Camille Keaton in Italy (Madeleine/Tragic Ceremony/Sex of the Witch) – Vinegar Syndrome (Blu-ray)

Theatrical Release Dates: Italy, 1974 (Madeleine), Italy, 1972 (Tragic Ceremony), Italy, 1973 (Sex of the Witch)
Directors: Roberto Mauri (Madeleine), Riccardo Freda (Tragic Ceremony), Angelo Pannacciò (Sex of the Witch)
Cast: Camille Keaton, Riccardo Salvino, Pier Maria Rossi, Paola Senatore, Silvano Tranquilli (Madeleine), Camille Keaton, Tony Isbert, Máximo Valverde, Luigi Pistilli, Luciana Paluzzi, Paul Muller (Tragic Ceremony), Susanna Levi, Jessica Dublin, Sergio Ferrero, Camille Keaton, Franco Garofalo, Donald O'Brien (Sex of the Witch)

Release Date: October 26th, 2021
Approximate Running Times: 102 Minutes 35 Seconds (Madeleine), 87 Minutes 14 Seconds (Tragic Ceremony), 95 Minutes 17 Seconds (Sex of the Witch)
Aspect Ratio: 2.35:1 Widescreen / 1080 Progressive / MPEG-4 AVC (Madeleine, Sex of the Witch), 1.85:1 Widescreen / 1080 Progressive / MPEG-4 AVC (Tragic Ceremony)
Rating: NR
Sound: DTS-HD Mono English (Madeleine), DTS-HD Mono Italian (Tragic Ceremony, Sex of the Witch)
Subtitles: English (Tragic Ceremony, Sex of the Witch), English SDH (Madeleine)
Region Coding: Region Free
Retail Price: $79.98

"Madeleine has just endured a traumatizing miscarriage. Finding herself increasingly lost in bizarre nightmares, she begins to question her life and happiness, taking refuge in extra marital affairs and unstoppable hedonism. But how long can she hide from reality before the brutal consequences of her actions catch up to her?

A foursome of young friends, enjoying themselves in the countryside, happen upon a secluded villa. Believing the place to be empty, they decide to investigate, only to stumble upon a grisly, in progress satanic rite. Barely escaping with their lives, it's not long before evil forces begin to torment them...

The wealthy patriarch of the Hilton family has just died, and his heirs have gathered at the family castle to collect on their inheritances. However, it's not long before a black clad killer strikes, bumping off several members of the Hilton clan, in gruesome fashion. As the police begin their investigation, long buried secrets are revealed, including curses and connections to black magic." - synopsis provided by the distributor

Video: 4.5/5 (Madeleine), 4/5 (Tragic Ceremony), 4.25/5 (Sex of the Witch)

Here’s the information provided about Madeleine's transfer, "Newly scanned & restored in 4k from its 35mm original camera negative."

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

Disc Size: 37.1 GB

Feature: 28.4 GB

The source used for this transfer is in excellent shape; colors are nicely saturated, image clarity and black levels are solid throughout, and grain remains intact.

Here’s the information provided about Tragic Ceremony's transfer, "Newly scanned & restored in 2k from its 35mm original camera negative."

Tragic Ceremony comes on a 25 GB single layer Blu-ray.

Disc Size: 22.5 GB

Feature: 21.4 GB

The source used for this transfer looks great, and any source-related debris is minimal. Colors look correct, the image looks crisp, black levels are strong throughout and the grain remains intact.

Here’s the information provided about Sex of the Witch's transfer, "Newly scanned & restored in 2k from its 35mm original camera negative."

Sex of the Witch comes on a 25 GB single layer Blu-ray.

Disc Size: 23 GB

Feature: 21.9 GB

Outside of one sequence, the source used for this transfer looks excellent. Color saturation, image clarity, and black levels are solid throughout, and the grain remains intact.

Audio: 4.25/5 (Madeleine), 4/5 (Tragic Ceremony, Sex of the Witch)

Madeleine comes with one audio option, a DTS-HD mono mix in English, and included with this film are removable English SDH subtitles. The audio is in great shape; the dialog comes through clearly and everything sounds balanced. Range-wise, ambient sounds and the score sound appropriately robust. It should be noted that there are two lines of dialog at the end of the film that are only in Italian, and this release comes with a second English subtitle track that translates this dialog.

Tragic Ceremony comes with one audio option, a DTS-HD mono mix in Italian, and included with this film are removable English subtitles. The audio is in good shape; dialog comes through clearly, everything sounds balanced, and ambient sounds are well-represented.

Sex of the Witch comes with one audio option, a DTS-HD mono mix in Italian, and included with this film are removable English subtitles. The audio is in good shape; dialog comes through clearly, everything sounds balanced, and ambient sounds are well-represented.

Extras:

Extras for Madeleine include reversible cover art, Camille Keaton still gallery (40 images-stills/home video art/posters/lobby cards/magazine covers), theatrical trailer (4 minutes 2 seconds, Dolby Digital mono English with removable English SDH subtitles), alternate Italian ‘Burning Baby’ sequence (3 minutes 14 seconds, Dolby Digital mono Italian with removable English subtitles), audio essay by film historian and critic Rachael Nisbet (23 minutes 11 seconds, Dolby Digital stereo English, no subtitles), an interview with actress Camille Keaton titled Passport to Kill (26 minutes 12 seconds, Dolby Digital stereo English with removable English SDH subtitles) and an audio commentary with Camille Keaton and Art Ettinger.

Extras for Tragic Ceremony include reversible cover art, Camille Keaton still gallery (40 images-stills/home video art/posters/lobby cards/magazine covers), an archival interview with Camille Keaton titled Camille’s European Adventures (13 minutes 10 seconds, Dolby Digital stereo English with removable English subtitles) and an audio commentary with film historian and author Samm Deighan.

Extras for Sex of the Witch include reversible cover art, Camille Keaton still gallery (40 images-stills/home video art/posters/lobby cards/magazine covers), theatrical trailer (4 minutes 24 seconds, Dolby Digital mono Italian with removable English subtitles) and an audio commentary with film historian and author Kat Ellinger.

Summary:

Madeleine: Cinema has a long history of blurring the lines between reality and fantasy. And though it's easy to say that you saw where things were going, after the moment of truth arrives, it’s safe to say that Madeleine’s twist ending is something that few could have seen coming.

Madeleine opens with a trippy sequence where the protagonist is chased by five women who are chasing her through the woods. This sequence is overflowing with atmosphere. Fog and slow motion enhance an already eerie forest location. Also, this sequence, like many that follow, features rapid editing and juxtaposition of images that hold clues to the protagonist's psyche.

It should not come as a surprise that the visuals play a significant role in the story at hand. When it comes to Italian cinema, visuals are an area where they always excel. Madeleine has rock-solid visuals that take advantage of the scope frame. Another strength is Maurizio Vandelli’s excellent score, which perfectly reinforces the protagonist's state of mind.

The heart and soul of Madeleine is Camille Keaton’s portrayal of the protagonist. She delivers what is arguably her strongest performance. Also, her character spends a large portion of screen time topless or nude. Another performance of note is that of Paola Senatore (Emanuelle in America) in the role of a party guest whose striptease is hypnotic. Ultimately, Madeleine is an exceptional psychological thriller that saves its most jarring moment for the finale.

Tragic Ceremony: Though Riccardo Freda had a long career that spanned four decades, it’s hard to look past how uneven his filmography was. That said, he did direct a few genre classics, most notably in the Gothic horror genre.

This is despite the fact that Tragic Ceremony contains many elements associated with Gothic horror cinema. The result is something closer to a melodrama, with some supernatural elements. The opening setup feels like a completely different film than what it eventually becomes once the four friends arrive at a mysterious mansion after their car runs out of gas.

The narrative is best described as minimal. Fortunately, Tragic Ceremony is all about atmosphere, which makes any of its narrative shortcomings easy to forgive. Tragic Ceremony’s crude-looking special effects were created by three-time Oscar winner Carlo Rambaldi (A Lizard in a Woman's Skin, Possession).

Visuals are the area where Tragic Ceremony excels the most. Standout moments visually include a scene where Camille Keaton’s character wanders by candlelight in her nightgown, a Satanic ritual scene, and a WTF finale that perfectly encapsulates what has just unfolded.

Performance-wise, the majority of the cast are at best adequate in their respective roles. The film’s protagonist, Jane, is portrayed by Camille Keaton, who gives a performance that at times is reminiscent of her performance in What Have They Done to Solange? The film’s standout performance comes from Luciana Paluzzi (The Green Slime). She has been cast in the role of Lady Alexander, the ringleader of the satanic cult.

Reportedly, Riccardo Freda was so unhappy with the final product that he later disowned it. And though there is no denying that Tragic Ceremony has a multitude of problems, there is also an oddly endearing quality to the story at hand.

Sex of the Witch: Though Sex of the Witch has many elements that are synonymous with the Giallo genre, the result is a film that can't make up its mind if it wants to be a softcore sex film or a Giallo. With sex sequences taking up large portions of the narrative, the score also suffers from indecision. The musical motifs range from whimsical to the type of music that one would expect from a Giallo.

After an initial setup that sets in motion a story about a wealthy family whose patriarch passes away and leaves a large sum of money, there’s an abrupt tonal shift after the first of many sex scenes. And though there are moments that try to evoke a sinister tone, it's hard to take these moments seriously when they are often followed by another sex sequence. And to top everything off, Sex of the Witch has a WTF ending that’s oddly appropriate considering the events that preceded it.

None of the performances left a lasting impression. Notable cast members are Donald O'Brien (Zombie Holocaust), playing against type in the role of a police inspector, and Camille Keaton, in the role of Ann, one of the heirs to the Hilton fortune. It should be noted that she has limited screen time. Also, the poster art looks suspiciously like the same poster art used for Byleth: The Demon of Incest. There’s actually a scene in Sex of the Witch with Camille Keaton that matches the poster image.

Having a collection of films whose only connection is an actor can be a mixed bag. Fortunately, the positives outweigh the negatives. That said, two out of three isn’t bad. With this release, the crown jewels are Madeleine and

Camille Keaton in Italy is another first-rate release from Vinegar Syndrome that comes with solid audio/video presentations and insightful extras for each film, recommended.

Written by Michael Den Boer