Blu-Ray Review: Gothic Fantastico

Of all the elements that make up horror fiction it’s arguably the Gothic which remains the most reliably chilling. The atmosphere, the mystery, the ghosts. Tales of love and betrayal. Or greed and murder. All normally set in a big old house, which is as character in its own right. Stories as old as the hills but which have a new lease of life. These translate nicely into film, a medium where a filmmaker can show the inner turmoil. Arrow Video have brought four Italian tales of terror together in Gothic Fantastico.

Lady Morgan’s Vengeance

After the sudden death of her intended, Lady Morgan (Barbara Nelli) falls into the arms of lifetime friend, Harold (Paul Muller). When she returns from her travels, she finds everything has changed. The (now) lord has installed new staff, including an unfriendly maid (Erika Blanc), and something isn’t quite right. Massimo Pupillo’s film plays with a familiar concept but has the pay-off of seeing the perpetrators get their comeuppance in a number of inventive ways.

The Blancheville Monster

After spending much of her childhood studying abroad, Emilie de Blancheville (Ombretta Colli) returns home on the cusp of her 21^st birthday only to find all has changed. Her father has died and her brother Roderic (Gérard Tichy) has made changes. Nothing is what it seems in Alberto De Martino’s Gothic chiller. One which uses its location to great effect, creating a doom-laden atmosphere. One where the truth is never quite that simple.

The Third Eye

When a wealthy count, Mino (Franco Nero), decides to marry his finance (Erika Blanc), it angers his overbearing mother (Olga Solbelli). Not to mention the maid, Marta (Gioia Pascal), who fancied becoming the countess herself. Mino Guerrini’s soapy chiller is a heady mix of madness, intrigue and necrophilia. One which benefits from a cast who are committed to the cause and a script which goes to places you’d never expect.

The Witch

A young historian (Richard Johnson) is persuaded to work for an aging beauty (Sarah Ferrati), translating her erotic library. He soon become bewitched by her beautiful daughter (Rosanna Schiaffino), virtually a captive to his own desires. Damiano Damiani’s tale of obsession would drive any man to his limits. A paranoid Gothic story of power and attraction. One which cleverly uses the setting as its tragic stage.

Product Features:

Brand new 2K restorations from the original camera negatives of all four films
High Definition Blu-ray™ (1080p) presentations of each film
Original Italian and English front and end titles on The Blancheville Monster, The Third Eye and The Witch
Original lossless mono Italian soundtracks on all four films
Original lossless mono English soundtracks on The Blancheville Monster, The Third Eye and The Witch
Optional English subtitles for the Italian soundtracks
Optional English subtitles for the deaf and hard of hearing for the English soundtracks
Brand new video introductions to each film by Italian film devotee Mark Thompson Ashworth
Image galleries
Limited edition 80-page book featuring new writing on the films by Roberto Curti, Rob Talbot, Jerome Reuter, Rod Barnett and Kimberly Lindbergs
Fold-out double-sided poster
Limited edition packaging with reversible sleeves featuring original and newly commissioned artwork by Colin Murdoch

Lady Morgan’s Vengeance:

Brand new audio commentary by author and critic Alexandra Heller-Nicholas
Brand new video essay on the film by author and producer Kat Ellinger
Brand new video interview with actress Erika Blanc
Newly edited video interview with actor Paul Muller
Newly edited audio interview with director Massimo Pupillo
The complete original cineromanzo, published in Suspense in April 1971
Trailer

The Blancheville Monster:

Brand new audio commentary by filmmaker and film historian Paul Anthony Nelson
Brand new video essay on the film by writer and pop culture historian Keith Allison
Brand new video interview with author and filmmaker Antonio Tentori
Opening credits for the US release of the film
Trailer

The Third Eye: