Villages of the Damned: Three Horrors From Spain – Vinegar Syndrome (Blu-ray)

Theatrical Release Dates: Spain, 1976 (Beatriz), Spain, 1970 (The Forest of the Wolf), Spain, 1975 (The Sky is Falling)
Directors: Gonzalo Suárez (Beatriz), Pedro Olea (The Forest of the Wolf), Silvio Narizzano (The Sky is Falling)
Cast: Carmen Sevilla, Nadiuska, Jorge Rivero, José Sacristán, Sandra Mozarowsky, Elsa Zabala, José Lifante, Óscar Martín (Beatriz), José Luis López Vázquez, Amparo Soler Leal, Antonio Casas, John Steiner, Nuria Torray, María Fernanda Ladrón de Guevara, Alfredo Mayo, Víctor Israel (The Forest of the Wolf), Carroll Baker, Dennis Hopper, Win Wells, Richard Todd, Faith Brook, Ivonne Sentis, Inma de Santis (The Sky is Falling)

Release Date: May 29th, 2023
Approximate Running Times: 85 Minutes 27 Seconds (Beatriz), 90 Minutes 14 Seconds (The Forest of the Wolf), 94 Minutes 4 Seconds (The Sky is Falling)
Aspect Ratio: 1.66:1 Widescreen / 1080 Progressive / MPEG-4 AVC (Beatriz, The Forest of the Wolf), 1.85:1 Widescreen / 1080 Progressive / MPEG-4 AVC (The Sky is Falling)
Rating: NR
Sound: DTS-HD Mono Spanish (Beatriz, The Forest of the Wolf), DTS-HD Mono English (The Sky is Falling)
Subtitles: English (Beatriz, The Forest of the Wolf), English SDH (The Sky is Falling)
Region Coding: Region Free
Retail Price: $59.98

Beatriz: "While walking through the woods, young Juan witnesses a group of bandits attempting to rob and kill a friar, only for the priest to end up slaying several of his attackers. Seeking refuge in Juan’s family home, where he lives with his mother and sister, Beatriz, the Friar becomes an object of both lust and fear for the members of the household after a mysterious illness befalls Beatriz, as suspicion mounts that he might be an agent of Satan..." - synopsis provided by the distributor

The Forest of the Wolf: "an impoverished peddler and frequent petty thief who may - or may not - be a werewolf. Nevertheless, he is often overcome by animalistic instincts to kill, resulting in superstition and panic in the nearby villages." - synopsis provided by the distributor

The Sky is Falling: "A group of spoiled, middle-aged Americans living on the outskirts of a poor coastal community are visited by a mysterious foursome of “beautiful” youths, who seem to have been sent to fulfill their darkest desires. But it quickly becomes apparent that these sensual and attractive youngsters have a far more sinister, and deadly purpose..." - synopsis provided by the distributor

Video: 4.5/5 ((Beatriz, The Forest of the Wolf, The Sky is Falling)

Here’s the information provided about the transfers, "Newly scanned & restored in 4K from their original negatives."

Beatriz and The Forest of the Wolf come on a 50 GB dual layer Blu-ray.

Disc Size: 45.2 GB

Feature: 21.8 GB (Beatriz), 23.1 GB (The Forest of the Wolf)

The Sky is Falling comes on a 50 GB dual layer Blu-ray.

Disc Size: 38 GB

Feature: 25.2 GB

The sources used for all three films are in great shape, and any source debris that remains is very minor. Flesh tones look healthy, colors look correct, black levels are strong, compression is solid, and these transfers always look organic.

Audio: 4.5/5 (DTS-HD Mono Spanish - Beatriz, DTS-HD Mono Spanish - The Forest of the Wolf, The Sky is Falling - DTS-HD Mono English)

Each film comes with one audio option. Beatriz and The Forest of the Wolf come with a DTS-HD mono mix in Spanish, and The Sky is Falling comes with a DTS-HD mono mix in English. All three audio tracks are in great shape. There are no issues with distortion or background hiss. Dialog comes through clearly; everything sounds balanced, and range-wise, these tracks sound very good. Included are removable English subtitles for Beatriz and The Forest of the Wolf and removable English SDH for The Sky is Falling.

Extras:

All of the extras are on the disc that contains The Sky is Falling. Extras on this disc include an interview with director Pedro Olea, by Diego Lopez-Fernandez titled Lobishome (37 minutes 54 seconds, Dolby Digital stereo Spanish with removable English subtitles), an interview with film historians Angel Sala, Carlos Benitez and Xavi-Sanchez-Pons titled titled El Bosque Del Lobo (10 minutes 44 seconds, Dolby Digital stereo Spanish with removable English subtitles), an interview with actress Ivonne Sentis (16 minutes 48 seconds, Dolby Digital stereo Spanish with removable English subtitles), and an interview with actor José Lifante (18 minutes 47 seconds, Dolby Digital stereo Spanish with removable English subtitles).

Other extras include reversible cover art, a slipcover (limited to 5,000 units), a slipcase (limited to 5,000 units), and a 40-page perfect bound book (limited to 5,000 units) with an essay titled Who’s Afraid of Some Big Bad Wolves? written by Erica Schultz, and an essay titled The Sensual World written by Alexandra Heller-Nicholas.

Summary:

Beatriz: Directed by Gonzalo Suárez, whose notable films are The Regent’s Wife, Don Juan in Hell, and The Detective and Death. Beatriz’s screenplay was adapted from two stories, Beatriz and Mi Hermana Antonia, written by Ramón del Valle-Inclán.

The narrative revolves around a friar who finds refuge at the farmhouse of a countess and her two children. Sometime later, when the countess's daughter Beatriz becomes possessed by the devil, everyone blames the friar.

A tense sequence in a fog-shrouded forest opens Beatriz. In this sequence, among the countless witnesses, a group of bandits try to rob a friar, who quickly turns the tables and kills those who were not quick enough to get away. This is a fantastic opening that perfectly sets the stage for the events that follow.

When it comes to the performances, the entire cast is very good in their roles, especially Sandra Mozarowsky (School of Death) in the role of the protagonist Beatriz. Another performance of note is that of Jorge Rivero (Conquest) in the role of the enigmatic friar. Death follows this character, who always evades death, even when outnumbered.

Though some may find its deliberate-paced narrative too slow. It does a great job of building tension. That said, Beatriz is a film that relies heavily on a forbidding atmosphere. Another strength is how the visuals let the characters take center stage. Ultimately, Beatriz is a well-executed melodrama with supernatural elements that fans of 1970s Spanish horror are sure to enjoy.

The Forest of the Wolf: Directed by Pedro Olea, whose other notable films are The House Without Frontiers and Tormento. The Forest of the Wolf was reportedly based on the life of Manuel Blanco Romasanta, aka the Werewolf of Allariz, a serial killer who became part of Spanish folklore.

The narrative revolves around a peddler named Benito Freire, who suffers from epilepsy. He wanders through Galician towns, selling his goods and killing whoever is nearby when he has an epileptic attack.

The werewolf has been a staple of cinema since Lon Chaney Jr.'s The Wolf Man. And though most werewolf films that followed Lon Chaney Jr.'s The Wolf Man have stayed close to the elements set forth in that film, There have been some interesting twists on the familiar character. Notably, when it comes to werewolf films that were made in European cinema, notably those of Spanish actor and filmmaker Paul Naschy.

That said, the werewolf in The Forest of the Wolf is nothing like the kind that appears in Paul Naschy’s films. There is never a transformation sequence; anything related to the protagonist being an actual werewolf is based on gossip spread by the superstitious locals. The protagonist's infliction is purely psychological, and the way locals talk about him only further pushes him over the edge.

The heart and soul of The Forest of the Wolf is José Luis López Vázquez’s portrayal of Benito Freire. From the moment Benito Freire appears onscreen, it is clear that there is something off about him. And his performance does a phenomenal job conveying Benito Freire’s fractured state of mind. That said, as good as the rest of the cats are, they are all overshadowed by José Luis López Vázquez’s performance.

There is an uneasiness that is quickly established in the opening moments and never goes away. Despite a slow-moving narrative, those who stick it out till the end will be rewarded by an unforgettable ending that makes the journey all the more potent. Though there are horror elements like werewolves and demonic possession that play a peripheral role in the story at hand, The result is a film that is more of a melodrama than a horror film. Ultimately, The Forest of the Wolf is an extraordinary film about a man's descent into madness.

The Sky is Falling: Directed by Silvio Narizzano, whose other notable films are Die! Die! My Darling!, Gregory Girl, and Redneck. The Sky is Falling’s cinematographer was Fernando Arribas, whose notable credits include Death Walks on High Heels, The Blood Spattered Bride, Death Walks at Midnight, and The Coming of Sin.

The narrative revolves around American ex-patriots who are oblivious to the human sacrifices going on in plain sight in the Spanish village where they live.

Based on the premise, The Sky is Falling should have turned out much better than it did. And though the opening setup does a good job laying a foundation to build from, What follows is a series of trippy moments and characters acting decadently, and not much more. And it is easy to see where things are going long before the finale arrives.

Though The Sky is Falling has a cast of familiar faces like Dennis Hopper (Apocalypse Now) in the role of a hippie named Chicken who's emotionally traumatized because of an overbearing mother, Carroll Baker (Baby Doll) in the role of Treasure, a washed-up movie star who can’t go out of the spotlight, and Richard Todd (Stage Fright) in the role of a retired British Air Corps captain, These three characters are caricatures, and each actor's performance is over the top. Another recognizable cast member is Inma de Santis, a Spanish actress whose notable films are The Forest of the Wolf, Exorcism's Daughter, and The Killer of Dolls.

Despite its shortcomings, there are a few areas where The Sky is Falling holds up really well. Notably, when it comes to the foreboding tone that gives The Sky is Falling some much-needed atmosphere. The most unusual aspect of The Sky is Falling is its eclectic score with big band music and songs sung by the characters. It should be noted that animal cruelty plays a large role in the story at hand. Ultimately, The Sky is Falling is an unusual film that you are either going to enjoy the ride with or quickly tune out.

Villages of the Damned: Three Horrors From Spain is another exceptional release from Vinegar Syndrome that gives all three films solid audio/video presentations and informative extras, highly recommended.

Written by Michael Den Boer