Plot of Fear (Magnum 45) – Cineploit (Blu-ray)

Theatrical Release Date: Italy, 1976
Director: Paola Cavara
Writers: Paolo Cavara, Enrico Oldoini, Bernardino Zapponi
Cast: Michele Placido, Corinne Clery, Tom Skerritt, John Steiner, Eli Wallach

Release Date: June 28th, 2019
Approximate Running Time: 95 Minutes 1 second
Aspect Ratio: 1.85:1 Widescreen / 1080 Progressive / MPEG-4 AVCC
Rating: NR
Sound: DTS-HD Mono Italian, DTS-HD Mono English, DTS-HD Mono German, DTS-HD Mono French
Subtitles: English, German
Region Coding: Region Free
Retail Price: 24,90 EUR

"A series of murders is terrorizing Rom and the Killer is leaving cards of the Struwwelpeter children book on the victims. It´s Police Inspector Lomenzo´s (Michele Placido) case but also the private investigation bureau of Riccio (Eli Wallach) is on it. The beautiful Jeanne (Corinne Clery), who knows about bizarre happenings at the Villa Hoffmann, is getting the Inspector on a possible right path. Hoffmann (John Steiner) and his strange Flora & Fauna Club seem to be connected and there lies probably the key to the murder…." - synopsis provided by the distributor

Video: 4/5

Here’s the information provided about this release's transfer, "English 2K Blu-Ray Premiere".

Plot of Fear (Magnum 45) comes on a 25 GB single layer Blu-ray.

Disc Size: 22.4 GB

Feature: 19.2 GB

The source used for this transfer is in excellent shape, colors look correct, details look crisp and black levels look strong throughout. This transfer is a massive upgrade, when compared to this film’s previous home video releases.

Audio: 4/5

This release comes with three audio options, a DTS-HD mono mix in English, a DTS-HD mono mix in Italian, and a DTS-HD mono mix in German. The English and Italian audio mixes are in great shape; dialog comes through clearly, everything sounds balanced, and ambient sounds are well-represented. Range-wise, the Italian language track sounds more robust than the English language track. This release comes with two subtitle options, English and German, and the English subtitles are for the Italian language track. Though subtitles are removable, you can only disable them via the setup menu.

Extras:

Extras for this release include two image galleries: advertising (7 images - posters) and releases (5 images - home video art), Italian language trailer for Plot of Fear (Magnum 45) (3 minutes 34 seconds, Dolby Digital mono Italian, no subtitles), English language trailer for Plot of Fear (Magnum 45) (3 minutes 34 seconds, Dolby Digital mono English, no subtitles), an option to the listen to Plot of Fear’s main theme (3 minutes 54 seconds, Dolby Digital stereo), a featurette with Corinne Clery (19 minutes 27 seconds, Dolby Digital stereo Italian with removable English and German subtitles), a double-sided poster with Italian locandia and manifesto art and a media book packaging that contains a 28-page booklet with bio for composer Daniele Patucchi (text in German and English), an essay about the film written by Udo Rotenberg (text in German and English) and images from the film (lobby cards/posters).

Additionally, this release includes multilingual menus in English and German.

Summary:

Paola Cavara directed Plot of Fear. He’s known for Mondo Cane, Women of the World, The Wild Eye, and Black Belly of the Tarantula. 

An inspector’s only clue in a series of killings is that all of the victims are affluent. To unmask the killer, he must figure out what the common link that they all share is.

Although frequently categorized as an Italian thriller, Plot of Fear stands apart from typical examples of the genre. While it does utilize a common technique, the killer's perspective, the outcome aligns more closely with the Poliziotteschi genre. In fact, by the time Plot of Fear was released, the Italian thriller genre had already been eclipsed by the poliziotteschi genre, which was nearing its apex in popularity.

The cast has several familiar faces that fans of foreign and cult cinema are sure to quickly recognize. Tom Skerritt (Alien) in the role of the chief inspector in charge of the murder investigations, John Steiner (Tenebrae) in the role of a man named Hoffman (his death plays an integral part in the mystery at the heart of the film), Corinne Cléry (Hitch Hike) in the role of the protagonist’s love interest, and Eli Wallach (The Good, the Bad and the Ugly) in the role of Pietro Riccio, an underworld crime boss. All around, the cast are excellent in their roles, especially Michele Placido’s (La Orca) portrayal of Inspector Gaspare Lomenzo. The burden of solving the murder falls on his character, and he delivers an exemplary performance that enhances every moment he appears in.

The narrative does a phenomenal job drawing you in and holding your attention with a series of well-executed surprises. Paola Cavara's direction is impressive; he has a talent for crafting tense moments that propel the narrative forward. This skill is especially evident in the murder set pieces. Another area where Plot of Fear excels is Daniele Patucchi’s (Man from Deep River) score, which does a remarkable job heightening the mood. That said, Plot of Fear is a satisfying mix of two of Italian cinema’s most popular genres of the 1970s. Ultimately, while Plot of Fear often diverges from the typical conventions of these two genres, the outcome is a thrilling experience that fans of Italian thrillers and Poliziotteschi films will likely find immensely enjoyable.

Plot of Fear (Magnum 45) makes its way to Blu-ray via a strong audio/video presentation from Cineploit that comes with an insightful interview. Recommended.

Written by Michael Den Boer