6.3 | / 10 |
Users | 0.0 | |
Reviewer | 2.5 | |
Overall | 2.5 |
Some kind of sadist, but not human, is murdering people. A doctor is convinced that the killings are the evil workings of a reclusive odd baron who died many years ago.
Starring: Barta Barri, Luis Induni, José Marco, Anthony Ramos, Ada TaulerForeign | 100% |
Horror | 78% |
Video codec: MPEG-4 AVC
Video resolution: 1080p
Aspect ratio: 2.35:1
Original aspect ratio: 2.39:1
English: DTS-HD Master Audio 2.0
Spanish: DTS-HD Master Audio 2.0
English
Blu-ray Disc
Single disc (1 BD)
Region free
Movie | 2.0 | |
Video | 3.0 | |
Audio | 4.0 | |
Extras | 2.0 | |
Overall | 2.5 |
Jose Luis Madrid's "The Horrible Sexy Vampire" (1971) arrives on Blu-ray courtesy of Mondo Macabro. The supplemental features on the release include exclusive new audio commentary by critics David Flint and Adrian J. Smith; newly remastered trailer for the film; and vintage promotional materials for the film. In English or Spanish, with optional English subtitles. Region-Free.
Presented in an aspect ratio of 2.35:1, encoded with MPEG-4 AVC and granted a 1080p transfer, The Horrible Sexy Vampire arrives on Blu-ray courtesy of Mondo Macabro.
The release is sourced from a new 4K master, which according to Mondo Macabro was struck from 35mm materials. I assume that some sort of a 35mm print was scanned because the density levels of the visuals are very similar to those of Road Games, which was restored in 4K from a 35mm release print.
This new presentation of The Horrible Sexy Vampire has good organic qualities, but it is very easy to tell that time has left its mark on the 35mm materials. Various density fluctuations affect delineation, clarity, and depth, though I have to make it clear that all of these fluctuations are pretty insignificant given the overall quality of the visuals. The bigger issue is the color grade on the new master, which almost certainly replicates a lot of what is present on the 35mm materials without taking into account that they have aged significantly. As a result, the overall temperature of the visuals ranges from cold to very cold, with prominent silver and grays usually affecting balance in pretty significant ways. Obviously, the entire film should have a different color scheme with better-saturated primaries and wider ranges of proper supporting nuances. (There is one particular sequence in which the young visitor from London has an exchange with the police inspector where the color temperature quickly shifts from cold to warm and back to cold that reveals what the film most likely is supposed to look like). There are no traces of problematic digital corrections. A few blemishes and specks can be seen, but there are no distracting large debris, cuts, warped or torn frames to report. (Note: This is a Region-Free Blu-ray release. Therefore, you will be able to play it on your Blu-ray player regardless of your geographical location).
There are two standard audio tracks on this Blu-ray release: English DTS-HD Master Audio 2.0 and Spanish DTS-HD Master Audio 2.0. Optional English subtitles are provided for the Spanish track. However, if you decide to view the film in Spanish without the English subtitles, you will have to use your remote control to turn them off.
I viewed the entire film with the English track, which should be considered the original audio track since virtually all of the main characters appear to be delivering their lines in English. However, it is pretty easy to tell that some sort of overdubbing was done as well. As expected, there is quite a bit of unevenness and fluctuating dynamic contrasts, but this is how these types of dubs were done in Europe during the 1970s and 1980s. Occasionally, some very light background hiss is easy to detect, but I did not find it distracting at all.
The Horrible Sexy Vampire is a tremendous title for a genre film, so when I sat down to view it last night, I expected it to deliver plenty of special thrills. Unfortunately, the only compliment I can pay this film is to say that it has a good music score. The rest? It simply rehashes several classic cliches about vampires and their usual targets while pretending to be a crime thriller with a few ladies that enthusiastically take their clothes off. It did not work for me. I think that Jess Franco would have produced a much better film with the exact same material that I would have enjoyed quite a lot. If you decide to pick up The Horrible Sexy Vampire for your collection, I suggest doing so when it goes on sale.
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