My copy of the 2014 Synapse Blu-ray of Countess Dracula came today so I listened to the commentary with actor Ingrid Pitt, director Peter Sasdy, screenwriter Jeremy Paul and author Jonathan Sothcott. It's definitely a different commentary than the one on the 2018 Network DVD but it's the same as the one on the 2003 MGM Midnite Movies DVD. It's still entertaining, Peter gets the most yakking done, Ingrid hardly says anything and the other two take the rest. There's nothing Earth shattering just a few good bits of film history, Peter gets a good chunk of his career in there.
I learned more general knowledge about the film from the other commentary with Ingrid, Stephen Jones and Kim Newman. Kim and Stephen had done their homework and had lots of info to depart. Ingrid chattered about what ever popped into her mind, some of her memories are vague at worst. I hadn't been listening to a lot of commentaries, I used to listen to more back in the earlier days of DVDs, but I've been enjoying these as I sort and pack some LEGO. There's a nice featurette on Ingrid and an audio interview.
The Network DVD runs about 90 minutes and the Synapse Blu-ray runs about 93 minutes. I thought there was something cut out of the Network DVD but Kim Newman says on the commentary that they are watching the complete version of the film. I read today on DVD Compare that the difference is supposed to be the 4% PAL speedup. I had heard something about this but not thought about it in a while. I though as I watched the Blu-ray that I wasn't seeing anything that I hadn't seen the other day. I had thought about watching the two at the same time to compare but I've given that idea up. Not sure that commentary was worth the price but I do have to say that the Blu-ray sure looks better than the DVD in every way.
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