All the Colors of the Dark - Severin Films (Blu-ray/CD Combo)

Theatrical Release Date: Italy, 1972
Director: Sergio Martino
Writers: Santiago Moncada, Ernesto Gastaldi, Sauro Scavolini
Cast: Edwige Fenech, George Hilton, Nieves Navarro, Ivan Rassimov

Release Date: January 29th, 2019
Approximate running time: 94 Minutes 41 Seconds
Aspect Ratio: 2.35:1 Widescreen / 1080 Progressive / MPEG-4 AVC
Rating: NR
Sound: DTS-HD Mono Italian, DTS-HD Mono English
Subtitles: English, English SDH
Region Coding: Region A
Retail Price: $34.98

"The luscious Edwige Fenech (Strip Nude for Your Killer) gives the performance of her career as a woman tormented by visions of Satanic violence, hallucinatory horror and psychosexual insanity.” – Synopsis provided by the Distributor

Video: 4.25/5

Here’s the information provided about the transfer, “a new 4k scan from the original negative.”

All the Colors of the Dark comes on a 50 GB dual layer Blu-ray.

Disc Size: 44.2 GB

Feature: 26.1 GB

The source used for this transfer is in excellent shape. Colors are nicely saturated, image clarity and black levels are strong, compression is very good, and the image retains an organic look. When compared to previous Blu-ray releases for this film, this new transfer is by far and away the best this film has looked to date on home video.

Audio: 4.25/5 (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 are in great shape. Both audio mixes are in good shape. There are no issues with distortion or background hiss; the dialog comes through clearly, and everything sounds balanced. Range-wise, this audio mix sounds robust when it needs to, and the ambient sounds are well-represented. This release comes with two subtitle options: English subtitles for the Italian language track and English SDH subtitles for the English language track.

Extras:

Extras for this release include an English language theatrical trailer under the title All the Colors of the Dark (3 minutes 2 seconds, Dolby Digital mono English, no subtitles), an English language theatrical trailer under the title They’re Coming to Get You (2 minutes 40 seconds, Dolby Digital mono English, no subtitles), a T.V. spot under the title They’re Coming to Get You (32 seconds, Dolby Digital mono English, no subtitles), an interview with actor George Hilton and Italian horror expert Antonio Tentori tilted Giallo is the Color (31 minutes 57 seconds, Dolby Digital stereo Italian with non-removable English subtitles), an interview with screenwriter Ernesto Gastaldii titled Last of The Mohicans (18 minutes 12 seconds, Dolby Digital stereo Italian with non-removable English subtitles), an interview with director Sergio Martino titled Color My Nightmare (40 minutes 16 seconds, Dolby Digital stereo Italian with non-removable English subtitles), an audio Commentary with Kat Ellinger, author of All the Colors of Sergio Martino. the alternate U.S. version of the film They’re Coming to Get You (87 minutes 18 seconds, 1.78:1 aspect ratio, Dolby Digital mono English, no subtitles), a CD that contains Bruno Nicolai’s score for All the Colors of the Dark, and a cardboard insert that has information about the twenty-nine tracks.

Summary:

Where most of his contemporaries worked in the giallo genre, the content stuck to the formula that had been laid out by films like Blood and Black Lace and The Bird with the Crystal Plumage. Sergio Martino was always looking to expand his horizons as a filmmaker. And nowhere is this more clear than in how diverse his six Giallo paintings from the 1970s are.

The screenplay for All the Colors of the Dark was written by Ernesto Gastaldi, a frequent collaborator of Sergio Martino. Ernesto Gastaldi would write or co-write the six giallo films that Sergio Martino directed in the 1970s. Other notable giallo’s also written by Ernesto Gastaldi include Death Walks at Midnight, Death Walks on High Heels, Forbidden Photos of a Lady Above Suspicion, and The Case of the Bloody Iris.

The score for All the Colors of the Dark was composed by Bruno Nicolai (a frequent collaborator of Ennio Morricone). His seductive score for All the Colors of the Dark is a key element of the film’s atmosphere, and a lesser score would definitely lessen the film’s overall impact.

Content-wise, All the Colors of the Dark is a satisfying mix of the supernatural and elements that have become synonymous with the giallo. The premise was inspired by Rosemary’s Baby, and the well-executed narrative does a superb job building tension. And from the opening dream sequence to the film’s eerie last image, Sergio Martino delivers what is arguably his most inspired film visually.

Performance wise, the cast is all very good in their respective roles, especially Edwige Fenech (The Case of the Bloody Iris) in the role of Jane Harrison, a woman whose inability to overcome a trauma from her past is causing her mental state to deteriorate. Edwige Fenech has plenty of screen time, and she never looked better than in All the Colors of the Dark.

Another performance of note includes Nieves Navarro (Emanuelle and the Last Cannibals) in the role of Jane’s sister Barbara. She delivers one of her best performances, portraying a character that is in contrast to the type of character she usually portrays. Other notable cast members include George Hilton (My Dear Killer) in the role of Jane’s boyfriend and Ivan Rassimov (Spasmo) in the role of a sinister stranger who stalks Jane. Ultimately, All the Colors of the Dark is one of the most entertaining gialli you’ll ever see.

Severin Films gives All the Colors of the Dark its best home video release to date; highly recommended.

Written by Michael Den Boer