Satan's Blood – Vinegar Syndrome (Blu-ray)

Theatrical Release Date: Spain/Mexico, 1978
Director: Carlos Puerto
Writer: Carlos Puerto
Cast: Ángel Aranda, Sandra Alberti, Mariana Karr, José María Guillén, Manuel Pereiro, Luis Barboo, José Pagán, Isidro Luengo, Ascensión Moreno, Carlos Castellano

Release Date: March 2nd, 2021
Approximate running time: 82 Minutes 9 Seconds
Aspect Ratio: 1.66:1 Widescreen / 1080 Progressive / MPEG-4 AVC
Rating: NR
Sound: DTS-HD Mono English, DTS-HD Mono Spanish
Subtitles: English SDH
Region Coding: Region Free
Retail Price: $34.98

"After a chance encounter with a mysterious couple claiming to be old friends, Andrés and Ana are invited to spend the evening at a beautiful, secluded old villa. As the night winds down, they begin to sense that there are some rather strange things going on around them and, after agreeing to sleep over, find themselves unwittingly pulled into a series of bizarre sexual encounters which they slowly discover are part of a horrifying Satanic ritual designed to make them slaves to the Prince of Darkness!” - Synopsis provided by the Distributor

Video: 4.5/5

Here’s the information provided about the transfer, "Newly scanned & restored in 4k from its 35mm original camera negative."

Satan's Blood comes on a 50 GB dual layer Blu-ray.

Disc Size: 33.4 GB

Feature: 24.1 GB

Outside of a few minor source imperfections, the bulk of the transfers looks excellent. Flesh tones look healthy, colors are nicely saturated, image clarity, contrast, black levels, and compression are solid, and the image always looks organic.

Audio: 4.25/5 (DTS-HD Mono English, DTS-HD Mono Spanish)

This release comes with two audio options, a DTS-HD mono mix in English and a DTS-HD mono mix in Spanish. Both audio tracks sound clean, clear, balanced, and robust when they should. Included are removable English SDH for the English language track; there are no subtitles for the Spanish language track.

Extras:

Extras for this release include a stills gallery with music from the film playing in the background, a making of documentary titled Satan's Blood: Recuerdos de Escalofrío with director Carlos Puerto, actress Sandra Alberti, and editor Pedro del Rey (46 minutes 55 seconds, Dolby Digital stereo Spanish with removable English subtitles), an audio commentary with film historians and authors Samm Deighan and Kat Ellinger, reversible cover art, and a slipcover (limited to 4,000 units).

Summary:

An old friend who dabbles in the occult invites a couple expecting a child to stay at their place in the country. What started off as an idyllic getaway becomes a walking nightmare when it becomes clear that they are trapped in the home.

Satan’s Blood covers familiar ground; its premise—an expecting mother and a coven of devil-worshipers—are two elements. Other occult-themed films, most notably Rosemary's Baby, have explored one or both of these elements. Outside of these surface areas, these two films could not be more different.

Though the opening setup is best described as mundane and the narrative moves along at a snail’s pace. Things pick up when the story transforms into something truly bizarre. And by the time the moment of truth arrives, it is a solid payoff to the events that preceded. That said, it doesn't exactly follow a straight-forward narrative structure; fortunately, this is easy to overlook since there are several surreal moments that come out of nowhere.

From a production standpoint, Satan’s Blood is a film that exceeds the sum of its parts. At a remote estate in the middle of nowhere, director Carlos Puerto films Satan's Blood. His direction makes every frame of the hauntingly beautiful location come alive on screen. Also, visually, Satan’s Blood is overflowing with striking imagery, and there is an abundance of nudity, notably an orgy scene. Ultimately, if you like sleazy films filled with nightmarish imagery that relies heavily on atmosphere, then you will thoroughly enjoy Satan’s Blood.

Satan’s Blood gets an excellent release from Vinegar Syndrome that comes with a solid audio/video presentation and a pair of insightful extras, recommended.

Written by Michael Den Boer