And thanks for all your kind words:)
I also have the Italian blu ray of FOD (from Ripley's home video. The feature is region-free and has english audio; the bonus features are region B).
I think I explained this earlier - you cannot have a BD that is both region-free and region B at the same time; it is either one or the other. In this case it is region-free. What you are referring to is the fact that the main feature is 1080p while some of the extras are 576p.
Further observations!First of all, these are the releases I will refer to in the following text:Paramount DVD (Germany, 2005)MGM BD (US, UK, etc.)Mondo BD (Italy)Universum BD (Germany, 2013)Additionally, there's a remastered version in Germany that usually airs on Kabel1.This comparison is going to be extremely complicated, as there are so many different remastered versions of FAFDM by now, all of them differing in certain aspects. I hope I can sort all of this out in this post. So...Here are three screencaps of the Universum BD which you can compare to their MGM BD and Mondo BD counterparts at http://caps-a-holic.com/hd_vergleiche/comparison.php?cID=666#auswahl.http://s20.postimage.org/5twso1u3x/PDVD_006.jpghttp://s20.postimage.org/qn8e3y1f1/PDVD_025.jpghttp://s20.postimage.org/3zojk1wh9/PDVD_016.jpgThis should give you an overall impression of the Universum BD.To show that there are many instances of dirt and speckles, here's one example, look at the sky:http://s20.postimage.org/kfntcaqwd/PDVD_008.jpgThe main titles stem from an inferior source (in comparison to the main bulk of the movie) on both all releases:Universum BD: http://s20.postimage.org/wznjds4h9/PDVD_024.jpgMondo BD: http://s20.postimage.org/tff4y6ca5/PDVD_000.jpgUnfortunately, the famous quote "Where life has no value..." is translated into German on the Universum BD, and there's no way to view it in English:http://s20.postimage.org/lynsv0mul/PDVD_023.jpgOn the Mondo BD, it's is missing altogether. I don't have any idea if it has ever been part of the Italian version, I have to admit.Now let's take a look at the different cuts...This shot ist cut short on the MGM BD and the Paramount DVD, the Mondo BD does contain it however, as well as the Kabel1 version on German TV. On the new Universum BD, it was inserted in full length from the Mondo BD probably:http://s20.postimage.org/472zp2sod/PDVD_000.jpgAnother interesting thing is the sound. When Clint raises his head and we can see his head for the first time, thunder roars. On old remastered MGM DVDs and the Paramount DVD, this sound came too early. It was corrected for the MGM BD. However it comes too early on both English soundtracks of the Universum BD, while it is correct on the German soundtracks and also of course on the Italian soundtrack of the Mondo BD.The longer laughter of Indio is also there on the new Universum BD, ported over from the Mondo BD probably. It is missing on the Paramount DVD and the MGM BD. There's one interesting thing here, though. On the Mondo BD, the whole prison scene starts at night and ends at dawn, while on the other versions, the whole scene takes place at night.Universum BD: http://s20.postimage.org/tfsewhmzx/PDVD_002.jpgMondo BD: http://s20.postimage.org/d6ywop3fx/PDVD_002.jpgI guess they had to filter the scene on the Universum BD in order to adjust it to the rest.The scene of Clint grabbing the boy is also longer on the Mondo BD and has therefore been inserted on the Universum BD:http://s20.postimage.org/owg6az54d/PDVD_004.jpgPlease note that the shot I've provided is also part of the other releases, it's just 1,5s of the scene which are longer here.There's another extended scene, which has also been taken from the Mondo BD in order to make the Universum BD complete:http://s20.postimage.org/btkjrpewd/PDVD_005.jpgAs before, this shot is also part of the other releases, however in this version the shot is 4,5s longer.There are strange things going on with the music at the end of this scene.On the Universum BD, the music is faded out very abruptly on both German soundtracks and the English mono soundtrack. On the English 5.1 upmix, it lingers until the beginning of the next scene and kind of serves as a bridge. On the Italian soundtrack of the Mondo BD, it simply stops before the next scene begins.And now... the famous beating scene. This is going to be hard to describe...Fact is, that none of the former releases featured the complete scene. Until now. Combining different sources, the Universum BD is able to present this scene in its complete form for the first time. I'll try to cover the most important aspects of the different versions of this scene, but it is complicated...Only one little thing is missing on the Mondo BD, it has however been part of the Paramount DVD all along and if I remember correctly also of the MGM BD. It's simply the end of this shot (1s only):http://s20.postimage.org/6kpittwh9/PDVD_007.jpgThe scene of Indio gettin a grimmer face and Monco being kicked in the back is there in its complete form. It was missing on the MGM BD and parts of if were missing on the Paramount DVD.http://s20.postimage.org/q92yxild9/PDVD_002_2.jpghttp://s20.postimage.org/gpta41xv1/PDVD_003_2.jpghttp://s20.postimage.org/j8ez4qjl9/PDVD_004_2.jpghttp://s20.postimage.org/ilg2f7mp9/PDVD_006_2.jpghttp://s20.postimage.org/qkftwjcfh/PDVD_001_2.jpgThen, after Indio has jumped off the wall, there was one face shot missing on the Paramount DVD:http://s20.postimage.org/q2p9ufc8d/PDVD_007_2.jpgIt is part of the Mondo BD, while I think the scene as a whole is missing on the MGM BD.The shot back to Indio and his comrades stems from an inferior source on all of the releases that contain it, namely the Paramount DVD, the Mondo BD and the Universum BD.Universum BD: http://s20.postimage.org/ccq57vzql/PDVD_000_2.jpgMondo BD: http://s20.postimage.org/9gz9vsrl9/PDVD_008.jpgThe end titles, as the main titles, also come from an inferiour source on problably all remastered versions.Universum BD: http://s20.postimage.org/8zlzs023x/PDVD_017.jpgMondo BD: http://s20.postimage.org/b7iaxa94d/PDVD_006.jpgLast but not least, here are several more screencaps from the new Universum BD:http://s20.postimage.org/nq7kyfrfx/PDVD_001.jpghttp://s20.postimage.org/rwx0rigfh/PDVD_009.jpghttp://s20.postimage.org/3ug6wmzsd/PDVD_010.jpghttp://s20.postimage.org/sc8akj2ct/PDVD_011.jpghttp://s20.postimage.org/5c68lxtwt/PDVD_012.jpghttp://s20.postimage.org/wba3h3gdp/PDVD_015.jpghttp://s20.postimage.org/hj5dpragd/PDVD_018.jpghttp://s20.postimage.org/6ndzuepil/PDVD_021.jpgTo sum up:I'm totally fine with the picture quality. Although there are so many speckles, the overall quality is still a lot better than the Mondo BD in terms of sharpness, color and contrast. And yes, this really is the first release of this amazing in its uncut form. Finally!!!!There only two sad things about this release:- Universum felt they had to translate the "Where life has no value..."-phrase into German- The thunder sound isn't in its right place when we see Monco for the first time(And the ugly cover art, probably.)PS: I'm sorry that the screencaps are not in their original size. I uploaded them at postimage.org which said it wouldn't resize them, but obviously it did. SORRY!
About the thunderclap with Manco's appearance.Is it suppose to be when Clint first lifts his head?This is how I remember it but I have so many releases where it comes at a different time.
