Danza Macabra Volume One: The Italian Gothic Collection - Severin Films (Blu-ray)

Theatrical Release Dates: Italy, 1964 (The Monster of the Opera), Italy, 1965 (The Seventh Grave), Italy/Spain, 1970 (Scream of the Demon Lover), Italy, 1971 (Lady Frankenstein)
Directors: Renato Polselli (The Monster of the Opera), Garibaldi Serra Caracciolo (The Seventh Grave), José Luis Merino (Scream of the Demon Lover), Mel Welles (Lady Frankenstein)
Cast: Marco Mariani, Giuseppe Addobbati, Barbara Hawards, Alberto Archetti, Carla Cavalli, Aldo Nicodemi, Jody Excell (The Monster of the Opera), Stefania Nelli, Nando Angelini, Armando Guarnieri, Bruna Baini, Antonio Casale, Germana Dominici, Ferruccio Viotti, Gianni Dei, Umberto Borsato (The Seventh Grave), Erna Schurer, Carlos Quiney, Agostina Belli, Cristiana Galloni, Antonio Jiménez Escribano, Mariano Vidal Molina (Scream of the Demon Lover), Joseph Cotten, Rosalba Neri, Paul Muller, Riccardo Pizzuti, Herbert Fux, Renate Kasché, Mickey Hargitay (Lady Frankenstein)

Release Date: May 30th, 2019
Approximate running times: 84 Minutes 19 Seconds (The Monster of the Opera), 77 Minutes 29 Seconds (The Seventh Grave), 98 Minutes 19 Seconds (Scream of the Demon Lover), 99 Minutes 7 Seconds (Lady Frankenstein)
Aspect Ratio: 1.66:1 Widescreen / 1080 Progressive / MPEG-4 AVC (The Monster of the Opera, The Seventh Grave), 1.78:1 Widescreen / 1080 Progressive / MPEG-4 AVC (Lady Frankenstein), 1.85:1 Widescreen / 1080 Progressive / MPEG-4 AVC (Scream of the Demon Lover)
Rating: NR
Sound: DTS-HD Mono Italian (All Films), DTS-HD Mono English (Scream of the Demon Lover, Lady Frankenstein)
Subtitles: English (The Monster of the Opera, The Seventh Grave, Lady Frankenstein), English SDH (Scream of the Demon Lover, Lady Frankenstein)
Region Coding: Region Free (The Seventh Grave, Lady Frankenstein), Region A (The Monster of the Opera, Scream of the Demon Lover)
Retail Price: $99.95

"In a genre known for its castles, crypts and candelabras, Italian Gothic also embraced themes of violence, madness, and sexual deviance. With these 4 films, those impulses dare to go even deeper: In 1964’s The Monster of the Opera, director Renato Polselli and screenwriter Ernesto Gastaldi craft a surreal erotic shocker set within a contemporary dance troupe. Perhaps the genre’s rarest film, the berserk supernatural narrative of 1965’s The Seventh Grave also makes it among the strangest. For 1970’s Scream of the Demon Lover, director José Luis Merino gathers classic traditions, then strips them naked and ties them to a torture rack. And 1971’s Lady Frankenstein delivers iconic EuroCult talent on both sides of the camera for one of the most luridly entertaining shockers of the decade." - synopsis provided by the distributor

Video: 4.5/5 (Lady Frankenstein), 4.25/5 (The Monster of the Opera), 4/5 (The Seventh Grave), 3.75/5 (Scream of the Demon Lover)

Here’s the information provided about the transfer, "now scanned in 2K from the original negative."

The Monster of the Opera comes on a 50 GB dual layer Blu-ray.

Disc Size: 34.8 GB

Feature: 24 GB

The source used for The Monster of the Opera’s transfer is in excellent shape. Image clarity, contrast, shadow detail, and gray levels are solid, compression is very good, and the image always looks organic.

Here’s the information provided about the transfer, "now scanned in 2K from the recently discovered negative."

The Seventh Grave comes on a 25 GB single layer Blu-ray.

Disc Size: 22.2 GB

Feature: 20 GB

Though the source used for this mostly looks great, there is some source-related damage that is never too distracting. Image clarity, contrast, and black levels are strong; compression is very good; and grain remains intact.

Here’s the information provided about the transfer, "now scanned in 4K from the negative for the first time ever. "

Scream of the Demon Lover comes on a 50 GB dual layer Blu-ray.

Disc Size: 38.8 GB

Feature: 29.5 GB

There is a disclaimer before the film that does a great job explaining the limitations of the source used for this transfer. That said, this transfer looks very good most of the time, and though there are source imperfections, they are not too distracting. Colors and flesh tones look correct, the image generally looks crisp, black levels are strong, compression is very good, and though grain remains intact, there are many times it looks thick.

Here’s the information provided about the transfer, "now scanned in 2K from the original negative."

Lady Frankenstein comes on a 50 GB dual layer Blu-ray.

Disc Size: 42.9 GB

Feature: 30.2 GB

Lady Frankenstein has the best-looking transfer; in fact, there are times when it looks excellent. Flesh tones look healthy, colors are vibrant, contrast, image clarity, and black levels are solid, compression is very good, and the image always looks organic.

Audio: 4.5/5 (DTS-HD Mono Italian - Lady Frankenstein, DTS-HD Mono English - Lady Frankenstein), 4/5 (DTS-HD Mono Italian - The Monster of the Opera, DTS-HD Mono Italian - The Seventh Grave, DTS-HD Mono Italian - Scream of the Demon Lover, DTS-HD Mono English - Scream of the Demon Lover)

All four films come with a DTS-HD mono mix in Italian. Only The Monster of the Opera, The Seventh Grave, and Lady Frankenstein come with removable English for the Italian language track. Scream of the Demon Lover and Lady Frankenstein also come with a DTS-HD mono mix in English. Both of these films come with removable English SDH for the English-language tracks. Quality-wise, all of the audio tracks are in good shape. Dialog always comes through clearly, ambient sounds are well represented, and everything sounds balanced. That said, The Monster of the Opera, The Seventh Grave, and Scream of the Demon Lover are limited range-wise. Both audio tracks for Lady Frankenstein sound noticeably more robust than the other audio tracks.

Extras:

Extras for The Monster of the Opera include a French theatrical trailer (2 minutes 29 seconds, Dolby Digital mono French with removable English subtitles), an interview with screenwriter Ernesto Gastaldi titled Terror at the Opera (30 minutes 30 seconds, Dolby Digital stereo Italian with removable English subtitles), an archival audio interview with director Renato Polselli titled Radio Polselli (21 minutes 30 seconds, Dolby Digital stereo Italian with removable English subtitles), an interview with Italian film devotee Mark Thompson-Ashworth titled Capodimonte Gothic (14 minutes 22 seconds, Dolby Digital stereo English, no subtitles), and an audio commentary with Kat Ellinger, author of Daughters of Darkness.

Extras for The Seventh Grave include an interview with film historian Fabio Melelli titled Seven Graves and a Mystery (12 minutes 52 seconds, Dolby Digital stereo Italian with removable English subtitles), a video essay titled English Aesthetic With Giallo Blood by Gothic scholar and author Rachel Knightley (14 minutes 43 seconds, Dolby Digital stereo English, no subtitles), and an audio commentary with Rachael Nisbet, film critic and co-host of Fragments of Fear.

Extras for Scream of the Demon Lover include a theatrical trailer (2 minutes 53 seconds, Dolby Digital mono English, no subtitles), an interview with actress Erna Schurer titled Scream Erna Scream! (19 minutes 18 seconds, Dolby Digital stereo Italian with removable English subtitles), a video essay titled In The Castle of Blood by Stephen Thrower, author of books on Jess Franco and Lucio Fulci (38 minutes 59 seconds, Dolby Digital stereo English, no subtitles), and an audio commentary with Rod Barnett, film historian and co-host of NaschyCast, and Robert Monell, writer and editor of I'm in a Jess Franco State of Mind.

Extras for Lady Frankenstein include a TV spot (27 seconds, Dolby Digital mono English, no subtitles), two radio spots (1 minutes 33 seconds, Dolby Digital mono English, no subtitles), two theatrical trailers (5 minutes 44 seconds, Dolby Digital mono English, no subtitles), home video image gallery, extensive image gallery, Bigfilm magazine Lady Frankenstein photo novel, Italian opening credits (2 minutes 42 seconds, Dolby Digital mono), a video short illustrating BBFC censorship cuts (2 minutes 52 seconds, Dolby Digital mono English with text detailing the BBFC cuts, no subtitles), clothed insert shots (2 minutes 56 seconds, Dolby Digital mono English with text about the clothed insert shots, no subtitles), a German Tv documentary titled The Truth About Lady Frankenstein (43 minutes 57 seconds, Dolby Digital stereo German, English and Italian with removable English subtitles), a documentary short on director Mel Welles tilted The Lady and the Orgy (8 minutes 8 seconds, Dolby Digital stereo English, no subtitles), a featurette with author Julian Grainger titled Piecing Together Lady Frankenstein (35 minutes 18 seconds, Dolby Digital stereo English, no subtitles), a featurette with actress Rosalba Neri and film historian Fabio Melelli titled Meet the Baroness (21 minutes 48 seconds, Dolby Digital stereo Italian with removable English subtitles), an audio commentary with Kat Ellinger, author of Daughters of Darkness, and Annie Rose Malamet, film scholar and host of Girls, Guts, Giallo, and an audio commentary with Alan Jones, author of Dario Argento: The Man, The Myths & The Magic, and Kim Newman, author of Nightmare Movies.

Summary:

The Monster of the Opera: Anyone who has seen a Renato Polselli film instantly recognizes his uniqueness as a filmmaker. Unlike most filmmakers who proudly display their influences, when you watch a Renato Polselli film, it is something that could have only come from his mind.

Though not as well known as most of his contemporaries due to the lack of availability of his films. Renato Polselli is most known to cult cinema fans because of these two films: Delirio caldo (Delirium) and The Reincarnation of Isabel.

Despite his career as a director beginning in the early 1950s, it was not until his output in the 1960s that his distinctive style would emerge. Notably in films like The Vampire and the Ballerina and The Monster of the Opera. These two films are tame compared to his 1970s output. Both of these films have flourishes of what was to come from Renato Polselli.

The Monster of the Opera’s narrative follows a director and his theater troupe, who are rehearsing their production in an abandoned haunted opera house. Unknown to them, there is a vampire who lurks in the corridors, and one of the women in the theater troupe is a dead ringer for his long-lost lover.

The Monster of the Opera opens with a nightmare sequence that immediately draws you in. A woman wearing a negligee runs frantically through the corridors of the opera. And when this moment is about to reach climax, after the vampire has her cornered, the main narrative begins. This is yet another example of how Renato Polselli creates very effective moments of misdirection.

Though Italian cinema is known for populating its cast with recognizable names, notably from American cinema, the most recognizable name in The Monster of the Opera is Giuseppe Addobbati (Massacre Time) in the role of a vampire named Stefano. Most of the cast is made up of individuals who have a limited number of screen credits or for whom The Monster of the Opera is their only film. Case in point: Barbara Hawards in the role of Giulia, the main female character and the woman Stefano lusts after.

Content-wise, despite having many elements that are associated with horror cinema, there are many tonal shifts in The Monster and the Opera; some viewers might find these shifts jarring. Moments that stand out are the scenes where the theater troupe rehearses. These sequences are too lighthearted and almost feel like they would be better suited for a musical. That said, there are a few eerie moments that should satisfy horror fans.

Though The Monster of the Opera originally started filming in 1961, due to budgetary reasons, it would not be completed until 1964. Also, Italian cinema is driven by fads, and when The Monster of the Opera began production, vampires were in vogue. Unfortunately, by the time filming was completed, vampires were out, which led to the change of the title from vampire to monster.

Despite The Monster of the Opera’s documented troubles, the result is actually a film that often exceeds its resources. Notable areas where The Monster of the Opera excels include composer Aldo Piga’s (The Playgirls and the Vampire) very effective score, which reinforces the mood, and stylish cinematography like the use of Dutch angles and interesting compositions. Ultimately, The Monster of the Opera makes a solid companion piece to The Vampire and the Ballerina.

The Seventh Grave: Throughout Italian cinema’s history, there have been countless fly-by-night production companies that folded after one or even a few films. A case in point is a company named F.G.S. International Pictures, which only made one film, The Seventh Grave. Another area where The Seventh Grave is one and done is its director, Garibaldi Serra Caracciolo.

The narrative revolves around a group of strangers who go to a deceased relative's castle to learn of their inheritance. Shortly after their arrival, they learn that there is treasure hidden somewhere inside the castle. Though they start off working together, things turn deadly, and the bodies start to pile up.

None of the cast members are remotely recognizable, even to the most diehard fan of Italian genre cinema. Most of the cast have limited screen credits or were mostly cast throughout their careers as secondary characters. The performances are best described as adequate.

From a production standpoint, The Seventh Grave is a film that clearly shows its limitations. Reportedly, it was shot in just under four weeks on an anemic budget. The premise has been done before and better. And the slow-moving narrative makes things feel longer than they should for a film that clocks in at just under seventy-eight minutes. Though there are deaths, they are mostly offscreen and bloodless. Also, for a horror film with Gothic leanings, there are no real shocks. Ultimately, The Seventh Grave is a mediocre Gothic horror film that is too predictable.

Scream of the Demon Lover: There is something about Gothic horror cinema in color that rarely matches the atmosphere of Gothic horror cinema in black and white. Case in point: Scream of the Demon Lover directed by José Luis Merino, a filmmaker whose other contribution to horror cinema was The Hanging Woman.

The narrative revolves around a baron who is not what he appears to be and a chemist named Ivanna Rakowsky who comes to work for him in his experiments related to cell regeneration. Despite a lot of secrecy from the baron, Ivanna falls in love with him. Will her love for the baron cloud her judgment, or will his secrets be too much to overcome?

Though the performances are best described as adequate, there are two performances of note: Erna Schurer (The Doll of Satan) in the role of Ivanna Rakowsky and Carlos Quiney in the role of Janos Dalmar, the Baron. The most recognizable face in the cast is Agostina Belli (The Fifth Cord, Revolver) in the role of a servant named Christina.

From a production standpoint, there are several areas where Scream of the Demon Lover comes up short. With the most glaring being a slow-moving narrative that is noticeably tedious in its opening setup. That said, things do pick up considerably once exploitation elements take center stage. Though Scream of the Demon Lover has many elements associated with Gothic horror cinema, the result is something closer to a straight-up exploitation film masquerading as a Gothic horror film without any of the atmosphere this genre is known for.

Lady Frankenstein: Frankenstein's monster character has appeared in countless films, many of which bear little resemblance to Mary Shelley’s novel or the two Frankenstein films directed by James Whale. And though some films have diverged greatly from the original source, the most remembered are those that retain the score elements of Mary Shelley’s novel. Case in point: Lady Frankenstein, a film that does a great job mixing Mary Shelley’s Frankenstein with new elements that are in line with 1970s exploitation cinema.

Co-written and directed by Mel Welles, Lady Frankenstein does not feature any elements that one associates with an auteur filmmaker. Which is not surprising since Mel Welles only directed six other films. It is a film that could have been directed by anyone, and the result is best described as workmanlike.

The narrative revolves around a baron named Frankenstein, who, with the help of his assistant Dr. Marshall, is trying to reanimate life using parts from the deceased. Despite his experiments being successful, he is killed by the monster he created. From there, his daughter, who is also a scientist, enlists the help of Dr. Marshall, and they continue her father's experiments.

Lady Frankenstein features an amazing cast of who's who from 1970s Eurocult cinema. All of the performances are great, especially Joseph Cotton (The Third Man) in the role of Baron Frankenstein and Rosalba Neri (Amuck!) in the role of Tania Frankenstein. They both deliver performances that perfectly capture their characters' determination to bring the dead back to life. Other notable cast members include Paul Muller (Nightmare Castle) in the role of Dr. Marshall and Mickey Hargitay (Delirium) in the role of Captain Harris, the police investigator looking into the strange goings-ons at Frankenstein’s castle.

From a production standpoint, Lady Frankenstein is a film that fully exploits its resources for all their worth. Sure, the premise covers familiar ground, but the execution of said premise ensures there is never a dull moment, and a well-executed narrative effectively builds momentum towards a sensational finale that features Rosalba Neri’s nude backside in a room engulfed by fire. Other strengths include practical special effects that hold up well and a solid score from composer Alessandro Alessandroni (The Devil’s Nightmare) that does a fantastic job reinforcing the mood. Ultimately, Lady Frankenstein is a textbook example of how to make exploitation cinema.

Though the films that make up Danza Macabra Volume One: The Italian Gothic Collection vary in quality, when it comes to their audio/video presentations and wealth of extras, Severin Films have done an exceptional job, recommended.

Written by Michael Den Boer