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

ADDITION: Radiance Blu-ray (October 2026): Radiance have transferred Luigi Zampa's The Monster ("Il mostro") to Blu-ray via a 2K restoration from the original negative, and like their other releases, it’s an impressive technical package. The feature sits alone on a dual-layered disc, with a very high bitrate. The image is framed at roughly 1.85:1 in 1080P. The results are excellent and true to Mario Vulpiani’s unglamorous late-’70s photography. Grain is natural and fine, never smoothed away or clumpy, and there is no sign of noise reduction or edge enhancement. Detail is strong in close-ups: the knit weave of the killer’s balaclava and the veins in his bloodshot eyes, skin texture on Dorelli’s face, the tweed of a jacket, the pattern of a bow tie. Colors are rich without being pushed. The pinks and lavenders of the restaurant scene, the butterfly-print robe and the red tartan scarf all pop, while skin tones stay warm and natural. Darker interiors hold their shadow detail well, and contrast is solid throughout. The negative appears to have been in good shape, and the image is clean, with no damage worth mentioning. This is a big step up for a film that has never had home video distribution outside Italy.

NOTE: We have added 40 more large resolution Blu-ray captures (in lossless PNG format) for DVDBeaver Patrons HERE

On their Blu-ray, Radiance use a linear PCM mono track (24-bit) in the original Italian language. It’s a faithful, clean rendering of the period source. Dialogue is clear and free of hiss or crackle, and the track has a surprising amount of body for a mono mix. Ennio Morricone’s catchy, ironic score benefits most from the lossless treatment. Its jaunty themes sit cleanly against the murders and the newsroom chatter, giving the film its sardonic pulse. There is no English dub. The commentary is a separate lossy track. Radiance offer optional English subtitles on their Region FREE Blu-ray.

The Radiance Blu-ray has assembled a strong and thoughtful selection of extras. The new audio commentary comes from giallo experts Rachael Nisbet (Fragments of Fear - A Giallo Podcast,) and Peter Jilmstad, recorded in 2026, and they should be well placed to put the film’s hybrid of thriller and satire into the context of the genre’s late period. Head Bent Forward is a 2022 documentary made for Oblivion by Freak-O-Rama Productions, running about 3/4 hour. In it, actors Sydne Rome, Renato Scarpa and Enzo Santaniello, along with makeup artist Pierantonio Mecacci, discuss the making of The Monster, with archival footage of Johnny Dorelli. Next is a newly filmed interview with author and Italian cinema expert Richard Dyer (see The Richard Dyer Reader,) shot exclusively for Radiance in June 2026 and running just over 1/2 hour. Dyer covers the film, its title, star Johnny Dorelli, its violence and the period of filmmaking, among other subjects. There is also an original trailer running over 3 minutes. The limited edition of 3,000 copies comes in full-height Scanavo packaging with a reversible sleeve featuring original and newly commissioned artwork by Time Tomorrow. It has a removable OBI strip that leaves the packaging free of certificates and markings. It also includes a booklet with new writing by Roberto Curti, author of Italian Giallo in Film and Television: A Critical History, along with archival interviews with Luigi Zampa and Johnny Dorelli.

Luigi Zampa's The Monster is a rare beast: a giallo that is really a black-comedy indictment of the press, written by Sergio Donati as a nastier reworking of the story he felt Bellocchio's Slap the Monster on Page One hadn't gotten right. It opens with its hero walking out of Spasmo complaining the plot makes no sense, and it never loses that sardonic wink. Johnny Dorelli is excellent as the frustrated hack who becomes a monster nearly as bad as the one he's covering. Sydne Rome, in a small role, can also be seen in What?, and Some Girls Do. Mario Vulpiani's unglamorous, workaday photography suits the satire. He also shot The .44 Specialist, How to Kill a Judge, The Grand Duel, Dillinger Is Dead. Ennio Morricone's catchy, ironic score keeps the film humming. His massive other work includes Hitch-Hike, The Key, For a Few Dollars More, A Fistful of Dollars, Violent City, Grand Slam, Revolver, The Great Silence, Who Saw Her Die?, The Black Belly of the Tarantula, The Fifth Cord, Luna, Danger Diabolik, Two Mules For Sister Sara, A Bullet for the General, Tie Me Up! Tie Me Down!, Investigation of a Citizen Above Suspicion, The French Conspiracy, U Turn, Stay As You Are, Short Night of Glass Dolls. The Radiance Blu-ray offers a superb 2K restoration from the original negative at a very high bitrate, lossless 24-bit mono, a new commentary, an hour and a quarter of interview and documentary material, and a substantial booklet. For a film that has never been available on home video outside Italy, this is an easy recommendation and one of the more unusual genre discoveries of the year.

Gary Tooze