The Beast and the Magic Sword – Mondo Macabro (Blu-ray)

Theatrical Release Date: Spain/Japan, 1983
Director: Paul Naschy
Writer: Paul Naschy
Cast: Paul Naschy, Shigeru Amachi, Beatriz Escudero, Junko Asahina, Violeta Cela, Yôko Fuji, Conrado San Martín, Gérard Tichy

Release Date: February 25th, 2020
Approximate running time: 114 Minutes 59 Seconds
Aspect Ratios: 1.66:1 Widescreen / 1080 Progressive / MPEG-4 AVC & 4:3 Aspect Ratio / 1080 Progressive / MPEG-4 AVC
Rating: NR
Sound: LPCM Mono Spanish
Subtitles: English
Region Coding: Region Free
Retail Price: $29.95

"In this film we get for the first time an origin story of how the Daninsky curse began back in the 10th century. We then move forward to 16th century Japan where Daninsky has travelled in search of a cure to his affliction." - synopsis provided by the distributor

Video: 4.5/5

Here’s the information provided about this release's transfer, “brand new 4K restoration from original negative”.

The Beast and the Magic Sword comes on a 50 GB dual layer Blu-ray.

Disc Size: 42.2 GB

Feature: 18.5 GB (1.66:1 Widescreen Version), 18.5 GB (4:3 Aspect Ratio Version)

This release allows you to view the film in it’s 1.66:1 theatrical aspect ratio or in a 4:3 open matte presentation. This is another solid transfer from Mondo Macabro, colors are nicely saturated, flesh tones look correct, details look crisp and black levels look strong throughout.

Audio: 4.5/5

This release comes with one audio option, a LPCM mono mix in Spanish and included with this release are removable English subtitles. Though the audio is in very good shape, there are instances of background hiss. That said, dialog comes through clearly and everything sounds balanced.

Extras:

Extras for this release include a Mondo Macabro preview reel, a trailer for The Beast and the Magic Sword (2 minutes 51 seconds, Dolby Digital mono Spanish with English subtitles), an introduction to the film by Paul Naschy (13 minutes 36 seconds, Dolby Digital stereo Spanish with removable English subtitles), an interview with Paul Naschy The Smile of the Wolf (46 minutes 22 seconds, Dolby Digital stereo Spanish with removable English subtitles), an interview with writer/film critic Gavin Baddeley (32 minutes 12 seconds, Dolby Digital stereo English, no subtitles) and an audio commentary with film historians/Naschy experts Rod Barnett and Troy Guinn.

Summary:

Though, Paul Naschy (Curse of the Devil, Werewolf Shadow) has portrayed an array of monsters inspired by Universal’s classic monsters. He’s most remembered for his wolfman character Waldemar Daninsky. And with The Beast and the Magic Sword, Paul Naschy would make his most ambitious Waldemar Daninsky film.

At just under two hours in length, The Beast and the Magic Sword is a film that some viewers might find overindulgence. The first thirty minutes of The Beast and the Magic Sword establishes and then recounts the origins of the curse. And even once, The Beast and the Magic Sword shifts it’s narrative to Japan. There are several moments that could be shortened. Most notably, padding the narrative with action set pieces. With that being said, despite these shortcomings, the result is a highly entertaining film that actually improves upon subsequent viewings.

The Beast and the Magic Sword’s main attraction is it’s leading man Paul Naschy, who also wrote the screenplay and directed the film. Throughout, The Beast and the Magic Sword Paul Naschy does what he does best, he’s always surrounded by beautiful women who can resist his charms, when he’s not kicking a lot of ass and feasting upon throats.

The performances are best described as serviceable. Other notable performances include, Shigeru Amachi (Shinsengumi Chronicles) in the role of a sorcerer named Kian and Junko Asahina (I Love It From Behind, Horny Working Girl: From 5 to 9) in the role of a sorceress named Satomi.

If you’re already a fan of Paul Naschy, then The Beast and the Magic Sword is a film that you will thoroughly enjoy. For those who have yet been initiated into the cinema of Paul Naschy, The Beast and the Magic Sword is a good starting point that gives you an overview of Paul Naschy’s cinema.

The Beast and the Magic Sword gets an excellent release from Mondo Macabro that comes with a solid audio/video presentation and a wealth of insightful extra content, highly recommended.

Written by Michael Den Boer

Macabre (Il Vuoto Intorno) – Cineploit (Blu-ray)

Theatrical Release Date: Spain/Italy, 1969
Director: Javier Setó
Writers: Santiago Moncada, Javier Setó, Gianfranco Clerici
Cast: Larry Ward, Teresa Gimpera, Giacomo Rossi Stuart, Fernando Sánchez Polack, Eugenio Navarro, Javier de Rivera, José Bastida, Silvana Venturelli

Release Date: March 29th, 2021
Approximate Running Time: 88 Minutes 49 seconds
Aspect Ratio: 1.66:1 Widescreen / 1080 Progressive / MPEG-4 AVCC
Rating: NR
Sound: DTS-HD Mono Italian, DTS-HD Mono English, DTS-HD Mono German, DTS-HD Mono French
Subtitles: English, German
Region Coding: Region Free
Retail Price: 24,99 EUR

"Denise (Teresa Gimpera) has had an intense relationship with her brother-in-law Peter (Larry Ward) over a long time. When her rich husband John finds out that his wife is cheating on him with his identical twin brother, he goes mad. The couple then fears a future financial disaster and decides to drive the duped into madness in order to initiate an incapacitation. The plan is carried out with the help of a mysterious third party who pretends to be an ex-lover of Denise. Before long John thinks he is delusional, but a wrong move by the opposing party changes the plan…" - synopsis provided by the distributor

Video: 4/5

Here’s the information provided about this release's transfer, "Worldwide 2K Blu-Ray Premiere!"

Macabre (Il Vuoto Intorno) comes on a 50 GB dual layer Blu-ray.

Disc Size: 32.3 GB

Feature: 27 GB

The source used for this transfer looks really good. That said, there are a few minor imperfections, most notably some source damage in the last ten minutes. Colors are nicely saturated, and image clarity and black levels look strong throughout.

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

This release comes with four audio options, a DTS-HD Mono mix in Italian, a DTS-HD Mono mix in English, a DTS-HD Mono mix in German, and a DTS-HD Mono mix in French. The Italian language track is in great shape; there are no issues with distortion or hiss, dialog comes through clearly, everything sounds balanced, and ambient sounds/the score are well-represented. There’s a noticeable hiss that varies in degree throughout the English language track. That said, dialog comes through clear enough to follow, and everything sounds balanced. Included with this release are removable English and German subtitles for the Italian language track.

Extras:

Extras for this release include an International photo gallery (17 images – posters/home video art), complete score separately playable (17 minutes 2 seconds), German opening credits (3 minutes 11 seconds, footage silent), French opening credits (3 minutes 12 seconds, footage silent), a featurette with Christian Kessler titled The Phantom Killer Strikes (24 minutes 15 seconds, Dolby Digital stereo German with removable English subtitles), a double-sided poster with the italian Locandia and the Spanish Poster and a 28-page Booklet with an essay titled The Secret of the Score for L'assassino fantasma written by Alex Wank and an essay titled The Spanish Way of Giallo written by Udo Rotenberg (text in German and English).

Additionally, this release includes multilingual menus in English and German.

Summary:

Though Mario Bava and Dario Argento’s gialli are the films from which the best gialli are ultimately judged. The truth is that not all gialli are equal, not only when it comes to overall quality, but when it comes to country of origin.

In the 1960s and into the 1970s, Italian cinema was known for its co-productions, most notably with Spain. And though there were gialli that were Spanish co-productions, if the film leaned more towards the Spanish side, there’s a clear distinction between Spanish-made/co-productions and Italian-made gialli.

Case in point Macabre (Il Vuoto Intorno), a Spanish/Italian co-production that’s better described as a psychological thriller than a black-gloved giallo body count film. In many ways, Macabre (Il Vuoto Intorno) owes more to Umberto Lenzi’s late 1960s gialli than it does to Mario Bava and Dario Argento’s gialli.

Content-wise, Macabre (Il Vuoto Intorno) has most of the core elements that have become synonymous with the thriller genre. The premise revolves around two lovers who’ve come up with a scheme to secure the husband's money by making him seem insane. And to complicate things, a blackmailer enters the picture looking for their own payday.

Though the score is credited to Franco Micalizzi (Beyond the Door, The Tough Ones). From the moment you hear the first notes of the score, there’s a familiarity to them. Reportedly, Ennio Morricone is the composer of the score. Some of his music from Wake Up and Die gets recycled for Macabre’s (Il Vuoto Intorno’s) score.

From its opening moments, Macabre (Il Vuoto Intorno) does a great job setting a menacing tone, and there are an ample number of moments of misdirection that make the finale all the more potent. And though Macabre (Il Vuoto Intorno) lacks the bloodshed and sleaze that giallo cinema’s most celebrated films have in spades. The result is a solid thriller that fans of giallo cinema should thoroughly enjoy.

Macabre (Il Vuoto Intorno) makes its way to Blu-ray via a strong audio/video presentation from Cineploit, recommended.

Written by Michael Den Boer

The New Godfathers – Cineploit (Blu-ray)

Theatrical Release Date: Italy, 1979
Director: Alfonso Brescia
Writers: Ciro Ippolito, Piero Regnoli
Cast: Mario Merola, Antonio Sabato, Gianni Garko, Jeff Blynn, Edmund Purdom, Lucio Montanaro, Marco Girondino, Lorraine De Selle

Release Date: March 29th, 2021
Approximate Running Time: 93 Minutes 40 seconds
Aspect Ratio: 2.35:1 Widescreen / 1080 Progressive / MPEG-4 AVCC
Rating: NR
Sound: DTS-HD Mono Italian, DTS-HD Mono English, DTS-HD Mono German
Subtitles: English, German
Region Coding: Region Free
Retail Price: 24,99 EUR

"Don Francesco Autiero (Mario Merola), mafia boss in Naples responsible for cigarette smuggling, and his competitor Don Michele Vizzini (Antonio Sabato), responsible for drug smuggling, do not fully agree how to part Naples for their business in territories. The FBI tries to exploit the tension between the two families and send a man (Gianni Garko) to Naples. The Gangs soon find out about him there, but he and Autiero agree on a collaboration. Together they want to send Vizzini to hell …" - synopsis provided by the distributor

Video: 4/5

Here’s the information provided about this release's transfer, "Worldwide 2K Blu-Ray Premiere!"

The New Godfathers comes on a 50 GB dual layer Blu-ray.

Disc Size: 28.9 GB

Feature: 25.6 GB

Though the source used for this transfer is in great shape and looks clean, free of debris or other print damage. There’s not a consistent quality because this film uses stock footage and footage taken from other films. And in these instances the transfer does not look as strong as it does for footage shot exclusively for The New Godfathers. That said, colors, image clarity and most of the time look very good.

Audio: 4.25/5

This release comes with three audio options, a DTS-HD mono mix in English, a DTS-HD mono mix in Italian, and a DTS-HD mono mix in German. The Italian and English language tracks are in good shape; dialog comes through clearly, and everything sounds balanced. Range-wise, the Italian language track sounds fuller than the English language track. Included with this release are removable English and German subtitles for the Italian language track. It should be noted that there’s a brief dialog exchange while watching the English language track that’s in Italian, and this dialog comes with English or German subtitles.

Extras:

Extras for this release include an International photo gallery (18 images – posters/home video art/lobby cards), German opening title sequence taken from a VHS source (2 minutes 39 seconds, Dolby Digital stereo German, no subtitles), a featurette with screenwriter Ciro Ippolito (11 minutes 21 seconds, Dolby Digital stereo Italian with removable English and German subtitles), a double-sided poster with the Italian Locandia and the US motif, and a 28-page booklet with an essay titled The Naples Connection or The Swan Song of the Poliziesco written by Udo Rotenberg (text in German and English).

Additionally, this release includes multilingual menus in English and German.

Summary:

Before Bruno Mattei, there was Alfonso Brescia, a worker like filmmaker who pieced together films while working with minuscule budgets. Though Alfonso Brescia continued to work into the 1990’s. He reached his apex as a filmmaker in the 1970’s directing films like, Naked Girl Murdered in the Park, Blood and Bullets, War of the Planets, Battle of the Stars and War of the Robots. He is most remembered for directing the sleazeploitation classic Beast in Space.

Italian cinema from the 1950’s through the 1980’s was known for its genre cycles. And in the 1970’s Poliziotteschi cinema was a genre cycle that rose to prominence in response to films like Dirty Harry, Death Wish and The Godfather. That said, like all Italian genre cycles their lifespan was brief and by the late 1970’s, when The New Godfathers was initially released, Poliziotteschi cinema was already on life support.

Though The New Godfathers has all the elements that one would expect from Poliziotteschi cinema. The result is a film that’s ultimately distilled through the lens of Alfonso Brescia. The New Godfathers like all of Alfonso Brescia’s films are marred by anemic resources. And nowhere is this clearer, then how The New Godfathers opens with unnecessary footage from Iran’s revolution and footage that’s taken from another film and repurposed for The New Godfathers. Most notably car chase footage from The Sicilian Connection that’s repurposed for The New Godfathers finale. That said, despite its obvious flaws, The New Godfathers is a highly entertaining film that does a good job exploiting Poliziotteschi cinema’s tropes.

The New Godfathers makes its way to Blu-ray via a strong audio/video presentation from Cineploit, recommended.

Written by Michael Den Boer

The Frenchman's Garden – Mondo Macabro (Blu-ray)

Theatrical Release Date: Spain, 1978
Director: Paul Naschy
Writers: Paul Naschy, Antonio Fos
Cast: María José Cantudo, Ágata Lys, Paul Naschy, José Calvo, Carlos Casaravilla, José Nieto, Silvia Tortosa

Release Date: August 10th, 2021
Approximate Running Time: 97 Minutes 23 seconds
Aspect Ratio: 2.35:1 Widescreen / 1080 Progressive / MPEG-4 AVCC
Rating: NR
Sound: DTS-HD Mono Spanish
Subtitles: English
Region Coding: Region A
Retail Price: $29.95

"The Frenchman was what locals called the man who ran the bar and restaurant in the small town of Peñaflor in rural Spain in the early part of the 20th century. But Juan Andrés Aldije Monmejá was not your usual jolly inn keeper. He ran an illegal gambling den and pimped out the waitresses who worked for him, arranging abortions for them when the inevitable happened. Even though he was married to one of the richest women in town, Juan Andrés was not averse to visiting his own bordello for late night entertainment.

Deciding that there were easier and quicker ways to exploit his customers, The Frenchman started slaughtering them, stealing their money and burying their corpses in the garden at the back of his inn. As his greed increased, so did the savagery of his murderous acts. It was not long before people started asking questions." - synopsis provided by the distributor

Video: 4.25/5

Here’s the information provided about this release's transfer, “brand new 4k transfer from film negative”.

The Frenchman's Garden comes on a 25 GB single layer Blu-ray.

Disc Size: 22.6 GB

Feature: 21.1 GB

The source used for this transfer is in excellent shape, colors, image clarity and black levels look strong throughout.

Audio: 4.25/5

This release comes with one audio option, a DTS-HD mono mix in Spanish and included with this release are removable English subtitles. There are no issues with distortion or hiss, the audio sounds clear and balanced throughout.

Extras:

Extras for this release include a Mondo Macabro preview reel, an archival interview with actor/director Paul Naschy titled Paul Naschy on The Frenchman's Garden (3 minutes 6 seconds, Dolby Digital stereo Spanish with removable English subtitles), a second archival interview with Paul Naschy who discusses his love of horror cinema, his origins as an actor, screenwriting and memories about directors he’s worked with (27 minutes 52 seconds, Dolby Digital stereo Spanish with removable English subtitles) and an audio commentary with Troy Howarth, Rod Barnett and Troy Guinn.

Summary:

Though Paul Naschy was a versatile actor who worked in whatever genre/sub-genre that was popular at the time. He’s most remembered for portraying many of cinema’s most celebrated monsters. That said, what has made his films endure when compared to his contemporaries is his genuine affection for the characters and horror cinema.

Besides acting, Paul Naschy often exerted his creative fingerprints behind the scenes as a screenwriter and director of most of his films. Case in point The Frenchman;s Garden, a film where he acted, co-wrote the screenplay and directed. Reportedly, The Frenchman’s Garden was a passion project and the result is a film that bears this.

Though The Frenchman’s Garden’s premise bears many elements that can-be found in most of Paul Nashcy’s films. What lies within is truly a special film that’s unlike anything else in Paul Naschy’s filmography. And nowhere is this clearer, then when it comes to the narratives pacing.

Where most of Paul Nashcy’s films are briskly paced romps that rely heavily on bloodshed, an ample amount of nudity and fight sequences to showcase his physical prowess as an actor. The Frenchman’s Garden is a deliberately paced narrative who’s finale is ultimately better served by the narrative's slow build up.

The Frenchman’s Garden masterfully opens with a prelude to the fate that awaits its protagonists and his accomplice. Then the narrative flashes back and fills in the events that led to the moment that opens The Frenchman’s Garden. By opening The Frenchman’s Garden this way, it ultimately makes the protagonist and his accomplices face more potent.

From a production standpoint, there’s not an area where The Frenchman’s Garden does not excel. The well-executed narrative does a superb job building and maintaining tension, and the finale provides a perfect coda for the events that have unfolded. The cast is all very good in their respective roles, especially Paul Naschy (The Beast and the Magic Sword, The Howl of the Devil) in the role of the protagonist and José Calvo (A Fistful of Dollars, Day of Anger) in the role of his accomplice. Also, The Frenchman’s Garden is arguably Paul Naschy’s best film as a director.

Mondo Macabro continues to shine a light on the cinema of Paul Naschy. And with their latest Paul Naschy release The Frenchman’s Garden they have put together a solid release that comes with a pair insightful Paul Naschy interviews, highly recommended.

Written by Michael Den Boer

The Violent Professionals: Limited Edition – 88 Films (Blu-ray)

Theatrical Release Date: Italy, 1973
Director: Sergio Martino
Writer: Ernesto Gastaldi
Cast: Luc Merenda, Richard Conte, Silvano Tranquilli, Carlo Alighiero, Martine Brochard, Luciano Bartoli, Luciano Rossi

Release Date: August 2nd, 2021
Approximate Running Times: 99 Minutes 47 Seconds (Italian Version), 99 Minutes 4 Seconds (English Version)
Aspect Ratio: 2.35:1 Widescreen / 1080 Progressive / MPEG-4 AVCC (Both Versions)
Rating: 18 (UK)
Sound: DTS-HD Mono Italian, DTS-HD Mono English
Subtitles: English (Italian Language Track)
Region Coding: Region Free
Retail Price: £34.99 (UK)

"Tough cop Giorgio (Luc Merenda, Torso) doesn’t like to play by the rules, going as far as gunning down a ruthless criminal in broad daylight. After he’s suspended from the force and his boss is murdered, he goes on a brutal undercover dive into the criminal underworld to expose a criminal organization with no respect for authority." - synopsis provided by the distributor

Video: 4.5/5

Here’s the information provided about this release's transfer, "New 2K Master from the Original 35mm Camera Negative."

The Violent Professionals comes on a 50 GB dual layer Blu-ray.

Disc Size: 44 GB

Feature: 16.9 GB (Italian Version), 17.1 GB (English Version)

The source used for the transfers is in great shape. Colors look correct, details look crisp, black levels look strong throughout and grain looks organic. Though these transfers looks like the source used for Code Red’s 2018 Blu-ray, the most notable area of improvement is 88 Films encoding.

Audio: 4.5/5

This release comes with two audio options, a DTS-HD mono mix in Italian and a DTS-HD mono mix in English, each version comes with one audio option. Both audio tracks are in great shape, there are no issues with distortion or hiss, dialog comes through clearly, everything sounds balanced and action sequences/the score sound robust. Included with this release are removable English subtitles for the Italian language track. 

Extras:

Extras for this release include reversible cover art, A3 fold-out poster, a trailer for The Violent Professionals (1 minutes 21 seconds, Dolby Digital mono English, no subtitles), a featurette with Kier-La Janisse, author A Violent Professional: Luciano Rossi titled A Violent Professional: An Appreciation of Luciano Rossi (13 minutes 40 seconds, Dolby Digital stereo English, no subtitles), an interview with director Sergio Martino titled A Violent Professional (14 minutes 19 seconds, Dolby Digital stereo Italian with removable English subtitles), an interview with screenwriter Ernesto Gastaldi titled The Rules of Crime (19 minutes 25 seconds, Dolby Digital stereo Italian with removable English subtitles), an interview with actress Martine Brochard titled Story of Ex (16 minutes 68 seconds, Dolby Digital stereo Italian with removable English subtitles), an interview with actor Luc Merenda (36 minutes 45 seconds, Dolby Digital stereo Italian with removable English subtitles), an audio commentary with Kim Newman and Barry Forshaw for the English language version and a forty-page booklet with an essay titled More than a Professional - Martino and his Cops written by Eugenio Ercolani and Gian Giacomo Petrone, an interview with Sergio Martino and an essay titled The Boys in Black and Blue: A Look at Sergio Martino’s Brutal Cop Movie The Violent Professionals written by Andrew Graves.

Summary:

Though Sergio Martino worked in just about every genre that was popular in 1970’s Italian cinema. His is most remembered for his contributions to the Giallo and Commedia sexy all’italiana genres. With that being he did direct a trio of Poliziotteschi films, The Violent Professionals, Gambling City and Silent Action.

Content wise, The Violent Professionals has all the ingredients that have since become synonymous genre. The film’s narrative revolves around a morally ambiguous detective who is at constant odds with the system that hinders him from doing his job. The action set pieces are sufficiently brutal, especially a scene where the protagonist views a young girl’s corpse. This moment perfectly sets up the nihilistic tone of the story that follows.

Luc Merenda’s (Shoot First, Die Later, Kidnap Syndicate) explosive performance in the role of a police lieutenant named Giorgio anchors this film. Other notable cast members include, Luciano Rossi (Death Walks at Midnight, Death Smiles on a Murderer) in the role of one of the escaped prisoners that murder the girl in the film’s opening moments, Martine Brochard (Eyeball, Paprika) in the role of a free loving hippie named Maria and Richard Conte (Thieves’ Highway, Cry of the City) in the role of a crime boss named Padulo.

From a production standpoint, this film’s visuals more than make up for any of the short comings of this film’s narrative. With this film’s standout moment being the scene where Giorgio gets job as the crime syndicate’s getaway driver, followed by the bank robbery that goes violently awry and concluded with a car chase scene through the streets of Milan (reportedly footage from this scene would be recycled in other Poliziotteschi films).

The Violent Professionals gets an exceptional release from 88 Films as part of their limited edition series releases that come in a rigid slipcase. Each film in this series is given solid audio/video presentations and a wealth of insightful extra content, highly recommended.

Note: Limited edition - 2000 Units Only.

Written by Michael Den Boer

Silip: Daughters of Eve – Mondo Macabro (Blu-ray)

Theatrical Release Date: Philippines, 1986
Director: Elwood Perez
Writer: Ricardo Lee
Cast: Maria Isabel Lopez, Sarsi Emmanuelle, Mark Joseph, Myra Manibog, Pia Zabale

Release Date: August 10th, 2021
Approximate Running Time: 125 Minutes 47 seconds
Aspect Ratio: 1.85:1 Widescreen / 1080 Progressive / MPEG-4 AVCC
Rating: NR
Sound: DTS-HD Stereo Tagalog, DTS-HD Stereo English
Subtitles: English
Region Coding: Region Free
Retail Price: $29.95

"In the tradition of Japanese “Pink” cinema comes this shocking, violent and sex-filled movie that caused a sensation when it was screened at the Chicago Film Festival. The film stars former Miss Philippines, the stunning Maria Isabel Lopez, in her most revealing role ever. It’s an eye-opening example of raw and savage film making from one of its country’s most innovative directors." - synopsis provided by the distributor

Video: 4.5/5

Here’s the information provided about this release's transfer, "Digitally restored from film negative; fully uncut."

Silip: Daughters of Eve comes on a 50 GB dual layer Blu-ray.

Disc Size: 46.1 GB

Feature: 35.6 GB

The source used for this transfer looks great. Colors and flesh tones look correct, and image clarity and black levels look strong throughout.

Audio: 4.25/5 (DTS-HD Stereo Tagalog), 4/5 (DTS-HD Stereo English)

This release comes with two audio options, a DTS-HD stereo mix in Tagalog and a DTS-HD stereo mix in English. Both audio mixes are in great shape, dialog comes through clearly and everything sounds balanced. Range wise the Tagalog language track sounds fuller than the English language track. Included with this release are removable English subtitles for the Tagalog language track.

Extras:

Extras for this release include a Mondo Macabro preview reel, an archival interview with art director Alfredo Santos (8 minutes 2 seconds, Dolby Digital stereo English, no subtitles), an archival interview with actress Maria Isabel Lopez (14 minutes 4 seconds, Dolby Digital stereo English, no subtitles), an interview with actress Sarsi Emmanuelle titled Memories of a Survivor (46 minutes 5 seconds, Dolby Digital stereo Tagalog with removable English subtitles), an archival interview with director Elwood Perez (18 minutes 46 seconds, Dolby Digital stereo English, no subtitles) and an audio commentary with Andrew Leavold, director The Search for Weng Weng.

Summary:

Silip: Daughters of Eve is not your typical sexploitation film. Though there’s copious amounts of naked flesh in Silip: Daughters of Eve. The opening moments of Silip: Daughters of Eve is a gruesome sequence where a buffalo that's slaughtered by a hunter named Simon. It should-be noted that this killing was for survival (food supply) and the killing plays a role in the story at hand. Also, what makes this scene so disturbing is the hunters primal intensity.

Besides the onscreen slaughtering of a buffalo, Silip: Daughters of Eve does not shy away from other in-your-face content. All the men characters dominate the women and those who are not submissive get taken by force. Needless to say, most of the sex scenes are not erotic.

Themes explored in Silip: Daughters of Eve include adultery, deceit, desire, envy, jealousy, obsession and superstition. With the Simon character being the focal point of most of these themes. All of the women in the village lust after Simon who uses his prowess as the village's alpha male. With his actions ultimately leading to a mob rule situation where innocent people get condemned without a trial.  

Silip: Daughters of Eve’s most powerful moment is the scene where Tonya, the protagonist, gives herself body and soul over to Simon. At two hours plus, Silip: Daughters of Eve’s running time does make for a long journey that has a few lulls along the way. Fortunately, these moments are few and the positives far outweigh any of the negatives. Ultimately, Silip: Daughters of Eve is an extraordinary cinema experience that perfectly captures carnal lust.

Silip: Daughters of Eve makes its way to Blu-ray via an exceptional release from Mondo Macabro that comes with a solid audio/video presentation, the wealth of insightful extra content from their 2007 DVD release and a pair of new extras, highly recommended.

Written by Michael Den Boer