| The DVD
Video: Despite the fact that the back of the packaging states that this is an anamorphic 1.85.1 widescreen release, it is in fact full frame and it is in fact not flagged properly for playback on progressive scan hardware. Some scenes look a little cramped but for the most part the compositions make it through okay. Print quality is average – there's some damage here and there, some specks, some grain, but the colors come through nicely. The black levels stay deep, but fine detail is a bit on the washed out side.
Sound: The English language Dolby Digital Mono soundtrack is acceptable if unremarkable. Dialogue is clean and clear and while there are a couple of notable instances where some background hiss makes its way into the scene, it's not too distracting. The score sounds nice and lively and there aren't any serious issues with the sound on this release. There are no alternate language subtitles or closed captioning options included on this release to speak of.
Extras: The most interesting aspect of the supplements compiled for this release is the collection of deleted scenes. The first batch of scenes is sourced from the German VHS tape, and they total about seven and a half minutes. They're not subbed, so it's hard to know what's going on. Outtakes are up next, and look to be film sourced, and there's around eighteen minutes of this material, the vast majority of which is sex scene footage. There's also a section dedicated to trailer outtakes, about ten minutes or so worth. Combined, there's over half an hours worth of excised material in here and while it's all out of context, it's still cool to see.
Rounding out the extra features is a decent still gallery of promotional artwork for the film, as well as a trailer for the feature and trailers for other 'Exploitation Digital' releases.
Final Thoughts: Well, if you take the transfer out of the equation, you've got a pretty decent release – unfortunately, the video quality really does hurt this disc quite a bit. The movie itself isn't bad though, and Laura Gemser fans are probably going to want to check Divine Emanuelle out as it is uncut and the deleted footage is a nice touch. Rent it. |