The Night of the Devils: Limited Edition – Raro Video UK (Blu-ray)

Theatrical Release Date: Italy/Spain, 1972
Director: Giorgio Ferroni
Writers: Eduardo Manzanos, Romano Migliorini, Gianbattista Mussetto, Eduardo Manzanos
Cast: Gianni Garko, Agostina Belli, Roberto Maldera, Cinzia De Carolis, Teresa Gimpera, Bill Vanders, Umberto Raho, Luis Suárez, Sabrina Tamborra, Rosita Torosh, Stefano Oppedisano, Maria Monti

Release Date: October 23rd, 2023
Approximate running time: 89 Minutes 17 Seconds
Aspect Ratio: 2.35:1 Widescreen / 1080 Progressive / MPEG-4 AVC
Rating: 18 (UK)
Sound: LPCM Mono Italian, LPCM Mono English
Subtitles: English, English SDH
Region Coding: Region Free
Retail Price: £16.99 (UK)

"A nameless, mentally ill man (Garko) is found wandering in the woods, his mind lost in a fever dream of gruesome, sexual imagery. After being admitted to a psychiatric hospital, the man flashes back to his nightmarish encounter with a backwoods family whose dynasty holds a centuries-old curse, What follows is a night of unrelenting horror." - synopsis provided by the distributor

Video: 4/5

Here’s the information provided about the transfer, “High Definition digital transfer from the original camera negative".

The Night of the Devils comes on a 50 GB dual layer Blu-ray.

Disc Size: 40.1 GB

Feature: 24.1 GB

The source used for this transfer is exactly the same source that Raro Video used for their 2013 Blu-ray release, although it is a much stronger encode. The source has been cleaned up and is in great shape. Flesh tones look correct, colors look very good, image clarity and black levels are strong, compression is solid, and the image looks organic. Also, there does not appear to be any digital noise reduction.

Audio: 4.25/5 (LPCM Mono Italian), 4/5 (LPCM Mono English)

This release comes with two audio options, an LPCM mono mix in Italian and an LPCM mono mix in English. The tracks sound clean, clear, and balanced. The English-language track has some sibilance issues, most noticeable whenever the score is playing. That said, dialog comes through clearly, ambient sounds are well-represented, and range-wise, these tracks generally sound very good. 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 archival interview with film critic and horror expert Chris Alexander (5 minutes 41 seconds, Dolby Digital stereo English, no subtitles), an archival interview with composer Giorgio Gaslini titled Fear and Jazz (32 minutes 14 seconds, Dolby Digital stereo Italian with non-removable English subtitles), an archival interview with camera operator Nino Celeste titled Celestial Light (17 minutes 43 seconds, Dolby Digital stereo Italian with removable English subtitles), an archival interview with actress Cinzia de Carolis titled The Child of Darkness (13 minutes 2 seconds, Dolby Digital stereo Italian with removable English subtitles), an archival interview with actress Agostina Belli titled The Angel and the Devils (24 minutes 48 seconds, Dolby Digital stereo Italian with removable English subtitles), an archival interview with actor Gianno Garko titled The Devils Among Us (22 minutes 48 seconds, Dolby Digital stereo Italian with removable English subtitles), an audio commentary by Alan Jones and Kim Newman, reversible cover art, and a 24-page booklet (limited to 3000 copies) with cast & crew information, an essay titled From the Shadows of the Past: Italian Gothic Revival in Giorgio Ferroni’s The Night of the Devils written by Rachael Nisbet, an archival essay titled Giorgio Ferroni and The Night of the Devils written by Chris Alexander.

Summary:

Directed by Giorgio Ferroni, who is most known for directing Mill of the Stone Women. The screenplay was adapted from Aleksei Tolstoy’s story The Wurdurlak, which had been previously adapted in Mario Bava’s Black Sabbath. And though The Night of the Devils uses the same source that Black Sabbath’s The Wurdulak segment does, the result is two films that could not be further different despite using the same source.

The narrative revolves around a mentally ill man, now in a psychiatric hospital, who remembers the events that led to his madness.

Though there are gothic horror elements throughout The Night of the Devils, it is also a film where psychology plays a large role in the story at hand. In the opening moments, before any characters are known, we are introduced to an injured man who is wandering aimlessly in the woods. Then there is an abrupt cut to the same man restrained wearing electronic gadgets hooked to his head as a series of images are shown in rapid succession. These images include naked flesh, body mutilation, and a beating heart that is removed from a chest. This opening setup does a superb job establishing the protagonist's fractured state of mind and why they might not be the most reliable narrator.

After this initial setup, most of the narrative is told via a lengthy flashback that provides some insight into what happened to the protagonist before he ended up at the psychiatric hospital. In this section of the narrative, the protagonist remembers a superstitious family whom he came after when his car broke down in the middle of nowhere. And though everyone else who lived in this region left long ago, something sinister has kept this family from leaving.

The performances range from good to very good, with most of the performances falling into the latter category. That said, the most memorable performance is by Gianni Garko (Cold Eyes of Fear) in the role of Nicola, the mentally ill man who is unable to come to terms with what he saw in the woods. Other notable cast members are Cinzia De Carolis (The Cat o' Nine Tails) and Agostina Belli (Scent of a Woman, 1974) as two daughters of the patriarch of the superstitious family. In the case of the latter, her character forms a bond with the protagonist that comes to a head in a shockingly bittersweet ending.

From a production standpoint, The Night of the Devils is a film that often exceeds the sum of its parts. The premise is well executed, pacing is never an issue, and the phenomenal ending provides perfect closure to the events that preceded. Other strengths are an exceptional score by Giorgio Gaslini (Deep Red) and visuals overflowing with atmosphere. Not to be overlooked are Carlo Rambaldi’s (A Lizard in a Woman’s Skin) exceptional special effects. Ultimately, The Night of the Devils is one of the high water marks of Italian gothic horror cinema.

Raro Video UK gives The Night of the Devils its best home video release to date, recommended.

Written by Michael Den Boer