It’s great time to be alive for fans of Italian genre films. Companies like Grindhouse Releasing, Severin, Synapse, and Ronin films are giving the works of directors like Umberto Lenzi, Sergio Martino, Joe D’Amato, and Ruggero Deodato the deluxe releases they deserve. Of the Italian maestros, none are as important or revered as Dario Argento, and new releases of his films are absolute must-haves for horror and exploitation fans. The new 2k transfer Blu-ray of his latter Giallo film, Opera, released by CultFilms is no exception.
Argento’s Opera is a fine piece of Neo-Giallo cinema. It celebrates the trends that made the sub-genre popular, yet it strives to push the artistry of the Giallo film by steeping it in operatic music and fine art settings. Don’t think that means the film is missing Argento’s trademark over-the-top violence and suspense, because Opera brings the blood and terror to spare. Fans of Dario’s films have surely experienced this film already, but if they haven’t, the time is now with CultFilms’ new gorgeous release.
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The 2k transfer of the film looks spectacularly clean and vivid. Dario’s visual style is perfect for high-definition. His colored lighting, beautiful close-ups, vivid violent images, and interesting composition choices are truly brought to life by this new release. The close-up shots of the opera costuming, the ravens, and signature Argento-style bright red blood are sharper than they’ve ever appeared, giving fans of the film more of what draws them to Argento’s filmography. The up-conversion of the sound also brings many scenes to life. The opera songs, and also Dario’s use of wild heavy metal tunes during certain scenes, sound wonderfully clear and balanced.
CultFilms’ new release of Opera is a gift to fans of Giallo films and Dario Argento films alike. It looks and sounds great and it is clear that this release was given the utmost care. Save a spot next to all the other awesome new Italian exploitation and horror Blu-rays, because this is a release that deserves a place on any horror fan’s shelf.
CultFilms’ copy of Opera can be purchased on their website here. It is listed as being Region B, but I was able to play it on my PS4 without any issues.
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