8½ – The Criterion Collection (4k UHD/Blu-ray Combo)

Theatrical Release Date: Italy/France, 1963
Director: Federico Fellini
Writers: Federico Fellini, Tullio Pinelli, Ennio Flaiano, Brunello Rondi
Cast: Marcello Mastroianni, Claudia Cardinale, Anouk Aimée, Sandra Milo, Rossella Falk, Barbara Steele, Madeleine Lebeau, Caterina Boratto, Eddra Gale

Release Date: December 10th, 2024
Approximate Running Time: 139 Minutes 27 Seconds
Aspect Ratio: 1.85:1 Widescreen / 2160 Progressive / HEVC / H.265
Rating: NR
Sound: LPCM Mono Italian
Subtitles: English
Region Coding: Region Free (4K UHD), Region A (Blu-ray)
Retail Price: $49.95

"Marcello Mastroianni plays Guido Anselmi, a director whose new project is collapsing around him, along with his life." - synopsis provided by the distributor

Video: 5/5 (4k UHD), 4.5/5 (Blu-ray)

Here’s the information provided about this release's transfer, "Completed by Cinecitta S.p.A. and Centro Cperimentale di Cinematographia--Cineteca Nazionale for the Fellini 100 Project, this new 4K restoration was created from the 35mm original camera negative, which was made available by RTI-Mediaset and Infinity."

8½ comes on a 100 GB triple layer 4K UHD.

Disc Size: 89.9 GB

Feature: 60.3 GB

This new transfer is a solid upgrade over Criterion's 2010 Blu-ray release. The source looks excellent; image clarity, contrast, black levels, and compression are solid, and the image always looks organic.

8½ comes on a 50 GB dual layer Blu-ray.

Disc Size: 45 GB

Feature: 24 GB

This Blu-ray uses the same master that is used for the 4K UHD disc.

Audio: 5/5

This release comes with one audio option, a LPCM mono mix in Italian with removable English subtitles. Also, there are some dialog exchanges in English. This audio track sounds excellent; dialog always comes through clearly, and everything sounds balanced and robust when it should. Included are removable English subtitles for Italian dialog.

Extras:

Extras the 4K UHD disc include an archival audio commentary with film critics Gideon Bachmann and Antonio Monda.

Extras on the Blu-ray disc include a stills gallery (96 images), rare photographs from Gideon Bachmann’s collection (15 images), U.S. theatrical trailer (3 minutes 9 seconds, Dolby Digital mono with English text, no subtitles), an archival introduction by filmmaker Terry Gilliam (7 minutes 30 seconds, Dolby Digital mono English, no subtitles), an archival documentary on Fellini’s lost alternate ending for 8½ titled The Last Sequence (50 minutes 24 seconds, Dolby Digital mono Italian with removable English subtitles),  an archival documentary about Federico Fellini’s longtime composer titled Nino Rota: Between Cinema and Concert (47 minutes 28 seconds, Dolby Digital mono German and Italian with removable English subtitles), an archival interview with actress Sandra Milo (26 minutes 37 seconds, Dolby Digital mono Italian with removable English subtitles), an archival interview with filmmaker Lina Wertmuller (17 minutes 28 seconds, Dolby Digital mono Italian with removable English subtitles), an archival interview with cinematographer Vittorio Storaro (17 minutes 24 seconds, Dolby Digital mono English, no subtitles), a short film directed by Federico Fellini titled Fellini: A Director's Notebook (51 minutes 16 seconds, Dolby Digital mono English, no subtitles), Federico Fellini’s letter sent to producer Peter Goldfrab outlining Fellini: A Director's Notebook, and   an archival audio commentary with Gideon Bachmann and Antonio Monda.

Other extras include a leaflet with an essay titled The Beautiful Confusion written by Stephanie Zacharek, and information about the transfer.

Summary:

8 ½ is an unfiltered view of the filmmaking process, its triumphs, and its failures. 8 ½ is also an exploration of the role that real life plays in the filmmaking process and how life often imitates art. The narrative revolves around a director named Guido as he navigates his professional and personal lives while trying to make his latest film. Filled with self-doubt, Guido searches for the answers by looking to the past and examining the present.

From its opening moments, it's clear that 8 ½ is a film where anything can happen. Reality and fantasy intermingle, and there’s no regard for time. Guido's insecurities shine through in moments of reality, but it is in moments of fantasy that 8 ½ is most captivating. Though there are many moments that stand out, the fantasy sequence where Guido interacts with women from his life is the most memorable. At one point during this sequence, when the women are not obeying his commands, Guido gets out a whip and acts like a bullfighter. This subconscious moment reveals so much about Guido, and it makes his journey all the more potent.

Though cinema has had countless director/actor collaborations, few have reached the heights of Federico Fellini and Marcello Mastroianni. Federico Fellini's experiences inspired the film "8 ½," and the protagonist, Guido, is a fictionalized version of himself. When it comes to performances, one would be hard-pressed to name a film where Marcello Mastroianni did not deliver an exemplary performance. Marcello Mastroianni is outstanding in the role of Guido; he delivers a flawless performance that effortlessly captures his character's highs and lows.

8 ½ has an extraordinary cast filled with recognizable faces like Claudia Cardinale (who portrays herself), Anouk Aimée, who portrays Guido’s wife, and Sandra Milo, who portrays Guido’s mistress. In the case of the latter, she delivers a scene-stealing performance in the role of the other woman. Another performance of note is Barbara Steele (Black Sunday), who portrays one of the wives of one of Guido’s friends. Also, Federico Fellini had a knack for casting people with interesting faces, and in this area 8 ½ delivers in spades.

Another key contributor to the cinema of Federico Fellini is composer Nino Rota, who collaborated with him on 17 films. With 8 ½ Nino Rota delivers a remarkable score in which he uses many familiar pieces of music from other composers. That said, the score also features many original music cues written by Nino Rota that capture the circus atmosphere of 8 ½. From the moment that music appears, sight and sound create a perfect fusion.

Though Federico Fellini films are known for their visuals, which often contain striking and symbolic imagery, 8 ½ really marks a turning point for him as a filmmaker. Federico Fellini's earlier films were grounded in reality, but from 8 ½ onward, his films became more fanciful. Also, 8 ½ would be Federico Fellini's last film shot in black and white before transitioning to color. Shooting a film like 8 ½ in color would have significantly altered it; some films were meant to be shot in black and white.

Though the narrative is essentially a series of loosely connected vignettes, it is surprisingly coherent and never difficult to grasp. At 139 minutes in length, pacing is never an issue, as things move briskly from one enthralling moment to the next. Appropriately, everything culminates with a circus-like finale where all the characters gather and dance in a circle until the lights go out. Throughout his career, Federico Fellini made several films that deserve their status as masterpieces; 8 ½, Federico Fellini’s celebration of the filmmaking process, is one of these films.

8 ½ makes its way to 4K UHD via an exceptional release from The Criterion Collection, highly recommended.

Note about the 4K screenshots: It is not possible to make Dolby Vision or HDR10 screenshots that faithfully match the experience of watching a film in motion on a TV. Instead of not having any screenshots, all of the 4K screenshots are m2ts taken with a MPC-HC player and lossless PNGs.

Written by Michael Den Boer

Cash Calls Hell – Film Movement (Blu-ray)

Theatrical Release Date: Japan, 1966
Director: Hideo Gosha
Writers: Yasuko Ôno, Hideo Gosha
Cast: Tatsuya Nakadai, Ichirô Nakatani, Hisashi Igawa, Kunie Tanaka, Kaneko Iwasaki, Atsuko Kawaguchi, Toshie Kimura, Hideyo Amamoto, Yoshio Inaba, Mikijirô Hira, Miyuki Kuwano

Release Date: December 10th, 2024
Approximate Running Time: 91 Minutes 2 Seconds
Aspect Ratio: 2.35:1 Widescreen / 1080 Progressive / MPEG-4 AVC
Rating: NR
Sound: LPCM Mono Japanese
Subtitles: English
Region Coding: Region A
Retail Price: $41.98

"Fresh out of prison, a broken man reluctantly takes a job to kill three men, but changes his mind when some gangsters target the same men. He then tries to find out why the men are being targeted in the first place." - synopsis provided by the distributor

Video: 3.75/5

Here’s the information provided about this release's transfer, "New digital restoration".

Cash Calls Hell comes on a 50 GB dual layer Blu-ray.

Disc Size: 26.7 GB

Feature: 21.6 GB

The source is in great shape; some minor debris remains. Though black levels are generally strong, there are moments where they are not convincing; image clarity is solid, and compression is very good.

Audio: 3.75

This release comes with one audio option, a LPCM mono mix in Japanese, and included are removable English subtitles. The audio sounds clean, clear, and balanced. Range-wise, this audio track at times sounds limited.

Extras:

Extras for this release include a theatrical teaser (1 minute 24 seconds, LPCM mono Japanese, no subtitles), a theatrical trailer (2 minutes 34 seconds, LPCM mono with text in Japanese, no subtitles), a newly created trailer (1 minute 4 seconds, LPCM mono Japanese with non-removable English subtitles), a video talk by Black Caesars and Foxy Cleopatra's author Odie Henderson titled Bitter Little World (8 minutes 45 seconds, LPCM stereo English with non-removable English subtitles for Japanese film clips), a video essay by TokyScope author Patrick Macias titled Fighting Spirit (9 minutes 412 seconds, LPCM stereo English, no subtitles), a spot gloss slipcover (limited to 2,000 units), and a 16-page booklet with cast & crew information, an essay titled Honor at Any Price written Steve Macfarlane.

Summary:

Cash Calls Hell was directed by Hideo Gosha, a filmmaker best known for directing samurai films. His notable films include Goyokin, The Wolves, Violent Streets, and Hunter in the Dark.

A man, having served time in prison for accidentally killing a father and daughter with his car, becomes entangled with criminals.

Cash Calls Hell draws influence from foreign cinema, particularly American and French noir cinema. Where most Japanese crime film protagonists are immoral, Oida is a man who had everything until a fateful event put him on the wrong course. Though his actions led to the death of two people, he never intended to harm them. It is clear that Oida is not a violent man from the moment he is introduced. His former cellmate asks him to do something that goes against his moral code, further reinforcing this.

The crime that is at the center of Cash Calls Hell unfolds during the opening credits in which the images look like X-rays. Though characters involved in this crime reveal details, things do not become clear until the last act. Also, the narrative is very effective in its use of flashbacks not only for the protagonist but for other key characters.

When it comes to the performances the cast are very good in their roles; especially Tatsuya Nakadai (High and Low) who portrays Oida. He reluctantly accepts an offer proposed by his former cellmate, facing the prospect of no opportunities due to his felon status. What makes this character and his performance so great is how he empathizes with each of the three men he’s been hired to kill. This is further solidified when he accepts the responsibility of caring for the daughter of one of these men after their death.

The most compelling aspect of Cash Calls Hell is its premise. The three men that Oida was hired to kill die, but at the hands of other men. Three men stole 30 million yen during a drug deal. Two assassins have been sent to retrieve the money and kill them. Instead of taking the easy way out and collecting the money for killing them, Oida tries to save them from two men who are also looking for them.

Cash Calls Hell's well-executed narrative does a phenomenal job drawing you in. Pacing is never an issue, as it does an excellent job building and maintaining tension. That said, a twist ending that puts everything into focus provides a very satisfying conclusion. Ultimately, Cash Calls Hell is an exemplary story about redemption and never straying from your moral code.

Film Movement gives Cash Calls Hell a first-rate release that comes with a strong audio/video presentation and a trio of insightful extras, recommended.

Written by Michael Den Boer

The Block Island Sound – Synapse Films (4k UHD)

Theatrical Release Date: USA, 2020
Directors: Kevin McManus, Matthew McManus
Writers: Kevin McManus, Matthew McManus
Cast: Chris Sheffield, Michaela McManus, Neville Archambault, Ryan O'Flanagan, Matilda Lawler, Jim Cummings, Jeremy Holm, Heidi Niedermeyer, Willie C. Carpenter, Matthew Lawler, PJ McCabe, Robyn Payne

Release Date: December 10th, 2024
Approximate Running Time: 98 Minutes 36 Seconds
Aspect Ratio: 2.39:1 Widescreen / 2160 Progressive / HEVC / H.265 / HDR10
Rating: NR
Sound: DTS-HD 5.1 English
Subtitles: English SDH
Region Coding: Region Free
Retail Price: $39.95

"A strange force is thriving, influencing residents and wildlife alike. Birds are dropping out of the sky and fish are mysteriously washing up on shore. As some residents are suffering from inexplicable emotional collapse, Harry Lynch (Chris Sheffield, The Stanford Prison Experiment) watches with dread as his father grows increasingly forgetful, confused and angry. Very, very angry! His sister Audry (Michaela McManus, Into the Grizzly Maze, TV's The Orville), whose work in marine biology will soon prove invaluable, returns to town with her daughter and leads them all towards chilling revelations that will affect her family in unimaginable ways." - synopsis provided by the distributor

Video: 5/5

The Block Island Sound comes on a 100 GB triple layer 4K UHD

Disc Size: 74.7 GB

Feature: 64.1 GB

Shot in HD, the source looks excellent. Flesh tones and colors look correct; image clarity, black levels, and compression are solid.

Audio: 5/5

This release comes with one audio option, a DTS-HD 5.1 mix in English with removable English SDH. The audio sounds excellent; dialog comes through clearly, and everything sounds balanced and robust when it should.

Extras:

Extras for this release include a featurette titled Special Effects on a Shoestring (8 minutes 3 seconds, Dolby Digital stereo English, no subtitles), a featurette titled Filming on the Water (6 minutes 55 seconds, Dolby Digital stereo English, no subtitles), a featurette titled Finding the Cast (9 minutes 22 seconds, Dolby Digital stereo English, no subtitles), a featurette titled A Practical Apocalypse (3 minutes 23 seconds, Dolby Digital stereo English, no subtitles), an audio commentary with directors Kevin McManus and Matthew McManus, reversible cover art, and a slipcover (limited to the first pressing).

Summary:

A woman who works for the EPA returns to her hometown to investigate what killed 9 tons of fish. After her father, who has been acting erratically, disappears in the middle of the night, the pieces of the mystery start coming into focus.

The Block Island Sound is an eco-horror film with sci-fi elements. The story that unfolds takes place in a coastal area off the Rhode Island coast. This location and the vagueness of what's happening are in line with the cosmicism that’s central to the literary works of H.P. Lovecraft. The Block Island Sound is also a story about a dysfunctional family who, even after a moment of tragedy, cannot come together.

The Block Island Sound relies heavily on atmosphere; there’s an abundance of eerie moments that heighten the mood. The Block Island Sound’s greatest strength when it comes to atmosphere is its use of sound, which often has a jarring effect. Also, the visuals and an ominous score help reinforce the unsettling mood.

Though the performances work well within the story that unfolds, they are The Block Island Sound’s weakest link. That said, blame should not fall on the actors; all of the characters are caricatures who lack depth. The most memorable performance is Neville Archambault, who portrays the father who disappeared. His character spends most of the screen time being ghoulish and making weird sounds.

At 99 minutes in length, despite its few lulls, the narrative does an effective job pulling you back into the mystery that's unfolding. Though the narrative has hints of what's happening, its open-ended ending poses more questions than answers. Ultimately, The Block Island Sound is a film that if you're not hooked after its initial setup, you'll quickly lose interest in it.

The Block Island Sound gets an excellent release from Synapse Films that comes with a solid audio/video presentation and informative extras.

Note about the 4K screenshots: It is not possible to make Dolby Vision or HDR10 screenshots that faithfully match the experience of watching a film in motion on a TV. Instead of not having any screenshots, all of the 4K screenshots are m2ts taken with a MPC-HC player and lossless PNGs.

Written by Michael Den Boer

Maybe It's Love – Kani (Blu-ray)

Theatrical Release Date: Hong Kong, 1984
Director: Angie Chen
Writer: Lee Pik-Wah
Cast: Cherie Chung, Kent Tong, Chui Hoh-Ying, Alex Man, Elaine Jin 

Release Date: December 10th, 2024
Approximate Running Time: 94 Minutes 34 Seconds
Aspect Ratio: 1.85:1 Widescreen / 1080 Progressive / MPEG-4 AVC
Rating: NR
Sound: DTS-HD Mono Cantonese, DTS-HD Mono Mandarin
Subtitles: English
Region Coding: Region A
Retail Price: $41.98

"Following her parent's separation, 10 year-old Marbles is sent to live with her grandmother in the outskirts of Hong Kong. Also new to town is the seductive pageant queen Rita (Cherie Chung) whose skin-tight leotards pique the interest of a dashing postman (Kent Tong) already involved with the shopkeeper's wife, Lin (Elaine Jin). Meanwhile, the curious Marbles, who has made it a habit of spying on her neighbors with her binoculars, witnesses a murder on a stormy night. A ragtag team of kid detectives comes together. Who is the killer? Where is the body?" - synopsis provided by the distributor

Video: 4.5/5

Here’s the information provided about the transfer, "Maybe It's Love was digitized by Celestial Pictures and is presented in 1080p."

Maybe It's Love comes on a 50 GB dual layer Blu-ray.

Disc Size: 38.1 GB

Feature: 25.7 GB

The source looks excellent; flesh tones look healthy, colors look correct, black levels are strong, image clarity and compression are solid, and there are no issues with digital noise reduction.

Audio: 4.25/5 (DTS-HD Mono Cantonese, DTS-HD Mono Mandarin)

This release comes with one audio option, a DTS-HD mono mix in Cantonese, and a DTS-HD mono mix in Mandarin. Quality- and range-wise, these two audio tracks are comparable. The score is well represented, dialog comes through clearly, and everything sounds balanced. Included are removable English subtitles for the Cantonese language track and removable traditional Chinese and simplified Chinese subtitles for the Mandarin language track.

Extras:

Extras for this release include a theatrical trailer (1 minute 8 seconds, DTS-HD mono Cantonese with removable English subtitles), an interview with producer Lawrence Wong (4 minutes 15 seconds, DTS-HD stereo Cantonese with removable English subtitles), an interview with director Angie Chen (25 minutes 27 seconds, DTS-HD stereo English with removable English subtitles), a short film directed by Angie Chen titled The Visit (16 minutes 44 seconds, DTS-HD mono Cantonese with burnt-in English and Mandarin subtitles), a spot gloss slipcover (limited to 2,000 units), and a 16-page booklet with an essay titled What is Love (Baby Don’t Hurt Me); The Prismatic Desires of Maybe It's Love written by Katherine Connell.

Summary:

Besides being Angie Chen’s directorial debut, Maybe It's Love was the first Shaw Brothers film directed by a woman. She would only direct two more films: My Name Ain't Suzie (also for Shaw Brothers) and Chaos by Design (for Golden Harvest).

A curious 10-year-old girl living with her grandmother after her parents separated believes that she witnessed a murder on a stormy night.

Maybe It's Love has two central characters; the first of these revolves around a disabled 10-year-old girl named Marbles, and the other revolves around a beauty pageant queen named Rita. These two characters could not be more unlike, and yet the way in which the narrative brings their stories together never feels forced. Though things start off as a story about a young girl trying to fit in and a woman unlucky in love, the main focal point becomes the disappearance of a woman who’s cheating on her husband. That said, the narrative does an excellent job concealing the killers’ identity.

Hong Kong cinema is known for mixing genres and weird tonal shifts. Drama, mystery, and erotica are some of the genres in Maybe It's Love. When it comes to moments of drama, these are the least arresting, while the mystery moments, which feel inspired by Alfred Hitchcock, are the strongest. That said, the most surprising aspect of Maybe It's Love is its moments of erotica. Far too often moments of erotica are crudely executed; fortunately, the way they are shot in Maybe It's Love is some of the best crafted I have ever seen.

The two leads, Cherie Chung (Wild Search), who portrays Rita, and Chui Hoh-Ying, who portrays Marbles, really stand out. Chui Hoh-Ying delivers a convincing portrayal of an inquisitive young girl whose curiosity puts her in danger. Despite Maybe It's Love being one of only two films she ever appeared in, she delivers a remarkable performance beyond her experience. Cherie Chung looks stunning throughout and perfectly cast as the object of desire. Whether her character is prancing around in a leotard, sunbathing in a bikini, or having sex, the camera ensures she always looks her best.

Though many mystery films have featured an amateur sleuth who solves a murder, Maybe It's Love puts an interesting spin on this type of character by making her a 10-year-old girl. The way the narrative shows several characters' violent interactions with the missing woman on the same night is another one of its strengths. Despite several characters having a motive, the killer's identity is not revealed until the moment when they try to kill Marbles. Ultimately, Maybe It's Love is an engaging film that quickly draws you in and holds your attention until its moment of truth.

Kani gives Maybe It's Love an excellent release that comes with a solid audio/video presentation and informative extras, highly recommended.

Written by Michael Den Boer

Häxan: Limited Edition – Radiance Films (Blu-ray)

Theatrical Release Date: Sweden, 1922
Director: Benjamin Christensen
Writer: Benjamin Christensen
Cast: Maren Pedersen, Clara Pontoppidan, Elith Pio, Oscar Stribolt, Tora Teje, Benjamin Christensen, Astrid Holm, Aage Hertel, Ib Schønberg, Henry Seemann, Karina Bell

Release Date: November 11th, 2024 (UK)
Approximate Running Time: 105 Minutes 43 Seconds
Aspect Ratio: 1.33:1 Aspect Ratio / 1080 Progressive / MPEG-4 AVC
Rating: 15 (UK)
Sound: DTS-HD 5.1 With Swedish Intertitles
Subtitles: English
Region Coding: Region Free
Retail Price: £19.99 (UK)

"A series of eerie vignettes depict images of sorcery and evil on screen, from representations of occultism and religious hypocrisy to a chilling witch hunt in the Middle Ages." - synopsis provided by the distributor

Video: 5/5 (Häxan)

Here’s the information provided about the transfer, “Häxan was restored from a 35mm interpositive, made in the late 1960s from the original nitrate negative. A new negative was made from the interpositive in 2007. New intertitles were inserted into the negative using 22 rediscovered titled cards, found in 2006. The 35mm color print made from the restored negative used earlier restorations as a reference, as these were found on color annotations on the original negative. The restoration of the film was carried out by the film archive of the Swedish Film Institute, under the supervision of Mark Standley and Jon Wengström. The 35mm color print used as the source for the telecine transfer was struck at the Nordisk Film Post Production laboratory, Stockholm in 2007. Björn Selander and Nils Melander were responsible for the grading and printing. The telecine transfer was done on a Bosch FDL90 film scanner in Standard Definition PAL at 20 frames per second, and graded with Pandora Pogle. The telecine transfer and grading was carried out by Tomas Ehrnborg at The National Archive of Recorded Sound and Moving Images in Stockholm.

Witchcraft through the Ages was scanned in 2K from a 16mm dupe negative in the Blackhawk Films Collection, California. The work was undertaken by Radiance Films in 2024 exclusively for this release." 

Häxan comes on a 50 GB dual layer Blu-ray.

Disc Size: 45.9 GB

Feature: 29 GB (Häxan), 12.4 GB (Witchcraft through the Ages)

For a film that is 102 years old, this transfer looks phenomenal. Image clarity and compression are solid, and the image retains an organic look.

Häxan comes on a 50 GB dual layer Blu-ray.

Disc Size: 45.5 GB

Feature: 28.9 GB (Häxan), 8.8 GB (Häxan - The Esoteric Cut), 7.7 GB (Witchcraft through the Ages - French Version)

Audio: 5/5

Häxan comes with one audio option, a DTS-HD 5.1 audio track with Swedish intertitles and removable English subtitles. The audio sounds clear, balanced, and robust when it should.

Extras:

Extras on disc one include outtakes (12 minutes 19 seconds, no sound), costume screen test (2 minutes 18 seconds, no sound), an introduction by director Benjamin Christensen filmed in 1941 (8 minutes 11 seconds, Dolby Digital mono Danish with removable English subtitles), an appreciation by filmmaker Guillermo del Toro (14 minutes 24 seconds, Dolby Digital stereo English, no subtitles), a video essay titled For Satan: The Convert’s Guide to Häxan by Vito A. Rowlands, author of the BFI Film Classics edition of Häxan (11 minutes 36 seconds, Dolby Digital stereo with text in English), an audio commentary with horror experts Guy Adams and A.K. Benedict for Häxan, and Witchcraft through the Ages - an alternate cut of the film featuring narration by William S. Burroughs and soundtrack by Jean-Luc Ponty (76 minutes 45 seconds, 1.33:1 aspect ratio, DTS-HD stereo English with English intertitles, no English subtitles).

Contents on disc two include Häxan with a score by Bronnt Industries Kapital (105 minutes 28 seconds, 1.33:1 aspect ratio, DTS-HD stereo with Swedish intertitles and removable English subtitles),  Häxan with a score by Geoff Smith (105 minutes 28 seconds, 1.33:1 aspect ratio, DTS-HD stereo with Swedish intertitles and removable English subtitles). Häxan - The Esoteric Cut - an alternate cut of the film featuring English intertitles and soundtrack by Lawrence Leherissey (84 minutes 33 seconds, 1.33:1 aspect ratio, Dolby Digital stereo with English intertitles, no subtitles), and Witchcraft through the Ages - a French version of the film featuring narration by Jean-Pierre Kalfon, sourced from the best surviving VHS (82 minutes 28 seconds, 1.33:1 aspect ratio, Dolby Digital stereo French with removable English subtitles).

Other extras include reversible cover art, removable OBI strip leaving packaging free of certificates and markings, six postcards of original promotional stills and a 80-page booklet cast & crew information, Press Book Extracts, Benjamin Christensen Biography, an essay titled Häxan: The Devil, the Doctor and the Director written by Pamela Hutchinson,  an essay titled Cold Hysteria, or What Genre is Häxan Anyway? written by Daniel Bird, an essay titled That Woman Has Evil Eyes: Häxan, Witchcraft, Feminism, and the Horror Genre written by Kat Ellinger, an essay titled Häxan Through the Ages written by Brad Stevens, Häxan (Witchcraft through the Ages) archival review written by Tom Milne, About the Scores, About the Esoteric Cut, and information about the transfer.

Summary:

Benjamin Christensen directed Häxan, a horror essay film that combines documentary elements with dramatized sequences. Häxan explores the roots of witchcraft from the Middle Ages through the 20th century. Häxan also explores the role of mental illness in the mass hysteria connected to witch hunts.

The narrative consists of seven segments; Part 1 looks into demons and witches in primitive and medieval times. Part 2 is a series of vignettes where Satan is the focal point. Parts 3-5 examine the treatment of suspected witches by inquisitors and religious authorities. Parts 6-7 shift the focus to how society came to better understand superstitions and how women with psychological illnesses are now sent to a mental institution instead of being burned on a stake.

Häxan, made during cinema's infancy, pushed the boundaries for films of its time. Where films by that time were made with linear narratives, Häxan is better described as a collection of moments that are related thematically. Another way in which Häxan stands out from other silent films is its abundance of intertitles.

Despite silent cinema being predominantly a visual medium, a film like Häxan is the most dialog/narrative-driven film from this era. That is not to say that Häxan is not overflowing with arresting imagery. Torture and witches performing rituals, such as cooking babies, are some of the more striking moments. Considering the subject, it's not surprising that Häxan’s visuals often employ symbolism.

At 106 minutes in length, there are never any lulls; the narrative does a phenomenal job building momentum and holding your attention. The most astonishing aspect of Häxan is the amount of detail that went into its production design, and its makeup effects are remarkable. Häxan, like many silent films, has multiple scores, though varied; all of them effectively reinforce the mood created by its visuals. Ultimately, Häxan is unlike any other film, and it has maintained its potency in the 102 years since its release.

Häxan gets a definitive release from Radiance Films that comes with a solid audio/video presentation, four versions of the film, and insightful extras, highly recommended.

Note: This release is limited to 6,000 copies.

Written by Michael Den Boer