Secrets & Mysteries: Films by Pedro Olea: Limited Edition – Mondo Macabro (Blu-ray)

Theatrical Release Dates: Spain, 1972 (The House Without Frontiers), Spain, 1973 (It's No Good for a Man to Be Alone)
Director: Pedro Olea (Both Versions)
Cast: Geraldine Chaplin, Tony Isbert, Viveca Lindfors, José Orjas, Patty Shepard, Julio Peña, Luis Ciges, María Arias, Eusebio Poncela, Jesús Fernández, Margarita Robles (The House Without Frontiers), Carmen Sevilla, José Luis López Vázquez, Máximo Valverde, Eduardo Fajardo, José Franco, Helga Liné, Lola Merino, Raquel Rodrigo, Betsabé Ruiz, Enrique Ferpi, José Riesgo, Ángel Menéndez (It's No Good for a Man to Be Alone)

Release Date: February, 2024
Approximate Running Times: 95 Minutes 42 Seconds (The House Without Frontiers), 90 Minutes 8 Seconds (It's No Good for a Man to Be Alone)
Aspect Ratio: 1.66:1 Widescreen / 1080 Progressive / MPEG-4 AVC (The House Without Frontiers), 2.35:1 Widescreen / 1080 Progressive / MPEG-4 AVC (It's No Good for a Man to Be Alone)
Rating: NR
Sound: DTS-HD Mono Spanish (Both Films), DTS-HD Mono English (The House Without Frontiers)
Subtitles: English (Both Films)
Region Coding: Region Free
Retail Price: $32.00

The House Without Frontiers: "Daniel, a young man in his twenties, moves from his hometown to the city of Bilbao in search of… a chance to discover himself. When he is not looking for work, he spends his time reading in the city library. One day Daniel encounters an elderly and seemingly kind old gentleman who commends his desire to educate himself. He says he might be able to find Daniel a job and sure enough, he starts work for an organization called The House Without Frontiers. After a short period of probation, Daniel is summoned to the organizations labyrinthine headquarters and is given his instructions. Although much is still not clear to him, it seems he is being asked to locate a young woman called Anabel Campos (played by Geraldine Chaplin). It turns out that Anabel, like Daniel, had accepted a job with the House Without Frontiers but fled the organization after a senior member of the tribunal was found murdered. Was she guilty? Is she in hiding or has she vanished without a trace?

During his search Daniel begins to question the exact nature of the House Without Frontiers. When he tries to ask his employers about the assignment, he is repeatedly thwarted in his attempts, culminating in an incident where he finds the main headquarters deserted and two construction workers walling up a doorway in the mansion.

He also discovers that he has fallen in love with this girl that he has never met." - synopsis provided by the distributor

It's No Good for a Man to Be Alone: "Martin (played by José Luis López Vázquez, a legend of Spanish film and theatre) is a middle-aged engineer employed by a big shipbuilding firm in the northern city of Bilbao. Quiet, diligent in his work and reserved, Martin is a model of respectability. His secretary, Monica (played by Helga Line) often asks about his wife, whom no-one has ever met and who seems to be an invalid.

Every evening after work, Martin returns to his big, gloomy house that looks out over the bay and towards the north Atlantic Ocean.

What his colleagues, and the world, do not know is what happens then, behind the closed doors of his dark villa. For Martin’s “wife” is certainly not dead. In fact, he has a very unusual relationship with her, one that he is very concerned to keep a secret.

One day a woman in her late 30s, Lina, moves into a rented apartment near to Martin’s house. She has an eight-year-old daughter, Cati, who is allowed to roam free during the day, as her mother works late in a nightclub in town and often has “gentleman callers” who tumble noisily out of cars in the middle of the night, much to Martin’s displeasure.

Cati is a curious child, with no friends and too much time on her hands. Very quickly she discovers Martin’s secret. And equally quickly she discloses it to her mother who decides to use it to her advantage. They move into Martin’s house, soon followed by Lina’s pimp, Mauro. Martin will be forced to take desperate measures to protect his quiet life and his “wife”." - synopsis provided by the distributor

Video: 4.5/5 (The House Without Frontiers), 4/5 (It's No Good for a Man to Be Alone)

Here’s the information provided about this release's transfer, "New HD transfer from negative".

The House Without Frontiers comes on a 50 GB dual layer Blu-ray.

Disc Size: 32.2 GB

Feature: 26.4 GB

The source used for this transfer has been cleaned up, and it is in excellent shape. Flesh tones and colors look correct, image clarity is solid, black levels are strong, compression is very good, and there do not appear to be any issues with digital noise reduction.

Here’s the information provided about this release's transfer, "New HD transfer from negative".

Here is additional information about the transfer, “The following film has been restored from the best available 35mm materials. However the picture still exhibits some instances of damage. We hope this does not detract too much from your enjoyment.”

It's No Good for a Man to Be Alone comes on a 50 GB dual layer Blu-ray.

Disc Size: 38.7 GB

Feature: 24.3 GB

Though the source materials used for this transfer have some shortcomings, The result is actually a transfer that exceeds expectations. Flesh tones and colors look correct, image clarity and black levels are strong, compression is very good, and there do not appear to be any issues with digital noise reduction.

Audio: 4.25/5 (DTS-HD Mono Spanish - It's No Good for a Man to Be Alone), 4/5 (DTS-HD Mono Spanish - The House Without Frontiers), 3.75/5 (DTS-HD Mono English - The House Without Frontiers)

The House Without Frontiers comes with two audio options, a DTS-HD mono mix in Spanish and a DTS-HD mono mix in English. The Spanish audio track sounds more robust, and the English language track has some minor moments of background noise. That said, dialog comes through clearly, and everything sounds balanced. Included are removable English subtitles for the Spanish language track and a second removable English subtitle track for one scene that is in Spanish when watching the English language track.

It's No Good for a Man to Be Alone comes with one audio option, a DTS-HD mono mix in Spanish with removable English subtitles. The audio is in good shape; there are no issues with hiss or distortion. Dialog always comes through clearly, and everything sounds balanced. Range-wise, things generally sound very good.

Extras:

Extras for The House Without Frontiers include a theatrical trailer (3 minutes 16 seconds, Dolby Digital mono English, no subtitles), English language end credits sequence (1 minute 23 seconds, Dolby Digital mono), an interview with director Pedro Olea (19 minutes 46 seconds, Dolby Digital stereo Spanish with removable English subtitles), and a short film directed by Pedro Olea titled The Playground (16 minutes 18 seconds, 1.66:1 aspect ratio, Dolby Digital mono Spanish with removable English subtitles).

The Playground: A couple with a young child is at odds about their son playing with other children at a nearby playback. The mother wants to toughen the child up, while the father wants to coddle the child. And a sinister ending brings the father's concerns into full perspective. 

Adapted from a short story, The Playground, written by Ray Bradbury.

Extras for It's No Good for a Man to Be Alone include an interview with actor Maximo Valverde (38 minutes 20 seconds, Dolby Digital stereo Spanish with removable English subtitles), an interview with Pedro Olea (28 minutes 52 seconds, Dolby Digital stereo Spanish with removable English subtitles), and a short film directed by Pedro Olea titled Anabel (33 minutes 22 seconds, 1.66:1 aspect ratio, Dolby Digital mono Spanish with removable English subtitles). 

Anabel: A young woman who has lived all along is visited by a woman who resembles her deceased mother. Has her mother returned from the dead, or is this woman playing upon the young woman’s longing for her deceased mother? 

Inspired by the literary works of Edgar Allen Poe, Anabel is a Gothic horror tale that has all the hallmarks one would expect from Edgar Allen Poe.

Other extras include reversible cover art, a slipcover, 12 card cards reproducing lobby cards and poster art for the film, and a 24-page booklet written by Ismael Fernandez, who discusses Pedro Olea, The House Without Frontiers, and It's No Good for a Man to Be Alone.

Summary:

The House Without Frontiers and It's No Good for a Man to Be Alone were both directed by Pedro Olea, whose other notable films are The Ancines Woods, Torment, and The Fencing Master.

The House Without Frontiers: A young man from the country looking for work who has recently arrived in the big city is hired by a secret organization that wants to find a missing woman.

Before any characters are established, a brutal moment of torture in which a man is being stabbed to death for violating the rules of a secret organization opens The House Without Frontiers. And though this moment does hold the key to the events that unfold, notably when it comes to the fate of the protagonist, The House Without Frontiers is the type of film in which knowing less about it is better when watching it for the first time.

The narrative is essentially the protagonist retracing the steps of the missing woman. And along the way, flashbacks are employed as those who knew her provide backstory about her. With everything coming to a head in a finale where he uncovers what happened to her and discovers his own fate.

The most surprising aspect of The House Without Frontiers are the performances, especially those of the two leads, Tony Isbert (Tragic Ceremony) in the role of the young man from the country and Geraldine Chaplin (Doctor Zhivago) in the role of the missing woman. Another cast member of note is Patty Shepard (The Witches Mountain), who was a staple of Spanish and Italian cinema of the 1960s and 1970s.

The mystery behind the missing woman is the driving force of the narrative. And though the deliberate-paced narrative does have a few moments where things lull, this is easy to overlook since there is an abundance of atmosphere, which greatly enhances the sinister tone of what is unfolding. Ultimately, The House Without Frontiers is a cerebral psychological thriller whose circular ending makes the events that preceded all the more potent.

It's No Good for a Man to Be Alone: A lonely man lives in isolation with a life size doll, as does his wife.

Based solely on premise, It's No Good for a Man to Be Alone is full of possibilities. And though such a premise could veer into salacious territory in which the protagonist does perverted things with his doll, the opposite actually occurs. What unfolds is a story about personal loss and the toll it has taken on the protagonist.

Content-wise, It's No Good for a Man to Be Alone is a melting pot of genres. There is melodrama, suspense, and some humor thrown in for good measure. That said, in the case of the latter, it is best described as dark humor.

The cast of colorful characters and the performances are all very good. The standout performance is by José Luis López Vázquez in the role of Martin, the man who lives in isolation with his life size doll. He delivers a pitch-perfect performance that makes it easy to sympathize with Martin. Lola Merino in the role of Cati, an annoying little girl who lives next door to Martin, is another performance of note.

When it comes to the premise, it is easy to see some connections to Psycho. Both films have protagonists who have someone close to them who died, but in their minds that person is still alive. Living in fear that their secret will be exposed is another connection between these two protagonists. And nowhere is this clearer than how blackmail plays a significant role in It's No Good for a Man to Be Alone.

From a production standpoint, there is no area where It's No Good for a Man to Be Alone does not excel. The narrative does a phenomenal job holding your attention, and a jaw-dropping finale perfectly brings everything that preceded it to a head. Another strength is Alfonso Santisteban’s (The Killer Is One of 13) score, which reinforces the melancholy mood of the story at hand. Ultimately, It's No Good for a Man to Be Alone is an expectational film that is arguably Pedro Olea’s crowning achievement as a filmmaker.

Secrets & Mysteries: Films by Pedro Olea is another solid release from Mondo Macabro that gives both films strong audio/video presentations, two short films that share similar themes to the two main features, and insightful extras, highly recommended.

Note: This edition is limited to 2000 copies.

Written by Michael Den Boer

Villages of the Damned: Three Horrors From Spain – Vinegar Syndrome (Blu-ray)

Theatrical Release Dates: Spain, 1976 (Beatriz), Spain, 1970 (The Forest of the Wolf), Spain, 1975 (The Sky is Falling)
Directors: Gonzalo Suárez (Beatriz), Pedro Olea (The Forest of the Wolf), Silvio Narizzano (The Sky is Falling)
Cast: Carmen Sevilla, Nadiuska, Jorge Rivero, José Sacristán, Sandra Mozarowsky, Elsa Zabala, José Lifante, Óscar Martín (Beatriz), José Luis López Vázquez, Amparo Soler Leal, Antonio Casas, John Steiner, Nuria Torray, María Fernanda Ladrón de Guevara, Alfredo Mayo, Víctor Israel (The Forest of the Wolf), Carroll Baker, Dennis Hopper, Win Wells, Richard Todd, Faith Brook, Ivonne Sentis, Inma de Santis (The Sky is Falling)

Release Date: May 29th, 2023
Approximate Running Times: 85 Minutes 27 Seconds (Beatriz), 90 Minutes 14 Seconds (The Forest of the Wolf), 94 Minutes 4 Seconds (The Sky is Falling)
Aspect Ratio: 1.66:1 Widescreen / 1080 Progressive / MPEG-4 AVC (Beatriz, The Forest of the Wolf), 1.85:1 Widescreen / 1080 Progressive / MPEG-4 AVC (The Sky is Falling)
Rating: NR
Sound: DTS-HD Mono Spanish (Beatriz, The Forest of the Wolf), DTS-HD Mono English (The Sky is Falling)
Subtitles: English (Beatriz, The Forest of the Wolf), English SDH (The Sky is Falling)
Region Coding: Region Free
Retail Price: $59.98

Beatriz: "While walking through the woods, young Juan witnesses a group of bandits attempting to rob and kill a friar, only for the priest to end up slaying several of his attackers. Seeking refuge in Juan’s family home, where he lives with his mother and sister, Beatriz, the Friar becomes an object of both lust and fear for the members of the household after a mysterious illness befalls Beatriz, as suspicion mounts that he might be an agent of Satan..." - synopsis provided by the distributor

The Forest of the Wolf: "an impoverished peddler and frequent petty thief who may - or may not - be a werewolf. Nevertheless, he is often overcome by animalistic instincts to kill, resulting in superstition and panic in the nearby villages." - synopsis provided by the distributor

The Sky is Falling: "A group of spoiled, middle-aged Americans living on the outskirts of a poor coastal community are visited by a mysterious foursome of “beautiful” youths, who seem to have been sent to fulfill their darkest desires. But it quickly becomes apparent that these sensual and attractive youngsters have a far more sinister, and deadly purpose..." - synopsis provided by the distributor

Video: 4.5/5 ((Beatriz, The Forest of the Wolf, The Sky is Falling)

Here’s the information provided about the transfers, "Newly scanned & restored in 4K from their original negatives."

Beatriz and The Forest of the Wolf come on a 50 GB dual layer Blu-ray.

Disc Size: 45.2 GB

Feature: 21.8 GB (Beatriz), 23.1 GB (The Forest of the Wolf)

The Sky is Falling comes on a 50 GB dual layer Blu-ray.

Disc Size: 38 GB

Feature: 25.2 GB

The sources used for all three films are in great shape, and any source debris that remains is very minor. Flesh tones look healthy, colors look correct, black levels are strong, compression is solid, and these transfers always look organic.

Audio: 4.5/5 (DTS-HD Mono Spanish - Beatriz, DTS-HD Mono Spanish - The Forest of the Wolf, The Sky is Falling - DTS-HD Mono English)

Each film comes with one audio option. Beatriz and The Forest of the Wolf come with a DTS-HD mono mix in Spanish, and The Sky is Falling comes with a DTS-HD mono mix in English. All three audio tracks are in great shape. There are no issues with distortion or background hiss. Dialog comes through clearly; everything sounds balanced, and range-wise, these tracks sound very good. Included are removable English subtitles for Beatriz and The Forest of the Wolf and removable English SDH for The Sky is Falling.

Extras:

All of the extras are on the disc that contains The Sky is Falling. Extras on this disc include an interview with director Pedro Olea, by Diego Lopez-Fernandez titled Lobishome (37 minutes 54 seconds, Dolby Digital stereo Spanish with removable English subtitles), an interview with film historians Angel Sala, Carlos Benitez and Xavi-Sanchez-Pons titled titled El Bosque Del Lobo (10 minutes 44 seconds, Dolby Digital stereo Spanish with removable English subtitles), an interview with actress Ivonne Sentis (16 minutes 48 seconds, Dolby Digital stereo Spanish with removable English subtitles), and an interview with actor José Lifante (18 minutes 47 seconds, Dolby Digital stereo Spanish with removable English subtitles).

Other extras include reversible cover art, a slipcover (limited to 5,000 units), a slipcase (limited to 5,000 units), and a 40-page perfect bound book (limited to 5,000 units) with an essay titled Who’s Afraid of Some Big Bad Wolves? written by Erica Schultz, and an essay titled The Sensual World written by Alexandra Heller-Nicholas.

Summary:

Beatriz: Directed by Gonzalo Suárez, whose notable films are The Regent’s Wife, Don Juan in Hell, and The Detective and Death. Beatriz’s screenplay was adapted from two stories, Beatriz and Mi Hermana Antonia, written by Ramón del Valle-Inclán.

The narrative revolves around a friar who finds refuge at the farmhouse of a countess and her two children. Sometime later, when the countess's daughter Beatriz becomes possessed by the devil, everyone blames the friar.

A tense sequence in a fog-shrouded forest opens Beatriz. In this sequence, among the countless witnesses, a group of bandits try to rob a friar, who quickly turns the tables and kills those who were not quick enough to get away. This is a fantastic opening that perfectly sets the stage for the events that follow.

When it comes to the performances, the entire cast is very good in their roles, especially Sandra Mozarowsky (School of Death) in the role of the protagonist Beatriz. Another performance of note is that of Jorge Rivero (Conquest) in the role of the enigmatic friar. Death follows this character, who always evades death, even when outnumbered.

Though some may find its deliberate-paced narrative too slow. It does a great job of building tension. That said, Beatriz is a film that relies heavily on a forbidding atmosphere. Another strength is how the visuals let the characters take center stage. Ultimately, Beatriz is a well-executed melodrama with supernatural elements that fans of 1970s Spanish horror are sure to enjoy.

The Forest of the Wolf: Directed by Pedro Olea, whose other notable films are The House Without Frontiers and Tormento. The Forest of the Wolf was reportedly based on the life of Manuel Blanco Romasanta, aka the Werewolf of Allariz, a serial killer who became part of Spanish folklore.

The narrative revolves around a peddler named Benito Freire, who suffers from epilepsy. He wanders through Galician towns, selling his goods and killing whoever is nearby when he has an epileptic attack.

The werewolf has been a staple of cinema since Lon Chaney Jr.'s The Wolf Man. And though most werewolf films that followed Lon Chaney Jr.'s The Wolf Man have stayed close to the elements set forth in that film, There have been some interesting twists on the familiar character. Notably, when it comes to werewolf films that were made in European cinema, notably those of Spanish actor and filmmaker Paul Naschy.

That said, the werewolf in The Forest of the Wolf is nothing like the kind that appears in Paul Naschy’s films. There is never a transformation sequence; anything related to the protagonist being an actual werewolf is based on gossip spread by the superstitious locals. The protagonist's infliction is purely psychological, and the way locals talk about him only further pushes him over the edge.

The heart and soul of The Forest of the Wolf is José Luis López Vázquez’s portrayal of Benito Freire. From the moment Benito Freire appears onscreen, it is clear that there is something off about him. And his performance does a phenomenal job conveying Benito Freire’s fractured state of mind. That said, as good as the rest of the cats are, they are all overshadowed by José Luis López Vázquez’s performance.

There is an uneasiness that is quickly established in the opening moments and never goes away. Despite a slow-moving narrative, those who stick it out till the end will be rewarded by an unforgettable ending that makes the journey all the more potent. Though there are horror elements like werewolves and demonic possession that play a peripheral role in the story at hand, The result is a film that is more of a melodrama than a horror film. Ultimately, The Forest of the Wolf is an extraordinary film about a man's descent into madness.

The Sky is Falling: Directed by Silvio Narizzano, whose other notable films are Die! Die! My Darling!, Gregory Girl, and Redneck. The Sky is Falling’s cinematographer was Fernando Arribas, whose notable credits include Death Walks on High Heels, The Blood Spattered Bride, Death Walks at Midnight, and The Coming of Sin.

The narrative revolves around American ex-patriots who are oblivious to the human sacrifices going on in plain sight in the Spanish village where they live.

Based on the premise, The Sky is Falling should have turned out much better than it did. And though the opening setup does a good job laying a foundation to build from, What follows is a series of trippy moments and characters acting decadently, and not much more. And it is easy to see where things are going long before the finale arrives.

Though The Sky is Falling has a cast of familiar faces like Dennis Hopper (Apocalypse Now) in the role of a hippie named Chicken who's emotionally traumatized because of an overbearing mother, Carroll Baker (Baby Doll) in the role of Treasure, a washed-up movie star who can’t go out of the spotlight, and Richard Todd (Stage Fright) in the role of a retired British Air Corps captain, These three characters are caricatures, and each actor's performance is over the top. Another recognizable cast member is Inma de Santis, a Spanish actress whose notable films are The Forest of the Wolf, Exorcism's Daughter, and The Killer of Dolls.

Despite its shortcomings, there are a few areas where The Sky is Falling holds up really well. Notably, when it comes to the foreboding tone that gives The Sky is Falling some much-needed atmosphere. The most unusual aspect of The Sky is Falling is its eclectic score with big band music and songs sung by the characters. It should be noted that animal cruelty plays a large role in the story at hand. Ultimately, The Sky is Falling is an unusual film that you are either going to enjoy the ride with or quickly tune out.

Villages of the Damned: Three Horrors From Spain is another exceptional release from Vinegar Syndrome that gives all three films solid audio/video presentations and informative extras, highly recommended.

Written by Michael Den Boer