ADDITION: Kino - Region 'A' Blu-ray - October 2019: Kino bring Mario Bava's wonderfully rich "Ercole al centro della Terra" aka "Hercules at the Center of the Earth" or "Hercules in the Haunted World" or "Hercules vs. the Vampires" or "With Hercules to the Center of the Earth" to Region 'A' Blu-ray. It is stated as offering "2K restoration from the original camera negative". Kino include three separate (no seamless branching) versions of the film. The package has 2 Blu-ray discs. A dual-layered with the European release version: Vampire gegen Hercules; aka Ercole al centro della Terra (Italian dialogue with optional English subtitles) with an optional audio commentary by Tim Lucas (author of Mario Bava: All the Colors of the Dark) and the, shorter, U.K. release version: Hercules at the Center of the Earth (in English, no subtitles.) The second Blu-ray has the U.S. release (DUBBed) version: Hercules in the Haunted World (with optional English SDH captions). As Tim Lucas told me - "this version was extensively reworked with a new narrated structure making recycled use of the Medea footage. It was also extensively rescored with library music to beef things up and there is a different title sequence by Filmation Industries, the animation house that also provided the credits for the US version of BLOOD AND BLACK LACE (as seen on the VCI disc)". Despite the less robust transfer, with lower bitrates, the Kino version's image quality don't suffer too much and looks about the same with more discerning eyes and systems see a slight disparity in-motion.

Kino also use linear PCM tracks (16-bit) for the audio transfers. Impacting on the HD presentation is the score by Armando Trovajoli (Werewolf in a Girl's Dormitory, Two Women, The Valachi Papers, A Special Day, Yesterday, Today and Tomorrow, Marriage Italian Style, La Vista) adding tension, mystery and atmosphere. There are optional English subtitles for the Italian-language version, none for the included UK version and English (SDH) for the English DUB'ed US version. The Blu-ray discs are Region 'A'-locked.

Aside from having three versions, Kino have added the audio commentary by, always impressively knowledgeable, Tim Lucas, author of Mario Bava: All the Colors of the Dark for the Italian-language version (with the rarely seen pre-credit sequence) where he discusses the versions and differences, the premise and so much more - plus we get the 26-minute interview with actor George Ardisson - same as on the Koch but this has English subtitles. There are also U.S. and UK theatrical trailers.

This has one of the most appealing titles (Hercules vs. the Vampires) although as Tim Lucas mentions in the commentary - it is not entirely accurate, regardless of Christopher Lee in the cast, the Kino Blu-ray named Hercules in the Haunted World may be more appropriate. It's fun with plenty of camp value - kind of a sword-and-sandal meets horror - and Bava's creative style within the constrains of the limited budget (Lucas talks about only have 4 pillars that required frequent shifting to be in alternate scenes.)  The Kino Blu-ray offers a lot for fans who want to see the film in 3 of its versions and listen to the impressive commentary. Frankly, this remains a beautiful film.  

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Gary Tooze