| Video: The 1.85.1 widescreen transfer is, unfortunately, not anamorphic but aside from that it doesn't look bad at all. The film was shot on digital video so you don't get the same kind of depth that you do out of 35mm film but you can't fault the transfer for that. There is some shimmering throughout but aside from that, the picture is clean, colorful and easy on the eyes. There are some really, really mild compression artifacts in some of the black spots and darker scenes in the film if you want to look for them but they're not so obvious that they're distracting. Flesh tones look lifelike and natural and for a DV production there is a fair amount of fine detail present in the picture. It's a shame that the widescreen image isn't anamorphic, but other than that this is actually a decent transfer of a low budget movie.
Sound: Suicide Manual is presented in its original Japanese language in a nice Dolby Digital 2.0 Stereo Surround track with optional subtitles available in traditional Chinese, simplified Chinese and in English. The quality of the audio itself is pretty decent, with a few nice moments where some distinct channel separation enhances the mood. The score sounds quite eerie and the dialogue is easy enough to understand. There are no problems to report with hiss or distortion and the lower end of the mix has enough bass to it that you'll notice it. The only problem is with the English subtitles, which are more than a little awkward in spots. You can follow the movie easily enough but there are plenty of awkward phrases and a few typos as well.
Extras: Extras for this release include the film's original trailer, a still gallery, and a behind the scenes documentary that runs for roughly twenty-minutes. None of these contain any English subtitles but the documentary features some interviews with the cast and crew as well as some behind the scenes footage. Promotional stills for the upcoming Suicide Manual 2 and for the Suicide Manual soundtrack CD are also included and the disc features animated menus and chapter stops for the feature. The keepcase fits inside an attractive cardboard slipcase that features identical cover art and text.
Final Thoughts: ...The import disc from A Plus Pictures has decent A/V quality but the subs are weak and the extras are not translated. Skip it. |
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