6.6 | / 10 |
Users | 4.5 | |
Reviewer | 4.0 | |
Overall | 4.0 |
A rich and sadistic man, who enjoys degrading women as part of elaborate S&M games, abducts a female journalist. She is subjected to his unpleasant games but soon begins subverting him.
Starring: Philippe Leroy, Dagmar Lassander, Lorenza Guerrieri, Varo Soleri, Maria Cumani QuasimodoForeign | 100% |
Thriller | Insignificant |
Video codec: MPEG-4 AVC
Video resolution: 1080p
Aspect ratio: 1.85:1
Original aspect ratio: 1.85:1
English: DTS-HD Master Audio 2.0
Italian: DTS-HD Master Audio 2.0
Own disc
English
Blu-ray Disc
Single disc (1 BD)
Region free
Movie | 4.0 | |
Video | 4.5 | |
Audio | 5.0 | |
Extras | 3.5 | |
Overall | 4.0 |
Piero Schivazappa's "The Frightened Woman" (1969) arrives on Blu-ray courtesy of Mondo Macabro. The supplemental features on the release include archival program with Piero Schivazappa; new audio commentary by critic Kat Ellinger; new video essay by critic Rachel Nisbet; original trailers; and more. In English or Italian, with optional English and English SDH subtitles for the main feature. Region-Free.
Presented in its original aspect ratio of 1.85:1, encoded with MPEG-4 AVC and granted a 1080p transfer, The Laughing Woman arrives on Blu-ray courtesy of Mondo Macabro.
The release introduces the recent 4K makeover of the film, which in America is distributed with an alternative title. The international title is The Frightened Woman, which is the one British label Shameless Entertainment used for its release of the film earlier this year.
I could not see any meaningful discrepancies in the appearance of the film on this release. There might be a few areas where saturation levels on select primaries are just a tad different, but the discrepancies in color temperature and balance are meaningless. Also, the entire film looks just as healthy here as it does on the British release. However, this release uses a single-layer disc and on a large screen a few darker areas of the film now do not have the same tight grain field that is present on the British release does. The difference is very small, but it is noticeable. (A good area where it becomes obvious is the 'red room' where the girl is tamed, which comes around the 0:14.01 mark). The rest looks the same. Image stability is great. The entire film is spotless as well. (Note: This is a Region-Free Blu-ray release. Therefore, you will be able to play it on your 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 Italian DTS-HD Master Audio 2.0. Optional English subtitles are provided for the Italian track.
I mentioned in our review of the British release of The Laughing Woman that my initial viewing of the film was with the Italian track because it was the only one available. (This was long before Shameless Entertainment produced its uncut DVD release of the film). However, the English track is the one that should be considered the original track for the film because most actors, including the leads, utter their lines in English. Its quality is very good, but keep in mind that it features overdubbing.
Had Piero Schivazappa's The Frightened Woman emerged in the late 1970s, it most likely would have become a cult film. In the 1960s, in Italy mainstream audiences still flocked to see lavish pictures like The Leopard and The Good, the Bad and the Ugly and traditional comedies like Seduced and Abandoned and Marriage Italian Style, so its arrival was rushed. I think that it is an incredible first film that matches the quality of similar, very ambitious projects like French director Henri-Georges Clouzot's final film, Woman in Chains, which has quite a reputation. This release introduces the recent, very good 4K restoration of the fully uncut version of The Frightened Woman. HIGHLY RECOMMENDED.
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