IFC originally released Antiviral as a new release on separate DVD and blu-ray releases in 2013. They've been the sole, go-to discs in the US until now. Severin has issued a new, limited edition 4k 3-disc set, consisting of a brand new 4k scan of a 35mm protection internegative on UHD, that same transfer on 1080p BD, and a second BD including an earlier cut from its Cannes premiere. Cronenberg tells us in the intro to the Cannes cut that "it's not better version or the director's cut, but it is a part of the film's history that was lost until now." It's mostly the same as the final theatrical cut, but with the deleted scenes back in, and a few other minor alterations, satisfactorily concluding a subplot for a secondary character. A standard edition has already been announced for March, but it will just be a 2-disc set, without the Cannes cut.
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a scene only in the Cannes cut |
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1) 2013 IFC DVD; 2) 2013 IFC BD; 3) 2024 Severin BD; 4) 2024 Severin UHD; 5) 2024 Severin (Cannes cut) BD. |
Severin's new transfer naturally adds a layer of grain to the image that the IFC discs lack, because it's the only one taken from film. That grain is still surprisingly soft, even on the UHD, but I guess that's no great loss since it kinda doesn't belong there anyway. Severin's Cannes cut, naturally, does not have this grain element, and some purists will be glad to have it for that reason. Zooming in super close to all of these reveals practically no discernible distinction in actual detail from the original picture in any of these transfers (except, of course, in the DVD, which is naturally cloudier). But it should be noted that the UHD is able to retain imagery that all the other discs crush out in the shadows, evident in the second set of shots. In summary, I'd say the UHD does have the generally best transfer, but it's a distinction most viewers wouldn't even notice. And some sticklers might still prefer the IFC blu for not adding the... not fake, but extraneous grain, and maybe even for keeping the traditional theatrical AR.
Antiviral started life with a 5.1 mix, and it's on every disc. The DVD is lossy, whereas all the blus and UHD present the film in DTS-HD. Severin also adds a stereo mix, also in DTS-HD. Every release also includes optional English subtitles, with IFC also throwing in Spanish ones.
In terms of special features, IFC was already satisfactorily decked out. It has a pretty great audio commentary by Cronenberg and Hussain, which occasionally gets a little silly and immature (I recommend switching it off before their original "I want to snort your nail clippings" song over the closing credits), but is 99% very illuminating. And then there's a terrific, half-hour making of documentary, comprised of interviews with the cast and crew and on-set footage. There's also just over five minutes of interesting deleted scenes, with optional commentary by Cronenberg. And there are a handful of 2-3 minute featurettes, which are pretty skippable, since they're mostly cut from the same footage used in the doc. There may be one or two brief soundbites that are unique to them, but it's not worth sifting through. Finally, there's the trailer and a couple bonus trailers. Oh, and some brief test footage from their infrared cameras, used in some background shots.
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Broken Tulips |
I called The Mask of Satan the gem of Severin's latest Black Friday releases, but that doesn't mean it's the only one worth getting. This is a top shelf release of an underrated classic. Although, with that said, anyone who doesn't consider themselves an extreme fan may be content with the original IFC release, since the new transfer and additional bells & whistles aren't that far beyond what we've already got. This is the premium, luxury edition for those who've got to have the very best. Everyone else may be happy to save a few - or more than a few - bucks and splurge elsewhere.