Private Crimes – Severin Films (Blu-ray)

Release Date: Italy, 1993
Director: Sergio Martino
Cast: Edwige Fenech, Ray Lovelock, Victoria Vera, Gudrun Landgrebe, Lorenzo Flaherty, Davide Bechini, Silvia Mocci, Paolo Malco, Cinzia de Ponti, Vittoria Belvedere, Annie Girardot, Gabriele Ferzetti, Alida Valli, Jacques Perrin

Release Date: September 26th, 2023
Approximate Running Times: 86 Minutes 44 Seconds (Part 1), 89 Minutes 39 Seconds (Part 2), 87 Minutes 5 Seconds (Part 3), 87 Minutes 8 Seconds (Part 4)
Aspect Ratio: 1.33:1 Aspect Ratio / 1080 Progressive / MPEG-4 AVC
Rating: NR
Sound: DTS-HD Stereo Italian
Subtitles: English
Region Coding: Region Free
Retail Price: $34.95

"When a prominent businessman is found murdered, an ambitious newspaper reporter (Fenech) and a local police inspector (Ray Lovelock of Almost Human) will uncover a bizarre web of small-town corruption, violence and dark secrets." - synopsis provided by the distributor

Video: 4.5/5

Here’s the information provided about this release's transfer, "scanned in 2K from the original RAI-TV 16mm elements".

Private Crimes comes on a 50 GB dual layer Blu-ray.

Disc Size: 44.7 GB

Feature: 20.9 GB (Part 1), 21.4 GB (Part 2)

Private Crimes comes on a 50 GB dual layer Blu-ray.

Disc Size: 44.6 GB

Feature: 20.8 GB (Part 3), 21.1 GB (Part 4)

The sources look excellent; this is the best-looking RAI-produced series/film that Severin Films has released. Flesh tones look healthy, colors are nicely saturated, image clarity, black levels, and compression are solid, and the image looks organic. 

Audio: 4.5/5

This release comes with one audio option, a DTS-HD stereo mix in Italian with removable English subtitles. The audio sounds clean, clear, balanced, and robust when it should.

Extras:

Extras on disc one include an interview with actress/producer Edwidge Fenech titled Edwige, Queen of Giallo (23 minutes 29 seconds, Dolby Digital stereo Italian with removable English subtitles), and an audio commentary with Kat Ellinger, author of All The Colours of Sergio Martino. A word of warning: the audio commentary spoils who the killer is.

Extras on disc two include an interview with director Sergio Martino titled Giallo in Lucca (27 minutes 39 seconds, Dolby Digital stereo Italian with removable English subtitles).

Summary:

Private Crimes was directed by the versatile Italian filmmaker Sergio Martino, who worked in whatever genre was popular at the time. That said, he is best known for his work in the Giallo and Commedia sexy all'italiana genres. Notable films he directed include The Strange Vice of Mrs. Wardh, Case of the Scorpion’s Tail, All the Colors of the Dark, The Violent Professionals, Torso, and The Suspicious Death of a Minor.

An ambitious reporter, investigating the murder of a prominent businessman, learns that her daughter was killed nearby. Not willing to go, she launches an investigation into the murder of her daughter, which upsets the affluent and those who are in power.

Though some of Private Crimes' music cues sound similar to Angelo Badalamenti’s music from Twin Peaks, there are no other areas that connect these two series. Tone-wise, Private Crimes is based in reality, whereas Twin Peaks has an otherworldly quality. When it comes to the killers’ motives and how the narrative unfolds, Private Crimes fits firmly into the Giallo genre.

Anyone familiar with Giallo films knows they feature a vibrant array of characters who serve as numerous red herrings. In this respect, Private Crimes succeeds. The opening setup is superbly executed as a pair of initial deaths sets in motion the events that follow. That said, when it comes to carnage, these moments are not as visceral as Sergio Martino’s earlier forays into the Giallo genre.

Edwige Fenech and Sergio Martino have a long history; before Private Crimes, they had collaborated on ten films. Though Edwige Fenech often portrays a woman in distress, this time around she gets to portray a character opposite of what she’s known for. Her performance is rich with depth, making you truly feel her character's pain. This may very well be her best performance to date. Besides Edwige Fenech, that cast is rounded out with familiar faces like Ray Lovelock (Live Like a Cop, Die Like a Man), Paolo Malco (The House by the Cemetery), Annie Girardot (Black List), Gabriele Ferzetti (Once Upon a Time in the West), Alida Valli (Suspiria), and Jacques Perrin (Cinema Paradiso).

At just under six hours in length, Private Crimes' duration is equal to four feature films. The narrative follows a linear path, and it only does a recap of events once before part 2. Given its length, it's understandable that there are several moments that slow down the momentum; however, these issues are not detrimental. The narrative's greatest strength lies in how effectively it utilizes flashbacks.

Although Sergio Martino stayed active throughout the 1980s while many of his contemporaries struggled to find work, his budgets continued to shrink. He was given ample resources and surrounded by an excellent cast for Private Crimes. His direction is rock solid, the visuals are stylish, and the camera flows and is filled with arresting compositions.

Private Crimes is just as much a Giallo as it is a Poliziotteschi; there are many areas where these two genres overlap. When it comes to the killer's motives, the Giallo always comes up with finales that are surprising, and Private Crimes succeeds in this regard. Without giving too much away, the revelation of the killer's motivation makes Edwige Fenech’s character's journey all the more heartbreaking and potent. Ultimately, Private Crimes is a well-crafted thriller and one of the high water marks of 1990s Italian genre cinema.

Private Crimes gets an excellent release from Severin Films, highly recommended.

 

Written by Michael Den Boer

Torso: Limited Edition – Arrow Video (4K UHD)

Theatrical Release Date: Italy, 1973
Director: Sergio Martino
Writers: Ernesto Gastaldi, Sergio Martino
Cast: Suzy Kendall, Tina Aumont, Luc Merenda, John Richardson, Roberto Bisacco

Release Date: September 17th, 2024
Approximate Running Times: 93 Minutes 39 Seconds (Torso Italian Version), 93 Minutes (English/Italian Hybrid Version), 90 Minutes 11 Seconds (Carnal Violence, Torso)
Aspect Ratio: 1.66:1 Widescreen / 2160 Progressive / HEVC / H.265 / Dolby Vision HDR10
Rating: NR
Sound: DTS-HD Mono Italian, DTS-HD Mono English, DTS-HD Mono English/Italian Hybrid
Subtitles: English, English SDH
Region Coding: Region Free
Retail Price: $49.95

"A sex maniac is prowling the streets of Perugia, targeting the picturesque university town's female students. Alarmed at the plummeting life expectancy of the student body, Jane (Suzy Kendall, The Bird with the Crystal Plumage) and her three friends elope to a secluded country villa - only to discover that, far from having left the terror behind, they've brought it with them!" - synopsis provided by the distributor

Video: 4.5/5

Here’s the information provided about this release's transfer, "Torso / I corpi presentano tracce di violenza carnale has been exclusively restored by Arrow Films and is presented in its original aspect ratio of 1.66:1 with mono Italian and English audio.

The original 35mm camera negative was scanned in 4K resolution at L'Immagine Ritrovita, Bologna. The film was restored in HDR10 at R3Store Studios, London. Dolby Vision grading was completed by Fidelity in Motion, Florida.

All materials for this restoration were made available by Surf Film."

Torso comes on a 100 GB triple layer 4K UHD.

Disc Size: 90.3 GB

Feature: 66.4 GB

The source looks excellent; flesh tones look healthy, colors are nicely saturated, image clarity, black levels, and compression are solid, and the image retains an organic look. This release uses seamless branching for the three versions.

Audio: 4.25/5 (DTS-HD Mono Italian, DTS-HD Mono English, DTS-HD Mono English/Italian Hybrid)

The Italian language version comes with one audio option, a DTS-HD mono mix in Italian with removable English subtitles. The export version comes with one audio option, a DTS-HD mono mix in English with removable English SDH. The English/Italian hybrid version comes with one audio option, a DTS-HD mono mix in English and Italian. There are two removable subtitle options: English SDH for all dialog and English for the Italian dialog. All of the audio tracks sound clean, clear, and balanced. Range-wise, all of the audio tracks sound very good.

Extras:

Extras for this release include English language trailer under the title Carnal Violence (3 minutes 5 seconds, Dolby Digital mono English, no subtitles), Italian theatrical trailer (3 minutes 7 seconds, Dolby Digital mono Italian with removable English subtitles), alternate “Torso” titles (4 minutes 2 seconds, Dolby Digital mono Italian with removable English subtitles), a Q&A with Sergio Martino from the 2017 Abertoir International Horror Festival (46 minutes 59 seconds, Dolby Digital stereo English and Italian with English translation for the Italian), an interview with Mikel J. Koven, author of La Dolce Morte: Vernacular Cinema and the Italian Giallo Film titled Saturating the Screen (25 minutes 3 seconds, Dolby Digital stereo English, no subtitles), an interview with filmmaker Federica Martino, daughter of Sergio Martino titled Women in Blood (24 minutes 58 seconds, Dolby Digital stereo Italian with removable English subtitles), an interview with screenwriter Ernesto Gastaldi titled Dial S for Suspense (29 minutes 15 seconds, Dolby Digital stereo Italian with removable English subtitles), an interview with actor Luc Merenda titled The Discreet Charm of the Genre (34 minutes 52 seconds, Dolby Digital stereo Italian with removable English subtitles), an interview with co-screenwriter/director Sergio Martino titled All Colors of Terror (34 minutes 1 second, Dolby Digital stereo Italian with removable English subtitles), an audio commentary with Kat Ellinger, author of All the Colors of Sergio Martinou, reversible cover art, a slipcover (limited to the first pressing), and 32-page booklet (limited to the first pressing) with cast & crew information, an essay titled “Violence Brings in the Bucks”: Joseph Brenner the Forgotten Hero of 42nd Street written by Adrian Smith, an essay titled Songs for Europe: The Music of Guido and Maurizio De Angelis written by Howard Hughes and information about the restoration.

Summary:

Torso was directed by the versatile Italian filmmaker Sergio Martino, who worked in whatever genre was popular at the time. That said, he is best known for his work in the Giallo and Commedia sexy all'italiana genres. Notable films he directed include The Strange Vice of Mrs. Wardh, Case of the Scorpion’s Tail, All the Colors of the Dark, The Violent Professionals, Torso, and The Suspicious Death of a Minor.

A sex maniac targets the female students at a university.

The Giallo genre is often cited as an influence on the American slasher film. And out of the dozens of Gialli that I have seen, none more than Torso comes closer to what is now referred to as the slasher film. That said, Torso foreshadows the slasher film, making it a likely prototype for the genre.

Torso, like Sergio Martino’s other Gialli, is a well-made film that features stylish cinematography, inventive murder set pieces, and a bevy of beautiful women in various stages of undress. Torso is Sergio Martino’s most graphic Giallo. And the scene where the killer stalks a woman in the woods is Torso’s most memorable death scene.

When discussing the Giallo genre, one of its main draws is the murder-death set pieces. Though most Gialli from this era are known for their stylized kills, a film like Torso goes the opposite direction. That said, few Gialli from this era rival the gruesomeness of Torso’s murder-death set pieces.

When it comes to casting, Torso has a few recognizable faces like Suzy Kendall (The Bird with the Crystal Plumage) and Tina Aumont (Lifespan), who portray college students; John Richardson (Eyeball), who portrays their professor; and Luc Merenda (The Violent Professionals), who portrays a doctor. The cast of colorful characters that populate Torso offer a wide variety of suspects and red herrings. No one performance stands out; that said, none are lacking.

From a production standpoint, Torso is a film that fully exploits its resources. The well-constructed narrative has an ample amount of tension, and it does a superb job building to the finale. The narrative hits its stride when the four girls arrive at a secluded villa. Another strength of Torso is Guido & Maurizio De Angelis' (Street Law) exemplary score, which does a phenomenal job of reinforcing the mood. Ultimately, Torso is a well-made Giallo that fans of this genre are sure to enjoy.

Torso gets an excellent release from Arrow Video that comes with a solid audio/video presentation and 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

The Great Alligator – Severin Films (4k UHD/Blu-ray Combo)

Theatrical Release Date: Italy, 1979
Director: Sergio Martino
Writers: Cesare Frugoni, Ernesto Gastaldi, Sergio Martino, Luigi Montefiore, Maria Chianetta
Cast: Barbara Bach, Claudio Cassinelli, Mel Ferrer, Romano Puppo, Richard Johnson 

Release Date: May 28th, 2024
Approximate Running Time: 89 Minutes 10 Seconds
Aspect Ratio: 2.35:1 Widescreen / 2160 Progressive / HEVC / H.265 / HDR10
Rating: NR
Sound: DTS-HD Mono Italian, DTS-HD Mono English
Subtitles: English, English SDH
Region Coding: Region Free (4K UHD), Region A (Blu-ray)
Retail Price: $44.95

"At the opening of a tropical resort, a photographer (Claudio Cassinelli of Slave of the Cannibal God), an anthropologist (Barbara Bach of The Spy Who Loved Me) and an arrogant hotelier (Mel Ferrer of Eaten Alive!) are besieged by hostile natives, obnoxious tourists and a gargantuan river beast that intends to devour them all." - synopsis provided by the distributor

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

Here’s the information provided about this release's transfer, “newly scanned in 4K from the original negative.”

The Great Alligator comes on a 66 GB dual layer 4K UHD.

Disc Size: 65.7 GB

Feature: 64.5 GB

Though the source looks excellent, there are still some very minor instances of print debris. Flesh tones look healthy; color saturation and black levels are solid. That said, image clarity is generally solid, with some moments, notably the underwater scenes, not being as strong as the bulk of this transfer. Also, compression is very good, and the image always looks organic.

The Great Alligator comes on a 50 GB dual layer Blu-ray.

Disc Size: 42.4 GB

Feature: 26.9 GB

The Blu-ray uses the same source as the 4K UHD does for its transfer.

Audio: 4/5 (DTS-HD Mono Italian), 3.75/5 (DTS-HD Mono English)

This release comes with two audio options, a DTS-HD mono mix in Italian and a DTS-HD mono mix in English. Both audio tracks are in great shape; dialog comes through clearly, and everything sounds balanced. Range-wise, both tracks sound good, with the Italian-language track sounding more robust than the English-language track. 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 a theatrical trailer (2 minutes 56 seconds, DTS-HD mono with text in English).

Extras on the Blu-ray disc include a theatrical trailer (2 minutes 56 seconds, DTS-HD mono with text in English), a Video essay titled Paradise House: Christianity and the Natural World in The Great Alligator by Lee Gambin, author of Massacred by Mother Nature (18 minutes 50 seconds, Dolby Digital stereo English, no subtitles), an interview with production designer Antonello Geleng titled Alligator Land (6 minutes 12 seconds, Dolby Digital stereo Italian with removable English subtitles), an interview with cinematographer Giancarlo Ferrando, Antonello Geleng and special effects supervisor Paolo Ricci titled 3 Friends and an Alligator (16 minutes 32 seconds, Dolby Digital stereo Italian with removable English subtitles), an interview with underwater camera operator Gianlorenzo Battaglia titled Underwater (7 minutes 16 seconds, Dolby Digital stereo Italian with removable English subtitles), an interview with Antonello Geleng titled Later Alligator (16 minutes 48 seconds, Dolby Digital stereo Italian with removable English subtitles), an interview with camera operator Claudio Morabito titled Beware of the Gator (16 minutes 28 seconds, Dolby Digital stereo Italian with removable English subtitles), an interview with actress Silvia Collatina titled Minou (16 minutes 34 seconds, Dolby Digital stereo Italian with removable English subtitles), and an interview with director Sergio Martino titled Down by the River (10 minutes 42 seconds, Dolby Digital stereo Italian with removable English subtitles).

Other extras include reversible cover art.

Summary:

The Great Alligator was directed by the versatile Italian filmmaker Sergio Martino, who worked in whatever genre was popular at the time. Having said that, he was best known for his work in the Giallo and Commedia sexy all'italiana genres. Notable films he directed include The Strange Vice of Mrs. Wardh, Case of the Scorpion’s Tail, All the Colors of the Dark, The Violent Professionals, Torso, and The Suspicious Death of a Minor.

The narrative revolves around a wealthy businessman who creates a resort in a tropical paradise, and when things start to go awry, he does everything in his power to keep things quiet, not wanting to start a panic.

Throughout the 1960s and 1970s, whenever something was successful in Hollywood, the Italian film industry never wasted an opportunity to cash in with their cheap knock-off films. Few of these Italian knock-offs made it to North American audiences, despite many of them being released to global audiences. Sergio Martino, more than any other director working at the time in Italy, shifted effortlessly from genre to genre, crafting several genre classics.

Steven Spielberg’s Jaws is the obvious influence that inspired Sergio Martino’s The Great Alligator. Both films, to great effect, feature a predator that mostly remains in the water. Also, The Great Alligator does a great job of not showing too much, making the alligator more menacing. Another area where The Great Alligator draws inspiration from Jaws is when it comes to the fate of the alligator.

Out of the various genres that Sergio Martino has worked in, the action-adventure genre is the one that holds the least interest for me. Sergio Martino, a director who prefers to work rather than pursue a personal project, consistently delivers solid direction. The Great Alligator's exotic locations, beautifully photographed, are its most durable assets. Also, the underwater sequences are surprisingly strong.

The performances get the job done. That said, no one performance stands out. The cast has several recognizable faces, many of whom have worked with Sergio Martino on other films: Barbara Bach (The Island of the Fishmen), Claudio Cassinelli (The Scorpion with Two Tails), Mel Ferrer (The Suspicious Death of a Minor), Romano Puppo (2019: After the Fall of New York), and Richard Johnson (The Island of the Fishmen).

Content-wise, The Great Alligator is a cross between the Man vs. Nature films of the 1970s and the action adventure stories written by Edgar Rice Burroughs. That said, The Great Alligator is a textbook example of a B movie, and yet it often exceeds the sum of its parts. Ultimately, The Great Alligator is not one of Sergio Martino’s strongest efforts; still, it offers plenty of action and adventure that is distinctively Italian.

The Great Alligator gets a solid release from Severin Films that comes with a strong audio/video presentation and a wealth of informative 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 Strange Vice of Mrs. Wardh: Limited Edition - Severin Films (Blu-ray/CD Combo)

Theatrical Release Date: Italy, 1971
Director: Sergio Martino
Writers: Ernesto Gastaldi, Vittorio Caronia
Cast: Edwige Fenech, George Hilton, Conchita Airoldi, Ivan Rassimov, Alberto de Mendoza

Release Date: June 2nd, 2020
Approximate running time: 100 Minutes 22 Seconds
Aspect Ratio: 2.35:1 Widescreen / 1080 Progressive / MPEG-4 AVC
Rating: NR
Sound: DTS-HD Mono Italian, DTS-HD Mono English
Subtitles: English, English SDH
Region Coding: Region Free
Retail Price: $34.98

"an unfaithful diplomat’s wife who finds herself hunted by a razor-wielding sex maniac while simultaneously haunted by her own depraved desires.” – Synopsis provided by the Distributor

Video: 3.5/5

Here’s the information provided about the transfer, “newly scanned in 4k from the internegative.”

The Strange Vice of Mrs. Wardh comes on a 50 GB dual layer Blu-ray.

Disc Size: 45.5 GB

Feature: 28.5 GB

Though the source of this transfer is in great shape, print-related debris is minimal. The result is an underwhelming transfer that looks soft; most notably, during many of the darker scenes, the image looks murky, and when compared to Shameless Films’ Blu-ray and FilmArt’s Blu-ray, this release from Severin Films has noticeable cropping. That said, there are some moments when image clarity looks very good. It should be noted that Severin’s release presents the Sigmund Freud quote properly instead of using Shameless Films digitally recreated version of this quote.

Audio: 4.25/5 (DTS-HD Mono Italian, DTS-HD Mono English)

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

Extras:

Extras for this release include a theatrical trailer (3 minutes 1 seconds, Dolby Digital mono Italian with removable English subtitles), an introduction by actor George Hilton (24 seconds,  Dolby Digital stereo Italian with removable English subtitles), an archival interview with actress Edwige Fenech titled The No Shame Files (23 minutes 43 seconds, Dolby Digital stereo Italian with non-removable English subtitles), an interview with George Hilton and Italian genre historian Antonio Bruschini titled Vienna Vice (19 minutes 1 second, Dolby Digital stereo Italian with removable English subtitles), an interview screenwriter Ernesto Gastaldi titled Cold as Ice (22 minutes, Dolby Digital stereo Italian with removable English subtitles), an interview with director Sergio Martino titled Of Vice and Virtue (43 minutes 21 seconds, Dolby Digital stereo Italian with removable English subtitles), an audio commentary with Kat Ellinger, author of All The Colors of Sergio Martino, a CD (limited to 3000 units) that contains Nora Orlandi’s score for The Strange Vice of Mrs. Wardh, and a cardboard insert that has information about the thirty-one tracks.

Summary:

The Strange Vice of Mrs. Wardh marked Sergio Martino’s first foray into the giallo genre. And the end result is a key film that would help set the tone for other giallo’s that followed. The thing that immediately draws you in while watching The Strange Vice of Mrs. Wardh is how polished Sergio Martino’s direction is at this point in his career. And nowhere is this more evident than when it comes to his fluid camera movements and how his compositions exploit every inch of the frame.

Casting-wise, The Strange Vice of Mrs. Wardh has a few notable Euro-Cult regulars that include Conchita Airoldi (Torso), Alberto de Mendoza (The Case of the Scorpion’s Tail), and Ivan Rassimov (Your Vice is a Closed Room and Only I Have the Key). The Strange Vice of Mrs. Wardh would mark the first pairing of its two leads, George Hilton and Edwige Fenech. The two would collaborate on two other gialloes, The Case of the Bloody Iris and All the Colors of the Dark. Their chemistry is undeniable. Edwige Fenech is a classic Euro beauty, and Sergio Martino exploits her ample talents to their fullest. Ivan Rassimov is perfectly cast as the sadistic ex-lover. There is something wicked about his devilish grin and icy cold stare.

The story has so many plot twists and red herrings that character development is all but nonexistent. There is very little to find redeeming about any of the characters in The Strange Vice of Mrs. Wardh, and the outcome is bleak for most of the characters. The use of flashback sequences is skillfully employed several times during the film. And these moments give us, the viewer, more background on Julie’s relationship with Jean. These segments are beautifully crafted and heavily stylized, to the point where one wonders if they are real or a dream.

Nora Orlandi’s haunting score and Vienna’s baroque architecture help heighten the film's gothic and, at times, surreal look. The music Nora Orlandi used during the flashback sequences would find its way into Quentin Tarantino’s film Kill Bill Volume 2. Carol’s death, which takes place in a park at dusk, showcases Sergio Martino’s expertise at crafting horrific and sadistic imagery. Another wonderfully executed scene is the death scene that takes place in the shower. The special effects are extremely effective, and their realism further drives home the film’s De Sade approach to sadism. Ultimately, The Strange Vice of Mrs. Wardh is Sergio Martino's crowning achievement as a filmmaker.

Severin Films has done a superb job putting together an extensive amount of insightful extras. Unfortunately, their Blu-ray release comes up short because of a lackluster transfer that leaves a lot of room for improvement.

Written by Michael Den Boer

All the Colors of the Dark - Severin Films (Blu-ray/CD Combo)

Theatrical Release Date: Italy, 1972
Director: Sergio Martino
Writers: Santiago Moncada, Ernesto Gastaldi, Sauro Scavolini
Cast: Edwige Fenech, George Hilton, Nieves Navarro, Ivan Rassimov

Release Date: January 29th, 2019
Approximate running time: 94 Minutes 41 Seconds
Aspect Ratio: 2.35:1 Widescreen / 1080 Progressive / MPEG-4 AVC
Rating: NR
Sound: DTS-HD Mono Italian, DTS-HD Mono English
Subtitles: English, English SDH
Region Coding: Region A
Retail Price: $34.98

"The luscious Edwige Fenech (Strip Nude for Your Killer) gives the performance of her career as a woman tormented by visions of Satanic violence, hallucinatory horror and psychosexual insanity.” – Synopsis provided by the Distributor

Video: 4.25/5

Here’s the information provided about the transfer, “a new 4k scan from the original negative.”

All the Colors of the Dark comes on a 50 GB dual layer Blu-ray.

Disc Size: 44.2 GB

Feature: 26.1 GB

The source used for this transfer is in excellent shape. Colors are nicely saturated, image clarity and black levels are strong, compression is very good, and the image retains an organic look. When compared to previous Blu-ray releases for this film, this new transfer is by far and away the best this film has looked to date on home video.

Audio: 4.25/5 (DTS-HD Mono Italian, DTS-HD Mono English)

This release comes with two audio options, a DTS-HD mono mix in Italian and a DTS-HD mono mix in English. Both audio mixes are in great shape. Both audio mixes are in good shape. There are no issues with distortion or background hiss; the dialog comes through clearly, and everything sounds balanced. Range-wise, this audio mix sounds robust when it needs to, and the ambient sounds are well-represented. This release comes with two subtitle options: English subtitles for the Italian language track and English SDH subtitles for the English language track.

Extras:

Extras for this release include an English language theatrical trailer under the title All the Colors of the Dark (3 minutes 2 seconds, Dolby Digital mono English, no subtitles), an English language theatrical trailer under the title They’re Coming to Get You (2 minutes 40 seconds, Dolby Digital mono English, no subtitles), a T.V. spot under the title They’re Coming to Get You (32 seconds, Dolby Digital mono English, no subtitles), an interview with actor George Hilton and Italian horror expert Antonio Tentori tilted Giallo is the Color (31 minutes 57 seconds, Dolby Digital stereo Italian with non-removable English subtitles), an interview with screenwriter Ernesto Gastaldii titled Last of The Mohicans (18 minutes 12 seconds, Dolby Digital stereo Italian with non-removable English subtitles), an interview with director Sergio Martino titled Color My Nightmare (40 minutes 16 seconds, Dolby Digital stereo Italian with non-removable English subtitles), an audio Commentary with Kat Ellinger, author of All the Colors of Sergio Martino. the alternate U.S. version of the film They’re Coming to Get You (87 minutes 18 seconds, 1.78:1 aspect ratio, Dolby Digital mono English, no subtitles), a CD that contains Bruno Nicolai’s score for All the Colors of the Dark, and a cardboard insert that has information about the twenty-nine tracks.

Summary:

Where most of his contemporaries worked in the giallo genre, the content stuck to the formula that had been laid out by films like Blood and Black Lace and The Bird with the Crystal Plumage. Sergio Martino was always looking to expand his horizons as a filmmaker. And nowhere is this more clear than in how diverse his six Giallo paintings from the 1970s are.

The screenplay for All the Colors of the Dark was written by Ernesto Gastaldi, a frequent collaborator of Sergio Martino. Ernesto Gastaldi would write or co-write the six giallo films that Sergio Martino directed in the 1970s. Other notable giallo’s also written by Ernesto Gastaldi include Death Walks at Midnight, Death Walks on High Heels, Forbidden Photos of a Lady Above Suspicion, and The Case of the Bloody Iris.

The score for All the Colors of the Dark was composed by Bruno Nicolai (a frequent collaborator of Ennio Morricone). His seductive score for All the Colors of the Dark is a key element of the film’s atmosphere, and a lesser score would definitely lessen the film’s overall impact.

Content-wise, All the Colors of the Dark is a satisfying mix of the supernatural and elements that have become synonymous with the giallo. The premise was inspired by Rosemary’s Baby, and the well-executed narrative does a superb job building tension. And from the opening dream sequence to the film’s eerie last image, Sergio Martino delivers what is arguably his most inspired film visually.

Performance wise, the cast is all very good in their respective roles, especially Edwige Fenech (The Case of the Bloody Iris) in the role of Jane Harrison, a woman whose inability to overcome a trauma from her past is causing her mental state to deteriorate. Edwige Fenech has plenty of screen time, and she never looked better than in All the Colors of the Dark.

Another performance of note includes Nieves Navarro (Emanuelle and the Last Cannibals) in the role of Jane’s sister Barbara. She delivers one of her best performances, portraying a character that is in contrast to the type of character she usually portrays. Other notable cast members include George Hilton (My Dear Killer) in the role of Jane’s boyfriend and Ivan Rassimov (Spasmo) in the role of a sinister stranger who stalks Jane. Ultimately, All the Colors of the Dark is one of the most entertaining gialli you’ll ever see.

Severin Films gives All the Colors of the Dark its best home video release to date; highly recommended.

Written by Michael Den Boer