6.2 | / 10 |
Users | 0.0 | |
Reviewer | 2.5 | |
Overall | 2.5 |
During a plane trip from Athens to Rome, the young Cristiana, daughter of a prostitute, and her friend Luca, join in for wagering in the eyes of other passengers. Continuing their flight, the plane meets a storm and is about to crash . Terrorized, Christian make a promise: If God comes to her rescue, she will dedicate her life to being a nun.
Starring: Toti Achilli, Magda Konopka, Vassili Karis, Gerardo Rossi, Maria Virginia BenatiForeign | 100% |
Drama | 9% |
Video codec: MPEG-2
Video resolution: 1080p
Aspect ratio: 2.39:1
Original aspect ratio: 2.39:1
English: DTS-HD Master Audio 2.0 Mono (48kHz, 24-bit)
English
Blu-ray Disc
Single disc (1 BD)
Region A (B, C untested)
Movie | 2.5 | |
Video | 3.0 | |
Audio | 3.5 | |
Extras | 2.0 | |
Overall | 2.5 |
Note: This film is available on Blu-ray as part of Nasty Habits: The Nunsploitation Collection.
Maybe just a little hilariously, the film cited in this set in at least a couple of supplements as having started the relatively brief but decidedly
provocative "Nunsploitation"
phase in global (and, notably,
Italian) cinema, Ken
Russell's 1971 The Devils, is as of the writing of this review nowhere to be
seen
on Blu-ray, but niche labels like Severin Films evidently have had little trouble finding all sorts of other films featuring randy women in
wimples
(and, frequently, little else). Two of the films aggregated in this set, Cristiana Devil Nun and Story of a Cloistered Nun, come
from
relatively early in the Nunsploitation craze (at least if one takes The Devils as a starting point), while the other two, Images in a
Convent and The True Story of the Nun of Monza, stem
from 1979 and 1980, when exploitation tastes may have moved on to other peculiar pleasures. Severin has assembled some interesting
supplements
to accompany the films, and the set is housed in a nicely designed slipbox.
Cristiana Devil Nun is presented on Blu-ray courtesy of Severin Films with an MPEG-2 encoded 1080p transfer in 2.39:1 (kind of oddly, two of the films in this set were encoded via MPEG-2, and two via the more commonly used AVC). This release's back cover states this is the "worldwide disc premiere of the Italian and X Rated American versions". The X-rated version, deemed the "main" feature of the disc (an extended Italian version is also included, see the supplements section below) begins with the following information:
The 35 mm print used for this scan is the only known surviving element of the X rated U.S. version.That X rating comes courtesy of a couple of hardcore inserts ("inserts" being a salient term, if you catch my drift), that somewhat hilariously seem to offer the same male body double despite the fact that the two actual scenes feature different performers. While the longer Italian cut comes with its own disclaimer about the condition of the element, I have to say I frankly didn't notice any real difference between the shared footage in the X rated version and the Italian version, which is relevant in terms of the fading that is also on display in the X rated version. Detail levels are still relatively intact, and there doesn't appear to have been any overly aggressive digital tweaking of the source. A few darker moments can look decidedly rougher than the bulk of the presentation (see screenshot 9).
Cristiana Devil Nun features a generally spry sounding English dub in DTS-HD Master Audio 2.0 Mono for the main feature (see the supplements section below for information on the audio offerings of the longer Italian version). While there's a prevalent boxy sound in terms of the dubbed dialogue which can sound occasionally a bit "dry" when compared to the really reverberant effects (listen to the almost phased sound of the jet in the opening, to cite one example), and recurrent background hiss is discernable, dialogue is rendered cleanly and clearly throughout. The film's score includes an enjoyable theme song which sounds full bodied. Optional English subtitles are available.
This presentation is compiled from a rare 35 mm Italian release print - which includes an additional 10 minutes of footage - and the U.S. version. Due to the ungodly conditions under which the Italian print had been stored for 45+ years, there is slight damage and color loss.
This is a typically overheated entry from Bergonzelli, but Achilli is a really gorgeous presence and helps sustain interest, not necessarily limited to when she takes off her clothes (that's a joke, folks). The story might have resonated better as either a flat out comedy or as a more reserved drama, so the wildly uneven tone here may be a bit off putting for some. Video is less than optimal, but not overly problematic, and audio is generally fine as well. The longer Italian cut and video essay are worthwhile supplements, for those who may be considering making a purchase.
(Still not reliable for this title)
Storia di una monaca di clausura
1973
La vera storia della monaca di Monza
1980
Immagini di un convento
1979
Kladivo na čarodějnice / Witches' Hammer / The Witch Hunt
1969
La Casa Sin Fronteras
1972
Schande / Slipcover in Original Pressing
1988
Tore Tanzt / Tipota kako de tha symvei / Rising
2013
I ragazzi del massacro
1969
Hēi tài yáng 731 wán jié piān sǐ wáng liè chē / 黑太陽731完結篇:死亡列車
1994
檻の中の妖精 / Ori no naka no yôsei
1977
Le journal intime d'une nymphomane / Kino Cult #4
1973
Emmanuelle Exposed / Las orgías inconfesables de Emmanuelle
1982
Die Erben
1983
La via della prostituzione
1978
Verano Salvaje
1980
Slipcover in Original Pressing
2019
Beyond Erotica / Lola / No es nada, mamá, sólo un juego
1974
1975
Violent Fire / 実録・安藤昇侠道伝 烈火
2002
Standard Edition
2019