The Sect – Severin Films (4k UHD/Blu-ray/CD Combo)

Theatrical Release Date: Italy, 1991
Director: Michele Soavi
Writers: Dario Argento, Michele Soavi, Gianni Romoli
Cast: Kelly Curtis, Herbert Lom, Mariangela Giordano, Michel Hans Adatte, Carla Cassola, Angelika Maria Boeck, Giovanni Lombardo Radice, Niels Gullov, Tomas Arana, Dario Casalini, Paolo Pranzo, Yasmine Ussani, Erica Sinisi, Donald O'Brien, Michele Soavi 

Release Date: December 5th, 2023
Approximate Running Time: 116 Minutes 46 Seconds
Aspect Ratio: 1.85:1 Widescreen / 2160 Progressive / HEVC / H.265 / Dolby Vision HDR10
Rating: NR
Sound: DTS-HD Stereo Italian, DTS-HD Stereo English
Subtitles: English, English SDH
Region Coding: Region Free (4K UHD), Region A (Blu-ray)
Retail Price: $54.95

"As a global satanic cabal grows in ferocity, an unwitting young schoolteacher (Kelly Curtis – sister of Jamie Lee – in her sole genre role) is chosen to deliver the ultimate evil." - synopsis provided by the distributor

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

Here’s the information provided about this release's transfer, “a Soavi-approved 4K scan from the Rome vault negative.”

The Sect comes on a 100 GB triple layer 4K UHD.

Disc Size: 83.4 GB

Feature: 82.4 GB

This transfer’s source looks excellent. Flesh tones look healthy, colors are nicely saturated, image clarity, contrast, black levels, and compression are solid, and the image retains an organic look. As great as Scorpion Releasing Blu-ray looked, this new transfer from Severin Films somehow betters that transfer.

The Sect comes on a 50 GB dual layer Blu-ray.

Disc Size: 44.6 GB

Feature: 34.6 GB

The Blu-ray uses the same source as the 4K UHD does for its transfer.

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

This release comes with two audio options, a DTS-HD stereo mix in Italian, and a DTS-HD stereo mix in English. Both audio tracks are in great shape. They sound clean, clear, and balanced. Range-wise, both audio tracks do a great job with ambient sounds, and the score sounds appropriately robust. Also, the differences range-wise between these two audio tracks are minimal. Included are removable English subtitles for the Italian language track and removable English SDH for the English language track.

Extras:

Extras on the 4K UHD disc include a U.S. theatrical trailer (1 minute 26 seconds, DTS-HD stereo English, no subtitles).

Extras on the Blu-ray disc include a U.S. theatrical trailer (1 minute 26 seconds, DTS-HD stereo English, no subtitles), Italian theatrical trailer (1 minute 35 seconds, Dolby Digital stereo Italian with removable English subtitles), an extra where Michele Soavi shows us his dark basement titled Catacomb In The Kitchen (3 minutes 1 second, Dolby Digital stereo English, no subtitles), an interview with Alan Jones, author of Profondo Argento titled Into The Dark Well (5 minutes 21 seconds, Dolby Digital stereo English, no subtitles), an interview with film historian Fabrizio Spurio titled The Birth of Evil (25 minutes 20 seconds, Dolby Digital stereo Italian with removable English subtitles), an interview with set designer Antonello Geleng titled Oh Well (23 minutes 6 seconds, Dolby Digital stereo Italian with removable English subtitles), an interview with special FX artist Sergio Stivaletti titled Total Eclipse (12 minutes 51 seconds, Dolby Digital stereo Italian with removable English subtitles), an interview with composer Pino Donaggio titled Four Times Argento (12 minutes 44 seconds, Dolby Digital stereo Italian with removable English subtitles), an interview with cinematographer Raffaele Mertes titled In the Shaded Area (27 minutes 57 seconds, Dolby Digital stereo Italian with removable English subtitles), an interview with actor Giovanni Lombardo Radice titled Owner of a Lonely Heart (12 minutes 17 seconds, Dolby Digital stereo Italian with removable English subtitles), an interview with actor Tomas Arana titled Cult of Personality (20 minutes 9 seconds, Dolby Digital stereo English, no subtitles), an interview with actor Tomas Arana titled Cult of Personality (20 minutes 9 seconds, Dolby Digital stereo Italian with removable English subtitles), an interview with screenwriter Gianni Romoli titled Catacumba (35 minutes 22 seconds, Dolby Digital stereo Italian with removable English subtitles), an interview with screenwriter/producer Dario Argento titled (You're the) Devil in Disguise (15 minutes 19 seconds, Dolby Digital stereo Italian with removable English subtitles), and an interview with director Michele Soavi titled Sympathy for the Devil (20 minutes 14 seconds, Dolby Digital stereo Italian with removable English subtitles).

Disc 3 is a CD with The Church’s 16-song soundtrack.

Other extras include a slipcover, and a 40-page booklet with information about author Claire Donner, an essay titled Michele Soavi in the Shadows of the Golem written by Claire Donner, and a track listing for The Sect’s soundtrack.

Summary:

When compared to his contemporaries, who made assembly line films that, in most instances, could have been directed by anyone, what makes the first four films directed by Michele Soavi stand out is how drastically different they are, despite all falling into the horror genre. That said, looking back on Michele Soavi’s first four films, they all bear a striking cinematic style that could have only come from an auteur and not a filmmaker for hire.

The narrative revolves around a school teacher whose path crosses an elderly man who is part of a satanic sect.

The Sect is an occult-themed horror film that does a fantastic job laying out its crazy premise. The Sect opens with a scene that takes place in California in 1970: a group of hippies cross paths with a Charles Manson-like man who massacres them. In the opening moments, in the background, plays America’s The Horse with No Name. After this scene, the narrative flashes forward to the present, and the rest of the narrative takes place in this time period. These two opening scenes do a phenomenal job of establishing the mood.

Though The Sect is filled with bizarre moments, its narrative is straightforward and easy to follow. When it comes to pacing, there are no issues, as the narrative does a superb job building momentum towards a solid ending that serves as a perfect coda to the events that preceded. Another strength of the narrative is how effectively it introduces characters.

When it comes to the performances, they range from adequate to very good. The best and by far most memorable performance is by Herbert Lom (99 Women) in the role of Moebius Kelly, the leader of the satanic sect. He delivers an exceptional performance that dominates every scene he’s in, and it is arguably one of his best performances. Another performance of note is Kelly Curtis in the role of Miriam Kreisl, the woman who gives birth to the antichrist. Also,Giovanni Lombardo Radice (Cannibal Holocaust) has a brief role as a man who cuts out a woman’s heart.

From a production standpoint, The Sect is a film that far exceeds the sum of its parts. Michele Soavi’s direction is solid; he fills every inch of every frame with interesting compositions. Another strength is composer Pino Donaggio’s (Don’t Look Now) excellent score. Not to be overlooked is H.P. Lovecraft’s influence, and there is an abundance of foreboding atmosphere. Also, there are a few gruesome moments of carnage. Ultimately, The Sect is another well-made horror film from Michele Soavi that fans of Italian horror cinema should thoroughly enjoy.

Severin Films gives The Sect a fully loaded release that comes with over 3 hours of extra content and a solid audio/video presentation, making this release from Severin Films a definitive presentation and 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