5.6 | / 10 |
Users | 4.0 | |
Reviewer | 3.0 | |
Overall | 3.1 |
This tale of torture and vengeance is based on the infamous writings of the Marquis de Sade. A group of photographers and models arrive at an Italian castle owned by a deranged ex-actor who is the reincarnation of the notorious medieval torturer, the Crimson Executioner. When he discovers that his ex-girlfriend is among the group, the enraged madman subjects them to his dungeon of torture...
Starring: Mickey Hargitay, Walter Brandi, Luisa Baratto, Rita Klein, Alfredo RizzoHorror | 100% |
Video codec: MPEG-4 AVC
Video resolution: 1080p
Aspect ratio: 1.85:1
Original aspect ratio: 1.85:1
English: DTS-HD Master Audio 2.0 Mono (48kHz, 24-bit)
Italian: DTS-HD Master Audio 2.0 Mono (48kHz, 24-bit)
English, English SDH
Blu-ray Disc
Single disc (1 BD)
Slipcover in original pressing
Region A, B (C untested)
Movie | 3.0 | |
Video | 4.5 | |
Audio | 4.0 | |
Extras | 2.0 | |
Overall | 3.0 |
Mickey Hargitay never seemed to achieve the same level as superstardom that his wife Jayne Mansfield did, but for those curious about him due to his connection to either Mansfield or their daughter Mariska, Bloody Pit of Horror might provide a decent opportunity to see him, albeit in a goofy film that seems to be one part kinda sorta Luchador flavored, and one part Independent International inspired, at least with regard to its title, which frankly sounds like it could have sprung from the febrile imagination of one Sam Sherman. As commentators David DeCoteau and David Del Valle get into in their fun (and often quite funny) discussion, it may help to understand a bit of the cultural context of the setup, which involves a bunch of people arriving at a supposedly abandoned castle in order to shoot still photographs for what the commentary describes as an Italian staple of the day, "comic books" which were more like "photographic graphic novels", if that isn't one too many "graphics". As the two Davids kind of jokingly refer to, why exactly these people haven't figured out that the castle isn't abandoned is anyone's guess, but as they mention with regard to a famous Hitchcock comment, "It's only a movie". This is an unabashedly goofy movie it must also be said, but it's quite a bit of fun, and Severin has provided a perhaps surprisingly great looking transfer of a cult item that my hunch is relatively few folks will have even heard of.
Bloody Pit of Horror is presented on Blu-ray courtesy of Severin Films with an AVC encoded 1080p transfer in 1.85:1. The back cover of the keepcase insert states with a bit of hyperbolic fervor that this has been "scanned in eye stabbingly stunning 2K from the original uncut negative recently discovered in a Rome lab vault" while also stating that this is "the worldwide Blu-ray premiere" of the film. Truth be told that aside and apart from any marketing verbiage, this is an often gorgeous looking transfer from both a palette and detail level standpoint. The Hammer- esque reds are incredibly vibrant and some really kind of luxe costumes, including an evocative purple caftan type thing Hargitay wears pop extremely well. There are some brief passing moments where things look just slightly faded and flesh tones can assume a bit of a brown look, but those are the exceptions rather than the rule. An organic looking presentation features a nicely resolved grain field and generally excellent detail levels, though again like the palette, there are a couple of brief, intermittent downturns especially in some of the most dimly lit material.
Bloody Pit of Horror features DTS-HD Master Audio 2.0 Mono tracks in either English or Italian. As tends to be the case with Italian productions of this era, you get dubbing and/or post-looping no matter which language you choose, and so as the pundits are want to say "sync can be loose". That said, both mixes sound surprisingly similar in terms of score, effects and overall amplitude, though the dialogue struck my ears as being just slightly more boxy sounding in the Italian version. Either optional English or English SDH subtitles are available depending on which spoken language is chosen.
Commentators David DeCoteau and David Del Valle mention how Bloody Pit of Horror is "perfect drive-in fare", and if taken in that (cultural?) context, it's a goofily enjoyable enterprise that has an almost surreal flavor at times. Severin posits this as "the WTF? performance of [Mickey Hargitay's] career", though truth be told how Hargitay could have offered anything other than a "WTF? performance" given the vagaries of the screenplay is probably a given. This is another little remembered cult film that Severin now offers on Blu-ray with surprisingly strong technical merits (especially video) and a very enjoyable commentary, for those who may be considering making a purchase.
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