We have the Criterion DVD version of Night Porter, but this version got such good reviews that we thought we'd rent it to compare. We've just watched selected bits of this one (Starz, but apparently Anchor Bay) side-by-side with the Criterion edition on a big projection system.

First off: the Anchor Bay version is anamorphic and the Criterion version isn't. BUT anamorphic is only worthwhile if the underlying quality justifies it. In this case the non-anamorphic Criterion transfer knocks spots off the anamorphic Anchor Bay transfer. And Anchor Bay seem to have messed with the contrast and color balance horribly. I know I'm sounding like a DVD geek here: I never realized such things could matter so much. But, viewed side-by-side, the Anchor Bay version is MUCH flatter: the all-important facial expressions and emotions come over much better on the Criterion version.

There is a flip side. The Anchor Bay version has interviews with Liliana Cavani and the producer (I forget his name) which are quite interesting. But also it has an interview with Charlotte Rampling which is absolutely fabulous: she tells how Dirk Bogarde had had the script for years, but looked at it again after he saw one of Cavani's other films; how he told Cavani he'd like to do it, but only with Rampling as his co-star; and how she felt about many of the film's most iconic moments. This is unmissable stuff.

So there are swings and roundabouts here. On the whole I'd recommend doing what we did: buy the Criterion version, but rent the Anchor Bay one just for the interviews.

It's quite amazing that a film like this could have been made in 1967. Absolutely a classic. A fascinating exploration of female masochistic fantasies, from the opening sequence to the end. Yet there's very little nudity: it's all hinted at. And the 2007 transfer to DVD is really excellent quality for a film of this age: vibrant colors and good resolution. If the theme interests you, you should definitely watch this.

Wicked Words is a great series and I think this is my favorite one so far, with creative and sexy stories by writers old and new. The standard of writing is remarkable. I particularly loved "Bootblack" by Tulsa Brown, a tale that goes to the heart of both fem-dom and male-dom D/s games. "Wheels on Fire" by Mathilde Madden is a wonderful story that I really can't describe without spoiling the plot: you just have to read it! But my favorite of them all is "Six of the Best" by Fiona Locke, in which a university student unexpectedly encounters her old schoolmaster: never has authority been sexier. This story led me to Fiona's new novel, "Over the Knee", which is a wonderful exploration of kinky romance. There are several other authors here whose books I'll be buying soon. Well done, Wicked Words!