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

ADDITION: 88 Films Blu-ray (April 2025): 88 Films have transferred Ferdinando Baldi's Nine Guests for a Crime to Blu-ray. It on a dual-layered disc with a max'ed out bitrate. Damage exists (see sample below.) Shot on location in Palau, Sardinia, the film leverages its Mediterranean setting for both beauty and menace. Cinematographer Sergio Rubini (Dawn of the Mummy, Convoy Busters, Five Women for the Killer) contrasts sunlit beaches with shadowy interiors, creating a claustrophobic vibe despite the open landscape. The villa, luxurious yet cut off, mirrors the family’s entrapment. Visual flourishes, like POV shots from the killer’s perspective, are standard giallo fare but effective in building suspense. The opening murder, with its grainy, chaotic energy, sets a gritty tone, but the 1080P transfer source shows color flecks, bleeding and damage.

Vinegar Syndrome released "Nine Guests for a Crime" in their Forgotten Gialli: Volume Five Blu-ray set along with A White Dress for Marialé and Tropic of Cancer. We don't own it to compare but have been told the a/v quality is similar, although the 88 Films release has more extras including a commentary (see comments below.)

NOTE: We have added 68 more large resolution Blu-ray captures (in lossless PNG format) for DVDBeaver Patrons HERE

On their Blu-ray, 88 Films offer linear PCM dual-mono tracks (24-bit) in both English (DUB) or Italian languages. The score by Carlo Savina (who is known for Blood Ceremony, Night of the Skull, 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) is functional but unremarkable, leaning on moody strings and percussion to heighten tension. It lacks the iconic quality of Ennio Morricone or Goblin’s giallo soundtracks, blending into the background rather than elevating key scenes. Ambient sounds, like crashing waves or footsteps, often carry more weight in creating unease. Nine Guests for a Crime has a reasonably clean lossless track flat and effective with consistent dialogue. 88 Films offer optional English subtitles on their Region 'B' Blu-ray.

The 88 Films Blu-ray offers a new commentary by genre heavyweights; Troy Howarth (So Deadly, So Perverse Vol 2: 50 Years of Italian Giallo Films,) Nathaniel Thompson, and Eugenio Ercolani (Darkening the Italian Screen: Interviews with Genre and Exploitation Directors Who Debuted in the 1950s and 1960s.) This trio of Italian cinema experts delivers a richly detailed, entertaining commentary blending deep knowledge with camaraderie. They cover the film’s production, its place in the giallo cycle, and Ferdinando Baldi’s eclectic career (westerns to exploitation). There are anecdotes about the cast - Arthur Kennedy’s Hollywood decline, John Richardson’s Hammer roots - and Fabio Pittorru’s script influences (Christie, giallo novels.) Technical aspects, like Rubini’s cinematography, are analyzed, alongside the film’s sleazy tone and moderate violence. The commentary is engaging, with each speaker complementing the others. Howarth provides historical context, Thompson adds genre comparisons, and Ercolani digs into Italian cinema’s socio-cultural backdrop. Their enthusiasm elevates the film’s middling reputation, though they acknowledge its flaws (pacing, thin characters). It’s dense but accessible, ideal for giallo scholars and newcomers. Included is a 26-minute interview with Massimo Foschi, who plays Michele, the brooding son. Foschi discusses his early life, entry into acting, and experiences on Nine Guests. Included is a 37-minute featurette with production designer Giovanni Licheri and costume designer Alida Cappellini. Licheri details crafting the villa’s minimalist look, emphasizing Sardinia’s natural integration. Cappellini covers the 1970s wardrobe - flowing dresses, leisure suits - and its role in the film’s decadent vibe. Both share career paths and anecdotes from other projects. There is a 23-minute interview with cinematographer Sergio Rubini entitled “A Professional for a Crime”. He traces his career from assistant roles to Nine Guests, detailing the Sardinian shoot’s challenges - natural lighting, tight budget, and capturing the island’s dual beauty/danger. He discusses specific shots, like the POV kills and prologue’s grit, and working with Baldi. Lastly is a 2-minute trailer. Included in the package is a perfect-bound booklet, with essays, stills, and archival materials. There are contributions from genre experts on the film’s giallo roots, Baldi’s career, and Pittorru’s script and includes production history, cast bios, and analysis of the film’s Christie influence vs. giallo sleaze. A folded poster is included.

Ferdinando Baldi's Nine Guests for a Crime is a whodunit thriller heavily inspired by Agatha Christie’s And Then There Were None (1939), adapted into a sleazy, violent giallo framework. The central theme is retribution for past wrongs, a common giallo motif. The prologue’s murder haunts the family, and the killer’s motive - avenging Charlie - drives the plot. This moral reckoning is complicated by the family’s unlikability: their selfishness, infidelity, and cruelty make their deaths feel like comeuppance, though the film doesn’t deeply explore guilt or redemption. The family embodies bourgeois excess - wealth, alcohol, and extramarital affairs dominate their interactions. Scenes of casual adultery (e.g., lovers sneaking off while spouses sleep nearby) paint them as morally bankrupt, aligning with giallo’s fascination with flawed characters. Betrayal permeates the narrative, both in relationships and the killer’s deception. The kills are varied but not excessively graphic compared to Dario Argento or Lucio Fulci’s work. JB Scotch, a giallo staple, flows freely, and the killer often wears black gloves. The tone wavers between lurid excess and restrained mystery, reflecting its hybrid nature as a Christie-inspired giallo. Screenwriter Fabio Pittorru, a giallo novelist (The Fox Trail) and veteran of films like The Red Queen Kills Seven Times, The Weekend Murders, The Night Evelyn Came Out of the Grave, infuses the script with genre tropes; unlikable victims, a traumatic backstory, and a twisty reveal. There are some attractive, and scantily clad, ladies marooned on the island; Caroline Laurence (Emmanuelle 2, 3 + 7) as Giulia, Loretta Persichetti (competed in Miss Universe 1974 as Miss Italy) as Patrizia, Sofia Dionisio (Live Like a Cop, Die Like a Man - credited as Flavia Fabiani) as Carla, Dana Ghia (The Bloodstained Butterfly, Seven Deaths in the Cats Eyes) as Elisabetta, and Rita Silva (The Erotic Dreams of Cleopatra, The New York Ripper) as Greta. The 88 Films Blu-ray is a love letter to Nine Guests for a Crime, transforming a flawed thriller into a must-own for giallo aficionados. The video and audio maximize the film’s best source, while the extras - especially the expert commentary with scholarly heft, four interviews (totaling almost 2-hours,) booklet and Humphreys’ art - add lasting value. If you’re new to the genre, start with Argento or Bava, but for the initiated, this is a treasure worth unearthing.

Gary Tooze