Severin follows up their 2023 collection of Italian gothic titles with an essential second volume that brings together three films and a miniseries. Each work takes a very different approach to the gothic as both a visual aesthetic and a set of thematic preoccupations. The results range from virtually archetypal to resolutely revisionist. For this well-appointed set, Severin provides a veritable bounty of bonus materials: new restorations, alternate cuts, commentary tracks, cast and crew interviews, visual essays, even a soundtrack CD.
Antonio Margheriti’s Danza Macabra, from 1964, is one of the very best Italian gothic films. It simply oozes with atmosphere courtesy of Riccardo Pallottini’s moody monochrome cinematography, and, while the violence remains relatively restrained, Margheriti brazenly pushes the envelope when it comes to nudity and some suggestive sexual content. Likely as a bid to cash in on Roger Corman’s Poe Cycle, Danza Macabra not only claims to be...
Antonio Margheriti’s Danza Macabra, from 1964, is one of the very best Italian gothic films. It simply oozes with atmosphere courtesy of Riccardo Pallottini’s moody monochrome cinematography, and, while the violence remains relatively restrained, Margheriti brazenly pushes the envelope when it comes to nudity and some suggestive sexual content. Likely as a bid to cash in on Roger Corman’s Poe Cycle, Danza Macabra not only claims to be...
- 2/7/2024
- by Budd Wilkins
- Slant Magazine
You can’t argue with disc collectors eager to rediscover movies they loved at age 10, in terrific kiddie matinees. Cowboy star Rory Calhoun makes a perfectly fine Italian vagabond ladies’ man for this very un-serious ‘oriental’ adventure, and Yôko Tani is the requisite princess who needs kissing lessons. Tim Lucas’s welcome, info-packed commentary satisfies our curiosity about the long-unavailable title — it’s different than the A.I.P. release we (barely) remember.
Marco Polo
Blu-ray
Kl Studio Classics
1962 / Color/ 2:35 widescreen / 104, 95 min. / Street Date , 2023 / available through Kino Lorber / 24.95
Starring: Rory Calhoun, Yôko Tani, Camillo Pilotto, Pierre Cressoy, Michael Chow, Thien-Huong, Franco Ressel.
Cinematography: Riccardo Pallottini
Production Designer: Zoran Zorcic
Art Directors: Aurelio Crugnola, Franco Fumagalli, Miodrag Miric, Jovan Radic
Film Editor: Ornella Micheli
Costume design: Mario Giorsi
Original Music: Angelo Francesco Lavagnino / Les Baxter
Written by Oreste Biancoli, Ennio De Concini, Eliana De Sabata, Antoinette Pellevant, Piero Pierotti, Duccio Tessari
Produced by Luigi Carpentieri,...
Marco Polo
Blu-ray
Kl Studio Classics
1962 / Color/ 2:35 widescreen / 104, 95 min. / Street Date , 2023 / available through Kino Lorber / 24.95
Starring: Rory Calhoun, Yôko Tani, Camillo Pilotto, Pierre Cressoy, Michael Chow, Thien-Huong, Franco Ressel.
Cinematography: Riccardo Pallottini
Production Designer: Zoran Zorcic
Art Directors: Aurelio Crugnola, Franco Fumagalli, Miodrag Miric, Jovan Radic
Film Editor: Ornella Micheli
Costume design: Mario Giorsi
Original Music: Angelo Francesco Lavagnino / Les Baxter
Written by Oreste Biancoli, Ennio De Concini, Eliana De Sabata, Antoinette Pellevant, Piero Pierotti, Duccio Tessari
Produced by Luigi Carpentieri,...
- 1/31/2023
- by Glenn Erickson
- Trailers from Hell
Pepla! Pepla! Rah Rah Rah! These two remastered Italo muscleman pix could be the start of something big. A pair of relatively early Maciste epics became Samson vehicles in American-International’s Hollywood-ized revisions. Mark Forest & ex-Tarzan Gordon Scott overthrow tyrants in Egypt and Cathay, while hurling boulders and kissing exotic damsels like Chelo Alonso, Yôko Tani and Hélène Chanel. Separate releases from Kino Lorber.
Samson Double Bill
Son of Samson + Samson and the 7 Miracles of the World
Blu-ray Separate Purchases
Kl Studio Classics
1960 + 1961 / Color / 2:35 widescreen /
Starring: Mark Forest, Chelo Alonso; Gordon Scott, Yôko Tani, Hélène Chanel, Valéry Inkijinoff.
Cinematography: Riccardo Pallottini
Original Music: Carlo Innocenzi
Produced by Luigi Carpentieri, Ermanno Donati
Directed by Carlo Campogalliani, Riccardo Freda
Is it true? Will the neglected Italian costume pictures known as ‘sword ‘n’ sandals, Pepla & muscleman epics finally be released on disc in editions of worthwhile quality? We ‘fifties kids were raised...
Samson Double Bill
Son of Samson + Samson and the 7 Miracles of the World
Blu-ray Separate Purchases
Kl Studio Classics
1960 + 1961 / Color / 2:35 widescreen /
Starring: Mark Forest, Chelo Alonso; Gordon Scott, Yôko Tani, Hélène Chanel, Valéry Inkijinoff.
Cinematography: Riccardo Pallottini
Original Music: Carlo Innocenzi
Produced by Luigi Carpentieri, Ermanno Donati
Directed by Carlo Campogalliani, Riccardo Freda
Is it true? Will the neglected Italian costume pictures known as ‘sword ‘n’ sandals, Pepla & muscleman epics finally be released on disc in editions of worthwhile quality? We ‘fifties kids were raised...
- 8/20/2022
- by Glenn Erickson
- Trailers from Hell
Guest reviewer Lee Broughton returns to shine a critical light on a double bill Spaghetti Western disc, two features starring the world’s favorite acting fiend, Klaus Kinski. The prolific German actor racked up credits in more than twenty Euro-Westerns, some of which amounted to brief-if-worthy guest spots. These two Italian productions feature the German actor up front in starring position, and both are pretty good genre entries to boot.
And God Said to Cain & Twice a Judas
Double Bill DVD
Spaghetti Western Collection Volume 45
Wild East
1970 & 1968 / Color / 2:35 widescreen / Street Date August 26, 2013 / 19.95
Starring: Klaus Kinski, Antonio Sabato.
Directed by Anthony Dawson (Antonio Margheriti), Nando Cicero
CineSavant DVD Guest Review by Lee Broughton
Anthony Dawson’s And God Said to Cain (1970) is a decidedly gothic affair distinguished by the fact that Kinski is cast against type as a sympathetic vengeance seeker who holds the film’s moral high ground.
The...
And God Said to Cain & Twice a Judas
Double Bill DVD
Spaghetti Western Collection Volume 45
Wild East
1970 & 1968 / Color / 2:35 widescreen / Street Date August 26, 2013 / 19.95
Starring: Klaus Kinski, Antonio Sabato.
Directed by Anthony Dawson (Antonio Margheriti), Nando Cicero
CineSavant DVD Guest Review by Lee Broughton
Anthony Dawson’s And God Said to Cain (1970) is a decidedly gothic affair distinguished by the fact that Kinski is cast against type as a sympathetic vengeance seeker who holds the film’s moral high ground.
The...
- 4/28/2018
- by Glenn Erickson
- Trailers from Hell
When Paul McCartney shocked the world in April 1970 with his announcement of the Beatles' break-up, drummer Ringo Starr added a surprise of his own by becoming (initially, at least) the most musically active member of the former Fab Four.
As he would later recount in the lyrics of "Early 1970," the deceptively jaunty b-side of his 1971 hit "It Don't Come Easy," Starr was the only Beatle who didn't have any serious beef with any other member of the band at the time. Feeling lost without the family dynamic of the musical...
As he would later recount in the lyrics of "Early 1970," the deceptively jaunty b-side of his 1971 hit "It Don't Come Easy," Starr was the only Beatle who didn't have any serious beef with any other member of the band at the time. Feeling lost without the family dynamic of the musical...
- 11/2/2016
- Rollingstone.com
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