Eugenie... The Story of Her Journey Into Perversion – Blue Underground (4k UHD/Blu-ray Combo)

Theatrical Release Date: Spain/West Germany, 1970
Director: Jesús Franco
Writer: Harry Alan Towers
Cast: Maria Rohm, Marie Liljedahl, Jack Taylor, Christopher Lee, Paul Muller

Release Date: February 21st, 2023
Approximate Running Time: 87 Minutes
Aspect Ratio: 2.35:1 Widescreen / 2160 Progressive / HEVC / H.265 / Dolby Vision HDR10
Rating: NR
Sound: DTS-HD Mono English, DTS-HD Mono French
Subtitles: English SDH, French, Spanish
Region Coding: Region Free
Retail Price: $49.95

"Marie Liljedahl (the luscious star of INGA) is Eugenie, an innocent young woman taken to an island paradise where she is initiated into a world of pleasure and pain controlled by the sinister Dolmance (the legendary Christopher Lee). But when she surrenders to her own forbidden fantasies, Eugenie becomes trapped in a frenzy of drugs, sadomasochism and murder. Can a frightened girl in the grip of carnal perversion find sanctuary in the orgies of the depraved?" - synopsis provided by the distributor

Video: 5/5 (4K UHD), 4.5/5 (Blu-ray)

Here’s the information provided about the transfer, "brand-new 4K restoration from the uncensored original camera negative."

Eugenie... The Story of Her Journey Into Perversion comes on a 66 GB dual layer 4K UHD

Disc Size: 59.6 GB

Feature: 54.6 GB

Those who were dissatisfied with Blue Underground's 2015 transfer should be very pleased with this brand new 4K restoration. Colors are nicely saturated and at times vivid; flesh tones look healthy, and the image looks crisp (there are some intentional soft focus shots that are not as crisp). Also, black levels and compression are solid, and the image retains an organic look.

Eugenie... The Story of Her Journey Into Perversion comes on a 50 GB dual layer Blu-ray.

Disc Size: 31.4 GB

Feature: 20.5 GB

The Blu-ray included as part of this release uses the same source that was used for the 4K UHD’s transfer.

Audio: 4.5/5 (DTS-HD Mono English)

This release comes with two audio options, a DTS-HD mono mix in English and a DTS-HD mono mix in French. For this review, I only listened to the English language track. There are no issues with distortion or background noise; the dialog comes through clearly; everything sounds balanced; and the score sounds appropriately robust. This release comes with three subtitle options: English SDH, French, and Spanish.

Extras:

Extras for this release include a poster & still gallery (148 images), a English language theatrical trailer (3 minutes 25 seconds, DTS-HD mono English, no subtitles), an archival featurette titled Perversion Stories (17 minutes 32 seconds, Dolby Digital stereo English and French with removable English subtitles), an archival interview with Stephen Thrower, author of Murderous Passions: The Delirious Cinema of Jesus Franco (18 minutes 9 seconds, Dolby Digital stereo English, no subtitles), an interview with actor Jack Taylor titled Jack Taylor in the Francoverse (24 minutes 43 seconds, Dolby Digital stereo Spanish with non-removable English subtitles), an audio Commentary with film hHistorians Nathaniel Thompson and Troy Howarth, and a slipcover (limited to first pressing).

Summary:

Over the course of three years, Jess Franco would collaborate with producer Harry Allen Towers on a total of nine films. With Eugenie... the Story of Her Journey into Perversion is their seventh collaboration and their second adaption of the literary works of the Marquise de Sade. And once again, the screenplay would be written by Harry Allan Towers under the pseudonym Peter Welbeck.

Whereas their previous Marquise de Sade adaptation, Justine, was an epic in scope, this one is a costume drama set in the 18th century. This time around, they would set the story at hand during the present and give it a more intimate setting. Fortunately, these changes greatly added to Jess Franco's vision and not a more sanitized version for the masses like its predecessor. That said, Eugenie... the Story of Her Journey into Perversion is clearly the superior of the two Jess Franco/Harry Allen Towers-De Sade adaptions.

The first thing that strikes you about Eugenie... the Story of Her Journey into Perversion in comparison to Marquis de Sade's Justine is how much more explicit of an adaptation it is. And nowhere is this more evident than in its graphic deception of sexuality and sadness. Eugenie: The Story of Her Journey into Perversion's key moment of depravity is a scene where Eugenie's will is finally broken by Madame Saint Ange and her stepbrother. Also, while watching Eugenie... the Story of Her Journey into Perversion, one can clearly see themes which would dominate Jess Franco's cinema from the 1970's and beyond.

From a production standpoint, Eugenie... the Story of Her Journey into Perversion is filled with gorgeous visuals and many moments that are filled with a tremendous amount of atmosphere. And when it comes to this film's two leading ladies, Jess Franco does not waste a moment to showcase their more than ample assets. One of the best moments in this regard is a scene where Madame Saint Ange helps Eugenie as she is taking a bath. Another strength of Eugenie... the Story of Her Journey into Perversion is that when it comes to pacing, it is never an issue as things are always moving forward.

From a casting perspective, Eugenie... the Story of Her Journey into Perversion features another strong ensemble cast and, more importantly, a more inspired choice in regards to the casting of Marie Liljedahl (Inga) in the role of the protagonist Eugenie. She delivers a captivating performance that finds just the right balance between naivety and decadent behavior. Another remarkable performance includes Maria Rohm (Venus in Furs) in the role of Madame Saint Ange. She is Eugenie's father's mistress. Other notable cast members include Paul Muller (Eugenie De Sade) as Eugenie's father, Jack Taylor (Succubus) as Madame Saint Ange's step brother, and Christopher Lee (Count Dracula) as Dolmance, who serves as a narrator for Eugenie's journey.

Eugenie... the Story of Her Journey into Perversion is brought to 4K UHD by Blue Underground in an exceptional release that includes solid audio/video presentation and a wealth of insightful extras; highly recommended.

Note about the 4K screenshots: It is not possible to make Dolby Vision or HDR10 screenshots that faithfully match the experience of watching a film in motion on a TV. Instead of not having any screenshots, all of the 4K screenshots are m2ts taken with a VLC player and lossless PNGs.

Written by Michael Den Boer