Blood Hunger: The Films of Jose Larraz: Limited Edition – Arrow Video (Blu-ray)

Theatrical Release Dates: Denmark/UK, 1970 (Whirlpool), UK/Spain, 1974 (Vampyres), Spain, 1978 (The Coming of Sin)
Director: José Ramón Larraz (All Films)
Cast: Karl Lanchbury, Vivian Neves, Pia Andersson (Whirlpool), Marianne Morris, Anulka Dziubinska, Murray Brown, Brian Deacon (Vampyres), Patricia Granada, Lidia Zuazo, Rafael Machado, David Thomson (The Coming of Sin)

Release Date: March 25th, 2019 (UK), March 26th, 2019 (USA)
Approximate running times: 86 Minutes 42 Seconds (Whirlpool), 87 Minutes 35 Seconds (Vampyres), 89 Minutes 51 Seconds (The Coming of Sin)
Aspect Ratio: 1.66:1 Widescreen / 1080 Progressive / MPEG-4 AVC (Whirlpool), 1.85:1 Widescreen / 1080 Progressive / MPEG-4 AVC (Vampyres, The Coming of Sin)
Rating: 18 (UK), NR (USA)
Sound: LPCM Mono English (Whirlpool, Vampyres), LPCM Mono Spanish, LPCM Mono Italian (The Coming of Sin)
Subtitles: English SDH (Whirlpool, Vampyres), English (The Coming of Sin)
Region Coding: Region Free
Retail Price: OOP

"One of the most underrated and neglected genre filmmakers of his generation, Spanish-born director José Ramón Larraz (Symptoms) finally receives his due with this collection of his work bringing together a fascinating cross-section of films from the first half of his lengthy cinematic career. 

In Larraz’s debut feature, the hitherto ultra-rare Whirlpool (1970), Vivian Neves stars as Tulia, a young model invited to a photographer’s secluded country home for what purports to be a quiet weekend retreat – but soon turns into a descent into deadly depravity. 1974’s Vampyres – perhaps the best known and most widely-released of all José Larraz’s films – sees a duo of blood-hungry female vampires prowling the British countryside, from where they lure unsuspecting male motorists back to their imposing, dilapidated mansion. Meanwhile, in 1978’s The Coming of Sin (La Visita del Vicio, in its native Spanish), a young gypsy girl experiences a violent sexual awakening as her dreams of a naked young man on horseback become reality. 

By turns terrifying, titillating, artful and scandalous, these three films assembled here collectively offer film fans a unique perspective on the fascinating, highly-varied career of one of the horror genre’s most overlooked auteurs." - synopsis provided by the distributor

Video: 4.25/5 (Whirlpool, Vampyres), 4/5 (The Coming of Sin)

Here’s the information provided about Whirlpool's transfer, "The original 35mm camera negative element was scanned in 2K resolution on a 4K Arriscan at Lasergraphics Director at EFilm, Burbank. The film was graded on Digital Vision's Nucoda Film Master and restored at R3Store Studios in London. The original mono mi was remastered from the optical negatives at Deluxe Audio Services, Hollywood."

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

Disc Size: 35.2 GB

Feature: 23.7 GB

Here’s the information provided about Vampyres' transfer, "The original 35mm camera negative element was scanned in 2K resolution on a 4K Scanity at R3Store Studios, London. Sections of a 35mm CRI element were also scanned OCN Digital Labs, CT. The film was graded on Digital Vision's Nucoda Film Master and restored at R3Store Studios in London. The original mono mix was remastered from the optical negative reels at OCN Labs, CT."

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

Disc Size: 43.8 GB

Feature: 23.9 GB

Here’s the information provided about The Coming of Sin's transfer, "The original 35mm camera negative element was scanned in 2K resolution on a 4K Scanity, graded on Digital Vision's Nucoda Film Master and restored at R3Store Studios in London. Some instances of damage remain, in keeping with the condition of the original materials. The original mono mixes were remastered from the optical negatives by Deluxe Madrid."

The Coming of Sin comes on a 50 GB dual layer Blu-ray.

Disc Size: 38.7 GB

Feature: 24.4 GB

The sources for these three films are in excellent shape, and any source-related imperfections are minimal. Colors and flesh tones look correct; contrast, black levels, and image clarity look solid throughout. There are no issues with compression and though the grain remains intact, at times the grain for The Coming of Sin’s transfer looks noticeably thicker.

Audio: 4/5

Whirlpool and Vampyres each come with one audio option, a LPCM mono mix in English, and The Coming of Sin comes with two audio options, a LPCM mono mix in Spanish and a LPCM mono mix in English. All of the audio mixes are in great shape. There are no issues with distortion, dialog comes through clearly, everything sounds balanced and, range-wise, the ambient sounds are well-represented. Subtitle options include English SDH for all three films and English for The Coming of Sin’s Spanish Language track.

Extras:

Extras for Whirlpool include an image gallery (posters/stills/lobby cards/press), U.S. theatrical trailer (2 minutes 53 seconds, LPCM mono English, no subtitles), an archival interview with director José Larraz (3 minutes 47 seconds, Dolby Digital stereo English, no subtitles), an archival interview with actress Vivian Neves from BBC’s Parkinson from July 1972 (13 minutes 19 seconds, Dolby Digital mono English, no subtitles), a featurette comparing the differences between the US Theatrical Cut and a previously circulated, alternate cut of the film titled Deviations of Whirlpool (27 minutes 12 seconds, Dolby Digital stereo English, no subtitles), an interview with actor Larry Dann titled A Curious Casting (9 minutes 10 seconds, Dolby Digital stereo English, no subtitles), an interview with author/film critic Kim Newman titled Obsessive Recurrence: The Early Films of José Larraz (24 minutes 1 second, Dolby Digital stereo English, no subtitles) and an audio commentary with author/film critic Tim Lucas.

Extras for Vampyres include image galleries – stills (245 images), behind-the-scenes (67 images), promotional and miscellaneous (44 images) and the ‘lost’ Caravan sequence (this extra consists of text, script pages and stills, since this scene no longer exists). U.S. theatrical trailer (2 minutes 57 seconds, LPCM mono English, no subtitles), international theatrical trailer (2 minutes 33 seconds, LPCM mono English, no subtitles), José Larraz and Marianne Morris Q&A at 1997 Eurofest (9 minutes 26 seconds, Dolby Digital stereo English, no subtitles), an archival interview with José Larraz (14 minutes 20 seconds, Dolby Digital stereo English, no subtitles), an interview with José Larraz’s friend and collaborator Victor Matellano, director of the 2015 Vampyres remake titled Reimagining Vampyres (21 minutes 57 seconds, Dolby Digital stereo Spanish with removable English subtitles), an interview with producer Brian Smedley-Aston titled A High Stakes Enterprise (18 minutes 29 seconds, Dolby Digital stereo English, no subtitles), an interview with actress Marianne Morris titled By This Sign, I’ll Recognize You… (14 minutes 12 seconds, Dolby Digital stereo English, no subtitles), an interview with actress Anulka Dziubinska titled Daughter of Dracula (13 minutes 18 seconds, Dolby Digital stereo English, no subtitles), an interview with actor Brian Deacon titled A Cut-Throat Business (18 minutes 30 seconds, Dolby Digital stereo English, no subtitles), an interview with actress Sally Faulkner titled Unhappy Camper (12 minutes 4 seconds, Dolby Digital stereo English, no subtitles), an interview with make-up artist Colin Arthur titled Bloodletting on a Budget (17 minutes 57 seconds, Dolby Digital stereo English, no subtitles), an interview with composer James Kenelm Clarke titled A Requiem for a Vampyre (3 minutes 49 seconds, Dolby Digital stereo English, no subtitles) and an audio commentary with film critic Kat Ellinger.

Extras for The Coming of Sin include  an image gallery (stills/lobby cards/posters/home video art), theatrical trailer (3 minutes 19 seconds, LPCM mono Spanish with removable English subtitles), an archival interview with José Larraz (4 minutes 55 seconds, LPCM stereo English, no subtitles), a short film by Simon Birrell made under the guidance of José Larraz and starring Spanish horror legend Jack Taylor titled His Last Request (28 minutes 23 seconds, shot like a silent film with English language inter-title cards), an interview with author/filmmaker Simon Birrell titled Remembering Larraz (35 minutes 3 seconds, LPCM stereo English, no subtitles), a featurette about the various versions of The Coming of Sin titled Variations of Vice (6 minutes 10 seconds, LPCM stereo English, no subtitles) and an audio commentary with film critic Kat Ellinger.

Other extras include reversible cover art for each film and an eighty-page booklet with cast & crew information for each film, an essay titled Dollops of Nudity and Hints of Perversion written by Josephine Botting, Steve Powder in Spain: An Interview with Composer Stelvio Cipriani, an essay titled The Making of Vampyres written by Tim Greaves, Vampyres II – The Unmade Sequel: An Interview with Writer Tim Greaves, an essay titled Museum Piece: Vice Makes a Visit in Cordoba written by Vanity Celis and information about the restorations.

Summary:

Whirlpool: The narrative opens with an unnerving moment where an unnamed character is in a rowboat on a lake as he searches for something or someone he has lost. And there is a lack of dialog throughout this sequence, which further enhances this sinister moment. It is almost seven minutes into Whirlpool before a character speaks.

Content-wise, Whirlpool is best described as a psychological thriller. The narrative revolves around two deviant characters who satisfy their sexual perversions by enchanting women. With that being said, despite its subject matter, Whirlpool is one of José Ramón Larraz’s more restrained films when it comes to nudity and erotica.

Performance wise, the cast are all very good in their respective roles, especially Karl Lanchbury in the role of Theo, an aspiring photographer who pushes his model to the extreme. Another strength of this film is the chemistry that he has with Pia Andersson, who portrays his aunt Sara. And Vivian Neves, in the role of Tulia, more than fulfils the role of the object of desire.

From a production standpoint, Whirlpool achieves all its goals. The premise is well-executed and the narrative moves forward with good momentum. Visually, Whirlpool does not disappoint, and the score does a superb job of reinforcing the forbidding mood.

Standout moments include a scene where the three main characters play strip poker; a sex scene in Theo’s dark room where the image is drenched in red; a scene in the woods where Theo photographs a man who he’s paid to sexually assault Tulia; and a flashback sequence that reveals the fate of Rhoda, the woman who Tulia replaced.

Vampyres: The narrative keeps things simple, with the bookend opening and ending being anchored by a series of blood-soaked soft-core romps that make up the bulk of Vampyres. What Vampyres lack in character development and logic, they more than make up for with their abundance of atmosphere. The one area where Vampyres does not gel is in the subplot involving a young couple who are camping in a trailer near the remote estate where the two women have lured their victims.

The main reason Vampyres works as well as it does is because of the performances of its two lead actresses, Marianne Morris and Anulka Dziubinska, who are cast in the roles of the female vampires. Both women more than hold their own from a psychological standpoint, and it is not hard to see how so many feel prey to their seductive charms.

Vampyres have many similarities content-wise that echo themes that are prominent in many of Jess Franco's and Jean Rollin's films. These similarities and the way Vampyres plays up its more exploitative elements are why it holds up as well as it does. Ultimately, Vampyres is a down and dirty exploitation film that never strays too far away from its greatest asset: lesbian vampires, who never shy away from showing a little skin.

The Coming of Sin: Without a doubt, the most fascinating aspect of The Coming of Sin is how this film is bound to divide its audience. For instance, if you are someone who has watched any of José Ramón Larraz’s more celebrated work within the horror genre, There is a high chance that you may find The Coming of Sin underwhelming. Whereas someone who’s unfamiliar with the cinema of José Ramón Larraz might be more willing to embrace The Coming of Sin for what it is.

Content-wise, though, The Coming of Sin has many elements that have since become synonymous with erotica cinema. When compared to other 1970’s soft-core erotica, The Coming of Sin is rather tame. With The Coming of Sin’s most provocative moment being a dream sequence where a naked man on a horse chases a gypsy girl.

The most surprising aspect of The Coming of Sin is its performances. What they lack in experience, they more than make up for in psychical presence. Especially Lidia Zuazo in the role of a gypsy girl named Triana.

Not to be overlooked are the soft-focus visuals and how they carry The Coming of Sin, a film that is all about mood, and the visuals are overflowing with atmosphere. Standout moments include the scene where the naked man who rides a horse in Triana’s dream rapes her by the river, a dream sequence where Triana’s naked body is inside of a horse, and The Coming of Sin saves its most shocking moment for its finale.

Blood Hunger: The Films of Jose Larraz is an exceptional release that comes with a wealth of extra content and all three films have never looked or sounded better on home video, highly recommended.

It should be noted that this limited-edition release is now OOP and Arrow Video has re-released it in a standard edition that drops the eighty-page booklet.

Written by Michael Den Boer

Edge of the Axe – Arrow Video (Blu-ray)

Theatrical Release Date: Spain/United States, 1988
Director: José Ramón Larraz
Writers: Joaquín Amichatis, Javier Elorrieta, José Frade, Pablo de Aldebarán
Cast: Barton Faulks, Christina Marie Lane, Page Mosely, Fred Holliday, Patty Shepard, Alicia Moro, Jack Taylor

Release Date: January 27th, 2020 (UK), January 28th, 2020 (USA)
Approximate Running Time: 91 Minutes 11 Seconds
Aspect Ratio: 1.85:1 Widescreen / 1080 Progressive / MPEG-4 AVC
Rating: 18 (UK), R (USA)
Sound: LPCM Mono English, LPCM Mono Spanish
Subtitles: English, English SDH
Region Coding: Region Free
Retail Price: £24.99 (UK), $39.95 (USA)

"The rural community of Paddock County is being rocked by the crazed exploits of an axe-wielding psychopath, who stalks the night in a black trench coat and mask. As the victims pile up, the authorities attempt to keep a lid on the situation, whilst computer whizz-kid Gerald and girlfriend Lillian seek to unmask the killer before the town population reaches zero." - synopsis provided by the distributor

Video: 4.5/5

Here’s the information provided about this release's transfer, "The original 35mm camera negative element was scanned in 2K resolution on a 4K Scanity, graded on Digital Vision's Nucoda Film Master and restored at R3Store Studios in London. The original mono mixes were remastered from the optical negatives by Deluxe Madrid."

Edge of the Axe comes on a 50 GB dual layer Blu-ray.

Disc Size: 37.3 GB

Feature: 25.2 GB

This is another solid restoration from Arrow Video and the source that was used for this transfer is in excellent shape. Colors are nicely saturated, image clarity and black levels look solid throughout, grain looks natural, and there are no issues with compression.

Audio: 4.25/5

This release comes with two audio options: a LPCM mono mix in English and a LPCM mono mix in Spanish. Both the audio tracks are in excellent shape; the dialog always comes through clearly, everything sounds balanced, and range-wise, ambient sounds are well-represented. Included with this release are removable English SDH subtitles for the English language track and removable English subtitles for the Spanish language track.

Extras:

Extras for this release include an image gallery (21 images – stills/lobby cards/home video art), English language theatrical trailer (2 minutes 46 seconds, Dolby Digital mono English, no subtitles), Spanish language theatrical trailer (2 minutes 46 seconds, Dolby Digital mono Spanish with removable English subtitles), an interview with special effects/make-up artist Colin Arthur titled The Pain in Spain (7 minutes 47 seconds, Dolby Digital stereo English, no subtitles), an interview with actor Page Mosely titled The Actor’s Grind (11 minutes 23 seconds, Dolby Digital stereo English, no subtitles), an interview with actor Barton Faulks titled Gerald’s Game (11 minutes 4 seconds, Dolby Digital stereo English, no subtitles), an audio commentary with Barton Faulks, and moderated by Matt Rosenblatt, an audio commentary with The Hysteria Continues!, reversible cover art and twenty-four page booklet with cast & crew information, an essay titled American Horrors by Way of Spain: International Co-Productions and the Spanish Slasher written by Amanda Reyes and information about the restoration.

Summary:

There are two types of filmmakers: by the numbers, filmmakers who churn out products, and auteur filmmakers whose films are ready to be identified with them. And, while there are many filmmakers whose work can be classified as belonging to both categories, a case in point is José Ramón Larraz, a filmmaker whose career can be broken into two distinctive halves. The first half of his career consisted of films made by an auteur, while the latter-part of his career consists of films that lack his identity. And nowhere is this clearer than in Edge of the Axe, a film from the latter-part of his career.

Edge of the Axe is a textbook example of European genre cinema trying to capitalize on whatever was popular in Hollywood cinema. In the 1980’s, slasher films were one of the more popular sub-genres. And content wise, Edge of the Axe has the core elements that have become synonymous with slasher films. With that being said, one must not overlook Italian thrillers' influence when it comes to Edge of the Axe’s killer.

The performances are best described as serviceable. Edge of the Axe’s strongest performance was Barton Faulks's portrayal of a drifter named Gerald Martin. He delivers a strong performance as an outsider who is reluctant to discuss his past. Other notable cast members include Jack Taylor (Pieces) in the role of a church organist and Patty Shepard (Crypt of the Living Dead), a woman who’s having an affair.

When discussing the most celebrated Slasher films, they all have one thing in common: a memorable opening. And though Edge of the Axe opens with a memorable murder set piece, the result is a film that is often let down by a well-worn premise and an anemic narrative. Predictability and narrative issues aside, the kill scenes are the area where Edge of the Axe ultimately succeeds. Another strength of Edge of the Axe is how effective it is when it comes to misdirection.

Edge of the Axe gets an excellent release from Arrow Video that comes with a solid audio/video presentation and an abundance of insightful extras, highly recommended.

Written by Michael Den Boer

Deadly Manor – Arrow Video (Blu-ray)

Theatrical Release Date: Spain/United States, 1990
Director: José Ramón Larraz
Writer: Santiago Moncada
Cast: Patty Shepard, Scott Thompson Baker, Lorin Jean Vail, Dorothy Malone, Jack Taylor, Fernando Bilbao

Release Date: February 24th, 2020 (UK), February 25th, 2020 (USA)
Approximate Running Time: 86 Minutes 11 Seconds
Aspect Ratio: 1.85:1 Widescreen / 1080 Progressive / MPEG-4 AVC
Rating: 18 (UK), R (USA)
Sound: LPCM Mono English
Subtitles: English SDH
Region Coding: Region Free
Retail Price: £24.99 (UK), $39.95 (USA)

"Whilst en route to a lake, a group of youngsters make an unscheduled stop-off at a remote, seemingly abandoned mansion where they plan to spend the night. But the property is full of foreboding signs - a blood-stained car wreck in the garden, coffins in the basement, scalps in the closet, and photographs of a beautiful but mysterious woman adorning every corner of the house. Before daybreak, the group will unwittingly uncover the strange and terrifying truth that lurks behind the walls of this dreadful place." - synopsis provided by the distributor

Video: 4.25/5

Here’s the information provided about this release's transfer, "An original 35 mm interpositive element was scanned in 2K resolution on a 4K Arri at OCN Digital Labs, CT. The film was graded on Digital Vision's Nucoda Film Master and restored at R3Store Studios in London."

Deadly Manor comes on a 50 GB dual layer Blu-ray.

Disc Size: 37.3 GB

Feature: 24.8 GB

This is another solid restoration from Arrow Video and the source that was used for this transfer is in excellent shape. Colors are nicely saturated, image clarity and black levels look solid throughout, grain looks natural, and there are no issues with compression.

Audio: 4.25/5

This release comes with one audio option, a LPCM mono mix in English, and included with the release are removable English SDH subtitles. The audio is in great shape; the dialog always comes through clearly, everything sounds balanced and range-wise, ambient sounds are well-represented.

Extras:

Extras for this release include an image gallery (170 - images/stills), original promo for Deadly Manor (4 minutes 23 seconds, Dolby Digital mono English, no subtitles), a VHS trailer for Deadly Manor under the title Savage Lust (1 minute, Dolby Digital mono English, no subtitles), an extract from an archival interview with José Ramón Larraz (3 minutes 42 seconds, Dolby Digital stereo English, no subtitles), an interview with producer Brian Smedley-Aston titled Making a Killing (7 minutes 3 seconds, Dolby Digital stereo English, no subtitles), an interview with actress Jennifer Delora titled House of Whacks (32 minutes 53 seconds, Dolby Digital stereo English, no subtitles), an audio commentary with film historians Kat Ellinger and Samm Deighan (Daughters of Darkness podcast), reversible cover art and a twenty-eight-page booklet with cast & crew information, an essay titled The House That Kept Reappearing: José Larraz’s Deadly Manor written by John Martin and information about the restoration.

Summary:

José Ramón Larraz is most remembered for directing erotic psychological melodramas and thrillers. By the 1980's, it had become increasingly hard for foreign filmmakers who worked outside of Hollywood to secure financing. And because of this, there was a shift towards cinema that followed whatever was popular in Hollywood. Case in point: Deadly Manor, José Ramón Larraz’s third and last foray into the slasher film sub-genre.

Content-wise, though, Deadly Manor has many elements that have become synonymous with slasher cinema. The result is a film that actually owes more to Gothic horror than it does to slasher films. And nowhere is this clearer than in Deadly Manor, a rather bloodless film that spends most of its time building a foreboding mood.

From a production standpoint, Deadly Manor is the strongest of José Ramón Larraz’s three Slasher films. The premise is superbly realized, and the well-executed narrative does a great job of maintaining tension. Another strength of the narrative is how effectively it employs backstory.

However, the performances are best described as serviceable. Jennifer Delora’s portrayal of a disfigured woman named Amanda is the one performance that leaves the strongest lasting impression. She delivers a strong performance that perfectly captures her character's state of mind. Another performance of note is that of William Russell in the role of Amanda’s husband.

Not to be overlooked are the atmospheric visuals and how they take full advantage of the isolated mansion location. Standout moments visually include the opening credits, which feature naked corpses on the ground near the mansion, a seduction scene that’s undeniably José Ramón Larraz, a flashback sequence that explains how Amanda became disfigured, and one last moment of shock in the last moments of Deadly Manor.

Deadly Manor gets an excellent release from Arrow Video that comes with a solid audio/video presentation and an abundance of insightful extras, highly recommended.

Written by Michael Den Boer

Rest in Pieces – Vinegar Syndrome (Blu-ray)

Theatrical Release Date: Spain, 1987
Director: José Ramón Larraz
Writer: Santiago Moncada
Cast: Patty Shepard, Scott Thompson Baker, Lorin Jean Vail, Dorothy Malone, Jack Taylor, Fernando Bilbao

Release Date: October 27th, 2020
Approximate Running Time: 88 Minutes 58 Seconds
Aspect Ratio: 1.85:1 Widescreen / 1080 Progressive / MPEG-4 AVC
Rating: R
Sound: DTS-HD Mono English, Dolby Digital Mono Spanish
Subtitles: English SDH
Region Coding: Region Free
Retail Price: $34.98

"Helen Hewitt has inherited her recently deceased Aunt Catherine’s humongous country villa. After arriving at their new home, she and her husband Bob immediately feel a sense of unease and hostility from the estate’s staff and tenants, all of whom do their best to make the young couple feel unwelcome. As strange and increasingly sinister events begin to take place around her, Helen becomes determined to uncover the truth about the goings on, and slowly begins to unearth the horrifying and unspeakable evil occurring at the mysterious mansion…" - synopsis provided by the distributor

Video: 4.5/5

Here’s the information provided about this release's transfer, "a new 4K restoration of its 35mm camera negative."

Rest in Pieces comes on a 50 GB dual layer Blu-ray.

Disc Size: 28.9 GB

Feature: 24.8 GB

The source used for this transfer is in excellent shape. Colors are nicely started, image clarity and black levels look solid throughout. There are no issues with compression and the grain remains intact.

Audio: 4.5/5 (DTS-HD Mono English), 3.5/5 (Dolby Digital Mono Spanish)

This release comes with two audio options: a DTS-HD mono mix in English and a Dolby Digital mono mix in Spanish. The English audio mix is in great shape; the dialog comes through clearly and everything sounds balanced. Included with this release are removable English SDH subtitles.

Extras:

Extras for this release include, reversible cover art, an interview with actor Scott Thompson Baker titled Piece By Piece (17 minutes 22 seconds, Dolby Digital stereo English with removable English SDH subtitles), an audio commentary with film historians and authors Samm Deighan and Kat Ellinger (Daughters of Darkness podcast) and an embossed slipcover limited to 3,000 units.

Summary:

Though most of José Ramón Larraz’s films have horror elements. There’s a clear distinction that can be made between his earlier horror films and the three horror films he directed in the late 1980’s. His earlier forays into horror cinema have a Euro-cult vibe to them, while his late 1980’s horror films are heavily influenced by 1980’s American horror cinema.

It should not come as a surprise that Rest in Pieces is the strongest of his three late 1980’s horror films. Out of these three films, Rest in Pieces is the only one that has moments that are reminiscent of José Ramón Larraz’s 1970s output.

Rest in Pieces is yet another example of a European-made horror film that borrows liberally from other films. Most notably, a film like Rosemary’s Baby. And content-wise, Rest in Pieces is best described as a supernatural horror film that throws in zombies and cannibalism for good measure.

The performances range from adequate to deliriously entertaining. Dorothy Malone (Basic Instinct) gave the most memorable performance as Catherine Boyle, the recently deceased aunt whose specter terrorizes her niece. Other notable cast members include Jack Taylor (Pieces), Patty Shepard (Crypt of the Living Dead) and Fernando Bilbao (The Erotic Rites of Frankenstein).

From a production standpoint, Rest in Pieces is a textbook example of how drastically different a film can turn out depending on who directed it. Throughout his career, José Ramón Larraz was often faced with budgetary restraints and yet, more often than not, was able to deliver cinema that far exceeded his limited resources.

Not to be overlooked when discussing Rest in Pieces are its Gothic-infused visuals. There are a few eerie moments and an ample amount of atmosphere. Standout moments include a scene at a mortuary that introduces the characters, a scene where the niece character sees her dead aunt at the bottom of a pool, and a Lisa and the Devil finale that will give you a feeling of Deja Vu.

Rest in Pieces gets an excellent release from Vinegar Syndrome that comes with a solid audio/video presentation and a pair of insightful extras, highly recommended.

Written by Michael Den Boer

Black Candles – Severin Films (Blu-ray)

Theatrical Release Date: Spain, 1982
Director: José Ramón Larraz
Writer: José Ramón Larraz
Cast: Helga Liné, Vanessa Hidalgo, Jeffrey Healey, Alfred Lucchetti, Manuel Gómez-Álvarez, Carmen Carrión, Julia Caballero, Tito Valverde

Release Date: February 22nd, 2022
Approximate Running Time: 84 Minutes 43 Seconds
Aspect Ratio: 1.66:1 Widescreen / 1080 Progressive / MPEG-4 AVCC
Rating: NR
Sound: DTS-HD Mono English
Subtitles: English SDH
Region Coding: Region Free
Retail Price: $29.95

"When a young couple visits in-laws in the UK countryside, they will instead discover a haven of the occult where lesbianism, incest, sodomy, bestiality and beyond may all be commanded by Lucifer himself." - synopsis provided by the distributor

Video: 3.75/5

Here’s the information provided about this release's transfer, "scanned uncut in 2K".

Black Candles comes on a 50 GB dual layer Blu-ray.

Disc Size: 39.6 GB

Feature: 24.4 GB

Though the source used for this transfer looks very good, It should be noted that there’s print debris and a few scratches that appear throughout this transfer. That said, the colors look very good, the image looks crisp, the grain looks organic and though black levels fare well, there are some instances where they could look better.

Audio: 3.75/5

This release comes with one audio option, a DTS-HD mono mix in English and included with this release are removable English SDH subtitles. The audio sounds clear and balanced. 

Extras:

Extras for this release include an interview with Antonio Lázaro-Reboll, author of Spanish Horror Film titled An Exception To The Norm (21 minutes 20 seconds, Dolby Digital stereo English, no subtitles), an interview with Gavin Baddeley, author of Lucifer Rising: Sin, Devil Worship & Rock'n'Roll (42 minutes, Dolby Digital stereo English, no subtitles), a documentary short on actress Helga Liné titled La Dama Del Fantaterror (16 minutes 20 seconds, Dolby Digital stereo Spanish with removable English subtitles and text in English) and an audio commentary with Rodney Barnett and Troy Guinn, hosts of NaschyCast.

Summary:

José Ramón Larraz is a filmmaker whose films can be split into three distinctive groups. The first group is thrillers. The first group is horror films that he directed while living in the UK. The second group is melodramas and erotica that he directed after his return to Spain, after censorship in that country was laxed, and the third group is a few slasher and horror films that he directed at the end of his career. Black Candles fall into the second group.

Like many who became aware of José Ramón Larraz, I was introduced to his cinema via Vampyres, a film that’s arguably his greatest achievement as a filmmaker. My next venture into the cinema of José Ramón Larraz was Black Candles, a film that, technically, is the polar opposite of Vampyres.

Black Candles is a satanic-themed erotica film that only delves into the realm of horror cinema. The premise bears many similarities to Rosemary’s Baby, which is not a surprise since many satanic themed films from this era used elements from Rosemary’s Baby. That said, it depicts sharing elements with Rosemary’s Baby, but this is where any similarities end. Since Black Candles' narrative is like night and day when compared to Rosemary’s Baby,

Visuals are the one area where Black Candles does not disappoint. José Ramón Larraz has a strong visual eye, and Black Candles is filled with many visually arresting compositions. Unfortunately, when it comes to the narrative, this is one area where Black Candles comes up short. The narrative is padded with sex scenes, and what little exposure there is barely moves things forward. 

The performances are best described as serviceable. With only Helga Liné’s (My Dear Killer) in the role of Fiona, the protagonist's sister-in-law, she portrays one of the ringleaders of a satanic cult that has lured her sister-in-law into their coven. She delivers a strong performance that is reinforced by her enthusiasm during the more salacious moments.

Of course, when discussing Black Candles, there are two things that get the most discussed. There’s an ample amount of nudity and a sex scene with a goat. Ultimately, if you can get past the anemic narrative and if you just like weird cinema, then give Black Candles a spin.

Severin Films gives Black Candles its best home video release to date, recommend.

Written by Michael Den Boer