Pinocchio Unstrung – The Killer Puppet in 4K
Poorly received even abroad, this is a rare UHD release of the film
Taking a character so deeply rooted in tradition and dragging them into horror can be a fun game, but only as long as there's a concrete idea behind the provocation. Pinocchio Unstrung starts with an effective premise but ends up stumbling precisely when it should distinguish itself.
James has lost his family and his best friend. His grandfather Geppetto tries to restore some serenity by building a humanoid wooden puppet. However, his affection for the boy becomes an obsession that leads him to overstep the bounds of protection and attachment: almost without realizing it, Pinocchio causes horrifying deadly disasters, eliminating anyone he considers a threat.
A hint of M3gan, but it's still fun
The dynamic is quite reminiscent of the techno-horror M3GAN. The subsequent surprise related to the soul of James's dead friend tries to reshuffle the cards, but it arrives when the mechanism is already exposed. It's a gimmick that modifies the surface without fully resolving the underlying issue.
Where the film is most convincing is in its visual aspect. Pinocchio is scary, Jiminy Cricket & Co. even more so, while the interplay between puppets and digital effects delivers a physicality that many contemporary horrors have lost. There's something of 90s fantasy cinema, gritty and artisanal, that works surprisingly well, revitalizing the genre. Then there's the black humor with some moments that seem to look directly at the art of Sam Raimi, featuring some strong gore moments.
As in Nia DaCosta's recent remake of Candyman (2021), two-dimensional figures in the form of shadow puppets are used, harkening back to the animated ones by Lotte Reiniger and Carl Koch seen in The Adventures of Prince Achmed (1926), which is the fundamental historical reference for this technique. All in all, Pinocchio Unstrung doesn't reinvent the fairy tale but when it stops chasing plot twists, it manages to entertain and, above all, to not tire before the end credits. For an independent horror film, that's no small feat.
Shot digitally with unspecified hardware at native 4K resolution, the Plaion edition is currently the only one in the world to offer the work in Ultra High Definition, complete with Dolby Vision support. Original image format 2.39:1 (3840 x 2160/23.97p), HEVC encoding on a dual-layer BD-66. The film often immerses the scene in gloomy settings, alternating with very bright transitions; in both cases, excellent rendering is perceived even in the background. Only in a few rare moments did the Panasonic OLED TV we used highlight a slightly inferior black uniformity, probably already present on the original master. Overall, a perfectly enjoyable spectacle even on large screens, preferably compatible with native 10-bit.
The work is enhanced by the audio front, with DTS-HD Master Audio 5.1 channel 16-bit for the Italian and German tracks, with an extra gear for English, which runs at 24-bit and is the reference track. Our dubbing, however, manages to distinguish itself between dialogue, music, and effects; one example among many could be the sequence of accidents inside the gym. Falls, fractures, and the double fatal accident with weights slipping from the barbell challenge you to listen to every last note without simultaneously looking away. The German track only appears when selecting the same language at the beginning of the program.
As unmissable extras, there's the director's audio commentary along with cinematographer Vince Knight, exploring the production. Beautiful making-of of the work, witnessing the genesis of its creation with behind-the-scenes footage, screen tests, storyboard comparisons, and the incredible craftsmanship involved in bringing Pinocchio to life (57'); a couple of minutes of deleted scenes; behind the scenes of Pinocchio's creation (8'); behind the scenes of the cricket's creation (3'); interview with Pinocchio (6'); a reel of promotional material with Pinocchio inviting viewers to the cinema (2'); English trailer and photo gallery. All with Italian subtitles. A booklet of textual insights curated by Nocturno is included. The edition is enhanced by a splendid collectible steelbook.