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This special limited edition spot gloss slipcover (designed by Suspiria Vilchez) is limited to 6,000 units and is only available on our website and at select indie retailers. Absolutely no major retailers will be stocking them.
In Rome, Inspector Anna Mari receives a macabre surprise for her birthday when an email lands in her inbox from someone calling themself “The Card Player”, and claiming to be the one responsible for the recent kidnapping of a British tourist. In a sadistic twist, the kidnapper challenges the authorities to a game of online poker to determine whether the young woman lives or dies. When the Police Commissioner forbids his team to go through with the game, the maniac brutally slaughters the tourist before their very eyes via webcam, later dumping the body in a river. As more and more women are abducted from the streets of the Italian capital and subjected to the same treatment, Anna Mari joins forces with Irish policeman John Brennan and young poker whizz-kid Remo in an attempt to beat The Card Player at their own deadly game.
A later giallo offering from the master of the form, Dario Argento’s (Deep Red, The Bird with the Crystal Plumage) THE CARD PLAYER takes all the familiar trappings of the genre and plants them firmly in an early 2000s milieu, complete with a fittingly pulsing, contemporary electronic score by Claudio Simonetti (Suspiria, Tenebrae). Co-scripted by regular Argento collaborator Franco Ferrini (Phenomena, Demons) and featuring gruesome corpse special effects from Sergio Stivaletti (Cemetery Man), Vinegar Syndrome is delighted to present THE CARD PLAYER in its world UHD debut, newly restored in 4K from the original camera negative and loaded with a full deck of both new and archival extras.
directed by: Dario Argento
starring: Stefania Rocca, Liam Cunningham, Silvio Muccino, Adalberto Maria Merli, Claudio Santamaria, Fiore Argento
2003 / 103 min / 1.85:1 / English, Italian DTS-HD Master Audio 5.1
Additional info:
Overall rating: 4.4745765 / 5 from 118 reviews.
The Card Player is a limited edition 4K UHD Blu-ray with a fantastic transfer, superb sound quality, and fantastic packaging. Customers appreciated the excellent picture quality, interesting extras, and the top-notch quality of the product. The film, directed by Dario Argento, received mixed feedback but is praised for its contemporary electronic score and gruesome special effects.
Review topics: [colors, quality, shipping, picture, looks, packaging, sound, work, upgrade, film, release, argento, extras, movie, transfer, artwork, thriller, edition, interviews, art, kills, director, play, features, version, fan, spot, vinegar syndrome, giallo, dario].
"This should have ended Argento’s career, it’s brutal, lol. The transfer is pristine, audio crystal clear, tons of extras, decent artwork… Overall a great package, except for the bore of the film itself. Recommended for Argento completionists only."
"I already had a BD version of this title, but with Vinegar Syndrome we have reached a higher level both in terms of video and audio, but also with excellent extras and the double-sided cover that reproduces the original poster."
"A slick, modern giallo with an engaging mystery and stylish direction. While different from Argento's classics, it delivers suspense, memorable set pieces, and a strong visual style. The presentation is excellent."
"A beautifully presented 4K release of The Card Player. The transfer looks great, the packaging is excellent, and it’s a welcome addition to any Dario Argento collection. Very happy with this edition overall."
"For my full detailed review of The Card Player, see my entry on Letterboxd: @M4N14K Defined not one of his best but definitely an important feature to round out an appreciation of Argento’s filmography. I viewed this film on The Card Player Vinegar Syndrome 4K Limited Edition physical media release and it is the same great premium level of packaging and presentation that you’ve come to expect from the generic releases of this boutique label. No other brand beats Vinegar Syndrome at the cardboard game and this great slipcover is no exception to the consistently fantastic artwork and component quality this company produces."
"This rating is just for the transfer. VS has done a tremendous job with the 4K transfer. I can't believe this film ever looked better. The movie itself is not classic Argento but a nice little thriller. The two leads are very good and there are a couple of nice tense moments. The cover art is very nice and I think an upgrade over the original art. In all another top notch release from VS."
"The slipcover is awesome, as always with anything VS or their awesome partner Labels release! It is a cool movie that was a lot of fun to watch! I always love the unique VS service of allowing you to stack as many movies as you like in your cart during any release period and ship them for free! The peerless VS restoration process was on full display with stellar sound and picture! Thank you, VS, for continuing to lovingly restore and release so many wonderful films from every conceivable genre! You are keeping physical media alive in this streaming world we now live in! Highly recommended!"
"An enjoyable later period Argento films. The lead actors and video poker plot make this a memorable film. The new restoration in 4k is great, the packaging with the original theatrical poster and newly commissioned artwork is appreciated."
"In terms of picture quality, it's just awesome. The movie has never looked better. In terms of extras: it's rather disappointing. WAY too many interviews. There should have been a featurette on the various deleted scenes that pop up in the trailer and in the making of. Also: no trailers?? Why?? Plus: why only the international version? The Italian version is even more interesting because of alternate writings, scribblings and at least one crazy credit during the final scene that wasn't used in the int. version."
"Imma be real - I haven’t seen this yet. Snagged it because it was heavily discounted on the site plus I love those early internet horror movies of the early 2000s. Plus it’s an Argento flick."
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