I Hate My Body – Mondo Macabro (Blu-ray)

Theatrical Release Date: Spain/Switzerland, 1974
Director: León Klimovsky
Writers: Solly Wolodarsky, León Klimovsky
Cast: Alexandra Bastedo, Narciso Ibáñez Menta, Gemma Cuervo, Manuel Zarzo, Eva León, Manuel de Blas, María Silva, Blanca Estrada

Release Date: February 3rd, 2026
Approximate Running Time: 99 Minutes 11 Seconds
Aspect Ratio: 1.85:1 Widescreen / 1080 Progressive / MPEG-4 AVC
Rating: NR
Sound: DTS-HD Mono Spanish, DTS-HD Mono English
Subtitles: English
Region Coding: Region Free
Retail Price: $29.99

"Lecherous businessmen Ernest and Peter go out for an evening of fun with two girls from work. There’s a lot of drinking and dancing and more than a little suggestion of frolics to follow, particularly when Ernest has the idea they swap partners. With the willing Rita by his side, he sets off in his car, roaring with laughter as they speed into the dark night. Momentarily distracted as he glances at his attractive passenger, Ernest loses control of the car. They crash into the side of a bridge and the vehicle bursts into flames.

The bodies are rushed to the nearest hospital where both Ernest and his passenger are certified dead on arrival. However, the hospital’s surgeon, Dr. Adolf Berger, a former medic in a Nazi death camp, discovers that Ernest’s brain is still intact. Encouraged by his female assistant, Lydia, Berger decides to try out his long cherished experiment- transplanting a brain from one body to another. However, the only body available is that of a young woman, Leda Schmidt, also technically dead in the hospital morgue. Casting aside all scruples, Berger begins the operation!" - synopsis provided by the distributor

Video: 4.5/5

Here’s the information provided about this release's transfer, "Brand new 4k restoration from negative."

I Hate My Body comes on a 50 GB dual layer Blu-ray.

Disc Size: 42.5 GB

Feature: 28.4 GB

The source looks excellent, free of any debris or imperfections. Flesh tones and colors look correct; image clarity, black levels, and compression are solid, and the image looks organic.

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

This release comes with two audio options, a DTS-HD mono mix in Spanish and a DTS-HD mono mix in English. The Spanish-language track sounds clean, clear, and balanced, while the English-language track sounds restrained and has some instances of background hiss. Included are removable English subtitles for the Spanish-language track.

Extras:

Extras for this release include an interview with film historian Victor Matellano, who discusses actor Narciso Ibanez Menta (25 minutes 12 seconds, Dolby Digital stereo Spanish with removable English subtitles), an interview with film historian Angel Sala, who discusses I Hate My Body (20 minutes 14 seconds, Dolby Digital stereo Spanish with removable English subtitles), an interview with actor Manuel de Blas (41 minutes 8 seconds, Dolby Digital stereo Spanish with removable English subtitles); and an audio commentary with the podcast Naschycast.

Summary:

León Klimovsky directed I Hate My Body. He’s known for Dr. Jekyll vs. The Werewolf, Werewolf Shadow, Vengeance of the Zombies, A Dragonfly for Each Corpse, and The Vampires’ Night Orgy. He spent most of the 1970s working in the horror genre; he was one of the most in-demand filmmakers working in Spanish horror cinema at that time. Although he is best known for directing several notable films featuring Paul Naschy, he also explored genres beyond traditional horror. He made a few memorable films in other categories, such as I Hate My Body and Trauma.

A man’s brain is transplanted into a woman’s body after a deadly accident. Now that he is in a woman's body, he navigates his way through a male-dominated world where he is treated like a sex object.

How far have we come when a film like I Hate My Body’s premise no longer seems unthinkable? While I Hate My Body for the most part handles the protagonist's transformation from a man to a woman tastefully, there are moments where it leans into exploitative elements to spice things up. That said, although the narrative goes in many directions, its main drive is social commentary on sexism from the viewpoint of someone who was once a man and now is trapped in a woman’s body.

The most fascinating aspect of I Hate My Body has nothing to do with social commentary; it has to do with how the protagonist accepts his new body and then uses it to his advantage. Outwardly they’re all feminine, while inside he never fully lets go of his masculinity. In the end, the protagonist assumes the qualities of both genders, which gives them the power to achieve their ultimate goal.

The performances are hard to judge, and that is not related in any way to which language you watch I Hate My Body in. The cast are simply not given much to work with, and even its lead, Alexandra Bastedo (The Blood Spattered Bride), feels too restrained emotionally in her performance. The most memorable performance is Narciso Ibáñez Menta (The Dracula Saga) in the role of Adolfo Berger, the doctor who transplants a man’s brain into a woman’s body. His character's past hints at a Nazi connection, where he performed similar operations in concentration camps.

The narrative, like its protagonists, is Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde. One minute it's straight-up exploitative, then it shifts to a melodrama, only to culminate in a blackmail scheme rooted in revenge. Another strike against the narrative is its nearly 100-minute duration, which has many lulls and it struggles to build momentum. The unsung asset of I Hate My Body is Alfonso Santisteban’s (The Killer Is One of 13) excellent score, which perfectly underscores what’s unfolding onscreen. Ultimately, I Hate My Body is a schizophrenic film that can't make up its mind if it wants to be serious or an exploitation film.

I Hate My Body gets a solid release from Mondo Macabro that comes with a strong audio/video presentation and informative extras, recommended for fans of adventurous cinema that thinks outside of the box.

Written by Michael Den Boer

The Power of Darkness – Mondo Macabro (Blu-ray)

Theatrical Release Date: Argentina, 1979
Director: Mario Sábato
Writer: Mario Sábato
Cast: Sergio Renán, Osvaldo Terranova, Carlos Antón, Christina Banegas

Release Date: February 3rd, 2026
Approximate Running Time: 95 Minutes 4 Seconds
Aspect Ratio: 1.78:1 Widescreen / 1080 Progressive / MPEG-4 AVC
Rating: NR
Sound: DTS-HD Mono Spanish
Subtitles: English
Region Coding: Region Free
Retail Price: $29.99

"Fernando Vidal, a formerly wealthy man now living in a tiny single room in Buenos Aires, is accosted one evening by someone who claims to be a childhood friend. Vidal denies ever having met him. But later the stranger turns up at his threadbare apartment and begins to ask questions about their childhood together, reminding Fernando about how he would catch birds and poke out their eyes just to see if they could fly without sight. These long suppressed memories start to haunt Fernando and he becomes increasingly detached from reality.

From that point on, strange events accumulate in his life. A seemingly drunk neighbour tells him about sighting a huge bird – a warning of disasters to come. Fernando begins to notice blind men everywhere in the city, some even following him through the night-time streets and onto subway trains. Finally his childhood friend tells him that he has discovered a secret society of the blind which is plotting to take over the world. And suddenly Fernando begins to see evidence of this everywhere. Following a series of clues, he climbs the stairs of an old apartment building in a deserted section of the city and finds himself lost in a vast and dark labyrinth where bizarre and terrifying visions flash in and out of view. Somewhere in the void, he is convinced, lays the answer to all his problems. He steps forward, as the darkening shadows swallow him up." - synopsis provided by the distributor

Video: 4.5/5

Here’s the information provided about this release's transfer, "Newly restored from negative."

The Power of Darkness comes on a 50 GB dual layer Blu-ray.

Disc Size: 27.8 GB

Feature: 25.5 GB

The source is in excellent shape, free of any blemishes. Flesh tones and colors look correct, image clarity and compression are solid, black levels are strong, and the image retains an organic look.

Audio: 4.5/5

This release comes with one audio option, a DTS-HD mono mix in Spanish with removable English subtitles. The audio is clean, clear, and balanced, and ambient sounds and the score are well-represented.

Extras:

Extras for this release include a theatrical trailer (3 minutes 2 seconds, Dolby Digital mono Spanish with removable English subtitles) and a featurette about the film (5 minutes 2 seconds, Dolby Digital mono with text in English).

Summary:

Mario Sábato adapted The Power of Darkness from a story written by his father, Ernesto Sábato, whose most famous novel, The Tunnel, has been adapted numerous times. Although Mario Sábato had a career that spanned multiple decades and 15 theatrical films, outside of The Power of Darkness, his films were mostly comedies that were geared to younger audiences.

A man uncovers a secret society of blind people who come after him.

The Power of Darkness is best described as a psychological thriller rooted in paranoia. The narrative revolves around a protagonist named Fernando whose friend one day comes to him about a conspiracy connected to blind people. While hesitant to believe his friend at first, a series of events unfold, and he starts to see blind people everywhere. Is it a coincidence that he sees blind people everywhere he goes or is something more nefarious behind what’s happening to him?

All around, the cast are excellent in their roles, especially Sergio Renán in the role of Fernando, a man whose traumatic past is connected to what's happening in the present. When Fernando was a young boy, he poked out birds' eyes to see if they could still fly blind. His fascination with the blind continues as an adult; he practices what it's like to be blind. That said, his performance does a superb job putting the audience into his character's state of mind.

The Power of Darkness is a dialogue-driven film that relies heavily on atmosphere. While there is an abundance of forbidding moments, it is a bloodless film where no carnage happens onscreen. The visuals take an observer approach instead of creating visually arresting moments. That said, the most striking moments are scenes where the protagonist follows a blind man into darkness. An area where The Power of Darkness excels is its score, which does an exemplary job heightening the mood. Ultimately, The Power of Darkness is a well-crafted descent into madness whose ominous finale leaves the protagonist's fate implied instead of resolved.

Mondo Macabro gives The Power of Darkness a solid audio/video presentation. Recommended.

Written by Michael Den Boer

Forbidden Game of Love – Mondo Macabro (Blu-ray)

Theatrical Release Date: Spain, 1975
Director: Eloy de la Iglesia
Writers: Eloy de la Iglesia, Juan Antonio Porto, Antonio Corencia
Cast: Javier Escrivá, John Moulder-Brown, Inma de Santis, Simón Andreu

Release Date: February 3rd, 2026
Approximate Running Time: 93 Minutes 29 Seconds
Aspect Ratio: 1.85:1 Widescreen / 1080 Progressive / MPEG-4 AVC
Rating: NR
Sound: DTS-HD Mono Spanish
Subtitles: English
Region Coding: Region Free
Retail Price: $29.99

"Breaking up for the summer vacation, popular literature teacher Don Luis wishes his students well and sets them a holiday project on the myth of “delayed revenge”. Later, driving away from the city, Don Luis sees two of his students, Miguel and Julia, hitch hiking. He offers them a ride and they eventually agree to spend the night at Don Luis’s isolated house in the country, which they soon discover is a palatial mansion with extensive private grounds.

The young lovers get to spend their first night in bed together and discuss the possibility of staying on in the large house, its only other inhabitant being Jaime (Simon Andreu), a man in his 30s, who seems to be some sort of servant to Don Luis. The next day they decide to go for a walk, only to discover that the tall iron gates of the house are firmly chained shut. They challenge Don Luis, who then produces a pistol and they realize that they are now prisoners, along with Jaime.

What then follows is a series of bizarre and highly charged “games” which seem designed to break down their spirit of resistance and force them to accept Don Luis as their superior and mentor. However, when Don Luis finally returns to his teaching duties, Miguel, Julia and Jaime begin to see a way to reverse the power balance. As things change in the house, the forbidden game becomes one of life and death." - synopsis provided by the distributor

Video: 4.5/5

Here’s the information provided about this release's transfer, "Brand new 4k restoration from negative."

Forbidden Game of Love comes on a 50 GB dual layer Blu-ray.

Disc Size: 37.5 GB

Feature: 25.2 GB

The source looks excellent; flesh tones look healthy, colors are nicely saturated, image clarity and black levels are solid, there are no issues with compression, and the image retains an organic look.

Audio: 4/5

This release comes with one audio option, a DTS-HD mono mix in Spanish with removable English subtitles. Although there are some minor instances of background crackle and hiss, the bulk of the audio track sounds clean. That said, dialogue comes through clearly, everything sounds balanced, and ambient sounds and the score are well-represented.

Extras:

Extras for this release are limited to an interview with film historian Angel Sala, who discusses director Eloy de la Iglesia (18 minutes 35 seconds, Dolby Digital stereo Spanish with removable English subtitles).

Summary:

Eloy De La Iglesia directed Forbidden Game of Love. He's known for The Glass Ceiling, The Cannibal Man, No One Heard the Scream, Murder in a Blue World, The Creature, and El pico.

A teacher picks up two students trying to hitchhike while on holiday from school and invites them to stay with him.

Although the narrative begins in the classroom, most of the events take place in the isolated mansion of the teacher, Don Luis. The opening sequence in the classroom foreshadows where the narrative is going; the assignment given to the students before the holiday break is Delayed Revenge. The narrative effectively builds tension and momentum, culminating in a powerful finale. In this climax, Don Luis's worldview wins as the two students and another man who has been staying with him fully embrace the lessons he taught them.

What starts off as an innocent invitation quickly takes a dark turn when the two students find themselves prisoners. Instead of embracing Don Luis’ ideology, the two students are defiant, and no matter how much he pushes them, they remain steadfast and refuse to bend to his will. Throughout his career Eloy de la Iglesia often injected social commentary into his films, and a familiar target was fascism. That said, Don Luis’ worldview and actions can be viewed as an allegory about fascism.

The four leads deliver exemplary performances: Javier Escrivá (Tormento) as Don Luis, John Moulder-Brown (Ludwig), Inma de Santis (The Killer of Dolls) as two runaway students, and Simón Andreu (The Blood Spattered Bride) as Jaime, a man who assists Don Luis in his acts of cruelty. Don Luis is an affluent man who inherited his fortune at the age of 25, and he only sees teaching as a hobby to fill his time.

As mentioned before, the narrative does an excellent job building momentum by building tension and throwing in a few well-timed twists, notably one that reshapes everything with 30 minutes to go. The visuals effectively highlight the performances, making them the main focus. Additionally, the diverse range of musical styles featured is noteworthy, especially the incorporation of classical music by Richard Wagner. Ultimately, Forbidden Game of Love is a well-crafted psychological drama that leaves a lasting impression with its moment of truth.

Forbidden Game of Love gets a first-rate release from Mondo Macabro that comes with a strong audio/video presentation and an insightful extra. Recommended.

Written by Michael Den Boer

Possession: Limited Edition – Second Sight Films (UHD/BluRay Combo)

Theatrical Release Date: France/West Germany, 1981
Director: Andrzej Żuławski
Writers: Andrzej Żuławski, Frederic Tuten
Cast: Isabelle Adjani, Sam Neill, Heinz Bennent, Margit Carstensen, Carl Duering, Shaun Lawton

Release Date: December 15th, 2025
Approximate Running Time: 124 Minutes 9 Seconds
Aspect Ratio: 1.66:1 Widescreen / 2160 Progressive / HEVC / H.265 / Dolby Vision HDR10
Rating: 18 (UK)
Sound: DTS-HD Mono English
Subtitles: English SDH
Region Coding: Region Free (4K UHD), Region B (Blu-ray)
Retail Price: £52.99

"A woman starts exhibiting increasingly disturbing behavior after asking her husband for a divorce. Suspicions of infidelity soon give way to something far more sinister." - synopsis provided by the distributor

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

Here’s the information provided about this release's transfer, "A new producer approved 4K restoration presented in HDR with Dolby Vision."

Possession comes on a 100 GB triple layer 4K UHD

Disc Size: 92.7 GB

Feature: 72.7 GB

The source looks excellent; flesh tones look healthy, colors are nicely saturated, image clarity, contrast, black levels, and compression are solid, and the image always retains an organic look. That said, Fidelity in Motion delivers another exemplary encode.

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

Disc Size: 43.3 GB

Feature: 31.1 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 DTS-HD mono mix in English with removable English SDH. The audio sounds excellent; dialogue always comes through clearly, everything sounds balanced, and ambient sounds and the score are well represented.

Extras:

Extras on the 4K UHD disc include a theatrical trailer (2 minutes 47 seconds, Dolby Digital mono English, no subtitles), deleted scenes (4 minutes, Dolby Digital mono English, no subtitles), an archive interview with director Andrzej Żuławski (36 minutes 3 seconds, Dolby Digital stereo French with removable English subtitles), a documentary titled The Other Side of The Wall: The Making of Possession (51 minutes 40 seconds, Dolby Digital stereo English, Polish, and French with non-removable English subtitles for Polish and French), a featurette on poster artist Barbara ‘Basha’ Baranowska titled Basha (5 minutes 55 seconds, Dolby Digital stereo English, no subtitles),  an interview with producer Christian Ferry titled Our Friend in the West (6 minutes 40 seconds, Dolby Digital stereo English, no subtitles), an interview with Composer Andrzej Korzynski titled The Sounds of Possession (19 minutes 6 seconds, Dolby Digital stereo Polish with non-removable English subtitles), a locations featurette titled A Divided City: The Berlin Locations (7 minutes 12 seconds, Dolby Digital stereo with text in English), an archival documentary titled Andrzej Żuławski: Director (51 minutes 39 seconds, Dolby Digital stereo French with removable English subtitles), a featurette titled Repossessed: The Film’s UK and US Reception (12 minutes 29 seconds, Dolby Digital stereo English, no subtitles), a video essay with Kat Ellinger titled The Shadow We Carry (18 minutes 35 seconds, Dolby Digital stereo English, no subtitles), an interview with filmmaker Guillermo del Toro titled The Horror of Normality (26 minutes 29 seconds, Dolby Digital stereo English, no subtitles), an archival audio commentary with Andrzej Żuławski moderated by Daniel Bird, an audio commentary with Alexandra Heller-Nicholas and Alison Taylor, an audio commentary with Frederic Tuten moderated by Daniel Bird, an audio commentary with Daniel Bird and Manuela Lazic for the North American Re-edit, and the North American Re-edit: newly restored from an archive print (77 minutes 6 seconds, 1.66:1 aspect ratio, Dolby Digital mono English no subtitles).

Extras on Blu-ray disc one include a theatrical trailer (2 minutes 47 seconds, Dolby Digital mono English, no subtitles), deleted scenes (4 minutes, Dolby Digital mono English, no subtitles), an archive interview with director Andrzej Żuławski (36 minutes 3 seconds, Dolby Digital stereo French with removable English subtitles), a documentary titled The Other Side of The Wall: The Making of Possession (51 minutes 40 seconds, Dolby Digital stereo English, Polish, and French with non-removable English subtitles for Polish and French), a featurette on poster artist Barbara ‘Basha’ Baranowska titled Basha (5 minutes 55 seconds, Dolby Digital stereo English, no subtitles),  an interview with producer Christian Ferry titled Our Friend in the West (6 minutes 40 seconds, Dolby Digital stereo English, no subtitles), an interview with Composer Andrzej Korzynski titled The Sounds of Possession (19 minutes 6 seconds, Dolby Digital stereo Polish with non-removable English subtitles), a locations featurette titled A Divided City: The Berlin Locations (7 minutes 12 seconds, Dolby Digital stereo with text in English), an archival documentary titled Andrzej Żuławski: Director (51 minutes 39 seconds, Dolby Digital stereo French with removable English subtitles), a featurette titled Repossessed: The Film’s UK and US Reception (12 minutes 29 seconds, Dolby Digital stereo English, no subtitles), a video essay with Kat Ellinger titled The Shadow We Carry (18 minutes 35 seconds, Dolby Digital stereo English, no subtitles), an interview with filmmaker Guillermo del Toro titled The Horror of Normality (26 minutes 29 seconds, Dolby Digital stereo English, no subtitles), an archival audio commentary with Andrzej Żuławski moderated by Daniel Bird, an audio commentary with Alexandra Heller-Nicholas and Alison Taylor, and an audio commentary with Frederic Tuten moderated by Daniel Bird.

Other extras on a second Blu-ray disc are the North American Re-edit, newly restored from an archive print (77 minutes 6 seconds, 1.66:1 aspect ratio, Dolby Digital mono English, no subtitles), and an audio commentary with Daniel Bird and Manuela Lazic for the North American Re-edit.

Additional extras include 6 collectors' art cards, a 211-page original shooting script book with notes by Andrzej Żuławski and Frederic Tuten, a rigid slipcase with Basha’s original theatrical artwork, and a 220-page hardback book with cast & crew information, an introduction written by Daniel Bird, an essay titled I Suffer. I Believe. I Am. The Passion According to A. written by Alison Taylor, an essay titled It’s Not You, It’s Me: Escaping the Prison of Heteronormative Coupledom in Andrzej Żuławski’s Possession written by Elena Lazic, The Creature: Preliminary Sketches, Filming Possession written by Dominique Schneidre, Behind the Scenes, Puzzle Pieces The Possession Pressbook, Medusa the Poster of Possession written by Barbara Baranowska, Making a Monster an interview with Andrzej Żuławski, originally published in Cahiers du Cinéma, conducted by Pascal Bonitzer and Serge Toubiana, Inferno, the Cahiers du Cinéma review of Possession written by Pascal Bonitzer, The Wall, The Mutual Influence of Żuławski and Bilal, an essay titled My Dinner With Andrzej written by Daniel Bird, an interview with Andrzej Żuławski titled The Past Present conducted by Piotr Kletowski and Piotr Marecki, an essay titled Everything Old is New Again, or How We Grew to Stop Hating and Love Possession written by Daniel Bird, and Green Eyes: Remastering Possession written by Andrzej Jaroszewicz.

Summary:

A marriage in crisis: a woman who's having an affair asks for a divorce, and while her husband tries to work things out, her behavior becomes increasingly bizarre.

For Andrzej Żuławski's first and only film in English, Possession, he would draw inspiration from his life. Possession was his first film since his bitter divorce from Małgorzata Braunek, and he would use the trauma from that event as the launching point. Even its location, Berlin, serves as a metaphor that mirrors that of its two leads, since it is a city divided by a wall.

Anyone familiar with the cinema of Andrzej Żuławski knows that his films are challenging, and they require multiple viewings to fully absorb everything. Although there are many moments in Possession that are not conventional, the bulk of what’s unfolding is actually fairly straightforward. While Anna, the wife, finds herself trapped in psychosis, Mark, the husband, becomes more in tune with his consciousness.

In an Andrzej Żuławski film, actors are required to step beyond their comfort zones, as Żuławski's unique style is evident throughout all his works, regardless of the actors involved. Characters in Andrzej Żuławski’s film have a heightened emotional response that resembles someone in hysterics. The two leads, Isabelle Adjani (Subway) and Sam Neill (Jurassic Park), deliver unforgettable performances that are arguably their best. Also, they both take on double duty, as their characters each have a doppelganger.

Out of all of Andrzej Żuławski's films, Possession more than any other fits firmly into body horror cinema. The most notable of these moments are Anna’s new lover, an octopus-like creature that she makes love to, and a scene in the subway where Anna screams and thrashes, which is a perfect example of rage captured onscreen. The subway scene is arguably one of the most exhausting moments ever captured on film. Additionally, Andrzej Korzyński's score significantly enhances the overall mood of the film. Ultimately, Possession is an extraordinary film, filled with symbolism and subtext, and there is so much going on that it takes multiple viewings to fully appreciate.

Second Sight Films gives Possession a phenomenal release, making it stand out as one of 2025's best home media releases. It comes with a solid audio/video presentation and a wealth of insightful extras. 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

Morgiana – Severin Films (Blu-ray)

Theatrical Release Date: Czechoslovakia, 1972
Director: Juraj Herz
Writers: Juraj Herz, Vladimír Bor
Cast: Iva Janžurová, Josef Abrhám, Nina Divíšková, Petr Čepek, Josef Somr, Jiří Kodet 

Release Date: May 27th, 2025
Approximate Running Time: 102 Minutes 3 Seconds
Aspect Ratio: 1.37:1 Aspect Ratio / 1080 Progressive / MPEG-4 AVC
Rating: NR
Sound: DTS-HD Mono Czech
Subtitles: English
Region Coding: Region Free
Retail Price: $99.95 (only available as part of House of Psychotic Women: Rarities Collection Volume 2)

"When their wealthy father dies, cruelly jealous Viktorie will lead her naïvely trusting sister Klára—both portrayed in 'a frightening, stellar performance' (At The Mansion Of Madness) by legendary Czech actress Iva Janžurová—into a gothic nightmare of deception, blackmail, and murder." - synopsis provided by the distributor

Video: 5/5

Here’s the information provided about this release's transfer, "Newly scanned in 4K from the original camera negative by The National Film Archive in Prague. The sources for the digitization were the original image negative and the original sound negative. The digitization was done in 2024."

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

Disc Size: 36.2 GB

Feature: 29.3 GB

The source looks excellent; flesh tones look healthy, colors look correct, image clarity, black levels, and compression are solid, and the image retains an organic look.

Audio: 5/5

This release comes with one audio option, a DTS-HD mono mix in Czech with removable English. The audio sounds excellent; dialogue always comes through clearly, everything sounds balanced, and ambient sounds are well-represented.

Extras:

Extras for this release include a short film directed by Rachel Amodeo titled Rest in Peace (13 minutes 13 seconds, 1.33:1 aspect ratio, Dolby Digital stereo, no dialogue), a vampire rock musical made for Czech TV directed by Juraj Herz titled Nightmares (26 minutes 22 seconds, 1.33:1 aspect ratio, Dolby Digital mono Czech, no subtitles), a short film on shooting location, Pobiti Kamani, animated by Leslie Supnet and narrated by Kier-La Janisse titled The Stone Forest (6 minutes 25 seconds, 1.33:1 aspect ratio, Dolby Digital stereo English, no subtitles), an interview with actress Iva Janžurová titled Little Drop of Poison (14 minutes 42 seconds, Dolby Digital stereo Czech with removable English subtitles), an audio commentary with Stranger With My Face festival director Briony Kidd and Cerise Howard, co-founder of The Czech and Slovak film festival of Australia, and an introduction by Kier-La Janisse, author of House of Psychotic Women (3 minutes 38 seconds, Dolby Digital stereo English, no subtitles).

Summary:

Juraj Herz directed Morgiana. He’s known for The Cremator, Oil Lamps, Beauty and the Beast, and Ferat Vampire.

The narrative centers on two sisters, Klara and Viktoria. Viktoria becomes increasingly jealous when their father leaves his fortune to Klara, and her emotional state deteriorates further when Klara begins a relationship with the man Viktoria loves.

Morgiana is a period-set psychological melodrama that explores envy, jealousy, blackmail, and paranoia. Its score, especially its main music motif, does an exemplary job setting the mood and conveying the two sisters' states of mind. Production design is another area where Morgiana excels.

Juraj Herz's original intention was to climax Morgiana with the revelation that the two sisters were actually one person suffering from schizophrenia, but he was forced to make changes at the request of the company producing Morgiana. Fortunately, the result is a film that blurs the line between reality, and its use of duality in many ways keeps his original intentions alive. 

Another reason why the two people sharing a singular persona works so well is Iva Janžurová’s extraordinary performances in the dual roles of Klara and Viktoria. While there are clear distinctions physically and internally, her performance blends these two characters in such a way that one questions if one is real and the other is all in her mind. This distinction is further accentuated when Viktoria removes some of her layers to reveal her true self in the final moments.

The narrative gives you just enough information without it ever fully revealing where things are destined to end. The narrative does an excellent job holding your attention and building momentum to its moment of truth. The way in which the camera frames people and objects and moves greatly heightens the mood. The editing and juxtaposition of images play a crucial role in the unfolding story. Ultimately, Morgiana serves as an extraordinary exploration of descending into madness.

My only complaint about this release is that they did not subtitle Nightmares. That said, Severin Films gives Morgiana an excellent release that comes with a solid audio/video presentation and insightful extras. Recommended.

Written by Michael Den Boer

Courtesans & Criminals: The Underworld of Hideo Gosha – Film Movement (Blu-ray)

Theatrical Release Dates: Japan, 1982 (Onimasa), Japan, 1987 (Tokyo Bordello)
Director: Hideo Gosha (Both Films)
Cast: Tatsuya Nakadai, Masako Natsume, Shima Iwashita, Nobuko Sendô, Tetsurō Tamba, Tatsuo Umemiya, Kōji Yakusho (Onimasa), Yûko Natori, Rino Katase, Jinpachi Nezu, Sayoko Ninomiya, Mariko Fuji, Mikio Narita, Naoto Takenaka, Sô Yamamura (Tokyo Bordello)

Release Date: December 4th, 2025
Approximate Running Times: 146 Minutes 47 Seconds (Onimasa), 133 Minutes 59 Seconds (Tokyo Bordello)
Aspect Ratio: 1.85:1 Widescreen / 1080 Progressive / MPEG-4 AVC (Both Films)
Rating: NR
Sound: LPCM Mono Japanese (Both Films)
Subtitles: English (Both Films)
Region Coding: Region A
Retail Price: $44.98

Onimasa: "Matsue is the adoptive daughter of the Kiryuin House, a small yakuza clan in Shikoku. Onimasa, their leader, is the last heir to a family of samurai. He is hard in business but respected by the poor because of his fairness. Matsue lives in the middle of this society, between gang wars and rivalries among the chief's mistresses. But when Onimasa takes a chivalrous attitude and finds himself on the side of train workers on strike, it annoys the Great Godfather of the island. The story starts in 1918, ending with the nearing of the Second World War." - synopsis provided by the distributor

Tokyo Bordello: "A ruined businessman was forced to sell his daughter, Hisano, to a brothel in Yoshiwara, the largest red-light district in Tokyo. After several months of training, she tries to flee Yoshiwara when the time has come for her to take her first customer." - synopsis provided by the distributor

Video: 5/5 (Onimasa), 4.5/5 (Tokyo Bordello)

Here’s the information provided about Onimasa's transfer, “4K restoration from the original 35mm negative.”

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

Disc Size: 34.7 GB

Feature: 31.9 GB

Here’s the information provided about Tokyo Bordello's transfer, “HD restoration from the original 35mm negative.”

Tokyo Bordello comes on a 50 GB dual layer Blu-ray.

Disc Size: 33.8 GB

Feature: 30.9 GB

Both films look excellent; flesh tones look healthy, colors look correct, and image clarity, contrast, black levels, and compression are solid, and there are no issues with digital noise reduction. Both discs are mislabeled and contain the film that is opposite of what is indicated on the packaging.

Audio: 5/5 (Both Films)

Each film comes with one audio option, a LPCM mono mix in Japanese with removable English subtitles. Both films' audio tracks sound excellent; dialogue always comes through clearly, everything sounds balanced, and ambient sounds are well-represented.

Extras:

Extras for Onimasa include a video essay by TokyoScope author Patrick Macias (12 minutes 34 seconds, LPCM stereo English, no subtitles) and an audio commentary with Japanese cinema scholar Jasper Sharp.

Extras for Tokyo Bordello include a video essay by Patrick Macias (12 minutes 43 seconds, LPCM stereo English, no subtitles) and an audio commentary with Jasper Sharp.

Other extras include a spot gloss slipcover (limited to 2,000 units) and a 16-page booklet with cast & crew information for both films, information about the transfers, and an essay titled Escaping the Flames written by Hayley Scanlon.

Summary:

Hideo Gosha directed Onimasa and Tokyo Bordello. He is most known for directing samurai films; notable films include Goyokin, The Wolves, and Hunter in the Dark.

Onimasa: Onimasa, the last heir of a samurai family and the leader of the Kiryuin clan, finds himself in a power struggle with his rivals when he takes the side of train workers on strike.

Onimasa was a pivotal film for Hideo Gosha and Toei, the company that produced it. While both were known for their male-driven jitsuroku eiga, a film like Onimasa would make the dramatic shift to putting the focus on the female characters. Onimasa is also significant for Hideo Gosha in another way; it was his first of three adaptations of a Tomiko Miyao novel; the other two films are Yôkirô and Oar.

Despite the significant role of women in the story, Onimasa, the protagonist, embodies the essence of masculinity. He’s a fearless character who gains respect because of his fairness and only uses intimidation when there are no other options. That said, he’s surrounded by three women of note: his wife, Uta, whose impulse is in her decision-making; his adoptive daughter, Matsue, who respects all that Onimasa has done for her; and his biological daughter with a mistress, Hanako.

All around, the cast are excellent in the roles, especially Tatsuya Nakadai (The Human Condition), whose portrayal of Onimasa serves as this film’s anchor. His performance embodies all the qualities typically associated with a yakuza boss, yet it also reveals a sense of humanity that adds greater depth to his character than is often found in similar roles. The most notable performance is Shima Iwashita's (The Demon) portrayal of Uta, a character that greatly diverged away from the type of roles she had played up to that point. That said, she delivers a remarkable performance that would forever reshape her career and the type of roles casting directors would offer her.

Cast in the role of Matsue is Masako Natsume, and she delivers a performance that perfectly captures her character's desire to please her adoptive parents while trying to forge a life outside of the family clan. It should be noted that Nobuko Sendô (Childhood Days) portrays Matsue as a young girl, and she delivers an equally compelling performance. Familiar faces round out the rest of the cast: Tetsurō Tamba (Three Outlaw Samurai), Tatsuo Umemiya (Graveyard of Honor), and Kōji Yakusho (Cure).

While not as prevalent as in other yakuza films from this era, moments when action and carnage appear in Onimasa are skillfully crafted and highly impactful. The main action set piece is saved for a bloody finale where Onimasa confronts a rival who's been the source of his trouble head-on, and the most brutal moment when it comes to carnage is a dogfighting sequence. The narrative is flawlessly constructed, and it does an exemplary job conveying characters' highs and lows. At almost 2 ½ hours in length, things move rather quickly, and there is never an issue with building momentum. Ultimately, Onimasa is an extraordinary film whose characters drive the story and whose fates stay with you long after its final image has faded offscreen.

Tokyo Bordello: A businessman who's incurred an insurmountable debt sells his daughter to a brothel in Tokyo's infamous red-light district.

Tokyo Bordello is based on a novel written by Shinichi Saitô that revolves around characters living in Yoshiwara, a red-light district established in 1617 that came to an end in 1958 when Japan outlawed prostitution. Although Tokyo Bordello uses Yoshiwara as the backdrop for its unfolding story, it is not a historical account except for one aspect: its finale, in which Yoshiwara suffers extensive damage from a fire.

Set in the 1910s, Tokyo Bordello is a period-set melodrama with exemplary production design. Its opening setup does a phenomenal job introducing the main players by giving them an ample amount of time to flesh out their individual stories. When it comes to pacing, things move at a leisurely pace that, fortunately, never affects any momentum.

Considering the subject matter, Tokyo Bordello is rather tame; it does not focus as much on the sex aspect of prostitution; instead, it shifts the focus to the other aspects of its characters' lives. The women in the Tokyo bordello endure difficult lives, and the film does not shy away from portraying the mental toll inflicted on them. Notably, the most erotic moment occurs during a lesbian sequence in which the protagonist is seduced by another prostitute, ultimately leading to a strong bond between them.

The cast are all excellent in the roles, in particular, Yûko Natori’s (Crest of Betrayal) portrayal of Hisano, a woman who came from an affluent background and was sold into prostitution. She perfectly transforms from a naive, frightened young woman into someone who’s confident and finds pleasure in the work she does. Another performance of note is Rino Katase (Yakuza Ladies) in the role of Kikugawa, a woman who escapes Yoshiwara after being married only to return when another woman steals her husband.

Although the visuals let the characters take center stage, there are a handful of striking moments, notably the finale, where flames engulf Yoshiwara. Another striking moment is a scene where a prostitute who’s lost her mind lies on the ground next to a goldfish flipping outside of its bowl. No matter what genre he worked in, Hideo Gosha's instincts as a filmmaker always elevated whatever film he worked on. Ultimately, Tokyo Bordello is an engrossing melodrama set in Yoshiwara that quickly grabs your attention and stays with you.

Courtesans & Criminals: The Underworld of Hideo Gosha is an excellent release from Film Movement that gives both films solid audio/video presentations and insightful extras. Highly recommended.

Written by Michael Den Boer