I have mixed feelings about Brian Depalma's Obsession. The sound is good and the documentary is excellent, however the video image is really grainy. I have heard that the film's grain was the director's intention, however the dvd still looks faded, dark and muddy, and quite grainy in a number of scenes. It is unfortunate that Columbia Tristar didn't do a better job of remastering the disk. Also, it is unfortunate that the dvd didn't include the isolated Bernard Herrmann score, which is one of the best scores in his film career.

So, if you really enjoy this film then you should definetely get the disk.. but if you are annoyed by bad transfers then I would say stay away.

it definitely should've had an isolated score, but I think the movie looks great...weird, washed out, not like every other dvd, true, but the whole movie is supposed to be in a muddy sort of dream state, and I think the disk recaptures that...I think dvd has too many people (not the above poster, this is a general comment) always thinking that everything has to have that, well "new" dvd look that so many 2000-2001 films have, but I fear that many of the experimental 70's filmmaking styles (wait'll "Mccabe and Mrs. Miller" gets released) will be mistaken for "cruddy transfers"....

Even though Vilmos Zsigmond, the cinematographer, says that the film was supposed to have a soft, hazey, dreamlike look, I feel that there are many scenes that are ANNOYINGLY Grainy.

HINT: I turned my brightness down a few notches about 15 minutes into the film and the image was much sharper, and colorful (and satisfying), while still retaining the glossy dreamlike look .

I'd really like to have DePalma and Zsigmond actually view this DVD and go yeah that's how the transfer is supposed to look, then I'd be satisfied. YEAH! like that's gonna happen!

cheers, Tony Block

PS
The Herrmann score sounds awesome in 5.1 and the new documentary about the making of the film is also very good.

I like the dreamy look of the dvd.. however, I just wish that Columbia would have done a better job at eliminating some of that awful film grain and some of the nicks on the film itself. I feel that would have been a far better presentation for the disk.. in addition to the isolate score. :P