Crimson – Redemption Films (Blu-ray)

Theatrical Release Date: Spain/France, 1973
Director: Juan Fortuny
Writers: Juan Fortuny, Marius Lesoeur, H.L. Rostaine
Cast: Paul Naschy, Silvia Solar, Olivier Mathot, Evelyne Scott, Claude Boisson

Release Date: June 14th, 2016
Approximate Running Times: 89 Minutes 31 Seconds (English Version), 98 Minutes 17 Seconds (French Version)
Rating: NR
Sound: Dolby Digital Mono French, Dolby Digital Mono English
Subtitles: English (French Version)
Region Coding: Region A
Retail Price: $29.95

"Eurocult icon Paul Naschy (Frankenstein’s Bloody Terror) stars as a criminal gang leader who undergoes a radical surgery in Juan Fortuny’s 1973 thriller Crimson." - synopsis provided by the distributor

Video: 3/5

Here’s the information provided about this release's transfer, "Mastered in HD from the original 35mm film elements".

Crimson comes on a 50 GB dual layer Blu-ray.

Disc Size: 46.2 GB

Feature: 21.7 GB (English Version), 24.3 (French Version)

Both transfers look similar, colors at times look faded, black levels are weak and the image generally looks crisp. That said, despite these transfer’s limitations any noise reduction is minimal.

Audio: 3/5

Each version comes with one audio option, a Dolby Digital mono mix in English for the English version and in French for the French version. Though dialog comes through clearly and ambient sounds are well-presented. There’s noticeable background hiss and range wise both tracks lack depth. Included with this release are removable English subtitles for the French language track.

Extras:

Extras for this release is limited to an audio commentary with film historian Richard Harland Smith for the English language version.

Summary:

Though Crimson features an interesting premise. The way the premise gets executed is an underwhelming experience. The narrative is tediously paced and this is more compounded when watching the French version that’s padded with soft-core sequences. That said, even the English language version is a chore to get through and this version omits the aforementioned soft-core scenes.

If anything positive can-be taken away from Crimson, then that would be the way this film fits perfectly into its so bad it is mildly entertaining niche. Other strengths include frequent Jess Franco collaborator Daniel White’s superb score and they're a handful of moments visually that leave a lasting impression.

The main attraction of Crimson is Paul Naschy (Curse of the Devil, Werewolf Shadow) in the role of Jack Surnett, the ring leader of a gang of thieves who’s shot in the head trying to escape the police. Crimson's main twist involves Surnett needing someone to give their brain and ironically the only person who fits the bill is his greatest enemy, a man known as The Sadist. Performance wise Paul Naschy is woefully underused and he spends most of his time laying dormant or assaulting women.

Crimson gets a strong audio/video presentation from Redemption Films that comes with an informative audio commentary track.

                                           Screenshots French Version.

                                           Screenshots English Version.

Written by Michael Den Boer