All three versions of this film are available on DVD outside Australia, though there does not appear to be any US Region 1 release at the moment. Only the original international version and the Special Edition are available with English subtitles. Original version A UK Region 0 edition from Tartan has much the same transfer as the Region 4 judging by the reviews, but has far fewer extras. The subtitles are burned in. A second release from Tartan, also Region 0, has Dolby Digital 5.1 audio and the same extras as the first release, but is NTSC format and has an improved transfer. It has removable English subtitles. A Hong Kong Region 3 edition has DTS 5.1 and Dolby Digital 5.1 audio, but has almost no extras and is not 16x9 enhanced. Apparently the subtitles have spelling and grammar errors. Special Edition A Korean Region 0 release from Starmax features the film in 1.78:1 and has DTS 5.1 audio. It has different extras from the Region 4 on a second disc, but the extras disc has no English subtitles. The subtitles on the feature are apparently difficult to read. A Korean Region 3 release from Cream is basically the same as the Starmax, but the extras have English subtitles, and the subtitles are easier to read than the Starmax. Tartan have released two versions of the Special Edition, each of which have the same extras as the Region 4 but on a second disc. The first version has Dolby Digital 5.1 audio and comes in a metal tin. The second version also has DTS 5.1 but no metal tin. Both have removable English subtitles. Just to complicate matters: - the Region 2 release from Germany has all three versions of the film, plus an extras disc and a CD soundtrack, but only the extras disc has English subtitles
- the Region 2 discs from Japan and France have some extras not on the other releases, but no English subtitles
- unconfirmed reports are that the Tartan discs are Region 2 coded, despite being marked as Region 0 on the cover
In terms of the Special Edition cut of the film, the second Tartan release with DTS sound looks the best bet. In terms of the original international version of the film, the second Tartan release has better sound, and judging by screencaps I have seen a better transfer than the Region 4, but it is NTSC and has little in the way of extras. This is one case where if you want quality video and sound and a range of extras, you will need to buy more than one set. There is also a Region 4 rental release, which I have not seen. Reports on this release are unclear, in that it may be a 1.33:1 pan-and-scan transfer or simply not 16x9 enhanced.
|