Rating summary

Movie		3.5
Video		3.5
Audio		4.0
Extras		5.0
Overall		4.0

Baron Blood Blu-ray Movie Review

Reviewed by Dr. Svet Atanasov May 4, 2013

Mario Bava's "Gli orrori del castello di Norimberga" a.k.a "Baron Blood" (1972) arrives on Blu-ray courtesy of British distributors Arrow Video. The release includes three versions of the film; original English and Italian trailers; video introduction by journalist and Italian horror expert Alan Jones; radio spots; video interview with Italian director uggero Deodato; production stills; and audio commentary with Mario Bava expert Tim Lucas. The release also arrives with a 22-page illustrated collector’s booklet featuring an essay by critic James Oliver, as well as a reversible sleeve featuring original and newly commissioned artwork by Graham Humphreys. In English or Italian, with optional English or English SDH subtitles. Region-B "locked".

"Only those present the day the spell was invoked have the power to eliminate it..."

Peter Kleist (Antonio Cantafora, The Bitch), a very handsome young man who has recently completed his master’s degree, arrives in Austria to stay with his uncle, Dr. Karl Hummel (Massimo Girotti, Theorem). While relaxing, Peter hopes to visit the castle of Baron Otto von Kleist, his great-grandfather.

Soon after, Peter and his uncle drive to the castle where they meet Mayor Dortmundt (Dieter Tressler, A Walk with Love and Death) and his stunningly beautiful assistant Eva Arnold (Elke Sommer, Sweet Ecstasy), who oversees an expensive restoration campaign whose goal is to transform the place into a big tourist attraction. Eva immediately makes an impression (and with her unusually short miniskirt, it is difficult not to) and Dr. Hummel enthusiastically invites her to have dinner with him, Peter, his wife and daughter. That night, Eva and Peter decide to visit the castle alone and try to bring his infamous great-grandfather back from the dead using a parchment left by a witch. The sequence where they manage to do precisely that is one of the most atmospheric in the entire film.

Before Eva and Peter meet the Baron, he kills a friendly local doctor and a kooky temp worker. The spectacular death of the latter makes it perfectly clear why many moons ago Peter’s great-grandfather was nicknamed Baron Blood.

While the police try to figure out who is responsible for the killings, a wealthy wheelchair-bound man (Joseph Cotten, Citizen Kane) appears and purchases the castle during an auction. The man then reveals that he plans to finish the castle’s restoration so that he looks exactly as it did while the man that built it lived in it.

Based on a story by Vincent Fotre, Mario Bava’s Baron Blood is a handsome Gothic horror film with a distinctive contemporary flavor. Large portions of it look genuinely spooky but it is clear that the film was also meant to appeal to younger viewers that may not have yet fallen in love with the horror genre. The presence of German actress Elke Sommer, who prior to Baron Blood had appeared in a number of very popular European sexy comedies (Le bambole, Les bricoleurs), certainly proves it.

The film is loosely divided into two large acts. The first works better as it slowly builds the tension these types of films typically benefit from. Bava’s use of light and colors here is very effective. The second act isn’t as good. The many close-ups with Sommer’s beautiful eyes, for instance, would have been more appropriate for an entirely different film. Cotten’s performance is also largely unconvincing.

The natural elegance of the Austrian castle, however, infuses the film with a certain atmosphere that makes it well worth seeing. In fact, one could easily argue that the castle is in fact the most important character in the entire film – and Bava certainly knew it as Baron Blood was the one and only film he shot outside of Italy.

Arrow Video’s Blu-ray release contains three different versions of the film: the original English-language export version, which runs at approximately 98 minutes, the shorter AIP version, which runs at approximately 91 minutes, and the Italian-language version, Gli orrori del castello di Norimberga, which runs at approximately 98 minutes. In addition to missing footage found on the export version, the AIP version also replaces Stelvio Cipriani’s soundtrack with a new one courtesy of Les Baxter.

Baron Blood Blu-ray Movie, Video Quality 

Presented in an aspect ratio of 1.74:1, encoded with MPEG-4 AVC and granted a 1080p transfer, Mario Bava's Baron Blood arrives on Blu-ray courtesy of British distributors Arrow Video.

Please note that the screencaptures included with our review appear in the following order:

1. Screencaptures #1-9 are from the longer Export Version.
2. Screencaptures #10-19 are from the shorter AIP Version.

The basics here are intact. Despite the fact that there is some wear and occasionally contrast fluctuates a bit, image depth and clarity are pleasing. Detail and especially shadow definition also fluctuate, but the film has a stable organic look. To be perfectly clear, there are absolutely no problematic post-production degraining or sharpening corrections. Color reproduction is also pleasing, though during select transitions some extremely minor color instability is present. Large debris, cuts, damage marks, and stains have been removed as best as possible. Ultimately, while it is obvious that the film has not undergone an extensive and expensive complete makeover, the final result here is indeed very good. Naturally, I am convinced that anyone looking for a good organic presentation of Baron Blood will be pleased with the high-definition transfer.

The quality of the AIP Version is very similar to that of the Export Version. There are no traces of excessive degraining or sharpening corrections. Color saturation is also virtually identical. There are no large debris, buts, damage marks, or stains.

(Note: This is a Region-B"locked" Blu-ray release. Therefore, you must have a native Region-B or Region-Free PS3 or SA in order to access its content).

Baron Blood Blu-ray Movie, Audio Quality 

There are three audio tracks on this Blu-ray release. The Export Version and the AIP Version come with English LPCM 2.0 tracks, while the Italian-language version, Gli orrori del castello di Norimberga, comes with an Italian LPCM 2.0 track. The Export Version and the AIP Version also come with optional English SDH subtitles, while the Italian version comes with optional English subtitles.

The English LPCM 2.0 tracks are fairly similar. Overall dynamic intensity is limited, but this should not be surprising considering how and under what conditions Baron Blood was shot. Obviously, the use of different soundtracks for the two versions -- the AIP version replaces Stelvio Cipriani's soundtrack with a new one courtesy of Les Baxter -- introduces some minor discrepancies in terms of balance, but the clarity and depth are indeed very similar. The dialog is stable, but some sporadic thinning, without annoying distortions, is occasionally present. Some light background hiss can also be felt but it never becomes distracting.

Baron Blood Blu-ray Movie, Special Features and Extras 

• AIP Version - the shorter AIP version of Baron Blood with an alternative score by Les Baxter. In English, with optional English SDH subtitles. (91 min, 1080p).

• Gli orrori del castello di Norimberga - the Italian version of Baron Blood, with Italian opening and closing credits. In Italian, with optional English subtitles. (98 min, 1080p).

• Introduction - a short introduction to Mario Bava's Baron Blood by journalist and Italian horror expert Alan Jones. (4 min).

• English Trailer - original English-language trailer for Baron Blood. In English, not subtitled. (3 min).

• Italian Trailer - original Italian-language trailer for Baron Blood. In Italian, with optional English subtitles. (4 min).

• Radio Spots - three English-language radio spots for the AIP version of Baron Blood. (2 min).

• Bava at Work - a collection of stills from the shooting of Baron Blood. (1080p).

• Ruggero Deodato Interview - in this video interview, legendary Italian director Ruggero Deodato (Cannibal Holocaust, House on the Edge of the Park) talks about his admiration for Mario Bava's work and discusses some of his unique qualities. Mr. Deodato also explains how the Italian film industry has changed during the years. In Italian, with imposed English subtitles. (12 min).

• Audio Commentary - this is the same very informative audio commentary with Mario Bava expert Tim Lucas which has appeared on previous DVD releases of the film, as well as on the Kino Video Blu-ray release of the film.

• Cover art - reversible sleeve featuring original and newly commissioned artwork by Graham Humphreys.

• Booklet - 22-page collector's booklet featuring critic James Oliver's essay "Gothic Revival: A Reappraisal of Baron Blood, illustrated with original archive stills and posters

Baron Blood Blu-ray Movie, Overall Score and Recommendation 

It is easy to tell when a company cares. Like the Blu-ray release of Mario Bava's Black Sunday, this new release of the Italian director's Baron Blood is a labor of love. A simple look at the booklet that is included with it tells the whole story. I really cannot wait to see all the great releases Arrow Video have already announced, because there is absolutely no doubt in my mind that they will be special. Buy with confidence, folks. HIGHLY RECOMMENDED.