Black Sunday – Shout! Factory (4k UHD/Blu-ray Combo)

Theatrical Release Date: Italy, 1960
Director: Mario Bava
Writers: Mario Bava, Nikolai Gogol, Ennio De Concini, Mario Serandrei
Cast: Barbara Steele, John Richardson, Andrea Checchi, Ivo Garrani, Arturo Dominici, Enrico Olivieri

Release Date: October 7th, 2025
Approximate Running Time: 87 Minutes 26 Seconds
Aspect Ratio: 1.66:1 Widescreen / 2160 Progressive / HEVC / H.265
Rating: NR
Sound: DTS-HD Mono English
Subtitles: English SDH
Region Coding: Region Free (4K UHD), Region A (Blu-ray)
Retail Price: $39.98

"A Bavarian princess, burned at the stake with her lover for being a witch, comes to life after three hundred years to enact the curse of revenge on her remaining family members." - synopsis provided by the distributor

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

Here’s the information provided about the transfer, "4K restoration from the original camera negative.

La maschera del demonio (Mario Bava, 1960) was restored in 4K by Fondazione Cineteca di Bolognaq, in collaboration with the copyright holders Alfredo Leone and Naor World Media Films, from the original camera and sound nagetiaves provided by Iron Mountain Entertainment Services.

The restoration work was carried out by L'Immagine Ritrovata laboratory in 2023."

Black Sunday comes on a 66 GB dual layer 4K UHD

Disc Size: 56.7 GB

Feature: 55.8 GB

This new transfer is a noticeable improvement over Arrow Video and Kino Lorber’s Blu-ray releases. The source looks excellent; flesh tones look healthy, contrast, black levels, and image clarity are solid, there are no issues with compression, and the image retains an organic appearance.

Black Sunday comes on a 25 GB single layer Blu-ray.

Disc Size: 24.7 GB

Feature: 22.5   GB

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

Audio: 5/5

This release comes with one audio option, a DTS-HD mono mix in English with removable English SDH. The track sounds excellent, the dialogue comes through clearly, and everything sounds balanced and robust when it should.

Extras:

Extras on the 4K UHD disc include an audio commentary with writer Dr. Rebekah King, an audio commentary with Dr. Karen Stallznow, Matt Baxter, and Blake Smith, an audio commentary with film critic Brian Keiper, and an audio commentary with film critic Meagan Navarro.

Extras on the Blu-ray disc include an image gallery (44 images—posters/lobby cards/advertisements), a U.S. TV spot (18 seconds, Dolby Digital mono English, no subtitles), a U.S. theatrical trailer (2 minutes 5 seconds, Dolby Digital mono English, no subtitles), an international theatrical trailer (3 minutes 35 seconds, Dolby Digital mono English, no subtitles), Trailers from Hell interview with Larry Cohen (2 minutes 16 seconds, Dolby Digital stereo English, no subtitles), an audio commentary with Rebekah King, an audio commentary with Karen Stallznow, Matt Baxter, and Blake Smith, an audio commentary with Brian Keiper, and an audio commentary with Meagan Navarro.

Summary:

There are two English-language versions of La maschera del demonio, Black Sunday. AIP’s North American release runs about three minutes shorter than the international version of the film, which is known under the Mask of Satan title. Most of the footage that has been excised from AIP’s version are moments that were deemed too graphic, and in all of Mario Bava’s other films that were released by AIP, a new score has been added in favor of the original score. Also, AIP reportedly commissioned a brand new English-language score for Black Sunday since they deemed the one that was supplied to them inadequate. It should be noted that neither of these English-language versions contains Barbara Steele’s voice.

Three hundred years ago, Princess Asa was condemned and burned at the stake for practicing witchcraft. Flash forward to the modern day, when two doctors en route to a medical convention stumble upon Princess Asa’s grave, which accidentally sets her resurrection in motion. Once reanimated, Princess Asa plans on taking the place of a woman named Katia Vajda, who looks exactly like her.

By the time Mario Bava had the opportunity to direct La maschera del demonio, he already had twenty years of experience behind the camera as a cinematographer. A few of the films that he worked on include Hercules, Hercules Unchained, and The Day the Sky Exploded. In the years leading up to Black Sunday, he also started several films as a cinematographer, only to complete them as a director when the original director exited the film. Two of these films, I Vampire and Caltiki, the Immortal Monster, foreshadow his work within the horror film genre.

When it comes to an opening scene for a horror film, one would be hard-pressed to name a sequence more terrifying than the opening scene for La maschera del demonio. The aforementioned scene revolves around a woman named Asa, who has been accused and simultaneously condemned for being a witch. Her persecutors then brand her by burning the ‘S’ into her flesh. After that, they put a spiked mask over her face and nailed it down as blood gushed out of the sides of the mask. And to finish her off, they attempt to burn her at the stake. Needless to say, this is a scene that leaves little for the imagination. With its in-your-face depiction of violence that firmly establishes the tone of La maschera del demonio.

Besides Nikolai Gogol’s short story Viy, which La Maschera del Demono was loosely adapted from, another clear inspiration is Hammer Horror Films and Universal classic monster films, most notably their Gothic-themed ones. And when it comes to visuals, there is never a shortage of atmosphere in La Maschera del Demon. And visually, there is not a moment wasted, as every inch of every frame is exploited for maximum effect, especially Mario Bava’s rendering of light and shadow. Another area where La Maschera del Demonio excels is its special effects, most notably during the reanimation sequence in its final moments.

The performances range from good to great. This most memorable performance comes from Barbara Steele (Nightmare Castle) in the dual roles of Katia Vajda and Princess Asa Vajda. She is mesmerizing in both roles as she delivers what is widely considered the best performance of her career. Another performance of note is Andrea Checchi (A Bullet for the General) in the role of an inquisitive doctor named Thomas Kruvajan, whose moment of indiscretion leads to Asa’s resurrection. Ultimately, La Maschera del Demono is an extraordinary horror film that ushered in a new era of terror in Italian cinema, and the magnitude of its legacy continues to shape the landscape of horror cinema.

Black Sunday makes its way to 4K UHD via a first-rate release that comes with a solid audio/video presentation and informative extras. 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

The Giant of Marathon – Explosive Media/Plaion Pictures (Blu-ray)

Theatrical Release Date: Italy/France, 1959
Directors: Jacques Tourneur, Mario Bava
Writers: Ennio De Concini, Augusto Frassinetti, Bruno Vailati
Cast: Steve Reeves, Mylène Demongeot, Sergio Fantoni, Daniela Rocca, Philippe Hersent, Alberto Lupo, Daniele Vargas, Miranda Campa, Gianni Loti

Release Date: August 13th, 2026
Approximate Running Time: 88 Minutes 14 Seconds
Aspect Ratio: 2.35:1 Widescreen / 1080 Progressive / MPEG-4 AVCC
Rating: FSK 12 (Germany)
Sound: DTS-HD Mono Italian, DTS-HD Mono English, DTS-HD Mono German
Subtitles: Italian, German, English
Region Coding: Region Free
Retail Price: 19,99 EUR

"490 BC: Athens faces the threat of the Persian army, while powerful men within the city spin their own intrigues. The celebrated athlete Philippides becomes a beacon of hope for his people and must fight not only against external enemies but also against betrayal within his own ranks. At his side stand the beautiful Andromeda and the general Miltiades, while above it all hovers the impending collision at Marathon." - synopsis provided by the distributor

Video: 4.25/5

The Giant of Marathon comes on a 50 GB dual layer Blu-ray.

Disc Size: 39 GB

Feature: 21.7 GB

Though no information is provided about this transfer source, it is in great shape, and print debris has been cleaned up. Flesh tones look correct, colors are nicely saturated, the image looks crisp, black levels are strong, and compression is very good. That said, peplum is a genre that has not fared well transfer-wise; fortunately, this transfer is one of the stronger ones.

Audio: 4/5 (DTS-HD Mono Italian, DTS-HD Mono English)

This release comes with two audio options, a DTS-HD mono mix in Italian, a DTS-HD mono mix in English, and a DTS-HD mono mix in German. For this review, I only listened to the Italian and English tracks. Quality-wise, these two tracks are comparable. They both sound clean, clear, and balanced. Also, range-wise, they sound robust when they should. Included are removable English and German subtitles. The English subtitles appear to be a direct translation of the Italian track.

Extras:

Extras for this release include an image with music from the film playing in the background (67 images—posters/lobby cards/stills), a US theatrical trailer (2 minutes 7 seconds, Dolby Digital mono English, no subtitles), a German version of The Giant of Marathon (84 minutes 33 seconds, 2.35:1 aspect ratio, DTS-HD mono German, no subtitles), an audio commentary with Benedikt Wilken and Leonhard Elias Lemke in German, no subtitles, and reversible cover art.

Summary:

Jacques Tourneur co-directed The Giant of Marathon. Notable films he’s directed include Cat People, I Walked with a Zombie, The Leopard Man, Out of the Past, Nightfall, and Night of the Demon. Cinematographer Mario Bava was forced to finish The Giant of Marathon when Jacques Tourneur did not extend his ten-month contract with the production company.

The sacred god, led by a Greek soldier named Phillipides, is the only thing standing in the way of Persian invaders attacking Greece.

Although Peplums are most known for their fantastical elements and mythical characters, most of Steve Reeves' Peplums are based on historical events. For example, The Giant of Marathon derives its title from and is inspired by the historical event the Battle of Marathon. That said, Steve Reeves’ character Phillipides is based on a 5th-century-BC Athenian running courier who was a central figure in what became the marathon race.

While an impending Persian invasion looms throughout The Giant of Marathon, it is ultimately a story about power and betrayal of country. The opening setup quickly establishes Theocritus's treachery and lust for power. From there, the Greeks, who are outnumbered against the Persians, make an alliance with another enemy, the Spartans. All of these events set in motion an epic battle that culminates the film.

The main attraction is Steve Reeves (Hercules) in the role of Philipides. Where his roles to that point relied heavily on his physical attributes, Philipides is one of his most rounded characters. Another performance of note is Sergio Fantoni’s (Atom Age Vampire) portrayal of Theocritus. The female cast offers plenty of eye candy, with Mylène Demongeot (Fantômas) in the role of Andromeda and Daniela Rocca (Caltiki – The Immortal Monster) in the role of Charis, the two women vying for Philipides’ attention.

The first half of the film is exposition-heavy with only a few action-related moments. The latter half kicks off with the film's first of two big action set pieces, and the other is a surprise attack finale. While The Giant of Marathon feels more like a Jacques Tourneur film, Mario Bava’s influence is felt in the visuals, notably special effects and underwater sequences. Ultimately, The Giant of Marathon is a well-crafted Peplum that fans of the genre are sure to enjoy.

The Giant of Marathon gets a strong audio/video presentation from Explosive Media/Plaion Pictures. Recommended.

Written by Michael Den Boer

Four Times That Night (Quante volte... quella note) – Indicator Series (4k UHD)

Theatrical Release Date: Italy/West Germany/USA, 1971
Director: Mario Bava
Writers: Mario Moroni, Charles Ross, Guido Leoni
Cast: Daniela Giordano, Brett Halsey, Pascale Petit, Robert H. Oliver, Dick Randall, Valeria Sabel, Rainer Basedow, Brigitte Skay, Calisto Calisti

Release Date: June 29th, 2026
Approximate Running Times: 83 Minutes 2 Seconds (Quante volte... quella note), 81 Minutes 27 Seconds (Four Times That Night)
Aspect Ratio: 1.85:1 Widescreen / 2160 Progressive / HEVC / H.265 / Dolby Vision HDR10 (Both Versions)
Rating: 15 (UK)
Sound: LPCM Mono Italian (Quante volte... quella note), LPCM Mono English (Four Times That Night)
Subtitles: English (Quante volte... quella note), English SDH (Four Times That Night)
Region Coding: Region Free
Retail Price: £24.99

"Handsome model John (Halsey) takes the virginial Tina (Giordano) on a date. When Tina returns to her overbearing mother in tears, her dress in tatters, everyone has a different account of what really happened that night..." - synopsis provided by the distributor

Video: 4.5/5 (Both Versions)

Here’s the information provided about this release's transfer, “Four Times That Night was scanned in 4K Augustus Color in Rome using the original negative. 4K HDR color correction and image restoration work was undertaken at Filmfinity, London, when Phoenix and Diamant image-processing tools were used to remove many thousands of instances of dirt, eliminate scratches and other imperfections, and repair damaged frames. No grain management, edge enhancement, or sharpening tools were employed to artificially alter the image in any way.”

Here’s information provided about the differences between these two versions, “In addition to containing different opening titles and end cards, the US and Italian theatrical cuts of Four Times That Night diverge in a number of other ways. The US version includes two erotic scenes which proved too risqué for the Italian version, whilst the Italian version includes two unique experimental and comedic scenes, featuring the scientist character, towards the end of the film. The dialogue also differs markedly at times across the two cuts.”

Four Times That Night (Quante volte... quella note) comes on a 66 GB dual layer 4K UHD.

Disc Size: 60.3 GB

Feature: 50.4 GB

This release uses seamless branching for the two versions. Both versions have never looked better; they are a marked improvement over their previous home media releases. Flesh tones look healthy; colors are nicely saturated; image clarity, contrast, black levels, and compression are solid; and the image always retains an organic appearance.

Audio: 4.5/5

Quante volte... quella notte comes with one audio option, a LPCM mono mix in Italian with removable English subtitles. Four Times That Night comes with one audio option, a LPCM mono mix in English with removable English SDH. Both tracks sound clean, clear, and balanced. The main difference between these tracks is that dialogue sounds slightly fuller on the Italian language track.

Extras:

Extras for this release include an image gallery (16 images—stills/posters), the original US theatrical trailer (2 minutes 22 seconds, LPCM mono English, no subtitles), a video essay by critic Rachael Nisbet titled The ‘Rashōmon’ Effect (18 minutes 25 seconds, Dolby Digital stereo English, no subtitles), an interview with Roberto Colangeli, the son of prolific editor Otello Colangeli titled Like Father, Like Son (13 minutes 34 seconds, Dolby Digital stereo Italian with removable English subtitles), an interview with assistant director, and son of Mario Bava, Lamberto Bava, titled Scenes from a Memory (12 minutes 24 seconds, Dolby Digital stereo Italian with removable English subtitles), an archival audio commentary with Mario Bava: All the Colors of Dark author Tim Lucas for Quante volte... quella notte, an audio commentary with genre-film experts Eugenio Ercolani and Troy Howarth for Four Times That Night, and an 80-page book with cast & crew information, an essay titled Swingers in a pop-Giallo World written by Leon Hunt, a new writing on the film’s Italian censorship history titled How Many More Times? written by Roberto Curti and Alessio Di Rocco, an archival interview with Mario Bava conducted conducted by Giuseppe Lippi and Lorenzo Codelli, an archival interview with Brett Halsey conducted by Phil Hardcastle, an archival interview with Daniela Giordano conducted by Chris Milewski, and information about the restoration.

Summary:

Although Mario Bava is most known for his horror films, his filmography was diverse, and he excelled in whatever genre he worked in. Comedy was the genre Mario Bava is least known for; he only directed two films in this genre, Dr. Goldfoot and the Girl Bombs (Le spie vengono dal semifreddo) and Four Times That Night (Quante volte... quella note). Where Dr. Goldfoot and the Girl Bombs (Le spie vengono dal semifreddo) was a satire of 1960s spy cinema, Four Times That Night (Quante volte... quella note) marked Mario Bava’s only foray into commedia sexy all'italiana. That said, humor was a central element throughout Mario Bava’s filmography.

Four Times That Night (Quante volte... quella note) employs the Rashomon effect, a storytelling method based on Akira Kurosawa's film of the same name. Narratives that use the Rashomon effect revolve around a collection of characters who each provide their memories of an event and each memory contradicts the others. Four Times That Night (Quante volte... quella note) revolves around a lecherous playboy and a virginal, virtuous young woman whose accounts of a date greatly differ. Two other characters provide their accounts of what happened that night: a peeping Tom doorman and a scientist.

While a narrative that features the same scenario four times might turn out redundant, Four Times That Night (Quante volte... quella note) always manages to engage with its four distinctly different recollections of that night; they are all equally entertaining. Most of the humour comes from characters' reactions to unwanted sexual advances and character stereotypes. That said, the funniest moments come from the guard character. There is a cartoonish-like quality to the moments with the guard.

All around the cast are outstanding in their roles, especially the two leads, Daniela Giordano (Violent Rome) and Brett Halsey (The Devil’s Honey). Another performance of note is Dick Randall in the role of the doorman. Although the female cast members provide plenty of eye candy, the male cast members are not left out; Brett Halsey’s character wears a speedo.

When discussing the cinema of Mario Bava, Four Times That Night (Quante volte... quella note), like all of his films, is beautifully photographed. Other areas where Four Times That Night (Quante volte... quella note) excels are its exemplary production design and Coriolano Gori’s (Massacre Time) score, which perfectly underscores the mood. Ultimately, Four Times That Night (Quante volte... quella note) is arguably Mario Bava’s most underrated film; it is a highly entertaining example of commedia sexy all'italiana.

Powerhouse Films gives Four Times That Night (Quante volte... quella note) its best home media release to date. 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.

Note: Limited edition of 5,000 individually numbered units (4,000 4K UHDs and 1,000 Blu-rays) for the UK.

 

Written by Michael Den Boer

Danger: Diabolik – Eureka Video (4k UHD/Blu-ray Combo)

Theatrical Release Date: Italy, 1968
Director: Mario Bava
Writers: Adriano Baracco, Mario Bava, Brian Degas, Tudor Gates
Cast: John Phillip Law, Marisa Mell, Michel Piccoli, Adolfo Celi

Release Date: April 20th, 2026
Approximate Running Time: 103 Minutes 5 Seconds
Aspect Ratio: 1.85:1 Widescreen / 2160 Progressive / HEVC / H.265 / Dolby Vision HDR10
Rating: 12 (UK)
Sound: DTS-HD Mono Italian, DTS-HD Mono English, DTS-HD Mono English (Alternate Dub), DTS-HD 5.1 English
Subtitles: English (DTS-HD Mono Italian), English SDH (DTS-HD Mono English, DTS-HD 5.1 English)
Region Coding: Region Free (4K UHD), Region B (Blu-ray)
Retail Price: £34.99 (UK)

"Somewhere in Europe, Inspector Ginko (Michel Piccoli) is the police officer charged with overseeing the transportation of $10 million from a bank, determined to stop it from falling into the hands of the infamous thief known as Diabolik (Law) and his accomplice Eva Kant (Marisa Mell). But, despite his best efforts, Ginko fails – Diabolik nabs the cash before setting his sights on stealing a priceless emerald and twenty tons of gold, embarking on a crimewave that will see him make a mockery of both the police and the government officials they answer to." - synopsis provided by the distributor

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

Here’s the information provided about this release's transfer, "A Brand New HD Master by Paramount Pictures—From a 4K Scan of the 35mm Original Camera Negative."

Here are additional comments by Eureka Video about their transfer, "During the disc authoring process, we discovered a metadata inconsistency with the original 4K master supplied to us by Paramount. If we had used this master, it would have resulted in HDR grading either too saturated or too dull. After consulting with Fidelity in Motion we went back to Paramount who agreed there was a mistake and sent over corrected metadata which is what we used for the final authoring process and are confident is the intended look of the film."

Danger: Diabolik comes on a 100 GB triple layer 4K UHD.

Disc Size: 86.4 GB

Feature: 74.2 GB

The most significant difference between Eureka Video’s release and Kin Lorber’s release is that the latter is in the wrong color space. That said, Eureka Video’s release looks gorgeous; flesh tones look healthy, colors look vivid, contrast, black levels, image clarity, and compression are solid, and the image always looks organic.

Danger: Diabolik comes on a 50 GB dual layer Blu-ray.

Disc Size: 43.2 GB

Feature: 31.2 GB

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

Audio: 5/5 (DTS-HD Mono Italian, DTS-HD Mono English, DTS-HD Mono English - Alternate Dub), 4.5/5 (DTS-HD 5.1 English)

Another area where Eureka Video surpasses Kino Lorber’s release is in its audio tracks. Both releases include the same DTS-HD mono English and DTS-HD 5.1 tracks; however, Eureka Video’s version adds a DTS-HD mono mix in Italian, as well as an alternate DTS-HD mono mix in English. This alternative English audio track was originally recorded for the film’s laserdisc release. All of the tracks sound excellent; the dialogue always comes through clearly, everything sounds balanced, ambient sounds are well-represented, and Ennio Morricone’s score sounds appropriately robust. This release includes removable English subtitles for the Italian language track, as well as removable English SDH. The SDH corresponds with the DTS-HD mono and 5.1 English tracks, but not with the alternate English language track.

Extras:

Extras on the 4K UHD disc include a U.S. theatrical teaser (1 minute 5 seconds, Dolby Digital mono English, no subtitles), a U.S. theatrical trailer (2 minutes 23 seconds, LPCM mono English, no subtitles), the Beastie Boys music video Body Movin’ with optional audio commentary by Adam Yauch (6 minutes 38 seconds, Dolby Digital stereo English, no subtitles), an archival featurette titled Danger: Diabolik – From Fumetti To Film (20 minutes 23 seconds, Dolby Digital stereo English and Italian with removable English subtitles), a video essay by genre cinema expert Rachael Nisbet Radical Behaviour, in which she discusses Danger: Diabolik as anti-establishment pop culture (26 minutes 42 seconds, Dolby Digital stereo English, no subtitles), an interview with Leon Hunt, author of the Cultographies volume on Danger: Diabolik titled Criminal Intent; he discusses  the origins and evolution of Diabolik from page to screen (21 minutes 44 seconds, Dolby Digital stereo English, no subtitles), an archival audio commentary with John Phillip Law and Tim Lucas, author of Mario Bava: All the Colors of the Dark, an audio commentary with Tim Lucas, and an archival audio commentary with Nathaniel Thompson and Troy Howarth.

The extras are the same on both discs.

Other extras include a hard case (limited to 2,000 copies) and a 60-page book (limited to 2,000 copies) with cast & crew information, an essay titled The Movie That Lived Twice: Mario Bava’s Danger: Diabolik written by Roberto Curti, an essay titled Panels and Frames: Danger: Diabolik as Comic Book Film written by Jochen Ecke, an introduction to fumetti neri titled Noir Comics, Italian Style: Notes on Fumetti Neri written by Sergio Angelini, an essay titled On Vikings and Masked Villains: Mario Bava Beyond Horror written by Troy Howarth, and information about the transfer titled Notes on Viewing.

Summary:

Mario Bava is most remembered as a director of Gothic horror films, though he worked in just about every genre imaginable. Two things that have always been present in virtually every color film that he has directed are his ability to frame picturesque shots in his cinematography and his exquisite use of colors. Both of these assets would help him greatly when it came time to direct Danger: Diabolik, which was based on one of the longest-running fumetti, Diabolik, that was created by two Milan sisters, Angela and Luciana Giustani.

Right off the bat, Danger: Diabolik is a direct contrast to what we normally recognize as a superhero, especially since he really is the villain of the piece, who at best could be considered an antihero. He is cold and calculated to the point that he will kill anyone who gets in his way. His girlfriend, Eva Kant, is not as sadistic, as her personality relies more on her sexuality, which often gets her whatever she wants.

Mario Bava’s $400,000 budget for Danger: Diabolik would be the largest budget of his career, and the film benefits greatly from this. Many of Bava’s films struggle due to limited budgets. Although he excels at creating impressive results with minimal resources, these films often lack the overall polish that Danger: Diabolik achieves. The optical effects used in this film now feel dated, but still, no one could manipulate a miniature or a matte painting like Mario Bava. The sets and costumes are deliriously over the top in their design, which adds to the comic book feel of the film.

Acting-wise, Danger: Diabolik is blessed with strong leads and an equally strong supporting cast. John Philip Law has had a long and varied career as an actor, with 1968 being his most memorable year, as he starred in Death Rides a Horse, Barbarella: Queen of the Galaxy, and Danger: Diabolik. His performance as Diabolik is as good as any I've seen from him, perfectly balancing his sinister side with his laid-back ladies' man persona. Marisa Mell (Perversion Story, Gang War in Milan) has been known to steam up the screen in the various films that she has starred in, and as Eva Kant, she exudes sensuality with her sex kitten approach to the character.

No discussion of Danger: Diabolik is complete without the acknowledgment of Ennio Morricone’s contribution to the film via his masterful score. Just like his collaborations with Sergio Leone, he sets the mood and tone of the film with musical cues that are, in many cases, associated with certain characters. The music is playful most of the time, like in an early scene when the police officers are getting ready to transport the money.

There are many wonderful set pieces throughout Danger: Diabolik, with my favorite being the scene in which Diabolik and Eva make love on a rotating bed filled with money. Also, this version of Danger: Diabolik is a longer version that restores footage missing from the American release, most notably the scene where Diabolik and Eva make love in a bed filled with money. Visually Dangerous: Diabolik is a dazzling feast for the eyes that’s rich with texture as Mario Bava lays it on, layer after layer of eye candy. Ultimately, Danger Diabolik is Mario Bava’s greatest achievement as a director.

In terms of audio/video presentation and packing, I can’t see how anyone could top this release. That said, Eureka Video gives Danger: Diabolik a definitive release. 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

Danger: Diabolik – Kino Lorber (4k UHD/Blu-ray Combo)

Theatrical Release Date: Italy, 1968
Director: Mario Bava
Writers: Adriano Baracco, Mario Bava, Brian Degas, Tudor Gates
Cast: John Phillip Law, Marisa Mell, Michel Piccoli, Adolfo Celi

Release Date: July 22nd, 2025
Approximate Running Time: 103 Minutes 5 Seconds
Aspect Ratio: 1.85:1 Widescreen / 2160 Progressive / HEVC / H.265 / Dolby Vision HDR10
Rating: PG-13
Sound: DTS-HD Mono English, DTS-HD 5.1 English
Subtitles: English SDH
Region Coding: Region Free (4K UHD), Region A (Blu-ray)
Retail Price: $44.95

"The suave, psychedelic-era thief called Diabolik (John Phillip Law, Barbarella, Death Rides a Horse) can’t get enough of life’s good—or glittery—things. Not when there are currency shipments to steal from under the noses of snooty government officials. And priceless jewels to lift from the boudoirs of the super-rich." - synopsis provided by the distributor

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

Here’s the information provided about this release's transfer, "Brand New HD Master by Paramount Pictures—From a 4K Scan of the 35mm Original Camera Negative."

Danger: Diabolik comes on a 100 GB triple layer 4K UHD.

Disc Size: 72.1 GB

Feature: 70.5 GB

It is immediately clear that this new transfer is a marked improvement over Shout! Factory’s dated-looking transfer. That said, there is some very minor debris that remains, mostly in the opening credits and whenever there are optical shots. Flesh tones look correct, image clarity, contrast, and black levels are solid, there are no issues with compression, and the image always looks organic.

Note: Since I wrote this review, information has come out that this release is in the wrong color space.

Danger: Diabolik comes on a 50 GB dual layer Blu-ray.

Disc Size: 46.5 GB

Feature: 33.4 GB

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

Audio: 5/5 (DTS-HD Mono English), 4.5/5 (DTS-HD 5.1 English)

This release comes with two audio options: a DTS-HD mono mix in English and a DTS-HD 5.1 mix in English. Both audio tracks are in excellent shape; dialogue always comes through clearly, everything sounds balanced, ambient sounds are well-represented, and Ennio Morricone’s score sounds appropriately robust. Although the 5.1 audio track does a fantastic job opening things up, the mono audio track is still the stronger of these two. Included are removable English SDH.

Extras:

Extras on the 4K UHD disc include an archival audio commentary with actor John Phillip Law and Tim Lucas, author of Mario Bava – All the Colors of the Dark, and an archival audio commentary with film historians Nathaniel Thompson and Troy Howarth.

Extras on the Blu-ray disc include a U.S. theatrical teaser (1 minute 6 seconds, Dolby Digital mono English, no subtitles), a U.S. theatrical trailer (2 minutes 24 seconds, DTS-HD mono English, no subtitles), the Beastie Boys music video Body Movin’ with optional audio commentary by Adam Yauch (6 minutes 38 seconds, Dolby Digital stereo English, no subtitles), an archival featurette titled Danger: Diabolik – From Fumetti To Film (20 minutes 23 seconds, Dolby Digital stereo English and Italian with removable English subtitles), an archival audio commentary with John Phillip Law and Tim Lucas and an archival audio commentary with Nathaniel Thompson and Troy Howarth.

Other extras include a slipcover (limited to the first pressing) and, on the Blu-ray, trailers for Planet of the Vampires, The 10th Victim, Grand Slam, Arabesque, Robbery, Gambit, The Thomas Crown Affair, The Italian Job, Topkapi, Diabolik, Diabolik—Ginko Attacks!, and Diabolik—Who Are You?. 

Summary:

Mario Bava is most remembered as a director of Gothic horror films, though he worked in just about every genre imaginable. Two things that have always been present in virtually every color film that he has directed are his ability to frame picturesque shots in his cinematography and his exquisite use of colors. Both of these assets would help him greatly when it came time to direct Danger: Diabolik, which was based on one of the longest-running fumetti, Diabolik, that was created by two Milan sisters, Angela and Luciana Giustani.

Right off the bat, Danger: Diabolik is a direct contrast to what we normally recognize as a superhero, especially since he really is the villain of the piece, who at best could be considered an antihero. He is cold and calculated to the point that he will kill anyone who gets in his way. His girlfriend, Eva Kant, is not as sadistic, as her personality relies more on her sexuality, which often gets her whatever she wants.

Mario Bava’s $400,000 budget for Danger: Diabolik would be the largest budget of his career, and the film benefits greatly from this. Many of Bava’s films struggle due to limited budgets. Although he excels at creating impressive results with minimal resources, these films often lack the overall polish that Danger: Diabolik achieves. The optical effects used in this film now feel dated, but still, no one could manipulate a miniature or a matte painting like Mario Bava. The sets and costumes are deliriously over the top in their design, which adds to the comic book feel of the film.

Acting-wise, Danger: Diabolik is blessed with strong leads and an equally strong supporting cast. John Philip Law has had a long and varied career as an actor, with 1968 being his most memorable year, as he starred in Death Rides a Horse, Barbarella: Queen of the Galaxy, and Danger: Diabolik. His performance as Diabolik is as good as any I've seen from him, perfectly balancing his sinister side with his laid-back ladies' man persona. Marisa Mell (Perversion Story, Gang War in Milan) has been known to steam up the screen in the various films that she has starred in, and as Eva Kant, she exudes sensuality with her sex kitten approach to the character.

No discussion of Danger: Diabolik is complete without the acknowledgment of Ennio Morricone’s contribution to the film via his masterful score. Just like his collaborations with Sergio Leone, he sets the mood and tone of the film with musical cues that are, in many cases, associated with certain characters. The music is playful most of the time, like in an early scene when the police officers are getting ready to transport the money.

There are many wonderful set pieces throughout Danger: Diabolik, with my favorite being the scene in which Diabolik and Eva make love on a rotating bed filled with money. Also, this version of Danger: Diabolik is a longer version that restores footage missing from the American release, most notably the scene where Diabolik and Eva make love in a bed filled with money. Visually Dangerous: Diabolik is a dazzling feast for the eyes that’s rich with texture as Mario Bava lays it on, layer after layer of eye candy. Ultimately, Danger Diabolik is Mario Bava’s greatest achievement as a director.

Kino Lorber gives Danger: Diabolik its best audio/video presentation to date. 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