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

ADDITION: Vinegar Syndrome Blu-ray (March 2024): Vinegar Syndrome have transferred three Spanish Gialli to a Blu-ray package entitled "Spanish Blood Bath". They are cited as being "Newly scanned & restored in 4K from their 35mm original camera negatives". The films were all released in 1974; Jesús Franco's Night of the Skull, Jorge Grau's Violent Blood Bath and Pedro L. Ramírez's The Fish with the Eyes of Gold. Each are transferred on their own dual-layered Blu-ray and have max'ed out bitrates. They look reasonably strong - a few marks and speckles here and there but bright, not faded, authentic colors and adept contrast. I didn't have any issues with the HD presentation with a few exceptions of inordinate softness - that appear to be part of the source. Overall - a fairly consistent and pleasing 1080P appearance on my system. 

NOTE: We have added 152 more large resolution Blu-ray captures (in lossless PNG format) for DVDBeaver Patrons HERE

On their Blu-ray, Vinegar Syndrome use a DTS-HD Master dual-mono tracks (24-bit) in the original Spanish language with an English language DUB option for Violent Blood Bath. The violence, screams etc. have modest depth and is authentically flat. On Night of the Skull the score was by Carlo Savina - who is known for Blood Ceremony, Lisa and the Devil, Bandidos, And God Said to Cain, Hudson River Massacre, Fangs of the Living Dead, and conducting Nino Rota's score for Fellini's I Clowns, Juliet of the Spirits and Amarcord.  On Violent Blood Bath the score was by Antonio Pérez Olea (A Candle for the Devil, The Blood Spattered Bride, The Dead, the Devil and the Flesh, The Forest of the Wolf.) I couldn't find any score composition credit for The Fish with the Eyes of Gold. Vinegar Syndrome offer optional English subtitles on their Region FREE Blu-rays.

The Vinegar Syndrome Blu-rays have no commentaries but almost 1.5 hour's worth of interviews; with actor Antonio Mayans for Night of the Skull, Sitges Festival director Ángel Sala for Night of the Skull, Carlos Grau, son of director Jorge Grau for Violent Blood Bath, actor José Lifante for Violent Blood Bath, Sala, again, for Violent Blood Bath and The Fish with the Eyes of Gold plus, lastly, Sala provides five Spanish Giallo recommendations. These are 1974's The Student Connection (Un par de zapatos del '32) with Ray Milland, 1969's Macabre aka The Shadow of Death (Viaje al vacío) with Larry Ward and Teresa Gimpera (The Spirit of the Beehive). He says this is a very important film in Spanish Neo-Giallo. He includes on his list José María Forqué's 1971 In the Eye of the Hurricane (El ojo del huracán) with Analía Gadé, Jean Sorel and Rosanna Yanni. The fourth recommendation is 1973's No One Heard the Scream (Nadie oyó gritar) which he considers the most sophisticated film in 'the trend'. Lastly recommended is 1973's Murder in a Blue World (Una gota de sangre para morir amando) with Sue Lyon ('Lolita' of Kubrick's Lolita) and Christopher Mitchum (the second son of Robert Mitchum.) There are no liner notes.

Vinegar Syndrome "Spanish Blood Bath" Blu-ray package certainly offers lesser-seen entries in the Spanish Giallo genre. Black gloves, scotch, murder, insanity, infidelity, flirtation abound with 70's decor, hair styles and clothing adorning the blood-splattered canvas. Violent Blood Bath is notable for having Austrian beauty Marisa Mell (Lucio Fulci's Perversion Story and Mario Bava's Danger: Diabolik) and stalwart Fernando Rey (The French Connection II, Luis Buñuel's The Discreet Charm of the Bourgeoisie and That Obscure Object of Desire). I also enjoyed The Fish with the Eyes of Gold with its oddities and the minor character of Monica played by Montserrat Prous (Sinner: The Secret Diary of a Nymphomaniac). Jesús Franco's Night of the Skull was more of the director's clumsy work but did have a quasi-Poe gothic edge and 'death by the 4 elements' plot. In a minor role is the director's muse, 20-year old, Lina Romay (Lorna the Exorcist, Female Vampire, Night Has a Thousand Desires, The Sadist of Notre Dame and The Bare Breasted Countess.) So, while not premium Gialli, these easily fit the genre and have many positives. Vinegar Syndrome continue their excellent work in the Blu-ray sphere. I hope they continue to find appreciation from physical media advocates. Let's just say - you won't be seeing these on Netflix anytime soon. Recommended to genre fans.

Gary Tooze