Rating summary

Movie		2.5
Video		3.0
Audio		3.5
Extras		2.5
Overall		2.5

Malatesta's Carnival of Blood Blu-ray Movie Review

Reviewed by Jeffrey Kauffman April 14, 2016

Note: This film is currently available as part of American Horror Project Vol. 1.

The acronym WEHT is typically utilized to wonder where stars of yesteryear have gotten to, and it may be perfectly applicable to at least a couple of people who show up in the three films included in Arrow Films’ American Horror Project Volume 1. But “what ever happened to” might also be used with regard to the films themselves, for this initial trio of offerings may be relatively little known to even some who consider themselves to be diehard horror fans. The Blu-ray era has been a boon to lovers of horror, with any number of cult items seeing the high definition light of day courtesy of a gaggle of licensors and/or niche labels. Many if not most of those offerings, though, were probably at a somewhat higher level of general public recognition than the three films included in this set, which is not to say that those films were automatically of a higher quality than the three collected here. Arrow nonetheless seems to be well aware that they’re dipping into a stratum of horror films that may be perceived as “lesser” material, but each of these initial three offerings has something unique about it, if only frankly some inherent weirdness.

Do you ever get the idea the universe is trying to tell you something? I’m not sure what the universe is trying to tell me, but evidently it has something to do with nightmare visions of Hervé Villechaize, at least as evidenced by my recent reviewing duties which have included not just Malatesta’s Carnival of Blood, but the equally outré Forbidden Zone. It’s probably no coincidence that Malatesta’s Carnival of Blood’s title is reminiscent of another horror film based in a (largely) abandoned amusement park, 1962’s Carnival of Souls , which utilized the decrepit Saltair facility which was once a huge tourist attraction on the shores of the Great Salt Lake. (As someone who grew up in Salt Lake City, I can tell you from personal experience the “shores of the Great Salt Lake”, one of the dirtiest, grimiest and most insect infested places I've ever been to, are hardly a place for typically enjoyable tourist activities.) Here, the film utilizes what was even back in 1973 a decaying amusement park in Philadelphia, something that gives the film a kind of intentionally shabby and low rent ambience.

Malatesta’s Carnival of Blood’s narrative is intentionally discursive, something commentator Richard Harland Smith refers to as a kind of “boolean strip” that folds back on itself. The basic plot involves the Norris family, young daughter Vena (Janina Carazo) and her parents (Paul Hostetler and Betsy Henn), who have taken employment at the dilapidated amusement park. They’re not there just for the questionable paycheck, but because they assume their long missing son and brother Lucky (Sebastian Stuart) may have in fact been unlucky around the park, something they mean to investigate. Vena is befriended by Tunnel of Love worker Kit (Chris Thomas), who warns her that local lore alleges several deaths have occurred at the carnival. Kit in fact seems to witness the after effects of one such murder, something that in turn leads him into a weird, almost organic, cavelike edifice that virtually resembles a crystalline womb.

Meanwhile the Norrises are more than a little suspicious about the park’s manager, the curiously named Mr. Blood (Jerome Dempsey). Blood isn’t the only odd one working around the park; there’s also the ghoul like Sticker (William Preston), ostensibly the groundskeeper but someone who disposes of more than mere trash. The park is also filled with actual ghouls, as is soon enough detailed, including a trio who burst into song during one unforgettable scene featuring the exsanguination of a hapless victim and an ensuing feast of sorts.

There’s an almost charmingly endearing ineptitude about Malatesta’s Carnival of Blood which will help it to overcome some of its clunkier aspects, at least for certain viewers who are willing to cut the film a little (or maybe more than a little) slack. Performances range from decent to barely tolerable, and the production expertise is questionable at best. Almost comical framings often either mask what’s happening (check out screenshot 7, where a tree blocks the chief character in the scene), or in fact don't seem to know where the action is taking place, and the “special effects” are, well, not all that special. But the sheer goofiness of Malatesta’s Carnival of Blood is one of its best attributes. The film seems to suggest, in true showbiz fashion, that the performance must go on, no matter what obstacles may arise.

Malatesta's Carnival of Blood Blu-ray Movie, Video Quality 

Malatesta's Carnival of Blood is presented on Blu-ray courtesy of Arrow Video with an AVC encoded 1080p transfer in 1.85:1. The booklet accompanying American Horror Project Vol. 1 offers the following information about the provenance of the elements used for the transfer and the transfer itself:

The director's own 35mm reference print was scanned in 2K resolution at OCN Digital, USA. Kodak Digital Ice was used to remove instances of dirt and debris during scanning. Grading was performed on the Baselight grading system at Deluxe Restoration, London. Thousands of instances of dirt, debris, light scratches and other forms of film damage were removed or improved through a combination of digital restoration tools.

This is the least pleasing looking transfer of the three in the American Horror Project Vol. 1 set, with some pretty bad damage which not even restorative efforts have been able to ameliorate. Along with typical signs of aging like nicks, dirt and debris, there are some pretty serious and recurrent scratches, often with a green tint, that tend to travel the entire vertical height of the frame, often to the right (see screenshot 8). Colors have faded, with reds skewing toward orange, and shadow detail is often pretty murky, part of what is generally a kind of (understandably) "dupey" look. Contrast and brightness are somewhat variable, with some overly bright scenes suffering from a relative lack of detail (see screenshot 2). All of this said, when close-ups are utilized and the scenes take place in brightly lit and/or outdoor environments, the palette looks healthy and detail levels are quite commendable (see screenshot 1). As befits the source elements utilized for this transfer, grain is pretty heavy at times but encounters no resolution or compression problems.

Malatesta's Carnival of Blood Blu-ray Movie, Audio Quality 

Despite its lo-fi ambience, Malatesta's Carnival of Blood's LPCM mono track (sourced directly from the 35mm reference print) is generally pretty spry sounding, though some of the location filming presents minor prioritization problems. The film's musical interludes sound decently bright and clear and while pretty narrow and shallow sounding, the track has no real overt damage to address in this review.

Malatesta's Carnival of Blood Blu-ray Movie, Special Features and Extras 

• Introduction (1080p; 3:41) features Stephen Thrower, curator of the project. This feature is available under the Play menu.


• The Secrets of Malatesta (1080p; 14:06) features director Christopher Speeth.


• Crimson Speak (1080p; 11:49) features writer Werner Liepolt.


• Malatesta's Underground (1080p; 10:10) features art directors Richard Strange and Alan Johnson discussing the bizarre underworld lair in the film.


• Outtakes (1080p; 2:59)


• Gallery (1080p)


• Audio Commentary with Richard Harland Smith

Malatesta's Carnival of Blood Blu-ray Movie, Overall Score and Recommendation 

Any film that features a carnival "ride" which looks like a cross between Audrey II from Little Shop of Horrors and the iconic Rolling Stones image of the tongue and lips has to have something going for it, right? This is one of those patently bizarre offerings that simply needs to be surrendered to and enjoyed (or not) on its own delirious "merits". Video quality is spotty, but audio is fine and the supplements are quite enjoyable. I can't outright recommend this to the public at large, but for those of you with a certain skewed perspective (and you know who you are), Malatesta's Carnival of Blood will provide a unique viewing experience.