Bloody Pit of Horror – Severin Films (Blu-ray)

Theatrical Release Date: Italy, 1965
Director: Massimo Pupillo
Writers: Romano Migliorini, Roberto Natale
Cast: Mickey Hargitay, Walter Brandi, Luisa Baratto, Ralph Zucker, Rita Klein, Alfredo Rizzo, Barbara Nelli, Moa Tahi, Femi Benussi, Nando Angelini, Albert Gordon, Gino Turini, Roberto Messina

Release Date: February 22nd, 2022
Approximate Running Time: 86 Minutes 27 Seconds
Aspect Ratio: 1.85:1 Widescreen / 1080 Progressive / MPEG-4 AVCC
Rating: NR
Sound: DTS-HD Mono Italian, DTS-HD Mono English
Subtitles: English, English SDH
Region Coding: Region Free
Retail Price: $29.95

"When the crew of a saucy photoshoot breaks into an abandoned castle, they will unleash the madness of the male-body-obsessed owner (muscleman Mickey Hargitay in the WTF? performance of his career) who is possessed by the vengeful spirit of a 16th century torturer." - synopsis provided by the distributor

Video: 4.25/5

Here’s the information provided about this release's transfer, "scanned in eye-stabbingly stunning 2K from the original uncut negative recently discovered in a Rome lab vault."

Bloody Pit of Horror comes on a 25 GB single layer Blu-ray.

Disc Size: 22.2 GB

Feature: 21.6 GB

The source used for this transfer looks fantastic, and it is a massive upgrade when compared to the Something Weird Videos DVD release. Colors are nicely saturated and sometimes vivid, and image clarity and black levels look strong throughout.

Audio: 4/5 (DTS-HD Mono Italian, 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. Both audio mixes sound great. Dialog comes through clearly, and everything sounds balanced. Included with this release are removable English subtitles for the Italian language track and removable English SDH subtitles for the English language track.

Extras:

Extras for this release include a limited-edition slipcover, Something Weird Videos trailer for Bloody Pit of Horror (1 minute 34 seconds, Dolby Digital mono English, no subtitles), two alternate opening sequences under the titles, Blood Pit of Horror and A Tale of Torture (4 minutes 33 seconds, Dolby Digital mono) and an audio Commentary With Filmmaker David DeCoteau And Film Historian David Del Valle.

Summary:

Bloody Pit of Horror was directed by Massimo Pupillo, a filmmaker whose filmography is brief. Notable films he directed include Terror-Creatures from the Grave, Lady Morgan's Vengeance, and Django Kills Softly.

Bloody Pit of Horror is a classic example of low-budget Italian cinema of the 1960’s and 1970’s that was made on a shoestring budget. That said, despite its anemic resources, Bloody Pit of Horror is a film that far exceeds its resources.

When discussing Bloody Pit of Horror, everything begins and ends with its leading man, Mickey Hargitay’s portrayal of the protagonist, The Crimson Executioner. Who delivers a mesmerizing performance in which he fully engulfs himself in his character's insane mind? That said, the rest of the cast's performances are not in the same league as Mickey Hargitay’s performance.

Reportedly, Bloody Pit of Horror was inspired by the Marquis de Sade's writings. And though there are some elements, like the torture devices that appear in Bloody Pit of Horror that have a De Sade vibe, when compared to other Marquis de Sade-inspired films, Bloody Pit of Horror is very tame.

The most surprising aspect of Bloody Pit of Horror is how effectively it uses humor. Most notably, the ridiculous photoshoot sequences. Also, Bloody Pit of Horror has an ample amount of eye candy. Ultimately, Bloody Pit of Horror is an unusual Italian genre film that is truly a film that's in a genre unto its own.

Bloody Pit of Horror gets a first-rate release from Severin Films that comes with a solid audio/video presentation and an informative audio commentary, highly recommended.

Written by Michael Den Boer