Cold Eyes of Fear – Indicator Series (4k UHD)

Theatrical Release Date: Italy, 1971
Director: Enzo G. Castellari
Writers: Leo Anchóriz, Tito Carpi, Enzo G. Castellari
Cast: Giovanna Ralli, Frank Wolff, Fernando Rey, Julián Mateos, Karin Schubert, Leonardo Scavino, Franco Marletta, Gianni Garko

Release Date: June 26th, 2023 (UK), June 27th, 2023 (USA)
Approximate Running Time: 91 Minutes 21 Seconds
Aspect Ratio: 1.85:1 Widescreen / 2160 Progressive / HEVC / H.265 / Dolby Vision HDR10
Rating: 18 (UK), NR (USA)
Sound: DTS-HD Mono Italian, DTS-HD Mono English
Subtitles: English, English SDH
Region Coding: Region Free
Retail Price: £24.99 (UK), $49.95 (USA)

"When wealthy playboy Peter Flower picks up the beautiful Anna and takes her back to his uncle’s house, he and his guest find that their plans for the evening are cut short by the shocking discovery of a corpse and the surprise appearance of a pair of violent criminals." - synopsis provided by the distributor

Video: 5/5

Here’s the information provided about the transfer, "Cold Eyes of Fear was scanned, restored and color corrected in 4K HDR at Final Frame Post, London, using the original 35mm negative. A combination of MTI and Nucoda DVO image-processing tools were used to remove many thousands of instances of dirt, eliminate scratches and other imperfections, as well as repair damaged frames. No grain management, edge enhancement or sharpening tools were employed to artificially alter the image in any way."

Cold Eyes of Fear comes on a 66 GB dual layer 4K UHD.

Disc Size: 61.1 GB

Feature: 54.2 GB

The source used for this transfer looks exceptional; it is a substantial upgrade over previous home video releases. Flesh tones look healthy, color saturation, image clarity, contrast, black levels, and compression are solid, and the image always looks organic.

Audio: 4.25/5 (DTS-HD Mono Italian), 4/5 (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 tracks sound clean, clear, and balanced. That said, the Italian-language track sounds fuller, especially when it comes to the score. Also, when compared to previous home video releases, these two audio tracks are a massive improvement. Included are removable English subtitles for the Italian language track and removable English SDH for the English language track.

Extras:

Extras for this release include an image gallery (16 images - lobby cards/home video art/posters), a theatrical trailer under the alternate titled Desperate Moment (3 minutes 17 seconds, Dolby Digital mono English, no subtitles), an interview with DJ and soundtrack enthusiast Lovely Jon titled A Fearsome Collaboration who discusses Ennio Morricone's score (15 minutes 7 seconds, Dolby Digital stereo English, no subtitles), an interview with assistant director Gianfranco Amicucci titled The Men in the Editing Room (26 minutes 52 seconds, Dolby Digital stereo Italian with removable English subtitles), an interview with actor Gianni Garko titled An Italian in London (29 minutes 24 seconds, Dolby Digital stereo Italian with removable English subtitles), an interview Enzo G. Castellari titled Directing Fear (24 minutes 16 seconds, Dolby Digital stereo Italian with removable English subtitles), an audio commentary with David Flint and Adrian J. Smith, and an 80-page booklet with cast & crew information, an essay titled What the Eye Doesn’t See… written by Roberto Curti, an archival newspaper article titled The Giallo Suits Ralli written by Alberto Ceretto, The Eyes of Italian Cinema: An Interview with Giovanna Ralli by Eugenio Ercolani, An Interview with Gianni Garko by Igor Grimaldi, The Death of Frank Wolff, Inside the Ring With Enzo G Castellari by Mark Wickum, an overview of contemporary critical responses, and information about the restoration.

Summary:

Directed by Enzo G. Castellari, an Italian filmmaker who worked in just about every genre that was popular in the 1960s, 1970s, and 1980s. Notable films that he directed are High Crime, Street Law, The Big Racket, and The Inglorious Bastards.

The narrative revolves around the nephew of a prominent judge, and his latest conquest is held captive by a pair of criminals (one of them has a personal axe to grind with the nephew’s uncle, the judge).

Despite only using a handful of locations, Cold Eyes of Fear features some stylish imagery. The cinematographer on Cold Eyes of Fear was Antonio L. Ballesteros, whose other notable films include The Colossus of Rhodes and The Vampires’ Night Orgy. The opening sequence is a superb piece of misdirection that fits perfectly in with the other giallo’s from this era.

After this opening sequence, Cold Eyes of Fear shifts away from the elements one would normally expect from a giallo as the narrative verges into a tense character drama about revenge. The bulk of Cold Eyes of Fear takes place at the residence of a judge, one of the criminals who have kidnapped his nephew, and the date he has brought home. There are no onscreen murders until the finale. That said, the narrative moves along nicely, with the conflict between the criminals and their prisoners driving the story.

The most prominent name in the cast is Fernando Rey (The Discreet Charm of the Bourgeoisie), who is cast in the role of the judge who is the target of the criminals’ revenge. Despite only being in a handful of scenes, his character looms large throughout the film. Giovanna Ralli (What Have They Done to Your Daughters?) is cast in the role of the seductive lady of the night named Anna. Other notable cast members include Gianni Garko (The Psychic), Julian Mateos (The Hellbenders), Frank Wolff (The Great Silence), and a brief cameo-like role from Karin Schubert, who provides the only moment of T&A.

From a production standpoint, director Enzo G. Castellari does a phenomenal job of maximizing his resources. And though this would be Enzo G. Castellari’s only foray into the giallo genre, he delivers a solid film that is arguably one of this genre's more unique films. And not to be overlooked is another superb score from Ennio Morricone that perfectly reinforces the mood. Ultimately, despite its lack of bloodshed and salacious activity, Cold Eyes of Fear is an engaging and riveting story that fans of the giallo genre are sure to enjoy.

Cold Eyes of Fear makes its way to 4K UHD via a definitive release from Powerhouse Films, highly recommended.

Note: This release is a limited edition of 10,000 numbered units (6,000 4K UHDs and 4,000 Blu-rays) for the UK and US.

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