This harrowing film about nuclear war may be the only film I know of that had two new masters in the course of one year, with both releases bookending 2018. (Actually the Simply version was released on DVD first, in April, but the BD didn't come out until December.) The Simply version wins. While the Severin version was minted from a 2K scan, the Simply version came from the original BBC CRI prints. The difference is night and day!
http://www.framecompare.com/image-compar...n/WZLLNNNX
http://www.framecompare.com/image-compar...n/0CBJNNNU
Other things to note:
http://www.framecompare.com/image-compar...n/WZLLNNNX
http://www.framecompare.com/image-compar...n/0CBJNNNU
Other things to note:
- The film is meant to run at 25fps, PAL standard essentially. The Simply version gets this right, but the Severin version defaults to 24fps. You can tell from the lower pitch of the sound.
- The subtitles vary. In the detention camp scene, a prisoner shouts "Buggered if I'm gonna be shot by a traffic warden!" The Severin BD loses this in translation, so the subtitle is... something else. I mean, I didn't quite catch it myself watching that scene for the first time, but now I look at it, I probably should have!
UPDATE: It turns out the Simply DVD has the same error. In fact, I've concluded that every release of Threads up to the Simply BD had that erroneous subtitle. I may even draw up a comparison chart between the subtitles for each release, just for the heck of it...
- The Simply version has an addendum at the end of the film with credits for the 2018 restoration.
- Both Blu-rays are region-locked: Severin is Region A, Simply is Region B.
- The Simply BD also has an exclusive audio commentary with Karen Meagher, and a PDF of Radio Times articles and letters.
- Additionally, the Simply BD debuts a widescreen version of the film on disc 2. It's basically the same film but cropped to 16:9. But it's director-approved, so there's that.
