The Blancheville Monster Blu-ray Movie

Rating summary

Movie		3.0
Video		4.5
Audio		3.5
Extras		4.0
Overall		3.0

The Blancheville Monster Blu-ray Movie Review

Reviewed by Jeffrey Kauffman October 16, 2022

Note: This film is available on Blu-ray as part of Gothic Fantastico: Four Italian Tales of Terror.

This is the time of year when spookiness is almost literally in the air, but it may also be an appropriate time to consult any number of experts prone to helping identify genres, at least for those who may be interested in battening down exactly what this or that generic term might refer to. The recently reviewed megaset from Severin All the Haunts Be Ours: A Compendium of Folk Horror spent a good deal of time in both an accompanying documentary as well as several commentary tracks trying to define exactly what "folk horror" might or might not be, with some fairly divergent opinions emerging, but perhaps thankfully, there seems to be at least a bit more consensus about what constitutes so-called "gothic horror". In that regard, Mark Thompson Ashworth provides introductions for the four films Arrow has aggregated for the Gothic Fantastico set, and in one of them he cites Touchstones of Gothic Horror, a book by David Huckvale which lists tropes like staircases, storms, ruins, heaving cleavage and ornate coffins, most of which at least are on display in this quartet at various times.

The Blancheville Monster was originally released under the name Horror, with the added if more than questionably utilized imprimatur of Edgar Allan Poe, but at the very least this at times kind of gonzo entry apes, if not the literary master himself and/or his actual works, at least various "adaptations" that had at the time of this film's release in 1963 recently become incredibly popular courtesy of a slate of entries from American International Pictures. In that regard, while it's perhaps a little odd that commentator Paul Anthony Nelson states that the film's opening sequence documenting a camera's travels through a snarly forest to reveal a castle reminds him of The Evil Dead 4K, both Nelson and other supplements on this disc perhaps understandably cite a probably more apt reference, Roger Corman's very similar opening in his adaptation of Poe's House of Usher.

And indeed as several of the supplements get into, The Blancheville Monster under any other name would still be a rather odd mishmash of elements lifted at least in part from The Fall of the House of Usher, another probably "iffy" co-opting of Poe's name for the Corman adaptation of The Premature Burial, and I'd throw in a dash or two of everything from The Phantom of the Opera, courtesy of a horrifyingly disfigured character with a "thing" for a young woman, to Rebecca, courtesy of a character who might be thought of as the 19th century equivalent (of either English, Scottish or French ancestry, depending on a somewhat confusing allusion to various nations in the Italian and English language versions of the film) of the inimitable Mrs. Danvers.

The story concerns Emilie De Blancheville (Ombretta Colli, billed as Joan Hills), who returns to her family castle in the wake of her father's death, but shortly before her 21st birthday. Until that momentous occasion, she's overtly under the thumb of her older brother Rodéric (Gérard Tichy), and even that character's name is a salient reason for some of the comparisons to House of Usher. What ensues is part psychological thriller, part quasi-ghost story, with a sidebar of "mesmerism" as Emilie falls sway to the hypnotic efforts of a villain. It's completely overwrought and often just teetering on being laugh out loud ridiculous, and yet the film has an undeniable flair visually that does in fact promote a very gothic mood.

The Blancheville Monster Blu-ray Movie, Video Quality 

Arrow has lumped all four films together in terms of its verbiage on the transfers included in the insert booklet which accompanies this set:

The Blancheville Monster (Horror), The Third Eye (Il terzo occhio) and The Witch (La strega in amore) are presented in their original aspect ratios of 1.85:1 with Italian and English mono audio. Lady Morgan's Vengeance (La vendetta di Lady Morgan) is presented in its original aspect ratio of 1.85:1 with Italian mono audio.

The original 35mm camera negatives for The Blancheville Monster, The Third Eye and The Witch were scanned and restored in 2K resolution at L'Immagine Ritrovata, Bologna. The films were graded at R3Store Studios, London. The mono Italian and English language tracks were remastered from the optical sound negatives by L'Immagine Ritrovata and Bad Princess Productions, London.

The original 35mm camera negative for Lady Morgan's Vengeance was scanned in 2K resolution at Cinema Communications Services, Rome. Grading and restoration were completed at R3Store Studios, London. The mono Italian language track was remastered from the optical sound negative by Bad Princess Productions, London. The audio synch for all three films will appear slightly loose against the picture, due to the fact that the dialogue was recorded entirely in post production, as per the production standards of the period.

All original materials used for the restorations of The Blancheville Monster, The Third and Eye and The Witch were made available from Movietime.

All original materials used for the restoration of Lady Morgan's Vengeance were made available from Variety.

The Blancheville Monster is quite impressive looking in this transfer, with just a few niggling quality fluctuations that tend to understandably occur in things like optical dissolves and some of the film's "special effects". Contrast is very appealing, with some lusciously deep blacks helping to support the gothic mood, and detail levels are also typically excellent on everything from costumes and sets to the makeup on one character in particular. While there is some age related wear and tear, it's not at the level of Lady Morgan's Vengeance, and tends to be limited to fairly minor nicks and blemishes. Grain resolves naturally throughout.

The Blancheville Monster Blu-ray Movie, Audio Quality 

The Blancheville Monster features LPCM Mono tracks in either the original Italian or an English dub. The English language version is noticeably brighter on the high end in particular, something that is immediately noticeable if, for example, you toggle between the tracks during the opening credits music. The score is kind of wonderfully hyperbolic in any case, and sounds problem free. As with all the tracks included in this set, there's a slightly boxy sound that may not actually afflict this release as much as some of the others in the set, but which can still be heard. Dialogue is rendered cleanly and clearly throughout. Optional English subtitles are available.

The Blancheville Monster Blu-ray Movie, Special Features and Extras 

• Commentary by Paul Anthony Nelson


• Castle of Horror (HD; 6:49) is an introduction by Mark Thompson Ashworth.


• Are You Sure That It Wasn't Just Your Imagination? (HD; 20:54) is a visual essay by Keith Allison.


• Welcome to the Manor (HD; 13:55) is an interview with author and filmmaker Antonio Tentori. Subtitled in English.


• American Opening Titles (HD; 3:11) offer The Blancheville Monster branding, sourced from what looks like an old Academy ratio video. Kind of hilariously, this version still has the same Horror title emerging out of lightning bolts that the original version does, but then there's a quick interstitial "new, improved" title before the rest of the credits unspool.


• Trailer (HD; 4:16)


• Image Gallery (HD)

The Blancheville Monster Blu-ray Movie, Overall Score and Recommendation 

It's probably appropriate in a way to think of Edgar Allan Poe turning in his grave over the repeated use of his name for supposed "adaptations" when the tether to the master's work is tangential at best. You can feel the Italian crew attempting to recreate the Corman Poe ambience here, and if they don't completely succeed, they offer a reasonable facsimile some of the time. Technical merits are solid, and the supplements very appealing, for anyone who may be considering making a purchase.