Blu-ray Review: STRIP NUDE FOR YOUR KILLER (1975)

STRIP NUDE FOR YOUR KILLER (1975)

Release Date: March 27, 2012

Label: Blue Underground

Region Code: ALL

Duration: 98 Mins

Rating: Not Rated

Audio: DTS-HD Mono English, Italian

Video: 16:9 Widescreen (2.35:1)

Director: Andrea Bianchi

Cast: Edwige Fenech, Nino Castelnuovo, Femi Benussi, Solvi Stubing

Now here's a slab of 70's Euro-sleaze I've been wanting to get my fiendish little fingers on for some time and lucky for us cult cinema fans Blue Underground have laid out a quite attractive Blu-ray edition presenting the stunning Edwige Fenech (The Strange Vice of Mrs. Wardh) in lovely 1080p, surely the reason the high-definition format was created, no? The title alone tells you that we're in for here, some super-trashy fun that comes to us from none other than the director of the deranged, tit-chomping Italian zombie film Burial Ground (1980) featuring one of the most schlocky and shocking mother-son relationships in cinema history, not to be outdone Strip Nude features one of the oddest film finales you'll ever see.

The film begins with a nifty blue-tinted scenario wherein a model named Evelyn dies of heart-failure during a backroom abortion. The doctor with the help of an unseen accomplice attempts to cover-up the accidental death by returning the corpse to her home where it will appear she died of natural causes in the bathtub but later that night the doc is stabbed repeatedly by an attacker on the doorstep of his home, the killer wearing a skin-tight leather outfit and a motorcycle helmet, it makes for quite a memorable image, very sleek. Turns out the model worked for the Albatross Modelling Agency run by a shrew-lesbian named Giselle (Amanda) and her obese philandering husband Maurizio (Franco Diogene, Midnight Express). We also meet the speedo-loving fashion photographer and his spritely assistant Madga (Edwige Fenech), Carlo (Nino Castelnuovo) is introduced during a really wacky seduction scene wherein he asks the gorgeous ginger Lucia (Femi Benusi, Hatchet for the Honeymoon) to pose for him in a steam-room when she realizes there's no film in the camera, and like you did back in those free-loving 70's they make the best of an awkward situation and get it on, gotta love it.

It's not long before a photographer at the agency is murdered by the same killer dressed in leather and a motorcycle helmet followed by a model and others, it becomes apparent that someone really has it out for the employees of the Albatross agency, in that way it's not not too dissimilar to Mario Bava's Blood and Black Lace (1963) another shocker also featuring a memorably masked marauder terrorizing a fashion house. The film pretty much boils down to Carlo and Madga sleuthing the mystery but can they uncover the killer's identity before it's too late? 

As the title implies the film is quite literally bursting at the seems with depraved sex and violence, perhaps more nudity that any Giallo I can think of, the women of the 70's Italian cinema were world class beauties and it's easy to lose track of the story (what little there was, anyway) while I sat down for a watch, Fenech is a goddess and the camera loves her here just like in every other film.

As a giallo the film falls a bit short but as a prime slice of euro-cheese with copious amounts of nudity it's pretty great stuff, so many corny but awesome moments from Maurizio threatening to knock a bitch upside the head with a vase if she doesn't put out for him followed by a moment of impotence and him crying into the arms of an inflatable lover right before he's butchered. In a wonderful red-herring moment our sauve fashion-photographer Carlo nearly strangles a lover for next to nothing, an abusive lesbian tryst, crazy 70's fashions and some awesomely awful English dubbed dialogue, it's not lacking for entertainment that's for sure.

Blu-ray: Strip Nude for Your Killer is presented in 16:9 widescreen (2.35:1) 1080p sourced from the original uncut and uncensored camera negative. Black levels are strong, colors are pleasing, film grain is intact and fine detail is adequate if not great, overall the image lacks sharpness and is a bit softer than what one would like to see on Blu-ray but I have not seen the DVD of the film and can't comment on improvement of the standard definition versions but it's an attractive transfer sourced from a near flawless print. 

There are both English and Italian DTS-HD Mono audio options with choice of optional English SDH, French and Spanish subtitles. It's definitely mono, that's for sure offering some moderate depth, dialogue, effects and Berto Pisano's unremarkable score come through clear without distortion. 

Special features include the 12 minute on camera video interview Strip Nude For Your Giallo with actress Solvi Stubing and co-writer Massimo Felisatti, a decent listen as Felsatti discusses director Bianchi. We also get two trailers and a poster and stills gallery.

Special Features:
- Strip Nude For Your Giallo - On Camera Interviews with Actress Solvi Stubing and Co-Writer Massimo Felisatti (11:44) 

- International Trailer(3:41)

- Italian Trailer(3:41)

- Poster and Still Gallery

Verdict: The Bird with the Crystal Plumage this is not, it's decidedly lower-tier and less artful but definitely delivers on it's depraved pulpy title, an endlessly entertaining parade of gorgeous flesh and startling murder set-pieces with a few artful flourishes, some decent lensing and a shit-ton of 70's euro-cheese and sleaze, definitely a trashy delight for fans of Giallo and 70's Italian horror cinema, I say this is worth a purchase particularly for you Edwige Fenech fans out there. 3 outta 5

STRIP NUDE FOR YOUR KILLER (1975) (Arrow Video Blu-ray Review)

STRIP NUDE FOR YOUR KILLER (1975)

Label: Arrow Video 
Region Code: ALL
Duration: 98 Mins
Rating: Not Rated
Audio: English, Italian PCM Mono with Optional English Subtitles 
Video: 1080p HD Widescreen (2.35:1)
Director: Andrea Bianchi
Cast: Edwige Fenech, Nino Castelnuovo, Femi Benussi, Solvi Stubing

Now here's a slab of 70's Euro-sleaze I can sink my teeth into, a sexed-up giallo starring the stunning Edwige Fenech (The Strange Vice of Mrs. Wardh), surely one of the top-five beauties that the high-definition format was created to showcase, no? The title alone tells you that we're in for here, some super-trashy fun that comes to us from none other than the director of the deranged, tit-chomping Italian zombie film Burial Ground (1980), a film featuring one of the most schlocky and shocking mother-son relationships in all of cinema history, but not to be outdone, Strip Nude For Your Killer features one of the oddest film finales you'll ever see.

The film begins with a nifty blue-tinted scenario wherein a model named Evelyn dies of heart-failure during a backroom abortion. The doctor with the help of an unseen accomplice attempts to cover-up the accidental death by returning the corpse to her home where it will appear she died of natural causes in the bathtub. However, later that same night the abortion doc is stabbed repeatedly by an attacker on the doorstep of his home, the killer wearing a skin-tight leather outfit and a motorcycle helmet, it makes for quite a memorable image, very sleek. Turns out the dead woman was a model working for the Albatross Modelling Agency, run by a shrew-lesbian named Giselle and her fat, philandering husband Maurizio (Franco Diogene, Midnight Express). We're then meet the speedo-loving fashion photographer Carlo (Nino Castelnuovo) and his spritely assistant Madga (Edwige Fenech), the photographer is introduced during a really wacky seduction scene wherein he asks gorgeous ginger Lucia (Femi Benusi, Hatchet for the Honeymoon) to pose for him in a steam-room when she realizes there's no film in the camera, and like you did back in those free-loving 70's they make the best of an awkward situation and get it on!

Not long after a photographer at the agency is murdered by the same killer dressed in leather and a motorcycle helmet followed by a model and others, it becomes apparent that someone has it out for the employees of the Albatross agency, in that way it's not not dissimilar to Mario Bava's seminal fashion-slasher Blood and Black Lace (1963), another shocker also featuring a memorably masked marauder terrorizing a fashion house. The film pretty much boils down to Carlo and Madga sleuthing the mystery, but can they uncover the killer's identity before it's too late?

As the title implies the film is quite literally bursting at the seems with depraved sex and violence, perhaps more nudity that any Giallo I can think of, the women of the 70's Italian cinema were world class beauties and it's easy to lose track of the story (what little there was of it, anyway) while I sat down for a a re-watch. 

As a giallo the film falls a bit short but as a prime slice of euro-cheese with copious amounts of nudity it's pretty great stuff, so many corny but awesome moments from Maurizio threatening to knock a bitch upside the head with a vase if she doesn't put out for him followed by a moment of impotence and him crying into the arms of an inflatable lover right before he's butchered, it's tasty fromage for sure. In a wonderful red-herring moment our suave fashion-photographer Carlo nearly strangles a lover over what amounts to next to nothing, an abusive lesbian tryst, crazy 70's fashions and some awesomely awful English dubbed dialogue, this film is not lacking for entertainment that's for sure.

Audio/Video: Strip Nude for Your Killer arrives on Blu-ray from Arrow Video in 1080p HD framed in 2.35:1, a 2K restoration sourced from the uncensored camera negative. Black levels are strong, grain is well-managed, and the colors look a bit warmer than the previous Blue Underground release, with improved clarity and more fine detail in certain areas.

There are both English and Italian PCM Mono audio options with choice of optional English subtitles. The mono track is clean and well balanced, free of distortion, and the Berto Pisano score sounds good throughout., 

Special Features:

- New audio commentary by HORRORPEDIA.com’s Adrian J. Smith and David Flint
- Sex and Death with a Smile, a new video essay by author and critic Kat Ellinger on giallo and sex comedy icon Edwige Fenech (23 min) HD 
- A Good Man for the Murders, a newly edited video interview with actor Nino Castelnuovo (15 min) HD
- The Blonde Salamander, a new video interview with actress Erna Schurer (19 min) HD 
- The Art of Helping, a new video interview with assistant director Daniele Sangiorgi (44 min) 
- Jack of All Trades, a new video interview with actor and production manager Tino Polenghi (22 min) 
- Two versions of the opening scene: tinted and untinted viewing options
- Original Italian Trailer (4 min) HD 
- English Theatrical Trailer (4 min) HD 
- Image Gallery (3 min) HD 
- Reversible sleeve featuring original and newly commissioned artwork by Graham Humphreys
- FIRST PRESSING ONLY: Illustrated collector’s booklet featuring new writing on the film by critic Rachael Nisbet

The Bird with the Crystal Plumage this is not, hjere we have a decidedly lower-tier and less artful film, but it definitely delivers on it's depraved pulpy title, an endlessly entertaining parade of gorgeous flesh and startling murder set-pieces with a few artful flourishes, some decent lensing and a shit-ton of 70's euro-cheese and sleaze, a trashy delight for fans of Giallo and 70's Italian horror cinema, I say this is worth a purchase particularly for you Edwige Fenech fans out there, and this is a nice upgrade from Arrow with some excellent extras.

DVD Review: NAUGHTY TEEN (1978)

NAUGHTY TEEN (1978) DVD
aka CARA DOLCE NIPOTE 

Label: One 7 Movies
Region Code: 0 NTSC
Rating: Unrated
Duration: 86 Minutes
Audio: Italian Dolby Digital Mono with Optional English Subtitles
Video: 16x9 Widescreen (1.78:1)
Director: Andrea Bianchi
Cast: Ursula Heinle, Femi Benussi, Francesco Parisi, Lucio Flauto

NAUGHTY TEEN (1978) aka CARA DOLCE NIPOTE is an Italian sex-comedy from director Andrea Bianchi whom notably brought us the stylish Giallo shocker STRIP NUDE FOR YOUR KILLER (1975) and the fantastically entertaining BURIAL GROUND: THE NIGHTS OF TERROR (1981). It tells the story a sweet, middle-aged man by the name of Corrado (Lucio Flauta) whom has recently lost his beloved wife of many years. During this time of grief his wife's attractive niece Daniela (Ursula Heinle, in her only onscreen performance, sadly) comes to Milan to help her uncle in his time of loss. Not having seen the sweet young thing since she was but a child Corrado is equal parts shocked and spellbound at the similarity of teen niece and his departed wife. The well-meaning widow slowly begins to lose his mind and become obsessed with the nubile beauty who herself is not exactly an angel, toying with his emotions and egging on his aching libido. Not merely content to toy with her uncle's emotions Daniela also busies herself with the attentions of a young officer, a counter-culture hippie and Corrado's neighbor, a sex-crazed airline pilot named Attenni who's wild orgies and famed womanizing have not only pique her curiosity but also that of Corrado's gorgeous housemaid Marietta (Femi Benussi, STRIP NUDE FOR YOUR KILLER) whom is quite a stunner in her own right.

As 70's sex comedies goes this is a pretty mediocre  and workman-like production with stagnant humor, clunky dialogue (at least that's how the English subtitles read) and one-note characters with no depth. Ursula Heinle and Femi Benussi are standouts here, attractive women both and their plentiful nude scenes certainly do please and may just be worth the price of the DVD alone if that's what you crave. While the script and plot are simplistic and uninspired the performances are above average considering what a throw-away film this is really, also worth mentioning is the wonderfully comic performance from the actor portraying the horny airline pilot next door Attenni, fun stuff.

Standout scenes include the ever amorous Attenni seducing Corrado's sexy ginger-maned housemaid Mariette while she tends to the laundry as he describes what it's like to fly a plane during intercourse, a later scene wherein Daniella exposes Attenni as a sad little man whose sexual exploits have been greatly exaggerated and the poor confused Corrado rescuing his drugged-out niece from a counter-culture orgy only to have the attractive girl throw herself at him, his frustration is quite entertaining. Honestly, the main attraction here for me is to simply take in a formerly rare Andrea Bianchi film with some nice lurid peeping moments but overall this only gets a weak recommend.

DVD: One 7 Movies give this Italian rarity a 16x9 widescreen (1.78:1) transfer and while it's marred with imperfection it is quite watchable. The image is  murky and marred with compression issues throughout. There are also two blurred spots along the lower frame of the film - not sure what this aberration might be but at the very least while it's distracting it's not ruinous. The DVD has a Italian Dolby Digital mono soundtrack with optional English subtitles. Dialogue comes across decently and the Esio Mancuso's (DJANGO: THE BASTARD) jazzy 70's score sound quite good, overall there's minimal background noise. It should also be noted that the DVD cover art features a woman who does not actually appear in the film which I just find sorta weird when you have both Ursula Heinle and Femi Benussi to choose from.

Special Features: One 7 Movies have been great with unearthing rare Italian Euro-sleaze a getting them on DVD in their original aspect ratios but the bonus content offerings have been  less than phenomenal and less so here with absolutely nothing.

Verdict: The film is a one-note Italian sex comedy that's not without it's charms, it's fun stuff. The sleaze-factor is pretty low, this is more a sex-comedy than anything else with some decent performances that make for a fun watch particularly when you keep in mind this is from the demented mind of the director of BURIAL GROUND: THE NIGHTS OF TERROR (1981) which features one of the most mind-bending incestuous tit-chomping scenes in cinema of all time. While this doesn't even come close to that level of gotta-see-it awesomeness the association is at least enough to land it on the to-watch-list. 2 Outta 5

  

Arrow Video US - December 2021 Releases Detailed!

New from Arrow Video US in December!

GIALLO ESSENTIALS [Yellow Edition] Blu-ray 

 12/7

MY STEPMOTHER IS AN ALIEN Blu-ray 

12/14

SHAWSCOPE VOL. ONE: LIMITED EDITION Blu-ray 

12/28

via MVD Entertainment Group

Arrow's December Lineup Includes Giallo Essentials, Kung Fu Classics, and Out-of-this-World In-Laws

 

Arrow closes 2021 out with two new must-own box sets and a late eighties sci-fi comedy. The party starts on December 7th with Giallo Essentials [Yellow Edition]. Arrow continues to celebrate Italian cult cinema with three more black-gloved thrillers, all remastered in stunning 2K restorations from the original camera negatives. Set includes Sergio Martino's Torso, Andrea Bianchi's Strip Nude for Your Killer, and Massimo Dallamano's What Have They Done to Your Daughters? The 3-disc set represents the best of what giallo has to offer, from psychosexual disorders to motorcycle-rider killers and everything in between. 

Special Features: 

- 2K restorations from the original negatives

- High Definition Blu-ray (1080p) presentations

- Two versions of Torso, the original 94-minute Italian cut and 90-minute English cut

- Original lossless mono Italian and English soundtracks*

English subtitles for the Italian soundtracks

- Optional English subtitles for the deaf and hard of hearing for the English soundtracks

- Rigid box packaging with new artwork by Haunt Love in windowed Giallo Essentials slipcover

DISC 1: WHAT HAVE THEY DONE TO YOUR DAUGHTERS?

- Commentary by giallo expert Troy Howarth

- Video essay by Kat Ellinger, editor-in-chief of Diabolique Magazine

- Eternal Melody, interview with composer Stelvio Cipriani

Dallamano’s Touch, interview with editor Antonio Siciliano

- Unused footage

- Alternate English opening titles

- Italian theatrical trailer

- Image gallery

DISC 2: TORSO

- Commentary critic by Kat Ellinger

- Interview with co-writer/director Sergio Martino

- Interview with actor Luc Merenda

- Interview with co-writer Ernesto Gastaldi

- Interview with filmmaker Federica Martino, daughter of Sergio Martino

- 2017 Abertoir International Horror Festival Q&A with Sergio Martino

- Interview with Mikel J. Koven, author of La Dolce Morte: Vernacular Cinema and the Italian Giallo Film

- Option to view the film with the alternate US opening title sequence

- Italian and English theatrical trailers

DISC 3: STRIP NUDE FOR YOUR KILLER

- Commentary by HORRORPEDIA.com’s Adrian J. Smith and David Flint

- Sex and Death with a Smile, video essay by Kat Ellinger on giallo icon Edwige Fenech

- A Good Man for the Murders, interview with actor Nino Castelnuevo

- The Blonde Salamander, interview with actress Erna Schurer

- The Art of Helping, interview with assistant director Daniele Sangiorgi

- Jack of All Trades, interview with actor and production manager Tino Polenghi

- Two versions of the opening scene

Original Italian and English theatrical trailers

- Image gallery

- The English audio track on the original cut of Torso has portions missing, which were either never recorded or have been lost. These sequences are presented in Italian subtitled in English.

 

On December 14th, Arrow takes a more light-hearted approach with the release of Richard Benjamin's sci-fi/comedy, My Stepmother Is an Alien. Kim Basinger stars as an alien sent to Earth on a secret mission to seduce a single father (Dan Aykroyd) that has accidentally disrupted her planet's gravity. The film was a box-office bombed and panned by critics upon its initial release but has gained cult status in recent years with fans praising the performances of Basinger and Jon Lovitz. Young future Buffy stars Alyson Hannigan and Seth Green co-star. The Arrow release features a brand new 2K restoration from the original camera negative and a new interview with Benjamin.

Special Features: 

- Brand new 2K restoration from the original camera negative

- High Definition (1080p) Blu-ray presentation

- Original lossless 2.0 stereo audio

- Optional English subtitles for the deaf and hard-of-hearing

- Brand new audio commentary by critic Bryan Reesman

- Cosmetic Encounters: Directing My Stepmother is An Alien, a brand new interview with director Richard Benjamin

- Original trailer

- Image gallery

- Reversible sleeve featuring original and newly commissioned artwork by Colin Murdoch

- FIRST PRESSING ONLY: Illustrated collector’s booklet featuring new writing on the film by Amanda Reyes

 

Also releasing on December 28th is Shawscope Volume One. This 10-disc mega-box set containing 8 blu-rays and 2 CDs, is not only the most anticipated release of the year but is arguably one of the most anticipated releases since blu-ray first launched as a format in 2006. Shaw Brothers Studios officially originated in 1958 as the successor to the Tianyi Film Company. Under the leadership of Run Run Shaw, the company popularized kung fu films and launched many careers of some of Hong Kong's biggest stars. The studio's films have had a lasting impact, going on to influence the likes of Quentin Tarantino and the Wu-Tang Clan. With the release of Shawscope Volume One, Arrow looks to shine a much-deserved light on 12 kung fu classics from the Godfathers of Hong Kong Cinema. 

 

King Boxer, also known as Five Fingers of Death, is the story of two martial arts schools preparing for a big tournament. The film helped launch the kung fu craze in North America, earning praise for director Chang-Wha Chung's distinct style and fast-paced action. 

 

Boxer from Shantung follows a poverty-stricken fighter (Chen Kuan-tai) that heads to Shanghai with hopes of finding a life of luxury. Instead, he gets caught up in a world of corruption and gang warfare, forcing him to rely on his unique fighting style to survive. A young John Woo served as assistant director.

 

After the destruction of the Shaolin Temple, five students seek vengeance by mastering their own individual fighting styles in Five Shaolin Masters. Known in some regions as 5 Masters of Death, this bonafide kung fu classic was directed by Chang Cheh and features action choreography from Lau Kar Leung and Lau Kar Wing.

 

The Shaolin Temple stands as the lone place capable of resisting and defeating the Qing Dynasty. With the Qings determined to exterminate the Shaolin, the temple realizes they must quickly train more fighters in their obscure style in order to protect the ways of the Shaolin.

 

Looking to capitalize on the 1976 King Kong remake, the Shaw Brothers took a stab at the giant ape genre with The Mighty Peking Man. Hailed by Film School Rejects as "a true work of genius" and awarded three-out-four stars by Roger Ebert for "general goofiness," The Mighty Peking Man is a one-of-a-kind film certain to thrill all audiences.

 

In Challenge of the Masters, a young Gordon Liu stars as a teenager that is constantly beaten by students at a rival school. Desperate to be trained by a father that refuses to do so, the teen sets out to learn from his father's teacher and avenge those that have wronged both him and his school.

 

Based on the life of Hung Hsi-kuan, Executioners from Shaolin is about a son that must learn both the fighting styles of his father and mother in order to defeat Pai Mei. Executioners from Shaolin was dubbed an "essential old school classic" by Mark Pollard of Kung Fu Cinema and sampled by the Wu-Tang Clan.

 

Tan Tung (Alexander Fu Sheng), a young street fighter, escapes the murderous violence of Hong Kong by moving to San Francisco in Chinatown Kid. Unfortunately, he becomes tangled up with the local gangs and crosses the feared crime boss, the White Dragon (Kuo Chui).

 

Chang Cheh's Five Venoms, also known as Five Deadly Venoms, is one of the most famous kung fu films ever made. A dying martial arts teacher instructs his five last students to track down the previous five and defeat any that are evil. The film's cultural impact stretches wide, being referenced in Kim's Convenience, Kill Bill, and by rappers 2Pac and the Wu-Tang Clan.

 

In Cheh's Crippled Avengers, four men are brutally injured by martial arts master Chu Twin (Chen Kuan Tai) and his son, Chu Cho Chang (Lu Feng). The four men, now each suffering from a different disability, join forces to train and get revenge on the men that crippled them.

 

Gordon Liu stars as Chinese kung fu student Ho Tao in Heroes of the East. After an arranged marriage to a Japanese woman, he inadvertently insults her family in an argument over which country has the better martial arts style. To prove himself, Ho must square off with seven of Japan's top martial artists. Heroes of the East is notable for portraying Japanese martial artists as heroes alongside the more traditional kung fu fighters from the Hong Kong movies of the day. 

 

Unlike most Shaw Brothers' productions, Dirty Ho trades in the revenge plot and instead delivers the story of a prince posing as a jeweler that hires a thief to protect him from those attempting to assassinate him and take his throne. This martial arts comedy reunites Gordon Liu with The 36th Chamber of Shaolin director, Lau Kar-leung.

 

This limited-edition set includes hours of bonus content including new and archived interviews, newly commissioned artwork for each film, and a 60-page booklet with writing on the films, including cast and crew info and trivia. This is the first of multiple Shawscope volumes Arrow plans to release in the future.

Special Features: 

- Hi-Def (1080p) Blu-ray presentation of King Boxer, Boxer from Shantung, 5 Shaolin Masters, Shaolin Temple, Mighty Peking Man, Challenge of the Masters, Executioners from Shaolin, Chinatown Kid, Five Venoms, Crippled Avengers, Heroes of the East, Dirty Ho

- Brand new 2K restorations by Arrow Films from the original camera negatives of King Boxer, The Boxer from Shantung, Challenge of the Masters, The Five Venoms, Crippled Avengers and Dirty Ho

- Brand new 2K master of the longer international cut of Chinatown Kid from original film elements

- Original lossless mono Mandarin, Cantonese (where applicable) and English audio

- Newly translated English subtitles for each film

- Hours of bonus features including brand new commentaries and critic appreciations on selected films, new and archive interviews with cast and crew, alternate credit sequences, trailer and image galleries for each film and more to be announced!

- 60 page book featuring new writing by David Desser, Simon Abrams and Terrence J. Brady, with cast and crew info for each film plus trivia and soundtrack info

- New artwork for each film by artists including Matthew Griffin, Chris Malbon, Jacob Phillips, Ilan Sheady, Tony Stella, Darren Wheeling and Jolyon Yates

BURIAL GROUND (1980) (Severin Films 4K Ultra HD + Blu-ray Review)

 BURIAL GROUND (1980) 

Label: Severin Films 

Region Code: Region-Free 

Rating: Unrated 

Duration: 85 Minutes 13 Seconds 

Audio: English DTS-HD MA 2.0 Dual-Mono, Italian DTS-HD MA 2.0 Dual-Mono with Optional English Subtitles 

Video: Dolby Vision HDR10 2160p Ultra HD Widescreen (1.66:1), 1080p HD Widescreen (1.66:1)

Director: Andrea Bianchi

Cast: Mariangela Giordano. Peter Bark, Karin Well, Simone Matioli, Roberto Caporali, Antoinette Antinori, Raimondo Barbieri, Gian Luigi Chirizzi

Italian sleaze maestro Andrea Bianchi (Strip Nude For Your Killer) directed this notorious sex-drizzled gutmuncher, one of numerous post Dawn of the Dead Italian zombie flicks following Lucio Fulci's Zombie, this one most notorious for a particularly wild incestuous tit-chomping scene.  aIt takes place an a countryside estate where a professor of archaeology (Raimondo Barbieri, Sono fotogenico) is excavating an Etruscan tomb on the property when he unintentionally unleashes a horde of undead zombies who spill forth from the subterranean catacombs. Meanwhile, three couples newly arrived at the mansion for a weekend getaway are quite unaware of the impending doom; among them we have  couples Janet (Karin Well, Countdown to Esmeralda Bay) and Mark (Gian Luigi Chirizzi, The Nun and the Devil), Leslie (Antonella Antinori, Maya) and James (Simone Mattioli, The Other Hell), Evelyn (Mariangela Giordano, Patrick Still Lives) and George (Roberto Caporali, Brothers Till We Die), and Evelyn's creepy twelve year old son, Michael, played by the odd-looking 20-something Peter Bark. 

The frisky couples engage in a day of relaxation, good food and satisfying sexual activity on the mansion grounds, though Evelyn's son is none too pleased with his mother's romantic endeavors, creepily so, for it seems this mother/son are bit too familiar with one another. It's not long before the couples find themselves amidst a Estrucean zombie onslaught, with the flesh-ripping, gut-chomping, tool using undead laying siege to the mansion. The undead here use scythes and battering rams, and team-up and work together to get at the living, who are holed up in the mansion. 

The Etruscan zombies here are pretty obviously influenced by Lucio Fulci's Zombie (1979), they're clay faced and dripping with maggots and worms, even some of the kills are straight from the Zombie playbook, including a Fulci-esque eye-trauma gag involving a shard of glass. Not all the gut-munching carnage is staged all that well though, but it's still quite a tasty ‘80s splatter platter, enhanced with a musty atmosphere of death and horny houseguests, with a moody mixed score from Elsio Mancuso (Django the Bastard) and Berto Pisano (Strip Nude for Your Killer). 

Burial Ground might not be top-tier cinema but it is a wonderfully trashy and lunatic undead flick chock full of bloody 80's gore, nudity, and some shocking moments of incestual mother/son bonding, and at just 85-minutes long it's fast-moving, and never falls into a lull. 

Audio/Video: Burial Ground (1980) arrives on region-free 4K Ultra HD + Blu-ray from Severin Films in 2160p UHD widescreen (1.66:1) with Dolby Vision/HDR10 color-grading. The source is in great shape, or at least has been restored to that state, with better depth and clarity throughout. I do believe this was originally shot in 16mm and blown up to 35mm, so the grain is naturally coarse looking and finer details can be a bit fuzzy, but the 4K image has very nice texturing throughout. Colors are also very pleasing, while this is a very earth-toned production primaries look great, the greens of the forest and grass stand out, and when the gut-munching starts the blood and guts have a nice vibrancy to them. The black levels are deep and inky with terrific contrast. 

Audio comes by way of English or Italian DTS-HD MA 2.0 dual-mono with optional English subtitles. The tracks are clean and free of distortion, the screams, gut-munching and score are well-balanced and sound terrific. I preferred the English track just because that's how I have always watched this movie, but the Italian track is solid as well.  

Extras on the UHD include an Audio Commentary With Critics Nathaniel Thompson, Troy Howarth And Eugenio Ercolani; a second Audio Commentary With Italian Cinema Experts Calum Waddell And John Martin, plus the 4-min Theatrical Trailer. The Blu-ray features those three extras, plus the 16-min Villa Parisi: Legacy Of Terror – Location Featurette, a terrific featurette exploring the many films and TV projects shot there, including Nightmare Castle, Beyond The Darkness, Bay Of Blood, Hatchet For The Honeymoon, Blood For Dracula, and Patrick Still Lives. In the 14-min Return To The Burial Ground – Interview With Actor Peter Bark At Villa Parisi feature the actor at the infamous locations talking about the making of the movie; 8-min Peter Still Lives – Festival Q&A With Peter Bark is a fun Q&A where he talks about the infamous nipple-biting scenes, and features a clip of him disco dancing, 9-min Just For The Money – Interview With Actor Simone Mattioli who talks about the making of the film, fond memories of working with bark, and how he accepted the role just for the money, and how one of the effects crew were later convicted of murder; 9-min The Smell Of Death – Interviews With Producer Gabriele Crisanti  And Actress Mariangela Giordano; both talk about the film, making it, notes about casting and Giordano noting how peculiar Bark's face was but that he was good in the role. Disc extras are buttoned-up with 10-min of Deleted/Extended Material which do not have dialogue but are accompanied by score. 

The 2-disc UHD/BD release arrives in a dual-hubbed black keepcase with a single-sided sleeve of artwork featuring the original illustrated movie poster, which honestly I have never been a fan of, but thankfully I am a fan of the artwork used for the Limited Edition Slipcover, which looks great, and has embossed title lettering on the front and both spines. 

Special Features:
Disc 1: UHD
- Audio Commentary With Critics Nathaniel Thompson, Troy Howarth And Eugenio Ercolani
- Audio Commentary With Italian Cinema Experts Calum Waddell And John Martin
- Theatrical Trailer (3:44) 
Disc 2: Blu-ray
- Audio Commentary With Critics Nathaniel Thompson, Troy Howarth And Eugenio Ercolani
- Audio Commentary With Italian Cinema Experts Calum Waddell And John Martin
- Villa Parisi: Legacy Of Terror – Location Featurette (15:47) 
- Return To The Burial Ground – Interview With Actor Peter Bark At Villa Parisi (13:50) 
- Peter Still Lives – Festival Q&A With Peter Bark (7:56) 
- Just For The Money – Interview With Actor Simone Mattioli (8:59) 
- The Smell Of Death – Interviews With Producer Gabriele Crisanti  And Actress Mariangela Giordano (9:22) 
- Deleted/Extended Material (10:24) 
- Theatrical Trailer (3:44) 

Severin's UHD of Burial Ground (1980) is fantastic, easily the best this sex-drizzled, gory undead flick has ever looked on home video, plus it's chock full of tasty extras, making it a must-own 4K upgrade of this sleazy Italian zombie flick. 

Screenshots from the Severin Films Blu-ray: 

Extras: 

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