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The Corpse Packs His Bags (Der Todesrächer von Soho): Remastered Edition - Pidax Film/Alive (DVD)

Theatrical Release Date: West Germany/Spain/UK, 1972
Director: Jesús Franco
Writers: Artur Brauner, Jesús Franco
Cast: Horst Tappert, Fred Williams, Barbara Rütting, Elisa Montés, Luis Morris, Siegfried Schürenberg, Mara Laso, Eva Garden, Rainer Basedow, Ángel Menéndez, Wolfgang Kieling, Dan van Husen, Guillermo Méndez, Jesús Franco, Andrea Montchal

Release Date: April 9th, 2020
Approximate Running Time: 75 Minutes 45 Seconds
Aspect Ratio: 4:3 Aspect Ratio
Rating: FSK 16 (Germany)
Sound: Dolby Digital Mono German
Subtitles: N/A
Region Coding: Region 2 PAL
Retail Price: EUR 10,95

"Fear and terror are spreading in London. A sinister knife murderer kills his victims after packing their suitcases. Inspector Redford from Scotland Yard investigates, supported by his friend Charles Barton, a crime writer. The first clue leads to the practice of Dr. Bladmore. He was seen at the crime scene. When a new murder occurs and the doctor is nearby again, Redford wants to visit him. But Dr. Bladmore has disappeared without a trace. His apartment has been ransacked and completely destroyed..." – Synopsis provided by the Distributor

Video: 1/5

The Corpse Packs His Bags (Der Todesrächer von Soho) comes of a dual layer DVD.

Disc Size: 5.3 GB

No information is provided about the source used for this transfer. That said, even when compared to the best the DVD format could offer, this transfer is mediocre. There is macroblocking, compression issues, and black crush, and the image often looks faded.

Audio: 2.5/5

This release comes with one audio option, a Dolby Digital mono mix in German. Though this audio track is serviceable, its lack of English subtitles will be a dealbreaker for non-German speakers.

Extras:

Extras included with this release include an image gallery (stills), reversible cover art, a 4-page insert with images and other promotional materials (in German), and trailers for Harry in Your Pocket and Die Puppe.

Summary:

During his German period, after parting ways with Harry Alan Towers, Jess Franco made The Corpse Packer of Soho (Der Todesrächer von Soho). This era of Jess Franco began on a high-point with Vampyros Lesbos, and six films later culminated with Virgin Report. All of these films that he directed for producers Artur Brauner and Karl Heinz Mannchen were work for hire, except Vampyros Lesbos and She Killed in Ecstasy. The Corpse Packs His Bags (Der Todesrächer von Soho) is one of two Bryan Edgar Wallace adaptations from this era; the other film was The Devil Came from Akasava.

The narrative revolves around a knife-throwing maniac who kills their victims after they pack their suitcase.

The Corpse Packs His Bags (Der Todesrächer von Soho) is as conventional of a film as you will ever see from Jess Franco. The Corpse Packs His Bags (Der Todesrächer von Soho) is a by-the-numbers police procedural that is actually surprisingly light when it comes to the murders; they are all very brief moments where an unseen character holding a knife aims the knife before throwing it into the victim's back. Throughout his career, Jess Franco has staged some gruesome kill sequences; the ones in The Corpse Packs His Bags (Der Todesrächer von Soho) are extremely tame and bloodless.

The two male leads, Horst Tappert (She Killed in Ecstasy) and Fred Williams (The Devil Came from Akasava), worked with Jess Franco on multiple films. That said, the cast does not feature any of Jess Franco’s frequent collaborators. Another notable cast member is Elisa Montés, who worked with Jess Franco one other time on 99 Women. The performances are one-dimensional; no one stands out.

At just under 76 minutes in length, its leisure pacing, even by Jess Franco standards, makes The Corpse Packs His Bags (Der Todesrächer von Soho) feel much longer than its actual running time. That said, about the only thing the narrative does well is keep the killer's identity under wraps. Though The Corpse Packs His Bags (Der Todesrächer von Soho) scales back from elements that are synonymous with the cinema of Jess Franco, it does feature one of his staples, the nightclub sequence. Ultimately, for a filmography that has over 200 films, there are bound to be some bad ones, and The Corpse Packs His Bags (Der Todesrächer von Soho) is bottom-tier Jess Franco.

The Corpse Packs His Bags (Der Todesrächer von Soho) gets a mediocre presentation that does not live up to its remastered edition billing.