Rating summary

Movie		3.5
Video		5.0
Audio		5.0
Extras		3.0
Overall		4.0

Sukkubus Blu-ray Movie Review

Reviewed by Dr. Svet Atanasov November 29, 2021

Georg Tressler's "Sukkubus" (1989) arrives on Blu-ray courtesy of Subkultur Entertainment. The supplemental features on the disc include archival video interview with the director; vintage promotional materials; unused raw material from the shooting of the film; and more. In German, with optional English and German subtitles for the main feature. Region-B "locked".

Come alive, my Precious One

Before the prologue a short text informs of the existence of a supposedly popular Swiss legend about three cattlemen who somehow awakened a great evil force that later on punished them. I am unfamiliar with the legend, but my guess is that the original version of it does not have a lot in common with the one that is reconstructed in Georg Tressler’s film Sukkubus. Or perhaps I am guessing wrong, and Tressler made the film precisely because the legend is so weird that it was perfect for a good genre film.

All of the events in the film take place at a remote location somewhere high up in the Swiss Alps where the three cattlemen look after their cows and prepare fresh cheese. The area is indescribably beautiful, but it isn’t long before it is made clear that only the shepherds can survive there -- cold weather and heavy winds routinely test them in the worst ways imaginable.

At night, the youngest one, who is still a boy, cooks for them, but before, during and after dinner they barely talk. Occasionally, one of them becomes unruly and creates minor drama, but always backs away and goes to sleep. The eldest one, who is the strongest of the three, knows how to quickly subdue the troublemaker too, so during the few times when he attempts to play a dirty game with the youngest one, he is instantly confronted.

The cycle of repetitive events at the farm is permanently disrupted when the cattlemen discover a strange piece of wood resembling a skull, which they use to create a female doll that is promptly invited at their table. Soon after, the silent doll has such profound impact on their minds that two of them force it to make love to them. Then they do it again, and again, and again. Eventually, having endured a tremendous amount of abuse, the unresponsive doll comes alive as a stunningly beautiful yet vicious female demon, and then slowly but surely begins pushing the cattlemen into the abyss of madness.

A product of the ‘80s, Sukkubus offers the type of genre entertainment you can actually get from a very popular ‘70s film, The Wicker Man, which is set in another very picturesque area on the Old Continent where an evil force is unleashed in a fairly similar manner. Sukkubus is a much smaller film, but it relies on the exact same trick to impress -- it flips the identity of an area that looks very, very wrong for a horror adventure.

But Tressler shoots the Swiss Alps as if they are the perfect playground for the angry demon. Indeed, the rugged terrain and the typically breathtakingly beautiful snowy hills suddenly become quite intimidating, at times even genuinely spooky, and once the demon goes after the cattlemen, the entire area begins to look haunted.

There is something genuinely creepy that floats in the air, too. It is easy to link it to the demon’s presence, but it is actually something else. As the cattlemen gather around the table and occasionally quarrel, you get the feeling that they share a very dark history together, and that perhaps the demon is just a creation of their twisted minds. It is difficult to identify precisely what the creepy is, but together with the unusual transformation of the Swiss Alps it contributes to a very unusual atmosphere.

The acting is appropriately fluid and at times perhaps best to describe as bold because there is some quite edgy material in the second half of the film. A younger Peter Simonischek plays one of the cattlemen, but probably not a lot of people will recognize him and recall that he appeared in the Oscar-nominated charmer Toni Erdmann.

Sukkubus Blu-ray Movie, Video Quality 

Presented in an aspect ratio of 1.66:1, encoded with MPEG-4 AVC and granted a 1080p transfer, Sukkubus arrives on Blu-ray courtesy of Subkultur Entertainment.

The film was apparently restored in 4K, and as you can tell from the screencaptures we have provided with our review, it looks absolutely gorgeous now. In fact, on my system it looked every bit as impressive as some of the big 4K restorations that were made available on 4K Blu-ray this year. Delineation, clarity, depth, and fluidity were outstanding, and the overall stability of the visuals was truly terrific. While I don't have another source of reference, I can comfortably state that the color reproduction and balance are proper too. It is easy to tell that it is so because there are particular ranges of primaries and supporting nuances that interact in very organic ways. There are no traces of problematic digital anomalies. I did notice a couple of tiny white flecks early on, but the entire film looks clean and very healthy. Indeed, a very impressive technical presentation. (Note: This is a Region-B "locked" Blu-ray release. Therefore, you must have a native Region-B or Region-Free player in order to access its content).

Sukkubus Blu-ray Movie, Audio Quality 

There are two standard audio tracks on this Blu-ray release: German (Magnetic) DTS-HD Master Audio 1.0 and German (Optical) DTS-HD Master Audio 2.0. Optional English and German subtitles are provided for the main feature.

Although I don't know what the exact differences are that separate these tracks, I chose the Magnetic Mono track and thought that it was outstanding. There are quite a few organic sounds and noises that are part of the film's sound design, so there are more dynamic nuances than conventional spikes in dynamic activity. The dialog is very basic as well.

Sukkubus Blu-ray Movie, Special Features and Extras 

• The German Crux - in this archival video interview, director Georg Tressler discusses some of the classic, according to him, weaknesses of German cinema, and particularly its inability to excite. (For example, Mr. Tressler mentions that Fellini's films would have never been made in Germany). There are some particularly interesting comments about the role of raw emotions in cinema and some of the reasons they might have been either avoided or exaggerated by German directors and producers. Very interesting interview. In German, with optional English subtitles. (19 min).

• Trailer - fully restored German theatrical trailer for Sukkubus. In German, not subtitled (4 min).

• Outtakes - presented here is a massive amount of raw material with outtakes from Sukkubus. Silent. (155 min).

• Unused Footage - presented here is additional raw and unused material from the shooting of Sukkubus. Remastered. Silent. (260 min).

• From the Cutting Room Floor - presented here is additional raw material from the shooting of Sukkubus. Silent. (195 min).

• Gallery - a collection of archival promotional materials for Sukkubus.

• Booklet - a 12-page illustrated booklet with writings on Sukkubus. In German.

Sukkubus Blu-ray Movie, Overall Score and Recommendation 

I could tell that Sukkubus would be a different film even before the emergence of the demon because there was something very unique about its atmosphere. Even though it comes from the '80s, it reminded me of the '70s classic horror thriller The Wicker Man, which does some very similar things to alter the identity of the Scottish town of Galloway. I thought that this was very interesting, and after viewing the archival interview with Georg Tressler where he discusses the state of German cinema and references the styles of different international directors, I am quite certain that there is a legit connection between the two films. The release we have reviewed comes from German label Subkultur Entertainment and is sourced from a beautiful new 4K master. This does not surprise me at all because this label never disappoints. If you are in the mood for something different, pick up a copy for your collection. HIGHLY RECOMMENDED. (In the United States, the same 4K restoration is offered on Blu-ray by local label Mondo Macabro).