Where has anyone failed to acknowledge that Phoenix is very far from a "normal" C41 film, and that it demonstrates a weird exposure and colour behaviour including halation. Nobody has said anything otherwise. Harman themselves acknowledge all of this, and furthermore don't try and sugar coat it as "special effects". Anyone choosing to read the info given by Harman at the launch will have gone in with open eyes.
The film itself actually appears high quality in terms of manufacture....though Harman warned of coating defects I don't think many of us who have tried Phoenix have detected any.
As I said a few weeks ago. I simply don't get the criticism. If Harman had come along and said this was something to compete with Kodak's consumer film, that it was going to be easy to scan, perfect results first time yadda yadda yadda then you'd have a point. Criticising Phoenix for not being Gold or Color Plus is a bit like criticising cat food for not being rabbit food.