Delirium: Photo of Gioia – Vinegar Syndrome (4k UHD/Blu-ray Combo)

Theatrical Release Date: Italy, 1987
Director: Lamberto Bava
Writers: Luciano Martino, Gianfranco Clerici, Daniele Stroppa
Cast: Serena Grandi, Daria Nicolodi, Vanni Corbellini, David Brandon, George Eastman, Trine Michelsen, Karl Zinny, Lino Salemme, Sabrina Salerno, Capucine

Release Date: September 24th, 2024
Approximate Running Time: 94 Minutes 26 Seconds
Aspect Ratio: 1.85:1 Widescreen / 2160 Progressive / HEVC / H.265 / HDR10
Rating: NR
Sound: DTS-HD Stereo Italian, DTS-HD Stereo English
Subtitles: English, English SDH
Region Coding: Region Free
Retail Price: $54.98

"Gioia made her fortune working as a high-class call girl, but now she runs one of Italy’s top erotic photo magazines for which only the most beautiful women are hired as models. When a perverted psychopath begins killing them off one by one, sending Gioia macabrely staged photos of their corpses, posed to mirror their latest centerfolds, Gioia realizes that to put an end to the horrors and unmask the murderer, she will need to come to terms with a secret in her past which has resulted in all of the bloodshed…" - synopsis provided by the distributor

Video: 5/5 (4K UHD), 4.5/5 (Blu-ray)

Here’s the information provided about the transfer, "Newly scanned & restored in 4K from its 35mm original camera negative."

Delirium: Photo of Gioia comes on a 66 GB dual layer 4K UHD

Disc Size: 61.4 GB

Feature: 60.5 GB

The source looks excellent; when compared to this film's previous home media releases, it is not even close. Flesh tones look healthy, colors look vibrant, image clarity, contrast, black levels, and compression are solid, and the image always retains an organic look.

Delirium: Photo of Gioia comes on a 50 GB dual layer Blu-ray.

Disc Size: 46.3 GB

Feature: 27.4 GB

The Blu-ray included as part of this release uses the same source that was used for the 4K UHD’s transfer.

Audio: 4.5/5 (DTS-HD Stereo Italian), 3.5/5 (DTS-HD Stereo English)

This release comes with two audio options, a DTS-HD stereo mix in Italian, and a DTS-HD stereo mix in English. The Italian language track is in great shape; dialog always comes through clearly, and everything sounds balanced and robust when it should. In comparison, the English-language track sounds flat. Included are removable English subtitles for the Italian language track and removable English SDH for the English language track.

Extras:

Extras on the 4K UHD disc include an audio commentary with  film historians Eugenio Ercolani and Troy Howarth.

Extras on the Blu-ray disc include an archival interview with art director Antonello Geleng titled Inside Delirium (12 minutes 50 seconds, Dolby Digital stereo Italian with non-removable English subtitles), an archival interview with director Lamberto Bava titled Snapshots of a Murder (18 minutes 51 seconds, Dolby Digital stereo Italian with non-removable English subtitles), an archival interview with actor Luigi Montefiori aka George Eastman titled Stories from the Bathtub (8 minutes 58 seconds, Dolby Digital stereo Italian with non-removable English subtitles), an archival interview with cinematographer Gianlorenzo Battaglia titled Murders in Red and Blue (8 minutes 32 seconds, Dolby Digital stereo Italian with non-removable English subtitles), an archival interview with Lamberto Bava (12 minutes 42 seconds, Dolby Digital stereo Italian with non-removable English subtitles), an archival interview with Luigi Montefiori aka George Eastman (8 minutes 40 seconds, Dolby Digital stereo Italian with non-removable English subtitles), an archival interview with  actor David Brandon (12 minutes 14 seconds, Dolby Digital stereo Italian with non-removable English subtitles), an interview with costume designer Nicoletta Ercole titled Dressing Gioia (19 minutes 49 seconds, Dolby Digital stereo Italian with removable English subtitles), an interview with first assistant director Roberto Palmerini titled Those Who Bite and Those Who Don't (23 minutes 32 seconds, Dolby Digital stereo Italian with removable English subtitles), an interview with Luigi Montefiori aka George Eastman titled Two Meters of Fear (16 minutes 55 seconds, Dolby Digital stereo Italian with removable English subtitles), an interview with actor Karl Zinny titled Peeping Karl (16 minutes 58 seconds, Dolby Digital stereo Italian with removable English subtitles), an interview with David Brandon titled Meet the Photographer (16 minutes 34 seconds, Dolby Digital stereo English, no subtitles), a documentary titled Nightmare Delirium, featuring interviews with Lamberto Bava, Luigi Montefiori (aka George Eastman), Antonello Geleng and Gianlorenzo Battaglia (40 minutes 589 seconds, Dolby Digital stereo Italian with removable English subtitles), and an audio commentary with Eugenio Ercolani and Troy Howarth.

Other extras include reversible cover art and spot gloss slipcover (limited to 5,000 units).

Summary:

Out of all of the directors who consistently found work in 1980s Italian genre cinema, Lamberto Bava’s filmography is the most interesting. Instead of focusing on horror, he worked in just about every genre of cinema. That said, he’s still most remembered for directing two Demons films and A Blade in the Dark, his first foray into the giallo genre.

A psychopath targets a former fashion model who inherited a men’s magazine from her recently deceased husband.

Though Delirium: Photo of Gioia has many of the core elements synonymous with the giallo genre, it also draws from Alfred Hitchcock, notably Rear Window, and some surrealism, moments where the killer envisions its victims with an eyeball head or insect head. The protagonist is never in immediate danger; despite being the main target, the killer kills people close to her, slowly breaking down her sanity. That said, the narrative is filled with an ample amount of red herrings and moments of misdirection, and a wild finale that provides a perfect resolution to the events that have unfolded.

Delirium: The photo of Gioia takes place in a familiar setting in the world of fashion; the definitive example of a giallo in this setting is Blood and Black Lace, directed by Lamberto Bava’s father, Mario Bava. Besides setting, these two films are like night and day, especially when it comes to tone. Blood and Black Lace is filled with tension; Delirium: Photo of Gioia is a more salacious film. Though set in the world of fashion, another area where Delirium: Photo of Gioia sticks out is decor, which dates it.

Despite not being the first choice for the role of the protagonist, Serena Grandi (Miranda), she delivers a very capable performance. Knowing the limitations of his lead actress, Lamberto Bava lets her more than ample physical assets do all the heavy lifting. On a side note, Edwige French (The Strange Vice of Mrs. Wardh) was the producer’s original choice for the protagonist. Also to Lamberto Bava’s credit, he surrounds Serena Grandi with a solid supporting cast who are all great in their roles.

The 1980s were a transitional time for Italian genre cinema, and though these films always worked with anemic resources, things were getting even tighter. That said, from a production standpoint, Lamberto Bava really takes advantage of what he has to work with. And though there are some glaring shortcomings, there are way more positives. This is most clear when it comes to the stylish visuals and well-executed moments of carnage. Ultimately, Delirium: Photo of Gioia is one of the better giallos from the 1980s, not directed by Dario Argento.

Delirium: Photo of Gioia gets an excellent release from Vinegar Syndrome that comes with a solid audio/video presentation, and a wealth of insightful extras, highly recommended.

Note about the 4K screenshots: It is not possible to make Dolby Vision or HDR10 screenshots that faithfully match the experience of watching a film in motion on a TV. Instead of not having any screenshots, all of the 4K screenshots are m2ts taken with a MPC-HC player and lossless PNGs.

Written by Michael Den Boer

A Blade in the Dark – Vinegar Syndrome (4k UHD/Blu-ray Combo)

Theatrical Release Date: Italy, 1983
Director: Lamberto Bava
Writers: Elisa Briganti, Dardano Sacchetti
Cast: Andrea Occhipinti, Anny Papa, Fabiola Toledo, Michele Soavi, Valeria Cavalli, Stanko Molnar, Lara Lamberti, Giovanni Frezza, Marco Vivio, Frank von Kuegelgen

Release Date: May 29th, 2023
Approximate Running Times: 108 Minutes 58 Seconds (Extended Version), 96 Minutes 47 Seconds (Theatrical Version)
Aspect Ratio: 1.66:1 Widescreen / 2160 Progressive / HEVC / H.265 / Dolby Vision HDR10 (Both Versions)
Rating: NR
Sound: DTS-HD Mono Italian, DTS-HD Mono English (Both Versions)
Subtitles: English, English SDH, English Narrative (Both Versions)
Region Coding: Region Free (4K UHD), Region Free (Blu-ray)
Retail Price: $59.98

"Bruno, an up and coming film composer, has been hired to write the score to a new horror movie. The film’s director, Sandra, suggests that he move into a spooky and secluded villa, so as to get extra creative inspiration. However, life begins to imitate art as a vicious killer starts bumping off anyone and everyone who happens to pay Bruno a visit. As each death leaves more clues, while opening up more possibilities as to potential suspects, Bruno begins to believe that the film he’s been hired to work on may itself be the key to unlocking the mystery..." - synopsis provided by the distributor

Video: 5/5 (4K UHD), 4.75/5 (Blu-ray)

Here’s the information provided about the transfers, "newly restored in 4K from its original camera negative".

"The following presentation of A Blade in the Dark is the "extended" version of the film which was initially conceived as a TV miniseries. While restoring it, we discovered that previous HD versions had, inexplicably, removed several frames on each shot, thus reducing the runtime by nearly two minutes. We are therefore pleased to be presenting this version of the film in its completed, and unedited version, unseen since the early days of DVD."

"The following presentation of A Blade in the Dark is the theatrical feature version. After Italian TV rejected the initially conceived miniseries, director Lamberto Bava was forced to re-edit and tighten the nearly two hours of work into something more appropriate for theatrical distribution. This version became the default cut throughout the 80s and 90s. Unavailable on video for decades, Vinegar Syndrome is pleased to offer this unique presentation of the film on disc for the very first time."

A Blade in the Dark extended version comes on a 100 GB triple layer 4K UHD

Disc Size: 86.3 GB

Feature: 78.8 GB

A Blade in the Dark theatrical version comes on a 66 GB dual layer 4K UHD

Disc Size: 60 GB

Feature: 59.8 GB

The sources used for the extended version and the theatrical version both look excellent. Also, in a side-by-side comparison, these two versions' sources look comparable. Flesh tones look healthy, colors are nicely saturated and at times vivid, contrast, black levels, image clarity, and compression are solid, and the image always looks organic. These are phenomenal transfers and easily the best A Blade in the Dark has looked to date.

A Blade in the Dark extended version comes on a 50 GB dual layer Blu-ray.

Disc Size: 45.7 GB

Feature: 31.8 GB

This Blu-ray uses the same master that is used for the 4K UHD disc.

A Blade in the Dark theatrical version comes on a 50 GB dual layer Blu-ray.

Disc Size: 46 GB

Feature: 28 GB

This Blu-ray uses the same master that is used for the 4K UHD disc.

Audio: 5/5 (DTS-HD Mono Italian), 4.5/5 (DTS-HD Mono English)

Both versions come with two audio options, a DTS-HD mono mix in Italian and a DTS-HD mono mix in English. All audio tracks are in great shape; there are no issues with background hiss or distortion. Dialog comes through clearly; everything sounds balanced, and range-wise, ambient sounds and the score are well-represented. That said, the Italian-language track sounds more robust than the English-language track. Included for both versions are three subtitle options: removable English subtitles for the Italian language track, removable English SDH for the English language track, and removable English narrative subtitles that translate Italian text when watching with the English language track.

Extras:

The 4K UHD disc with extended version extras includes an audio commentary with The Hysteria Continues!, and an audio commentary with film historian and author Kat Ellinger.

The 4K UHD disc with the theatrical version comes with no extras.

Extras on the Blu-ray disc with the extended version include an Italian theatrical trailer (3 minutes, 20 seconds, Dolby Digital mono Italian with removable English subtitles), an English language theatrical trailer (3 minutes, 18 seconds, Dolby Digital mono English with removable English SDH subtitles), a video essay by film historian and author Samm Deighan titled The Gothic Slashers of Lamberto Bava (17 minutes 25 seconds, Dolby Digital stereo English with removable English SDH subtitles), an interview with cinematographer Gianlorenzo Battaglia titled Lights in an Empty House (16 minutes 41 seconds, Dolby Digital stereo Italian with removable English subtitles), an interview with screenwriter Dardano Sacchetti titled House (20 minutes 54 seconds, Dolby Digital stereo Italian with removable English subtitles), an interview with director Lamberto Bava titled Don't Go Down the Stairs (16 minutes 34 seconds, Dolby Digital stereo Italian with removable English subtitles), an audio commentary with The Hysteria Continues!, and an audio commentary with Kat Ellinger.

Extras on the Blu-ray disc with the theatrical version include an archival interview with Lamberto Bava and Dardano Sacchetti titled Behind the Blade (9 minutes 27 seconds, Dolby Digital stereo Italian with removable English subtitles), and a documentary about the Giallo genre titled All the Colors of Giallo (89 minutes 1 second, DTS-HD stereo Italian with removable English subtitles). Directed by Federico Caddeo, a filmmaker who has directed numerous interviews and featurettes about Italian cinema. Individuals who participate in All the Colors of Giallo include Dario Argento, Lamberto Bava, Barbara Bouchet, Luciano Ercoli, Edwige Fenech, Lucio Fulci, George Hilton, Umberto Lenzi, Sergio Martino, Fabio Melelli, Nieves Navarro, and Daria Nicolodi. It should be noted that the interview with Lucio Fulci is sourced from an audio interview.

Other extras include reversible cover art, a slipcover, a rigid box, and a 40-page perfect bound book with an essay titled Lights, Camera, Giallo written by Alexandra Heller-Nicholas, an essay written by Dana Reinoos, and an essay titled A Familiar Scene with a Familiar Child written by Caroline Kopko.

Summary:

Directed by Lamberto Bava, a filmmaker whose father was the legendary Mario Bava, the name most synonymous with Italian horror cinema. And though Lamberto Bava has made some really good films like Macabre, Demons, and Demons 2, He has also directed more than his fair share of mediocre films.

The narrative revolves around a composer who finds his life in peril while staying at a remote villa where mysterious things have been happening and people have been known to disappear without a trace.

Though there are plenty of areas where A Blade in the Dark holds up really well, notably when it comes to its stylish kill sequences, That is not to say that there are no areas where it also comes up short, the most glaring being its anemic narrative. Another shortcoming is its pacing, which has a few lulls that drag momentum to a standstill. Fortunately, these moments are not that devastating. Also, the narrative does a decent job when it comes to backstory.

As mentioned before, the bread and butter of A Blade in the Dark is its kill sequences, which, like most Italian thrillers, have a Dario Argento-like vibe to them visually. These sequences are all well-executed moments in which the killer methodically disposes of each victim. Also, when it comes to concealing the identity of the killer, there are an ample number of red herrings offered up in hopes of distracting you from the obvious choice.

Though the kill sequences are where A Blade in the Dark shines brightest. Not to be overlooked are the visuals and Guido and Maurizio De Angelis (Street Law) score and how effectively these two elements reinforce the mood.

Andrea Occhipinti (The New York Ripper) is in the cast in the role of the protagonist, a composer named Bruno. He delivers a serviceable performance that is often overshadowed by whoever shares scenes with him. That said, the most memorable performance is Fabiola Toledo's (Demons) in the role of Angela, a woman who stops by for a swim only to be brutally murdered while trying to shampoo her hair. Her character's death scene is A Blade in the Dark’s best moment. Other notable cast members include Lara Lamberti (Aenigma) in the role of Bruno’s actress girlfriend Julia, and Michele Soavi (City of the Living Dead) in the role of a real estate agent.

That said, Lamberto Bava’s debut film, Macabre, was an excellent example of how to make a horror film on a minuscule budget. The opposite can be said of his second feature film, A Blade in the Dark, a film that ultimately suffers from many of the same symptoms that plague the majority of Horror films made since the 1980s.

A Blade in the Dark gets an excellent release from Vinegar Syndrome that comes with a solid audio/video presentation, two versions of the film, and a wealth of insightful extras, highly recommended.

Note about the 4K screenshots: It is not possible to make Dolby Vision or HDR10 screenshots that faithfully match the experience of watching a film in motion on a TV. Instead of not having any screenshots, all of the 4K screenshots are m2ts taken with a VLC player and lossless PNGs.

Written by Michael Den Boer

The Devil's Game – Severin Films (Blu-ray)

Release Date: Italy, 1981
Directors: Giulio Questi, Mario Bava, Lamberto Bava, Piero Nelli, Marcello Aliprandi, Tomaso Sherman, Giovanna Gagliardo
Cast: Barbara Pilavin, Mario Feliciani, Daria Nicolodi, Marc Porel, Adriana Innocenti, Francesco Di Federico, Rada Rassimov, William Berger, Franco Ressel, Gabriele Ferzetti, Veronica Lario, Massimo Boldi, Ugo Bologna, Stefano Sabelli, Dino Mele, Alfredo Pea, Stefano Madia, José Quaglio

Release Date: November 25th, 2022
Approximate Running Times: 79 Minutes 55 Seconds (The Sandman), 63 Minutes 26 Seconds (The Venus of Ille), 78 Minutes 50 Seconds (The Perfect Presence), 77 Minutes 43 Seconds (The Possessed Hand), 88 Minutes 2 Seconds (The Bottle Imp), 59 Minutes 33 Seconds (The Dream of Another)
Aspect Ratio: 1.33:1 Aspect Ratio / 1080 Progressive / MPEG-4 AVC
Rating: NR
Sound: DTS-HD Mono Italian
Subtitles: English
Region Coding: Region Free
Retail Price: $34.95

"In 1981, RAI-TV presented six hour-long films based on stories by 19th century horror/fantasy authors from such directors as Giulio Questi (Django Kill), Marcello Aliprandi (A Whisper in the Dark) and Giovanna Gagliardo (Street of Mirrors), starring actors that included Veronica Lario (Tenebre), Saverio Vallone (Antropophagus) and Stefano Madia (The Devil's Honey). But it was the mini-series’ second episode that remains its most celebrated: The final work of legendary director Mario Bava – and the debut of his son Lamberto Bava as co-director – LA VENERE D’ILLE/THE VENUS OF ILLE stars Daria Nicolodi (Deep Red) and Marc Porel (Don’t Torture a Duckling) in an elegantly chilling tale of supernatural love." - synopsis provided by the distributor

Video: 3.5/5 (The Venus of Ille), 3/5 (The Sandman, The Perfect Presence), 2.5/5 (The Bottle Imp, The Dream of Another), 2/5 (The Possessed Hand)

Here’s the information provided about The Venus of Ille's transfer, "The following presentation is sourced from a 16mm protection print, scanned in 2K. All film elements were presumed lost until this print was recently discovered and accessed in Italy by film preservationists Simone Starace and the late Michele De Angelis."

Here's the information provided about the other five episodes transfers, "The following presentation was transferred from the RAI TV vault standard definition broadcast master. No film element is known to exist."

The six episodes are spread over two discs.

The Sandman, The Venus of Ille and The Perfect Presence come on a 50 GB dual layer Blu-ray.

Disc Size: 45.2 GB

Features: 12.9 GB (The Sandman), 17.3 GB (The Venus of Ille), 12.7 GB (The Perfect Presence)

The Possessed Hand, The Bottle Imp and The Dream of Another come on a 50 GB dual layer Blu-ray.

Disc Size: 42.3 GB

Features: 14.4 GB (The Possessed Hand), 16.7 GB (The Bottle Imp), 10.4 GB (The Dream of Another)

The sources for this episode series are all over the place. There is print damage, faded colors, and instances where the contrast appears too strong. Image clarity looks good in brighter scenes; in darker scenes, image clarity is mediocre, and black levels are never convincing. That said, Mario Bava’s episode "The Venus of Ille" is the best-looking of the six. The Sandman and the Perfect Presence are somewhere in the middle. They appear to have been shot on film, whereas The Possessed Hand, The Bottle Imp, and The Dream of Another were definitely shot on video, and they are the weakest-looking episodes. It should be noted that the tape-related defects and damage are so noticeable on The Possessed Hand that they are distracting.

Audio: 3/5 (The Sandman, The Venus of Ille, The Perfect Presence, The Bottle Imp, The Dream of Another), 2.5/5 (The Possessed Hand)

Each episode comes with one audio option, a DTS-HD mono mix in Italian with removable English subtitles. though the dialog comes through clearly enough to follow. There is a noticeable background hiss that varies in degree and some sibilance issues. Also, range-wise, all of the audio tracks are limited.

Extras:

Extras for this release include an audio commentary for The Venus of Ille with Tim Lucas, author of Mario Bava: All The Colors Of The Dark, an interview with The Venus of Ille screenwriter/co-director Lamberto Bava titled Venus In Love (21 minutes 14 seconds, Dolby Digital stereo Italian with removable English subtitles), and an interview with The Venus of Ille cinematographer Nino Celeste titled Nemo Propheta In Patria (12 minutes 56 seconds, Dolby Digital stereo Italian with removable English subtitles).

All of the extras are on the first Blu-ray disc, which has these episodes: The Sandman, The Venus of Ille, and The Perfect Presence.

Summary:

The Sandman (L'uomo della sabbia): A tale about a man's descent into madness that is linked to a childhood trauma of a nighttime intruder who steals children's eyes.

The Venus of Ille (La Venere d'Ille): A landowner finds a statue that slowly comes to life and starts to look like his daughter-in-law.

The Perfect Presence (La presenza perfetta): A specter from a woman's past who committed suicide comes back to resolve unfinished business.

The Possessed Hand (La mano indemoniata): A man shows off a severed hand to his guests and fills them in on the origins of the hand.

The Bottle Imp (Il diavolo nella bottiglia): A man obtains a bottle with an imp inside who grants wishes, albeit at a cost of eternal damnation.

The Dream of Another (Il sogno dell'altro): An aging and wealthy man makes an agreement with a medical student to become his heir.

Though the six episodes of The Devil's Game (I giochi del diavolo) have an underlying theme that connects, it is obvious that the six episodes were not made around the same time. with Mario Bava’s The Venus of Ille (La Venere d'Ille) being shot two years before the series aired on television. Besides sharing a theme, all of the episodes are period-set stories that take place before the twentieth century. Most of the stories take place in the 19th century. Content-wise, these episodes have elements of the macabre and supernatural, with a healthy dose of melodrama thrown in for good measure.

Behind the scenes, The Devil's Game (I giochi del diavolo) had a lot of notable talent that are recognizable names to fans of 1960s and 1970s Italian cinema. Notably, directors Mario Bava (Black Sunday), Lamberto Bava (Macabre), Giulio Questi (Death Laid an Egg), and Marcello Aliprandi (A Whisper in the Dark) were joined by cinematographer Blasco Giurato (Cinema Paradiso), composers Luis Bacalov (Django), Pino Donaggio (Don't Look Now), and Stelvio Cipriani (What Have They Done to Your Daughters?). Also, several of the stories are adapted from literary sources.

I was struck by how drawn out all of the narratives are in The Devil's Game (I giochi del diavolo). Four of the six episodes are seventy-seven minutes or longer. It is clear that all of these episodes would have benefited from some trimming of their narratives. A running time of forty to fifty minutes would be more suitable. That said, it is not surprising that the two strongest episodes, The Venus of Ille (La Venere d'Ille) and The Dream of Another (Il sogno dell'altro), have the shortest running times.

The other thing that you notice while watching The Devil's Game (I giochi del diavolo) is how different the first three episodes are when compared to the latter three episodes. The first three episodes are more expansive in their scope, as they have many moments shot on location, while the last three episodes were entirely shot on soundstages, giving them an artificial look and making them feel more like a theater production.

The Devil's Game (I giochi del diavolo) would have been forgotten if Mario Bava's The Venus of Ille (La Venere d'Ille) had not been included. Most of the episodes are forgettable except The Venus of Ille (La Venere d'Ille). The only other episode that leaves any lasting impression is The Dream of Another (Il sogno dell'altro).

Mario Bava’s final directorial effort finally arrives on an English-friendly Blu-ray from Severin Films that comes with a trio of informative extras. only suitable for Mario Bava completists.

Written by Michael Den Boer

Macabre – 88 Films (Blu-ray)

Theatrical Release Date: Italy, 1980
Director: Lamberto Bava
Writers: Antonio Avati, Pupi Avati, Lamberto Bava, Roberto Gandus
Cast: Bernice Stegers, Stanko Molnar, Veronica Zinny, Roberto Posse, Ferdinando Orlandi, Fernando Pannullo, Elisa Kadigia Bove

Release Date: May 18th, 2020
Approximate running time: 89 Minutes 47 Seconds
Aspect Ratio: 1.85:1 Widescreen / 1080 Progressive / MPEG-4 AVC
Rating: 18 (UK)
Sound: LPCM Mono English, LPCM Mono Italian
Subtitles: English
Region Coding: Region Free
Retail Price: £14.99 (UK)

"Still recovering from a pair of tragic and traumatic bereavements, Jane Baker (Bernice Steggers; Xtro, Sky Pilots) moves into a new apartment in New Orleans. The owner’s son, Robert, is blind – but that doesn’t stop him hearing what Jane gets up to. It sounds like she’s resumed her passionate affair with her lover, Fred. Except that Fred died a year ago…" - synopsis provided by the distributor

Video: 5/5

Here’s the information provided about this release's transfer, "NEW 2K Restoration from the Original Camera Negative".

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

Disc Size: 31.8 GB

Feature: 25.8 GB

The source used for this transfer is in excellent shape; the colors are nicely saturated, the details look crisp, the black levels look strong throughout, and there are no issues with compression.

Audio: 4.5/5 (LPCM Mono English, LPCM Mono Italian)

This release comes with two audio options, a LPCM mono mix in English and a LPCM mono mix in Italian. Both audio mixes are in good shape; dialog comes through clearly; everything sounds balanced; and range-wise, ambient sounds and the score are well-presented. Included with this release are removable English subtitles for the Italian language track.

Extras:

Extras for this release include a theatrical trailer (2 minutes 16 seconds, Dolby Digital mono English, no subtitles), Italian opening and closing titles (3 minutes 33 seconds, Dolby Digital mono), an interview with director Lamberto Bava titled Don’t Lose Your Head (22 minutes 4 seconds, Dolby Digital stereo Italian with removable English subtitles), an audio commentary with an audio commentary with film historians Nathaniel Thompson and Troy Howarth, reversible cover art, a slipcover (limited to first pressing), and a twelve page booklet (limited to first pressing) with an essay titled Familial Trauma in Lamberto Bava’s Macabre written by Rachael Nisbet.

Summary:

Though Lamberto Bava has forged a four-decade career as a director, most of his contemporaries have stopped making films. There’s no denying that it must have been difficult living in the shadow of his father, Mario Bava, Italian cinema’s most celebrated director of horror cinema. Looking over Lamberto Bava’s filmography, there are a few standout films that have held up well over time. His best films are the result of collaborations with other prominent Italian filmmakers. Case in point: Macabre, a film that is unlike any other film in Lamberto Bava’s filmography.

That said, how much of Macabre is due to Lamberto Bava or filmmaker Pupi Avati's creative influence? The idea for Macabre originated with Antonio Avati and Pupi Avati, who then reached out to Lamberto Bava with the idea of directing it. Besides coming up with the idea, there are many elements throughout Macabre that bear a strong resemblance to Pupi Avati’s The House of the Laughing Windows, which ultimately furthers the premise that Lamberto Bava was a director for fire whose contributions to the film were minimal.

Content-wise, there are many elements in Macabre that are widely associated with horror cinema. To simply approach Macabre as a horror film would be doing this film a great disservice, since the result is something that is closer to a psychological melodrama.

And though Macabre has an ample amount of visually tense moments, Outside of a few moments, like the scene where the protagonist’s lover's head gets decapitated and he drowns children in a bathtub, Macabre’s level of carnage is minimal. Fortunately, Macabre is a film that relies heavily on atmosphere.

When discussing a film like Macabre, one must not overlook the elephant in the room. At the heart of Macabre’s narrative is a deranged love story that involves necrophilia. The protagonist, a woman named Jane Baker, procures her deceased lover's severed head and keeps it in a freezer. Though some of the shock derived from this plot device remains, it’s rather tame when compared to other similar-themed films that succeeded it, like Nekromantik.

Macabre’s heart and soul are Bernice Stegers’ (Xtro) portrayal of Jane Baker. She delivers an utterly convincing portrayal of a character who’s consumed by obsessive love. Other performances of note are Stanko Molnar in the role of a blind man who runs a boarding house and Veronica Zinny’s (in her one and only role) terrifying portrayal of Jane’s equally demented daughter Lucy. Ultimately, Macabre is an exceptional debut film that set the bar so high that Lamberto Bava never made a better film.

Macabre gets an excellent release from 88 Films that comes with a solid audio/video presentation and a pair of informative extras, highly recommended.

Written by Michael Den Boer