Severin follows up their 2023 collection of Italian gothic titles with an essential second volume that brings together three films and a miniseries. Each work takes a very different approach to the gothic as both a visual aesthetic and a set of thematic preoccupations. The results range from virtually archetypal to resolutely revisionist. For this well-appointed set, Severin provides a veritable bounty of bonus materials: new restorations, alternate cuts, commentary tracks, cast and crew interviews, visual essays, even a soundtrack CD.
Antonio Margheriti’s Danza Macabra, from 1964, is one of the very best Italian gothic films. It simply oozes with atmosphere courtesy of Riccardo Pallottini’s moody monochrome cinematography, and, while the violence remains relatively restrained, Margheriti brazenly pushes the envelope when it comes to nudity and some suggestive sexual content. Likely as a bid to cash in on Roger Corman’s Poe Cycle, Danza Macabra not only claims to be...
Antonio Margheriti’s Danza Macabra, from 1964, is one of the very best Italian gothic films. It simply oozes with atmosphere courtesy of Riccardo Pallottini’s moody monochrome cinematography, and, while the violence remains relatively restrained, Margheriti brazenly pushes the envelope when it comes to nudity and some suggestive sexual content. Likely as a bid to cash in on Roger Corman’s Poe Cycle, Danza Macabra not only claims to be...
- 2/7/2024
- by Budd Wilkins
- Slant Magazine
The Thief of Baghdad
Blu ray – All Region
Colosseo Film
1961 /100 min.
Starring Steve Reeves, Georgia Moll, Arturo Dominici
Cinematography by Tonino Delli Colli
Directed by Arthur Lubin
When he shuffled off this mortal coil in 1995, Arthur Lubin’s New York Times obituary was titled “Arthur Lubin, 96, Director Of ‘Mr. Ed’ TV Series, Dies.” It’s doubtful the prolific Lubin would have complained about that particular credit headlining his accomplishments; the man who directed Karloff and Lugosi, jumpstarted Abbott and Costello’s film career and gave Clint Eastwood his first break, also had a thing for talking animals. In 1950 he bought the rights to a book about a talking mule and began a series of hit comedies starring a four-legged chatterbox named Francis and his two-legged pal played by Donald O’Connor.
Industrious to a fault, Lubin’s career was spent crisscrossing from theater to film to television and back again yet...
Blu ray – All Region
Colosseo Film
1961 /100 min.
Starring Steve Reeves, Georgia Moll, Arturo Dominici
Cinematography by Tonino Delli Colli
Directed by Arthur Lubin
When he shuffled off this mortal coil in 1995, Arthur Lubin’s New York Times obituary was titled “Arthur Lubin, 96, Director Of ‘Mr. Ed’ TV Series, Dies.” It’s doubtful the prolific Lubin would have complained about that particular credit headlining his accomplishments; the man who directed Karloff and Lugosi, jumpstarted Abbott and Costello’s film career and gave Clint Eastwood his first break, also had a thing for talking animals. In 1950 he bought the rights to a book about a talking mule and began a series of hit comedies starring a four-legged chatterbox named Francis and his two-legged pal played by Donald O’Connor.
Industrious to a fault, Lubin’s career was spent crisscrossing from theater to film to television and back again yet...
- 7/11/2020
- by Charlie Largent
- Trailers from Hell
[To help get you into the spooky spirit this October, the Daily Dead team thought it would be a great idea to spotlight some of our favorite witchcraft movies that just might cast a spell on you and make your Halloween season a "hexcellent" one!]
Alfred Hitchcock brought horror up to date and out of the shadows in 1960 with Psycho; he was more interested in the monster within than nuclear ogres or the realm of the supernatural. The same year, however, saw the solo directorial debut of Italian cinematographer Mario Bava, who showed with Black Sunday that he was very much interested in the supernatural. And the shadows.
Black Sunday was originally titled La Maschera Del Demonio (The Mask of Satan) in Bava’s homeland. An acquisition by American International Pictures for stateside release resulted in three minutes of trimming for excessive violence, a new score by Les Baxter (The Dunwich Horror) to replace Roberto Nicolosi's (Black Sabbath) elegant work, and a complete English redubbing even though the original production company Galatea provided one. The Mask of Satan proved to be a big hit back home, and the newly minted Aip-titled Black Sunday was as well,...
Alfred Hitchcock brought horror up to date and out of the shadows in 1960 with Psycho; he was more interested in the monster within than nuclear ogres or the realm of the supernatural. The same year, however, saw the solo directorial debut of Italian cinematographer Mario Bava, who showed with Black Sunday that he was very much interested in the supernatural. And the shadows.
Black Sunday was originally titled La Maschera Del Demonio (The Mask of Satan) in Bava’s homeland. An acquisition by American International Pictures for stateside release resulted in three minutes of trimming for excessive violence, a new score by Les Baxter (The Dunwich Horror) to replace Roberto Nicolosi's (Black Sabbath) elegant work, and a complete English redubbing even though the original production company Galatea provided one. The Mask of Satan proved to be a big hit back home, and the newly minted Aip-titled Black Sunday was as well,...
- 10/23/2018
- by Scott Drebit
- DailyDead
It creeps and leaps and slides and glides along the wall… and then it eats your face, dude. Mario Bava and Riccardo Freda’s ultimate monster mastication epic now looks sensationally gory, thanks to a full restoration. Arrow’s disc has pretty much everything, including two transfers and two audio commentaries. And Savant has a guilty admission to make — it was the tripe, the whole tripe, and nothing but the tripe.
Caltiki, The Immortal Monster
Blu-ray + DVD
Arrow Video USA
1959 / B&W / 1:66 widescreen / 76 min. / Caltiki, il mostro immortale / Street Date April 11, 2017 / Available from Arrow Video / 39.95
Starring: John Merivale, Didi Sullivan (Perego), Gérard Haerter, Daniela Rocca, Giacomo Rossi-Stuart, Daniele Vargas, Arturo Dominici, Gay Pearl
Cinematography: John Foam (Mario Bava)
Special Effects: Mario Bava
Film Editor: Mario Serandrei
Original Music: Roberto Nicolosi
Written by Filippo Sanjust
Produced by Bruno Vailati
Directed by Robert Hamton (Riccardo Freda) & Mario Bava
Who says that Blu-ray is dying?...
Caltiki, The Immortal Monster
Blu-ray + DVD
Arrow Video USA
1959 / B&W / 1:66 widescreen / 76 min. / Caltiki, il mostro immortale / Street Date April 11, 2017 / Available from Arrow Video / 39.95
Starring: John Merivale, Didi Sullivan (Perego), Gérard Haerter, Daniela Rocca, Giacomo Rossi-Stuart, Daniele Vargas, Arturo Dominici, Gay Pearl
Cinematography: John Foam (Mario Bava)
Special Effects: Mario Bava
Film Editor: Mario Serandrei
Original Music: Roberto Nicolosi
Written by Filippo Sanjust
Produced by Bruno Vailati
Directed by Robert Hamton (Riccardo Freda) & Mario Bava
Who says that Blu-ray is dying?...
- 4/22/2017
- by Glenn Erickson
- Trailers from Hell
Black Sunday
Stars: Barbara Steele, John Richardson, Andrea Checchi, Ivo Garrani, Arturo Dominici, Enrico Olivieri | Written by Ennio De Concini, Mario Serandrei | Directed by Mario Bava
There is something about classic horror, especially those films that were said to have inspired other directors. There are some films though that almost have a legendary role in the genre and although you’ve not seen them you know them by the name. For many people this is the case with Mario Bava’s Black Sunday. Originally released in the sixties and banned in the United Kingdom it is arguably one of the most important films in horror history and is said to be the inspiration to gothically inclined directors such as Tim Burton. Now that Arrow Video have given it a deluxe release in its uncut form we can see what level of genius the film truly is.
Starting with a warning...
Stars: Barbara Steele, John Richardson, Andrea Checchi, Ivo Garrani, Arturo Dominici, Enrico Olivieri | Written by Ennio De Concini, Mario Serandrei | Directed by Mario Bava
There is something about classic horror, especially those films that were said to have inspired other directors. There are some films though that almost have a legendary role in the genre and although you’ve not seen them you know them by the name. For many people this is the case with Mario Bava’s Black Sunday. Originally released in the sixties and banned in the United Kingdom it is arguably one of the most important films in horror history and is said to be the inspiration to gothically inclined directors such as Tim Burton. Now that Arrow Video have given it a deluxe release in its uncut form we can see what level of genius the film truly is.
Starting with a warning...
- 2/6/2013
- by Pzomb
- Nerdly
Latest: A retired U.S. newscaster is suing the makers of Charlie Wilson's War, after footage of his war reports appeared in the movie without his permission.
Ex-nbc journalist Arthur Kent claims his intellectual properly rights were violated when his coverage of the Soviet Union's war in Afghanistan was used.
He has filed a federal lawsuit, seeking a ban on the distribution of the film, as well as unspecified damages.
Ex-nbc journalist Arthur Kent claims his intellectual properly rights were violated when his coverage of the Soviet Union's war in Afghanistan was used.
He has filed a federal lawsuit, seeking a ban on the distribution of the film, as well as unspecified damages.
- 4/28/2008
- WENN
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