6.3 | / 10 |
Users | 0.0 | |
Reviewer | 2.0 | |
Overall | 2.0 |
While staying at a Venetian palace, a vampire scholar comes face to face with the renowned Nosferatu.
Starring: Klaus Kinski, Barbara De Rossi, Yorgo Voyagis, Elvire Audray, Giuseppe MannajuoloHorror | 100% |
Foreign | 62% |
Thriller | Insignificant |
Video codec: MPEG-4 AVC
Video resolution: 1080p
Aspect ratio: 1.85:1
Original aspect ratio: 1.85:1
English: DTS-HD Master Audio 2.0 Mono (48kHz, 24-bit)
Italian: DTS-HD Master Audio 2.0 Mono (48kHz, 24-bit)
English, English SDH
Blu-ray Disc
Single disc (1 BD)
Slipcover in original pressing
Region A (B, C untested)
Movie | 2.0 | |
Video | 4.0 | |
Audio | 4.0 | |
Extras | 2.5 | |
Overall | 2.0 |
If a rose by any other name would still smell as sweet, chances are Nosferatu in Venice by any of its many other release names
would still smell as — well, you choose whatever non-sweet adjective suits your fancy. Known globally under a somewhat humorous
array of titles (the credits of the film actually utilize Vampires* in Venice rather than the name on the cover of the release), this film was
evidently a tortured production that saw star Klaus Kinski at his most irascible, to the point that he reportedly was forced to apologize to the entire
crew after one of his frequent tirades before the crew would return to their posts. This is one of those films where the actual movie is “problematic”
(which may be putting it charitably), but where all the backstage drama is so undeniably fascinating that, for some, anyway, it may be a “must
see”. As is expansively documented in the feature length documentary about Kinski’s final years included on this disc as a supplemental feature,
the actor had gone so far off the rails by this point in his life and career that he was in every traditional sense uncontrollable. There are numerous
interviews in the documentary with a number of people who worked with him during this period, and while at least some of them mention Kinski’s
evident charm and intelligence, a number of others compare working with him to some kind of living hell, with at least one of them stating he
would never collaborate with Kinski again (if “collaboration” was ever possible to begin with) even if torture were involved. At some point, Italian
film impresario Augusto Camanito had the bright (?) idea to produce a sequel to Werner Herzog’s Nosferatu the Vampyre, and perhaps against considerable odds he
somehow managed to land Kinski in one of the actor’s signature roles for the follow up. While it’s perhaps arguable that the relative proximity of
their production dates meant that Camanito hadn’t yet heard of Kinski’s outbursts on Cobra Verde, the 1987 film that proved to be his last with Herzog, hindsight makes it clear that Kinski’s increasingly
irrational and neurotic (if not outright psychotic) behavior was spiraling down some kind of disastrous drain, and with that kind of retrospective
perspective, it becomes almost inevitably clear that Nosferatu in Venice was most likely doomed from the get go. The final film is an odd
mishmash of story elements and even acting styles, but it has a certain moodiness that helps it elide some of its manifest issues, and Kinski is, for
better or worse, a force of nature to be reckoned with.
* Note: Yes, plural, though the film was evidently also released as the more singular Vampire in Venice.
Nosferatu in Venice is presented on Blu-ray courtesy of Severin Films with an AVC encoded 1080p transfer in 1.85:1. Both the back cover of this release as well as a press sheet accompanying the disc state this was "scanned in 2K from the original negative". This is by and large a nice looking, and at times rather impressive, transfer, especially in more brightly lit moments, where the palette really pops with a good deal of authority and detail levels are consistently appealing. There are quite a few optical dissolves and double exposures in the film, and kind of surprisingly detail levels can remain relatively high in those as well, though you can often see a degradation in dissolves in particular. There is one very unfortunate hair that almost looks like a caterpillar smack dab in the middle of the frame during the credits, but otherwise damage and other age related wear and tear is at a minimum. Grain can be pretty thick at times, though again perhaps surprisingly, it's not always dependent upon how dark scenes are. There are some admittedly dim but not shrouded scenes, like the first scene between Plummer and Pleasance, that are pretty gritty looking, but other really dark moments can reveal a more finely resolved grain field. Sometimes there's a slightly pixellated purplish quality to the grain that can be spotted in some of the darker screenshots accompanying this review. My score is 4.25.
Nosferatu in Venice features DTS-HD Master Audio 2.0 Mono tracks in English and Italian. The English language track has noticeably higher amplitude and better dynamic range, but there are still a few oddities which I'm frankly tracing to the source. One example is in some of the dialogue, as in the supposedly outdoor material underlying the credits, or even Plummer's first voiceover, both of which sound pretty "wet" and reverberant, as if things are emanating from an echo chamber. Other dialogue material sounds more natural. There are some editing choices in the score that are a bit disjunctive, and some of the cues can sound thin and a bit brash. Optional English and/or English SDH subtitles are available for both the English language and Italian language tracks.
- Nothing Bad Can Happen (1080p; 8:12)
- Gypsies Should Be Played by Real Gypsies! (1080p; 2:28)
This is one of those releases where the actual film may be lackluster, or at least problematic, but where the backstage stories are so over the top that you kind of want to see it, anyway. Severin has done fans of Kinski and the film a major service by providing the really excellent documentary charting Kinski's final years. Technical merits are generally solid for those who are considering a purchase.
La notte dei diavoli
1972
La morte vivante
1982
1971
La fiancée de Dracula
2002
Solamente nero
1978
Limited Edition | La noche de Walpurgis / Werewolf Shadow / Werewolf and the Vampire Woman / Werewolf vs. the Vampire Woman | Slipcover in Original Pressing
1971
The Mask of Satan / La maschera del demonio | The Mario Bava Collection
1960
AIP Cut | 60th Anniversary
1963
Chi l'ha vista morire?
1972
La perversa caricia de Satán
1976
Descanse en piezas
1987
El retorno del hombre lobo
1981
El gran amor del conde Drácula / Cemetery Girls / Dracula's Virgin Lovers / The Great Love of Count Dracula
1973
L'amante del vampiro
1960
呪いの館 血を吸う眼 / Noroi no yakata: Chi o suu me
1971
La orgía nocturna de los vampiros
1974
幽霊屋敷の恐怖 血を吸う人形 / Chi o suu ningyô
1970
Malenka / Malenka, the Niece of the Vampire / Malenka, the Vampire / The Vampire's Niece
1969
Hannah, Queen of the Vampires / Young Hannah, Queen of the Vampires / Young Hannah
1973
La novia ensangrentada
1972