Sukkubus – Mondo Macabro (Blu-ray)

Theatrical Release Date: West Germany, 1989
Director: Georg Tressler
Writer: Franz Seitz
Cast: Peter Simonischek, Giovanni Früh, Andy Voß, Pamela Prati

Release Date: February 8th, 2022
Approximate running time: 80 Minutes 8 Seconds
Aspect Ratio: 1.66:1 Widescreen / 1080 Progressive / MPEG-4 AVC
Rating: NR
Sound: DTS-HD Mono German
Subtitles: English
Region Coding: Region A
Retail Price: $29.95

"In the summer the three herdsmen, two adults and a young apprentice took their cattle high up on the mountains where the pastures are richer. At night, holed up in their cabin there was little for them to do. Inevitably, their thoughts turned to sex. But as they were three men… what could they do? The more reckless of the men tried it on with the young boy, but was soon put in his place by the group’s leader, who was himself combating lustful thoughts through prayer.

One day the boy finds a peculiar tree root shaped like a face. He brings it back to the hut and makes a kind of wig for it out of old straw. That night the two older men get drunk and, seeing the strange root, they decide to use it to make a life-sized female doll, using bits of old clothing, straw and wood. They baptize their creation with strong liquor and even offer it food. And then, to their shock, the doll comes to life in the form of a beautiful woman. And that’s where their nightmare really starts. Resisting their abuse of her body, the demonic doll hunts them down one by one and takes a terrible revenge." - synopsis provided by the distributor

Video: 5/5

Here’s the information provided about this release's transfer, "4K restoration of the OCN".

Sukkubus comes on a 25 GB single layer Blu-ray.

Disc Size: 21.2 GB

Feature: 16.7 GB

The source used for this transfer is the same source that Subkultur Entertainment used for their German Blu-ray release. And that source looks excellent. Colors are nicely saturated, image clarity is solid, and black levels look strong.

Audio: 5/5

This release comes with one audio option, a DTS-HD mono mix in German, and included with this release are removable English subtitles. Though this track is not very active, it excels where it matters most: the dialog and ambient sounds, which sound excellent throughout.

Extras:

Extras for this release include the Mondo Macabro’s Promo Reel, theatrical trailer (3 minutes 20 seconds, Dolby Digital mono German with removable English subtitles) and an interview with actor Peter Simonischek (29 minutes 31 seconds, Dolby Digital stereo German with removable English subtitles).

Summary:

Sukkubus is a German horror film whose narrative explores rituals and traditions and the consequences of breaking said rituals and traditions. There’s an opening text about folklore that this film’s premise is based on. The narrative revolves around three herdsmen and their solitary lives living in a remote mountain location. Things then take a turn for the worse when two of the men, one night when they are drunk, make a woman out of wood and other items lying around their home that comes alive. From there, the three herdsmen find themselves the prey of the sukkubus they brought to life.

From its opening moments, Sukkubus’ narrative does a great job of building momentum to a final act that culminates with a fantastic ending. The visuals are filled with atmosphere, and setting the story at hand in a remote location helps reinforce the mounting tension. The performances are very good, especially Pamela Prati’s convincing portrayal of the sukkubus. Needless to say, the eerie scenes with the sukkubus deliver and then some. Ultimately, Sukkubus is a well-crafted film that fans of folklore horror are sure to enjoy.

Sukkubus gets an excellent release from Mondo Macabro that comes with a solid audio/video presentation and an informative interview, recommended.

Written by Michael Den Boer