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

ADDITION: Indicator Blu-ray (September 2023): Indicator have transferred Renato Polselli's Black Magic Rites to Blu-ray. It is cited as being from a "4K restoration from the original negative". The 1080P image looks quite strong and purchasers can expect the 4K UHD augmenting the video in terms of grain support, a visible bump in color vibrancy / richness and contrast layering. We will, hopefully, post those captures when we are able. The HD presentation(s) are at Indicator's usual high standard. There are very minor speckles and consistent textures. Nothing to complain about the image quality.

NOTE: We have added 60 more large resolution Blu-ray captures (in lossless PNG format) for DVDBeaver Patrons HERE

On their Blu-ray, Indicator use a DTS-HD Master 2.0 channel track (24-bit) in the original Italian language. Black Magic Rites has a lot of violent moments, including extensive screams, that come through with a surprising degree of depth in the lossless. The unique score by Romolo Forlai and Gianfranco Reverberi (A Black Veil For Lisa, Venus in Furs) is discussed in the supplements from both the latter composer and Lovely Jon's deconstructing the 'delirious compositions'. I encourage watching both extras to appreciate the score. Indicator offer optional English subtitles on their Region FREE Blu-ray.

The Indicator Blu-ray and 4K UHD offer a new commentary by critics and authors David Flint (The Reprobate Podcast) and Kim Newman (author of "Moriarty: The Hound of the D'Urbervilles"). They, naturally, discuss the many titles of the film, that part of the charm of is that it is very simple in one facet but very complex and hard to follow in another. Kim, although liking many things in the film, essentially fins it wearisome. They discuss the career of Renato Polselli and his horror output plus some of the performers. They don't shy away from the film's various 'extremes'. It's a great primer to a post-viewing of the film's bizarre-ness including the idea that it would have been conceived as a documentary. The Seventh Art According to Ralf Brown is a new 1/2 hour documentary on the first half of Renato Polselli’s career featuring an archival interviews with the filmmaker and his actor-collaborator Mickey Hargitay, as well as new contributions from director and programmer Luca Rea. The new video piece, Gianfranco Reverberi on ‘Black Magic Rites’, has the composer revisits his haunting score for shy of 20-minutes. He seems like a wonderful gentleman discussing his career, contemporaries and his music in the film. We also get 25-minutes of Lovely Jon on Gianfranco Reverberi where the DJ and soundtrack enthusiast deconstructs the film’s delirious compositions. Indicator include 40-minutes of Stephen Thrower on ‘Black Magic Rites’ where the author and musician analyses Polselli’s nightmarish cult classic. Lastly is an original theatrical trailer and an image gallery of promotional and publicity materials. The package contains a limited edition exclusive 80-page book with a new essay by Miranda Corcoran, a career-spanning archival interview with director Renato Polselli by Jay Slater, an archival autobiographical piece by Polselli, a look at the career of actor Mickey Hargitay, an overview of contemporary critical responses, and full film credits.

Renato Polselli wrote the screenplay, produced and directed Black Magic Rites and it may be reminiscent of some of Jess Franco's work, as the Italian censor board described as a "...rambling series of sadistic sequences, meant to urge, through extreme cruelty mixed with degenerate eroticism, the lowest sexual instincts". Thankfully the extras, and commentary, shed some light on the production and understanding its finished product. Black Magic Rites is still kind of a mess without the edifying context. It is still plot-less and filled with erotic imagery, graphic nudity, torture, organ removal, witch-hunts, and vampire lore. It's very weird and I suspect those who may enjoy it are a small niche. I, personally, didn't like it but am still glad I watched it with the extensive, revealing, extras. I'm happy to have learned more about Renato Polselli (The Vampire and the Ballerina) and his Gothic horror career.  Indicator have done their usual excellent work on the Blu-ray and, presumably the 4K UHD and that image improvement further showcasing cinematographer Ugo Brunelli's lens - who's genre resume includes westerns like Go with God, Gringo to horrors titled Curse of the Blood Ghouls. The unusual-ness of Black Magic Rites may find appeal with some, open-minded, cinephiles.

Gary Tooze