6.2 | / 10 |
Users | 0.0 | |
Reviewer | 3.5 | |
Overall | 3.5 |
A couple is terrorized in their new house haunted by the vengeful ghost of the woman's former husband who possesses her young son.
Starring: Daria Nicolodi, John Steiner, David Colin, Jr., Ivan Rassimov, Paul CostelloHorror | 100% |
Video codec: MPEG-4 AVC
Video resolution: 1080p
Aspect ratio: 1.85:1
Original aspect ratio: 1.85:1
Italian: DTS-HD Master Audio Mono
English: DTS-HD Master Audio Mono
English
Blu-ray Disc
Single disc (1 BD)
Slipcover in original pressing
Region A, B (C untested)
Movie | 3.5 | |
Video | 4.5 | |
Audio | 4.0 | |
Extras | 4.5 | |
Overall | 3.5 |
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.
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.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.
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.
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.
- 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.
- Posters (HD)
- Italian Fotobuste (HD)
- Japanese Souvenir Program
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.
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