Forgotten Gialli: Volume Seven – Vinegar Syndrome (Blu-ray)

Theatrical Release Dates: Italy, 1983 (Mystère), Italy, 1987 (Obsession: A Taste for Fear, Sweets from a Stranger)
Directors: Carlo Vanzina (Mystère), Piccio Raffanini (Obsession: A Taste for Fear), Franco Ferrini (Sweets from a Stranger)
Cast: Carole Bouquet, Phil Coccioletti, Duilio Del Prete, John Steiner, Gabriele Tinti, Peter Berling, Janet Agren (Mystère), Virginia Hey, Gérard Darmon, Gioia Scola, Carlo Mucari, Dario Parisini, Carin McDonald, Teagan Clive, Eva Grimaldi (Obsession: A Taste for Fear), Barbara De Rossi, Marina Suma, Athina Cenci, Mara Venier, Laura Betti, Anny Papa, Gerardo Amato, Sabrina Ferilli, Maurizio Donadoni, Anna Galiena (Sweets from a Stranger)

Release Date: October 29th, 2024
Approximate Running Times: 88 Minutes 2 Seconds (Mystère), 92 Minutes (Obsession: A Taste for Fear), 94 Minutes 58 Seconds (Sweets from a Stranger)
Aspect Ratio: 1.66:1 Widescreen / 1080 Progressive / MPEG-4 AVC (Sweets from a Stranger), 1.85:1 Widescreen / 1080 Progressive / MPEG-4 AVC (Mystère), 2.35:1 Widescreen / 1080 Progressive / MPEG-4 AVC (Obsession: A Taste for Fear)

Rating: NR
Sound: DTS-HD Mono Italian (All Films), DTS-HD Mono English (Mystère, Obsession: A Taste for Fear)
Subtitles: English (Sweets from a Stranger), English SDH (Mystère, Obsession: A Taste for Fear)
Region Coding: Region Free
Retail Price: $89.98

Mystère: "Mystère is one of Rome’s top call-girls whose clients range from political elites to business executives. Her friend Pamela, another prostitute, steals an expensive lighter from a recent client, only to be mysteriously murdered shortly thereafter. When Mystère discovers that not only has Pamela been killed but also the client from whom she stole the lighter, she realizes that her own life might be in danger, a fear quickly validated when she narrowly survives an assassination attempt. Desperate to figure out why she and Pamela were targeted, she finds an ally in Inspector Colt, who has been tasked with solving the crimes. But as their investigation deepens, it becomes clear that the seemingly ordinary lighter holds a potentially deadly secret." - synopsis provided by the distributor

Obsession: A Taste for Fear: "Set in a semi-futuristic, technology-infused world, Diane is a top photographer for erotic and fashion magazines whose sexually liberated lifestyle carries over to her work. However, when Diane’s newest model, the statuesque Teagan, is found murdered on her set, suspicion falls not only on Diane but her entire production crew and other models. While Inspector Arnold initially assumes the killer is a nerdy technician, a second murder, which is captured on video, reveals the assailant to be a beautiful woman…" - synopsis provided by the distributor

Sweets from a Stranger: "A bicycle-riding, razor-wielding killer is stalking and slashing Rome’s ladies of the night. Stella, who has risen above the level of streetwalker and now works as a high-class escort, is shocked when she learns that a dear friend has become the maniac’s latest victim. Disgusted by the failure of the police to either find the killer or even protect other women, she hatches her own plan to help fellow prostitutes organize and learn self-defense in the hopes that their own actions will lead to the culprit’s unmasking." - synopsis provided by the distributor

Video: 5/5 (Mystère, Obsession: A Taste for Fear, Sweets from a Stranger)

Here’s the information given about Mystère's transfer, “Scanned and restored in 4K from its 35mm original camera negative.”

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

Disc Size: 36 GB

Feature: 24.8 GB

Here’s the information given about Obsession: A Taste for Fear's transfer, “Scanned and restored in 4K from its 35mm original camera negative.”

Obsession: A Taste for Fear comes on a 50 GB dual layer Blu-ray.

Disc Size: 38.8 GB

Feature: 26 GB

Here’s the information given about Sweets from a Stranger's transfer, “Scanned and restored in 4K from its 35mm original camera negative.”

Sweets from a Stranger comes on a 50 GB dual layer Blu-ray.

Disc Size: 38.9 GB

Feature: 25.9 GB

The source for all three films looks excellent; flesh tones look healthy, colors are nicely saturated, image clarity, black levels, and compression are solid, and the image always looks organic.

Audio: 4.25/5 (All Audio Tracks)

All films come with a DTS-HD mono mix in Italian; Mystère and Obsession: A Taste for Fear also come with a DTS-HD mono mix in English. All of the audio tracks sound clean, clear, balanced, and robust when they should. The differences between the English and Italian language tracks are minimal. Included are removable English SDH for the English language tracks and removable English subtitles for Sweets from a Stranger Italian language track. There are no English subtitles for Mystère and Obsession: A Taste for Fear’s Italian language tracks.

Extras:

Extras for Mystère include alternate Italian titles and credits (6 minutes 22 seconds, Dolby Digital mono English, no subtitles), an interview with production designer Paola Comencini titled The House of Mystère (19 minutes 23 seconds, Dolby Digital stereo Italian with removable English subtitles), an interview with actor Greg Snegoff titled An American in Rome (19 minutes 58 seconds, Dolby Digital stereo English, no subtitles),  an interview with screenwriter Enrico Vanzina titled Two Brothers for a Mystère (24 minutes 51 seconds, Dolby Digital stereo Italian with removable English subtitles), and an audio commentary with film historians Eugenio Ercolani, Nathaniel Thompson and Troy Howarth.

Extras for Obsession: A Taste for Fear include alternate Italian titles and credits (4 minutes 6 seconds, Dolby Digital mono English, no subtitles), a video essay by Rachael Nisbet titled Cinema Killed the Video Star (19 minutes 22 seconds, Dolby Digital stereo English, no subtitles), an interview with composer Gabriele Ducros titled A Taste for Synths (14 minutes 1 second, Dolby Digital stereo Italian with removable English subtitles), an interview with production supervisor Luciano Lucchi titled Supervising the Obsession (15 minutes 48 seconds, Dolby Digital stereo Italian with removable English subtitles), an interview with screenwriter/director Piccio Raffanini titled This Used to Be the Future (29 minutes 13 seconds, Dolby Digital stereo Italian with removable English subtitles), and an audio commentary with Eugenio Ercolani and Nathaniel Thompson.

Extras for Sweets from a Stranger include an interview with composer Umberto Smaila titled Kill Me with Your Smaila (29 minutes 57 seconds, Dolby Digital stereo Italian with removable English subtitles), an interview with producer Claudio Bonivento titled Sweets Maker (18 minutes 26 seconds, Dolby Digital stereo Italian with removable English subtitles), an interview with screenwriter/director Franco Ferrini titled Cruising for Sweets (35 minutes 21 seconds, Dolby Digital stereo Italian with removable English subtitles), and an audio commentary with Eugenio Ercolani and Troy Howarth.

Summary:

Though Mario Bava and Dario Argento changed the template when it comes to the Italian thriller, there are many examples of gialli that bear no resemblance to these two filmmakers. For their seventh installment in Vinegar Syndrome’s Forgotten Gialli series, they have chosen three films that are perfect examples of films going against this genre's staples.

Mystère: When a prostitute obtains evidence that can reveal the assassin, she unintentionally becomes involved in a political assassination plot.

Carlo Vanzina directed Mystère, best known for his work on the Giallo film Nothing Underneath.

The most celebrated Giallo are known for their memorable opening sequences. Though Mystère falls into this category, it opens with a tense assassination sequence. What follows is an unconventional Giallo that is mostly devoid of this genre's staples.

After its tense opening sequence, there’s an abrupt tonal shift when the focus shifts to its protagonist, a high-class call girl named Mystère. There’s a playfulness in these moments as the protagonist interacts with clients and other prostitutes. That said, when it comes to the kill scenes, the narrative never manages to maintain any of the tension that comes from these moments.

Despite being a beautifully photographed film, Mystère lacks the stylish murder-death set pieces that one expects from a Giallo. Most of the kill sequences are quick, and they lack the inventiveness that the most celebrated Giallo have in spades. The killer is in line with the black-gloved prototype; unfortunately, their identity is revealed halfway through.

Though the cast has several recognizable faces, the only performance that leaves a lasting impression is Carole Bouquet (For Your Eyes Only) in the role of the protagonist. Despite her character being one-dimensional, she manages to deliver a performance that exceeds expectations. The weakest performance is Phil Coccioletti in the role of a detective who becomes romantically involved with Mystère.

Despite its shortcomings, Mystère is unlike any other Giallo. It disregards the norms of this genre, making its uniqueness clear. Fortunately, its pros outweigh its cons. Armando Trovajoli’s (Marriage Italian Style) score, especially its main theme, is one of Mystère’s biggest assets. Ultimately, Mystère is a fun ride that hardcore Giallo fans will enjoy more than someone new to this genre.

Obsession: A Taste for Fear: A serial killer targets a fashion photographer's models.

Obsession: A Taste for Fear is Piccio Raffanini’s only feature film as a director. He’s most known for his work in music videos, and it should not be a surprise that the look of Obsession: A Taste for Fear has the style that one associates with music videos. His background in music videos also extends to other areas like editing.

Obsession: A Taste for Fear is an excellent example of a Giallo that goes outside of the box. Set in a near future, Obsession: A Taste for Fear is a rare example of a futuristic Giallo with Sci-Fi elements. That said, Obsession: A Taste for Fear is a film that blends modern and futuristic elements.

Though none of the performances leave a lasting impression, this is not detrimental. The cast are merely props that the director strategically moves around to advance the narrative. The most notable cast member is Eva Grimaldi (Rat Man), who has a minor role.

As mentioned before, the visuals are Obsession: A Taste for Fear’s greatest asset. The cinematographer Romano Albani is most known for his two collaborations with Dario Argento: Inferno and Phenomena. That said, for a genre known for its murder-death set pieces, the most striking moments have nothing to do with carnage.

Despite being set in the world of fashion, a familiar setting for a Giallo, the result is a film that often comes up short. Obsession: A Taste for Fear lacks suspense; there are only a few tense moments and not that much in the way of onscreen bloodshed. That said, Giallo’s are known for titillating moments, and Obsession: A Taste for Fear has an abundance of nudity. Ultimately, an Italian-style erotic thriller is the best description of Obsession: A Taste for Fear.

Sweets from a Stranger: A maniac with a razor stalks and kills sex workers.

Franco Ferrini is most known for his screenplay collaborations with Dario Argento; Sweets from a Stranger is his only credit as director.

Sweets from a Stranger features one of the more unique amateur sleuths, a group of sex workers who take matters into their own hands. The lack of outrage and the police’s reaction after the first few killings highlight how these women are viewed by society. That said, the most surprising aspect of Sweets from a Stranger is how it humanizes the sex workers.

When one considers two things: the subject matter and Franco Ferrini’s connection to Dario Argento, it is surprising how the killings lack ferocity. Though the murder set pieces are bloody and graphic, they lack the visual operatics that are synonymous with the most celebrated Giallo. That said, the finale, which features a surprisingly good killer reveal, is its most Giallo moment.

When it comes to the performance, the entire cast is great, and in most instances, they exceed expectations. The strongest performance is Mara Venier (Door into Darkness), who portrays a sex worker named Stella. The weakest performance is by Maurizio Donadoni (The Future Is Woman), who portrays the police inspector. His character adds little to the story, and it's the sex workers who unmask the killer, not him.

In his one and only time as a director, Franco Ferrini does a superb job maximizing his resources. And nowhere does he excel more than when it comes to the visuals, which do a great job reinforcing the mood. Though the well-executed narrative does an excellent job building momentum, there are some weird tone shifts along the way. Ultimately, Sweets from a Stranger is a film in which the sum of its parts does not always gel.

Something that can be said about Vinegar Syndrome’s Forgotten Gialli series is that there have been many well known films that really don’t fit the bill. This time around, all three films in this collection are perfect examples of films waiting to be discovered. Vinegar Syndrome add another exemplary release to their Forgotten Gialli series, highly recommended.

Written by Michael Den Boer