10kbullets

Specters / Maya – Vinegar Syndrome (Blu-ray)

Theatrical Release Dates: Italy, 1987 (Specters), Italy, 1989 (Maya)
Director: Marcello Avallone
Cast: John R. Pepper, Trine Michelsen, Donald Pleasence, Massimo De Rossi, Riccardo De Torrebruna, Lavinia Grizi, Riccardo Parisio Perrotti, Giovanni Bilancia, Matteo Gazzolo, Laurentina Guidotti, Erna Schurer, Giovanni Tamberi (Specters), Peter Phelps, Mariella Valentini, Cyrus Elias, Mariangélica Ayala, Mirella D'Angelo, Antonello Fassari, Erich Wildpret, Antonella Antinori, Tullio Cavalli, Vilma Ramia, Enrique Soto, William Berger (Maya)

Release Date: March 26th, 2024
Approximate Running Times: 93 Minutes 34 Seconds (Specters), 98 Minutes 17 Seconds (Maya)
Aspect Ratio: 1.85:1 Widescreen / 1080 Progressive / MPEG-4 AVC (Both Films)
Rating: NR
Sound: DTS-HD Stereo Italian (Both Films), DTS-HD Mono English (Both Films)
Subtitles: English (Specters), English SDH (Both Films)
Region Coding: Region Free
Retail Price: $49.98

Specters: "Whilst excavating the catacombs at an archaeological site in Rome, a team of researchers make an astonishing discovery when nearby drilling work in the subway system causes a wall to collapse, revealing a passageway leading to a series of hitherto unexplored tunnels. Delving deeper into the subterranean labyrinth, the team uncover a cavernous tomb filled with ominous inscriptions, as well as strange, unidentifiable skeletons and a crude, sacrificial weapon. Little do the archaeologists realize that the uncovering of this burial chamber, long-since sealed off from the world, has unleashed an ancient evil intent on wreaking bloody havoc." - synopsis provided by the distributor

Maya: "Lisa, a young woman from New York, arrives in a small Mexican seaside town to identify the body of her father, a researcher into Mayan culture who has been brutally murdered in a sacrificial-style killing. Determined to uncover the truth behind her father’s death, Lisa decides to stay in town, where she learns about the local folklore and superstitions with the help of Peter, a young American and friend of her father. As more people are found dead, all slaughtered in a similarly gruesome fashion, and the town’s celebrations of the dead loom, could the legend of a vengeful and bloodthirsty Mayan king returning from the dead prove to be true?" - synopsis provided by the distributor

Video: 4.5/5 (Specters, Maya)

Here’s the information provided about this release's transfers, "Newly scanned & restored in 2K from their 35mm original camera negatives".

Specters comes on a 50 GB dual layer Blu-ray.

Disc Size: 45.3 GB

Feature: 25.4 GB

Maya comes on a 50 GB dual layer Blu-ray.

Disc Size: 44.5 GB

Feature: 27.5 GB

The sources used for these two films are comparable; both transfers look great, and any source imperfections that remain are very minor. Flesh tones look healthy, colors look correct, image clarity, black levels, and compression are solid, and both films always look organic.

Audio: 4.25/5 (DTS-HD Stereo Italian - Specters, DTS-HD Stereo Italian - Maya), 3.75/5 (DTS-HD Mono English - Specters, DTS-HD Mono English - Maya)

Here’s a disclaimer about the English audio tracks, "Although both Specters and Maya were initially finished with an English stereo soundtrack, for reasons we are unclear of, the left channel of both stereo tracks suffered extreme and intermittent ringing and hiss resulting in their only ever having been distributed in mono. Despite our efforts to rectify these issues, we found that the tracks were irreparable and are therefore presenting the sound in mono, in accordance with all previous versions."

Each film comes with two audio options, a DTS-HD stereo mix in Italian and a DTS-HD mono mix in English. Included are removable English subtitles for the Italian-language track for Specters and removable English SDH for both films. Both Italian language tracks are in great shape; dialog comes through clearly, everything sounds balanced, ambient sounds are well-represented, and range-wise, this track sounds robust when it should. The above disclaimer about the English-language tracks gives you a good indication of what to expect. That said, dialog comes through clearly, everything sounds balanced, and range-wise, these two tracks sound good. Also, there are no English subtitles for the Italian-language track for Maya.

Extras:

Extras for Spectors include alternate Italian titles and end credits (3 minutes 47 seconds, Dolby Digital stereo), an audio interview with actress Erna Schürer titled Simply Emma (12 minutes 51 seconds, Dolby Digital stereo Italian with removable English subtitles), an interview with film historian Eugenio Ercolani tilted A Horrific Anomaly (30 minutes 35 seconds, Dolby Digital stereo English, no subtitles), an interview with special effects artist Sergio Stivaletti titledLittle Specters, Little Demons (26 minutes 32 seconds, Dolby Digital stereo Italian with removable English subtitles), an interview with producer/screenwriter Maurizio Tedesco titled Paranormal Roman Activity (26 minutes 57 seconds, Dolby Digital stereo Italian with removable English subtitles), an interview with director/screenwriter Marcello Avallone titled Little Roman Ghosts (27 minutes 48 seconds, Dolby Digital stereo Italian with removable English subtitles) and an audio commentary with film historians Troy Howarth and Eugenio Ercolani.

Extras for Maya include alternate Italian titles and end credits (4 minutes 50 seconds, Dolby Digital stereo), an interview with composer Gabriele Ducros titled Mystical Mayan Melodies (21 minutes 4 seconds, Dolby Digital stereo Italian with removable English subtitles), an interview with actress Mirella D'Angelo titled Scream Queen Memories (27 minutes 15 seconds, Dolby Digital stereo Italian with removable English subtitles), an interview with Marcello Avallone titled Second Time Around (20 minutes 41 seconds, Dolby Digital stereo Italian with removable English subtitles), an interview with Marcello Avallone titled The Mexican Connection (20 minutes 10 seconds, Dolby Digital stereo Italian with removable English subtitles) and an audio commentary with film historians Troy Howarth, Nathaniel Thompson and Eugenio Ercolani.

Other extras include reversible cover art and a spot gloss slipcover (limited to 6,000 units).

Summary:

Specters: Archaeologists make a startling discovery when a wall collapses, revealing a passageway to a labyrinth of tunnels beneath a subway in Rome.

The late 1980s were a lean time for genre cinema in Italy, and though horror was one of the few genres hanging on despite limited resources, that said, despite having many of the same issues that plague most of late 1980s Italian horror cinema, Specters often exceeds expectations. And nowhere is this clearer than when it comes to production design, especially in regards to the underground tunnels.

One thing that Italian horror cinema is known for is its gory murder-death set pieces. And though there are a few on-screen kills, they lack the foresight and visual flair that are synonymous with Italian horror cinema. That said, Specters is a film that relies more on atmosphere than gore, and there are a few well-timed jump scares.

The performances are serviceable; if there are any performances that leave any impression, it would be Donald Pleasence (Halloween) in the role of a professor named Lasky. Surprisingly, his performance is not as operatic as in most of the Italian films he has appeared in. His presence gives Specters an actor with name recognition.

Despite there being a few areas where Specters comes up short, there is none more glaring than when it comes to pacing, which has many lulls and, for the most part, just drags along. Ultimately, Specters is a lethargic film that is sure to let down most Italian horror cinema fans.

Maya: Something evil is lurking in a rural Mexican village as the bodies start to pile up.

Maya is one of two horror films directed by Marcello Avallone. When compared to his other horror film, Specters, Maya is superior in every way. And nowhere is this clearer than when it comes to its gory murder-death set pieces.

Right from its opening moments, Specters does a great job drawing you in and building tension. The supernatural premise is well executed. And though the narrative has some lulls, fortunately, these moments never derail the momentum.

The performances range from adequate to good, with most of the cast falling into the former. The most memorable performance is Mariangélica Ayala, who portrays a Mexican woman that two American tourists harass. The only recognizable cast member is William Berger (Face to Face), whose character's death sets the story that unfolds in motion.

From a production standpoint, Maya is a film that succeeds all around. The special effects are very good, and there are an ample number of gory deaths. The visuals do a great job of heightening the mood. Also, there are a few wonderfully executed tense moments. Ultimately, Maya is a very good horror film, and yet at best, it is a mid-tier Italian horror film.

Specters and Maya get a solid release from Vinegar Syndrome; both films get strong audio/video presentation and a wealth of informative extras.