Rating summary

Movie		3.0
Video		4.5
Audio		3.5
Extras		2.5
Overall		3.0

The Seventh Grave Blu-ray Movie Review

Reviewed by Jeffrey Kauffman May 25, 2023

Note: This film is available on Blu-ray as part of Severin's Danza Macabra: Volume One — The Italian Gothic Collection.

Severin has fired up its trusty candelabra and gone exploring in another bunch of nooks and crannies in whatever castle it keeps it stash of Italian Gothic horror films, and come up with this interesting quartet of offerings, two from the mid-sixties and two from the early seventies, though rather interestingly given this set's title of Danza Macabre, there's no inclusion of Castle of Blood, which, as of the writing of this review, is available only as a bonus feature on Severin's release of Nightmare Castle. While the films themselves in this set may be hit and/or miss for some (maybe even many), they all have moodiness and even style on occasion, and as usual, Severin has aggregated some really interesting supplemental features to help sweeten the pot (cauldron?). The fact that this collection has been branded with a noticeable Volume One probably suggests more exploring in dim, dusty, cobweb laden corners may be in store, though wearing sheer negligees may be optional, based on your own preferences with regard to apparel.

Even the back cover of this release offers an overt comparison to The Cat and the Canary, which may help this film in an attempt to establish some instant "mystery cred". Lovers of Agatha Christie in general and The ABC Murders in particular (I much prefer the David Suchet Poirot version or frankly even The Alphabet Murders to the Malkovich version) may find some similarities in this tale as well. All of that said, maybe the real mystery about The Seventh Grave is the film itself, and the back cover of this release mentions that "for more than 50 years, it has existed only via rumor, reputation and barely watchable bootlegs".

This is an ultra low budget affair, as is addressed in some of the engaging supplements Severin includes on this disc, and perhaps because of that, it has been something of an enigma in the already shrouded hallways of Italian Gothic cinema. The supplements get into some of this background intrigue, but the film itself is a kind of strange, intermittently wobbly, account of a bunch of relatives and various other hangers on returning to a family manse for the reading of a will. When the body count starts accruing and a rumored hidden treasure which once belonged to none other than Francis Drake enters the fray, things start resembling a historical whodunit as much as a traditional Gothic outing. Despite the quick shoot and less than fulsome budget, there is at least one florid stylish turn the film takes, in a spectacularly staged seance sequence that almost reminded me of some of the Dali designed vignettes in Hitchcock's Spellbound.

The Seventh Grave Blu-ray Movie, Video Quality 

The Seventh Grave is presented on Blu-ray courtesy of Severin Films with an AVC encoded 1080p transfer in 1.67:1. The back cover of this release touts that this is the film's "worldwide Blu-ray premiere" and that this was "scanned in 2K from the recently discovered negative". This may be the most revelatory of the transfers in this set for lovers of this genre, and while seeing the film now in all its glory (?) may point out some of the deficits in the production budget, there's a nicely consistent accounting of detail on costumes and props, as well as generally solid contrast. Some of the establishing shots of the castle look like they may have come from a secondary, more damaged element (perhaps they were stock footage to begin with), but aside from a few minor blemishes, those are really the most noticeable signs of age related wear and tear. Grain looks filmic and resolves naturally throughout.

The Seventh Grave Blu-ray Movie, Audio Quality 

The Seventh Grave features a DTS-HD Master Audio 2.0 Mono track in the original Italian. There's really nothing very elaborate about the sound design here, as was probably necessitated by the small budget. This doesn't have the "song and dance" elements of The Monster of the Opera, but Leopold Perez's score is decently full bodied, and sound effects also reverberate with some energy, though like many of the tracks on this set, there's a noticeable thinness at times. Dialogue is rendered cleanly and clearly throughout. Optional English subtitles are available.

The Seventh Grave Blu-ray Movie, Special Features and Extras 

• Audio Commentary with Rachael Nisbet, Film Critic and Co-Host of Fragments of Fear


• Seven Graves and a Mystery (HD; 12:52) is an interview with film historian Fabio Melelli. Subtitled in English.


• English Aesthetic with Giallo Blood (HD; 14:43) is an interesting video essay by Gothic scholar and author Rachel Knightly.

The Seventh Grave Blu-ray Movie, Overall Score and Recommendation 

This is another film where the actual feature may frankly be middling at times, but where some of the backstage history of both the shoot and the subsequent "disappearance" of the film provide at least as much mystery as the ostensible story. Technical merits are generally solid, and all three of the supplements on this disc are informative and enjoyable, for anyone who may be considering making a purchase.