Rating summary

Movie		3.0
Video		4.0
Audio		3.5
Extras		4.0
Overall		4.0

Malabimba Blu-ray Movie Review

Reviewed by Brian Orndorf April 7, 2020

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.

During a family gathering inside a remote castle, a séance is attempted to contact a deceased relative, looking for answers concerning a possible crime. Instead of reaching the other side, the other side comes to them, unleashing the wrath of Lucrezia, a malevolent spirit who finds a comfy home inside the body of Bimba (Katell Laennec), an innocent teen girl. While sexual games are played among family members, Bimba’s new boss urges her into areas of perversion that bewilder the household. During this dark time, hope is found with Sister Sofia (Mariangela Giordano), who tries to help Bimba, soon coming under Lucrezia’s evil influence as the ghoul targets the nun’s bedroom curiosity.

Nothing seems out of the ordinary during the opening of “Malabimba,” which surveys the efforts of the family to reach into the beyond through parlor magic, hoping to tap into something illuminating, putting to rest age-old questions concerning a murdered ancestor. What they get is a phantom, and one looking for a warm place to hide, launching the feature as a traditional possession story, with Lucrezia finding a home inside Bimba. The young victim is meant to represent purity and goodness, but this being an exploitation movie, she’s a teenager who sleeps in a sheer top, while the rest of the endeavor is basically a checklist of corruption for the character as she’s puppeted into awkward situations featuring loved ones. Bimba makes moves on her immediate family, with Lucrezia delighting in the perversion she’s permitted to indulge, leading to one especially eye-opening encounter between the teen and her physically disabled uncle during a late night invasion of his bedroom.

Of course, it’s not only Bimba who’s trying to make trouble around the castle, with “Malabimba” using sexual frustration to explore forbidden pairings, giving the production a chance to showcase softcore scenes of lust, exploring strange balances of power and panic. Occasionally, the rubbing and kissing turns hardcore, with random scenes of penetration ratcheting up the intensity of the feature, also encouraging its cult movie potential, giving it wild viewing potential for a party setting. Also prominent in the film is masturbation, keeping Bimba busy with her hands (and a stuffed Santa toy) as Lucrezia explores her new body. “Malabimba” gets very graphic at times, with enough vaginal close-ups to make Larry Flynt blush. There’s little denied here, with Bianchi striving to make a sweaty take on demonic possession, getting away with small moments of exposure, while the producers take care of the rest, giving the picture jolts of direct penetration.

Malabimba Blu-ray Movie, Video Quality 

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.

Malabimba Blu-ray Movie, Audio Quality 

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.

Malabimba Blu-ray Movie, Special Features and Extras 

• Commentary features film historians Samm Deighan, Heather Drain, and Kat Ellinger.

• Interview (16:55, SD) is a 2007 conversation with cinematographer Franco Villa and actress Mariangela Giordano. While they're recorded separately, both participants seem slightly bewildered to be discussing "Malabimba" decades after its initial release. Villa explores the state of the Italian film industry at the time of production, his use of the Balsorano's Castle location, the sexual content of the material, and his resignation with the hardcore shots that were added to the feature by the producer without anyone's consent. He refers to the effort as a "dignified piece of work," which is an incredibly strange statement to share. Giordano is a bit more candid about her time on "Malabimba," initially drawn to the part of a nun, giving her an acting challenge. She discusses her time inside the castle, working around incredible amounts of mold that were whipped into the air by fans, leaving her deathly ill. However, she remains positive about director Andrea Bianchi, only to share an anecdote about his abusive behavior towards actress Katell Laennec. Co-stars are assessed, the iffy mental state of one particular crew member is recalled, and the whole issue of nudity is inspected, with the interviewee admitting she wouldn't have a career without it.

• German Promotional Still Gallery (1:23) collects nude images from "Malabimba."

• And a Theatrical Trailer (4:08, SD) is included.

Malabimba Blu-ray Movie, Overall Score and Recommendation 

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.