SHE DIES TOMORROW | In Drive-In Theaters Today & On Demand August 7th

NEON 

Written and Directed by Amy Seimetz

Starring Kate Lyn Sheil, Jane Adams, Kentucker Audley, Katie Aselton, Chris Messina, Tunde Adebimpe, Jennifer Kim, Olivia Taylor Dudley, Michelle Rodriguez, Josh Lucas, Adam Wingard

After waking up convinced that she is going to die tomorrow, Amy’s carefully mended life begins to unravel. As her delusions of certain death become contagious to those around her, Amy and her friends’ lives spiral out of control in a tantalizing descent into madness. 

84 Minutes | Rated R

#SheDiesTomorrow

Pitch Black and Flash Gordon 4K UHD from Arrow Video 8/18

New 4K UHD Discs and Blu-ray from  Arrow Video US coming August 18th FLASH GORDON Limited Edition 4K UHD + Standard Edition 4K UHD  Limited Edition Blu-ray + Standard Edition Blu-ray PITCH BLACK  Standard Edition 4K UHD + Standard Edition Blu-ray via MVD Entertainment Group in North America

This August, Arrow Video releases its first ever titles in 4K Ultra HD - two sci-fi classics, the superb space shocker Pitch Black, starring Vin Diesel, and the beloved and brilliantly timeless Flash Gordon, directed by Mike Hodges. These two definitive, and stunningly-presented editions, restored in 4K with Dolby Vision (HDR10 compatible), are just the start of Arrow Video's journey into a dazzling hi-definition world that offers viewers astonishing, pin-sharp resolution, bringing film favourites to life like never before.   "We are proud to announce that we have decided to launch our first 4K Ultra HD titles," says Francesco Simeoni, Arrow Video's Director of Acquisitions and Business Development. "At Arrow we have always sought to have the best standards in home video presentation so it seemed a logical step that we would embrace this new format, to present you with the best versions of the finest cult and classic films."   Arrow has an exciting slate of 4K releases, many completed in-house, but also in partnership with world leading labels.   "Whilst we are focused on new releases, we do have select releases we are planning to release from our catalogue in 4K with Dolby Vision," says Simeoni. "For this year this will be releasing all upcoming UHD titles in separate UHD and new Blu-ray editions. This development will not change our processes at Arrow and you can continue to expect the same variety of special and limited editions for our UHD releases as you have our Blu-rays. Whilst we would love to release certain titles on UHD, rights restrictions and materials will not make all releases possible. Any releases currently planned for Blu-ray will not have plans for subsequent UHD releases. All releases will strive for the best home entertainment presentation possible and we look forward to bringing you more great releases in 2020 and beyond."     PITCH BLACK The sci-fi/horror sleeper hit that birthed a franchise and launched the career of a new action movie icon, Pitch Black is released in an illuminating, brand new and definitive Ultra HD 4K restoration, with hours of exclusive bonus content. The film - about the crew of a crashed spaceship fighting for survival - holds its own today as a nerve-shredding creature-feature in which the monsters outside finally meet their match against a monster within. Boasting crackerjack direction and a whip-smart script by David Twohy, as well as a star-making performance by Vin Diesel, this lavishly packaged edition includes director's cuts of the film, a host of behind-the-scenes featurettes and much much more.   PITCH BLACK ULTRA HD 4K BLU-RAY SPECIAL EDITION CONTENTS:     Brand new 4K restoration by Arrow Films of the Theatrical and Director's Cuts of the film, approved by director David Twohy 4K (2160p) UHD Blu-ray presentation in Dolby Vision (HDR10 compatible) Original DTS-HD MA 5.1 surround on both cuts Optional English subtitles for the deaf and hard of hearing on both cuts Archive commentary with director David Twohy and stars Vin Diesel and Cole Hauser Archive commentary with director David Twohy, producer Tom Engelman and visual effects supervisor Peter Chiang Nightfall: The Making of Pitch Black, a newly filmed interview with director/co-writer David Twohy Black Box: Jackie's Journey, a newly filmed interview with actor Rhiana Griffith Black Box: Shazza's Last Stand, a newly filmed interview with actor Claudia Black Black Box: Bleach Bypassed, a newly filmed interview with cinematographer David Eggby Black Box: Cryo-Locked, a newly filmed interview with visual effects supervisor Peter Chiang Black Box: Primal Sounds, a newly filmed interview with composer Graeme Revell The Making of Pitch Black, a short behind-the-scenes featurette Pitch Black Raw, a comparison between early CG tests and the final footage Additional behind-the-scenes footage from the making of the film 2004 archive bonus features, including an introduction by Twohy, A View Into The Dark, and Chronicles of Riddick Visual Encyclopedia Johns' Chase Log, a short prequel narrated by Cole Hauser detailing the character's hunt for Riddick The Chronicles of Riddick: Dark Fury (in 16:9 widescreen with DTS-HD MA 5.1 audio), an animated short film directed by Peter Chung that acts as a bridgepoint between Pitch Black and The Chronicles of Riddick, featuring vocal performances by Vin Diesel, Keith David and Rhiana Griffith reprising their roles Dark Fury bonus features including Bridging The Gap, Peter Chung: The Mind of an Animator, A View Into The Light, and a "pre-animation" version of the film Slam City, a motion comic from the film's official website Into Pitch Black, a TV special offering an alternative non-canon glimpse into what happened before and after the events of the film Raveworld: Pitch Black Event, footage of a dance music event held to promote the film Theatrical trailers, plus trailers for the two sequels and video game Image galleries Reversible sleeve featuring newly commissioned 'night' and 'day' artwork by Luke Preece  FIRST PRESSING ONLY: Collectors' booklet featuring new writing by Simon Ward on the film's creature designs (including a new interview with creature designer Patrick Tatopolous), original production notes and information from the film's official website, and an archive interview with Vin Diesel from Starlog magazine.   PITCH BLACK BLU-RAY SPECIAL EDITION CONTENTS:     Brand new 4K restoration by Arrow Films of the Theatrical and Director's Cuts of the film, approved by director David Twohy High Definition (1080p) Blu-ray presentation Original DTS-HD MA 5.1 surround on both cuts Optional English subtitles for the deaf and hard of hearing on both cuts Archive commentary with director David Twohy and stars Vin Diesel and Cole Hauser Archive commentary with director David Twohy, producer Tom Engelman and visual effects supervisor Peter Chiang Nightfall: The Making of Pitch Black, a newly filmed interview with director/co-writer David Twohy Black Box: Jackie's Journey, a newly filmed interview with actor Rhiana Griffith Black Box: Shazza's Last Stand, a newly filmed interview with actor Claudia Black Black Box: Bleach Bypassed, a newly filmed interview with cinematographer David Eggby Black Box: Cryo-Locked, a newly filmed interview with visual effects supervisor Peter Chiang Black Box: Primal Sounds, a newly filmed interview with composer Graeme Revell The Making of Pitch Black, a short behind-the-scenes featurette Pitch Black Raw, a comparison between early CG tests and the final footage Additional behind-the-scenes footage from the making of the film 2004 archive bonus features, including an introduction by Twohy, A View Into The Dark, and Chronicles of Riddick Visual Encyclopedia Johns' Chase Log, a short prequel narrated by Cole Hauser detailing the character's hunt for Riddick The Chronicles of Riddick: Dark Fury (in 16:9 widescreen with DTS-HD MA 5.1 audio), an animated short film directed by Peter Chung that acts as a bridgepoint between Pitch Black and The Chronicles of Riddick, featuring vocal performances by Vin Diesel, Keith David and Rhiana Griffith reprising their roles Dark Fury bonus features including Bridging The Gap, Peter Chung: The Mind of an Animator, A View Into The Light, and a "pre-animation" version of the film Slam City, a motion comic from the film's official website Into Pitch Black, a TV special offering an alternative non-canon glimpse into what happened before and after the events of the film Raveworld: Pitch Black Event, footage of a dance music event held to promote the film Theatrical trailers, plus trailers for the two sequels and video game Image galleries Reversible sleeve featuring newly commissioned 'night' and 'day' artwork by Luke Preece  FIRST PRESSING ONLY: Collectors' booklet featuring new writing by Simon Ward on the film's creature designs (including a new interview with creature designer Patrick Tatopolous), original production notes and information from the film's official website, and an archive interview with Vin Diesel from Starlog magazine.

FLASH GORDON     Also in August, Arrow Video release the fabulous Flash Gordon, in sparkling 4K, in lavish packaging with a host of extras and goodies. Super producer Dino De Laurentiis (Dune, Barbarella) brought Alex Raymond's beloved cartoon strip and the long running movie serial to the big screen with celebrated director Mike Hodges (Get Carter, Black Rainbow) at the helm, in a delirious space opera, where Flash is King of the Impossible! With endlessly repeatable dialogue, inimitable camp style, the sonic stylings of Queen and a delightful band of characters and actors playing (including Max von Sydow, Ornella Muti and Brian Blessed) then it's no wonder Flash Gordon has become one of the most beloved sci-fi spectacles of its era.   Limited Edition ULTRA HD 4K: DIRECTOR-APPROVED LIMITED EDITION CONTENTS:  Brand new 4K restoration by Studiocanal from the original camera negative approved by director Mike Hodges 4K (2160p) UHD Blu-ray presentation in Dolby Vision (HDR10 compatible) Optional 5.1 and 2.0 stereo DTS-HD Master audio Booklet featuring new writing on the film by critics and film historians including Neil Snowdon, Dennis Cozzalio, John-Paul Checkett, A.K. Benedict, and Kat Ellinger illustrated with original stills Fold-out double-sided poster featuring original and newly commissioned artwork Six double-sided, postcard-sized lobby card reproductions, alternative posters and promotional images Limited Edition packaging with reversible sleeve featuring original and newly commissioned artwork by Adam Rabalais   DISC 1 - FLASH GORDON & SPECIAL FEATURES (ULTRA HD 4K BLU-RAY):  Archival audio commentary with Mike Hodges Archival audio commentary with Brian Blessed Interviews with actors Sam J. Jones, Melody Anderson, Brian Blessed, Queen icon Brian May, composer Howard Blake, and poster designer Renato Casaro Behind the Scenes of Flash Gordon - an archival documentary on the making of the film Archival interviews with Mike Hodges, screenwriter Lorenzo Semple Jr., comic book artist Alex Ross Lost in Space: Nic Roeg's Flash Gordon - a new documentary program exploring the version Roeg (The Man Who Fell to Earth) had originally planned to make with producer Dino De Laurentiis Gremlin's Finest Hour - an episode from the animated Flash Gordon TV show written by J. Michael Reaves from November 1982 Deleted scenes and original endings - prop collector Bob Lindenmayer discusses dropped sequences and sequel ideas 35th Anniversary Greenroom featurette - Mike Hodges meets the cast for the first time since filming at the 35th anniversary reunion 35th Anniversary Reunion featurette - the cast and crew discuss Flash Gordon Entertainment Earth on Flash Gordon merchandise Storyboards gallery Stills gallery Original Trailer Easter Eggs   DISC 2 - LIFE AFTER FLASH & SPECIAL FEATURES [LIMITED EDITION EXCLUSIVE] (BLU-RAY):  2017 feature length documentary by filmmaker Lisa Downs on the rollercoaster life of Sam J. Jones since his role in Flash Gordon, featuring the main cast and crew as well as a host of fans including Stan Lee, Robert Rodriguez, Mark Millar and more! Sam J. Jones - a variety of interviews and featurettes including coverage of a script read from the Chattanooga Film Festival, Sam discussing his career in Mexico, his "prayer walk", and more Melody Paintings Extended - actress Melody Anderson talks about her love of painting and talks about various pieces displayed in her home Topol - a variety of interviews with the actor on his collections, awards and charity work Brian Blessed - the actor recounts amusing stories about Flash Gordon Late, Great Wyngarde - actor Peter Wyngarde discusses his experiences filming Flash Gordon and his relationship with Mike Hodges Deep Roy - the actor raps about ambition and recounts an amusing story about Eastbound & Down Alex Ross Talks Early Art - the artist talks about Flash Gordon and the many pieces of art he created for it from childhood to modern day Tell Me More About the This Man Houdini - actor Rich Fuller and Jason Lenzi, founder of toy brand Bif Bang Pow, discuss a scene from Flash Gordon Comic Con early draft - A featurette looking at the phenomenon that is Comic Con, featuring interviews with attendees and a host of regular talent including Sam J. Jones, Rich Fulton, Jason Mewes, Michael Rooker, Claudia Wells, and more Interview with Lisa Downs - the director of Life After Flash explores her motivation to make the film and experiences during the production Life After Flash on the Road - a variety of featurettes on the film travelling to various festivals and production including Q&A excerpts with the Flash Gordon cast, behind-the-scenes footage, Kickstarter funding video Trailer   ULTRA HD 4K: DIRECTOR-APPROVED SPECIAL EDITION CONTENTS:  Brand new 4K restoration by Studiocanal from the original camera negative approved by director Mike Hodges 4K (2160p) UHD Blu-ray presentation in Dolby Vision (HDR10 compatible) Optional 5.1 and 2.0 stereo DTS-HD Master audio Archival audio commentary with Mike Hodges Archival audio commentary with Brian Blessed Interviews with actors Sam J. Jones, Melody Anderson, Brian Blessed, Queen icon Brian May, composer Howard Blake, and poster designer Renato Casaro Behind the Scenes of Flash Gordon - an archival documentary on the making of the film Archival interviews with Mike Hodges, screenwriter Lorenzo Semple Jr., comic book artist Alex Ross Lost in Space: Nic Roeg's Flash Gordon - a new documentary program exploring the version Roeg (The Man Who Fell to Earth) had originally planned to make with producer Dino De Laurentiis Gremlin's Finest Hour - an episode from the animated Flash Gordon TV show written by J. Michael Reaves from November 1982 Deleted scenes and original endings - prop collector Bob Lindenmayer discusses dropped sequences and sequel ideas 35th Anniversary Greenroom featurette - Mike Hodges meets the cast for the first time since filming at the 35th anniversary reunion 35th Anniversary Reunion featurette - the cast and crew discuss Flash Gordon Entertainment Earth on Flash Gordon merchandise Storyboards gallery Stills gallery Original Trailer Easter Eggs Reversible sleeve featuring original and newly commissioned artwork by Adam Rabalais

Dark Sky Films proudly brings critical darling, THE DEEPER YOU DIG (2019), to DVD on August 11th.

 

THE DEEPER YOU DIG (2019) 

Comes to DVD on August 11th

"Chilling and gorgeously shot, THE DEEPER YOU DIG is a unique and atmospheric supernatural thriller that unwinds slowly but keeps viewers entranced." - 

Morbidly Beautiful

14-year old Echo and mother, Ivy, a tarot card reader, live a quiet life in a rural area. When reclusive Kurt moves down the road to restore an abandoned farmhouse, an accident leads to Echo's murder, and suddenly three lives collide in mysterious and wicked ways. Kurt assumes he can hide his secret under the ground. But Echo burrows into his head until he can feel her in his bones. As she haunts his every move, trying to reach her mother from beyond, Ivy must dig deep to see the signs and prove that love won't stay buried. 

THE EPITAPH VOL. 27 -: SWALLOW (2020) - SCOOB! (2020) - DEAD DICKS (2019) - SUKIYAKI WESTERN DJANGO (2007)

THE EPITAPH VOL. 27 

Brief Remembrances of the Recently Released 

SWALLOW (2020) - SCOOB! (2020) 

- DEAD DICKS (2019) - SUKIYAKI WESTERN DJANGO (2007)  

This week we have bite-sized reviews of a quietly explosive psychological thriller, a goofy Hannah-Barbara bit of digital nostalgia, some maple-blooded lo-fi sci-fi and a tasty Ramen-Western full of stylized operatic violence. 

SWALLOW (2020)
Label: IFC Films/Shout! Factory
Region Code: A
Rating: R
Duration: 95 Minutes
Audio: English DTS-HD MA 2.0 & 5.1 with Optional English Subtitles
Video: 1080p HD Widescreen (2.39:1)
Director: Carlo Mirabella-Davis
Cast: Haley Bennett, Justin Stowell, Elizabeth Marvel, Luna Lauren Velez, Zabryna Guevara, Laith Nakli, Babak Tafti, Nicole Kang

In the magnetic indie Swallow (2020) have a newly pregnant housewife named Hunter (Haley Bennett,The Girl On The Train) who on the surface seems have it made. She's married into a wealthy family having come from nothing, and her husband Richie (Austin Stowell, Whiplash) is a good-looking guy working his way to the top of a family business, but as Hunter settles into her new life the newfound time alone as a bored housewife begins to expose cracks in the young woman's psyche. It turns out it all stems from a traumatic origin story that is doused in sexual violence, issues now compounded by her struggle to find approval with not only her  new hubby but her in-laws, with the patriarch of the family being played by David Rasche from 80's TV show Sledgehammer! (1986-1988), which was a favorite of mine! She develops a strange coping mechanism, swallowing small foreign objects like marbles, safety pins and jacks, but as she further begins to unravel under the weight of her anxiety and escalating inner-struggle she starts swallowing larger objects with alarming frequency. Eventually a trip to the emergency room reveals the issue to her husband and his family, and they seem not so much concerned about her well-being as they are embarrassed that the illusion of perfection has been cracked. The film is deftly directed by Carlo Mirabella-Davis and Haley Bennett's portrayal of a young woman struggling to take control of her own life is quietly explosive, leading her to an awkward and potent confrontation with her biological father, a scene that had me in tears. While it's not a horror film there elements, body horror among them, that are horrific on several levels, making for a powerful slow burning psychological drama, that I thought was fantastic. The Blu-ray from IFC Films looks and sounds great but there are no extras aside from a trailer. I would have loved a commentary from the director and Bennet, to accompany such a fascinating film. 

SCOOB! (2020) 

Label: Warner Bros. Home Entertainment

Region Code: Region-Free, A

Rating: PG

Duration: 94 Minutes

Audio: English DTS-HD MA 5.1 with Optional English Subtitles

Video: 2160p UltraHD & 1080p HD Widescreen

Director: Tony Cervone

Cast: Will Forte, Mark Wahlberg, Jason Isaacs, Tracy Morgan, Simon Cowell

Scoob and the Mystery Inc. crew are back in feature-length digitally animated adventure, which kicks off with the origin story of the how Scooby met Shaggy (voiced by Will Forte, Last Man on Earth) as well as the rest of the Mystery Inc. crew. As an added bonus superhero Blue Falcon and his side-kick Dynomutt arrive on the scene and join forces with Mystery Inc. to battle baddie Dick Dastardly and his army of robot minions. I grew up watching vintage Scooby-Doo toons so I always have an interest in any new toons and live-action adventures that come along, and this digitally animated feature was plenty entertaining, if a bit choked with Hannah-Barbara cartoon character cameos. It's super kiddie but as I am still a big kid with much nostalgia at heart I had a ton of fun with it, but this might not have the same mileage for "grown-ups".  I loved that we get both Blue Falcon (voiced by Mark Wahlberg) and Dynomutt in it, I was a big fan of the series as a kid. Less exciting was an overwrought appearance from Captain Caveman (voiced annoyingly by Tracy Morgan), I could have done without that. I also thought it was a bit charming that villain Dick Dastardly's diabolical plan was to open the gates of Hell to free his beloved sidekick Muttley (voiced by the legend Billy West) who has been trapped in Hell. I usually love Will Forte but I thought his Shaggy voice was crap, they should have brought back Mathew Lillard! Another nugget I loved was that they recreated the original Scooby-Doo intro with digital animation, that was awesome. The 4K Ultra HD presentation is gorgeous, though there's no Atmos audio, and we do get a handful of extras including bloopers, deleted scenes, and some featurettes. 

DEAD DICKS (2019) 

Rating: Unrated
Duration: 83 Minutes
Audio: English Dolby Digital 2.0 & 5.1 with Optional English Subtitles
Video: 1080P HD Widescreen (2.39:1)
Director: Chris Bavota, Lee Paula Springer
Cast: Heston Horwin, Jillian Harris, Matt Keyes, Kristina Sandev, Leyda Aleyli, Dave Campbell

Artsploitation continue to scour the world for strange, offbeat and visceral world cinema, and this time they've brought us a suicidal sci-fi thriller coming from our neighbors to the North, Canada.  In it a troubled young guy name Richie just cannot seem to kill himself in any sort of permanent way, each time he dies, in a myriad of creatively fatal ways, he reemerges from a strange Cronenbergian-looking vaginal opening that has mysteriously appeared on the wall of his dingy apartment. Each time he offs himself he leaves behind a corpse of himself that must be disposed of, but a kink in the process prevents him from leaving the apartment, so the bodies are piling up. Eventually his younger, more responsible sister, shows up and is shocked to find multiple dead versions of her demented brother! The bickering siblings set their minds to figuring out what's happening, why it's happening, and what can be done about it, if anything. All the while they having to contend with a irate neighbor and unresolved sibling issues that go back years. The slice of oddball sci-fi is not only inventive and fun but it's got a lot of heart. Artsploitation do not release a ton of sci-fi films, but when they do it's usually something with a spark to it, I am thinking of their release of time travelling sci-fi film Counter Clockwise (2016), and this is of the same cloth. If you're a fan of lo-fi indie sci-fi cinema definitely check it out. The Blu-ray includes a director's commentary, video diaries, FX featurette and Artsploitation trailer.

SUKIYAKI WESTERN DJANGO (2007)
Label: MVD Marquee Collection
Region Code: Region-FREE
Rating: R
Duration: 98 Minutes, 120 Minutes
Audio: English DTS-HD MA 2.0 & 5.1 with Optional English Subtitles
Video: 1080p HD Widescreen (2.35:1)
Director: Takashi Miike
Cast: Hideaki Ito, Kôichi Satô, Yûsuke Iseya, Masanobu Ando, Takaaki Ishibashi, Quentin Tarantino

Back in 2007 prolific Japanese director Takashi Miike (Audition) brought us a bloody spectacle with his genre mash-up Sukiyaki Western Django (2007). The film was his homage to the epic spaghetti westerns of the 60's and 70's with a madcap infusion of samurai swordplay alongside the lever-rifles and six-shooters. Highly stylized and dripping with operatic violence the film opens with a cool prologue starring director Quentin Tarantino (Pulp Fiction) in a scene strikingly shot on a sound stage, with Tarantino's gunslinger shooting an Eagle with a rattlesnake in it's talons right out the sky, with a neat little pay-off. It's a totally bad-ass scene, but as cool as that is there's just no getting around Tarantino's shit acting  that somewhat diffuse he introductory scene, his cowboy accent is comically bad, and then he inexplicably slips into a travesty of a Japanese accent that's damn near unforgivable. That flub aside Tarantino is only in it for a bit and then the story gets underway proper, with Hideaki Ito starring as a nameless gunslinger who wanders into a gold mining town, and right into the middle of a turf war between two warring gangs seeking a hidden treasure of gold. We have the red-clothed Heike and the white-clad Genji, both of whom attempt to recruit the dead-eye gunslinger, both promising to split the gold with him, but he chooses to go his own way while playing both sides against each other. The story gets a bit convoluted after a bit, I always lose my way about half way through it, so the plot and narrative are not the strongest attributes of this film, but the it still packs in a bullet-drenched wallop with it's high-contrast, gritty visuals and operatic and bloody violence, so much so that it borders on the cartoonish, but in the best possible way. The Collectors Edition Blu-ray from MVD includes both the theatrical cut and the longer running director's cut in HD, a 52-min making of doc, 6-min of deleted scenes, a 3-min sizzle reel, 3-min of promotional clips, trailers, TV spots and a reversible sleeve of artwork with a slipcover.

If I have to give one of these the higher recommend over the others I would say go for Swallow. It's such a fascinating and truly unsettling watch, while it's not gonna be for all tastes it's a gem of a film that got under my skin. 

KNIFE OF ICE (1972) / THE COMPLETE LENZI BAKER GIALLO COLLECTION (Severin Films Blu-ray Review)

KNIFE OF ICE (1972)
THE COMPLETE LENZI BAKER GIALLO COLLECTION

Label: Severin Films
Region Code: A
Rating: Unrated 
Duration: 92 Minutes 
Video: 1080p HD Widescreen (2.35:1)
Audio: Italian & English DTS-HD MA Mono with Optional English Subtitles
Director: Umberto Lenzi 
Cast: Carroll Baker, Alan Scott, Evelyn Stewart, Eduardo Fajardo, Silvia Montelli, George Rigaud

In her fourth and final team-up with Lenzi in '72 Carroll Baker gives a fantastic performance as Martha Caldwell, a woman who has been mute since witnessing her parent's death fifteen years earlier in a horrific train wreck. She lives with her elderly uncle Ralph (George Rigaud, Eyeball) who suffers a serious heart condition, and at the start of the film she is at the train station, a traumatic place to be considering how her folks dies, but in an effort to face her face her fears head-on she meets her cousin Jenny (Evelyn Scott, The Psychic) there, she being a singer of some repute. Soon after arriving Jenny is found murdered in the garage of the house, and things begin unraveling from there, with this fourth Lenzi-Baker team-up being the most traditional black-glove giallo of their collaborations, with a variety of guilty-looking red-herrings and a black gloved, strange-eyed killer on the loose, with a mounting body count. 

Seriously though, the could-be killers are a dime a dozen in this whodunit romp, you have your choice of an ominous looking chauffeur (Eduardo Fajardo, Nightmare City), a drug-addled satanist (Mario Pardo, The Platform) that lurks in the cemetery across the street, and doctor (Alan Scott) with a penchant for disappearing when murder is afoot, it could be any one of them. While there is a decent body count for a Lenzi directed giallo of this era the deaths all happen off screen and there is absolutely no nudity in this chaste whodunit, but that doesn't at all detract from the engaging story and dizzying plot twist that caps this taut thriller. 

Something that adds quite a bit of atmosphere to this whodunit some welcomed Gothic touches and an old dark house vibe, with the power often turning off during storms and people wandering darkened hallways by candlelight, often wandering into the arms of a black-gloved killer wielding a knife. It's also got a nice inversion of The Spiral Staircase story with a mute victim at the center of it all, bodies piling up around her, but the way it all comes together at the end is pure giallo WTF-ery. This feels like the most playful of the Lenzi-Baker whodunits, in terms of it following the tropes but having fun with them. 

That's not to detract from the performance of Baker whose wordless turns as the mute is so good, she does a lot of acting with her face, often silent screaming in wide-eyed terror, adding nice touches along the way like the way she claps to communicate in a rudimentary way, as well as tapping coins on the receiver of the phone to talks with her physician, it's really good stuff that adds to the film in a little ways that add-up. 

Audio/Video: Knife of Ice (1972) arrives on region A Blu-ray from Severin Films as part of their The Complete Lenzi Baker Giallo Collection 6-disc set, framed in the original scope aspect ratio in 1080p HD, sourced from a 2k scan from the original camera negative.  We get a pleasing looking image with good grain management and nice clarity throughout, colors are vivid and the black levels are string in the shadowy night-time sequences. Some of the scenes are shot with a soft focus with some filtering and lack sharpness but this is no fault of the transfer. Audio comes by way of both English and Italian DTS-HD MA mono with optional English subtitles, dialogue sounds crisp and the score from Marcello Giombini (Eerie Midnight Horror Show) sounds terrific. 

Surprisingly there is no commentary track for this film, but we do get nearly an hour of interviews, the first being the 18-min 'Until the Silence Screams' with the late director who talks about making this fourth film with Carroll Baker, having grown slightly tired of working with the same actress and with the same sort of plot variations, so he spiced it up with a nod to The Spiral Staircase (1946), rearranging the narrative structure and other elements to put a different spin on it. He gets into how the Manson Family murder of Sharon Tate affected him, so much so that he asked a young screenwriter to pen a script based on the Manson murders, only to find out that the screenwriter sold it to another director! Nonetheless he made this film and the drug-addicted Satanist is a slight reference to that. He also pays tribute to the young screenwriter who co-wrote the story with him, he having passed away at the age of 30 from cancer before filming had even started. Lenzi takes a moment to points out that not only was American Alan Scott - who played the doctor - to poor to buy socks when he hired him, but says he was a wretch of an actor who was worse than mediocre, and it was difficult to get a decent performance from. He then goes onto compliment Spaniard Eduardo Fajardo (Django), and forgiving him for being a fascist, and how he enjoyed working with Argentinian George Rigaud (Bastille Day). He also notes how difficult it was to shoot the fog drenched sequences, they being difficult to film, and working with composer Marcello Gombino (Legion of the Damned) for the score, and how tastes in Italy were changing with Argento's The Bird with the Crystal Plumage (1970) creating a demand for more blood and violence, and as such this film did not do well.  

Stephen Thrower shows up for a half-hour appreciation of the film, keeping with a theme of sorts for this box set in re-evaluating the filmography of Umberto Lenzi. He notes that it's unfortunate that the director has been earmarked by the trashier cannibal films he made, and that's what he is best known for but he makes the argument that Lenzi was not really a horror director at all, that his bread and butter were the poltizia and giallo thrillers he made earlier in his career. He gets into star Carroll Baker's career both before, during and after her Italian cycle of film, and how '72 was a particularly dense year for gialli films, and that creating a new twist on this sort of film at that time was a challenge. He also touches on the various influences on the film, from The Spiral Staircase (1946) to what looks to be an echo of Fulci's A Lizard In A Woman's Skin (1971). Thrower also gets into how this film is ripe with giallo tropes, including a plethora of could-be culprits who might be the killer, and how it has a Gothic old dark house vibe.  Extras are buttoned up with a 3-min trailer and a 2-min alternate credit sequence.   

Special Features:
- Carroll and Umberto's Final Stab - Interview with Stephen Thrower, Author of 'Nightmare USA'(29 min) 
- Until the Silence Screams - Interview with Director Umberto Lenzi (19 min)  
- Trailer (3 min) 
- Alternate Credit Sequence (2 min)

Despite being asolutely sexless, near bloodless - though there is a child murdered and a blood covered kitten! -  Knife of Ice (1972) is a high-caliber bit of Italian whodunit, the story is interesting, the performances are mostly fantastic, and it's a definite memorable finale to the Lenzi-Baker series of giallo shockers. The film is available as part of Severin's 6-disc limited edition The Complete Lenzi Baker Giallo Collection, there's not a bad apple in the bunch and each one pack it's own peculiar giallo punch, highly recommended.

More screenshots from the Blu-ray: