6.1 | / 10 |
Users | 0.0 | |
Reviewer | 4.0 | |
Overall | 4.0 |
After the matriarch of once rich and influential aristocratic Caroli family dies, her nearly bankrupt family decides to hold a seance in their decrepit castle and contact her spirit. Unfortunately, they contact instead the malicious and possibly demonic spirit of their evil, hedonistic and decadent late cousin Lucrezia that, after assaulting and messing a bit with those present at the summoning, ends up possessing the dead woman's virginal teenage daughter Bimba. Bimba suddenly becomes overtly sexual and starts acting out in a completely unhinged, aggressive and sexually provocative manner in front of her family and their guests, all while brutally insulting them. She tries to satisfy her confusing demonic urges with masturbation but quickly moves on to seducing those around her.
Starring: Katell Laennec, Patrizia Webley, Enzo Fisichella, Giuseppe Marrocco, Elisa MainardiHorror | 100% |
Foreign | 69% |
Erotic | 35% |
Drama | Insignificant |
Video codec: MPEG-4 AVC
Video resolution: 1080p
Aspect ratio: 1.85:1
Original aspect ratio: 1.85:1
Italian: DTS-HD Master Audio 2.0 (48kHz, 24-bit)
Italian: Dolby Digital 2.0
Mislabeled as English on the media itself
English
Blu-ray Disc
Two-disc set (1 BD, 1 DVD)
DVD copy
Region A, B (C untested)
Movie | 3.0 | |
Video | 4.0 | |
Audio | 3.5 | |
Extras | 4.0 | |
Overall | 4.0 |
Attempting to participate in the rise of Satanic Panic features born from the success of “The Exorcist,” 1979’s “Malabimba” strives to replicate the same uncomfortable energy as a pure, young soul is corrupted by a special type of evil bent on using and destroying the innocence of its host. The Italian production, directed by Andrea Bianchi (1972’s “Treasure Island,” “Cry of a Prostitute”), isn’t content to remain in a space of physical torment, working to amplify the horror of the situation as wickedness is unleashed inside of a castle. The production aims to go one step further, transforming “Malabimba” into adult entertainment, moving from softcore scenes of taboo temptation to hardcore inserts, aiming to sauce up the viewing experience by adding sexual conquests featuring the hired cast and intermittent views of genital close-ups. The picture is incredibly bizarre, and it’s not entirely clear if Bianchi is even aware of what he’s doing here, commencing the endeavor as a traditional fright film before veering off into a loopy dirty movie.
A note from Vinegar Syndrome opens the "Malabimba" viewing experience, explaining that the rights holder was in charge of the initial scan (2K, from a 16mm original negative), and that the "negative suffered extensive handling damage and was poorly stored." While Vinegar Syndrome worked hard to clean up the image, wear and tear remains during the AVC encoded image (1.85:1 aspect ratio) presentation. While the warning is dire, the disc provides a reasonable look at the screen particulars of "Malabimba," with softer skin surfaces open for study, finding the near-gynecological cinematography holding little back with detail. Costuming retains sheerness, and castle interiors preserve their decoration. Exteriors are passably dimensional. Colors are satisfactory, delivering compelling primaries with clothing, and skintones are natural. Castle tours retain a darker palette, while whites are distinct. Grain is heavy but film-like. The source does have its share of scratches, speckling, and blotches, but such problems are remarkably contained, providing little distraction.
The 2.0 DTS-HD MA sound mix is also hit by source issues, with sections of the presentation sourced from the video release of "Malabimba." The difference is quite obvious, creating an unavoidable disruption whenever it's used, and the feature isn't exactly created with the most care for sonic nuance to begin with. Vinegar Syndrome does what it can, keeping the blunt listening event as clear as possible, and while dialogue exchanges aren't sharp (hitting some fuzziness), they're understood. The same goes for scoring efforts, which lack crispness, but scene emphasis is established, working to support suspense and moments of seduction. Sound effects are simple, keeping up the gothic mood of the highly bizarre endeavor.
The religious aspects of "Malabimba" aren't particularly potent, with Sister Sofia not a force of God, but another actress to disrobe, giving Bimba the ultimate challenge as she tries to seduce a nun. There's no climatic battle of good vs. evil, but something blunt, as the production is more interesting in nudity than narrative resolution. "Malabimba" has many faults, and it's hardly a strong dramatic and technical achievement, but there's ridiculousness that holds interest, and the sleaziness of the thing is often remarkable to behold, with Bianchi and the producers almost willingly to go anywhere to deliver a sordid good time.
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