The latest batch of online store additions is ready. Today’s titles consist of the Japanese Blu-ray of Ken Russell’s “Mahler,” Johnnie To’s “Blind Detective” from Hong Kong, and the Spanish Blu-ray of “Far From Heaven” by Todd Haynes.
Since there are two confirmed English friendly editions — the (seemingly out of print) Canadian and Spanish releases (I’ve yet to find confirmation that the subtitles on the French release aren’t forced) — the shop gets about as many questions regarding “Far From Heaven” as any title. While, ideally, the best option would be for prospective buyers to view the shop’s reference copies (I have a copy of the Canadian Blu-ray from my personal collection) and decide which version they prefer for themselves, to those beyond driving distance of the shop I would say that the majority of folks prefer the Canadian disc’s greater detail and less over-the-top color timing. However, those who are sensitive to the telltale signs of digital sharpening and are willing to settle for a softer image to avoid it and/or viewers who feel that the more saturated look of the Spanish disc is closer to what they saw theatrically would likely prefer the edition from Spain. There’s no right or wrong answer, it’s simply a subjective matter of preference.