Il Demonio – Severin Films (Blu-ray)

Theatrical Release Date: Italy, 1963
Director: Brunello Rondi
Writers: Ugo Guerra, Luciano Martino, Brunello Rondi
Cast: Daliah Lavi, Frank Wolff, Anna María Aveta, Tiziana Casetti, Dario Dolci, Franca Mazzoni, María Teresa Orsini, Rossana Rovere

Release Date: October 15th, 2024
Approximate Running Time: 99 Minutes 53 Seconds
Aspect Ratio: 1.85:1 Widescreen / 1080 Progressive / MPEG-4 AVC
Rating: NR
Sound: DTS-HD Mono Italian
Subtitles: English
Region Coding: Region Free
Retail Price: $29.95

"In rural Southern Italy, an emotionally disturbed young woman turns to witchcraft to curse her former lover. But is her increasingly alarming behavior due to obsession or possession?." - synopsis provided by the distributor

Video: 4.25/5

Here’s the information provided about this release's transfer, "now scanned in 2K from the original camera negative."

Il Demonio comes on a 50 GB dual layer Blu-ray.

Disc Size: 41.4 GB

Feature: 28.6 GB

The source looks great; image clarity is solid, contrast and black levels are strong, compression is very good, and the image retains an organic look.

Audio: 4/5

This release comes with one audio option, a DTS-HD mono mix in Italian with removable English subtitles. Though the audio sounds clear and balanced, it is limited range-wise.

Extras:

Extras for this release include a theatrical trailer (2 minutes 56 seconds, Dolby Digital mono Italian with removable English subtitles), a documentary short about the Tarantula bite curing process in Italy titled La Taranta directed by Gianfranco Mingozzi (19 minutes 9 seconds, 1.33:1 aspect ratio, Dolby Digital mono Italian with removable English subtitles), an interview with Brunello Rondi biographer Alberto Pezzotta who looks at Il Demonio and the themes that dominated Brunello Rondi’s eclectic career titled Once Upon a Time in Basilicata (22 minutes 52 seconds, Dolby Digital stereo Italian with removable English subtitles), a video essay by Tim Lucas titled “The Kid From a Kibbutz” — Daliah Lavi and the Road To Il Demonio (27 minutes 37 seconds, Dolby Digital stereo English, no subtitles), and an audio commentary with film historian Kat Ellinger.

Summary:

Brunello Rondi, who also directed notable films such as A Violent Life, Il demonio, and Black Emmanuelle, White Emmanuelle, directed Il Demonio. Besides directing, he’s worked extensively as a screenwriter, notably working with Federico Fellini on eight films.

An uninhibited woman obsessed with an engaged man becomes mentally unstable when he rejects her.

Il Demonio is a melodrama rooted in folklore; its narrative revolves around a woman named Purif, who is viewed as a pariah by the people of her village. Her state of mind deteriorates, and she becomes increasingly unstable when a man she’s infatuated with rejects her. Her family wants an exorcism performed, believing she is possessed by the devil.

Il Demonio is a film that takes full aim at superstitions and rituals. Though the protagonist is singled out for her behavior, there are many other people in her village whose behavior connected to rituals is just as disturbing. That said, a lot of the protagonists' issues have more to do with trauma, past and present, inflicted by those in her village than with being possessed.

Though no performances are lacking, they all pale in comparison to Daliah Lavi (The Whip and the Body), who portrays the protagonist Purif. She delivers an inspired performance that is easily her best. Another performance of note is Frank Wolff (Once Upon a Time in the West); he portrays the man that Purif lusts after.

Besides Daliah Lavi’s aforementioned performance, one must not overlook the role that the visuals play in heightening the mood. Some of the most striking moments are a scene where Purif sees a young boy by the river, only to discover he was already dead, and a scene where Purif does a spider walk. Also, the visuals are filled with symbolic imagery and overflowing with foreboding atmosphere.

From a production standpoint, there is no area where Il Demonio does not excel. The premise is superbly realized, and a well-executed narrative does an excellent job building momentum to its tragic finale. Piero Piccioni (The 10th Victim) delivers a remarkable score that is very effective in reinforcing the mood. Ultimately, Il Demonio is a riveting film that quickly draws you in and lingers on long after its final haunting image.

Il Demonio gets a solid release from Severin Films that comes with a strong audio/video presentation and informative extras, highly recommended.

Written by Michael Den Boer

Sex and Zen: Deluxe Collector's Edition – 88 Films (Blu-ray)

Theatrical Release Date: Hong Kong, 1991
Director: Michael Mak
Writer: Lee Ying Kit
Cast: Amy Yip, Lawrence Ng, Kent Cheng, Lo Lieh, Carrie Ng, Isabella Chow, Rena Murakami, Mari Ayukawa, Tim Wong, Tien Feng, Elvis Tsui

Release Date: March 27th, 2023
Approximate Running Time: 86 Minutes 51 Seconds
Aspect Ratio: 1.85:1 Widescreen / 1080 Progressive / MPEG-4 AVC
Rating: 18 (UK)
Sound: DTS-HD Mono Cantonese, DTS-HD 5.1 Cantonese, DTS-HD Mono English, DTS-HD 5.1 English
Subtitles: English
Region Coding: Region B
Retail Price: £24.99 (UK)

"Also known as The Carnal Prayer Mat's Stash of Illicit Love and slightly based on the seventeenth century novel The Carnel Prayer Mat, we follow a desperate man who is convinced by his mentor that he needs to be “well equipped” to pleasure his wife, so he has a horses appendage transplanted onto him! From here on in it gets really strange!" - synopsis provided by the distributor

Video: 5/5

Here’s the information provided about this release's transfer, "Brand-new 2025 2K restoration from original camera negative."

Sex and Zen comes on a 50 GB dual layer Blu-ray.

Disc Size: 44.6 GB

Feature: 29.6 GB

For this release, it uses a brand new exclusive transfer that blows away all other Blu-ray releases. The source looks excellent; fleshy tones look correct, colors are nicely saturated, image clarity, black levels, and compression are solid, and the image retains an organic look.

Audio: 5/5 (DTS-HD Mono Cantonese), 4.5/5 (DTS-HD 5.1 Cantonese), 4/5 (DTS-HD Mono English, DTS-HD 5.1 English)

This release comes with four audio options, a DTS-HD mono mix in Cantonese, a DTS-HD 5.1 mix in Cantonese, a DTS-HD mono mix in English, and a DTS-HD 5.1 mix in English. Though all four audio tracks sound clean, clear, and balanced, range-wise, the Cantonese language tracks fare better than the English language tracks. Included are removable English subtitles for the Cantonese language tracks and removable English subtitles for Cantonese text when watching with the English language tracks.

Extras:

Extras for this release include a stills gallery with music from the film playing in the background (stills/posters/other promotional images/Amy Yip magazine photos), Hong Kong theatrical trailer (3 minutes 16 seconds, Dolby Digital mono Cantonese with removable English subtitles), English opening credits (2 minutes 2 seconds, Dolby Digital mono English, no subtitles), English closing credits (1 minute 19 seconds, Dolby Digital mono English, no subtitles), an archival documentary about Amy Yip titled Tempting Your Heart: The Seven Emotions and Six Virtues of Amy Yip (54 minutes 1 second, Dolby Digital mono Cantonese with removable English subtitles), an archival interview with director Michael Mak (14 minutes 4 seconds, Dolby Digital stereo Cantonese with removable English subtitles), an interview with Michael Mak titled The Master of (Sex and) Zen (54 minutes 55 seconds, Dolby Digital stereo Cantonese with removable English subtitles), an audio commentary with East Asian film expert Frank Djeng (NY Asian Film Festival), Sex and Zen -  longer Mandarin version (102 minutes 43 seconds, 1.85:1 aspect ratio, Dolby Digital mono Mandarin with removable English subtitles), reversible cover art, a rigid slipcase, a double sided poster, and a 40-page booklet with an essay titled Fetishes, fantasies and fornicating: Sex & Zen’s cultural importance in erotic CAT III cinema written by Zoë Rose Smith, an essay titled Carnal Temptations, Hidden Karma Sex and Zen’s Enduring Legacy in Erotic Cinema written by Paul Bramhall, an essay titled The Yin and Yang of Sex and Zen written by Dylan Cheung, and archival images.

Summary:

Michael Mak directed Sex and Zen. He’s known for Everlasting Love, Long Arm of the Law: Part 2, Long Arm of the Law: Part 3, and Butterfly and Sword. Sex and Zen is a loose adaptation of The Carnal Prayer Mat, a Chinese novel of erotic stories.

The narrative revolves around the sexual adventures of a scholar named Mei Yeung-Sheng, whose quest for sexual enlightenment nearly kills him. He sets out to bed as many women as he can after a sexual mishap with his bride on their wedding night. 

Unable to get women to jump into bed solely based on his good looks, he enlists the help of a master thief named Chor Kun-Lun, who has the ability to get into places unseen. Before he takes Mei Yeung-Sheng up on his offer, Chor Kun-Lun takes him on a dry run in which they spy on a fabric maker named Wong Chut and his wife. Wong Chut is a cruel man with a sex drive that dwarfs an average man's ability to stand hard. Unimpressed with his eager disciple, Chor Kun-Lun refuses to help Mei Yeung-Sheng because he has a small penis.

Not willing to give up just yet, Mei Yeung-Sheng finds a doctor who performs an experimental procedure in which he gives Mei Yeung-Sheng a horse’s penis. With his newfound organ to help his sexual prowess, Mei Yeung-Sheng finally gets Chor Kun-Lun to help him. While all of this is happening, Mei Yeung-Sheng has been neglecting her spouse Huk-Yeung, who has her own needs, and, overwhelmed with loneliness, she seeks comfort elsewhere.

The area that stands out the most is the visuals, which fully exploit the inventive erotic set pieces. The sexual positions characters use often defy gravity and require a tremendous amount of flexibility. The most surprising aspect of Sex and Zen is how effectively it uses humor, especially when it comes to erotic moments.

Performance-wise, the cast is pitch-perfect in their respective roles. The most memorable performance is Amy Yip (Robotrix), who portrays Huk-Yeung, the scholar's wife, who is left at home while he travels looking for his next sexual conquest. Her erotica scenes, like when she holds a paintbrush on her vagina or when she is having sex in a bathtub, are sure to get the blood flowing. The cast features a few recognizable faces, like Carrie Ng (Naked Killer), who portrays a brothel madame; Elvis Tsui (A Chinese Torture Chamber Story), who portrays a fabric maker with an unusually large penis; and Lieh Lo (King Boxer), in the role of Chor Kun-Lun, her husband's mentor.

The narrative does a phenomenal job balancing erotic moments and exposition. Though the narrative leans heavily to the sex side of the film's title, the finale brings the zen side into focus. Sex and Zen works as well as it does because of how effortlessly it balances drama, comedy, and erotica. That said, it should come as no surprise that Sex and Zen was one of the most successful CAT III, making it a must-see for fans of these films.

Sex and Zen gets a definitive release from 88 Films, highly recommended.

Written by Michael Den Boer