Rating summary

Movie		4.0
Video		5.0
Audio		5.0
Extras		3.0
Overall		4.5

In the Folds of the Flesh Blu-ray Movie Review

Reviewed by Dr. Svet Atanasov January 26, 2023

Sergio Bergonzelli's "In the Folds of the Flesh" (1970) arrives on Blu-ray courtesy of Mondo Macabro. The supplemental features on the release include exclusive new audio commentary by critic Samm Deighan; archival program that examines the legacy and style of director Sergio Bergonzelli; and newly restored original trailers for the film. In English or Italian, with optional English subtitles. Regen-Free.

When some years ago Severin Films released Sergio Bergonzelli’s thriller In the Folds of the Flesh on DVD, there were speculations that it should have been presented in Italian rather than in English. Now that In the Folds of the Flesh is available on Blu-ray -- in English and Italian -- I would like to clarify which of its two audio tracks should be considered its original audio track. The original audio track was always the English audio track. However, because In the Folds of the Flesh was an Italian-Spanish co-production, an Italian track was created as well. This was standard practice for virtually all Italian genre films that were shot in Italy during the late 1960s, 1970s, and beyond. The English track features rather exotic overdubbing, but at the time this is how English tracks were done in Italy, too. Also, even when native English speakers delivered their lines in English, they were routinely overdubbed. In In the Folds of the Flesh, most actors deliver their lines in English and were overdubbed.

In the Folds of the Flesh comes from what was unquestionably the most exciting period for Italian genre films -- the early 1970s. It is not one of the best such films to emerge from the period, but it is one of the twistiest. It is why I think that it deserves to be placed next to Romolo Guerrieri’s The Sweet Body of Deborah (1968) and Lucio Fulci’s Perversion Story (1969), both equally twisty but much better-known films.

In addition to being a very twisty film, In the Folds of the Flesh is a seriously whacky film, which is why you would often see it mentioned on lists that group much darker than The Sweet Body of Deborah and Perversion Story horror films. But this is a rather unfortunate categorization because it omits something crucial, which is that In the Folds of the Flesh has a very dark sense of humor. The same sense of humor is present in The Sweet Body of Deborah and Perversion Story as well, but it is managed differently and kept in the shadow of the suspense. In the Folds of the Flesh does the exact opposite -- it allows its dark sense of humor to take over the suspense and ultimately shape its identity. This is what makes In the Folds of the Flesh a whacky film.

Two-thirds of In the Folds of the Flesh are set in a posh Italian villa by the ocean where Lucille (Eleonora Rossi Drago), her daughter, Falesse (Pier Angeli), and son, Andre (Alfredo Mayo), are living with a dark secret. Rape, murder, and revenge are at the heart of the secret, which is part of a much bigger story that is being told in uneven episodes. In each episode, Lucille, Falesse, and Andrew welcome a visitor that reveals bits of their past that are supposed to help understand the origin of the secret, but this is virtually impossible until the very end. Indeed, Bergonzelli keeps rearranging these bits in such ridiculous ways that the big story simply would not make sense at the beginning of In the Folds of the Flesh.

But this is precisely what makes In the Folds of the Flesh very, very entertaining. It is a whacky film that gets whackier by the minute and eventually completely rejects conventional logic. However, instead of revealing the nature of its deceiving game, like many Italian genre films from the same era do, In the Folds of the Flesh retains a personality that would have been appropriate for one of those famous classic thrillers Alfred Hitchcock directed. It is truly amusing.

The acting is so bad it is brilliant. Drago’s performance for instance is utterly incompatible with that of the rest of the cast but oddly enough it feels perfect. Angeli and Mayo routinely create the impression that they are under the influence of recreational drugs. It is the great Spanish actor Fernando Sancho, however, that steals the spotlight with a genuine over-the-top performance that makes it impossible not to declare In the Folds of the Flesh a cult film.

In the Folds of the Flesh 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, In the Folds of the Flesh arrives on Blu-ray courtesy of Mondo Macabro.

The release is sourced from a stunning new 2K master. I have an old R1 DVD release of this film in my library and have to say that the new 2K makeover is so impressive I decided not to waste any time doing direct comparisons. As soon as I placed the Blu-ray disc in my player and saw the film's opening sequence, I knew that the entire presentation would be outstanding. Delineation, depth, and clarity are spectacular. There are a few minor density fluctuations that a similar 4K master will tighten up, but the overall quality of the visuals is still excellent. Also, the party that graded the new 2K master did an outstanding job. I liked everything that I saw. All primaries and supporting nuances are wonderfully saturated and look very, very healthy. Color balance is spot on as well. I assume that someone had a very good reference source because I genuinely do not believe that color reproduction could be any better in 1080p. There are no traces of problematic digital corrections. The film looks clean as well. To sum it all up, the 2K master that was prepared for In the Folds of the Flesh is wonderful, so hopefully, Mondo Macabro will use the party that worked on it for future projects as well. (Note: This is a Region-Free Blu-ray release. Therefore, you will be able to play it on your player regardless of your geographical location).

In the Folds of the Flesh 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 Mater Audio 2.0. Optional English subtitles are provided only for the Italian track.

I viewed the entire film with the English track, which should be considered its original track. It is most definitely thinner than the Italian track, but this is how the overdubbing was completed. While age is a factor, aging is not responsible for the thinning and some of the unevenness you will hear. Also, there is some extremely light background hiss that occasionally makes its presence felt, but I am quite certain that virtually all of it was inherited. Dynamic intensity will not impress you, but this is also an inherited limitation. There are no audio dropouts, pops, or distortions to report in our review. My score is 4.75/5.00.

In the Folds of the Flesh Blu-ray Movie, Special Features and Extras 

• Trailer One - presented here is a vintage international trailer for In the Folds of the Flesh. Newly restored. In English, not subtitled. (4 min).

• Trailer Two - presented here is a vintage Italian trailer for In the Folds of the Flesh. Newly restored. In Italian, with English subtitles. (4 min).

• In the Folds of Sergio Bergonzelli - this excellent archival program focuses on the legacy and style of director Sergio Bergonzelli. Included in it are clips from interviews with director and writer Mario Caiano, director Corrado Colombo, producer Attilio Perillo, and Sergio Bergonzelli, amongst others. In Italian, with English subtitles. (23 min).

• Commentary - this exclusive new audio commentary was recorded by critic Samm Deighan.

In the Folds of the Flesh Blu-ray Movie, Overall Score and Recommendation 

If you approach Sergio Bergonzelli's In the Folds of the Flesh expecting that it would be the unusual giallo or horror film some critics have described in the past, your viewing experience with it almost certainly will turn out to be disappointing. In the Folds of the Flesh is a genuinely whacky film of the kind that a big director like Marco Ferreri would have loved to make. Why? Because the strange and macabre that define its suspense are overshadowed by a very dark sense of humor like the one that routinely appeared in Ferreri's films. However, because In the Folds of the Flesh lacks the thought-provoking satire of Ferreri's films, it feels right to place it next to the likes of Romolo Guerrieri's The Sweet Body of Deborah and Lucio Fulci's Perversion Story. Mondo Macabro's Blu-ray release is sourced from a gorgeous new 2K master and is Region-Free. VERY HIGHLY RECOMMENDED.