6 | / 10 |
Users | 0.0 | |
Reviewer | 3.5 | |
Overall | 3.5 |
1577. The Mother Superior at the convent of Archangel is seriously ill. The determined and calculating Mother Giulia plots to become the next Mother Superior. She receives tough competition from tormented lesbian Sister Chiara and the lusty Sister Carmela.
Starring: Anne Heywood, Luc Merenda, Ornella Muti, Martine Brochard, Claudia GravyErotic | 100% |
Period | Insignificant |
Drama | Insignificant |
History | Insignificant |
Video codec: MPEG-4 AVC
Video resolution: 1080p
Aspect ratio: 1.85:1
Original aspect ratio: 1.85:1
English: LPCM 2.0 Mono
Italian: LPCM 2.0 Mono
English
Blu-ray Disc
Single disc (1 BD)
Region A (B, C untested)
Movie | 3.5 | |
Video | 4.0 | |
Audio | 4.0 | |
Extras | 3.5 | |
Overall | 3.5 |
Anyone who ever attended a parochial school and had to deal with a harridan nun, often equipped with a ruler she didn't hesitate to rap knuckles (or other anatomical areas) with, may find it hard to completely buy into so-called "nunsploitation" films, productions which more often than not feature incredibly nubile women who might otherwise grace a women's lingerie catalog if they weren't for purposes of the story wearing a habit and wimple, at least until they disrobed. In that regard, while there are younger types with amorous sensibilities running amok throughout The Nun and the Devil, this film offers a more "mature" focal character in the form of Sister Julia (Anne Heywood). While the back cover of this release suggests this film might be considered a successor to Ken Russell's infamous The Devils, it may in fact remind others of another notable film featuring nuns, as I'll outline below.
The Nun and the Devil is presented on Blu-ray courtesy of Screen Archives Entertainment and Twilight Time with an AVC encoded 1080p transfer in 1.85:1. There's no real technical information imparted on the back cover or insert booklet with this release, but this is often a really ravishing looking transfer at least in terms of palette, and specifically in the more brightly lit moments. As can perhaps be gleaned in some of the screenshots I've uploaded to accompany this review, reds in particular are incredibly vivid throughout this presentation, but the palette really pops very appealingly in daytime and brightly lit interior moments. Detail levels also understandably offer the most depth in the same sequences. Things can get a good deal rougher looking in some dark moments, where grain becomes noisy looking, and there is some noticeable crush at times, specifically with regard to the nuns' black apparel against dark backgrounds.
The Nun and the Devil features LPCM 2.0 Mono tracks in either English or Italian. The Italian track struck me as having just a bit more energy and especially dynamic range which tends to be most noticeable in moments like the haunting theme by Piero Piccioni underlying the credits, but which can even be made out in pure dialogue scenes. You're getting dubbing one way or the other, and so synch as they say can be loose, but both tracks deliver dialogue, effects and score without any issues. Not only Heywood but several of the other performers were obviously speaking English, for what that's worth. Optional English subtitles are available.
I've had to review a slew of frankly substandard nunsploitation fare in my day, and I was just as frankly expecting The Nun and the Devil to be yet another tawdry enterprise featuring deflowered nuns and randy caretakers and/or priests. Now, the kind of hilarious thing is The Nun and the Devil doesn't really shy away from some of the more prurient aspects that have made this equally hilariously named subgenre such a fan favorite, but it also manages to work in a rather amazing degree of provocative content that is not "sexual" in any traditional sense, even if there's an underlying power struggle being portrayed. Anne Heywood was in some ways a really underappreciated actress, and she's a good deal of wicked fun in this surprisingly enjoyable film. Technical merits are generally solid, and the supplements very enjoyable. Recommended.
(Still not reliable for this title)
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