House on the Edge of the Park – 88 Films (4k UHD/Blu-ray Combo)

Theatrical Release Date: Italy, 1980
Director: Ruggero Deodato
Writers: Gianfranco Clerici, Vincenzo Mannino
Cast: David Hess, Annie Belle, Christian Borromeo, Giovanni Lombardo Radice, Marie Claude Joseph, Gabriele Di Giulio, Lorraine De Selle, Karoline Mardeck, Brigitte Petronio

Release Date: February 27th, 2023
Approximate Running Time: 91 Minutes 37 Seconds
Aspect Ratio: 1.85:1 Widescreen / 2160 Progressive / HEVC / H.265 / Dolby Vision HDR10
Rating: 18 (UK)
Sound: LPCM Mono Italian, LPCM Mono English
Subtitles: English
Region Coding: Region Free (4K UHD), Region B (Blu-ray)
Retail Price: £24.99 (UK)

"When two low-lives gate crash a party, and are mocked by the posh hosts they decide to get their revenge by subjecting the guests to various forms of torture and violence." - synopsis provided by the distributor

Video: 4.5/5 (4K UHD), 4.25/5 (Blu-ray)

Here’s the information provided about this release's transfer, "Brand new 4K Remaster from the original negatives".

House on the Edge of the Park comes on a 66 GB dual layer 4K UHD.

Disc Size: 61 GB

Feature: 60.2 GB

The source used for this transfer is in great shape, and any source imperfections have been cleaned up. Image clarity, contrast, and black levels are strong, and the image retains an organic look. That said, it appears that the framing is tighter for 88 Film's release than Severin’s release.

House on the Edge of the Park comes on a 50 GB dual layer Blu-ray.

Disc Size: 39.4 GB

Feature: 26.8 GB

The Blu-ray uses the same source as the 4K UHD does for its transfer.

Audio: 4.25/5 (LPCM Mono Italian), 4/5 (LPCM Mono English)

This release comes with two audio options, a LPCM mono mix in Italian and a LPCM mono mix in English. The main theme during the opening credits has some sibilance issues, and there is a moment during the English language track when David Hess’ character's dialog is out of sync. Dialog always comes through clearly, and everything sounds balanced. Also, the Italian language track sounds slightly fuller than the English language track. Included are removable English subtitles for the Italian language track.

Extras:

Extras on the 4K UHD disc include a theatrical trailer (2 minutes 41 seconds, LPCM mono English, no subtitles), and an audio commentary with David Flint and Adrian Smith, and an audio commentary with Zoe Smith and Rebecca McCallum.

Extras on the Blu-ray disc include a theatrical trailer (2 minutes 41 seconds, LPCM mono English, no subtitles), an interview with production designer Massimo Antonello Geleng titled Geleng’s House of Horrors (8 minutes 43 seconds, Dolby Digital stereo Italian with removable English subtitles), an interview with Massimo Antonello Geleng titled Geleng’s Park (18 minutes 48 seconds, Dolby Digital stereo Italian with removable English subtitles), an interview with cinematographer Sergio D’Offizi titled A True Professional (17 minutes 6 seconds, Dolby Digital stereo Italian with removable English subtitles), an interview with director Ruggero Deodato titled On the Edge (31 minutes 7 seconds, Dolby Digital stereo Italian with removable English subtitles), an audio commentary with David Flint and Adrian Smith, and an audio commentary with Zoe Smith and Rebecca McCallum.

Other extras include reversible cover art, a slipcase (limited to first pressing), A3 fold-out poster (limited to first pressing), and a 12-page booklet (limited to first pressing) with an essay titled The Road Leads to Nowhere: From The Virgin Spring to House on the Edge of the Park written by Sean Hogan.

Summary:

Directed by Ruggero Deodato, House on the Edge of the Park was shot back-to-back with the notorious Cannibal Holocaust. These films are a pair of grim-in-your-face films in which the violence is pushed to its limits. Also, both of these films were produced by Franco Di Nunzio and Franco Palaggi, whose output as producers after these films is limited to a few films.

Italian genre cinema has a long history of appropriating elements from American films. And in the case of House on the Edge of the Park, it is Wes Craven’s The Last House on the Left that serves as its main inspiration. And to further solidify its connection to The Last House on the Left, House on the Edge of the Park shares one of its actors, David Hess (Hitch-Hike).

The narrative revolves around two deviants: a psychopath named Alex and his passive friend Ricky, who gets a kick out of watching Alex’s sadistic side. Through a chance encounter, these two friends are invited to a bourgeois party. Shortly after their arrival, they start to revert to their animal instincts when it becomes clear that those throwing the party are mocking them.

Before any characters are introduced, House on the Edge of the Park dives in headfirst with a graphic rape scene that perfectly sets the stage for the events that follow. From there, the narrative does a good job building up tension, and the finale provides a very satisfying conclusion.

Though the entire cast is very good in their roles. It is David Hess in the role of Alex and Giovanni Lombardo Radice (Cannibal Ferox) in the role of Ricky. They have a solid chemistry. Other notable cast members include Annie Belle (Absurd) and Lorraine De Selle (The Wild Beasts), in the roles of two bourgeois women who become the focal points of Alex and Ricky.

Though The Last House on the Left is the starting point from which House on the Edge of the Park’s premise came, The result is a film that actually stands apart from its influences, and nowhere is this more evident than when it comes to Ruggero Deodato’s direction. Another strength of House on the Edge of the Park is composer Riz Ortolani’s (Don't Torture a Duckling) magnificent score, which features a bouncy uptempo song and a sweet song that perfectly contrast the violence occurring on screen. Ultimately, House on the Edge of the Park has an ample amount of nudity, depravity, and carnage, making it a must-see film if you're a fan of 1970s and 1980s Italian exploitation cinema.

House on the Edge of the Park is a film that has yet to get a flawless release. And though there are a few areas where this release falls short, all other available releases have issues of their own. House on the Edge of the Park makes its way to 4K UHD via a good release from 88 Films that comes with a strong video presentation and a wealth of insightful extras.

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