Forgotten Pistolero – Carabola Media (Blu-ray)

Theatrical Release Date: Italy, 1969
Director: Ferdinando Baldi
Writers: Vincenzo Cerami, Pier Giovanni Anchisi, Mario di Nardo, Federico De Urrutia, Ferdinando Baldi
Cast: Leonard Mann, Luciana Paluzzi, Peter Martell, Alberto de Mendoza, Pilar Velázquez, José Suárez, José Manuel Martín, Luciano Rossi, Mirella Pamphili

Release Date: December 16th, 2025
Approximate Running Time: 83 Minutes 24 Seconds (English Language Version, Italian Language Version)
Aspect Ratio: 1.85:1 Widescreen / 1080 Progressive / MPEG-4 AVC (English Language Version, Italian Language Version)
Rating: NR
Sound: LPCM Mono Italian (Italian Language Version), LPCM Mono English (English Language Version)
Subtitles: English (Italian Language Version Forced Non-Removable), English (English Language Version)
Region Coding: Region A
Retail Price: $39.95

"Based on the tales of Orestes from Greek mythology, this film tells the story of Sebastian, who was swept away from his home as a small child during a massacre orchestrated by his unfaithful mother and her lover, which ultimately resulted in the death of his father. Many years later, his childhood friend Rafael finds him living quietly on a farm, but after dredging up Sebastian's forgotten past, the pair decide to set out on a road to revenge that ultimately culminates with one of the more memorable finales in the genre." - synopsis provided by the distributor

Video: 4.25/5 (English Language Version, Italian Language Version)

Forgotten Pistolero comes on a 25 GB single layer Blu-ray.

Disc Size: 19.7 GB

Feature: 19.7 GB (English Language Version)

Forgotten Pistolero comes on a 25 GB single layer Blu-ray.

Disc Size: 23.5 GB

Feature: 16.9 GB (Italian Language Version)

Putting each version on its own disc is confusing, as all the data could fit on one 50 GB disc. Although no information is provided about the sources, both transfers are in excellent shape, and they look comparable. Flesh tones and colors look correct, image clarity and black levels are strong, there are no issues with compression and the image always looks organic.

Audio: 4/5 (LPCM Mono Italian, LPCM Mono English)

Although this release comes with two audio options, Italian and English, both are LPCM mono; each language is on a separate disc. Both audio tracks sound clean, clear, and balanced, and ambient sounds are well-represented. The Italian-language track comes with non-removable English subtitles, while the English-language track comes with removable English subtitles. Furthermore, the English-language track’s subtitles are poorly mistimed and often do not match up with what’s being said.

Extras:

There are no extras on disc one; all extras are on disc two. Extras for this release include a theatrical trailer (2 minutes 43 seconds, LPCM mono Italian with non-removable English subtitles) and an interview with actor Leonard Mann, conducted by Mike Malloy for his documentary Eurocrime! The Italian Cop and Gangster Films That Ruled the '70s (34 minutes, LPCM stereo English, no subtitles). 

Summary:

Ferdinando Baldi directed Forgotten Pistolero. He’s known for Texas, Adios; Django, Prepare a Coffin, The Sicilian Connection, Nine Guests for a Crime, and Terror Express. 

A childhood friend reunites with a loner who's a gifted gunslinger and reveals to him the truth about his father's death.

Forgotten Pistolero is another in a long line of revenge-themed spaghetti westerns. The narrative revolves around a protagonist named Sebastian, who has lived a sheltered life with the woman he thought was his mother. When he was a boy, his father was murdered and that woman rescued him. That said, he has memories from the past, and yet there is still a large portion that remains unknown to him.

While the initial setup effectively establishes a strong foundation, it does have shortcomings regarding the backstory. Most notable of these is why Sebastian’s memory of the night is so murky and why his mother never looked for him. When it comes to the former, maybe the trauma from that night repressed his memories, while the latter is more head-scratching.

Something you can always count on with spaghetti westerns is familiar faces. Notable cast members are Peter Martell (Death Walks at Midnight) in the role of Rafael, Sebastian’s childhood friend; Pilar Velázquez (A White Dress for Marialé) in the role of Isabella, Sebastian’s sister; and Luciano Rossi (Death Smiles on a Murderer) in a rare non-menacing role. The most memorable performance is Luciana Paluzzi (Thunderball) in the role of Sebastian’s mother. Her character is ruthless and cold-blooded in her interactions. The most disappointing performance is Leonard Mann’s (The Unholy Four) one-dimensional portrayal of Sebastian.

If there was a popular genre cycle in the 1960s, 70s, or 80s of Italian cinema, you could count on Ferdinando Baldi cranking out a few films. Although he was a workmanlike filmmaker whose films never really had any distinguishable attributes, something that can be said about most of his films is that they are well-crafted. That said, he's a filmmaker who excelled most at action set pieces.

Forgotten Pistolero’s narrative opens and closes with its best moments. The narrative does a great job drawing you in and holding your attention while it builds to a symbolic ending where Sebastian exorcises his demons. Another aspect in which spaghetti westerns excel is their musical scores. Roberto Pregadio, known for his work on "Death Carries a Cane," delivers an outstanding score that effectively enhances the film's mood. Ultimately, Forgotten Pistolero's positives far outweigh its negatives, making a film that spaghetti western fans should thoroughly enjoy.

Forgotten Pistolero gets a strong audio/video presentation from Carabola Media.

 

Written by Michael Den Boer

Django, Prepare a Coffin – Arrow Video (Blu-ray/DVD Combo)

Theatrical Release Date: Italy, 1968
Director: Ferdinando Baldi
Writers: Franco Rossetti, Ferdinando Baldi
Cast: Terence Hill, Horst Frank, George Eastman

Release Date: April 25th, 2017
Approximate running time: 91 Minutes 56 Seconds
Aspect Ratio: 1.66:1 Widescreen / 1080 Progressive / MPEG-4 AVC
Rating: NR
Sound: LPCM Mono Italian, LPCM Mono English
Subtitles: English, English SDH
Region Coding: Region A, Region 1 NTSC
Retail Price: $29.95

"Django the drifter returns in this classic sixties Spaghetti Western from Ferdinando Baldi (Texas Addio, Comin' At Ya!), starring Terence Hill (They Call Me Trinity) as the wandering gunslinger, hired as executioner to a corrupt local politician who is framing innocent men, sending them to hang in an evil scheme to take hold of their land.

But Django has other ideas and, cleverly faking the deaths of the condemned men, he assembles them into a loyal gang who'll help him take down the boss, a man who had a hand in the death of Django's wife years before. Thrill as Django gets his bloody revenge with a hail of bullets in this classic from a series of B-movie western that helped to define a genre. Prepare your coffin now!” – Synopsis provided by the Distributor

Video: 3.5/5

Here’s the information provided about the transfer, "Django, Prepare a Coffin was transferred at L'Immagine Ritrovata in Bologna, Italy. The film was transferred at 2K resolution with Arriscan from a 35mm interpositive. The film was digitally restored in high definition and then digitally color corrected with Film Master by Nucoda."

Django, Prepare a Coffin comes on a 50 GB dual layer Blu-ray.

Disc Size: 30.1 GB

Feature: 26.6 GB

The source used for this transfer is in great shape. Colors look very good, image clarity is solid, and though black levels are generally strong, there are some darker moments where they are not as strong. Also, compression is solid, and though grain is present, it does look like there might be some digital filtering of the image.

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

This release comes with two audio options, a LPCM mono mix in Italian and a LPCM mono mix in English. Both tracks sound clean, and the dialog comes through clearly enough to follow. Range-wise, both tracks are limited. Included are removable English subtitles for the Italian language track and removable English SDH for the English language track.

Extras:

Extras for this release include a theatrical trailer (3 minutes 4 seconds, LPCM mono English, no subtitles), an interview with Spaghetti Western expert and author Kevin Grant titled Django Explained (8 minutes 33 seconds, LPCM stereo English, no subtitles), reversible cover art and a 16-page booklet (limited to first pressing) with cast & crew information, an essay titled The Dead Are in Their Graves written by Howard Hughes and information about the transfer.

Included with this release is a DVD that has the same content as the Blu-ray included as part of this combo.

Summary:

Directed by Ferdinando Baldi, whose other notable films include Texas, Adios, Django, Prepare a Coffin, Forgotten Pistolero, Blindman, Nine Guests for a Crime, and Terror Express.

The narrative revolves around a gunfighter posing as a hangman who exacts his revenge against those who are responsible for murdering his wife by putting together a gang of men who were wrongly convicted and sentenced to death for crimes they did not commit.

Though there were many Spaghetti Western films that featured a protagonist named Django, the majority of the films were not connected to Sergio Corbucci’s Django. They were blatant cash in’s that are only linked by their use of the name Django in their titles. With that being said, there are a few rare cases of films like Django and Prepare a Coffin that retain the essence of Sergio Corbucci’s Django. That said, the spaghetti Western genre, like so many genres that rose to prominence in Italian cinema in the 1950s, 1960s, and 1970s, was all too prone to recycle whatever was successful during those eras. And because of this, there is far too often a feeling of déjà vu.

Fortunately, Django, Prepare a Coffin does not fall into these familiar trappings. And without a doubt, the premise is one of its greatest assets. The opening setup does a superb job setting up the protagonist's motivation to exact revenge against those who killed his wife. Pacing is never an issue, as this film gives key moments an ample amount of time to resonate.

The characters are well defined, and their motivations are never in doubt. The entire cast is very good in their respective roles. The standout performance was Terence Hill (My Name is Nobody) in the role of Django. Though he would later rise to prominence as one of the actors most identified with comedy-heavy Spaghetti Westerns that became prominent in the early 1970's, he delivers a brooding performance that is utterly convening.

Other notable cast members include Horst Frank (The Grand Duel) in the role of David Barry, a crooked politician who is the mastermind behind several gold robberies; George Eastman (Rabid Dogs) in the role of Barry’s man henchmen; and the ever-reliable Luciano Rossi (Death Walks at Midnight) in the role of one of the innocent men that Django saves.

Visually, Django, Prepare a Coffin does not disappoint, and there is a tremendous amount of atmosphere. Another strength of Django's Prepare a Coffin is its score, which has since gained a wider audience after Gnarls Barkley used parts of the track Last Man Standing’s medley as the backing track for their song Crazy. Standout moments include a scene where Django is tortured after his plan is exposed. Other standout moments include a scene where Django ambushes and takes out the men who had been holding him prisoner. And a finale that makes a clear reference to Sergio Corbucci’s Django, when the protagonist removes a machine gun from his own grave. Ultimately, Django, Prepare a Coffin is a solid Spaghetti western and one of the better unofficial Django films.

Django, Prepare a Coffin gets a strong release from Arrow Video that comes with a good audio/video presentation and a pair of informative extras.

Written by Michael Den Boer

Get Mean: 2-Disc Limited Edition – Blue Underground (Blu-ray/DVD Combo)

Theatrical Release Date: Italy, 1975
Director: Ferdinando Baldi
Writers: Ferdinando Baldi, Lloyd Battista, Wolf Lowenthal
Cast: Tony Anthony, Lloyd Battista, Raf Baldassarre, Diana Lorys, Mirta Miller

Release Date: October 27th, 2015
Approximate running time: 90 Minutes 16 Seconds
Aspect Ratio: 2.35:1 Widescreen / 1080 Progressive / MPEG-4 AVC
Rating: NR
Sound: DTS-HD Mono English
Subtitles: English SDH, French, Spanish
Region Coding: Region Free
Retail Price: OOP

"When an American cowboy stumbles upon a gypsy family in a wind-swept ghost town, they offer him a fortune to escort a princess back to her home in Spain. But this silent Stranger finds himself in over his head (and strung up by his feet) when he gets caught in the middle of an epic battle involving Vikings, the Moors, brutal barbarians, evil spirits, a raging bull, and a diabolical Shakespeare-quoting hunchback. Tired of their never-ending attempts to kill him, the cowboy arms himself to the teeth with guns, dynamite and a special surprise. Now it's the Stranger's turn to GET MEAN!” – Synopsis provided by the Distributor

Video: 4/5

Here’s the information provided about the transfer, "brand-new High Definition transfer".

Get Mean comes on a 50 GB  dual layer Blu-ray.

Disc Size: 35.2 GB

Feature: 19.4 GB

The source used for this transfer is in great shape. Colors look very good, image clarity and black levels are strong, compression is very good, and there does not appear to be any digital noise reduction.

Audio: 3.75/5

This release comes with one audio option, a DTS-HD mono mix in English. The audio is in good shape, dialog comes through clearly, and ambient sounds are well represented. Range-wise, there are several instances where the volume of sounds fluctuates. Included are removable English SDH, removable French subtitles, and removable Spanish subtitles.

Extras:

Extras for this release include a poster & stills gallery, three radio spots (1 minute 57 seconds, Dolby Digital mono English, no subtitles), English language theatrical trailer (3 minutes 23 seconds, Dolby Digital mono English, no subtitles), French language theatrical trailer (3 minutes 21 seconds, Dolby Digital mono French, no subtitles), deleted scenes (8 minutes 28 seconds, Dolby Digital mono English, no subtitles), an interview with director Ferdinando Baldi (8 minutes 19 seconds, Dolby Digital mono Italian with non-removable English subtitles), an interview with executive producer Ronald J. Schneider (9 minutes 50 seconds, Dolby Digital mono English, no subtitles), an interview with actor Lloyd Battista (11 minutes 33 seconds, Dolby Digital mono English, no subtitles), an interview with actor Tony Anthony (23 minutes 12 seconds, Dolby Digital mono English, no subtitles), an audio commentary with Tony Anthony, Lloyd Battista, Ronald J. Schneider and moderator David Gregory, and a 20-page booklet with cast & crew information, and an essay titled People Are Strange, When You’re a Stranger.

Other extras are theatrical trailers for A Stranger in Town (2 minutes 23 seconds, Dolby Digital mono English, no subtitles), The Stranger Returns (2 minutes 16 seconds, Dolby Digital mono English, no subtitles), The Silent Stranger (2 minutes 31 seconds, Dolby Digital mono English, no subtitles), Blindman (2 minutes 52 seconds, Dolby Digital mono English, no subtitles), Comin at Ya (2 minutes 38 seconds, Dolby Digital mono English, no subtitles) and Treasure of the Four Crowns (1 minute 52 seconds, Dolby Digital mono English, no subtitles).

Included with this release is a DVD that has the same content as the Blu-ray included as part of this combo release.

Summary:

Directed by Ferdinando Baldi, whose other notable films include Texas, Adios, Django, Prepare a Coffin, Forgotten Pistolero, Blindman, Nine Guests for a Crime, and Terror Express. Get Mean is part of a series of Stranger films; the three films are A Stranger in Town, The Stranger Returns, and The Silent Stranger.

The narrative revolves around a princess who has been living in exile from her homeland of Spain and enlists the help of an American cowboy by making a financial offer that he cannot refuse.

Just when you think that you have seen everything that could be seen in the spaghetti western genre, along comes a film like Get Mean that knocks you off your feet with its most unconventional take on this well-traversed genre. And the majority of its contemporaries were shifting the focus away from stylized acts of violence in favor of a more lighthearted version of the genre that was anchored by humor. Fortunately, there are always going to be those films that walk to the beat of their own drum, and Get Mean is one of those rarified examples where a spaghetti western finds the perfect balance between humor and stylized acts of violence.

The premise takes one of the genre's most common scenarios: a protagonist who pits several characters against each other with promises of riches, and in return, this helps the protagonist achieve their goals. This is where things familiar end, as Get Mean is not just content to be another western. Since the protagonist reluctantly becomes a fish out of water when they quickly find themselves in over their heads in a foreign land, things only get more bizarre as the bad guys in Get Mean are cut from a different cloth. The bad guys are barbarians who have invaded the land and now occupy it. The protagonist, with no help from anyone else, must come up with a way to help the princess he is escorting regain power.

From a production standpoint, one would be hard-pressed to find any faults in Get Mean. The visuals are rock solid, and the numerous action set pieces are all inventive and well-constructed. Also, there are many scenes that give Get Mean a much larger scope than its limited resources. Most noticeably, a battle scene occurs shortly after the protagonists’ arrival in Spain. And of course, another standout action set piece is the finale, which goes for broke as they just throw in everything imaginable into this scene.

When speaking about Get Mean, everything begins and ends with Tony Anthony’s performance in the role of The Stranger. There is no denying that this is his show, and he delivers an extraordinary performance that elevates everyone around him. Another notable performance is by Lloyd Battista in the role of a hunchback barbarian named Sombra, who idolizes Richard III. Other recognizable faces include Mirta Miller (Vengeance of the Zombies) and Diana Lorys (The Awful Dr. Orlof) in the role of the Spanish princess. Ultimately, Get Mean is a fun film that Spaghetti western fans should thoroughly enjoy.

Get Mean is a first-rate release from Blue Underground that comes with a strong audio/video presentation and a wealth of extras, recommended.

Note: Blue Underground has re-released Get Mean in stand-alone Blu-ray and DVD releases.

Written by Michael Den Boer

The Sicilian Connection - Code Red (Blu-ray)

Theatrical Release Date: Italy/France, 1972
Director: Ferdinando Baldi
Writers: Ferdinando Baldi, Duilio Coletti
Cast: Ben Gazzara, Silvia Monti, Fausto Tozzi, Steffen Zacharias, Luciano Catenacci, Mario Pilar, José Greci, Malisa Longo, Luciano Rossi, Bruno Corazzari, Jess Hahn

Release Date: August 24th, 2015
Approximate running time: 100 Minutes 30 Seconds
Aspect Ratio: 2.35:1 Widescreen / 1080 Progressive / MPEG-4 AVC
Rating: R
Sound: DTS-HD Mono English
Subtitles: N/A
Region Coding: Region A
Retail Price: OOP

"Nightclub owner Joe (Award winning Ben Gazzara, Saint Jack, They All Laughed, Inchon) becomes involved with drug trafficking. What we know (but the villains don't) is that Benny is actually going to double cross them and the car chase and action is going to start! The tension level noticeably sags until the showdown denouement." - synopsis provided by the distributor

Video: 3.25/5

Here’s the information provided about this release's transfer, "Brand new HD transfer from Italian vault element."

The Sicilian Connection comes on a 25 GB single layer Blu-ray.

Disc Size: 22.2 GB

Feature: 22 GB

The source used for this transfer comes from an unrestored source that resembles a Grindhouse print. There are scratches, emulsion stains, and print debris throughout. Colors generally fare well; image clarity and compression are very good; black levels are never convincing; and there are some instances of black crush. Fortunately, the image always looks organic.

Audio: 3.5/5

This release comes with one audio option, a DTS-HD mono mix in English. This release continues Code Red’s trend of not including Italian-language tracks in Italian films that they have released. Though dialog comes through clearly and range-wise, things sound good. There are some sibilance-related issues and a few pops and crackles.

Extras:

Extras for this release are limited to a theatrical trailer (3 minutes 32 seconds, Dolby Digital mono English, no subtitles). It should be noted that this theatrical trailer looks like it was taken from a compressed source, as it is filled with pixelation and other distracting anomalies.

Summary:

Directed by Ferdinando Baldi, a versatile filmmaker who worked in most of the genres that were popular in 1960s and 1970s Italian cinema. Notable films that he directed are Texas, Adios, Django, Prepare a Coffin, Blindman, and Nine Guests for a Crime.

The narrative revolves around an American who finds himself in too deep after immersing himself in the world of smuggling heroin.

The Sicilian Connection opens with a fantastic sequence in which a funeral procession ends with a nosy cop looking for narcotics inside the corpse and ends up buried alive in a coffin. This sequence does a superb job setting the tone and laying the foundation for what follows.

After an intense opening sequence, the narrative then introduces the protagonist, Joe Coppola, who has recently arrived in Turkey, and when things don't pan out there, he makes a new connection in Sicily. The bulk of the narrative is essentially characters getting to know each other and Joe Coppola learning the business of making and smuggling heroin.

Ben Gazzara (The Killing of a Chinese Bookie) is cast in the role of Joe Coppola, a confident hustler who's trying to make moves in the world of smuggling drugs. And without giving away too much about his character's motivations, the finale provides one of the better twists that I have seen in a poliziotteschi.

When it comes to the rest of the cast, most of them are very good at their roles. Also, the cast is made up of many recognizable faces for anyone who's familiar with 1970s Eurocult cinema. Notable cast members are Luciano Rossi (Death Walks at Midnight) and Bruno Corazzari (Live Like a Cop, Die Like a Man), two actors who made a career out of portraying nasty, violent characters.

Ferdinando Baldi does a great job with all his resources. And yet the result is a film that some viewers might find to be too slow and uneventful. The Sicilian Connection is not as violent or action-heavy as one would expect from a poliziotteschi. Also, The Sicilian Connection opens and closes with its best sequences. The aforementioned funeral procession opening sequence and a car chase finale. Ultimately, The Sicilian Connection is a film that I can only recommend to poliziotteschi completists.

The Sicilian Connection gets a serviceable audio/video presentation from Code Red.

Written by Michael Den Boer

Forgotten Gialli: Volume Five (A White Dress for Marialé/Tropic of Cancer/Nine Guests for a Crime) – Vinegar Syndrome (Blu-ray)

Theatrical Release Dates: Italy, 1972 (A White Dress for Marialé), Italy/Haiti, 1972 (Tropic of Cancer), Italy, 1977 (Nine Guests for a Crime)
Directors: Romano Scavolini (A White Dress for Marialé), Giampaolo Lomi, Edoardo Mulargia (Tropic of Cancer), Ferdinando Baldi (Nine Guests for a Crime)
Cast: Evelyn Stewart, Luigi Pistilli, Ivan Rassimov, Pilar Velázquez, Carla Mancini (A White Dress for Marialé), Anthony Steffen, Anita Strindberg, Gabriele Tinti, Umberto Raho (Tropic of Cancer), John Richardson, Caroline Laurence, Massimo Foschi, Loretta Persichetti, Sofia Dionisio, Dana Ghia, Rita Silva, Venantino Venantini, Arthur Kennedy (Nine Guests for a Crime)

Release Date: August 30th, 2022
Approximate Running Times: 90 Minutes 21 Seconds (A White Dress for Marialé), 94 Minutes 56 Seconds (Tropic of Cancer), 91 Minutes 36 Seconds (Nine Guests for a Crime)
Aspect Ratio: 1.85:1 Widescreen / 1080 Progressive / MPEG-4 AVC (Nine Guests for a Crime), 2.35:1 Widescreen / 1080 Progressive / MPEG-4 AVC (A White Dress for Marialé, Tropic of Cancer)
Rating: NR
Sound: DTS-HD Mono Italian (All Films), DTS-HD Mono English (Tropic of Cancer, Nine Guests for a Crime)
Subtitles: English, English SDH (All Films)
Region Coding: Region Free
Retail Price: $89.98

A White Dress for Marialé: "When Marialé was a little girl, she witnessed her father murder her mother, along with an adulterous lover, before killing himself. Years later, Marialé has invited a group of friends over for a party at an isolated villa. As the festivities progress, an increased sense of debauchery and hedonism befalls the group, only for their perverse fun and games to be disrupted by the arrival of a mysterious killer, who begins dispatching the revelers in nasty fashion, all to cover up a secret buried deep in the past…" - synopsis provided by the distributor

Tropic of Cancer: "Fred and Grace Wright are vacationing in Haiti in the hope of repairing their failing marriage when they run into an old friend, Dr Williams. Excited to share the news of his latest work, Williams explains that he has developed a powerful aphrodisiac which doubles as a hallucinogen. Intrigued by their friend's discovery, the couple quickly find themselves embroiled in a high stakes plot to steal the drug, all the while a mysterious killer (or killers) begins viciously doing away with anyone who gets too close to uncovering the truth about the formula." - synopsis provided by the distributor

Nine Guests for a Crime: "Nine members of an extremely rich and hateful family have decided to have a month-long reunion on a remote island in the Mediterranean. No sooner than their arrival, old grudges, resentments, and feuds make themselves known, along with allusions to some more macabre events in their past. But when their boats are torched, thus stranding them without any connection to the mainland, it becomes clear that someone is not willing to let old wounds heal, a fact made all the more clear as bodies start to pile up…" - synopsis provided by the distributor

Video: 4.5/5 (A White Dress for Mariale), 4.25/5 (Tropic of Cancer, Nine Guests for a Crime)

Here’s the information given about the A White Dress for Marialé transfer, “Newly scanned & restored in 4K from its 35mm original camera negative.”

A White Dress for Marialé comes on a 50 GB dual layer Blu-ray.

The source is in excellent shape. Color saturation, image clarity, contrast, and black levels are solid, and the image retains an organic look.

Disc Size: 41.8 GB

Feature: 24.5 GB

Here’s the information given about the Tropic of Cancer transfer, “Newly scanned & restored in 4K from its 35mm original camera negative.”

Tropic of Cancer comes on a 50 GB dual layer Blu-ray.

Disc Size: 40.2 GB

Feature: 27.4 GB

Though the source used for this transfer looks great. It should be noted that there are some minor instances of print debris, most notably in the opening credits. Colors and flesh tones look correct, image clarity and black levels are solid, and the image retains an organic look.

Here’s the information given about the Nine Guests for a Crime transfer, “Newly scanned & restored in 4K from its 35mm original camera negative.”

Nine Guests for a Crime comes on a 50 GB dual layer Blu-ray.

Disc Size: 35.9 GB

Feature: 26.4 GB

Though the source used for this transfer looks great. It should be noted that the flashback sequence that opens that film does not look as good as the rest of the transfer. Also, there is another sequence later on where source damage flares up. Colors and flesh tones look correct, image clarity and black levels are solid, and the image retains an organic look.

Audio: 4.5/5 (DTS-HD Mono Italian - A White Dress for Mariale), 4.25/5 (DTS-HD Mono Italian, DTS-HD Mono English - Tropic of Cancer, Nine Guests for a Crime)

A White Dress for Mariale comes with one audio option, a DTS-HD mono mix in Italian, and included are removable English subtitles.

The Tropic of Cancer and Nine Guests for a Crime each comes with two audio options, a DTS-HD mono mix in Italian and a DTS-HD mono mix in English. Also, each film comes with two subtitle options: removable English subtitles for the Italian language track and removable English SDH subtitles for the English language track.

All of the audio mixes are in great shape. That said, quality-wise, the Italian and English language tracks are comparable. There are no issues with background hiss or distortion; dialog always comes through clearly; everything sounds balanced; ambient sounds and the score are well-represented.

Extras:

Extras for A White Dress for Marialé include a French theatrical trailer (3 minutes 34 seconds, Dolby Digital mono French with removable English subtitles), a Italian theatrical trailer (3 minutes 39 seconds, Dolby Digital mono Italian with removable English subtitles), deleted scenes (3 minutes 28 seconds, Dolby Digital mono Italian, no subtitles), an audio essay by film historian and critic Rachael Nisbet (16 minutes 37 seconds, Dolby Digital stereo English, no subtitles), an interview with actress Ida Galli titled A White Dress For Evelyn (55 minutes 3 seconds, Dolby Digital stereo Italian with removable English subtitles), and an interview with director Romano Scavolini titled Forget This Movie (55 minutes 3 seconds, Dolby Digital stereo Italian with removable English subtitles).

Extras for Tropic of Cancer include a English language trailer (2 minutes 56 seconds, Dolby Digital mono English, no subtitles), a Italian language trailer (2 minutes 55 seconds, Dolby Digital mono Italian with removable English subtitles), alternate English title sequences (3 minutes 23 seconds, Dolby Digital mono), outtakes (2 minutes 40 seconds, music from the film playing in the background), an audio essay by Rachael Nisbet (18 minutes 9 seconds, Dolby Digital stereo English, no subtitles), and an interview with screenwriter/director Giampaolo Lomi titled Sex, Voodoo and Dictatorship (32 minutes 57 seconds, Dolby Digital stereo Italian with removable English subtitles).

Extras for Nine Guests for a Crime include a theatrical trailer (2 minutes 26 seconds, Dolby Digital mono with Italian text, no subtitles), an audio essay by Rachael Nisbet (15 minutes 25 seconds, Dolby Digital stereo English, no subtitles), and an interview with actor Massimo Foschi titled Giallo in Sardinia (26 minutes 52 seconds, Dolby Digital stereo Italian with removable English subtitles).

It should be noted that, unlike the other Forgotten Gialli releases, this latest collection does not come with reversible cover art.

Summary:

A White Dress for Marialé: Directed by Romano Scavolini, who is most remembered for directing the 1980’s slasher film Nightmare. He would also serve as the cinematographer on A White Dress for Marialé.

There are two genres that A White Dress for Mariale draws inspiration from: the Italian thriller, which was already in decline by 1972, and the Gothic horror that all but launched horror cinema in Italy in the early 1960's. The most enduring Italian thrillers all have memorable opening sequences that set the tone, and these are sure to knock the wind out of even the most ardent Italian thriller fan.

The narrative contains many themes that Romano Scavolini would revisit throughout his career, most notably the everlasting effects of childhood trauma. Perhaps due to his documentary background, he presents the horrific events that unfold on the screen in a voyeuristic manner that not only involves the viewers but makes them unwitting participants. There is no shortage of atmosphere or picturesque moments of carnage in A White Dress for Marialé.

The remarkable score was composed by Bruno Nicolai, a frequent collaborator of the legendary Ennio Morricone. In his own right, Bruno Nicolai was a very accomplished composer who frequently worked with Jess Franco in the latter part of the 1960's and the first half of the 1970's. One criticism that has often followed Bruno Nicolai is how similar many of his scores sound. This is not the case with A White Dress for Marialé, which is arguably the most accomplished of his career, especially the main theme.

When it comes to casting, Italian cinema always somehow assembles a wide variety of recognizable faces. The cast for A White Dress for Marialé is anchored by performances from Ida Galli (The Case of the Scorpions Tale) in the role of the protagonist, a woman named Mariale, and Ivan Rassimov (The Strange Vice of Mrs. Wardh) in the role of Massimo, one of two men who are vying for her affection. One performance of note is Luigi Pistilli (The Sweet Body of Deborah) in the role of Paolo, the other man in Mariale’s life. Ultimately, A White Dress for Marialé is a haunting exploration of the dangers of not coming to terms with one's past.

Tropic of Cancer: During the early 1970's, the Italian thriller genre was undeniably at the height of its popularity. The best examples of the genre offer up a satisfying mix of sex, murder, and operatic death sequences. And, while far too many filmmakers attempted to imitate the style that established Dario Argento as the dominant filmmaker working in this genre, every now and then, a film would come along that would go against the grain by putting a slight twist on the tried and true conventions of the genre. One such film that falls into this latter category is The Tropic of Cancer.

First off Tropic of Cancer is set in the exotic of Haiti, while the majority of Italian thrillers were set in Italy. And it is this change of venue that serves  story at hand greatly, since if it were to take place in the more familiar surroundings of Italy, the story would not be as engaging. In fact, to put it bluntly, the narrative is a mess that often throws logic out the window.

The stylish cinematography further bolsters the aforementioned exotic locales. With the standout moment being a hallucinatory sequence in which Anita Strindberg’s (A Lizard in a Woman’s Skin) character glides down a corridor that is filled with naked men fondling her. Speaking of Tropic of Cancer’s leading lady, though her performance is not the type that is going to win any awards, the way in which she is photographed cements her place as an object of desire. Out of all the films that I have seen her in, Tropic of Cancer is without a doubt the most alluring she has ever looked.

Performance wise, there is no one performance that stands out above the rest. All the performances are not much more than a means to an end. The cast does, however, feature a few recognizable Euro-cult faces like Anthony Steffen (Arizona Colt Returns) and Gabriele Tinti (Emanuelle in America).

When it comes to Italian thrillers, one of the main draws is their death sequences. It is in this regard that this film does not come out smelling like roses. Since the majority of the kills lack the flair that one has come to expect from Italian thrillers. Ultimately, The Tropic of Cancer is a seductive concoction of sex, voodoo, and murder ripe for rediscovery.

Nine Guests for a Crime: From the start, it is clear that Nine Guests for a Crime is not going to be your run-of-the-mill film that follows the blueprint that countless other giallo films have followed almost to the fault. Sure, there are many things in Nine Guests for a Crime that have been established as staples of the genre, like red herrings, black-gloved killers, and the use of one primary location to reinforce the helplessness felt by the potential victims.

Beginning with a flashback to a young man on the beach with his lady, they are confronted by an angry mob out for blood. This enraged mob then pursues and murders this young man before burying him in the sand. Without giving away too much more, this is a key sequence that actually reveals more with each new viewing.

And though opening a giallo in such a revealing way may seem to take away the impact of the finale, this couldn’t be farther from the truth, since this opening taste of murder gives the viewer something to abide by while Nine Guests for a Crime goes off in a completely different direction for the remainder of the first act and middle act. It is not until the final act that it goes full on giallo as the bodies start piling up.

After the opening flashback and opening credits, Nine Guests for a Crime shifts more towards a melodrama as we are introduced to a decadent family with many vices. Most notably, a son who is sleeping with his father’s much younger wife, who has a past as a call girl. Over the course of the first hour, Nine Guests for a Crime does a superb job setting up who everyone is and what their vices are.

Visually, what is not to love about Nine Guests for a Crime? It takes full advantage of its beautiful island location and, more importantly, makes sure that all the female cast and their assets are exploited for all they are worth. Surprisingly, though there is only one kill until the final act, pacing never proves to be an issue as there is plenty of debauchery and other forms of entertainment on display. And when it comes to the kill scenes, they are all well executed and committed with different weapons.

Performance wise, one would be hard pressed to find any faults in any of this cast's performances. Nine Guests for a Crime features several well-known faces like John Richardson (Eyeball), Massimo Foschi (Last Cannibal World), Sofia Dionisio (Live Like a Cop, Die Like a Man) and five-time Oscar nominated actor Arthur Kennedy (The Living Dead at Manchester Morgue) in the role of the patriarch of this decaying family. Ultimately, Nine Guests for a Crime is a solid thriller that giallo fans are sure to enjoy.

Forgotten Gialli: Volume Five is another solid release from Vinegar Syndrome that collects three films that have been widely available in English-friendly releases, gives them new transfers, and an assortment of extras that mirror most of the extras from these films' earlier English-friendly releases. highly recommended.

Written by Michael Den Boer