Severin Films

Region 0 - NTSC

1.83:1 Original Aspect Ratio

16X9 enhanced
Average Bitrate: 5.5 mb/s
NTSC 720x480 29.97 f/s

Codec: MPEG-4 AVC Video

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

Aspect Ratio:
Widescreen anamorphic - 1.83:1

Edition Details:
• DISC ONE:
• U.S. Theatrical Trailer (16:9; 4:19)
• DISC TWO:
• Riz Ortolani Soundtrack CD (11 tracks; 30:58)

DVD Release Date: February 27th, 2007
Amaray

Chapters 16

Chapters 12

ADDITION: Mondo Macabro - Region FREE - Blu-ray - November 2018': This is a solid release from Mondo Macabro, and this early showcase of Fulci's style is a healthy improvement in 1080P over the previous SD treatment. As per Mondo, this is an "HD transfer from original negative, with extra scenes sourced from 35mm print, exclusively color timed to match the HD master". This is a dual-layered Blu-ray and the HD image improves in every category - it is tighter (no longer vertically stretched), has a more layered contrast, richer colors, and there is a great amount of depth. The grain textures are consistent and very film-like, sometimes heavy. It provides a very pleasing presentation - even more so beside the old DVD.

NOTE: This fully restored Blu-ray release is the longest version available running over 10-minutes longer than the 2007 DVD. Eric tells us: "Things like the scenes of sorel racing the train to San Luis Obispo were in the English cut but missing from the Severin which was an alternate erotic version with sex scenes but trimming where Mondo Macabro used the erotic version as the base and added the cut footage from a print."

Mondo Macabro give us the option of DTS-HD 1.0 mono tracks (24-bit) in either English or Italian with optional English subtitles. It is flat but carries some depth not present in the previous DVD. The Giallo-esque score is by the great Riz Ortolani (The Valachi Papers, Seven Deaths in the Cat's Eyes, The Pyjama Girl Case. The McKenzie Break, Day of Anger, Il Sorpasso, Woman Times Seven, Cannibal Holocaust, The Voyeur, Mondo Cane) and it runs perfectly beside the film's atmospheric soundstage. This is a Region-Free Blu-ray, which should entice Fulci fans from all over the globe.

We get plenty of extras here, though there is no audio commentary. The first is a conversation with Stephen Thrower, author of "Beyond Terror: The Films of Lucio Fulci". Thrower is always a pleasure to see in interviews as he is very well versed in genre film. Thrower's specialty in the area of Fulci films comes in handy as he describes various aspects of Fulci's ouevre, and this film's importance in the context of his work. Also here is a 30-minute interview with star Jean Sorel. Sorel is laid back and shares some insightful recollections. Star Elsa Martinelli is also interviewed here over 10-minutes in "The Last Diva". We are also treated to a rather long 4-minute trailer.

Fulci's early work here is outstanding. While certainly dated in some aspects, the film is still rather enjoyable. A wonderful mix of sex, death, and a mystery full of plot twists worthy of the best Giallo films. Fulci's style stands out above everything else though, as his wonderful eye for compositions (working with cinematographer, Alejandro Ulloa here) leads to a film almost overflowing with memorable images (and nobody gets stabbed in the eyeball!). Mondo's great work on this Blu-ray transfer is commendable. Highly recommended not just to Fulci fans, but to fans of cinema in general.

Colin Zavitz

***

Originally announced as an HD-mastered release from Anchor Bay that was scrapped because of, supposedly, unsatisfactory materials, Severin's transfer has earned some criticism because it is not the English export version. It is supposedly the French version which features more erotic footage. The English export version ran about 105 minutes and featured several bits of expository dialogue and some exclusive scenes. The French version does indeed feature some extended erotic footage (a French theatrical reissue appeared to have had access to all of the footage since - although it ran only 90 minutes - it featured the extended erotic footage as well as other footage exclusive to the English cut and the footage that was cut also ran across both versions). If this is indeed the French cut, it has been partially reconstructed. Firstly, the opening logo is German and the credits are in Italian (the French reissue version proves that French credits had been created using the same sliding opticals as the Italian originals).

The French track is absent but both the English and Italian tracks had to be re-edited to synchronize to this cut. Mastered in HD, the transfer is of course a massive visual improvement over the previous cassette releases (although the British pre-cert cassette was fully letterboxed and looked nice apart from some fading). The encoding seems faultless - apart from some minute edge enhancement - with the image quality only sometimes marred by an occasional scratch and one splice. Occasional shots are soft and may have come from other sources. PERVERSION STORY is also the English export title of the Italian/Spanish thriller LAS TROMPETAS DEL APOCALIPSIS and the British title for Lucio Fulci's BEATRICE CENZI (both 1969). The theatrical trailer is the only extra on the first disc (judging by the optical effects, it seems to have been based on the export trailer but the "color by Movielab" card suggests that the export trailer was incorporated into the US advertising). Disc Two features the CD soundtrack composed by Riz Ortolani (it is a nice offering but not at all rare as the soundtrack has had at least two issues on CD and was in print on LP before that). The CD is the 11 track album version (Dagored released an extended 15 track version in 2001). Severin's PERVERSION STORY is also available in a 2-pack with Fulci's THE PSYCHIC available HERE.

  - Eric Cotenas

Severin Films

Region 0 - NTSC