Starcrash: Special Edition – Shout! Factory (Blu-ray/DVD Combo)

Theatrical Release Date: Italy, 1979
Director: Luigi Cozzi
Writers: Luigi Cozzi, Nat Wachsberger, R.A. Dillon
Cast: Marjoe Gortner, Caroline Munro, Christopher Plummer, David Hasselhoff, Joe Spinell

Release Date: September 14th, 2010
Approximate Running Time: 91 Minutes 38 Seconds
Aspect Ratio: 1.78:1 Widescreen / 1080 Progressive / MPEG-4 AVC
Rating: PG
Sound: DTS-HD 5.1 English, DTS-HD Stereo English
Subtitles: N/A
Region Coding: Region A
Retail Price: $26.97

"Prepare yourself for a vintage science fiction adventure film you will never forget, as the sultry Stella Star (Caroline Munro) and her alien sidekick Akton (Marjoe Gortner) team up with robot lawman Elle (Judd Hamilton) on a high adventure to save the universe. It's a cosmic mash-up of daring escapes, wild special effects, beautiful women in sexy space bikinis and nonstop action on a dozen alien worlds. Roger Corman presents the ultimate European space opera, a colorful and dazzling chase through the galaxy that will blast you through the blackness of a hundred million nights!" - synopsis provided by the distributor

Video: 3.25/5

Here’s the information provided about this release's transfer, "NEW Anamorphic Widescreen Transfer."

Starcrash comes on a 25 GB single layer Blu-ray.

Disc Size: 22.2 GB

Feature: 13.6 GB

Colors look very good, black levels are strong, and details generally look crisp. That said, the special effects shots do not look as sharp as the majority of this transfer does. This transfer looked good 14 years ago; unfortunately, by today's standards, it looks dated, and it would greatly benefit from a fresh new scan.

Audio: 4/5 (DTS-HD 5.1 English, DTS-HD Stereo English)

This release comes with two audio options, a DTS-HD 5.1 mix in English and a DTS-HD Stereo mix in English. You can’t go wrong with either of these audio tracks; both sound clean, clear, and balanced. Range-wise, both tracks sound very good, especially when it comes to the score and special effects.

Extras:

Extras on the Blu-ray include 2 radio spots (1 minute 33 seconds, Dolby Digital stereo English, no subtitles), a TV spot (32 seconds, Dolby Digital stereo English, no subtitles), French theatrical trailer (2 minutes 56 seconds, Dolby Digital stereo French, no subtitles), U.S. theatrical trailer (2 minutes 36 seconds, Dolby Digital stereo English, no subtitles),  U.S. theatrical trailer with audio commentary by filmmaker Joe Dante who edited the trailer (2 minutes 36 seconds, Dolby Digital stereo English, no subtitles), Trailers from Hell with Eli Roth (2 minutes 58 seconds, Dolby Digital stereo English, no subtitles), photo galleries: design (11 images), storyboards (10 images), behind-the-scenes (69 images), promotional artwork (57 images) and fan artwork (12 images), an interview with director Luigi Cozzi (41 minutes 24 seconds, Dolby Digital stereo English, no subtitles), an audio interview with composer Mars of Deadhouse music tilted The Music of John Barry (12 minutes 55 seconds, Dolby Digital stereo English, no subtitles), a scene by scene production trivia, anecdotes and critical analysis track, and an audio commentary with author and Star Crash expert Stephen Romano.

Extras on a DVD include a career spanning interview with actress Caroline Munro (72 minutes 56 seconds, Dolby Digital stereo English, no subtitles), Making of the Special Effects by Armando Valcauda (23 minutes 58 seconds, Dolby Digital stereo with text in English, no subtitles), Behind-The-Scenes footage with audio commentary by Stephen Romano (19 minutes 47 seconds, Dolby Digital stereo English, no subtitles), 17 deleted and alternate scene with text information about these scenes (36 minutes 34 seconds, Dolby Digital stereo English, no subtitles), and the original screenplay illustrated with story-board and concept art (DVD-Rom Content).

Other extras include reversible cover art and a 12-page booklet  with an essay titled All the Stars in the Universe written by Stephen Romano.

Summary:

The Emperor hires Stella Star and her sidekick Akton to find his missing son, Simon. Their search leads them to Count Zarth Arn, who has created a secret weapon that he plans to use in his takeover of the galaxy. Stella Star and Akton quickly need to find out where Count Zarth Arn is hiding this weapon of mass destruction and stop him before he can use it.

Directed by Luigi Cozzi, who is also responsible for such sci-fi classics as Contamination and the revival of the Hercules character, this is a pair of movies starring Lou Ferrigno. Luigi Cozzi is obviously a man who loves the sci-fi genre, and his enthusiasm for this genre is evident in every one of his films that he has directed in this genre. Despite his love of the sci-fi genre, his films often tend to suffer from insufficient financing, and nowhere is this more evident than in the special effects.

Starcrash, like many Italian films made during the 1970s and even more so in the 1980s, are carbon copy clones of successful Hollywood blockbusters. With little or no budget, filmmakers rushed to produce these films, aiming to capitalize on the success of another movie. Starcrash has Star Wars written all over it, with many of its characters and parts of its plot being an almost direct lift from the Star Wars film. Despite being yet another Italian cash-in clone film, to Starcrash’s credit, it has elements that would ironically show up in later films in the Star Wars saga. That said, these similarities are most likely a pure coincidence.

Starcrash has an impressive set of actors for a film that is essentially nothing more than a B film. Caroline Munro (The Golden Voyage of Sinbad) is cast in the role of Stella Star, a smuggler who travels through the galaxy with her loyal sidekick Akton. Her character has an absurd amount of costume changes, with many of her outfits showcasing her ample assets. 

Distinguished actor Christopher Plummer (The Sound of Music) has a limited role as the Emperor. The role is nothing more than filler, and just about any actor could have played it, but Plummer adds something to it that a lesser actor might not have. Then there is character actor Joe Spinell (Maniac), who portrays the main villain, Count Zarth Arn. He made a career of portraying menacing characters, and in Stracrash, he steals every scene he’s in. David Hasselhoff’s (Knight Rider) character is not introduced until the last 40 minutes, despite being prominently billed.

Too many sci-fi films have bumbling robots that tend to be the butt of every joke. In Starcrash, the robot’s name is L, and to top things off, he has the most hideous southern accent you have ever heard. Ultimately, Starcrash may not be the most technically advanced sci-fi epic to ever grace the silver screen, but in the end, it is one hell of an adventure that offers plenty of laughs and nonstop action.

Starcrash comes with a ridiculous amount of extras that cover every aspect of this film, and unfortunately, the transfer leaves plenty of room for improvement.

Written by Michael Den Boer

Hannie Caulder: Tigon Collection – 88 Films (Blu-ray)

Theatrical Release Date: UK, 1971
Director: Burt Kennedy
Writers: Ian Quicke, Bob Richards, Peter Cooper, Burt Kennedy, David Haft
Cast: Raquel Welch, Robert Culp, Ernest Borgnine, Jack Elam, Strother Martin, Christopher Lee, Diana Dors

Release Date: May 20th, 2024
Approximate Running Time: 85 Minutes 8 Seconds
Aspect Ratio: 2.35:1 Widescreen / 1080 Progressive / MPEG-4 AVC
Rating: 15 (UK)
Sound: LPCM Mono English
Subtitles: English SDH
Region Coding: Region B
Retail Price: £16.99 (UK)

"After she is sexually assaulted and her husband is murdered, Hannie Caulder vows to take revenge on the three criminals who wrecked her life. She hires bounty hunter Thomas Price, to train her to be a gunslinger so that she might seek out and kill the perpetrators. However, her plan of retribution will not run as smoothly as she had hoped." - synopsis provided by the distributor

Video: 4.5/5

Here’s the information provided about this release's transfer, "High Definition (1080p) Blu-ray presentation in original 2.35:1 Aspect Ratio."

Hannie Caulder comes on a 50 GB dual layer Blu-ray.

Disc Size: 32.2 GB

Feature: 24.2 GB

This is another solid encode from Fidelity in Motion that takes an existing HD master that Olive Films used for their Blu-ray, resulting in noticeable improvements. Flesh tones and colors look better than previous releases, and the image looks organic. The image clarity, black levels, and compression are solid.

Audio: 4.5/5

This release comes with one option, a LPCM mono mix in English with removable English SDH. The audio sounds excellent, the dialog always comes through clearly, and everything sounds balanced and robust when it should.

Extras:

Extras for this release include a still gallery (37 images - poster/stills/press materials), a theatrical trailer (3 minutes 15 seconds, LPCM mono English, no subtitles), an interview with production accountant Maurice Lansberger titled The Account of the Accountant (10 minutes 21 seconds, LPCM stereo English, no subtitles), an interview with Adam Scovel titled Girl Power Goes West (20 minutes, LPCM stereo English, no subtitles), reversible cover art, a glossy O-ring (limited to the first pressing) and a 36-page booklet (limited to the first pressing) with an essay titled Hannie Caulder and the British Western written by Lee Broughton, an essay titled Under the Poncho with Hannie Caulder written by Barry Forshaw, and publicity stills.

Summary:

Directed by Burt Kennedy, whose other notable films are The War Wagon and Support Your Local Sheriff! and Support Your Local Gunfighter.

A woman who was raped by her husband's killers befriends a bounty hunter who assists her in her quest for vengeance.

Though Raquel Welch had appeared in two westerns before Hannie Caulder, it is not a genre that one would associate her with. Bandolero! and 100 Rifles, were made in America, while her final western, Hannie Caulder, was a British western filmed in Spain. That said, Hannie Caulder has a vibe that is closer to the spaghetti western than the American western.

Hannie Caulder is a rare breed among western films; in a male-dominated genre, it is a film that features a female protagonist. Western protagonists are known for their gunplay; Hannie Caulder is a novice when it comes to guns, adding a layer of vulnerability to her. Though she is determined to kill the three men who raped her, she discovers it's not easy to kill someone, despite her vengeful motivation.

The main attraction is Raquel Welch in the role of Hannie Caulder; she delivers a phenomenal performance. Though this role goes against her type of casting, that is not to say that Hannie Caulder does not play up Raquel Welch’s sexy persona. The scene where Hannie Caulder bathes in leather pants to make them fit tighter to her flesh is a perfect example of exploiting her sexiness.

Also, there is a solid supporting cast who are very good in their roles, especially Ernest Borgnine (The Wild Bunch), Jack Elam (Once Upon a Time in the West), and Strother Martin (Cool Hand Luke), the three outlaw brothers. Robert Culp’s (I Spy) portrayal of a bounty hunter named Thomas Luther Price is another standout performance. Christopher Lee (The Wicker Man), in the role of a gunsmith, makes his only appearance in a western.

From a production standpoint, Hannie Caulder is a well-made western that is filled with tense moments. The narrative does an excellent job of building up Hannie Caulder from housewife to coldblooded killer. Another strength of the narrative is how it gives key moments ample time to resonate. And composer Ken Thorne’s rousing score reinforces the mood. Ultimately, Hannie Caulder is a solid rape/revenge western.

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

Written by Michael Den Boer

The Beast in the Cellar: Tigon Collection – 88 Films (Blu-ray)

Theatrical Release Date: UK, 1971
Director: James Kelley
Writer: James Kelley
Cast: Beryl Reid, Flora Robson, John Hamill, Tessa Wyatt, T.P. McKenna, John Kelland, David Dodimead, Vernon Dobtcheff, Dafydd Havard, Christopher Chittell

Release Date: April 22nd, 2024
Approximate Running Time: 88 Minutes 51 Seconds
Aspect Ratio: 1.66:1 Widescreen / 1080 Progressive / MPEG-4 AVC
Rating: 15 (UK)
Sound: LPCM Mono English
Subtitles: English SDH
Region Coding: Region B
Retail Price: £16.99 (UK)

"When soldiers stationed in the local community are mauled to death in the local woods, a wild cat is thought to be the culprit. However, two sisters, begin to suspect that their brother who has been locked in their cellar for 30 years may be responsible." - synopsis provided by the distributor

Video: 5/5

Here’s the information provided about this release's transfer, "2K Remaster from 4K Scans of the Original Negatives."

The Beast in the Cellar comes on a 50 GB dual layer Blu-ray.

Disc Size: 34.7 GB

Feature: 26.2 GB

The source looks excellent; this is another solid encode from Fidelity in Motion. Flesh tones look healthy, colors look correct, image clarity, black levels, and compression are solid, and the image always looks organic.

Audio: 5/5

This release comes with one option, a LPCM mono mix in English with removable English SDH. The audio sounds excellent, the dialog always comes through clearly, and everything sounds balanced and robust when it should.

Extras:

Extras for this release include a theatrical trailer (2 minutes 6 seconds, Dolby Digital mono English, no subtitles), an interview with actor Christopher Chittel titled Getting in the Cellar (2 minutes 35 seconds, Dolby Digital stereo English, no subtitles), an interview with Sound Camera Operator sound camera operator Graham V. Hartstone and sound mixer Tony Dawe titled Sound From the Cellar (7 minutes 52 seconds, Dolby Digital stereo English, no subtitles), an interview with editor Nicholas Napier-Bell titled Beast in the Cells (12 minutes 38 seconds, Dolby Digital stereo English, no subtitles), an interview with composer Tony Macaulay titled Beats in the Cellar (19 minutes 44 seconds, Dolby Digital stereo English, no subtitles), an interview with author Josh Hamilton titled Locked in the Cellar (23 minutes 16 seconds, Dolby Digital stereo English, no subtitles), an archival audio commentary with associate producer Christopher Neame and executive producer Tony Tenser, moderated by author John Hamilton, an audio commentary with film critics David Flint and Allan Bryce, reversible cover art, a glossy O-ring (limited to the first pressing) and a 36-page booklet (limited to the first pressing) with an essay titled The Beast in the Cellar We Need to Talk About Celery written by Johnny Mains, an interview with actor Peter Craze titled The Secret of Blood Island, The Beast in the Cellar and Terror conducted by Mathew Edwards, an essay titled The Beast in the Cellar written by Andrew Graves, and publicity stills.

Summary:

The Beast in the Cellar is one of only two feature films that James Kelley directed.

An unknown creature attacks soldiers stationed near a rural English town.

With limited resources, Tigon film productions frequently resulted in films that exceeded the sum of their parts. Though their output covered all film genres, it is the horror genre where they are most remembered. Case in point: a film like The Beast in the Cellar, which epitomized the type of films Tigon made.

In its opening moments, The Beast in the Cellar does an excellent job setting the stage for what follows. An unseen monster attacks a soldier with talon-like claws, ripping him to shreds. In the aftermath, law enforcement is baffled when trying to discern what or who could have killed the soldier. Was it a beast, a man, or a hybrid beast or man?

Though The Beast in the Cellar has all the elements that one expects from a monster movie, It is also just as much of a whodunit as it is a monster film. There are two elderly sisters who take an interest in a series of murders, and while their interest might seem harmless, it soon becomes clear that they actually hold the key to the killings.

None of the performances are lacking. That said, the two best performances are by Beryl Reid (The Killing of Sister George) and Flora Robson (Black Narcissus) in the roles of two elderly sisters. Though they come off as two harmless old ladies, they actually have some sinister secrets lurking in their past.

From a production standpoint, there is no area where The Beast in the Cellar does not excel. The perfectly placed narrative does a superb job building momentum towards a shocking ending that reveals what has been in the cellar for 30 years. Another strength is composer Tony Macaulay’s score, which does a phenomenal job reinforcing the foreboding mood. Ultimately, The Beast in the Cellar is a very effective, low-budget horror film with a solid payoff.

The Beast in the Cellar gets an exceptional release from 88 Films that comes with a solid audio/video presentation and a wealth of informative extras, highly recommended.

Written by Michael Den Boer

The Body Stealers: Tigon Collection – 88 Films (Blu-ray)

Theatrical Release Date: UK, 1969
Director: Gerry Levy
Writers: Michael St. Clair, Gerry Levy
Cast: George Sanders, Maurice Evans, Patrick Allen, Hilary Dwyer, Pamela Conway, Allan Cuthbertson, Carl Rigg, Sally Faulkner, Michael Culver, Shelagh Fraser, Neil Connery, Robert Flemyng, Michael Graham, Carol Hawkins

Release Date: May 20th, 2024
Approximate Running Time: 92 Minutes 21 Seconds
Aspect Ratio: 1.85:1 Widescreen / 1080 Progressive / MPEG-4 AVC
Rating: 15 (UK)
Sound: LPCM Mono English
Subtitles: English SDH
Region Coding: Region B
Retail Price: £16.99 (UK)

"When paratroopers begin to go missing during routine jumps, investigators are sent to shed some light on the mystery. However, things get complicated very quickly when an alien invasion plot is discovered." - synopsis provided by the distributor

Video: 5/5

Here’s the information provided about this release's transfer, "Brand New FULLY UNCUT 2K Remaster from the Original Camera Negative featuring never before released sequences."

The Body Stealers comes on a 50 GB dual layer Blu-ray.

Disc Size: 44.3 GB

Feature: 27.3 GB

The source looks excellent; this is another solid encode from Fidelity in Motion. Flesh tones look healthy, colors look correct, image clarity, black levels, and compression are solid, and the image always looks organic. That said, some of the aerial photography does not look as strong as the bulk of the film.

Audio: 5/5

This release comes with one option, a LPCM mono mix in English with removable English SDH. The audio sounds excellent, the dialog always comes through clearly, and everything sounds balanced and robust when it should.

Extras:

Extras for this release include a theatrical trailer (2 minutes 27 seconds, Dolby Digital momo English, no subtitles), an interview with Will Fowler titled A Career Man, he discusses the life and career of George Sanders (20 minutes 59 seconds, Dolby Digital stereo English, no subtitles), an introduction by Jon Dear titled Invasion of The Body Stealers (11 minutes 2 seconds, Dolby Digital stereo English, no subtitles), a featurette titled The Making of The Body Stealers (41 minutes 37 seconds, Dolby Digital stereo English, no subtitles), an archival audio commentary with actor Patrick Allen, moderated by author John Hamilton, an audio commentary with film critics David Flint and Allan Bryce, reversible cover art, a glossy O-ring (limited to the first pressing) and a 28-page booklet (limited to the first pressing) with an essay titled Tony Tenser The Godfather of British Exploitation written by John Hamilton, and publicity stills.

Summary:

The Body Stealers is one of only two feature films that Gerry Levy directed.

Wanting to avoid a scandal, NATO brings in outside investigators to look into the missing paratroopers who vanished into thin air.

The Body Stealers is a late 1960s British sci-fi film that has elements reminiscent of Dr. Who and The Avengers. There is actually a direct connection to Dr. Who in The Body Stealers; the spaceship originally appeared in Daleks' Invasion Earth 2150 A.D. That said, though The Body Stealers is sci-fi, it is not a special effects-heavy film, and there is very little in the film that looks futuristic.

Despite an opening that leaves more questions than answers, things start to come together in the finale act. And though the explanation behind why the men disappeared is far-fetched, why would alien beings go to such extremes to pull off their elaborate plan when they could have just the humans for help?

The most interesting aspect of The Body Stealers is its cast, which features several recognizable faces. None is more notable than Neil Connery (Sean Connery’s brother) in his second of only three feature films; he is most known for appearing in the James Bond spoof Operation Kid Brother. The producers obviously cast George Sanders (All About Eve) because of his name, yet his character lacks depth and remains a background figure. That said, The Body Stealers is not the kind of film that one watches because of its performances.

From a production standpoint, The Body Stealers has several areas where its budgetary limitations show. Fortunately, when it comes to its narrative, it does a good job building towards its big reveal finale. Ultimately, The Body Stealers can be a fun film if not taken too seriously.

The Body Stealers gets an excellent release from 88 Films that comes with a solid audio/video presentation and informative extras, highly recommended.

Written by Michael Den Boer

Fearless Hyena Part II: Limited Edition – 88 Films (Blu-ray)

Theatrical Release Date: Hong Kong, 1983
Director: Chan Chuen
Writer: Lo Wei
Cast: Jackie Chan, Dean Shek, Yam Sai-koon, Kwan Yung-moon, James Tien, Chan Wai-lau, Austin Wai

Release Date: May 20th, 2024
Approximate Running Time: 92 Minutes 5 Seconds
Aspect Ratio: 2.39:1 Widescreen / 1080 Progressive / MPEG-4 AVC
Rating: 18 (UK)
Sound: DTS-HD Mono Cantonese, DTS-HD Mono English, DTS-HD Mono English (Alternate)
Subtitles: English
Region Coding: Region B
Retail Price: £16.99 (UK)

"By the early 1980s, Jackie Chan’s popularity made him box-office gold. Thus when, midway through filming the sequel to his hit The Fearless Hyena, Chan walked off the production to defect to rival studio Golden Harvest, producer Lo Wei opted to complete the film with the help of stunt doubles and recycled footage. The result—the tale of two lazy cousins (Chan and Austin Wai Tin-chi) who join forces to avenge the deaths of their fathers—may not be pure Chan, but there are plenty of loony pleasures (including our hero fighting an adversary with his feet!) to be had." - synopsis provided by the distributor

Video: 4/5

Here’s the information provided about this release's transfer, "High Definition (1080p) Blu-ray Presentation in 2.39:1 Aspect Ratio."

Fearless Hyena Part II comes on a 50 GB dual layer Blu-ray.

Disc Size: 29.5 GB

Feature: 22.8 GB

The source looks great, considering that it incorporates footage from multiple films. That said, there is a slight dip in quality when it comes to footage sourced from other films. The colors look very good, the image clarity and black levels are strong, and there are no issues with compression.

Audio: 4.25/5 (DTS-HD Mono Cantonese), 3.75/5 (DTS-HD Mono English), 4/5 (DTS-HD Mono English - Alternate)

This release comes with three audio options, a DTS-HD mono mix in Cantonese, a DTS-HD mono mix in English, and a DTS-HD mono mix in English labeled alternate track. All three audio tracks sound clear and balanced. The Cantonese language track and alternate English language track are more robust than the other English language track. Included are removable English subtitles for the Cantonese language track, and when you watch in English, there is a second removable English subtitle track for Cantonese text.

Extras:

Extras included with this release include a stills gallery with music from the film playing in the background, Japanese theatrical trailer (1 minute 35 seconds, LPCM mono Japanese with removable English subtitles), Hong Kong theatrical trailer (3 minutes 47 seconds, LPCm mono Cantonese with removable English subtitles), Japanese end credits (2 minutes 19 seconds, LPCM mono Japanese, no subtitles), export opening credits (1 minute 58 seconds, LPCM mono English, no subtitles), a featurette titled Fake Shemps - How Fearless Hyena II Was Completed Without Jackie Chan (16 minutes 23 seconds, LPCM stereo English, no subtitles), an audio commentary with Frank Djeng and F.J. DeSanto, reversible cover art, a slipcase (limited to the first pressing), and a 32-page booklet (limited to the first pressing) with an essay titled Two Tigers on a Mountain: The Fractious Story Behind Fearless Hyena II written by David West, and archival promotional materials.

Summary:

The Ying-Yang brotherhood thwarts the plans of evil kung fu masters, Heaven and Earth. Two of its members come close to dying but manage to escape. The surviving members of the Ying-Yang brotherhood and their children are forced to fight for their lives years later when Heaven and Earth discover where they are hiding.

Throughout his career, Jackie Chan has had a few movies that are mostly compilations of footage from other films. And though there is some new footage in Fearless Hyena Part II, about ¾ of the footage is footage taken from other films or newly shot footage revolving around a subplot with characters loosely connected to Jackie Chan’s character. Needless to say, making a film under these circumstances is not an easy task, and the result is a film that is vastly subpar when compared to Jackie Chan’s most celebrated films.

The footage revolving around the newly created subplot opens Fearless Hyena Part II; it is a lengthy flashback sequence that sets up the events that follow. Despite this scene being born out of necessity, it is actually a very good opening, and the martial arts hold up well. Unfortunately, things start to unravel after this sequence with the first recycled footage of Jackie Chan.

The most memorable moment is the scene where Jackie Chan’s character, who is looking for a job, interacts with Dean Shek’s character. That said, their onscreen chemistry and comedic timing are impeccable. Also, the moments with Jackie Chan are filled with his trademark humor, while moments without him have a darker tone.

The mishmash narrative  has problems, none more detrimental than pacing issues. Something you can count on with Jackie Chan films are exceptional finale fight sequences; unfortunately, his double does not live up to expectations. Also, it would be unfair to judge performances considering the way Fearless Hyena Part II came to be. For a film that comes up short in more ways than it succeeds, Fearless Hyena Part II is an entertaining film for all the wrong reasons.

Fearless Hyena Part II gets a solid release from 88 Films that comes with a strong audio/video presentation and informative extras, recommended.

Written by Michael Den Boer

Behind Convent Walls – Arrow Video (Blu-ray)

Theatrical Release Date: Italy, 1978
Director: Walerian Borowczyk
Writer: Walerian Borowczyk
Cast: Ligia Branice, Howard Ross, Marina Pierro, Gabriella Giacobbe, Rodolfo Dal Pra, Loredana Martinez, Mario Maranzana, Alex Partexano, Olivia Pascal, Gina Rovere

Release Date: April 29th, 2024
Approximate Running Time: 94 Minutes 42 Seconds
Aspect Ratio: 1.85:1 Widescreen / 1080 Progressive / MPEG-4 AVC
Rating: 18 (UK)
Sound: LPCM Mono Italian, LPCM Mono English
Subtitles: English, English SDH
Region Coding: Region B
Retail Price: £24.99 (UK)

"Behind the walls of an apparently serene convent, a zealous abbess tries in vain to keep order and prevent her sexually repressed charges from experiencing the sins of the flesh. When the unfortunate young nuns get out of control, the church inflicts cruel punishment for their carnal crimes." - synopsis provided by the distributor

Video: 4.5/5

Here’s the information provided about this release's transfer, “Behind Convent Walls has been restored exclusively by Arrow Films.

The original 35mm negative was scanned in 2K resolution at Cinema Communications, Rome. The film was graded and restored in 2K resolution at R3Store Studios, London. Much of Behind Convent Walls was photographed handheld and with filters, contributing to a film presentation that is both intermittently unsteady and in soft focus.”

Behind Convent Walls comes on a 50 GB dual layer Blu-ray.

Disc Size: 35.8 GB

Feature: 25.4 GB

The source looks excellent. Behind Convent Walls has an intended soft-focus look, and this transfer does a great job retaining it. Flesh tones are healthy, colors look correct, image clarity is strong, black levels and compression are solid, and the image always looks organic.

Audio: 4/5 (LPCM Mono Italian), 4.5/5 (LPCM Mono English)

This release comes with two audio options, an LPCM mono mix in Italian and an LPCM mono mix in English. Both audio tracks are in great shape; dialog comes through clearly, and everything sounds balanced. That said, the English-language track sounds more robust than the Italian-language track. Included are removable English subtitles for the Italian language track and removable English SDH for the English language track.

Extras:

Extras for this release include a theatrical trailer (3 minutes 11 seconds, Dolby Digital mono Italian with removable English subtitles), an appreciation by film scholar Virginie Sélavy titled Anarchic Nuns and the Artistry of Desire (18 minutes 37 seconds, Dolby Digital stereo English, no subtitles), a short film directed by Walerian Borowczyk titled Brief Von Paris (40 minutes 31 seconds, 1.33:1 aspect ratio, Dolby Digital mono with French text and removable English subtitles), an audio commentary by film critic Justine Smith, reversible cover art, a slipcover (limited to the first pressing), and a 24-page booklet (limited to the first pressing) with cast & crew information, an essay titled Daughters of Lilith: Borowczyk’s Behind Convent Walls and the Chthonic Woman written by Kat Ellinger, original press materials, and information about the restoration.

Summary:

Directed by Walerian Borowczyk, an animator turned provocative filmmaker whose notable films include Goto, Isle of Love, Blanche, The Beast, and The Margin.

Abbess Flavia Orsini struggles to retain control of a convent filled with sexually repressed nuns. The Mother Superior’s niece Clara is her strongest ally, as she believes that a spiritual calling led her to the monastery. Will Abbess Flavia Orsini quench the lustful desires that burn in virtually every one of the nuns at the monastery before their wicked ways convert her niece Clara into a sinner?

Behind Convent Walls was adapted from Roman Walks, a story written by the notorious 19th-century French author Stendhal. And though Behind Convent Walls has many of the elements that are synonymous with the nunsploitation genre, the result is actually not as exploitative as in most nunsploitation films. That said, though all genres have their tropes, it is the way in which Walerian Borowczyk uses them that sets Behind Convent Walls apart from other nunsploitation films.

Though most of the nuns have fully embraced their vocation, there are a few who have not. In the case of the latter, most of them were forcibly sent to the convent by their parents. In charge of the convent is a domineering mother superior who punishes anyone who exhibits free will, ensuring that they remain faithful to their calling. And just like any bad behavior left unchecked, it spreads like wildfire throughout the convent. That said, at its core, Behind Convent Walls is about free will and repressed feelings.

The entire cast are phenomenal, especially Ligia Branice’s (Blanche) portrayal of Sister Clara, the niece of the mother superior. In Behind Convent Walls' most infamous scene, Sister Clara comes across a large piece of wood that is lying in a pile of glass, and with those fragments of glass, she makes a dildo out of that piece of wood. This scene is nothing short of amazing, as Ligia Branice, the actress who portrays Clara, loses herself in the moment. This is a bold scene that dances the line between art and pornography, and as usual, director Walerian Borowczyk beautifully captures this moment of pure ecstasy.

From a production standpoint, there is no area where Behind Convent Walls is lacking. The deliberate, paced narrative does a superb job building momentum. Luciano Tovoli's (Suspiria) exquisite cinematography is filled with symbolic imagery. Another strength of the visuals is the soft-focus lighting that gives the nuns a more angelic look that contrasts with their naughty deeds. Ultimately, Behind Convent Walls is a powerful tale about faith and desire, making it a must-see film if you are a fan of nunsploitation cinema.

Behind Convent Walls gets an excellent release from Arrow Video that comes with a solid audio/video presentation and insightful extras, highly recommended.

Written by Michael Den Boer