Adam and Eve Blu-ray Movie

Rating summary

Movie		4.0
Video		4.5
Audio		4.5
Extras		3.0
Overall		4.0

Adam and Eve Blu-ray Movie Review

Reviewed by Dr. Svet Atanasov July 20, 2026

Luigi Russo's "Adam and Eve" (1983) arrives on Blu-ray courtesy of Severin Films. The supplemental features on the release include new program with editor Gianfranco Amicucci and remastered international trailer. In English or Italian, with optional English and English SDH subtitles for the main feature. Region-A "locked".

It is only an apple.

All claims that Adam and Eve does not emulate Quest for Fire should be instantly discarded, because it absolutely does, and very, very well, too. Adam and Eve also borrows several of Ray Harryhausen’s famous tricks. On top of this, a few large sections of it look like rough blueprints for the tense action in Apocalypto. All of this contrasting material is glued together with the electronic/pop harmonies of a predictably special soundtrack composed by the iconic Italian duo Guido and Maurizio De Angelis.

So, what was the target audience for such a strange film?

It was definitely not the folks who would have flocked to see the many copycats that did plenty of good business for various Italian producers during the 1980s. It was not the folks who may have been impressed with Mark Gregory’s acting debut in 1990: The Bronx Warriors, either. Andrea Goldman was completely unknown at the time, so she could not have been a proper magnet. The only possible answer is that Luigi Russo, better known as John Wilder, was hired to direct another B film with a decent amount of skin, his specialty, the target audience for which should have been the folks who spent their cash on skin flicks.

The problem with this answer is that Adam and Eve shows a lot of naked bodies without being a skin flick. While it is a small film, it most definitely does not behave like a conventional B film, either. Indeed, multiple parts of it produce very carefully lensed, breathtakingly beautiful visuals of the kind that tend to emerge only in serious big-budget productions.

What is the correct answer, then?

Whether entirely by design or not, Adam and Eve would have resonated best with the same audience that would have found Walerian Borowczyk’s films from the same period intriguing. It is a slightly arthouse-ish affair, blending religious and action material into something genuinely different, with plenty of kitschy touches that feel most appropriate. Like Borowczyk’s films, Adam and Eve also has an unmissable trippy quality, which is very effectively supported by its soundtrack.

Obviously, a film this fluid will not be everyone’s cup of tea. On the other hand, it is precisely why it looks intriguing today. Indeed, despite all of its strangeness, its modern interpretation of one of the most influential stories of all time remains strikingly accurate. There is unmissable sincerity in it, too. As a result, its chosen personality and identity feel very organic. (This is definitely not the impression a few of Borowczyk’s films leave).

Adam and Eve was produced by Enzo Doria, who funded Marco Bellocchio’s acclaimed first film, Fists in the Pocket, as well as the popular gialli Short Night of Glass Dolls and Who Saw Her Die?.

Severin Film’s release presents an exclusive new 4K restoration of Adam and Eve, sourced from the original camera negative. Newly restored original English and Italian tracks are included as well.

Adam and Eve Blu-ray Movie, Video Quality 

Presented in its original aspect ratio of 1.85:1, encoded with MPEG-4 AVC and granted a 1080p transfer, Adan and Eve arrives on Blu-ray courtesy of Severin Films.

A short text warns that the new 4K restoration of Adam and Eve was challenging because the film's original camera negative had begun decomposing. I saw several sections where different visuals displayed obvious surface imperfections, like the ones seen here. However, I still think that the 4K restoration is fantastic. Everywhere else, delineation, clarity, and depth range from very good to outstanding. Grain exposure is terrific as well. However, for obvious reasons, you should expect to see plenty of fluctuations in the stock footage, which is a lot, and in the special effects. The entire 4K restoration is incredibly well graded. The footage from the Garden of Eden looks sensational, but there is plenty of panoramic footage that is equally impressive. There are absolutely no traces of any problematic digital corrections. (Note: This is a Region-A "locked" Blu-ray release. Therefore, you must have a native Region-A or Region-Free player in order to access its content).

Adam and Eve Blu-ray Movie, Audio Quality 

There are two standard audio tracks on this Blu-ray release: English DTS-HD Master Audio 2.0 and Italian DTS-HD Master Audio 2.0. Optional English SDH (for the former) and English (for the latter) subtitles are provided.

I viewed the entire film with the English track, which should be considered its original track. It is a very good, healthy track. I had the volume of system turned up quite a bit because I like the film's electronic/pop soundtrack a lot, and I did not hear any distracting anomalies. In the areas of the film where time has left its mark, minor unevenness can be noticed, but it is of the kind that usually appears on dubbed tracks of Italian genre films.

Adam and Eve Blu-ray Movie, Special Features and Extras 

• The Forbidden Cut - in this new program, editor Gianfranco Amicucci reveals that he became involved with Adam and Eve because of his work on The Shark Hunter, another film produced by Enzo Doria, and comments on its production. Amicucci also shares very interesting information about star Mark Gregory, who years ago abruptly disappeared without a trace. In Italian, with English subtitles. (22 min).

• Trailer - presented here is a remastered original international trailer for Adam and Eve. In English, not subtitled. (4 min).

Adam and Eve Blu-ray Movie, Overall Score and Recommendation 

While very, very different, Adam and Eve is every bit as intriguing as Fade-In, another unique project that various people quite simply did not get. It is strange and trippy, yet respectful and sincere in ways that make its contemporary interpretation of one of the most influential stories of all time feel enormously fresh. Severin Films' release presents a great exclusive 4K restoration of Adam and Eve, together with a wonderful new program featuring editor Gianfranco Amicucci. HIGHLY RECOMMENDED.