EDGAR ALLEN POE'S BLACK CATS: TWO ADAPTATIONS BY SERGIO MARTINO & LUCIO FULCI (BLU-RAY REVIEW)

EDGAR ALLEN POE'S BLACK CATS: TWO ADAPTATIONS BY SERGIO MARTINO AND LUCIO FULCI 

THE BLACK CAT (1981) 

Label: Arrow Video
Region Code: Region Free
Rating: Unrated
Duration: 91 Minutes
Audio: Uncompressed LPCM Mono English, LPCM Mono Italian with Optional English SDH Subtitles
Video: 1080p HD Widescreen (2.35:1)
Director: Lucio Fulci
Cast: David Warbeck, Patrick Magee, Mimsy Farmer, Dagmar Lassander, Al Cliver


Director Lucio Fulci takes a step back from the graphic gore of City of the Living Dead (1980) for The Black Cat, his variation on the Edgar Allen Poe short story of the same name. The movie begins with a man driving through a quiet English village when an ominous black cat appears in the backseat of his car, the man stares into the cat's eyes and falls into a trance, before veering into a parked car and erupting into flames. A short time later a pair of young lovers are making out in a boat on the river, looking for a more private place they make their way to a nearby boathouse where they lock themselves into a airtight storage room. The mysterious black cat again appears, supernaturally causing the A/C to shut down before making off with the only key to the door, the young lovers are trapped inside and suffocate to death, their whereabouts remain unknown for some days. 

It turns out that the ominous black cat belongs the aged Professor Robert Miles (Patrick Magee, A Clockwork Orange), a mean-spirited old cuss who spends his free time making audio recordings at the nearby graveyard, hoping to record the voices of the newly dead. It is implied that the professor possesses some form of hypnotic power, and might possibly be using his abilities to guide the black cat on it's murderous spree. The mother of one of the missing lovers from the boathouse, Lillian Gayson (Dagmar Lassander, The House by the Cemetery), worries about her daughter, notifying local constable Sergeant Wilson (Al Cliver, Zombi) who in turn places a call to Scotland Yard, Inspector Gorley (David Warbeck, The Beyond). Gorley arrives on motorcycle, in one of Warbecks more proactive and bad ass roles in Italian cinema, tearing into town on a the motorbike is a memorable entrance. After his arrival more death follow the appearance of the malicious cat with  suspicion beginning to fall on Professor Miles, Patrick Magee is just brings a lot of creepy menace and gravitas to the role, a strange character for sure. 

The story is only weakly linked to the Poe origins, basically we have the black cat and a victim bricked-up behind a wall at the finale, the latter of which Fulci has already explored with his movie The Psychic (1977), a superior movie with a similar tone. Fulci's Black Cat is a sort of montage of disparate elements, with Poe's story being just one component alongside other Poe-centic ideas, with a strong reference to David Cronenberg's The Brood (1977) and a shoe-horned nod to The Exorcist (1973), all wrapped up in the Gothic trappings of a rural English village with  loads of atmospheric touches including eerie fog shrouded woodland and cemetery scenes. 

Here Fulci relies more on a slow-building atmosphere than gruesome gore, there's no eye-trauma on display, just a few vicious cat scratches when the venomous feline draws blood, plus a mild scene of decomposing, rat-gnawn bodies, but for the duration of the film Fulci keeps it firmly in the Gothic horror vein, more akin to a Fulci/Hammer horror than a gruesome gore-soaked nightmare. It's worth noting Fulci made quite a few atmospheric whodunits before he came around to the favored gore entries in the early to mid-eighties, and this is a nice return to his roots, more along the lines of Don't Torture a Ducking or the aforementioned The Psychic. 

Audio/Video: Arrow Video bring Lucio Fulci's Gothic shocker to Blu-ray, sourcing the brand new 2K transfer straight from the original camera negative. The result are fantastic, well advancing over previous releases in all areas with improved clarity, depth and he overall crispness of the image. Colors are reproduced faithfully with natural looking skin tones, this is top-notch HD upgrade all around. Audio comes by way of  an uncompressed  LPCM Mono English or Italian with optional  English SDH subtitles. The evocative score from Pino Donaggio is nicely balanced with the dialogue and effects, nothing is overpowered, everything is crisp and free of distortion. 

Arrow blows away previous releases with not just a gorgeous brand-new 2K transfer, but with a variety of informative value-added extras, beginning with an audio commentary from former Fangoria editor, and movie maker in his own right, Chris Alexander. he comes across as a huge fan of Eurocult and Fulci in particular, maybe not the most insightful commentary in an academic sense, but fun, breezy and he comes off as a well-informed super-fan. Not to trash the commentary but I would have preferred a commentary with author and horror historian Stephen Thrower. 

No worries, Stephen Thrower is well represented with two new features, the 20-minute overview of the movie 'Poe into Fulci: The Spirit of Perverseness', and the 8-minute 'In the Paw-Prints of the Black Cat', the latter with Thrower touring the original Black Cat filming locations, even recreating a few of the iconic tracking shots. Thrower is always a wealth of knowledge, mixing anecdotal asides with his own wry views and well-versed horror history, these are the best of the extras on the set in my opinion. There's also have a 20-minute interview with actress Dagmar Lassander who goes into some great detail about her storied career in Italian cinema. David Warbeck, who dies in 1997, is featured in a 70-minute video interview conducted by Thrower, the interview covers most of Warbeck's body of  Italian cinema. Lastly we have a HD trailer for the movie. 

Special Features: 
- Brand new audio commentary by filmmaker and Fangoria editor Chris Alexander
- Poe into Fulci: The Spirit of Perverseness – film historian Stephen Thrower on Fulci’s Poe-tinged classic(26 Mins) HD 
- In the Paw-Prints of the Black Cat – a look at the original Black Cat locations (8 Mins) HD 
- Frightened Dagmar – a brand new career interview with actress Dagmar Lassander (20 Mins) HD 
- At Home with David Warbeck – an archive interview with The Black Cat star (70 Mins) HD
- Original Theatrical Trailer (3 Mins) 
- Reversible sleeve featuring original and newly commissioned artwork by Matthew Griffin

Lucio Fulci's The Black Cat (1981) is a sorely under appreciated entry from the Italian master of phantasmagorical gore, maybe because it relies more on tone and atmosphere and strays from the more typical fantasy-based gore he was known for at the time, having been bookended by City of the Living dead and The Beyond, I can see how this Gothic chiller might get lost between to iconic slices of Italian cinema, but I highly recommend you check out this overlooked gem of Gothic cinema, a movie with great performances from the venerable Patrick Magee and Eurocult regular David Warbeck. 

YOUR VICE IS A LOCKED ROOM AND ONLY I HAVE THE KEY (1972) 

Label: Arrow Video 

Region Code: Region Free

Rating: Unrated

Duration: 96 Minutes 

Audio: Uncompressed LPCM Mono English, LPCM Mono Italian with Optional  English SDH Subtitles 

Video: 1080p HD Widescreen (1.85:1) 

Director: Sergio Martino

Cast: Edwige Fenech, Anita Strindberg, Luigi Pistilli, Ivan Rassimov, Franco Nebbia 

The second half of Arrow's Poe adaptation double feature is a classic Italian whodunit from noted director Sergio Martino, Your vice is a Locked Room and Only I Have the Key, which is a title that references his previous whodunnut The Strange Vice of Mrs. Wardh, also starring Eurocult icon Edwige Fenech. This lurid slice of Italian cinema begins with waning novel writer Oliviero Rouvigny (Luigi Pistilli, A Bay of Blood), the sadistic husband of Irina (Anita Strindberg, The Case of the Scorpion's Tale). Oliviero is obsessed with his dead mother, a quirk which emerges when he becomes a bit too turned on when his wife and various lovers dress in her vintage gowns. His strange sexual proclivities make him the subject of a murder investigation, when his former student and current lover turns up dead. After being questioned by the police the already wrecked man begins to spiral out of control, pushed even further when his maid turns up dead in his home, worried that he will be blamed for her death both he and his wife hide the body in the home and create a story about having to fire her. 

Soon after they receive word that Irina's niece will be visiting, a sex kitten named Floriana (Edwige Fenech, Blade of the Ripper), a manipulative nymph who seduces not only Oliviero but her own aunt, the red-haired Irina, whom as played by Strindberg is still quite a blossom, even when compared to Fenech. The stylish whodunit sets itself apart from many of it's contemporaries by eschewing many of the whodunit norms, there's no black-gloved killer for starters, but there's plenty of paranoia and no shortage of suspects, which makes it hard to get your footing at times. 

Fenech's turn as a villainous woman is fun, usually cast as the victim, and while she suffers at the hands of her abusive husband she's not angel, nope. As this is part of the Black Cat double-feature from Arrow there must be a connection to Edgar Allen Poe's short story, again we have black cat, named Satan which belonged to Oliviero's now dead mother, Irina cannot stand the cat and goes after ti several times with knife. Additionally theres the bricked-up wall which reveals a secret when the wailing cat draws suspicion from the police at the last moment, again, a tenuous link to the Poe story to be sure, but it's there. Italian cult-cinema fans will be pleased to see Eurocult staple Ivan Rassimov (Spasmo) who appears as, what else, a nefarious character who may or may not be complicit in the crimes.

Audio/Video: Like Fulci's The Black Cat this new 2K HD transfer was sourced from the original camera negative, but lacks the depth and clarity of Fulci's entry, there's some grit to it, it lacks the crispness and fine detail of the former, but looks significantly better that any version I have viewed before, it's a definite upgrade.  Audio again come by way of a crisp and clean uncompressed LPCM Mono English or Italian with optional  English SDH subtitles. 

Onto the bonus content we have a brand new interview with Sergio Martino himself in Italian with English subtitles as the director looks back upon his career and the influence of Edgar Allen Poe. Carried over from the No shame DVD from a few years back is a 23-minute making of retrospective featuring Martino, Edwige Fenech and screenwriter Ernesto Gastaldi. Michael Mackenzie offers up a half-hour visual essay covering all of Martinos whodunits, film historian Justin Harries waxes poetic over Fenech for the half-hour career retrospective, and director Eli Roth offers a 9-minute appreciation of the movie and of the director, citing Martino as a direct influence on Hostel II, in addition to casting Fenech in the movie as well.

Special Features: 

- Through the Keyhole – a brand new interview with director Sergio Martino (35 Mins) HD
- Unveiling the Vice – making-of retrospective featuring interviews with Martino, star Edwige Fenech and screenwriter Ernesto Gastaldi (23 Mins)
- Dolls of Flesh and Blood: The Gialli of Sergio Martino – a visual essay by Michael Mackenzie exploring the director’s unique contributions to the giallo genre (29 Mins) HD
- The Strange Vices of Ms. Fenech – film historian Justin Harries on the Your Vice actress’ prolific career (30 Mins) 

-  Eli Roth on Your Vice and the genius of Martino (9 Mins) HD
- Reversible sleeve featuring original and newly commissioned artwork by Matthew Griffin

- Limited Edition 80-page booklet containing new articles on the films, Lucio Fulci’s last ever interview and a reprint of Edgar Allen Poe’s original story.

Your Vice is a Locked Room and Only I Have the Key gets a nice upgrade from Arrow with a sweet array of newly produced supplemental material. of the pair of movies I liked it less than I did the Fulci entry but I have always favored Fulci, maybe to a fault. Martino's entry is solid, a deeply psycho-sexual whodunit ripe with sadism, misogyny and multi-faceted betrayal, while not may favorite of the Martino whodunits this is still a high recommend. Arrow's Edgar Allan Poe’s Black Cats: Two Adaptations by Sergio Martino and  Lucio Fulci is a classy release, the new HD transfers are the best either movies have ever appeared on home video, and the value-added extras make this one of my favorite releases of the year. 

THE BEYOND (1981) (Grindhouse Blu-ray Review)

THE BEYOND (1981)

Super-Deluxe 3 Disc Collector's Edition 2xBD/CD

Label: Grindhouse Releasing
Region Code: A
Duration: 89 Minutes
Audio: English DTS-HD MA 5.1, English DTS-HD MA 1.0 Mono, English Dolby Digital 2.0, Italian Dolby Digital Mono
Video: 1080p HD Widescreen (2.40:1)
Director: Lucio Fulci
Cast: Catriona MacColl, David Warbeck, Cinzia Monreale

In Lucio Fulci's The Beyond a young woman named Liza (Catriona MacColl) inherits the Seven Doors Hotel in Louisiana, which just happens to be the site of a brutal lynch-mob murder in the '20s when a painter named Schweick whom was believed to have been a warlock was chain-whipped and nailed to the wall before being doused with a corrosive substance that melted away his flesh, it's quite a stomach churning scene and a damn impactful beginning to the film. What the vicious mob don't realize is that their actions this night have set in motion a series of events that will open one of the dreaded Seven Doors of Death many years later, as prophesied in the Book of Eibon.

Moving forward through time sixty years Liza will suffer the consequences of their vengeful act and possibly condemn the world to an apocalyptic fate in the process. No sooner has she arrived from New York City when a painter is critically injured after falling from a scaffold having been spooked by spectral encounter. The very next day an rather unfortunate plumber heads down to the flooded basement to tend to the root cause of the problem when a demonic hand reaches out from the water-logged and gouges his eyeball, a nasty Fulci trademark if ever there was one. Later that day the wife of the plumber visit the morgue to pay respects to her husband when she is doused in acid as a poorly placed vat of acid melts off her face. More bizarre death occurs soon after when Liza's friend Martin pays a visit to the library in search of the hotel blueprints only to fall from a ladder after a startle. Paralyzed by the fall he is torn apart by a horde of tarantulas which crawl out from beneath the bookshelves tearing at his nose, mouth and eyes.

After the painter's accident Liza befriends Dr. John McCabe (David Warbeck) and then encounters a strange blind woman named Emily (Cinzia Monreale) who warns her not to return to the hotel. She shrugs it off but it becomes increasingly difficult to ignore as the weirdness continues, and at this point in the film we haven't even got to the neck-chomping possessed dogs or the zombie siege at the hospital, so brace yourselves. 

The Beyond is best viewed as a nightmare that subscribes to a strange dream logic punctuated by gruesome special effects and very unsettling imagery, if you're picking it apart scene by scene you're gonna have some problems. Make-up effects masters Gianetto DeRossi and Maurizio Trani were in fine form on The Beyond with brutal chain-whippings, acid-meltdowns, horrific zombies and some of that patented Lucio Fulci eye-gore, plus a brutal head-shot of a young woman that still wows me everytime I watch, this is a gore-masterpiece. 

The film has a surreal script from legendary Italian screenwriter Dardano Sacchetti and some keen cinematography from Lucio Fulci's preferred cameraman Sergio Salvati, who lenses the film with a atmospheric sense of the macabre that just pulls you in from the first frame on through to the last, a truly magnetic and horrific experience. 

Audio/Video: The Beyond (1981) arrives on Blu-ray in the U.S. from Grindhouse Releasing in 1080p HD framed in the (2.40:1) widescreen aspect ratio. Advertised as an HD transfer of the uncensored director's cut I assume this is not a brand new 2K master struck from the negative or it would have been advertised as such. Regardless, the HD image is strong with vibrant color reproduction, some nice depth and clarity and modest fine detail. Comparing it to the Arrow Video Blu-ray I could not detect a major difference between the two HD presentations, both appearing quite similar to one another. 

Onto the audio you have four options beginning with an English DTS-HD MA 5.1 remix by Academy Award winner Paul Ottosson, English DTS-HD MA Mono, English Dolby Digital Stereo and Italian Dolby Digital Mono. For the sake of this viewing I chose the surround remix and was very pleased, a nice surround sound presentation that brings a depth to proceedings, adding some additional life to the otherworldly sound design without sounding forced. Purists may wish to stick with the mono option but I am quite satisfied with the new surround remix, that Fabi Frizzi score sounds fantastic in surround. 

You might need a day or two to sift through all the bonus content on the 2-disc set as they are quite bountiful beginning with an audio commentary with actors Catriona MacColl and David Warbeck recorded back in 2000 if I am not mistaken. They have a playful rapport with each other as they remember fun facts and anecdotes from the shooting. This commentary is a carryover from both the previous Anchor Bay/Grindhouse Releasing DVD and was also featured on the Arrow Video Blu-ray. Then onto the German color pre-credit sequence with both German and English audio options, three trailers for the film, and a selection of radio spots and TV spots. 

You can look forward to no less than four Easter eggs on disc one alone, beginning with the 23 minute Voices from Beyond: Memories of Lucio Fulci with remembrances from Dardano Sacchetti, Franco Bruni, Veronica Lazar, Catriona MacColl, Gianetto DeRossi, Fabio Frizzi, Sergio Salvati, Giorgio Mariuzzo, and Fabrizio De Angelis. Other hidden extras include the alternate Seven Doors of Death intro, a series of images from the movie and a sound effects track. 

Onto an equally stuffed disc two we have three hours of new in-depth interviews with stars Catriona MacColl, Cinzia Monreale and Giovanni De Nava, U.S. production manager Larry Ray, make-up artists Giannetto DeRossi and Maurizio Trani, cinematographer Sergio Salvati, writer Dardano Sacchetti, producer Fabrizio De Angelis, daughter Antonella Fulci and composer Fabio Frizzi. Carried over from the Arrow Video Blu-ray is a High Rising Productions featurette, an interview with U.S. distributor Terry Levene. These interviews not only cover the filming of The Beyond but also paint a portrait of the infamous director who is remembered in numerous ways, as a technical genius, a sarcastic personality, and someone who guarded his own sensitivity with a certain amount of vulgarity, but it's clear that those closest to him valued him as a director and a friend, Fulci was a complex man. I think the strongest attribute of the extras a whole is the cumulative portrait of the often times misunderstood director. 

There are almost 2 hours worth of vintage interviews culled a 1988 audio taped of Lucio Fulci and various appearances of MacColl, Warbeck and Fulci from Eurofest and the Festival of Fantastic Films. Additionally there are an extensive array of galleries totalling almost four hundred images of behind-the-scenes shots, stills, various video releases and quite a bit more. Tucked away on the menus of disc two are two more Easter Eggs, a now and then location visit and the Necrophagia video for "And You Will Live in terror" directed by wildman Jim Van Bebber.

Separate from the extras on the two Blu-rays are a third disc, a CD of the remastered score from Fabio Frizzi, a haunting score that lingers long after the end credits. There's also a 12-page booklet with liner notes by horror journalists Chas. Balun and Martin Beine and an extensive Lucio Fulci filmography. The first 5000 of these have a glow-in-the-dark slipcover, which is a pretty nifty bonus.  

What more could you possibly want in regard to The Beyond? About the only thing I can figure might be a featurette with contemporary directors reminiscing about their first experiences watching the film, that would have been a fun one.

Special Features: 

- Spectacular HD digital transfer of the original UNCENSORED Director's Cut

- Breathtaking 5.1 DTS-HD Master Audio surround sound re-mix by Academy Award winner Paul Ottosson
- Original 11-track Soundtrack CD by Fabio Frizzi newly remastered in stunning 96khz sound from the original studio master tapes.

- Provocative commentary by stars Catriona MacColl and genre superstar David Warbeck

- Lost German pre-credit sequence in FULL COLOR in German and English (16 Mins) 
- Looking Back - The Creation of The Beyond (48 Mins) 
- The New Orleans Connection - Larry Ray (44 Mins)
- Beyond and Back - Catriona MacColl (34 Mins) 
- See Emily Play - Cinzia Monreale (22 Mins) 
- Making It Real - Gianetto DeRossi and Maurizio Trani (32 Mins) 
- Lucio Fulci Interview - August 1988 - Part 1 (20 Mins)
- Lucio Fulci Interview - August 1988 - Part 2 (13 Mins) 
- Eurofest '94 - David Warbeck and Lucio Fulci (46 Mins) 
- Eurofest '96 - Catriona MacColl and David Warbeck (5 Mins) 
- 1996 Festival of Fantastic Films - Catriona MacColl (12 Mins) 
- 1996 Festival of Fantastic Films - David Warbeck (21 Mins) 
- Beyond Italy - U.S. Distributor Terry Lee (19 Mins) 
- Still Galleries: Productions Stills (80 Images), Behind the Scenes (81 Images)
- Promotional Images Gallery: Italy (13 Images), U.S. (40 Images), French (16 Images), Video releases (56 Images), Beyond the Beyond (101 Images) 

- Grindhouse releasing Previews (32 Mins) 

- International Trailer (3 Mins) 

- German Trailer (3 Mins) 

- US Trailer (7 Doors of Death) (3 Mins) 

- US Re-Release Trailer (1 Mins) 

- US TV Spots  (7 Doors of Death (1 Mins) 

- US Re-Release Radio Spot (1 Mins) 

- Easter Egg: Voices from Beyond: Memories of Lucio Fulci from Dardano Sacchetti, Franco Bruni, Veronica Lazar, Catriona MacColl, Gianetto DeRossi, Fabio Frizzi, Sergio Salvati, Giorgio Mariuzzo, Fabrizio De Angelis (23 Mins) 
- 12 Page Collector's Booklet with Liner notes by legendary horror journalist Chas. Balun and EuroHorror expert Martin Beine
- Lucio Fulci Filmography

- Limited Edition of 5000 copies Glow-in-the-Dark Slipcover 
- Easter Eggs: Seven Doors of Death Intro (1 Mins), Still Images from The Beyond 
(17 Mins), Audio Sound Effects (11 Mins), Location Visit (2 Mins), Necrophagia Music Video (5 Mins)

The Grindhouse Releasing Blu-ray of Lucio Fulci's The Beyond is an attractively packaged special edition jam-packed with a stunning array of new extras with a pleasing HD upgrade. A gorgeous package all around, a phenomenal fright film loaded with creepy atmosphere and torrents of dazzling gore, it doesn't get anymore essential than this one right here. 

TWINS OF EVIL (1971) Synapse Films Blu-ray Review

TWINS OF EVIL (1971) 
Blu-ray + DVD Combo 

Label: Synapse Films
Region: Region A
Duration: 87 minutes
Rating: Unrated
Video: 16:9 Widescreen (1.66:1)
Audio: English DTS-HD MA Mono 
Director: John Hough
Cast: Peter Cushing, Damien Thomas, Dennis Price, David Warbeck, Madeleine Collinson, Mary Collinson
Tagline: Which is the Virgin? Which is the Vampire? 

Synopsis: Two beautiful orphaned identical twins, Maria and Frieda Gellhorn (Playboy centerfold models Mary and Madeleine Collinson), move to the village of Karnstein to live with their uncle Gustav Weil (played by Hammer horror favorite, Peter Cushing), a fanatical puritan and leader of the local witch-hunting “Brotherhood.” The village Count (Damien Thomas, Never Let Me Go), an evil man who secretly practices Satanism, uses black magic and transforms into a vampire. Unhappy with her new life, Frieda seeks escape and tragically falls under the spell of the Count. Now overcome with an insatiable hunger for human blood, Frieda has to hide her secret from her sister, and escape her uncle’s killing grasp!

The Film: Twins of Evil (1971) is Hammer's third and final entry in a series of films known as the Karnstein trilogy following The Vampire Lovers (1970) and Lust for a Vampire (1971)  and in it village elder Gustav Weil (Peter Cushing, Shock Waves) is the stern and rather unpleasant leader of a fanatical group of witch-hunters called The Brotherhood. Cushing's portrayal of the witchfinder is differentiated from Vincent Price's depiction of Mathew Hopkins in the film The Witchfinder General (1968) in that he truly and sincerely believes he's doing the Lord's work while Price's character was merely profiteering from other's misery in the most reprehensible way. The true tragedy is that while these busty innocents burn there is actually a devil among them - Count Karnstein (Damien Thomas)  looms over the village from his castle where he engages in wicked orgies and Satanic rituals but The Brotherhood dare not touch him for he is under the protection of the Emperor, the monarchies weren't really down with religious fanaticism... so let's burn some busty blondes instead, right? Right! The decadent Count Karnstein comes from a long lineage of sadistic evil-doers and and his depraved aristocratic lifestyle leaves him yearning for a taste of true-evil but he surrounds himself with wannabe cultists and so he grows bored and deeply unsatisfied, that is until one-night when he offers up a human sacrifice conjuring the long dead Coutness Mircalla (Katya Wayeth, Kubrick's A Clockwork Orange), a true beauty who fornicates with the Count and in the process gives us a nice tidbit of eroticism as she simulates a hand-job with a candlestick - it's a nice touch, way to go Hammer. Oh yeah, and she transforms him into a vampire - that's important to know.

It's right about then that Weil's newly orphaned identical twin nieces Maria (Mary Collinson) and Frida (MadelineCollinson) arrive in the village of  Karnstein and quickly discover what a strict and religious man their Uncle Weil truly is - he's definitely no fun. His puritanical persecution of the voluptuous beauties pushes them away and none more so than kinky Frieda who is quite obviously the more deviant of the duo with a keen interest in the darker side of what life has to offer.  It's not long before freaky Frieda falls under the spell of the Count after overhearing tales of wild orgies and his wicked ways. She steals away in the dark of night to his castle swearing her sister to secrecy, she's a pretty typical teen. Maria, the more virginal of the twins, takes a liking to a much nicer young man, a schoolteacher named Anton Hoffer (David Warbeck, Lucio Fulci's The Beyond) who studies superstitions and believes in witchcraft and vampirism. Weil not surprisingly doesn't approve of Anton's interest in the occult but when Freida falls victim to Karnstein's vampirism becoming a bloodsucker and killing one of The Brotherhood the two men join forces and lead The Brotherhood on a bloody assault of Karnstein's castle.

The film was shot on many of the sets used for Hammer's Vampire Circus so it definitely has that Hammer familiarity to it. The outdoor scenes shot in Oxhead Park are outstanding, particularly an early night scene wherein The Brotherhood capture and burn a suspected witch - the nighttime woods laden with fog are quite eerie and wonderfully Gothic, the film is drenched with loads of tense atmosphere.

As with the preceding films in the Karnstein trilogy it's saturated with overt and lurid sexuality though perhaps not as much vampire lesbianism as one might expect from a film featuring Playboy Playmate twins, there's just a brief titillating moment that passes far too quick. Fear not though, this is an early 70's Hammer endeavor from the production duo of Harry Fine and Michael Style so there's plenty of blood, breasts and other exploitative elements on display. It's lurid but definitely not to such great heights (or lows) as the aforementioned Vampire Circus which reviled us with elements of pedophilia and the murder of small children but it's pretty great nonetheless. 

Peter Cushing is a legend among legends and the star of countless horror classics and his performance is a coldly intense and blistering, I think it's a standout even among his oeuvre. Damian Thomas as the evil Count Karnstein turns in a decent performance but I just wasn't feeling it, not to constantly compare this film to Vampire Circus but Robert Tayman's perverse-bloodsucker Count Mitterhaus runs circles around Karnstein. Thomas is a bit goofy at times I must admit his fanged facial expression elicited more than a few a laughs, it's not fatal to the film but it detracted a few points. The Collinson Twins are are gorgeous from head to toe, voluptuous brunette beauties who were very easy on the eyes.

There's some nice carnage up on the screen to, the blood flows deep red and quite freely. Of course we get a few nice burnings at the stake, each one staged quite nicely, a machete to the head, fire applied to the eye, a shocking decapitation and an axe flung into someone's spine - pretty great stuff.

Blu-ray: Hammer's Vampire Circus was Synapse's initial Blu-ray offering and it was quite a presentation, probably my favorite Blu-ray of that year. With Twins of Evil I would say they've raised the bar even from that high watermark. The film looks quite brilliant in 1080p high definition presented in it's original aspect ratio of 1.66:1 widescreen sourced from a very nice print. There are a few rough moments particularly during some noisy nighttime scenes but overall this is a stunner with a nice layer of natural film grain and with beautifully resolved fine details and texture. The colors are appropriately vibrant and black levels are consistently strong. The English language DTS-HD mono audio track sounds great, too. It's a mono track so we don't get any dynamic range or use of the surrounds but the audio is crisp and the dialogue rings through clear.

The audio and visual presentation is sweet let us look into the wealth of special features beginning with a feature length documentary The Flesh and the Fury: X-Posing Twins of Evil (1hr 24 mins) is nearly as long as the feature itself, a fantastic retrospective exploring the origins of the film's story in Joseph Sheridan Le Fanu novella Carmilla (1872) - a story that pre-dates Bram Stoker's Dracula by some 25 years. While discussing the Carmilla aspects of the film there's some dramatic re-enactment video footage accompanying the story, fun stuff. There's a ton of cinematic adaptations of the story from Joseph Dreyer's Vampyr (1932) on through to Blood and Roses (1960), Terror in the Crypt (1964) and Roy Ward Baker's The Vampire Lovers (1970) starring Ingrid Pitt. There's plenty of involvement from director John Hough too who openly discusses many facets of the film and it's origins, it's great stuff. There's also plenty of Hammer facts, trivia and critique from authors, critics and film historians Kim Newman, Joe Dante, Tim Lucas, Eric Hoffman, Ted Newsom - all quite enriching and not just about this film specifically of Hammer in general, particularly 70's Hammer and the sexploitation direction they were headed. Everything you could want to know about Twins of Evil and this particular era of Hammer is here for your enjoyment and nicely put into context. If the feature alone weren't enough this fantastic documentary is worth the price of admission alone.

The next feature is The Props that Hammer Built: The Kinsey Collection (23:28) featuring a guided tour of Hammer historian Wayne Kinsey's private collection of Hammer memorabilia which begins with a saddening story of Pinewood Studios tossing many of Hammer's props in the trash-bin, ugh. Kinsey shows us a model castle that was retrieved from the bin by a technician working on the lot at the time, the castle was used in the films Dracula: Prince of Darkness (1966)  and The Gorgon (1964) - truly  sweet piece of Hammer history. We also get to see bats used in Kiss of the Vampire (1963) and Brides of Dracula (1960) . An eyeball prop from Frankenstein and the Monsters from Hell (1973) and a few others including a prized jacket and books from Peter Cushings own collection. Kinsey's a bit dry honestly but the props and the story behind each one is pretty awesome.

On top of these features we also get a Motion Still Gallery (14:01) with tons f production and promotional stills and artwork not to mention a bunch of sexploitation promo shots of the Collinson Twins - sweet stuff. There's a US Trailer (2:31) plus a Double Bill Trailer (2:31) with Hands of the Ripper (1971) a selection of TV Spots (1:10) and an odd musical  Deleted Scene (1:09) that's more a curiosity than unburied treasure. There's also a DTS-HD MA mono Isolated Music and Effects Track highlighting Harry Robertson's dramatic score of the film. This is a Blu-ray/DVD combo but it should be noted that not all of the special features are carried over on the DVD.

Special Features:
- THE FLESH AND THE FURY: X-POSING TWINS OF EVIL (84 mins.) 16:9
An all-new, feature-length documentary exploring Hammer's infamous 'Karnstein' trilogy from the origin of Carmilla, to the making of TWINS OF EVIL! Featuring exclusive interviews with director John Hough, star Damien Thomas, cult film director Joe Dante, Video Watchdog editor Tim Lucas, and more!
- THE PROPS THAT HAMMER BUILT: THE KINSEY COLLECTION  (23:28) 16:9
- Motion Still Gallery* (14:01)
- Deleted Scene* (1:09) 16:9
- Original Theatrical Trailer* (2:31) 4:3
- Double Feature Trailer (2:31) 4:3
- TV Spots* (1:10) 4:3
- Isolated Music and Effects Track 
* (Blu-ray Exclusive)

Twins of Evil (1971) gets an easy recommend from me - this is essential stuff. It's not quite the lurid shocker that Vampire Circus (1972) was but it's fantastic just the same. Synapse Films have done right by Hammer with a gorgeous presentation and a wealth of bonus content - the feature-length documentary is just as essential as the film itself. Yet another superb presentation from Synapse - and there's more Hammer on the way from 'em too with The Complete Hammer House of Horror 5-DVD Collector's Edition. 
4 Outta 5 

BLU-RAY REVIEW: The Beyond (1982)

THE BEYOND (1981) Blu-ray

LABEL: Arrow Video
REGION: Region Free, Region 0 PAL
DURATION: 88 min.
DIRECTOR: Lucio Fulci
CAST: Catriona MacColl, David Warbeck, Cinzia Monreale
TAGLINE: Only death awaits in The Beyond!

PLOT: If your new business venture is sited on the cursed gateway to the hell dimension of The Beyond, then maybe it’s time to move elsewhere but Liza (Catriona MacColl) is determined to make her New Orleans hotel work, until strange things start happening, people vanish and her waking thoughts are haunted by a ghostly blind woman who seems to hold the answers to the whole bizarre fever-dream. As reality breaks down and the plot explodes, Liza must journey far from everything she understands and descend in The Beyond...

FILM: Italian gore-master Lucio Fulci's THE BEYOND (1981) is pt.2 of the unofficial Gates of Hell trilogy which began with CITY OF THE LIVING DEAD (1980) and ended with insanity that is THE HOUSE BY THE CEMETERY (1981).  The connective tissue that bind this gruesome trio seems to be the apocalyptic effects of the dead entering the world of the living.  The film was heavily censored for it's outstanding gore sequences upon release and was granted a release here in the states under the lesser title SEVEN DOORS OF DEATH, which was also substantially edited.

The pre-credit sequence opens in 1927 as an angry mob enter the Seven Doors Hotel where they apprehend a painter named Schweick who's dabbling in the dark arts has led to the discovery that the hotel is built upon one of the seven gates of Hell as written about in a cryptic tome known as Eibon . They torture him, nail him  crucifixion-style and throw quicklime upon his body and watch as it eats away his flesh, it's truly grotesque. Their need for vengeance sated the mob don't realize their acts have set in motion a chain of events that will bring apocalyptic ruin upon the Earth. Fifty years later a young woman named Liza (Catriona MacColl) inherits the hotel and has plans to renovate the property but as you can imagine renovating one of the seven portals to Hell is fraught with problems. For starters the water in the basement is waist high - enter a rather unfortunate guy aptly named Joe the Plumber who is the first but certainly not the last in this film to receive the patented Fulci eye-trauma, it's a scene that nearly bests the infamous eyeball vs. splinter scene from Fulci's own ZOMBI 2 (1979). Other characters figuring prominently into the story include an apparition of a blind woman named Emily (Cinzia Monreale) whom only appears to Liza warning her to leave the hotel and not return but Liza isn't easily frightened despite the strange happening at the hotel. Following the near-death accident of a day laborer Liza also meets Dr. John McCabe (David Warbeck) who while skeptical of all things supernatural joins forces with Liza until the intensely eerie Hell on Earth finale.

The Beyond is truly thin in the plot department and has a few confusing non-linear bits that will surely dismay some folks but not me. It's as simple as woman moves into a haunted hotel which rests upon one of the seven gates of hell and nightmarish crazy things happen - 'nuff said. Fulci's signature eye mutilation, tense atmosphere  and sickening gore are all accounted for as the typical quirky dialogue exchanges, the usual classic Italian to English dub stuff. My favorite bit of dialogue has Emily screaming to her dog to "Attack! Dicky! Dicky Attack! Attack Dicky!" shortylt before it turns it's teeth on her which always makes me sequel with delight. We get the aforementioned eye-trauma, a truly gnarly tarantula attack, the vicious canine encounter, sulphuric acid to the face, a full on zombies assault and a heinous head, it's great stuff. The special effects work of Giannetto de Rossie is mostly superb throughout with the exception of some piss poor tarantuals and are on par with his work on Zombie 2. Thin though the plot may be The Beyond is an effectively chilling film, very eerie and steeped in dark atmosphere helped no doubt by the setting of the film in Louisiana. It's a great looking feature with fantastic cinematography that just happens to be stuffed with outstanding gore. Fulci was a true filmmaker and The Beyond is a very technically accomplished film.

I've only seen a handful of Fulci films outside of the Gates of Hell trilogy; THE PSYCHIC (1977), ZOMBI 2 (1979), and THE BLACK CAT (1981) and each is a wonderful excursion into the realm of Italian cinema that I can easily recommend. I'm far less familiar with his early 70's output like  DON'T TORTURE A DUCKLING (1972) and A LIZARD IN A WOMAN'S SKIN (1971) and look forward to discovering each in it's own time. It's comforting to know that there's so much more to discover from Fulci.

BLU-RAY: The Beyond gets a brand new HD restoration and is presented completely uncut in it's original aspect ratio 2.35:1 (16x9) anamorphic with English 5.1 DTS-HD Master Audio and original English and Italian mono audio options with English subtitles for both the Italian and English language tracks. The DTS-HD Master Audio 5.1 is immersive with a surprising amount of depth to it. Frizzi's score sounds brilliant and the effects really leap out of the surrounds. The films appears quite crisp with vibrant colors and great black levels with a healthy amount of film grain present but not distractingly so. It should be noted that I am reviewing a pre-release screener that may not be representative of the film final release. As an example; the prologue is errantly presented in monochrome black and white and not the intended sepia tone.  Arrow Video are aware of the issue and have taken action to correct this on the commercially available release.

Disc 1 special features include a fun commentary with stars Warbeck/MacColl. They have a playful rapport with each other as they remember fun facts from the shoot. This commentary is a carry-over from the Grindhouse Releasing DVD.  There's also a commentary featurng Fulci's daughter and Calum Waddell speaking about not just THE The Beyond but her father's films and legacy. The 1st of 2 featurettes is AKA Sarah Keller: Cinzia Monreale remembers ‘The Beyond’ (25:04) which features the still stunningly gorgeous Monreale fondly recalling her work with not only Fulci but director Joe D'Amatto on the film BEYOND THE DARKNESS. She also speaks to her perceptions of violence in cinema and her memories of shooting the film in Louisiana and Rome. Rounding out disc 1 is Catriona MacColl Q+A from the Glasgow Film Theatre (20:08) that is moderated by Calum Waddell as the star discusses several of her collaborations with Fulci, the script and her relationship with the director and there's also an easter egg.



The proper sepia-tone pre-credit sequence.



The errant monochromatic pre-credit sequence.

Disc 2 special features begin with One Step Beyond: Catriona MacColl Remembers a Spaghetti Splatter Classic (29:09)  a conversation in English as the star recalls being on set and working with Fulci. Beyond Italy – Louis Fuller and the Seven Doors of Death: Interview with US distributor and editor of ‘The Beyond’ Terry Levene (20:21) is a fascinating interview with the film's American distributor as he describes his life in film distributing grindhouse classics CANNIBAL FEROX, ZOMBI FLESH EATERS and THE LIVING DEAD AT MANCHESTER MORGUE among many others. This is essential stuff, fans of Italian cinema are in for a real treat. Equally fascinating is Butcher, Baker and Zombiemaker: The Living Dead Legacy of special effects wizard Gianetto Di Rossi (30:32) as the Italian effects master Rossi recalls his most famous works including the trademawk eye-trauma in both ZOMBI 2 and THE BEYOND as well as the tarantula attack. Fulci Flashbacks: Dario Argento, Daria Nicolodi, Sergio Stivaletti, Antonella Fulci and others remember The Godfather of Gore (25:08) is a collection of fond Fulci memories from many familiar face including Argento and Nicolodi who is always a great interview. Finishing off disc 2 extras are an interesting Alternative Colour Pre-Credits Sequence (16:02)  which presents the pre-credit sequence in color from the German cut of the film and the Original International Trailer (3:15).

DISC 1 SPECIAL FEATURES (Region Free Blu-ray)
- Introduction by star Cinzia Monreale
- Audio Commentary with Antonella Fulci and Calum Waddell
- Audio Commentary with David Warbeck and Catriona MacColl
- AKA Sarah Keller: Cinzia Monreale remembers ‘The Beyond’ (25:04)
- Catriona MacColl Q+A from the Glasgow Film Theatre (20:08)
- Easter Egg

DISC 2 SPECIAL FEATURES
(Region 0 PAL)
- One Step Beyond: Catriona MacColl Remembers a Spaghetti Splatter Classic (29:09)
- Beyond Italy – Louis Fuller and the Seven Doors of Death: Interview with US distributor and editor of ‘The Beyond’ Terry Levene (20:21)
- Butcher, Baker and Zombiemaker: The Living Dead Legacy of special effects wizard (30:32)

- Fulci Flashbacks: Dario Argento, Daria Nicolodi, Sergio Stivaletti, Antonella Fulci and others remember The Godfather of Gore (25:08)

- Alternative colour pre-credits sequence (16:02)

- Original International Trailer (3:15)

VERDICT: When one thinks of the films of Lucio Fulci it's either Zombi 2 (1979) or The Beyond (1981) that spring immediately to mind and for good reason. These films are wonderful examples of gruesome Italian horror cinema and are both excellent films to jump into for the uninitiated. An equally gorgeous and grotesque example of Fulci's nightmarish imagery and surreal atmosphere. As with many Arrow Video editions of beloved genre classics it is easy to give this a high recommend without reservation. Transfer error aside the numerous bonus features are truly outstanding and give fans of the director a true appreciation for his work as well as the talented folks who made it possible. A stunningly gore-geous masterstroke of Italian cinema. 4.5 outta 5