A Blade in the Dark – Vinegar Syndrome (4k UHD/Blu-ray Combo)

Theatrical Release Date: Italy, 1983
Director: Lamberto Bava
Writers: Elisa Briganti, Dardano Sacchetti
Cast: Andrea Occhipinti, Anny Papa, Fabiola Toledo, Michele Soavi, Valeria Cavalli, Stanko Molnar, Lara Lamberti, Giovanni Frezza, Marco Vivio, Frank von Kuegelgen

Release Date: May 29th, 2023
Approximate Running Times: 108 Minutes 58 Seconds (Extended Version), 96 Minutes 47 Seconds (Theatrical Version)
Aspect Ratio: 1.66:1 Widescreen / 2160 Progressive / HEVC / H.265 / Dolby Vision HDR10 (Both Versions)
Rating: NR
Sound: DTS-HD Mono Italian, DTS-HD Mono English (Both Versions)
Subtitles: English, English SDH, English Narrative (Both Versions)
Region Coding: Region Free (4K UHD), Region Free (Blu-ray)
Retail Price: $59.98

"Bruno, an up and coming film composer, has been hired to write the score to a new horror movie. The film’s director, Sandra, suggests that he move into a spooky and secluded villa, so as to get extra creative inspiration. However, life begins to imitate art as a vicious killer starts bumping off anyone and everyone who happens to pay Bruno a visit. As each death leaves more clues, while opening up more possibilities as to potential suspects, Bruno begins to believe that the film he’s been hired to work on may itself be the key to unlocking the mystery..." - synopsis provided by the distributor

Video: 5/5 (4K UHD), 4.75/5 (Blu-ray)

Here’s the information provided about the transfers, "newly restored in 4K from its original camera negative".

"The following presentation of A Blade in the Dark is the "extended" version of the film which was initially conceived as a TV miniseries. While restoring it, we discovered that previous HD versions had, inexplicably, removed several frames on each shot, thus reducing the runtime by nearly two minutes. We are therefore pleased to be presenting this version of the film in its completed, and unedited version, unseen since the early days of DVD."

"The following presentation of A Blade in the Dark is the theatrical feature version. After Italian TV rejected the initially conceived miniseries, director Lamberto Bava was forced to re-edit and tighten the nearly two hours of work into something more appropriate for theatrical distribution. This version became the default cut throughout the 80s and 90s. Unavailable on video for decades, Vinegar Syndrome is pleased to offer this unique presentation of the film on disc for the very first time."

A Blade in the Dark extended version comes on a 100 GB triple layer 4K UHD

Disc Size: 86.3 GB

Feature: 78.8 GB

A Blade in the Dark theatrical version comes on a 66 GB dual layer 4K UHD

Disc Size: 60 GB

Feature: 59.8 GB

The sources used for the extended version and the theatrical version both look excellent. Also, in a side-by-side comparison, these two versions' sources look comparable. Flesh tones look healthy, colors are nicely saturated and at times vivid, contrast, black levels, image clarity, and compression are solid, and the image always looks organic. These are phenomenal transfers and easily the best A Blade in the Dark has looked to date.

A Blade in the Dark extended version comes on a 50 GB dual layer Blu-ray.

Disc Size: 45.7 GB

Feature: 31.8 GB

This Blu-ray uses the same master that is used for the 4K UHD disc.

A Blade in the Dark theatrical version comes on a 50 GB dual layer Blu-ray.

Disc Size: 46 GB

Feature: 28 GB

This Blu-ray uses the same master that is used for the 4K UHD disc.

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

Both versions come with two audio options, a DTS-HD mono mix in Italian and a DTS-HD mono mix in English. All audio tracks are in great shape; there are no issues with background hiss or distortion. Dialog comes through clearly; everything sounds balanced, and range-wise, ambient sounds and the score are well-represented. That said, the Italian-language track sounds more robust than the English-language track. Included for both versions are three subtitle options: removable English subtitles for the Italian language track, removable English SDH for the English language track, and removable English narrative subtitles that translate Italian text when watching with the English language track.

Extras:

The 4K UHD disc with extended version extras includes an audio commentary with The Hysteria Continues!, and an audio commentary with film historian and author Kat Ellinger.

The 4K UHD disc with the theatrical version comes with no extras.

Extras on the Blu-ray disc with the extended version include an Italian theatrical trailer (3 minutes, 20 seconds, Dolby Digital mono Italian with removable English subtitles), an English language theatrical trailer (3 minutes, 18 seconds, Dolby Digital mono English with removable English SDH subtitles), a video essay by film historian and author Samm Deighan titled The Gothic Slashers of Lamberto Bava (17 minutes 25 seconds, Dolby Digital stereo English with removable English SDH subtitles), an interview with cinematographer Gianlorenzo Battaglia titled Lights in an Empty House (16 minutes 41 seconds, Dolby Digital stereo Italian with removable English subtitles), an interview with screenwriter Dardano Sacchetti titled House (20 minutes 54 seconds, Dolby Digital stereo Italian with removable English subtitles), an interview with director Lamberto Bava titled Don't Go Down the Stairs (16 minutes 34 seconds, Dolby Digital stereo Italian with removable English subtitles), an audio commentary with The Hysteria Continues!, and an audio commentary with Kat Ellinger.

Extras on the Blu-ray disc with the theatrical version include an archival interview with Lamberto Bava and Dardano Sacchetti titled Behind the Blade (9 minutes 27 seconds, Dolby Digital stereo Italian with removable English subtitles), and a documentary about the Giallo genre titled All the Colors of Giallo (89 minutes 1 second, DTS-HD stereo Italian with removable English subtitles). Directed by Federico Caddeo, a filmmaker who has directed numerous interviews and featurettes about Italian cinema. Individuals who participate in All the Colors of Giallo include Dario Argento, Lamberto Bava, Barbara Bouchet, Luciano Ercoli, Edwige Fenech, Lucio Fulci, George Hilton, Umberto Lenzi, Sergio Martino, Fabio Melelli, Nieves Navarro, and Daria Nicolodi. It should be noted that the interview with Lucio Fulci is sourced from an audio interview.

Other extras include reversible cover art, a slipcover, a rigid box, and a 40-page perfect bound book with an essay titled Lights, Camera, Giallo written by Alexandra Heller-Nicholas, an essay written by Dana Reinoos, and an essay titled A Familiar Scene with a Familiar Child written by Caroline Kopko.

Summary:

Directed by Lamberto Bava, a filmmaker whose father was the legendary Mario Bava, the name most synonymous with Italian horror cinema. And though Lamberto Bava has made some really good films like Macabre, Demons, and Demons 2, He has also directed more than his fair share of mediocre films.

The narrative revolves around a composer who finds his life in peril while staying at a remote villa where mysterious things have been happening and people have been known to disappear without a trace.

Though there are plenty of areas where A Blade in the Dark holds up really well, notably when it comes to its stylish kill sequences, That is not to say that there are no areas where it also comes up short, the most glaring being its anemic narrative. Another shortcoming is its pacing, which has a few lulls that drag momentum to a standstill. Fortunately, these moments are not that devastating. Also, the narrative does a decent job when it comes to backstory.

As mentioned before, the bread and butter of A Blade in the Dark is its kill sequences, which, like most Italian thrillers, have a Dario Argento-like vibe to them visually. These sequences are all well-executed moments in which the killer methodically disposes of each victim. Also, when it comes to concealing the identity of the killer, there are an ample number of red herrings offered up in hopes of distracting you from the obvious choice.

Though the kill sequences are where A Blade in the Dark shines brightest. Not to be overlooked are the visuals and Guido and Maurizio De Angelis (Street Law) score and how effectively these two elements reinforce the mood.

Andrea Occhipinti (The New York Ripper) is in the cast in the role of the protagonist, a composer named Bruno. He delivers a serviceable performance that is often overshadowed by whoever shares scenes with him. That said, the most memorable performance is Fabiola Toledo's (Demons) in the role of Angela, a woman who stops by for a swim only to be brutally murdered while trying to shampoo her hair. Her character's death scene is A Blade in the Dark’s best moment. Other notable cast members include Lara Lamberti (Aenigma) in the role of Bruno’s actress girlfriend Julia, and Michele Soavi (City of the Living Dead) in the role of a real estate agent.

That said, Lamberto Bava’s debut film, Macabre, was an excellent example of how to make a horror film on a minuscule budget. The opposite can be said of his second feature film, A Blade in the Dark, a film that ultimately suffers from many of the same symptoms that plague the majority of Horror films made since the 1980s.

A Blade in the Dark gets an excellent release from Vinegar Syndrome that comes with a solid audio/video presentation, two versions of the film, 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