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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: 4.4722223 / 5 from 108 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"].
"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."
"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."
"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."
"I recommend this for fans of Dario Argento. VS did a great job with the artwork and 4K transfer. The movie itself isn’t peak Argento, but still entertaining nonetheless."
"Argento's police procedural feels more like a made for TV movie and isn't as solid as his earlier giallo works, but the beautiful VinSyn presentation loaded with extras and plenty brand new features is worthwhile for completionists or fans of police dramas over giallo-style murder mysteries."
"Great UHD transfer, hope Vinegar will release more Argento's titles in 4K, like Trauma or Third Mother. . ."
"Not his best film but still very good and a stunning edition"
"Admittedly not Argento's best (not even close) but a great presentation and a great number of interviews"
"Love Argento, great film. Great artwork."
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