DANZA MACABRA VOLUME ONE:
THE ITALIAN GOTHIC COLLECTION (1964-1971)
Severin are at it again with another fantastic box set chockfull of cobwebbed Eurocult awesomeness, this time with Danza Macabra Volume One: The Italian Gothic Collection, a 4-film set that has all the spider-webbed encrusted castles, crypts, catacombs and candelabras you would expect from a traditional Gothic, along with a dose of violence, madness, and sexual perversity as only the Italians could deliver. We have Renato Polselli's surreal black & white erotic euro-shocker The Monster of Opera (1964), alongside the ultra-rare monochromatic murder-mystery The Seventh Grave (1965), José Luis Merino's Gothic-shocker Scream of the Demon Lover (1970), and finally, Mel Welles superior Lady Frankenstein (1971). Both The Monster at the Opera and The Seventh Grave are making their worldwide Blu-ray debuts from Severin on this set, while Scream of the Demon Lover and Lady Frankenstein arrive on Blu-ray for the first-time in North American. The films are presented here uncut and uncensored and loaded-up with over twelve hours of deep-diving extras sure to please the most ardent fans of eurocult and Gothic madness.
THE MONSTER OF THE OPERA (1964)
a.k.a. Il mostro dell’opera
Label: Severin Films
Rating: Unrated
Region Code: A
Duration: 84 Minutes 19 Seconds
Audio: Italian DTS-HD MA 2.0 Mono with Optional English Subtitles
Video: B&W 1080p HD Widescreen (1.66:1)
Director: Renato Polselli
Cast: Marco Mariani, Walter Brandi, Giuseppe Addobbati, Barbara Hawards, Alberto Archetti, Carla Cavalli, Also Nicodemi, Jody Excell, Milena Vukotic.
In director Renato Polselli (Black Magic Rites) madcap The Monster of the Opera (1964) a counter-culture theatre troupe takes over a dilapidated theatre only to discover a vampire lurking in wings. It opens with a surreal nightmare that's wonderfully shot involving a fearsome fanged vampire chasing down a female victim through a labyrinth then assaulting her with a odd-looking pitchfork with trimmed tines - it's a weird and wonderful intro for a supremely oddball slice of eurocult. The theatre's mysterious caretaker Achille (Alberto Archetti, Mill of the Stone Women) warns the troupe that evil lurks within, but of course they brush him off, and begin to hastily rehearse a weird musical-dance number. The rumored vampire Stefano (Giuseppe Addobatti, Kill, Baby... Kill!) eventually makes his presence known and the troupe must fend off his attacks by continuing to dance non-stop, meanwhile the vamp conjures a force field that prohibits them from leaving the premises.... or traps them in another dimension (not sure which), as the female victims of the troupe are taunted by a five vampire brides chained to a wall. This is a weird one for sure, it's a bit madcap but played quite straight without any winking, but it does feel sort of comical, especially when they decide that to prevent the vamp from attacking they must not stop moving, it feels like a made-up children's game with random rules. I though the fanged Adobatti made a terrific looking vampire (though his acting is only OK), and the off-kilter angle cinematography adds a lot of unease to the flick. There's some lesbian-tinged desire, relationship melodrama, and of course plenty of weird dance numbers, it's certainly never dull, always odd, and I thought it moved along at a fairly brisk pace, unfortunately there's very little (none) bloodletting, but it still has a strange charm about it that I enjoyed. .
Audio/Video: The Monster at the Opera (1964) arrives on region-A locked Blu-ray sourced from a new 2K from the original negative, presented in 1080p HD widescreen 1.66:1. It looks marvelous, the black and white cinematography is rendered crisply without defect, levels of film grain are pleasing throughout and the contrast and grayscale never disappoints. Audio chores are capably handled by the Italian DTS-HD MA 2.0 Mono with optional English subtitles, there are no issues with hiss or age-related wear, it sounds appropriately vintage but is never lacking.
Extras include a terrific Audio Commentary With Kat Ellinger, Author of Daughters Of Darkness who speaks about the film's connection to to other vampire tales and dissecting it's quirks, as well as background about the director. We also get a 31-min Terror At The Opera – Interview With Screenwriter Ernesto Gastaldi, with the legendary Italian screenwriter getting into the early films he wrote for Polselli, as well as the 14-min Capodimonte Gothic – Interview With Italian Film Devotee Mark Thompson-Ashworth who heaps on the praise for Polselli's kitschy style and points out other films he would consider "Polsellian", while the 22-min Radio Polselli – Archival Audio Interview With Director Renato Polselli is a career spanning radio archive chat. The extras are topped-off with the 2-min French Theatrical Trailer for the film.
Special Features:
- Audio Commentary With Kat Ellinger, Author of Daughters Of Darkness
- Terror At The Opera – Interview With Screenwriter Ernesto Gastaldi (31 min)
- Capodimonte Gothic – Interview With Italian Film Devotee Mark Thompson-Ashworth (14 min)
- Radio Polselli – Archival Audio Interview With Director Renato Polselli (22 min)
- French Theatrical Trailer (2 min)
THE SEVENTH GRAVE (1965)
aka La settima tomba
Label: Severin Films
Rating: Unrated
Region Code: Region-Free
Duration: 77 Minutes 29 Seconds
Audio: Italian DTS-HD MA 2.0 Mono with Optional English Subtitles
Video: B&W 1080p HD Widescreen (1.66:1)
Director: Renato Polselli
Cast: Stefania Nelli, Nando Angelini, Armando Guarnieri, Bruna Baini, Antonio Casale, Germana Dominici, Ferruccio Viotti, Gianni Dei
Next up, The Seventh Grave (1965), a black and white murder mystery set in 19th century Scotland inside an old dark castle where a group of disparate people are summoned to a crumbling castle by a notary Elliot (Nando Angelini, The War of the Planets) for the reading of the will of the late Sir Reginald. Gathered at the castle are American siblings Jenkins (Antonio Casale, Syndicate Sadists) and Fred (Gianni Dei, Patrick Still Lives), Jenkin's lover Mary (Bruna Baini), the Reverend Crabbe (Ferruccio Viotti, Requiescant), Colonel Percival (Umberto Borsato) and his psychic daughter Katy (Stefania Nelli). As they gather for the reading they are told that the will stipulates it cannot be read for two days once the heirs have gathered, and later while touring the castle Elliot discloses that it is said the castle hides the treasure of the fabled pirate Sir Francis Drake, which makes it that much more intriguing for the could-be heirs. Unfortunately for them someone has made off with Sir Reginald's corpse and a cloaked stranger is stalking the castle and dispatching the heir-hopefuls. I found this to be a solid murder mystery that has plenty of weirdness to it; we have lard omelets, a corridor haunting hamster, secret passageways, a sprinkle of mad science, a spirit-sensitive medium, a theatrical séance, an escaped leper, and a piano-key tinkling corpse. A bit into it when the murder mystery gets underway proper Inspector Wright (Armando Guarnieri, Don't Wait, Django... Shoot!) arrives in search of an escaped leper - could the leper be the killer? - the inspector hangs around to find out. Shot on the cheap and featuring a dubious looking "Scottish" location with some cheap period veneer the film looks lower-budget but should be quite a bit of fun for whodunit mystery fans, complete with a pretty solid and tastily convoluted reveal of who the culprit.
Audio/Video: The Seventh Grave (1965) makes it's worldwide Blu-ray debut from Severin Films on a region-free Blu-ray featuring a new 2K from the recently discovered negative, presented in 1080p HD widescreen (1.66:1). The source looks fantastic but is not without some minor blemishes, but overall this is a very pleasing presentation. Audio comes by way Italian DTS-HD MA 2.0 Mono with optional English subtitles, like the visuals it's pristinely preserved and sounds great.
Extras include a new Audio Commentary With Rachael Nisbet, Film Critic And Co-Host Of Fragments Of Fear, plus two featurettes by way of the 13-min Seven Graves And A Mystery – Interview With Film Historian Fabio Melelli who knowledgably dissects the film and talks about the mystery of the director, while the 15-min English Aesthetic With Giallo Blood – Video Essay By Gothic Scholar And Author Rachel Knightley offers an insightful analysis of the English style Gothic whodunit as filtered through the Italian lens.
Special Features:
- Audio Commentary With Rachael Nisbet, Film Critic And Co-Host Of Fragments Of Fear
- Seven Graves And A Mystery – Interview With Film Historian Fabio Melelli (13 min)
- English Aesthetic With Giallo Blood – Video Essay By Gothic Scholar And Author Rachel Knightley (15 min)
SCREAM OF THE DEMON LOVER (1970)
aka Killers of the Castle of Blood
Label: Severin Films
Rating: Unrated
Region Code: A
Duration: 98 Minutes 19 Seconds
Audio: English or Italian DTS-HD MA 2.0 Mono with Optional English Subtitles
Video: 1080p HD Widescreen (1.85:1)
Director: Renato Polselli
Cast: Erna Schurer, Carlos Quiney, Agostina Belli, Cristiana Galloni
The José Luis Merino (The Hanging Woman) directed Scream of the Demon Lover (1970) is a Spanish/Italian co-production starring Erna Schurer (Strip Nude for Your Killer) as an attractive biochemist named Ivanna headed to a foreboding castle of Baron Janos Dalmar (Carlos Quiney, The Hanging Woman) where she has been contracted to take on work as a chemist in the Baron's lab. When she arrives in the village near the castle looking for directions she is shunned at the mere mention of the castle, but eventually gets a hitch from a sleazeball who tells her that the Baron's brother Igor was recently burned alive in a lab accident at the castle, and that his brother Janos is suspected in a string of deaths that have claimed the lives of six local young women. The slimy coachmen attempts to rape her beneath a bridge but she manages to get away and find the castle on foot. Arriving at the castle she gets a chilly reception from the Baron, who attempts to dismiss her from her contract, but as it's raining outside he invites her to stay the night and to leave come the morning. She eventually wins him over and stays on as his assistant, but his housemaids Olga (Cristiana Galloni, The Fifth Cord) and Cristiana (Agostina Belli, Bluebeard) are far less welcoming. She joins the Baron in his lab where he tells her he is working on reanimating dead flesh, attempting to revive his brother's charred corpse, which is submerged in a tub full of black muck. At night she has vivid nightmares of being strapped naked to torture devices and caressed by hideous burnt hands, and begins to suspect that the Baron might have something to do with the local murders, but that doesn't stop her from falling victim to his not inconsiderable charms. Her initially icy exterior eventually gives way to a dark romance that will expose a dark family secret and a mad science story that offers allusions to both Frankenstein and the Werewolf.
Audio/Video: Scream of the Demon Lover (1970) makes it's North American debut from Severin Films on region-A locked Blu-ray, presented in 1080p HD framed in 1.85:1. sourced from a 4K scan from the 16mm single-strand negative for the first time ever. The source has the alternate 'The Killers of the Castle of Blood' title card, it's a grainy looking image but it looks organic, with the inherent fuzziness you'd expect from 16mm, but otherwise it's well-textured with excellent color saturation. Severin added a disclaimer about there being some inherent source related issues but I thought it looked fantastic, with only a few vertical tears, scratches and some frame jutter to detract from it. Audio comes by way of English or Italian DTS-HD MA 2.0 Mono with optional English subtitles, bot track sounds wonderful, and I thought the English dub was pretty well done.
Extras include a new Audio Commentary With Rod Barnett, Film Historian And Co-Host Of NaschyCast, And Robert Monell, Writer And Editor Of I'm In A Jess Franco State Of Mind, these deep-diving Erocult buffs know their stuff and do excellent work discussing it. We also get a 19-min Scream Erna Scream! – Interview With Actress Erna Schurer, who recalls quite a bit about her time making the film. She talks about the eerie castle, how the director was quite professional and a fan of seances, shooting her nude scenes, suffering from claustrophobia, Roger Corman visiting the set, and how co-star Quiney was a bit of mamma's boy. In the 39-min In The Castle Of Blood – Video Essay By Stephen Thrower, Author Of Books On Jess Franco And Lucio Fulci, the noted euro-cult authority who talks about the director as a stylist, with much to say about the film's perversion by way of the villains repression and sadomasochism, the animal torture and Ivanna's icy demeanor. The disc is buttoned-up with a 3-min Trailer.
Special Features:
- Audio Commentary With Rod Barnett, Film Historian And Co-Host Of NaschyCast, And Robert Monell, Writer And Editor Of I'm In A Jess Franco State Of Mind
- Scream Erna Scream! – Interview With Actress Erna Schurer (19 min)
- In The Castle Of Blood – Video Essay By Stephen Thrower, Author Of Books On Jess Franco And Lucio Fulci (39 min)
- Trailer (3 min)
LADY FRANKENSTEIN (1971)
Label: Severin Films
Rating: Unrated
Region Code: Region-Free
Duration: 99 Minutes 7 Seconds
Audio: English or Italian DTS-HD MA 2.0 Stereo with Optional English Subtitles
Video: 1080p HD Widescreen (1.85:1)
Director: Mel Welles
Cast: Rosalba Neri, Joseph Cotten, Paul Muller, Mickey Hargitay, Paul Whiteman
Lady Frankenstein (1971) is easily the best-known film on the set, behind the camera we have Mel Welles (Mushnick from Little Shop of Horrors!) directing from a script by exploitation maverick Dick Randall (Pieces), with lush Hammer-esque period lensing by Riccardo Pallottini (Castle of Blood) and a wonderful score by Alessando Alessandroni (The Devil's Nightmare). In front of the camera we have a true Hollywood icon by way of later-era Joseph Cotten (Syndicate Sadists) alongside Euro-cult star and regular Jess Franco collaborator Paul Müller (Nightmare Castle), Herbert Fux (Mark of the Devil), Marino Masé (Tenebrae), Mickey Hargitay (Bloody Pit of Horror, Mariska Hargitay's dad), plus Rosalba Neri (The French Sex Murders). In it Cotten plays Baron Frankenstein who with aid from his trusted assistant Dr. Marshall (Muller) are doing the usual Frankenstein thing, trying to re-animate dead flesh, with the help of sleazy grave-robber Lynch (Fux). The twist here is that the Baron's daughter Tania (the very sexy Neri) is also an accomplished surgeon in her own right, and when her father's first creation kills him she becomes the main protaganist, and she's even more demented that her pops. There's a serious perversity at play here not seen in other Franken-flicks by way of her erotic fixation on the simple-minded but muscle-bound servant Thomas. When the much older Marshall confesses his love for her she convinces him to let her put his brain in the body of Thomas so that they can be together, and to that end we get a truly shocking seduction-murder scene. The resulting operation is a success but the still rampaging monster that killed her father before escaping is still rampaging on the nearby vicinity and is headed back to the castle it was reborn in, which threatens to expose the whole macabre affair, which brings about a dual Frankenstein's Monster battle royale. Another fun presence in the film is Hargitay as the suspicious police captain nosing around the affairs of Frankenstein and graverobber Lynch, and while he's suspicious he's not all that effective in the end. Well-made, attractively shot and loaded with solid performances this is a fun Hammer-esque Gothic period monster flick chock full of nudity, lust and Gothic tropes; the sets and wardrobe look great, and the hideous deformed monster with a bulging eye is quite good for the time. I've always though that the look of the bulbous-headed monster, which was created by Carlo Rambaldi (E.T. The Extra Terrestrial), looks like it could have been an influence on Savini's Friday the 13th young Jason design.
Audio/Video: Lady Frankenstein (1971) makes it's North American Blu-ray (region-free) debut from Severin films from a 2K scan licensed from Nucleus Films, framed in 1.85:1 widescreen 1080p HD. It's a terrific looking scan with light film grain, looking flawless, with pleasing color reproduction and contrast, it's quite a wonderful presentation with copious organic textures. Audio comes by way of English or Italian DTS-HD MA 2.0 Stereo with optional English subtitles, dialogue sounds natural, there's no problematic age-related wear, and the Alessandroni score is full-bodied.
It looks like Severin have imported all the extras from the UK Blu-ray release from Nucleus Films as well as a later German release, over two hours worth, plus they've stamped it with their own exclusive extras. The archival stuff is terrific with my favorites being the Audio Commentary With Alan Jones, Author Of Dario Argento: The Man, The Myths & The Magic, And Kim Newman, Author Of Nightmare Movies - two English horror-loving blokes I could listen to all day. The new stuff comes by way of a new Audio Commentary With Kat Ellinger, Author of Daughters Of Darkness, And Annie Rose Malamet, Film Scholar And Host Of Girls, Guts, Giallo, which is also terrific and gets into Gothic traditions, how the Italian Gothics were more perverse than their English cousins, female lead horror and comparing it to Hammer's Frankenstein cycle. I'm definitely going to check out the Girls, Guts, and Giallo after listening to it.
The four-film, four-disc set arrives in a top-loading hardbox similar other high-quality Severin sets like Violent Streets: The Umberto Lenzi/Tomas Milan Collection, The Eurocrypt of Christopher Lee and The Complete Lenzi/Baker Giallo Collection set. Inside the box films are each presented in their own Viva Elite black keepcases with a single-sided sleeve of artwork featuring the original illustrated movie poster artwork, which are gorgeous, inside the Blu-ray discs feature the same key artwork as the wraps
.
Special Features:
- Audio Commentary With Kat Ellinger, Author of Daughters Of Darkness, And Annie Rose Malamet, Film Scholar And Host Of Girls, Guts, Giallo
- Audio Commentary With Alan Jones, Author Of Dario Argento: The Man, The Myths & The Magic, And Kim Newman, Author Of Nightmare Movies
- Meet The Baroness – Featurette With Actress Rosalba Neri And Film Historian Fabio Melelli (22 min)
- Piecing Together LADY FRANKENSTEIN (44 min)
- The Lady And The Orgy – Documentary Short On Director Mel Welles (8 min)
- The Truth About LADY FRANKENSTEIN (2007) – German TV Documentary (44 min)
- Clothed Insert Shots (3 min)
- Video Short Illustrating BBFC Censorship Cuts (3 min)
- Italian Opening Credits (3 min).
- Bigfilm Magazine (1971) – Italian LADY FRANKENSTEIN Photo Novel (3 min)
- Extensive Image Gallery (6 min)
- Home Video Gallery (6 min)
- Radio Spots (2 min)
- TV Spot (27 sec)
- Trailers (6 min)
Severin's Danza Macabra Volume One: The Italian Gothic Collection is a superb deep-dive into the Italo-Gothic sub-genre, offering pristine new scans of these euro-cult goodies with a set of comprehensive extras that add insight into the making of these cobwebbed gems in the Gothic tradition, but with a typically perverse Italian twists. Cheers to Severin for the perverse and twisted Italo-Gothic thrills found in this set, here's hoping volume two is announced soon!
Screenshots from the Severin Films Blu-rays:
Scream of the Demon Lover (1970)
Lady Frankenstein (1971)
