Rating summary

Movie		3.5
Video		4.5
Audio		4.0
Extras		4.5
Overall		3.5

Shock Blu-ray Movie Review

Reviewed by Jeffrey Kauffman January 5, 2022

Two different "masters" ended their long and notable feature film careers more or less within a year of each other. Alfred Hitchcock, long dubbed the "Master of Suspense", made his last foray into directing with the kind of daffy 1976 effort Family Plot, which met with some considerable critical approval but which, while profitable, failed to really set the box office on fire like some of Hitch's previous efforts. Mario Bava, whose sobriquets included both "Master of (Italian) Horror" and "Master of the Macabre", arguably never achieved the sort of consistent ticket sales that Hitch did, at least intermittently, throughout his career, but even with that "given", Bava may have gone out on a bit less of a positive note than Hitchcock did. Shock was, at least according to some of the supplements on this release, designed as a kind of segue to allow Bava's son Lamberto, long his father's assistant, to move more solidly into the director's chair, and while Lamberto is only kind of allusively credited as a co-director, he evidently did helm around one quarter of the film. Interestingly in that regard, then, it was also reportedly Lamberto who was the real spark behind the project, kind of nagging his father, who had experienced a series of career downturns, not to give up the ghost (pun intended, given the underlying conceit of this film). Shock is at its core kind of fundamentally rote, though per Italian horror tradition, it has a few tricks up its sleeve. It's not "stylish" in the same way that many earlier Bava films are, but it definitely has its own aesthetic, and it features a couple of jump scares that will probably startle even the most callous viewer.

The American release of this film was retitled Beyond the Door II, in a perhaps fitful attempt to attract the same sort of box office receipts that Beyond the Door had seen a couple of years previously, and saliently also because both films feature David Colin, Jr. as a possessed boy. In this film he's an apparently sweet if increasingly troubled lad named Marco, who lives with his mother Dora (Daria Nicolodi) and stepfather Bruno (John Steiner). Marco is too young to understand that his biological father Carlo (Nicola Salerna, uncredited - probably for a reason) evidently committed suicide at sea some time ago, though Dora does her best to address childlike questions from her son. Other aspects of Dora's past with Carlo are wisely not discussed with the child, including the fact that Carlo was abusive and a heroin user, both plot points which of course end up playing into things. While not revealed initially, the upshot of this disjointed information dump is that Dora has experienced some potent post traumatic stress disorder and may have experienced a mental breakdown. That said, Bruno seems to be a preternaturally cheery and stable force in the family, and his relationship with his stepson seems especially secure.

If there are passing stabs (again, pun unavoidable given some aspects of the plot) at "ambiguity" in terms of offering a story that either features an "objective" ghost or merely an addled mind (i.e., Dora's), the film doesn't really pretend in any meaningful way, as evidenced not just by clear depictions of poltergeist activity but by the mere fact that it isn't Dora but little Marco who seems to be not just disturbed, but possessed. The film has some really interesting sexual subtext as Marco, perhaps under the sway of his father's spirit, doesn't take kindly to Dora having married someone new, but that whole aspect turns out to be a kind of sidebar to the main reveal, which comes rather late in the film and which leads to an almost insanely gonzo last few minutes (where the two Bavas do manage to rather artfully weave together the "objective" and "subjective" sides of the ghost story).

Bava was one of those directors whose stylistic flourishes were often so bracing that they could divert from lapses in logic and other narrative deficits. Shock only fitfully attains some of the presentational heights that earlier Bava efforts did, which may open the door to more questioning about the narrative, but there is more going on in this film than may initially meet the eye. Little David Colin, Jr. is an appealing presence, though some may feel as I did that he's almost unabashedly reminiscent of Billy Mumy in the memorable "It's a Good Life" episode from The Twilight Zone: Season 3.

Shock Blu-ray Movie, Video Quality 

Shock is presented on Blu-ray courtesy of Arrow Video with an AVC encoded 1080p transfer in 1.85:1. Arrow's insert booklet contains the following information on the restoration:

Shock is presented in its original aspect ratio of 1.85:1 with Italian and English mono sound and was restored by Arrow Films.

The original 35mm negative was scanned and restored in 2K resolution at L'Immagine Ritrovata, Bologna. Additional 35mm intermediary elements were scanned and restored in 2K for the opening and closing titles and inserts in the English language versions. The film was conformed and graded at R3Store Studios, London.

The mono mixes were remastered from the original sound negatives at L'Immagine Ritrovata. Additional audio remastering was completed by Matthew Jarman, Bad Princess Productions. The audio synch will appear slightly loose against the picture, due to the fact the the dialogue was recorded entirely in post production, as per the production standards of the period.

This is another appealing presentation of a cult item from Arrow, one with a nicely suffused palette and generally excellent detail levels. There are some variances in color temperature, and to my eyes the second half of the film looked at least a bit warmer and more vivid than the first half. There are a number of brief moments where clarity can falter intermittently, and where grain can spike and have a slightly yellowish quality. I spotted no signs of major damage, and as usual with Arrow releases, there doesn't appear to have been any overly aggressive digital tweaking of the source imagery. Things look organic and film like throughout.

Shock Blu-ray Movie, Audio Quality 

Shock is offered in either its Italian or English versions, with DTS-HD Master Audio Mono mixes. I didn't notice any huge differences between the two tracks in terms of overall amplitude and things like effects, but the dialogue in the English version is considerably boxier sounding than on the Italian track. Kind of interestingly, it sounds to my ears like the Italian track has a bit more open high end, which may allow for more background hiss to be audible in quieter moments. Dialogue is always presented cleanly and clearly, and the cool score by Libra (the follow up band to Goblins) sounds great. Optional English subtitles are available.

Shock Blu-ray Movie, Special Features and Extras 

• Audio Commentary by Tim Lucas


• A Ghost in the House (HD; 30:34) is a newly filmed interview with Lamberto Bava, who talks about the long gestating project and his contributions to it. In Italian with English subtitles.


• Via Dell'Orologio 33 (HD; 33:48) is a new video interview with co-writer Dardano Sacchetti. In Italian with English subtitles.


• The Devil Pulls the Strings (HD; 20:45) is an interesting visual essay by Alexandra Heller-Nicholas, who delves into some of the plot points related to puppetry play into things.


• Shock! Horror! - The Stylistic Diversity of Mario Bava (HD; 51:46) is an enjoyable overview of Bava's work by Stephen Thrower.


• The Most Atrocious Tortur(e) (HD; 4:12) is a new audio interview with critic Alberto Farina, who discusses Daria Nicolodi. In Italian with English subtitles.


• Trailers

  Italian Theatrical Trailer (HD; 3:35)

  
  

  US 'Beyond the Door II' TV Spot 1 (HD; 00:31)

  
  

  US 'Beyond the Door II' TV Spot 2 (HD; 00:27)

  
  

  US 'Beyond the Door II' TV Spot 3 (HD; 00:11)

  
  

  US 'Beyond the Door II' TV Spot 4 (HD; 00:11)

  
  

  US 'Beyond the Door II'/'The Dark' TV Spot (HD; 00:31)

  
  Note: There is a "Play All" option for the TV Spots.

• Image Galleries

  Posters (HD)

  
  

  Italian Fotobuste (HD)

  
  

  Japanese Souvenir Program

Additionally, Arrow provides their usual well appointed insert booklet, and packaging features a slipcover.

Shock Blu-ray Movie, Overall Score and Recommendation 

It's perhaps easy to see why Shock was pretty much dismissed upon its initial release, since it has none, or at least little, of the "style" that made early Bava so compelling. The plot also seems a bit thin, until you start poking around the nooks and crannies and uncover some rather unsettling psycho sexual content. Arrow provides another release with solid technical merits and outstanding supplements. Recommended.