductions but retains the excellent presentation of the film and all the disc extras. Read on for an exploration of  everything this set has to offer the Dario Argento fan...

Transfer: Phenomena was a film that released in three major versions - a 116 minute director's cut for Italy, a 110 minute "international version" created by editors working with Argento's approval and Creepers, a radical 83-minute re-edit of the film created for the U.S. market by New Line Cinema. All three versions are included in this set and the new 4K remasters in Dolby Vision used for this set look immaculate: natural colors, appropriate film grain, vivid details and no damage visible in the source material. Whatever version you prefer, you'll get an amazing looking presentation of it here.

And believe it or not, you get even more audio options, all presented in lossless quality. You get 2.0 and 5.1 stereo Italian tracks for the director's cut, 2.0 and 5.1 English stereo tracks for the international version, 1.0 mono and 2.0 stereo tracks for Creepers cut and a hybrid English/Italian track for the director's cut that supplies bits of dialogue in Italian for moments that weren't dubbed into English.

You also get a special alternate 2.0 English stereo mix for the international version with different sound effects and music cues in certain spots. The 5.1 mixes are all derived from original 4.0 Dolby stereo tracks while both Creepers options are derived from the original 3-track DME magnetic mix. English subtitles are supplied for all versions, with separate versions appropriate to the Italian or English tracks they are used for, and there are also English SDH subtitle options available.

Commentary Track 1 - Troy Howarth: this track originated with Arrow's special editions of Phenomena and features the author of the Argento study, Murder By Design. It offers a mixture of historical detail and critical  commentary. He digs into the elements of the films that don't work in his view but balances that with praise for the many elements he loves. In his trademark style, he includes mini-biographies for many members of the cast and crew - and the most interesting stretch might be when he offers a personalized overview of Argento's controversial later years.

Commentary Track 2 - David Del Valle and Derek Botelho: this track is carried over from Synapse's blu-ray edition of this title. Del Valle guides the track as moderator, making comments and asking questions as prompts to Botelho. The latter wrote a book on the director (The Argento Syndrome) and is the expert of the two, leading to an interesting dynamic where Del Valle will prompt Botelho with an assertion only for Botelho to challenge it or correct a fact. Fans will get plenty of interesting info about the film's production and development, particularly about how Jennifer Connelly became involved with the production, as well as plentiful opinions and allusions to classic horror from Del Valle.

Of Flies And Maggots (2:00:13): this 2017 feature-length retrospective documentary from the reliable Federico Caddeo is the heart of this set's extras. It features fresh interviews with Argento and several key collaborators: co-producer Angelo Jacono, co-writer Franco Ferrini, cinematographer Romano Albani, FX supervisors Sergio Stivaletti and Luigi Cozzi, composers Simon Boswell and Claudio Simonetti, star/story contributor Daria Nicolodi and more. Caddeo weaves all these interviews together into a detailed oral history of the film that covers its inception, the major players involved and the complexities of creating its many setpieces.

Plenty of fascinating tales are uncovered along the way, like the Argento family dramas that played out behind the scenes, how the film represented the dissolution of his romance and creative partnership with Nicolodi and how Orson Welles almost became involved in the film. You'll discover what a key player Cozzi was behind the scenes, not only devising the key visual FX but also serving as a second unit director and even a production designer. Other highlights include a testimonial from assistant director from Michele Soavi about Argento's impact on his life and actor Davide Marrotta's witty musings about the rigors he went through for the film's final scenes. In short, it's an excellent retrospective with plenty to offer fans new and old.

The Three Sarcophagi (31:00): a visual essay from Arrow Video producer Michael MacKenzie covering the film's three versions. He artfully breaks down not only the differences in content but the stylistic choices involved in each, including how the international version is more of a micro-trim revision of Argento's version than a recut and how the Creepers version not only drastically shortens the film's narrative but alters its visual storytelling to a degree. He illustrates his points with several effective split-screen scene comparisons and also delves into the sonic challenges that arose when creating the English/Italian hybrid mix for the international version. It's key viewing for Argento fans and impresses with how it communicates so much information in such a short time.

Additional Extras: There are a trio of trailers, one each for the Italian, international and Creepers versions, plus a couple of radio spots for Creepers. You also get an image gallery for the Japanese pressbook and an Argento-directed music video for "Jennifer" that includes Connolly as it star alongside Claudio Simonetti. The case includes two choices of art via a double-sided sleeve insert and the first edition includes a cardboard slipcase depicting the lovely new art created for this set.

Summation: if you waited for an affordably-priced domestic UHD release for Phenomena, Synapse Films has amply rewarded you here. You get all three versions of the film in sterling presentations plus an impressive slate of extras that take you inside the complex story of this film's creation. If you're an Argento fan and have a UHD setup, don't hesitate.

You can purchase this set directly from Synapse by clicking here.

To read Schlockmania's film review for Phenomena, click here.