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S E A R C H    D V D B e a v e r

(aka "La Frusta e il corpo" or "Der Dämon und die Jungfrau" or "What!")

 

directed by Mario Bava
Italy / France 1963

 

The 2024 Kino Blu-ray of The Whip and the Body is reviewed / compared HERE

 

Released in the United States in a heavily censored edition that eliminates all traces of sexual masochims, LA FRUSTA proved to be quite ahead of its time. In retrospect, the American title WHAT! pretty well sums up the reactions of audiences at the time, baffled as they must have been by the incomprehensible re-editing. Thankfully, Bava's original cut is available on Japanese laser disc, in a gorgeously colorful, letterboxed print that enables one to appreciate every facet of its brilliance. In this form it is, arguably, Bava's greatest work, and a must for all serious film buffs.

Excerpt from Troy Howarth at mariobava.tripod.com located HERE

Posters

Theatrical Release: 29 August 1963 (Italy)

Reviews                                         More Reviews                              DVD Reviews      

 

Comparison:

e-m-s - Region 2 - PAL vs. VCI - Region 0 - NTSC vs. Kino - Region 'A' - Blu-ray

Big thanks to Gregory Meshman for all the DVD Screen Caps!

Box Covers

 

 

 

 

 

  

Coming to Blu-ray by Kino in 2024

and 88 Films in the UK:

Also available on Blu-ray in Germany from Koch Media:

Distribution

e-m-s

Region 2 - PAL

VCI
Region 0 - NTSC

Kino

Region 'A' - Blu-ray

Runtime 1:23:24 (4% PAL speedup) 1:26:54 1:27:11.434
Video

1.92:1 Original Aspect Ratio

16X9 enhanced
Average Bitrate: n/a mb/s
PAL 720x576 25.00 f/s

1.85:1 Original Aspect Ratio
Average Bitrate: 5.34 mb/s
NTSC 720x480 29.97 f/s

1.78:1 - 1080P Dual-layered Blu-ray

Disc Size: 32,294,805,000 bytes

Feature: 29,200,465,920 bytes

Video Bitrate: 33.87 Mbps

Codec: MPEG-4 AVC Video

NOTE: The Vertical axis represents the bits transferred per second. The Horizontal is the time in minutes.

Bitrate:

e-m-s

 

NOT AVAILABLE

Bitrate:

 

VCI

 

Bitrate:

 

Blu-ray

 

Audio German, English, Italian (Dolby Digital Mono)

English, Italian (Dolby Digital Mono)

LPCM Audio Italian 2304 kbps 2.0 / 48 kHz / 2304 kbps / 24-bit
LPCM Audio English 2304 kbps 2.0 / 48 kHz / 2304 kbps / 24-bit
LPCM Audio French 2304 kbps 2.0 / 48 kHz / 2304 kbps / 24-bit
Commentary: LPCM Audio English 1536 kbps 2.0 / 48 kHz / 1536 kbps / 16-bit
Subtitles German, None English, Spanish, None English, None
Features Release Information:
Studio: e-m-s

Aspect Ratio:
Widescreen anamorphic - 1.92:1

Edition Details:
• Commentary by Tim Lucas
• German, Italian, French theatrical trailers (3:25 each)
• 4 Image Galleries (Lobby Cards, Posters, Press Materials, Various)
• Alternative German title sequence from VHS (1:47)
• Original American title sequence for What (1:03)
• Biographies and Filmographies (in German)
• 3 trailers for other e-m-s releases (including Blood & Black Lace)

DVD Release Date: September 25, 2005
Keepcase with a Sleeve

Chapters 18

Release Information:
Studio: VCI

Aspect Ratio:
Widescreen letterboxed - 1.85:1

Edition Details:
• Commentary by Tim Lucas
• French theatrical trailer (3:25)
• Photo Gallery
• Play Soundtrack (2 tracks from a soundtrack single)
• Original American title sequence for What (1:04)
• Biographies and Filmographies
• Planet of the Vampires and Blood & Black Lace theatrical trailers

 

DVD Release Date: October 24, 2000
Keepcase

Chapters 18

Release Information:
Studio: Kino Video

1.78:1 - 1080P Dual-layered Blu-ray

Disc Size: 32,294,805,000 bytes

Feature: 29,200,465,920 bytes

Video Bitrate: 33.87 Mbps

Codec: MPEG-4 AVC Video

 

Edition Details:

• Uncut, Unrated European Version

• Commentary by Tim Lucas

Blu-ray Release Date: December 17th, 2013
Standard
Blu-ray Case
Chapters: 10

 

 

Comments

The 2024 Kino Blu-ray of The Whip and the Body is reviewed / compared HERE

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

ADDITION: Kino - Region 'A' - Blu-ray (November 2013): Kino take their swing at Bava's The Whip and the Body and it is advertised as the Uncut, Unrated European version. It offers English, Italian and French DUBs - all in linear PCM. The image looks significantly darker and detail is lost compared to the DVDs - notably the e-m-s but, for all I know, that may have been boosted. I would tend to believe that this has not had digital manipulation (aside from the 1.85 to 1.78 aspect ratio adjustment) and is true to the source Kino used (incidentally Le Corps et Le Fouet French title card.) I can't speak to the authenticity of the appearance but I will say it is one of the darker Blu-rays I have seen (not saying this is not an accurate representation of the film!). My suspicion is the Kino is the most accurate although with all the shadows and minimal lighting skin tones gravitate all over the place from cool to warm depending on the lighting. It also has some rich, and pleasing, textures.

 

The 3 DUBs are all transferred at LPCM 2.0 channel at 2304. The post DUBBING is obvious and, at times, awkward. There are weaknesses - I stuck with the Italian and Carlo Rustichelli's (Seduced and Abandoned, Divorce - Italian Style, 1974's Ten Little Indians) score maintains a mysterious atmosphere throughout sounding quite spooky via the uncompressed. There are optional English subtitles and the Blu-ray disc is Region 'A'-locked.

 

The only extra is Tim Lucas's commentary (author of Mario Bava : All the Colors of the Dark). He's always a pleasure to listen to and imparts some wonderful information.

 

Bava fans will definitely appreciate the Blu-ray - absolutely recommended!

 - Gary Tooze

***

ON THE DVDs: The winner in this comparison is clearly the anamorphic German disc. It ports over some nice extras including an excellent commentary by Tim Lucas. In capture 3, VCI has this scene after a fade out, so it's much darker while e-m-s disc already has the ladies riding on the beach for a few frames.

These clearly was transferred from different prints. German disc also has an alternative German dub, but English dubbing is the preferable option even though Christopher Lee's voice is not his own. I couldn't take a bitrate for a German disc, so it's not included.

 - Gregory Meshman

 


Menus
(
e-m-s - Region 2 - PAL - LEFT vs. VCI - Region 0 - NTSC - RIGHT)


 

 

Kino - Region 'A' - Blu-ray

 


 

CLICK EACH BLU-RAY CAPTURE TO SEE ALL IMAGES IN FULL 1920X1080 RESOLUTION

 

Screen Captures

 

1) e-m-s - Region 2 - PAL - TOP

2) VCI - Region 0 - NTSC - MIDDLE

3) Kino - Region 'A' - Blu-ray BOTTOM

Subtitle sample

 


 

1) e-m-s - Region 2 - PAL - TOP

2) VCI - Region 0 - NTSC - MIDDLE

3) Kino - Region 'A' - Blu-ray BOTTOM

 


 

1) e-m-s - Region 2 - PAL - TOP

2) VCI - Region 0 - NTSC - MIDDLE

3) Kino - Region 'A' - Blu-ray BOTTOM

 


 

1) e-m-s - Region 2 - PAL - TOP

2) VCI - Region 0 - NTSC - MIDDLE

3) Kino - Region 'A' - Blu-ray BOTTOM

 


 

1) e-m-s - Region 2 - PAL - TOP

2) VCI - Region 0 - NTSC - MIDDLE

3) Kino - Region 'A' - Blu-ray BOTTOM

 


 

1) e-m-s - Region 2 - PAL - TOP

2) VCI - Region 0 - NTSC - MIDDLE

3) Kino - Region 'A' - Blu-ray BOTTOM

 


 

1) e-m-s - Region 2 - PAL - TOP

2) VCI - Region 0 - NTSC - MIDDLE

3) Kino - Region 'A' - Blu-ray BOTTOM

 

More Blu-ray Captures


 

Report Card:

 

Image:

Blu-ray

Sound:

Blu-ray

Extras: draw for DVDs

 
Box Covers

 

 

 

 

 

  

Coming to Blu-ray by Kino in 2024

and 88 Films in the UK:

Also available on Blu-ray in Germany from Koch Media:

Distribution

e-m-s

Region 2 - PAL

VCI
Region 0 - NTSC

Kino

Region 'A' - Blu-ray

 

 





 

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Gary Tooze

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