Firstly, a HUGE thanks to our Patreon supporters. Your generosity touches me deeply. These supporters have become the single biggest contributing factor to the survival of DVDBeaver. Your assistance has become essential. We are always trying to expand Patron benefits... you get access to the Silent Auctions and over 10,000 unpublished screen captures (in lossless PNG format, if that has appeal for you) listed HERE. Please consider helping with $3 or more each month so we can continue to do our best in giving you timely, thorough reviews, calendar updates and detailed comparisons. Thank you so much. We aren't going to exist without another 100 or so patrons. |
Search DVDBeaver |
S E A R C H D V D B e a v e r |
(aka "The Mafu Cage" or "Don't Ring the Doorbell!" or "My Sister, My Love" or "Deviation")
directed by Karen Arthur
USA 1978
Ellen (Lee Grant, DAMIEN: OMEN II) is a spinsterish astronomer charged by her parents with the care of her unstable sister Cissy (Carol Kane, WHEN A STRANGER CALLS), who has thoroughly immersed herself in the world of her late father who studied primate behavior in Africa (where the two sisters grew up). She has devoted herself to continuing her father's work and spends her days with her pet ape Mafu (Budnar). When Cissy violently kills the animal, she emotionally and physically manipulates enabler Ellen into getting a new Mafu from family friend Zom (Will Geer, IN COLD BLOOD). With Cissy placated, Ellen finds herself reluctantly becoming interested in co-worker David (James Olsen, AMITYVILLE II: THE POSSESSION) and spending more time with him than Cissy. Cissy, however, goes off the deep end when she realizes that she has a rival for Ellen's devotion. Based on Eric Wesphal's French play "You and Your Clouds," THE MAFU CAGE is more arthouse than grindhouse (distributors played up the exploitation elements, first retitling it DEVIATION, then MY SISTER, MY LOVE, and even DON'T RING THE DOORBELL! at some point). Director Karen Arthur (only the second female DGA member) responded deeply to the material and went above and beyond what the low budget allowed (she and writer Don Chastain also double as Cissy's and Ellen's parents in album photographs). Art director Conrad Anglione used his art connections to borrow authentic African artifacts for the house and hand-painted the various murals in the house to add splashes of color without cluttering the set decoration while cinematographer John Bailey's photography and lighting are simple yet elegant. Bailey is assigned the credit of "Visual Consultant" (Bailey also shot Paul Schrader's CAT PEOPLE in which designer Ferdinando Scarfiotti was credited as "Visual Consultant"). Editor Carol Littleton contrasts the busy sound collage of original score and African stock music denoting Cissy's world with the Roger Kellaway's (SILENT SCREAM) elegant, chamber music of Ellen's workplace refuge. Although the film belongs to Kane - who goes all out in conveying her character's madness - Grant sensitively plays the enabler (in the commentary Arthur contrasts Cissy's introverted nature with that of Ellen's supposed extroversion; Ellen looks out at the world [the stars], but from a distance). Approached as a serious drama rather than exploitation, THE MAFU CAGE is quite compelling and deliberately paced despite the intentional - and arty - atmosphere of languor. |
Posters
Theatrical Release: December 1st, 1978 (USA)
Reviews More Reviews DVD Reviews
Comparison:
Scorpion Releasing - Region 0 - NTSC vs. Scorpion Releasing - Region FREE - Blu-ray
Big thanks to Eric Cotenas for the DVD Review and Colin Zavitz for the Blu-ray Review!
Box Cover |
|
|
Distribution |
Scorpion Releasing Region 0 - NTSC |
Scorpion Releasing - Region FREE - Blu-ray |
Runtime | 1:35:33 (trimmed version - see below) | 1:40:59.762 |
Video |
1.78:1 Original Aspect Ratio
16X9 enhanced |
1. 78:1 1080P Dual-layered Blu-rayDisc Size: 35,252,845,063 bytesFeature: 29,698,369,536 bytes Video Bitrate: 34.99 MbpsCodec: MPEG-4 AVC Video |
NOTE: The Vertical axis represents the bits transferred per second. The Horizontal is the time in minutes. |
||
Bitrate DVD: |
|
|
Bitrate Blu-ray: |
|
|
Audio | English (Dolby Digital 2.0 mono) |
DTS-HD Master Audio English 1797 kbps 2.0 / 48
kHz / 1797 kbps / 24-bit (DTS Core: 2.0 / 48 kHz / 1509 kbps / 24-bit) Dolby
Digital Audio English 192 kbps 2.0 / 48 kHz / 192 kbps / DN -31dB |
Subtitles | None | English, None |
Features |
Release Information: Studio: Scorpion Releasing Aspect Ratio:
Edition Details: Chapters 12 |
Release Information: Studio: Scorpion Releasing
1. 78:1 1080P Dual-layered Blu-rayDisc Size: 35,252,845,063 bytesFeature: 29,698,369,536 bytes Video Bitrate: 34.99 MbpsCodec: MPEG-4 AVC Video
Edition Details: • Audio Commentary with director Karen Arthur• Audio Commentary with cinematographer John Bailey and editor Carol Littleton • New interview with composer Roger Kellaway (05:54) • Cissy and Her Clouds: interview with Carol Kane (20:06) • Solar Flare: interview with Lee Grant (16:49) • Vision of Clouds: interview with Karen Arthur (44:32) • Shot & Slice: interview with John Bailey and Carol Littleton (26:58) • Still Gallery • Reversible Artwork
Standard Blu-ray Case Chapters 9 |
Comments: |
NOTE:
The below
Blu-ray
captures were taken directly from the
Blu-ray
disc.
ON THE DVD: Mastered in
HD, THE MAFU CAGE looks great for the most part
(director Karen Arthur commends the new transfer), conveying
the balance of natural lighting, color gels, and the primary
colors of the art direction. There are scratches here and
there but the transfer is mostly very clean and the subdued
colors look accurate (minus the murk of the tape releases).
Scorpion's transfer features the title DEVIATION
(Arthur exclaims her disgust with the title change on the
commentary track). Audio is clean from the layered montage
of original score and stock African music in Cissy's scenes
to the elegant, chamber music and more naturalistic sound
effects of Ellen's scenes. This version is missing an eight
minute intercutting sequence that was removed without
Arthur's knowledge; it is included as a "deleted scene" in
the bonus features (it was featured on the Wizard Video tape
release which is the likely source). The Karen Arthur
commentary track is very informative and she is very
appreciative of her collaboration with the cast and crew.
She touches upon some elements that are not readily apparent
in the film itself (such as her interpretation of the
meaning of the French source play's title "You and Your
Clouds") and the contrast between the extroverted Ellen
(although she observes things from a distance like her
stars) and introverted Cissy.
The second
commentary track with cinematographer John Bailey and editor
Carol Littleton is also an interesting listen. There is some
overlap between the commentaries and the two lengthy
interviews featuring the aforementioned participants but it
is nice to see this film so fondly remembered. Star Carol
Kane and Lee Grant are also on hand for some very welcome
and candid interviews. Two alternate title cards are
supplied. THE CAGE is the video-burned title from the
Magnum Entertainment tape release while MY SISTER MY LOVE
is a reissue (sourced from the cropped Wizard tape). Wizard
released the film twice, the other release was under its
original title THE MAFU CAGE but it was video-burned (the
previous unauthorized, cut, tape-sourced budget DVD featured
THE MAFU CAGE title as it originally appeared).
Strangely, THE CAGE version (and the aforementioned
unauthorized THE MAFU CAGE edition) are missing the
narration over the opening credits featured in DEVIATION
and MY SISTER, MY LOVE. Since the music is
unaffected, it appears that two alternate mixes of this
opening were created. The photo gallery is quite lengthy and
definitely worth a look. There is no trailer for the feature
(I don't recall ever coming across one), nor are there any
trailers for other Scorpion Releasing titles (it's just as
well as this DVD9 is loaded). An obscure, underrated film
gets a prestigious special edition treatment.
|
Menus / Extras
Scorpion - Region 0 - NTSC
Scorpion - Region FREE - Blu-ray
CLICK EACH BLU-RAY CAPTURE TO SEE ALL IMAGES IN FULL 1920X1080 RESOLUTION
Subtitle Sample - Scorpion - Region FREE - Blu-ray
1) Scorpion - Region 0 - NTSC TOP2) Scorpion - Region FREE - Blu-ray BOTTOM |
1) Scorpion - Region 0 - NTSC TOP2) Scorpion - Region FREE - Blu-ray BOTTOM |
1) Scorpion - Region 0 - NTSC TOP2) Scorpion - Region FREE - Blu-ray BOTTOM |
Box Cover |
|
|
Distribution |
Scorpion Releasing Region 0 - NTSC |
Scorpion Releasing - Region FREE - Blu-ray |
Search DVDBeaver |
S E A R C H D V D B e a v e r |