Malabimba - Vinegar Syndrome (Blu-ray/DVD Combo)

Theatrical Release Date: Italy, 1979
Director: Andrea Bianchi
Writer: Piero Regnoli
Cast: Katell Laennec, Patrizia Webley, Enzo Fisichella, Giuseppe Maroccu, Elisa Mainardi, Giancarlo Del Duca, Pupita Lea, Mariangela Giordano, Claudio Zucchet

Release Date: March 31st, 2020
Approximate running time: 100 Minutes 28 Seconds
Aspect Ratio: 1.85:1 Widescreen / 1080 Progressive / MPEG-4 AVC
Rating: NR
Sound: DTS-HD Mono Italian
Subtitles: English
Region Coding: Region Free
Retail Price: $32.98

"Bimba (Katell Laennec) lives in a gothic castle with her parents. However, when her mother dies under mysterious circumstances while involved in a seance, Bimba begins acting in increasingly strange and perverted ways. With her father at a loss for what to do, he invites a beautiful nun into the castle to try and get her under control. However the sister soon suspects that Bimba has become possessed by an insatiable, sex starved demon which will stop at nothing, including murder, to fulfill its depraved and unholy desires.” – Synopsis provided by the Distributor

Video: 4.25/5

Here’s the information provided about this release's transfer, "Newly scanned & restored in 2k from its 16mm original negative".

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

Disc Size: 30 GB

Feature: 27.8 GB

Here’s additional information provided about the transfer, “The long unseen Super 16mm camera negative to Malabimba was scanned in Rome by Eurolab, the only laboratory authorized by the rights holder. The negative had suffered extensive handling damage and was poorly stored, resulting in mold as well as some moisture-based flicker. Although we spent well over 100 hours removing thousands of instances of damage, many sections were too severely impacted to restore to our normal standards. In addition, for some segments the audio is video sourced as no matching sound elements could be located.”

Though there are some instances of source-related imperfections, none of these imperfections are intrusive. Details look crisp, colors look very good, black levels fare well, and grain remains intact. That said, considering the limitations of the source, Vinegar Syndrome has done a remarkable job.

Audio: 3.75/5

This release comes with one audio option, a DTS-HD mono mix in Italian, and included with this release are removable English subtitles. The audio is in great shape; the dialog comes through clearly and everything sounds balanced.

Extras:

Extras for this release include reversible cover art, a German promotional still gallery, a theatrical trailer (4 minutes 8 seconds, Dolby Digital mono Italian with non-removable English subtitles), an archival featurette titled Malabimba Uncovered (16 minutes 55 seconds, Dolby Digital mono Italian with non-removable English subtitles) and an audio commentary with film historians/authors Samm Deighan, Heather Drain, and Kat Ellinger.

Included with this release is a DVD that has the same content as the Blu-ray included as part of this combo.

It should be noted that there was a limited-edition slipcover that is not OOP.

Summary:

The story of Malabimba, like many Italian films from this era, borrows heavily from a successful American production, and in this case, the film being cannibalized is The Exorcist. In two main things, like the two films, the possession of a teenage girl and a priest (The Exorcist) or a nun (Malabimba), perform the last exorcism rights. With that being said, the rest of Malabimba is overflowing with elements that have become synonymous with Andrea Bianchi.

If you are looking for bloodshed or moments of fright, then look elsewhere. Malabimba is a film that’s all about atmosphere, and its best moments are erotic in nature. With Malabimba’s best moment being the scene where Daniela and Sister Sofia get to know each other better by exploring every inch of their bodies.

However, the cast are all more than adequate. Ultimately, it is the film’s two leading women who steal the show, especially Katell Laennec in the role of Daniela (Bimba). Where lack of experience can work against an actress, it actually works in her favor. The other performance of note is Mariangela Giordano (Giallo a Venezia) in the role of Sister Sofia.

There are two versions of Malabimba: a one-hundred-minute version that has hardcore content and an eighty-eight-minute version that omits the hardcore content. Despite the fact that the twelve-minutes are mostly comprised of hardcore content, its inclusion ultimately further enhances the story at hand. Ultimately, Malabimba is a delirious slice of Euro-sleaze cinema that fans of depraved cinema should thoroughly enjoy.

Malabimba gets a definitive release from Vinegar Syndrome, highly recommended.

Written by Michael Den Boer