Death Walks Twice: Two Films by Luciano Ercoli: Death Walks on High Heels / Deaths Walks at Midnight – Arrow Video (Blu-ray/DVD Combo)

Theatrical Release Dates: Italy/Spain/UK/France, 1971 (Death Walks on High Heels), Italy/Spain, 1972 (Deaths Walks at Midnight)
Director: Luciano Ercoli (Both Films)
Cast: Frank Wolff, Nieves Navarro, Simón Andreu, Carlo Gentili, Jorge Rigaud, José Manuel Martín, Fabrizio Moresco, Luciano Rossi, Claudie Lange (Death Walks on High Heels), Nieves Navarro, Simón Andreu, Peter Martell, Carlo Gentili, Ivano Staccioli, Claudio Pellegrini, Fabrizio Moresco, Luciano Rossi, Roberta Cifarelli, Claudie Lange (Deaths Walks at Midnight)

Release Date: March 28th, 2016 (UK), April 5th, 2016 (USA)
Approximate Running Times: 107 Minutes 48 Seconds (Death Walks on High Heels), 101 Minutes 50 Seconds (Deaths Walks at Midnight)
Aspect Ratio: 2.35:1 Widescreen / 1080 Progressive / MPEG-4 AVC (Both Films)
Rating: 15 (UK), NR (USA)
Sound: DTS-HD Mono Italian, DTS-HD Mono English (Both Films)
Subtitles: English, English SDH (Both Films)
Region Coding: Region A,B / Region 1,2 NTSC
Retail Price: OOP

"In Death Walks on High Heels, exotic dancer Nicole (Navarro), the daughter of a murdered jewel thief, finds herself terrorized by a black-clad assailant determined on procuring her father s stolen gems. Fleeing Paris and her knife-wielding pursuer, Nicole arrives in London only to discover that death stalks her at every corner.

Returning in Death Walks at Midnight, Navarro stars as Valentina a model who, in the midst of a drug-fueled photoshoot, witnesses a brutal murder in the apartment opposite hers. But when it becomes clear that the savage slaying she describes relates to a crime that took place six months earlier, the police are at a loss - forcing Valentina to solve the mystery alone." - synopsis provided by the distributor

Video: 4.25/5 (Death Walks on High Heels), 4/5 (Deaths Walks at Midnight)

Here’s the information provided about the transfer, "All work on this new restoration was carried out at L'Immagine Ritrovata, Bologna. The original 35mm 2-perf Techniscope negative was scanned in 2K resolution on a pin-registered Arriscan and was graded on Digital Vision's Nucoda Film Master.

Thousands of instances of dirt, debris and light scratches were removed through a combination of digital restoration tools. Overall image stability and instances of density fluctuation were also improved."

Death Walks on High Heels comes on a 50 GB dual layer Blu-ray.

Disc Size: 42.5 GB

Feature: 29.5 GB

Deaths Walks at Midnight comes on a 50 GB dual layer Blu-ray.

Disc Size: 46.3 GB

Feature: 28 GB

The sources are in excellent shape; flesh tones look healthy, colors are nicely saturated, image clarity and compression are solid, and the image retains an organic look. While the black levels are generally strong, there are instances where they lack the convincing depth one would expect.

Audio: 4.25/5 (All Audio Tracks)

Each film comes with two audio options, a DTS-HD mono mix in English and a DTS-HD mono mix in Italian. All audio tracks are in great shape; dialog always comes through clearly, everything sounds balanced, ambient sounds and the score are well-represented. Included are removable English subtitles for the Italian language track and removable English SDH for the English language track. There is a portion of the Italian language track for Death Walks at Midnight that has been lost, and English audio has been substituted in its place.

Extras:

Extras for Death Walks on High Heels include an introduction with screenwriter Ernesto Gastaldi (1 minute 48 seconds, Dolby Digital stereo Italian with removable English subtitles), Italian language theatrical trailer (2 minutes 49 seconds, Dolby Digital mono Italian with removable English subtitles), English language theatrical trailer (2 minutes 49 seconds, Dolby Digital mono English, no subtitles subtitles), an interview with composer Stelvio Cipriani titled Death Walks to the Beat (26 minutes 28 seconds, Dolby Digital stereo Italian with removable English subtitles), an interview with Ernesto Gastaldi titled Master of Giallo (32 minutes 33 seconds, Dolby Digital stereo Italian with removable English subtitles), an interview actress Nieves Navarro and director Luciano Ercoli titled From Spain with Love (24 minutes 21 seconds, Dolby Digital stereo Italian with removable English subtitles), and an audio commentary with film critic Tim Lucas.

Extras for Death Walks at Midnight include an introduction with screenwriter Ernesto Gastaldi (1 minute 57 seconds, Dolby Digital stereo Italian with removable English subtitles), a video essay by Michael Mackenzie titled Desperately Seeking Susan, he discusses Nieves Navarro and the three Gialli she made with Luciano Ercoli (27 minutes 54 seconds, Dolby Digital stereo English, no subtitles), an interview with Ernesto Gastaldi that is titled Crime Does Pay (31 minutes 3 seconds, Dolby Digital stereo Italian with removable English subtitles), extended T.V. version of Death Walks at Midnight (106 minutes 4 seconds, 4:3 aspect ratio, Dolby Digital mono Italian with removable English subtitles) and an audio commentary with Tim Lucas.

Other extras include reversible cover (both films) and a 60-page perfect bound book with cast & crew information for each film, an essay titled Teetering on High Heels written by Danny Shipka, an essay titled Death Walks the 70’s: Luciano Ercoli and the Gialo written by Troy Howarth, an essay titled The Comedy Stylings of the “Yellow” Genre written by Leonard Jacobs, and information about the restoration.

Included with this release are DVDs that contain the same content as the Blu-Ray included in this combo package.

Summary:

Death Walks on High Heels and Death Walks at Midnight were directed by Luciano Ercoli, whose other notable films are The Forbidden Photos of a Lady Above Suspicion and Killer Cop.

Death Walks on High Heels: A killer is pursuing a nightclub dancer who unknowingly is in possession of stolen diamonds.

The Giallo genre, like all genres, is formulaic, and once you have seen a few of them, many of its tropes start to stick out. That said, Luciano Ercoli follows up The Forbidden Photos of a Lady Above Suspicion with an equally riveting Giallo. The narrative is well-constructed; it does a phenomenal job concealing the killer's identity. There are several well-placed red herrings, and an excellent finale brings everything into focus. Another strength of the narrative is its use of flashbacks, which flesh out the killer's motivation.

The main attraction of Death Walks on High Heels is Nieves Navarro (The Big Gundown) in the role of Nicole Rochard, a nightclub dancer whose father is a diamond thief. She was given the lead role in Death Walks on High Heels after portraying a secondary character in The Forbidden Photos of a Lady Above Suspicion. She is an actress who commands the screen and often steals a scene. With her portrayal of Nicole, she delivers what is arguably her best performance.

When it comes to the performances, the entire cast is excellent, especially Luciano Rossi (The Violent Professionals), who portrays Hallory, a caretaker of the cottage Nicole is staying at. Though he is not given much to do, and for most of his screen time he portrays an atypical character, in a Psycho-like finale he delivers the type of performance he’s known for. The cast features several recognizable faces: Simón Andreu (Death Carries a Cane) plays Nicole’s abusive boyfriend, Frank Wolff (Cold Eyes of Fear) portrays Robert Matthews, Nicole’s lover, and Claudie Lange (The Punishment) takes on the role of Robert’s wife, who bears a striking resemblance to Nicole.

Despite Death Walks on High Heels' lack of carnage, it is a film overflowing with visually arresting moments. Another strength of the visuals is how effectively it exploits locations, notably the cottage by the seaside. Not to be overlooked is composer Stelvio Cipriani (What Have They Done to Your Daughters?), who delivers an exemplary score that perfectly reinforces and heightens the mood. Ultimately, Death Walks on High Heels is a tense thriller that holds your attention, making it a must-see for fans of the Giallo genre.

Death Walks at Midnight: A fashion model named Valentina agrees to try a new hallucinogenic drug at the request of a reporter friend of hers who wants to do a story on the drug's aftereffects. While under the influence, Valentina witnesses a woman being attacked by a man with a metal-spiked glove. From there her identity is exposed when her reporter friend publishes the story, and now the man with the metal spike wants her dead. With no one believing her story, she is now forced to solve the mystery herself. Will Valentina unmask this madman, or will she become his next victim?

A year after directing Death Walks on High Heels, Luciano Ercoli would return to the Giallo genre for the third and final time. Death Walks at Midnight is like a companion piece to Death Walks on High Heels; besides sharing actors, the cinematographer on both films was Fernando Arribas, known for his collaborations with Jorge Grau and Vicente Aranda. For the third film in a row, Luciano Ercoli would have a different composer, this time around Gianni Ferrio (The Bloodstained Butterfly). He delivers a score that perfectly reflects Death Walks at Midnight's hallucinogenic vibe and its protagonist's state of mind.

After two rather bloodless Gialli, Luciano Ercoli, with Death Walks at Midnight, delivers a film that is in line with the visceral carnage that this genre's most celebrated films are known for. One of the killers uses a spiked glove that removes chunks of flesh every time a victim's face is punched. Though these sequences are gory, there are a few other kills that do not match their intensity. That said, as gruesome as the spiked-gloved killings are, it is a scene with a dead cat that is the hardest to watch. 

All around, the cast are excellent, especially Nieves Navarro (All the Colors of the Dark), who portrays Valentina, a fashion model who sees a murder after taking a hallucinogenic drug. Where her character in Death Walks on High Heels relied on men to protect her, Valentina is a woman who can stand on her own, and she uses her wits to get her out of danger.

Another performance of note is Luciano Rossi (Death Smiles on a Murderer), who portrays Hans Krutzer, a psychopathic assassin with a maniacal laugh. The cast features several recognizable faces: Simón Andreu (Hidden Pleasures) portrays the reporter who gave Valentina drugs, Peter Martell (The French Sex Murders) portrays Valentina’s boyfriend, and Claudie Lange (Gatling Gun) portrays Verushka Wuttenberg, a woman whose sister was murdered like the woman from Valentina’s hallucinatory vision.

From a production standpoint, Luciano Ercoli delivers his most accomplished Giallo. The outrageous premise is superbly executed, and the narrative does an excellent job building and maintaining tension. Another strength of the narrative is its use of flashback and hallucinatory sequences. Visually, Death Walks at Midnight is filled with arresting moments that heighten the mood. Ultimately, Death Walks at Midnight is an exemplary Giallo, making it one of this genre's best films.

Death Walks Twice: Two Films by Luciano Ercoli is an exceptional release from Arrow Video that gives both films strong audio/video presentations and insightful extras. Highly recommended.

Written by Michael Den Boer