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Werewolf Woman - Raro Video (Blu-ray)

Theatrical Release Date: Italy, 1976
Director: Rino Di Silvestro
Writer: Rino Di Silvestro
Cast: Annik Borel, Howard Ross, Dagmar Lassander, Tino Carraro, Elio Zamuto, Osvaldo Ruggieri, Andrea Scotti, Frederick Stafford, Salvatore Billa, Pietro Torrisi

Release Date: April 25th, 2017
Approximate Running Time: 97 minutes 28 Seconds
Aspect Ratio: 1.85:1 Widescreen / 1080 Progressive / VC-1
Rating: NR
Sound: LPCM Mono Italian, LPCM Mono English
Subtitles: English
Region Coding: Region Free
Retail Price: $29.95

"Daniela, a woman troubled from a childhood trauma, begins to have delusions that she is a werewolf. She spends her nights seducing and killing men, until she meets a kind man named Luca, who she falls in love with. Her happiness is short-lived when she is raped and Luca is killed, reverting her back to her werewolf delusions. Daniela gets her revenge by killing her rapists and Luca's killers." - synopsis provided by the distributor

Video: 3/5

Here’s the information provided about this release's transfer, "New HD transfer from original 35mm negative".

Werewolf Woman comes on a 25 GB single layer Blu-ray.

Disc Size: 23 GB

Feature: 20.3 GB

Though the source has been cleaned up, digital noise reduction, compression artifacts, and black crush are just a few issues that plague this transfer. That said, this is another disappointing transfer from Raro Video that somehow looks worse than Shriek Show's DVD release.

Audio: 3.5/5 (LPCM Mono Italian, LPCM Mono English)

This release comes with two audio options, an LPCM mono mix in Italian and an LPCM mono mix in English. Though both audio tracks sound clear and balanced, there are some sibilance issues. Also, range-wise, both audio tracks are satisfactory. Included are removable English subtitles for the Italian language track.

Extras:

Extras for this release include English language theatrical trailer (3 minutes 57 seconds, Dolby Digital mono English, no subtitles), Italian language theatrical trailer (3 minutes 57 seconds, Dolby Digital mono Italian, no subtitles), an interview with director Rino Di Silvestro (19 minutes 23 seconds, Dolby Digital stereo Italian with removable English subtitles), a slipcover (limited to the first pressing), and a 8-page booklet with cat & crew information, and an essay titled Werewolf Woman An Appreciation.

Summary:

Werewolf Woman was co-written and directed by Rino Di Silvestro, whose other notable films include Deported Women of the SS Special Section and Hanna D.: The Girl from Vondel Park.

Traumatized by a sexual assault, a young woman named Daniela struggles to maintain her sanity as she gradually transforms into an ancestor who, centuries earlier, was burned at the stake for being a werewolf.

Werewolf Woman is a sleazy psychological thriller that borrows heavily from the horror genre. Werewolf Woman does attempt to explore the reasons behind the protagonist's actions, making the end result less impactful than it could have been. That said, Werewolf Woman far too often falls back on attention-grabbing exploitive elements, like nudity from its leading lady and gory deaths in which victims’ throats are ripped out.

In the scene that drives that narrative, a trio of rapists surprises Daniela at her new home while her boyfriend is away. Subsequently, the boyfriend arrives home during their assault, and violence ensues as the trio of men brutally beats him to death. This moment also proves to be pivotal, as it indicates that just prior to these men’s arrival, Daniela had finally achieved a breakthrough and was on the verge of overcoming her original trauma.

Though none of the performances are lacking, it is Annik Borel’s (Truck Turner) portrayal of the protagonist in Werewolf Woman that truly stands out. So much depends on her character, and she delivers a performance that elevates everyone involved. Notable cast members include Howard Ross (The New York Ripper), who plays against type as the protagonist's boyfriend, and Dagmar Lassander (Forbidden Photos of a Lady Above Suspicion), who portrays the protagonist's sister. Though Dagmar Lassander’s role is little more than a cameo, her sex scene is sure to leave an indelible mark on most viewers of Werewolf Woman.

From a production standpoint, Werewolf Woman is a film that maximizes its resources. The narrative begins with a dream sequence that retells an event from the past. After this initial setup; the narrative is always told via the protagonist's point of view. Pacing is never an issue; the narrative does a great job balancing exposition and carnage moments. Ultimately, Werewolf Woman is a well-made exploitation film that fans of 1970s Italian genre cinema should thoroughly enjoy.

Raro Video gives a Werewolf Woman a mediocre audio/video presentation that leaves a lot of room for improvement.