Rating summary

Movie		3.5
Video		4.5
Audio		4.5
Extras		3.0
Overall		4.0

Queens of Evil Blu-ray Movie Review

Reviewed by Dr. Svet Atanasov March 1, 2021

Tonino Cervi's "Queens of Evil" a.k.a. "La Regine" (1970) arrives on Blu-ray courtesy of Mondo Macabro. The supplemental features on the disc include archival interview with Ray Lovelock; new audio commentary by critics Kat Ellinger and Samm Deighan; alternate scenes; and more. In English or Italian, with optional English subtitles. Region-A "locked".

The curious hippie

A handsome biker, a few beautiful panoramic vistas, some catchy tunes that you can almost remember hearing before. Your mind is already getting ready for a cool road film that will transform the biker into a modern-day cowboy so that he can right all kinds of different wrongs.

But the sun abruptly disappears and the biker enters a pitch-black night that seems perfect for a horror film. Shortly after, he pulls over to help an aging stranger whose fancy car has stopped working. While the biker fixes his car, the stranger begins uttering random statements about the inability of young people to get their priorities right and live their lives as they should. One of his statements even quickly targets the biker, who seems genuinely surprised and unsure if he is expected to respond. While the biker looks away, the stranger approaches his bike, sticks a pocket knife in its front tire and then casually walks back to his car. When he disappears into the night, the biker realizes that he has another problem to fix.

In the nearby forest, the biker discovers an abandoned villa and, while trusting his instincts, decides to spend the night there. Exhausted from his journey, he instantly falls asleep. On the following day, as the sun begins to come out, he is greeted by Liv (Haydee Politoff), and then Samantha (Silvia Monti) and Bibiana (Evelyn Stewart). While having breakfast together, the biker learns that the women are sisters and single, and that they have chosen to live away from the hustle and bustle of the nearest city.

The hospitality of the sisters and especially their seemingly perfect bodies quickly change the biker’s mind and he decides to stay a few days, expecting nothing but hoping for plenty. Not too long after that he seduces the first sister, then the second, and then the third.

Or did they seduce him? Even if they did, the biker did not mind, because he enjoyed making love to them. He could tell that they enjoyed being with him as well.

On the day he had planned to resume his journey, the biker is once again forced to change his mind. This time it is because he is invited to attend a big party in a nearby mansion. Before they are picked up by a vintage coach, the three sisters assure him that it will be a special event he will remember for as long as he lives.

Queens of Evil is a very close relative of Footprints on the Moon -- they are both Italian hybrid projects from the ‘70s that blend elements from different genres to produce something new. Also, both films do some very serious reality-bending that allows their creators to redirect their narratives as necessary. This is important to keep in mind because unless you accept that they were conceived to function as contemporary adult fairytales, you are most likely not going to find them entertaining.

The three main donors for Queens of Evil are psychedelica, gothic horror, and erotica, though director Tonino Cervi uses mostly the first two to shape up the identity of his film. Indeed, after the biker is welcomed to the posh villa it very quickly becomes clear that the three sisters’ flirtatious behavior is part of a bigger and much more sinister game. There are clues everywhere, but for obvious reasons the biker fails to recognize them. It is one of the film’s two major flaws. The other, which does virtually all of the serious damage, is the inclusion of a political commentary that is unbearably pretentious. It is supposed to expose the biker and his kind – the hippies, rebels, and freedom-loving adventurers -- as hypocrites who would enthusiastically abandon their ideals if the right opportunity arises, but the preachy delivery isn’t right for the moody atmosphere.

Queens of Evil Blu-ray Movie, Video Quality 

Presented in its original aspect ratio of 1.85:1, encoded with MPEG-4 AVC and granted a 1080p transfer, Queens of Evil arrives on Blu-ray courtesy of Mondo Macabro.

The release is sourced from a very solid organic 4K master. There are a couple of inserts from a standard definition source -- apparently, the best available source -- but I thought that the reconstruction work was excellent and the density levels surprisingly strong. The original cinematography introduces some minor fluctuations in terms of clarity as well, but as you will find out they serve a purpose. There are no traces of problematic digital work. Color balance is convincing. There are a few areas where perhaps saturation levels can be better, but on my system the primaries and supporting nuances looked very strong. There are no stability issues. The entire film looks very healthy as well. (Note: This a Region-A "locked" Blu-ray release. Therefore, you must have a native Region-A or Region-Free player in order to access its content).

Queens of Evil 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.

I viewed the film with English tracks, which should be considered the original track. It is a bit uneven at times, but this is a very common limitation on Italian genre films from the '70s (and '60s and '80s) that feature overdubbing. Clarity is good and the high-frequencies are stable. However, the music can sound a tad 'thin' at times.

Queens of Evil Blu-ray Movie, Special Features and Extras 

• Trailer - new trailer for Queens of Evil. Music only. (3 min, 1080p).

• Interview with Ray Lovelock - in this archival interview, Ray Lovelock recalls how he entered the film business, and discusses some of the roles that helped him establish himself, the genre projects he appeared in, trends in the European film industry at the time he was active, etc. There are also some very interesting comments about different stars and directors he worked with over the years. In Italian, with optional English subtitles. (27 min, 1080p).

• Alternate Scenes - in Italian, not subtitled.
  
  1. Forest Chase (4 min, 1080p).
  2. Empty House (4 min, 1080p).

• Audio Commentary - critics Kat Ellinger and Samm Deighan discuss the style and tone of Queens of Evil, the trend that they emerged from, the careers of some of its stars, etc.

Queens of Evil Blu-ray Movie, Overall Score and Recommendation 

During the '70s and early '80s, many Italian directors (and some French as well) produced a wide range of experimental films and nowadays quite a few of them are considered genre classics. What these films usually did was a lot of blending work, and when it worked, they were capable of delivering some truly unforgettable thrills. Queens of Evil is that kind of an experimental film that borrows from psychedelica, gothic horror, and erotica to produce something new. I don't think it does because it chooses to remain civilized and wastes some of its time with meaningless political chatter, but it has a pretty good atmosphere. I enjoyed it. Mondo Macabro's release is sourced from a solid 4K master and features a very nice archival interview with Ray Lovelock. RECOMMENDED.