Rating summary

Movie		4.0
Video		4.5
Audio		5.0
Extras		3.5
Overall		4.0

Paranoia Blu-ray Movie Review

Reviewed by Dr. Svet Atanasov February 10, 2020

Umberto Lenzi's "Paranoia" (1970) arrives on Blu-ray courtesy of British distributors 88 Films. The supplemental features on the disc include an exclusive audio commentary by author and critic Troy Howarth; deleted scenes; alternate sequence; and archival video interview with the director. In English or Italian, with optional English subtitles for the main feature. Region-Free.

I wish to mention a few things about the title of Umberto Lenzi’s film and why it has always been, and almost certainly will remain, a bit confusing. So, this particular film has been marketed and sold with two different English titles, Paranoia and A Quiet Place to Kill. However, the former has also been used to market and sell another Lenzi thriller titled Orgazmo, which was released a year earlier. Because Carroll Baker is in both films, Paranoia was frequently but incorrectly used to identify two completely different films. Here’s the correct order of appearance for these films: the first film, Orgazmo a.k.a. Paranoia, was released in 1969, while the second film, Paranoia a.k.a. A Quiet Place to Kill, was released in 1970. Finally, approximately a year before A Quiet Place to Kill, Romolo Guerrieri united Baker and Jean Sorel for another thriller titled The Sweet Body of Deborah, and in this film the two actually play characters that are in a relationship that is as twisted as the one their characters have in Lenzi’s film. Released in 1968, The Sweet Body of Deborah is arguably the best of the bunch.

While testing a brand new car, race driver Helen (Baker) nearly dies in a very serious accident. After she recovers a friend picks her up from the hospital, but on the way to his place she ditches him and instead ends up at the posh beach mansion of her ex-husband, Maurice (Sorel). Over the course of a few days Helen is befriended by Maurice’s very wealthy but frustrated wife, Constance (Anna Proclemer), who then asks her if she would be willing to help her get rid of him. At first the stunned Helen refuses to even consider the offer, but then changes her mind and together with Susan picks the perfect day for Maurice’s death.

But when at the crucial moment Helen hesitates, and instead of Maurice it is Constance that ends up with a large rock around her neck, the perfect day instantly becomes the perfect nightmare. The unplanned situation then forces Maurice and Helen to become partners and the two go to work to sell Constance’s death as an awful accident. All of Maurice and Constance’s mutual friends accept the official story about the accident, and it begins to look like the heartbroken widower and his ex-wife might be able to rekindle their relationship with the money he has inherited, but when Constance’s teenage daughter, Susan (Marina Coffa), unexpectedly appears at the mansion and begins questioning their sincerity, the two reluctant accomplices are forced to begin improvising. In the ensuing chaos, old issues reemerge and further complicate their game.

Lenzi’s Paranoia is as much of a traditional giallo as Radley Metzger’s Camille 2000 is a straightforward erotic film, so anyone expecting a great deal of juicy European genre fun will almost certainly have an underwhelming experience with it. Indeed, much like Metzger’s film, Lenzi’s film takes its glamour very seriously and does a lot to appeal to what back in the early 1970s was considered the ‘general public’. Naturally, the film does not offer the ‘classic’ type of exotic and over-the-top visual material that flourished in similar genre films a bit later in the decade.

On the other hand, Lenzi does give the film a cheeky personality that infuses enough ambiguity to make certain parts of it appear either more exotic or naughtier than they really are, and this is essentially what makes it charming. So, the end product is a lot like a cinematic adaptation of an unknown Agatha Christie novel which trades the conventional splash of humor for looser and darker European thrills.

Baker and Sorel look quite good together, but the sizzling chemistry their characters enjoy in Guerrieri’s The Sweet Body of Deborah isn’t replicated here. Obviously, the script demands different character arcs and the ambience cannot be the same, but because Lenzi and Guerrieri’s films were made at approximately the same time it is impossible not to compare their performances.

The film benefits greatly from a trendy soundtrack composed by Gregorio García Segura and conducted by Pierro Umiliani. Also used is a wonderful recording of Shirley Harmer singing “You”.

Paranoia Blu-ray Movie, Video Quality 

Presented in its original aspect ratio of 2.35:1, encoded with MPEG-4 AVC and granted a 1080p transfer, Paranoia arrives on Blu-ray courtesy of 88 Films.

The initial press details indicated that the release is sourced from a new 2K master that was reportedly struck from the OCN, but there was some confusion with the actual details for the film. Well, the confusion is completely irrelevant now because this film looks gorgeous in high-definition and the party that remastered it actually needs to be congratulated for the very solid work.

I liked pretty much everything that I saw on my system. Excluding a few indoor/nighttime sequences where I think that some of the smaller nuances should be better exposed and defined, mostly because the blacks appear just a tad too strong, the rest really looks great. Where there is proper lighting delineation and especially depth are very pleasing, and if you are viewing your films on a larger screen you will be thrilled with the fluidity of the visuals as well. There are no traces of problematic digital work, so grain is always very well exposed, with a solid appearance that instantly makes it obvious that the master is new. Image stability is excellent. I liked the color balance as well. There are healthy ranges of solid primaries, plus the supporting nuances appear nicely calibrated and stable. There are no distracting large debris, cuts, damage marks, stains, warped or torn frames to report. My score is 4.75/5.00. (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. For the record, there is no problematic PAL or 1080/50i content preceding the disc's main menu).

Paranoia 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 Master Audio 2.0. Optional English subtitles are provided for the Italian track. When turned on, they appear inside the image frame.

I viewed the film with the English track, which should be considered the 'original' track as virtually every actor in the film utters his/her lines in English. Obviously, some overdubbing was done, which means that some small unevenness pops up from time to time. But this is completely natural for these types of genre films. The music is clean and nicely balanced with the dialog.

Paranoia Blu-ray Movie, Special Features and Extras 

• Alternate Scenes - two restored alternate scenes. In English, not subtitled. (1 min, 1080p).

• Alternate Sequence - an alternate opening sequence. In English, not subtitled. (3 min, 1080p).

• Imperfect Crime: An Interview with Umberto Lenzi - in this archival interview, director Umberto Lenzi discusses the conception of Paranoia and the confusion that exists between this film and Orgasmo, which is also addressed at the very top of this article. In Italian, with optional English subtitles. (15 min, 1080p).

• Audio Commentary - presented here is a predictably excellent audio commentary by author and critic Troy Howarth, who offers an excellent deconstruction of Paranoia and has plenty of interesting information to share about its production history and the careers of the people that made it. The commentary was recorded exclusively for 88 Films.

• Booklet - a 10-page illustrated booklet featuring Rachael Nisbet's essay "Paranoia: The Art of Duplicity" and credits.

• Cover - a reversible cover with vintage poster art.

Paranoia Blu-ray Movie, Overall Score and Recommendation 

The other Paranoia film with Lou Castel that Umberto Lenzi directed is even more stylish, and it is the one that I initially expected to see on Blu-ray. However, this film is still very beautiful and one that Carroll Baker fans should not miss. This particular period, from the late '60s until the mid- '70s, when she appeared in a number of European/Italian productions, I think has some of her most glamorous work. So, I am very encouraged to see Paranoia looking so great on Blu-ray, and I hope that The Sweet Body of Deborah and So Sweet... So Perverse are right around the corner. This new release from 88 Films also features yet another outstanding audio commentary by Troy Howarth. Well done, 88 Films. HIGHLY RECOMMENDED.