Danza Macabra Volume Two: The Italian Gothic Collection - Severin Films (4K UHD/Blu-ray Combo)

Theatrical Release Dates: Italy/France, 1964 (Castle of Blood), Italy, 1969 (Jekyll), Italy, 1971 (They Have Changed Their Face), Italy, 1972 (The Devil's Lover)
Directors: Antonio Margheriti (Castle of Blood), Giorgio Albertazzi (Jekyll), Corrado Farina (They Have Changed Their Face), Paolo Lombardo (The Devil's Lover)
Cast: Barbara Steele, Georges Rivière, Margrete Robsahm, Arturo Dominici, Silvano Tranquilli, Sylvia Sorrente, Umberto Raho, Giovanni Cianfriglia, Benito Stefanelli (Castle of Blood), Massimo Girotti, Giorgio Albertazzi, Bianca Toccafondi, Ugo Cardea, Ursula Davis, Bob Balchus, Sten Braafheid, Claudio Gora, Marina Berti, Anita Bartolucci, Penny Brown (Jekyll), Adolfo Celi, Geraldine Hooper, Giuliano Esperati, Francesca Modigliani (They Have Changed Their Face), Edmund Purdom, Rosalba Neri, Robert Woods, Ferdinando Poggi, Carla Mancini, Maria Teresa Pingitore, Spartaco Conversi (The Devil's Lover)

Release Date: January 30th, 2024
Approximate Running Times: 91 Minutes 19 Seconds (Danza Macabra), 82 Minutes 56 Seconds (Castle of Blood), 71 Minutes 53 Seconds (Jekyll Episode 1), 70 Minutes 37 Seconds (Jekyll Episode 2), 58 Minutes 37 Seconds (Jekyll Episode 3), 60 Minutes 48 Seconds (Jekyll Episode 4), 95 Minutes 39 Seconds (They Have Changed Their Face), 78 Minutes 7 Seconds (The Devil's Lover),
Aspect Ratio: 1.85:1 Widescreen / 2160 Progressive / HEVC / H.265 / Dolby Vision HDR10 (Castle of Blood), 1.85:1 Widescreen / 1080 Progressive / MPEG-4 AVCC (Castle of Blood, They Have Changed Their Face, The Devil's Lover), 1.33:1 Aspect Ratio / 1080 Progressive / MPEG-4 AVC (Jekyll)
Rating: NR
Sound: DTS-HD Mono Italian (Danza Macabra, Jekyll, They Have Changed Their Face, The Devil's Lover), DTS-HD Mono English (Castle of Blood), DTS-HD Mono English/Italian Hybrid (Danza Macabra)
Subtitles: English (Danza Macabra, Jekyll, They Have Changed Their Face, The Devil's Lover), English SDH (Castle of Blood)
Region Coding: Region Free (Castle of Blood - 4K UHD, Jekyll - Blu-ray), Region A (Castle of Blood, They Have Changed Their Face, The Devil's Lover),
Retail Price: $134.95

Danza Macabra (Castle of Blood): "When a cynical journalist accepts a wager that he won’t survive the night in a haunted castle, it will unlock an odyssey of sexual torment, undead vengeance and a dark seductress (the legendary Barbara Steele) who surrenders the gravest of pleasures." - synopsis provided by the distributor

Jekyll: "When a series of brutal attacks are committed by a lunatic named Edward Hyde, the investigation leads to molecular biologist Henry Jekyll. But have the doctor’s unorthodox experiments unlocked even greater horrors?" - synopsis provided by the distributor

They Have Changed Their Face: "A mid-level automotive company employee is summoned to the mountain villa of owner Giovanni Nosferatu (Adolfo Celi of Thunderball and Danger: Diabolik fame) only to discover a glossy netherworld where capitalism is the new vampirism, consumers are its unwitting victims and escape may be impossible." - synopsis provided by the distributor

The Devil's Lover: "When a trio of free-spirited young women – led by a smoldering Rosalba Neri of Lady Frankenstein fame – insist on spending the night in a castle rumored to be owned by the Devil himself, their cobweb-and-candelabra lark triggers a nightmare of lust, violence, vampirism and the ultimate ecstasy of Satanic seduction." - synopsis provided by the distributor

Video: 5/5 (Danza Macabra 4K UHD, Castle of Blood 4K UHD), 4.5/5 (Danza Macabra Blu-ray, Castle of Blood Blu-ray), 4.25/5 (The Devil's Lover), 3.5/5 (They Have Changed Their Face), 2/5 (Jekyll) 

Here’s the information provided about Castle of Blood's transfer, "Castle of Blood was restored and preserved in 2022 by Cinématographique Lyre in collaboration with Cinémathèque française, with the support of CNC, the 8th arrondissement Council (Paris), companies Artus Films, Lobster Films and Severin Films, and all contributors of the crowdfudning campaign held on the proarti platform, among whom Maria Barsanti, Vincent Garnier, Catherine Guilleret, Esperanza Lozano-Guillen, Anne and Romain Soubeyran.

The restoration work was performed in 4K at laboratories Eclair Classics / L'Immagine Ritrovata (Bologne - Paris) and L.E. Diapason (Paris), from the original 35mm image and sound negatives and original dupe negatives. Various 35mm prints served as reference. The restored version includes some seqeunces initially cut out when the film was first released."

Danza Macabra and Castle of Blood come on a 100 GB triple layer 4K UHD.

Disc Size: 90.9 GB

Feature: 47.5 GB (Danza Macabra - Italian Version), 41.7 GB (Castle of Blood - U.S. Version)

The source used for these transfers looks excellent; it is a massive improvement over all previous home video releases of Castle of Blood. Flesh tones look healthy, image clarity, contrast, black levels, and compression are solid, and the image always looks organic. That said, there is some print debris in Castle of Blood’s opening credits.

Danza Macabra (Italian Version) comes on a 50 GB dual layer Blu-ray.

Disc Size: 36.2 GB

Feature: 27.5 GB

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

Castle of Blood (U.S Version) comes on a 50 GB dual layer Blu-ray.

Disc Size: 34.1 GB

Feature: 23.6 GB

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

Here’s the information provided about Jekyll's transfer, "from RAI-TV masters".

Jekyll Episode 1 and 2 come on a 50 GB dual layer Blu-ray.

Disc Size: 42.7 GB

Feature: 20.3 GB (Episode 1), 20 GB (Episode 2)

Jekyll Episode 3 and 4 come on a 50 GB dual layer Blu-ray.

Disc Size: 35.9 GB

Feature: 17.2 GB (Episode 3), 16.6 GB (Episode 4)

This transfer obviously comes from an analog tape source. There are ghosting issues throughout, as well as some microblocking. That said, though the source looks good, this is as good as it is ever going to look.

Here’s the information provided about They Have Changed Their Face's transfer, "They Have Changed Their Face has been mastered and restored in 2K from the only known element in existence, a severely dye-faded 35mm postitive print. All best effort has been given to this presentation, and we hope it does not detract from your viewing experience."

They Have Changed Their Face comes on a 50 GB dual layer Blu-ray.

Disc Size: 43.6 GB

Feature: 27.7 GB

The source used is in very good shape; any source debris is minimal and never intrusive. As mentioned in the disclaimer, there is color fading, and flesh tones are inconsistent. The image generally looks crisp, and the black levels at times are not as convincing as they should be. Fortunately, compression is very good, and there do not appear to be any issues related to digital noise reduction.

Here’s the information provided about The Devil's Lover's transfer, "The following presentation of The Devil's Lover is a new 4K scan from the 35mm original camera negative, within which were 12 frames of black around the hour mark. After consultation with several Euro-gothic historians and archivists, it was agreed that it would be best to retain the film's integrity by maintaining this anomaly within the new master."

The Devil's Lover comes on a 50 GB dual layer Blu-ray.

Disc Size: 28.4 GB

Feature: 22.4 GB

Besides the 12 frames of black around the hour mark, the bulk of this transfer looks excellent, and it is a massive upgrade over the Mya Communications 2009 DVD release. Flesh tones look healthy, colors look correct, image clarity and black levels are strong, compression is solid, and the image looks organic.

Audio: 4.5/5 (DTS-HD Mono Italian - Danza Macabra, DTS-HD Mono English/Italian Hybrid - Danza Macabra, DTS-HD Mono English - Castle of Blood), 4/5 (DTS-HD Mono Italian - They Have Changed Their Face, DTS-HD Mono Italian - The Devil's Lover), 2.5/5 (DTS-HD Mono Italian - Jekyll)

Danza Macabra comes with two audio options, a DTS-HD mono mix in Italian and a DTS-HD mono English/Italian hybrid track. Included are removable English subtitles for the Italian language track, and a second removable English subtitle track when watching the hybrid track for Italian language dialog/text.

Castle of Blood comes with one audio option, a DTS-HD mono mix in English with removable English SDH.

All three tracks for Danza Macabra and Castle of Blood are in great shape. Dialog comes through clearly, everything sounds balanced, ambient sounds are well-represented, and the score sounds robust.

Jeykll comes with one audio option, a DTS-HD mono mix in Italian with removable English subtitles. Dialog comes through clearly enough to follow, and range-wise, these audio tracks leave a lot to be desired.

They Have Changed Their Face comes with one audio option, a DTS-HD mono mix in Italian with removable English subtitles. The audio is in good shape. Dialog comes through clearly, everything sounds balanced, and range-wise, this track sounds very good.

The Devil’s Lover comes with one audio option, a DTS-HD mono mix in Italian with removable English subtitles. The audio is in good shape. Dialog comes through clearly, everything sounds balanced, and range-wise, this track sounds very good.

Extras:

Extras on the 4K UHD disc with Castle of Blood include a TV spot Castle of Blood/ Hercules in the Haunted World double feature(1 minute 4 seconds, DTS-HD mono English, no subtitles), a theatrical trailer (1 minute 38 seconds, DTS-HD mono English, no subtitles), and an audio commentary with Rod Barnett Of NaschyCast And The Bloody Pit, And Adrian Smith for Danza Macabra version.

Extras on Blu-ray disc with Danza Macabra include an interview with author Stephen Thrower titled Exploring the Castle of Blood (44 minutes 27 seconds, Dolby Digital stereo English, no subtitles), a scene select audio commentary with actress Barbara Steele and Russ Lanier (17 minutes 12 seconds, Dolby Digital stereo English, no subtitles), and an audio commentary with Rod Barnett Of NaschyCast And The Bloody Pit, And Adrian Smith for Danza Macabra version.

Extras on Blu-ray disc with Castle of Blood include a TV spot Castle of Blood/ Hercules in the Haunted World double feature(1 minute 4 seconds, DTS-HD mono English, no subtitles), a theatrical trailer (1 minute 38 seconds, DTS-HD mono English, no subtitles), an archival interview with director Antonio Margheriti titled Antonio Margheriti Remembers Castle of Blood and Barbara Steele (5 minutes 10 seconds, Dolby Digital stereo English with non-removable English subtitles), a locations featurette (22 minutes 23 seconds, Dolby Digital stereo with removable English for Italian film clips), a video essay film critic Rachael Nisbet titled Enigmatic Elegance: Unveiling the Haunting Legacy of Barbara Steele in the Italian Gothic (30 minutes 35 seconds, Dolby Digital stereo English, no subtitles), and an interview with Edoardo Margheriti, son of director Antonio Margheriti titled The Director Who Didn’t Like Blood (13 minutes 44 seconds, Dolby Digital stereo Italian with removable English subtitles).

Extras for Jeykll Blu-ray disc one include an interview with actor Giuliano Disperati titled Dr. Jekyll And Mr. Albertazzi (7 minutes 24 seconds, Dolby Digital stereo Italian with removable English subtitles), and an interview with set designer Emanuele Taglietti titled Building The World of Jekyll (9 minutes 13 seconds, Dolby Digital stereo Italian with removable English subtitles).

Extras for Jeykll Blu-ray disc two include a video essay by Joseph Dwyer titled The Double Spiral Staircase of Jekyll and Hyde (14 minutes 42 seconds, Dolby Digital stereo English, no subtitles). 

Extras for They Have Changed Their Face include short films directed Corrado Farina: The Son of Dracula (20 minutes 34 seconds, 1.33:1 aspect ratio, Dolby Digital mono Italian with removable English subtitles), Ring Around the Rosie (11 minutes 14 seconds, 1.33:1 aspect ratio, Dolby Digital mono Italian with removable English subtitles), The Canticle of the Creatures (5 minutes 19 seconds, 1.33:1 aspect ratio, Dolby Digital mono Italian with removable English subtitles), a collection of documentaries directed by Corrado Farina (84 minutes 16 seconds, 1.33:1 aspect ratio, Dolby Digital mono Italian with removable English subtitles), commercials directed by Corrado Farina (9 minutes 32 seconds, 1.33:1 aspect ratio, Dolby Digital mono Italian with removable English subtitles), Outtakes of De Sade (6 minutes 14 seconds, no sound, with text information about this footage), an interview with actor Giuliano Disperati and editor/screenwriter Giulio Berruti titled Bloodsucking Capitalists (30 minutes 59 seconds, Dolby Digital stereo Italian with removable English subtitles), an interview with film critic Alberto Farina, son of director Corrado Farina titled The Farina Method (43 minutes 14 seconds, Dolby Digital stereo Italian with removable English subtitles), an audio commentary with director Corrado Farina moderated by Alberto Farina in Italian with removable English subtitles, and an audio commentary with Kat Ellinger, author of Daughters of Darkness.

Extras for The Devil's Lover include a video essay by Alexandra Heller-Nicholas titled Lady of The Night: The Feminism of Rosalba Neri (16 minutes 44 seconds, Dolby Digital stereo English, no subtitles), an interview with actor Robert Woods titled Out of the Woods (25 minutes 21 seconds, Dolby Digital stereo English, no subtitles), and an audio commentary with Annie Rose Malamet, film scholar and host of Girls, Guts, Giallo.

A CD with The Devil’s Lover’s 12-song score and cardboard insert with track listing.

Summary:

Danza Macabra (Castle of Blood): Directed by Antonio Margheriti, whose notable films are The Virgin of Nuremberg, The Long Hair of Death, and Seven Deaths in the Cat's Eyes. Before Antonio Margheriti made a name for himself in the gothic horror genre, he was the premier Italian filmmaker working in the sci-fi genre, directing Assignment: Outer Space, Battle of the Worlds, and the Gamma One Quadrilogy (The Wild, Wild Planet, The War of the Planets, War Between the Planets, and Snow Devils).

The narrative revolves around a man who takes a bet on the night in a haunted castle on All Hallow’s Eve. Will his night be uneventful, or will something more sinister be waiting for him?

Sergio Corbucci (Django) was the original director of Danza Macabra (Castle of Blood), and Antonio Margheriti took over a week into filming. Seven years later, Antonio Margheriti would make Web of the Spider, a remake of Danza Macabra (Castle of Blood).

Though Edgar Allen Poe appears in Danza Macabra (Castle of Blood) as a character and his name is listed as one of the writers, no story written by him is connected to Danza Macabra (Castle of Blood). That said, it is easy to see how the writings of Edgar Allen Poe influenced Danza Macabra (Castle of Blood) and Gothic horror cinema in general.

The thing that is synonymous with the best Gothic horror films is their ability to create atmosphere, and in this regard, Danza Macabra (Castle of Blood) delivers in spades. After a brief set in which a bet is made, there is a 13-minute stretch where the only words spoken are to himself while the protagonist walks through the castle. The sequence is a perfect example of how to build tension, and it does a phenomenal job laying the foundation for what follows.

The main attraction of Danza Macabra (Castle of Blood) is Barbara Steele's (Nightmare Castle) portrayal of Elisabeth Blackwood, a ghost who haunts the castle. She delivers a mesmerizing performance that dominates every moment she is in. That said, the rest of the cast are very good in their respective roles.

From a production standpoint, Danza Macabra (Castle of Blood) is a film where everything perfectly falls into place. The narrative does a great job building momentum towards an exclamation mark finale. Other strengths are Antonio Margheriti's solid direction, stylish cinematography, and Riz Ortolani’s (Cannibal Holocaust) exceptional score, which does a phenomenal job reinforcing the mood. Ultimately, Danza Macabra (Castle of Blood) is one of the high-water marks of Italian Gothic horror cinema.

Jekyll: Adapted from Robert Louis Stevenson's Strange Case of Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde, Jekyll is arguably one of the most inventive takes on this source material.

Jekyll’s cinematographer was Stelvio Massi, whose other notable credits as a cinematographer are Sartana's Here, Trade Your Pistol for a Coffin, The Case of the Bloody Iris, and Giovannona Long-Thigh. He would go on to become a director, whose notable films are Emergency Squad, Five Women for the Killer, and Convoy Busters.

The narrative functions more like a detective story, with the main character being a lawyer who looks into the connection between a scientist named Henry Jekyll and his student Edward Hyde. Everything begins because of an incident where a deranged man tries to run over a girl, and before he is caught, he flees the scene of the crime.

Jekyll spreads its story over four episodes that range from 59 to 72 minutes in length. Also, each episode recaps what happened in the previous episodes. When it comes to pacing, there are far too many stretches where things drag. This series would have benefited from tightening up its narrative by cutting its running time in half and removing several moments that could be removed that do not enhance the story at hand.

The Strange Case of Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde is a revered Gothic novella that has had numerous adaptations, many of which have left their own imprint on the source material. That said, Jekyll is best described as an interesting curiosity that most will find a chore to get through.

They Have Changed Their Face: Directed by Corrado Farina, who would only direct one other feature film, Baba Yaga.

The narrative revolves around a man who works for a corporation that makes cars. One day, he is invited to stay at a villa in the country that is owned by his boss. Shortly after his arrival, he starts to see that things are not what they appear to be and that his new promotion comes with a hefty price.

Though They Have Changed Their Face is a film filled with allegories, notably a cautionary tale about capitalism. It is hard not to see its similarities to Bram Stoker's Dracula; they both have protagonists who go to stay at a place that the locals are afraid of. And instead of vampires, They Have Changed Their Face has corporate board members who are best described as blood-sucking fiends. Another connection is that the protagonist's boss’ name is Giovanni Nosferatu, and F. W. Murnau's Nosferatu was an unauthorized adaptation of Bram Stoker’s Dracula.

Having only directed two feature films, it is easy to evaluate the legacy of Corrado Farina. And though I saw Baba Yaga first, it is easy to see how They Have Changed Their Face connects with that film visually. Corrado Farina’s background in comics infuses both of these films' visual styles.

All around, the entire cast is fantastic in their respective roles, especially Adolfo Celi (Danger: Diabolik) in the role of Giovanni Nosferatu. Despite his limited screen time and minimal dialog, he delivers a commanding performance that looms large. Not to be overlooked is Giuliano Esperati's (Jekyll) portrayal of Alberto Valle, the protagonist, who is given a job offer he can’t refuse. Another notable performance is by Geraldine Hooper (Deep Red) in the role of Corinna, Giovanni Nosferatu’s assistant. Her character serves as a guide for Alberto Valle at the villa.

From a production standpoint, They Have Changed Their Face is a film that exceeds the sum of its parts. The premise is well executed, and a deliberate, paced narrative does a great job building towards a very satisfying conclusion. And though there are no really scary moments, there are an abundance of eerie moments, like those related to cars that drive around the villa chasing people. The score mostly uses music cues that were recycled from composer Amedeo Tommasi's own score that he composed for Thomas and the Bewitched. Ultimately, They Have Changed Their Face is a well-made melodrama that is overflowing with atmosphere and social commentary.

The Devil's Lover: Director Paolo Lombardo only directed two other films, one of which he co-directed with Piero Regnoli (The Playgirls and the Vampire). The Devil’s Lover was produced by Dick Randall, a prolific film producer whose diverse filmography includes French Sex Murders, The Girl in Room 2a, The Clones of Bruce Lee, Challenge of the Tiger, and For Y’ur Height Only.

The narrative revolves around a trio of friends visiting a castle supposedly inhabited by the devil. While being shown around the castle, they convince the caretaker to let them stay the night. Later that night, one of the women, while she sleeps, reconnects with one of her past lives, when she was the devil’s lover.

There is something about Italian Gothic horror films in color that does not match their black-and-white counterparts. And though a film like The Devil’s Lover has most of the core elements, like a creepy castle as its main location and a bevy of attractive women in peril, It is clear that The Devil’s Lover is yet another example of an Italian Gothic horror film in color that does not work as well as its black-and-white counterpart.

You know it is going to be a rough ride when the main attraction, Rosalba Neri (Lady Frankenstein), spends all but one scene fully clothed, and when she does disrobe, she is quickly covered by the devil’s cape, which he drapes over her before they make love. That said, at least there is a moment where her character wears a see-through nightgown.

When it comes to performances, Edmund Purdom (The Fifth Cord) in the role of the devil delivers the most memorable performance. Another performance of note is that of Rosalba Neri, who does a great job in the role of Helga despite her character being severely underdeveloped. That said, the scenes in which Edmund Purdom and Rosalba Neri appear together are the most arresting moments.

The Devil’s Lover’s glaring weakness is its director, whose lack of experience is immediately evident. Visually, The Devil’s Lover is a pedestrian affair that is devoid of any visual style. And if there was any moment that comes close to being slightly memorable, this would be the finale, where a woman is tortured by Helga while the devil watches.

Another area where The Devil’s Lover is lacking is its lethargic pacing and inability to build tension. The narrative is mostly told via a flashback and a nightmare that Helga experiences while she sleeps in the castle, which she is staying in with her two friends. That said, an interesting plot device that crops up throughout is a character who is a pretty good sword fighter, and he fearlessly takes on all challengers. Ultimately, The Devil’s Lover is a dull film that would be all together forgettable if it weren’t for the performances of its two leads, Edmund Purdom and Rosalba Neri.

Though the films that make up Danza Macabra Volume Two: The Italian Gothic Collection vary in quality, when it comes to their audio/video presentations and wealth of extras, Severin Films have done a great job, 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.

                                                              4K UHD screenshots.

                                                              Blu-ray screenshots.
 

Written by Michael Den Boer