7.2 | / 10 |
Users | 0.0 | |
Reviewer | 4.5 | |
Overall | 4.5 |
Carol Hammond is the daughter of a prominant English politician who keeps having recurring "nightmares" in which she makes love to a bisexual nympho who lives downstairs and conducts all-night LSD orgies. When the nocturnal wet dreams become murderous, the neighbor turns up dead, and Carol is the main suspect. Did she actually commit the murder she dreamt about? Is she being framed by her philandering husband? Did Carol actually make nightly visits downstairs aside from borrowing the occasional cup of sugar? How Did Carol's letter opener end up stuck in the dead neighbor's chest anyway? The complex plot unfolds amidst red herrings, outlandish dream sequences, lesbian hanky panky, and ominous close-ups of Carol's guilt-ridden facial expressions every time someone mentions the murder. All this takes place in swinging late-1960's London...
Starring: Florinda Bolkan, Stanley Baker, Jean Sorel, Alberto de Mendoza, Silvia MontiHorror | 100% |
Foreign | 73% |
Mystery | 19% |
Thriller | Insignificant |
Video codec: MPEG-4 AVC
Video resolution: 1080p
Aspect ratio: 1.86:1
Original aspect ratio: 1.85:1
English: DTS-HD Master Audio 2.0
Italian: DTS-HD Master Audio 2.0
French: DTS-HD Master Audio 2.0
French, English
50GB Blu-ray Disc
Three-disc set (1 BD, 1 DVD, 1 CD)
DVD copy
Region free
Movie | 4.0 | |
Video | 4.0 | |
Audio | 3.5 | |
Extras | 5.0 | |
Overall | 4.5 |
Lucio Fulci's "A Lizard in a Woman's Skin" a.k.a. "Le Venin de la Peur" (1971) arrives on Blu-ray courtesy of French label Le chat qui fume. The supplemental features on the disc include original trailers for the film; promotional materials; new video interviews with actress Anita Strindberg and Jean Sorel; new featurettes with film historian Lionel Grenier; new video interview with director Christophe Gans; visual comparisons; and a lot more. In English, Italian, or French, with English or French subtitles for the main feature. Region-Free.
The strange encounter
Presented in its original aspect ratio of 1.86:1, encoded with MPEG-4 AVC and granted a 1080p transfer, Lucio Fulci's A Lizard in a Woman's Skin arrives on Blu-ray courtesy of Mondo Macarbo.
The release has been sourced from the same master which Mondo Macabro worked with when they prepared their Blu-ray release of the film for the American market. The master comes via StudioCanal, and was also used for the old R2 DVD release. Unsurprisingly, the same notable upgrades are present on the French release -- depth, clarity, and fluidity are dramatically improved. There are no traces of problematic degraining corrections. Grain is visible throughout the entire film and quite well resolved. There are a few segments where small fluctuations are noticeable, but they are inherited. I should mention here that the additional inserts from the DVD release that were not in HD are not incorporated; they are included in the bonus section of the release. However, the inserts that are in HD are part of the current presentation. (This includes footage with Italian dialog that is in HD here but appears in standard definition on the U.S. release). Colors are stable and appear natural, but some nuances can be expanded. Brightness levels are stable, but as noted in our review of the U.S. release they could be better balanced. Lastly, a few dirt specks and light scratches remain, but there are no large cuts, damage marks, or debris to report in our review. My score is 4.25/50.00. (Note: This is a Region-Free Blu-ray release. Therefore, you will be able to play it on your player regardless of your geographical location. For the record, there is no problematic PAL or 1080/50i content preceding the disc's main menu).
There are three standard audio tracks on this Blu-ray release: English DTS-HD Master Audio 2.0, Italian DTS-HD Master Audio 2.0, and French DTS-HD Master Audio 2.0. Optional French subtitles are provided for the English and Italian tracks. Optional English subtitles are provided for the Italian track and the inserts with Italian dialog on the English track. Optional English subtitles are not provided for the English track.
Once again, I viewed the film with the English track. Generally speaking, clarity is very pleasing, but there are a few segments where depth tends to fluctuate a bit. Occasionally, the high-frequencies can be a tad thin as well. These are, however, the type of limitations that exist on some European genre films that had international casts and were overdubbed or had alternative footage shot for different versions. The dialog is very easy to follow, but from time to time some extremely light background hiss sneaks in. My score is 3.75/5.00.
CD
Le chat qui fume was the first label to release Lucio Fulci's cult film A Lizard in a Woman's Skin on Blu-ray. The supplemental features that were produced for it are very impressive. Only a few of them, however, are subtitled in English (including a very interesting new video interview with Swedish actress Anita Strindberg). Also included with the release is a separate CD with Ennio Morricone's original soundtrack for the film. Le chat qui fume's release is sourced from the same master which Mondo Macabro accessed when they prepared their release for the American market. However, there are some minor discrepancies between them. I think that fans of Lucio Fulci's film, and particularly those who are fluent in French, should definitely consider adding this release to their collections. VERY HIGHLY RECOMMENDED.
Non si sevizia un paperino / La Longue Nuit de l'Exorcisme
1972
Tutti i colori del buio
1972
Cosa avete fatto a Solange? / What Have You Done to Solange?
1972
Lo squartatore di New York / Cover A
1982
Nude per l'assassino / Strip Nude for Your Killer
1975
E tu vivrai nel terrore - L'aldilà / The Beyond
1981
The Black Cat / Gatto nero
1981
Sette note in nero
1977
Sei donne per l'assassino / Blood and Black Lace
1964
Una farfalla con le ali insanguinate
1971
La dama rossa uccide sette volte
1972
Il profumo della signora in nero
1974
Una sull'altra / One on Top of the Other
1969
La Corta notte delle bambole di vetro / Short Night of Glass Dolls / Limited to 1000
1971
La morte ha sorriso all'assassino / Death Smiles on a Murderer
1973
Solamente nero / The Bloodstained Shadow
1978
Macchie solari
1975
La morte accarezza a mezzanotte
1972
La morte cammina con i tacchi alti / Death Walks on High Heels
1971
La Notte dei Diavoli / The Night of the Devils
1972