Rating summary

Movie		4.0
Video		4.0
Audio		3.5
Extras		5.0
Overall		4.5

A Lizard in a Woman's Skin Blu-ray Movie Review

Reviewed by Dr. Svet Atanasov February 7, 2016

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

Carol Hammond (Florinda Bolkan, Flavia the Heretic, Don't Torture a Duckling) can sense that something isn’t right because in an unusually intense dream she sees herself killing a beautiful woman. She can even recognize the victim. It is her elegant neighbor, Julia Durer (Anita Strindberg, Tropic of Cancer), who frequently has wild parties in her posh apartment. But how exactly is she supposed to interpret her dream?

Soon after Carol describes the dream to her psychiatrist, Julia’s cold body is discovered in a puddle of blood. The seasoned Inspector Corvin (Stanley Baker, Robbery, Innocent Bystanders) meets Carol after he learns that her description of the murder scene from her dream perfectly describes the real one as well. Then Corvin’s men confirm that Carol’s fingerprints are all over the murder weapon and that her scarf and fur coat were found next to the victim and she becomes the primary suspect.

Despite having enough evidence to close the case, Corvin decides to continue working on the case so that he can accurately reconstruct the events leading to the murder and in understand Carol’s motives. But the more questions he asks, the more confused he becomes. Around the same time, a lunatic also attempts to kill Carol.

Directed by one of the unsung heroes of post-war Italian cinema, Lucio Fulci, A Lizard in a Woman’s Skin is loosely divided into three uneven acts. Each act introduces one big logical twist that rearranges key pieces from the murder mystery which effectively force the viewer to question the sincerity of every major character. As it is the case with all great gialli, the film also creates and sustains a terrific atmosphere that ultimately gives it its identity.

The film is most effective in areas where the fine line that separates fantasy and reality is blurred. When this happens, it seems like a major transformation is underway. It literally feels as if one is rushed into a surreal place where anything is possible. A sudden transition then reestablishes the rules of reality and the guessing game is resumed. As the film progresses and the events in it are seen from different angles, however, one begins to wonder where the killer is: in the surreal place or in the real world where the investigation is underway.

The final act does not disappoint. The big picture makes perfect sense and the film ends exactly where it must. It has to be said, however, that if one begins to reexamine the different subplots and the behavior of the main characters, one will discover a few slightly dishonest distractions. But considering how well everything else works, they are indeed easy to forgive.

Bolkan is excellent as the tormented wife who becomes a suspect in the awfully strange murder case. Baker, who was already an established star at the time, looks somewhat casual here but is believable as the experienced inspector. The handsome Jean Sorel plays the husband who seems to be leading a double life. Strindberg’s time before the camera is limited, but she looks absolutely stunning in the dream sequence.

The camera movement may appear a bit uneven at times -- there are many quick close-ups and zooms and a few unusual transitions -- but the unevenness is intended and works very well for the desired atmosphere. The film was lensed by Luigi Kuveiller, who frequently collaborated with the great Italian director Elio Petri (A Quiet Place in the Country, Investigation of a Citizen Above Suspicion, Lulu the Tool).

The dreamy soundtrack was created by Ennio Morricone. It is one of the legendary Italian maestro’s very best.

A Lizard in a Woman's Skin Blu-ray Movie, Video Quality 

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).

A Lizard in a Woman's Skin Blu-ray Movie, Audio Quality 

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.

A Lizard in a Woman's Skin Blu-ray Movie, Special Features and Extras 

CD

• Original Soundtrack - presented on a separate CD is Ennio Morricone's original soundtrack for Lucio Fulci's A Lizard in a Woman's Skin. The CD has 19 tracks.

Blu-ray

• Le venin de Fulci par Anita Strindberg - in this new video interview, actress Anita Strindberg explains how she made her very first film in Sweden and why she had to change her name when she started her career in Italy, and recalls her first meeting with Lucio Fulci, her interaction with the director and Florinda Bolkan during the shooting of the provocative dream sequence, etc. In French, with optional English subtitles. (14 min).

• Le venin de Fulci par Jean Sorel - in this new video interview, actor Jean Sorel recalls how he became involved with Lucio Fulci's A Lizard in a Woman's Skin. In French, not subtitled. (17 min).

• Le venin de la peur par Lionel Grenier - in this new video interview, film historian Lionel Grenier (LucioFulci.Fr) discusses the placement of A Lizard in a Woman's Skin in Lucio Fulci's Golden Age period -- which covers a period between the late '60s and early '70s and also includes Beatrice Cenci, Perversion Story, and Don't Torture a Duckling -- its production history (the film was initially titled La Gabbia/The Cage), some of the disagreements between the director, screenwriter Roberto Gianviti and producer Edmondo Amati, the film's unusual narrative structure and visual style, etc. In French, with optional English subtitles. (22 min).

• Le venin de la peur par Jean Francois Rauger - in this video interview, French film historian Jean Francois Rauger discusses Lucio Fulci's work and A Lizard in a Woman's Skin. In French, not subtitled. (22 min).

• Le venin de la peur par Olivier Pere - in this new video interview, Olivier Pere, Artistic Director of the Locarno Film Festival, discusses some of the common themes in Lucio Fulci's films and A Lizard in a Woman's Skin. In French, not subtitled. (27 min).

• Le venin de la peur par Christophe Gans - presented here is a new video interview with director Christophe Gans (Brotherhood of the Wolf, Crying Freeman), an admirer of Lucio Fulci's work. In French, not subtitled. (39 min).

• Le venin de la peur par Alain Schlocoff - presented here is a video interview with Alain Schlocoff, editor-in-chief of L'Ecran fantastique. In French, not subtitled. (24 min).

• Les vies de Lucio Fulci - in this brand new featurette, film historian Lionel Grenier (LucioFulci.Fr) takes a closer look at the legacy of Lucio Fulci and the evolution of his style. In French, not subtitled. (14 min).

• Le venin des censeurs - in this brand new featurette, film historian Lionel Grenier (LucioFulci.Fr) discusses the distribution history and the censoring of some of Lucio Fulci's films. In French, not subtitled. (9 min).

• Le versions du venin - this new video piece takes a closer look at the extra footage and key differences between the Italian and French/English versions, the English and Italian/French versions, the closing credits, etc. In French, not subtitled. (4 min).

• Scene supplementaire - presented here is the extra footage that isn't available in HD and was included in Optimum Releasing/StudioCanal's reconstructed DVD release of A Lizard in a Woman's Skin. (2 min).

• Generiques alternatifs - presented here are alternate American opening and closing credits and Italian opening credits. Music only. (5 min).

• Le venin en mode VHS - presented here is the French version of A Lizard in a Woman's Skin as it appeared on VHS years ago. In French, not subtitled. (96 min).

• Gallerie Photos - a large collection of archival black-and-white lobby cards with the American title of the film (Schizoid), original stills, posters, magazine articles with reviews/synopses (in English), and VHS covers and reproductions.

• Bande-Annonces Americaine - original U.S. trailer for A Lizard in a Woman's Skin. In English, with imposed French subtitles. (3 min).

• Bande-Annonces Francais - original French trailer for A Lizard in a Woman's Skin. In English, with imposed French subtitles. (2 min).

A Lizard in a Woman's Skin Blu-ray Movie, Overall Score and Recommendation 

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.