7.4 | / 10 |
Users | 0.0 | |
Reviewer | 4.0 | |
Overall | 4.0 |
Francesco Dellamorte Dellamore is the watchman at the Buffalora Cemetery, where the dead rise within seven nights of their last breath. Dellamorte has learned that the only way to stop them is to split their heads open; a spade works, but dumdum bullets work even better, and he casually uses whatever is at hand. Putting the dead back to rest is, he feels, a public service. One day, Dellamorte falls deeply in love with a mourner—a young woman burying her elderly but sexually tireless husband. When Dellamorte and the woman make love on her husband's grave, the earth moves... But when she dies, can Dellamorte kill her again when she inevitably rises? When eight motorcyclists, including the mayor's daughter, are killed on the highway, will Dellamorte be able to handle all the work... twice?
Starring: Rupert Everett, François Hadji-Lazaro, Anna Falchi, Mickey Knox, Fabiana FormicaHorror | 100% |
Foreign | 41% |
Comic book | Insignificant |
Comedy | Insignificant |
Romance | Insignificant |
Video codec: MPEG-4 AVC
Video resolution: 1080p
Aspect ratio: 1.67:1
Original aspect ratio: 1.66:1
English: Dolby Atmos
English: Dolby TrueHD 7.1 (48kHz, 24-bit)
English: DTS-HD Master Audio 5.1
English: DTS-HD Master Audio 2.0
Italian: Dolby Digital 2.0
English, English SDH
Blu-ray Disc
Single disc (1 BD)
Region A (C untested)
Movie | 4.0 | |
Video | 4.5 | |
Audio | 4.5 | |
Extras | 4.0 | |
Overall | 4.0 |
Some of you may remember the rather provocative ending of the long running medical series St. Elsewhere, where it was at least implied that the entire show had been the figment of an autistic child transfixed by a toy snow globe with a hospital inside it. Without posting overt spoilers, let's just say that this film both begins with and then has a similarly baffling windup which rather improbably again features characters in a snow globe, though whose snow globe it may be in this case, or at least how it really pertains to the story, may be something of a mystery. Cemetery Man bears the on screen title Dellamorte Dellamore, which is the same title of the source novel by Tiziano Sclavi that at least partially inspired it (other inspiration was drawn from a Sclavi horror comic which was itself adapted as Dylan Dog: Dead of Night ). Though Dylan Dog was ultimately picked up for an English language version by a publishing house that's actually in my very neck of the woods, Dark Horse (located in a suburb of my hometown Portland called Milwaukie), I've never read an issue and it doesn't look like the novel version of Dellamorte Dellamore has even been translated into English as of the writing of this review, and so I can't authoritatively state whether Sclavi's original formulation contains some of the peculiarities of Gianni Romoli's screenplay, but suffice it to say an enigmatic wrap up featuring a snow globe is just one oddity in a film virtually stuffed full of oddities.
Cemetery Man is presented on Blu-ray courtesy of Severin Films with an AVC encoded 1080p transfer in 1.67:1, The back cover states this is "a Soavi approved 4K scan from the Cinecitta negative". This 1080 transfer offers secure detail levels when opticals don't intrude, and fine detail on things like sets, props and costumes in some of the brightly lit outdoor material in particular is outstanding. Grain is pretty widely variable for a number of reasons. The film is full of old style composited effects, and grain understandably spikes, sometimes quite aggressively, during many of these sequences, (something that tends to be only more noticeable with the increased resolution of Severin's 4K UHD version, which may actually make this 1080 presentation preferable to some). While there are some ebbs and flows in both the density and overall color temperature departments, on the whole things are beautifully suffused and rather evocative looking a lot of the time. There are a few noticeably rough moments in passing, including a kitchen scene shortly after the 50 minute mark that has somewhat degraded visuals.
Cemetery Man features a nice array of audio options, including Dolby Atmos, DTS-HD Master Audio 5.1, DTS-HD Master Audio 2.0, all in English, as well as a Dolby Digital 2.0 rendering in Italian. There's frankly not a whale of a lot of difference between the Atmos and DTS-HD Master Audio 5.1 tracks, but you can hear occasional slight mixing and/or channelization variations, as in the very early knock on Francesco's door by one of the pesky walking dead types. Surround activity is best in some of the effects sequences, including the daffy lovemaking scene in the cemetery and, later, a lot of the equally daffy stuff with Valentina's head. The energetic scene leading up to the demise of Valentina and several other characters also offers some good engagement of the surround channels. Dialogue is rendered cleanly and clearly throughout. Optional English subtitles are available.
Note: For those with a 4K system or who might be otherwise interested, Severin released a website
exclusive release that contains another bonus 1080 disc as well as a soundtrack CD.
4K UHD Disc
Michele Soavi is often "summarized" vis a vis his relationship with other filmmakers like Dario Argento, but Cemetery Man proves what a stylish helmsman he was himself. This is one of my favorite performances by Rupert Everett, who either wittingly or unwittingly comes off to me personally almost as self parodying at times. The fact that this character in its original graphic novel form was evidently based on Everett (appearance wise) gives this enterprise a fun "meta" aspect as well. The story is outré to the point of reaching flat out gonzo levels by the time that aforementioned snow globe shows up to bookend things. Technical merits are solid and the supplements very enjoyable. Recommended.
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