NOTE: The below Blu-ray captures were taken directly from the Blu-ray disc.

ADDITION: Mondo Macabro Blu-ray (June 2024): Mondo Macabro have transferred Vicente Aranda's Fata Morgana to Blu-ray. It is cited as being from a "Brand new 2K restoration from the original negative". The 1080P image can show inconsistency occasionally looking soft but the colors tend to distract. It's quite possible this is how the film looked originally - never pristinely crisp but often thick and heavy. I'm not really complaining - grain is sometimes rich, other times tame. The film's art direction - kudos to Pablo Gago (Fangs of the Living Dead) and Manuel Muñiz (Death Walks at Midnight) - wins over the HD presentation, which is in, the bastardized, 1.78:1 on a dual-layered disc with a max'ed out bitrate.

NOTE: We have added 52 more large resolution Blu-ray captures (in lossless PNG format) for DVDBeaver Patrons HERE

On their Blu-ray, Mondo Macabro use a DTS-HD Master dual-mono track (16-bit) in the original Spanish language. Fata Morgana has aggression but it is fairly passive audio-wise with an extended foot chase sequence and a coupe, of quick stabbings. The score by Antonio Pérez Olea (A Candle for the Devil, The Blood Spattered Bride, Violent Blood Bath, The Forest of the Wolf) helps out the visuals sounding occasional dramatic and intense but there are also subtle moments with Gim (Gimpera) walking through parts of vacated Barcelona. All good if not dynamic. Mondo Macabro offer optional English subtitles on their Region FREE Blu-ray.

The Mondo Macabro Blu-ray offers a new commentary by Rachael Nisbet, film critic and co-host of the Fragments Of Fear Giallo Podcast. I appreciated her take, explaining some of the filmmaker's intentions. She discusses influences, post-production, details about the director - Vicente Aranda, the comic book prologue, the cast and much more. I found it very informative. Good job! Also included is a 25-minute interview with actress Teresa Gimpera discussing her career and recollections of working in the industry. I still remember her short appearance in Hannah, Queen of the Vampires. Also we get a 20-minute interview with Angel Sala, director of the Sitges Film Festival in Spanish with English subtitles where he describes this 60's Spanish fantasy genre, mentions Jess Franco, although he claims it has existed for decades with a certain auteurial connotations mentioning films like Julio Coll's 1963 Los muertos no perdonan which combines fantasy elements and a crime drama. I found it very interesting and informative. Lots I don't know about. Lastly is one minute of an alternative opening sequence using a different set of comic panels.  

Vicente Aranda's Fata Morgana is pretty off-the-wall cited as "experimental' and part of the 'Barcelona School' fostering creativity in the face of government suppression. Okay. Much of the film looks like it is spoofing societal norms from celebrity adulation, consumerism, and passive acceptance of future absurdities - using pop-culture as a springboard. This is in the midst of at unexplained 'event' herding citizens out of the city which leans either Orwellian or apocalyptic... or both. A lot of genre-mix head-scratching for this reviewer, (maybe even an homage to The Invisible Man?!) but the eye-candy made it somewhat fun. It has sexy Teresa Gimpera (The Spirit of the Beehive, Shadow of Death, Crypt of the Living Dead, The Night of the Devils and Franco's Count Dracula) but I am still trying to absorb all Fata Morgana has to offer. I think I loved the indulgence and quirky qualities, but I need more viewings. I do LOVE Mondo Macabro for frequently introducing me to the cinema of the unknown, weird and wonderful on Blu-ray. I still think their promo video opening is the best. The adventurous. and even academic, cinephile should be considered informed.

Gary Tooze