Touch of Evil: Limited Edition Box Set – Eureka Video (4k UHD)

Theatrical Release Date: USA, 1958
Director: Orson Welles
Writer: Orson Welles
Cast: Charlton Heston, Janet Leigh, Orson Welles, Joseph Calleia, Akim Tamiroff, Joanna Moo, Ray Collins, Dennis Weaver, Valentin de Vargas, Marlene Dietrich, Zsa Zsa Gabor

Release Date: September 25th, 2023
Approximate Running Times: 110 Minutes 42 Seconds (Reconstructed Version), 95 Minutes 24 Seconds (Theatrical Version), 109 Minutes 1 Second (Preview Version)
Aspect Ratio: 1.85:1 Widescreen / 2160 Progressive / HEVC / H.265 / Dolby Vision HDR10 (All Versions)
Rating: 12 (UK)
Sound: DTS-HD Mono English (All Versions)
Subtitles: English SDH (All Versions)
Region Coding: Region Free
Retail Price: £36.99 (UK)

"Charlton Heston portrays Mike Vargas, the Mexican chief of narcotics who sets out to uncover the facts surrounding a car bomb that has killed a wealthy American businessman on the US side of the border. As Vargas investigates, his newly-wed wife Susie (Janet Leigh, two years before Hitchcock’s Psycho) is kidnapped by a gang out to exact vengeance for the prosecution of the brother of their leader (Akim Tamiroff). Meanwhile, Vargas’ enquiries become progressively more obfuscated by the American cop Hank Quinlan (played by Welles himself, in one of the most imposing and unforgettable screen performances of his career), a besotted incarnation of corruption who alternately conspires with Susie’s captors and seeks solace in the brothel of the Gypsy madame (Marlene Dietrich) who comforted him in bygone times." - synopsis provided by the distributor

Video: 5/5

Here’s the information provided about the transfers, "4K (2160p) UHD Blu-ray presentations of all three versions, presented in Dolby Vision HDR"

Touch of Evil, the reconstructed version, comes on a 100 GB triple-layer 4K UHD.

Disc Size: 84.2 GB

Feature: 77.1 GB

Touch of Evil, the theatrical version and the preview version, come on a 100 GB triple-layer 4K UHD.

Disc Size: 89.6 GB

Feature: 69.1 GB  (Preview Version), 60.6 GB (Theatrical Version)

This release uses seamless branching for these two versions.

All three versions look fantastic. Image clarity, contrast, and shadow detail are solid throughout. There are no issues with compression, and the grain looks organic. That said, as good as Kino Lorber’s release was, this new encode from Fidelity in Motion is the superior encode.

Audio: 5/5

Each version comes with one audio option, a DTS-HD mono mix in English, and each version comes with removable English subtitles. All three audio mixes are in excellent shape; dialog comes through clearly, everything sounds balanced, and ambient sounds are well-presented.

Extras:

Extras on the disc with the reconstructed version include a theatrical trailer (2 minutes 11 seconds, LPCM mono English, no subtitles), an archival featurette titled Evil Lost and Found (17 minutes 8 seconds, Dolby Digital stereo English, no subtitles), an archival featurette titled Bringing Evil to Life (21 minutes 2 seconds, Dolby Digital stereo English, no subtitles), an interview with author and film critic Kim Newman (27 minutes 17 seconds, Dolby Digital stereo English, no subtitles), an interview with film critic Tim Robey (19 minutes 21 seconds, Dolby Digital stereo English, no subtitles), an interview with film critic, broadcaster and cultural historian Matthew Sweet (17 minutes 9 seconds, Dolby Digital stereo English, no subtitles), an archival audio commentary with actor Charlton Heston, actress Janet Leigh and restoration producer Rick Schmidlin, and an audio commentary with Rick Schmidlin.

Extras on the disc with the theatrical version and the preview version include an audio commentary with film critic F. X. Feeney for the theatrical version and an audio commentary with Orson Welles scholars James Naremore and Jonathan Rosenbaum for the preview version.

Other extras include a 100-page booklet with cast & crew information, an archival writing titled Touch of Evil written by François Truffaut, an archival writing titled At Top Speed written by André Bazin, an archival writing titled Labyrinths written by Terry Comito, an archival interview titled Orson Welles on Touch of Evil, an archival essay titled Ribbons of Dreams written by Orson Welles, On the Different Versions of Touch of Evil, an essay titled Tourists in Paradise or, Who Cares Who Killed Rudy Linnekar? written by Richard Combs, an essay titled Who’s The Jane? Now About These Women written by Richard Combs, Orson Welles’ Memo, and information about the transfer titled Notes on Viewing.

Summary:

Orson Welles's career as a director is a cautionary tale. At the age of twenty-five, he was given unprecedented power over the final cut of his films. And, despite the fact that he only received a final cut for his first film, Citizen Kane, the films he directed after Citizen Kane were all taken away from him in post-production. They all show the moments of brilliance that he exhibited in Citizen Kane.

This brings us to Touch of Evil, the last film that Orson Welles would direct in Hollywood. What began as a triumphant return to the promise he made with Citizen Kane turned out to be a disaster when the studio took the film away from Orson Welles for the second time.And though he made an attempt to minimize studio interference by writing a memo with his suggestions on how to improve Touch of Evil, none of these suggestions were considered at that time by the studio. Fortunately, the studio would revisit his memo years later and try to correct the damage they did.

From its opening moments, Touch of Evil is a visual feast for the eyes. The opening sequence is a three-and-a-half minute crane shot that follows a vehicle from one end of town to the other as it crosses the border between the United States and Mexico. This sequence epitomizes everything that is synonymous with Orson Welles' cinema. He takes what could have been a mundane sequence and elevates it with a thrilling camera shot.

Visuals are often the main focal point when discussing the cinema of Orson Welles. His films always had solid casts who delivered memorable performances, no matter how small their roles were. Two roles in particular in Touch of Evil loom large, despite only being cameos. Marlene Dietrich (A Foreign Affair) plays Tanya, an old friend of Orson Welles' character, Hank Quinlan.

That said, as good as the entire cast is in their respective roles, no performance is more commanding than Orson Welles' portrayal of Hank Quinian. The way he submerges himself into character, his physical transformation makes him unrecognizable. His performance is arguably one of his best. Another performance of note is Dennis Weaver (Gunsmoke) in the role of night manager at the Mirador Motel. He takes what is essentially a basic character and creates a memorable one.

There are three versions of Touch of Evil. The preview cut contains most of what makes Touch of Evil such an extraordinary film. This cut of Touch of Evil features new scenes not shot by Orson Welles, a main theme over the title sequence, and a narrative that’s structured differently. The theatrical cut is a shorter version of the preview cut. This version is a textbook example of how studio meddling makes a film worse. The reconstructed cut is an attempt to get as close to Orson Welles's original intentions as possible by using the memo he wrote. Two main changes in this cut are the way it's edited and the opening sequence that removes the music and replaces it with natural sound.

It's mind-blowing what Orson Welles was able to achieve with an ample amount of resources. With Touch of Evil, he would create a spectacular film that's a master class in filmmaking.

Touch of Evil gets a definitive release from Eureka Video, highly recommended.

Note: This release is limited to 3,000 copies.

                                                                4K UHD screenshots.

Written by Michael Den Boer

The Dead Mother: Limited Edition – Radiance Films (Blu-ray)

Theatrical Release Date: Spain, 1993
Director: Juanma Bajo Ulloa
Writers: Juanma Bajo Ulloa, Eduardo Bajo Ulloa
Cast: Karra Elejalde, Ana Álvarez, Lio, Silvia Marsó, Elena Irureta, Ramón Barea

Release Date: October 2nd, 2023 (UK), October 10th, 2023 (USA)
Approximate running time: 111 Minutes 4 Seconds
Aspect Ratio: 2.35:1 Widescreen / 1080 Progressive / MPEG-4 AVC
Rating: 18 (UK)
Sound: LPCM Stereo English
Subtitles: English
Region Coding: Region A,B
Retail Price: £16.99 (UK), $39.95 (USA)

"Ismael (Karra Elejalde, Timecrimes) breaks into the house of a fine art restorer and shoots the homeowner dead, leaving her daughter orphaned and traumatized for life. Years later Ismael is working in a bar where he sees the daughter again. Paranoid that she has recognised him and will report him, he kidnaps her and holds her hostage, demanding that her hospital pay a ransom for her release. As he spends more time with her, a strange bond develops that causes him to delay the ransom request or fulfil his threats of throwing her in front of a train. But he can’t delay forever…" - synopsis provided by the distributor

Video: 4.5/5

Here’s the information provided about the transfer, “The Dead Mother was restored from a 4K scan of the 35mm negative. This work was carried out at Cherry Towers lab in Madrid, Spain. The color grading was carried out on Davinci resolve on a frame by frame basis. The restoration was carried out on Digital Vision Phoenix via automatic and manual processes to eliminate all negative defects. All these works were supervised by Juanma Bajo Ulloa, and keeping in mind the previous color process, made for the DVD in 2008 by the director and Javier Aguirresarobe.’

The Dead Mother comes on a 50 GB dual layer Blu-ray.

Disc Size: 42.2 GB

Feature: 27.6 GB

The source used for this transfer is in excellent shape. Flesh tones and colors look correct; image clarity, contrast, black levels, and compression are solid; and the image retains an organic look.

Audio: 5/5

This release comes with one audio option, a LPCM stereo mix in Spanish with removable English subtitles. The audio sounds clean, clear, and balanced. Range-wise, this track sounds excellent.

Extras:

Extras for this release include an image gallery (39 images - lobby cards/stills), a theatrical trailer (3 minutes 22 seconds, Dolby Digital stereo Spanish with non-removable English subtitles), a Goya Award-winning short film by Juanma Bajo Ulloa titled Victor’s Kingdom (38 minutes 5 seconds, 1.66:1 aspect ratio, LPCM stereo Spanish with removable English subtitles), an archival making of documentary titled The Story of The Dead Mother (38 minutes 19 seconds, Dolby Digital stereo Spanish with removable English subtitles), reversible cover art, removable OBI strip leaving packaging free of certificates and markings, a CD with Bingen Mendizábal’s score (exclusive to the limited edition), and a 36-page booklet (limited to first pressing) with cast & crew information for Victor’s Kingdom and The Dead Mother, soundtrack listing, an archival writing titled And Little Red Riding Hood Went Into Mourning written by Eduardo Bajo Ulloa, an archival writing titled Moralizing in Circles written by Juanma Bajo Ulloa, an archival writing titled So Far Away, So Close written by Nacho Vigalondo, an archival writing titled The Murderer Who Hated Words written by Juanma Bajo Ulloa, an essay titled The Cracks in Our Foundation: From Bonds to Bondage in The Dead Mother written by Xavier Aldana Reyes, and information about the transfer.

Summary:

The narrative revolves around a cold-blooded career criminal and the young girl he left for dead years before, who is still very much alive, albeit disabled.

Though I often return to films that I have connected with over the years, the best thing about watching cinema is actually discovering a film, especially one that's outside of the films that I usually look for, and being blown away by said film. Case in point: The Dead Mother.

Before any characters are introduced, The Dead Mother opens with a brutal sequence where a career criminal named Ismael is caught by the owner of the home he’s trying to rob. His first reaction is to quickly shoot the owner of the home with his shotgun, despite her pleas that there is no money in the home. On his way out, he crosses paths with the owner's daughter, whom he shots point blank with his shotgun. This sequence perfectly lays out the kind of person Ismael is.

When the narrative flashes forward years later, it is clear that Ismael is as cold-hearted and bloodthirsty as he was during the opening sequence. His short-fused temper gets the best of him when his boss pushes his buttons, which leads to another violent outburst that leaves carnage in his wake. From that moment on, the only time he’s not overcome by rage is when he starts to show interest in Leire, the girl he left for dead.

It is when his past, the moment he killed a mother and her daughter (unknown to him, she is still alive), collides with the present that his demeanor starts to change. Initially driven by fear, his original intention was to silence Leire by staging an accidental death. When things go awry, he brings her to his home, and his interest grows, which puts a strain on his relationship with his girlfriend.

Though the entire cast is very good in their roles, Karra Elejalde in the role of Ismael, Lio in the role of Ismael’s girlfriend, and Ana Álvarez in the role of Leire, whose performances stand out, In particular, in the cast of Ana Álvarez’s Leire, a character who does not speak and has no emotion.

From a production standpoint, there is not an area where The Dead Mother does not excel. The premise is superbly realized, the perfectly paced narrative has a few well-executed tense moments, and an exceptional finale provides closure to the events that preceded. Another strength are the neo-noir-infused visuals, which at times have a gothic vibe to them. Ultimately, The Dead Mother is a phenomenal thriller that quickly gets under your skin, and its finale lingers on in your mind.

The Dead Mother gets an exceptional release from Radiance Films that comes with a solid audio/video presentation and informative extras, highly recommended.

Written by Michael Den Boer

Zombie Holocaust – 88 Films (4k UHD/Blu-ray Combo)

Theatrical Release Date: Italy, 1980
Director: Marino Girolami
Writers: Fabrizio De Angelis, Romano Scandariato
Cast: Ian McCulloch, Alexandra Delli Colli, Sherry Buchanan, Peter O'Neal, Donald O'Brien, Dakar, Walter Patriarca, Linda Fumis

Release Date: September 25th, 2023
Approximate Running Time: 89 Minutes 13 Seconds
Aspect Ratio: 1.85:1 Widescreen / 2160 Progressive / HEVC / H.265 / Dolby Vision HDR10
Rating: 18 (UK)
Sound: DTS-HD Mono Italian, DTS-HD Mono English
Subtitles: English
Region Coding: Region Free (4K UHD), Region Free (Blu-ray)
Retail Price: £24.99 (UK)

"Do you like Italian zombie movies? And do you like Italian cannibal movies? If you do, you're going to love Zombie Holocaust, which takes the best bits of both and mashes them up into a particularly nauseating cocktail as the great Ian McCulloch (Zombie Flesh Eaters) does battle with the living dead, the local 'anthropophagi' and an especially demented scientist as well." - synopsis provided by the distributor

Video: 4.5/5 (4K UHD), 4.25/5 (Blu-ray)

Here’s the information provided about this release's transfer, “Zombie Holocaust was scanned at 4K resolution on the Scanity film scanner at Eurolab Lab in Italy from the original 2-Perf overcut Negative.

It was then transferred to hard drive as 4K uncompressed dpx files and sent over to the UK where it was edited, restored and graded by Filmfinity.”

Zombie Holocaust comes on a 66 GB dual layer 4K UHD.

Disc Size: 59.5 GB

Feature: 58.6 GB

Zombie Holocaust is a film that is never going to look immaculate. That said, this transfer looks great; it is easily the best this film has ever looked on home video. Flesh tones look correct, colors are nicely saturated, image clarity and black levels are strong, compression is solid, and the image always looks organic.

Zombie Holocaust comes on a 50 GB dual layer Blu-ray.

Disc Size: 43.9 GB

Feature: 23.6 GB

The Blu-ray uses the same source as the 4K UHD does for its transfer.

Audio: 4.25/5 (DTS-HD Mono Italian), 4/5 (DTS-HD Mono English)

This release comes with two audio options, a DTS-HD mono mix in Italian and a DTS-HD mono mix in English. Though both tracks sound clean, clear, and balanced, When it comes to ambient sounds and the score, the Italian track sounds more robust than the English-language track. Included are removable English subtitles for the Italian-language track.

Extras:

Extras on the 4K UHD disc include a theatrical trailer (4 minutes 20 seconds, Dolby Digital mono English, no subtitles), and an audio commentary with film critics David Flint and Adrian Smith.

Extras on the Blu-ray disc include a theatrical trailer (4 minutes 20 seconds, Dolby Digital mono English, no subtitles), a restoration reel (3 minutes 5 seconds, no sound), a Q&A with actor Ian McCulloch at the Manchester Festival of Fantastic Films (50 minutes 25 seconds, Dolby Digital stereo English, no subtitles), an interview with Marcello Avellone titled To Die and Rise in Rome (15 minutes 46 seconds, Dolby Digital stereo Italian with removable English subtitles), an interview with composers Giacomo and Edda Dell’Orso titled Our Life, Our Music (42 minutes 8 seconds, Dolby Digital stereo Italian with removable English subtitles), an interview with editor Alberto Moriani and filmmaker Enzo G. Castellari titled Girolami Holocaust (19 minutes 16 seconds, Dolby Digital stereo Italian with removable English subtitles), a documentary titled Eaten Alive!: The Rise and Fall of the Italian Cannibal Film (85 minutes 12 seconds, Dolby Digital stereo English and Italian with non-removable English subtitles for Italian), and an audio commentary with David Flint and Adrian Smith.

Other extras include reversible cover art, a slipcase (limited to first pressing), A3 fold-out poster (limited to first pressing), and 40-page booklet (limited to first pressing) with cast & crew information, an essay titled Zombi Holocaust: A Gory Collision of Cannibals and the Undead written by Rachael Nisbet, an essay titled Zombi Holocaust written by Martin Beine and information about the restoration.

Summary:

Directed by Marino Girolami, whose other notable films are Violent Rome, Rome: The Other Side of Violence, A Special Cop in Action, and Lover Boy.

The narrative revolves around a police officer who enlists the help of an anthropologist in a case involving missing body parts.

In the late 1970s and early 1980s, the zombie and cannibal genre cycles were two of the more popular in Italy at that time. Zombie Holocaust is a combination of the zombie and cannibal film genre cycles.

Zombie Holocaust is a wild ride. What starts off as a police procedural about missing body parts transforms into a jungle adventure with cannibals and zombies. Though it is logical that a detective would travel so far to solve a case, this actually does not work against Zombie Holocaust, a film that is filled with characters doing things you would not expect them to do.

The performances work great in the context of the story that unfolds, especially by Donald O'Brien (Emanuelle and the Last Cannibals) in the role of Dr. Obrero, a mad scientist character who brings dead bodies back to life. Another performance of note is Alexandra Delli Colli (The New York Ripper) in the role of Lori Ridgeway, an anthropologist whose character provides an ample amount of eye candy.

Though it is clear that Zombie Holocaust is a film working within the confines of an anemic budget, director Marino Girolami does a superb job exploiting his resources for all their worth. The practical special effects are on par with other Italian horror films from this era. Also, if the score sounds familiar, that is because it uses music cues from Emanuelle and the Last Cannibals. Ultimately, Zombie Holocaust is a highly entertaining film that fans of Z-grade Italian horror cinema should thoroughly enjoy.

Zombie Holocaust makes its way to 4K UHD via an exceptional release from 88 Films, highly recommended.

                                                                4K UHD screenshots.

Written by Michael Den Boer

Four Bullets for Joe – MVD Classics (Blu-ray)

Theatrical Release Date: Spain/Italy, 1964
Director: Agustín Navarro
Writers: Fernando Galiana, Mario Guerra, José Mallorquí, Julio Porter, Vittorio Vighi
Cast: Paul Piaget, Fernando Casanova, Liz Poitel, Barbara Nelli, Angela Cavo, Paco Morán, Tullio Altamura, Rafael Bardem, Tito García, José Marco, Fernando Montes, José Riesgo, Britt Ekland

Release Date: October 24th, 2023
Approximate Running Time: 79 Minutes 39 Seconds
Aspect Ratio: 1.66:1 Widescreen / 1080 Progressive / MPEG-4 AVC
Rating: NR
Sound: LPCM Mono English
Subtitles: English SDH
Region Coding: Region Free
Retail Price: $19.95

"The mysterious death of a man who is about to leave a small town in Kansas with his girlfriend sets off a series of unfortunate events that will only end when her brother, the legendary and notorious gunslinger Frank Dalton (Paul Piaget, Hour of Death) exacts a ruthless and bloody revenge." - synopsis provided by the distributor

Video: 3/5

Four Bullets for Joe comes on a 25 GB single layer Blu-ray.

Disc Size: 21.8 GB

Feature: 21.3 GB

No information is provided about this transfer source. That said, it is in good shape, and any source-related debris is minor. Colors generally look good, the image looks crisp, black levels are best described as adequate, and compression is very good. Also, there appears to be some digital filtering of the image (all grain has been removed), and there are moments where the contrast looks too bright.

Audio: 3.5/5

This release comes with one audio option, a LPCM mono mix in English with removable English SDH. The audio sounds clean, and dialog comes through clearly. The score often sounds noticeably louder than the rest of the soundtrack.

Extras:

Extras for this release are trailers for Hudson River Massacre, Convoy of Women, and Jailhouse Wardress.

Summary:

The narrative revolves around a man named Frank Dalton who seeks revenge for his dead sister, who was wrongfully accused and convicted of killing her lover.

Four Bullets for Joe is a Spanish western made at the beginning of the spaghetti western cycle. And yet the result is actually a film that looks more like an American-made western than a spaghetti western. That said, spaghetti westerns have a distinct style, and Four Bullets of Joe is devoid of it.

The premise retreads familiar territory, and the narrative suffers from predictability. Another weakness of the narrative is that there is too much talking and not enough action. And when the finale comes around, it lacks the spectacle that one has come to expect from a spaghetti western.

Though most spaghetti westerns were co-productions that had actors from multiple countries, most of the cast is Spanish. And when it comes to the performances, they are best described as serviceable. There is no performance that stands out. Notable cast members are Barbara Nelli (Lady Morgan’s Vengeance) in the role of the sheriff's girlfriend and Fernando Casanova (Él) in the role of the sheriff.

Though the spaghetti western genre, like most film genres, is going to have its fair share of mediocre films, it also doesn't help that filmmakers like Sergio Leone, Sergio Corbucci, and Sergio Sollima raised the bar so ridiculously high that the gap between the good and the mediocre spaghetti westerns is vast. Case in point: Four Bullets for Joe, a spaghetti western that falls firmly into the latter category.

Four Bullets for Joe gets a serviceable audio/video presentation from MVD Classics.

Written by Michael Den Boer

The Wild Eye – Scorpion Releasing (Blu-ray)

Theatrical Release Date: Italy, 1967
Director: Paolo Cavara
Writers: Paolo Cavara, Fabio Carpi, Ugo Pirro, Tonino Guerra, Alberto Moravia
Cast: Philippe Leroy, Delia Boccardo, Gabriele Tinti, Giorgio Gargiullo, Luciana Angiolillo, Lars Bloch, Gianni Bongioanni, Tullio Marini

Release Date: November 9th, 2015
Approximate Running Time: 97 Minutes 15 Seconds
Aspect Ratio: 2.35:1 Widescreen / 1080 Progressive / MPEG-4 AVC
Rating: R
Sound: DTS-HD Mono Italian, DTS-HD Mono English
Subtitles: English
Region Coding: Region A
Retail Price: OOP

"Paolo (Philippe Leroy, The Night Porter) is a documentarian on a mission to see the world and present human nature in its truest, rawest form, even if it means depriving his crew of water in the desert or infiltrating deadly, war-torn regions of Vietnam to find new violent extremes for his next production." - synopsis provided by the distributor

Video: 4.25/5

Here’s the information provided about the transfer, “Brand new 2K scan".

The Wild Eye comes on a 25 GB single layer Blu-ray.

Disc Size: 22.2 GB

Feature: 21.1 GB

Though the bulk of the transfer is in excellent shape, there are some minor instances of print debris. That said, flesh tones look correct, colors are nicely saturated, image clarity is solid, black levels and compression are very good, and grain remains intact.

Audio: 4/5 (DTS-HD Mono Italian), 3.5/5 (DTS-HD Mono English)

This release comes with two audio options, a DTS-HD mono mix in Italian and a DTS-HD mono mix in English. The Italian-language track is the stronger of the two audio tracks; its sound is clean, clear, balanced, and robust when it should be. Unfortunately, the English subtitles included with this release do not translate the Italian language track; they are a direct translation of the English language track. Dialog comes through clearly, and everything sounds balanced on the English language track. Unfortunately, there are about a dozen instances of pops, crackling, or other audio imperfections.

Extras:

Extras for this release include a theatrical trailer (2 minutes 17 seconds, Dolby Digital mono English, no subtitles), and an interview with actor Lars Bloch (13 minutes 1 second, Dolby Digital stereo English, no subtitles).

Summary:

Directed by Paolo Cavara, who first rose to prominence directing mondo films like Mondo Cane and Women of the World. Other notable films he directed are Black Belly of the Tarantula and Plot of Fear.

The narrative revolves around Paolo (this is also the director of this film’s first name), a documentary filmmaker obsessed with filming the most depraved moments captured on film.

Though The Wild Eye mirrors the elements that are synonymous with the mondo film genre, it is the first film where Paolo Cavara works with a feature film narrative structure. Also, this is a transitional film for Paolo Cavara that can be seen as a goodbye to a film genre; he was one of the key individuals.

The Wild Eye quickly dives into the process of putting together a mondo film with a bleak opening sequence in the desert. When their jeep breaks down and it is discovered that they are also out of water, they have no choice but to walk and hope someone comes along to save them. In this opening sequence, it becomes clear what kind of man Paolo is and that nothing matters to him more than capturing moments of depravity on film.

When it comes to the performances, the cast is very good in their roles, especially Philippe Leroy in the role of Paolo. He delivers a phenomenal performance that perfectly captures his character's lack of regard for and cruelty towards others. Another notable performance is by Gabriele Tinti (Death Occurred Last Night) in the role of Paolo's cameraman.

From a production standpoint, The Wild Eye achieves its goals. The premise is superbly executed, and the narrative does a good job building towards a brutal finale in which Paolo’s actions end in a tragedy that finally affects him emotionally. Another strength is the beautifully photographed scenic locations. Also, despite Paolo always running towards danger and carnage, the mondo moments in The Wild Eye are nowhere near the gut punch that some mondo films are known for. Ultimately, The Wild Eye is a biting critic of the mondo film genre.

The Wild Eye gets a first-rate release from Scorpion Releasing that comes with a strong audio/video presentation and an informative interview, recommended.

Written by Michael Den Boer