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

Rating summary

Movie		4.0
Video		4.0
Audio		3.5
Extras		4.5
Overall		4.0

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

Reviewed by Dr. Svet Atanasov January 26, 2016

Lucio Fulci's "A Lizard in a Woman's Skin" a.k.a. "Schizoid" (1971) arrives on Blu-ray courtesy of independent distributors Mondo Macabro. The supplemental features on the disc include original trailers for the film; new video piece featuring writer and film historian Stephen Thrower; new video interview with actor Tony Adams explains; Kit Gavin's documentary film "Shedding the Skin"; Antonietta de Lillo's documentary film "Fulci: Day for Night"; alternate italian opening credits; audio commentary by Kit Gavin; and more. In English or Italian, with optional English subtitles for the main Italian version of the film. Region-Free.

The night when they met in her dream

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 an 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.

I've done some direct comparisons with StudioCanal's old R2 DVD release of the film and can confirm that there are substantial upgrades in every single area we address in our reviews -- though I should make it clear that the master that was used to produce the release isn't a new one. The larger your screen is, the easier it will be to see that density is much, much better. The various close-ups, in particular, look vastly superior because the flatness and blockiness that is present on the standard definition transfer are eliminated. During the larger panoramic shots fluidity is also a lot more pleasing. (Screencapture #12 is from a short sequence that is quite problematic on the DVD release but looks very good on the new release). There are no traces of problematic degraining corrections. Grain is visible throughout the entire film and quite well resolved. There are no traces of compromising sharpening adjustments either. Colors are stable and well saturated. Some nuances can be expanded, but the current color scheme is convincing. Brightness levels are also stable, though ideally they should be better balanced. There are a few sequences where they do appear slightly elevated, but it is easy to tell that this is how they are set on the current master. To be clear, this is an inherited limitation, not a byproduct of recent digital corrections. Also, as it was the case with the DVD release, this release has the additional inserts with the Italian exchanges and the gory footage with the dogs. Obviously, there is a slight drop in quality and/or some unevenness there, but the transitions are actually very good. A few tiny dirt specks remain, but there are no large debris, cuts, damage marks, or torn frames to report in our review. All in all, this is a wonderful upgrade and a strong presentation of Lucio Fulci's film that should make its fans quite happy. My score is 4.25/5.00. (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).

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

There are two standard audio tracks on this Blu-ray release: English LPCM 1.0 and Italian LPCM 1.0. Optional English subtitles are provided for the Italian track. However, they are not appropriate to use for the English track because the translation is quite different.

I viewed the film with the original English track. Similar to StudioCanal's final DVD release of A Lizard in a Woman's Skin, this presentation of the film has the additional inserts with the Italian exchanges and the gory footage. When the very short exchanges in Italian occur, English subtitles pop up, but the transitions are very good. Generally speaking, clarity is quite pleasing, but depth tends to fluctuate a bit. The high-frequencies are also a tad too thin at times, though there are no distracting distortions. Ennio Morricone's soundtrack easily breathes, but I think that if the audio was fully remastered there would have been some important improvements in terms of balance and fluidity. The dialog is stable, but some light background hiss occasionally sneaks in. (See the sequence where Carol is chased by the lunatic). My score is 3.75/5.00.

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

• Trailers - three original trailers for A Lizard in a Woman's Skin. Music/in English, not subtitled. (5 min, 1080p).

• Alternate Italian Opening Credits - with music only. (2 min, 1080p).

• Radio Spots - two original U.S. radio spots that promote A Lizard in a Woman's Skin as Schizoid. In English, not subtitled. (2 min, 1080p).

• From Burton to Baker - in this new video interview, actor Tony Adams explains how he entered the film business and recalls his first rather unusual encounter with Richard Burton (which took place during the shooting of Villain), his work with Stanley Baker on A Lizard in a Woman's Skin, the work of the Italian crew that assisted Lucio Fulci, etc. In English, not subtitled. (13 min, 1080p).

• When Words Collide - in this new video piece, writer and film historian Stephen Thrower deconstructs A Lizard in a Woman's Skin, and discusses the film's visual style and the social and cultural trends in the United Kingdom during the '70s. There are also some interesting comments about the film's history in the United States and the United Kingdom, as well as the different cuts of the film that were promoted. In English, not subtitled. (30 min, 1080p).

• Shedding the Skin (2005) - in this documentary film, actress Penny Brown (Jenny, hippy girl) discusses the history of the giallo genre and some of the key films that defined it as well as the production history of Lucio Fulci's A Lizard in a Woman's Skin. Included in the documentary are clips from archival interviews with Florinda Bolkan, Jean Sorel (Frank Hammond), Mike Kennedy (Hubbert, hippy), special effects artist Carlo Rambaldi, and visual effects and prosthetics designer Franco DiGirolamo. The film can be seen with an optional commentary by filmmaker Kit Gavin. The documentary film was produced by Kit Gavin and Mike Baronas. In English, French and Italian, with imposed English subtitles where necessary. (34 min, 1080i).

• Fulci: Day for Night - in this documentary film, the late Lucio Fulci discusses his personal life and career as well as various myths about his personality, working methods, and films. The documentary was directed by Antonietta De Lillo. In Italian, with optional English subtitles. (33 min, 1080p).

• Audio Commentary - in this audio commentary, filmmaker Kit Gavin (Paura: Lucio Fulci Remembered - Volume 1) analyzes various sequences from A Lizard in a Woman's Skin, and discusses Florinda Bolkan's appearances in a number of important genre films, select scenes that were cut from different versions of the film, some of the more interesting framing choices, the Hitchcockian overtones, the different locations where various sequences were shot, etc.

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

Widely considered to be Lucio Fulci's most stylish film, A Lizard in a Woman's Skin is a feast for the eyes and a true classic of the giallo genre. This upcoming Blu-ray release from independent U.S. distributors Mondo Macabro is quite the special treat. The film looks lovely in high-definition and one can finally appreciate the brilliance of Ennio Morricone's dreamy soundtrack. The release also comes with a very good selection of supplemental features. I particularly enjoyed Antonietta De Lillo's documentary film Fulci: Day for Night. VERY HIGHLY RECOMMENDED.