b-rain Reviews

The Whip and the Body (1963)

color-coded cruelty(includes spoilers)

[9/10 · 17 October 2001]

(spoilers) The cruelty of love never dies in Mario Bava's sado-masochist gothic ghost story. Nevenka's(Daliah Lavi) forbidden love for her brother-in-law, Kurt(Christopher Lee), transcends even death because she desperately desires the pain he inflicts on her. She needs to be whipped to feel pleasure as much as Kurt needs to feel powerful before he can make love to her. But she hates and fears the whip(and Kurt) too, and Bava makes this inner conflict clear with masterful use of expressive color and lighting, with Lavi's beautiful face alternately bathed in fiery reds and deep, cold blues as Kurt's ghost lashes out from the grave. A truly unique masterpiece in the Euro-horror genre, spoiled only by Lee's voice being dubbed by what sounds like a mid-westerner! Image Quality: Very good work from VCI. Most of the movie is very dark so this had to be a tough transfer. Shadow detail is missing in some scenes but this certainly looks better than it ever has. Sound: good mono Extras: Bava expert Tim Lucas is like a talking encyclopedia on the commentary track. Very informative. The Italian soundtrack is included with English subtitles.

Rasputin: The Mad Monk (1966)

Christopher Lee boosts otherwise routine film

[6/10 · 16 October 2001]

Hammer delves into Russian history with Christopher Lee as the mysterious monk who worms his way into the royal family. Ignoring political aspects(The czar isn't even shown!), Rasputin is presented as a purely evil figure, the same as Dracula. Lee's over-the-top performance raises this a little above routine, but not much. Excellent production values though. Image Quality: Anchor Bay's dvd looks very good. The letter-boxed, anamorphic transfer is presented at a 2:1 aspect ratio, cropped slightly from the original 2.35:1 Sound: mono, acceptable quality Extras: The audio commentary, with Lee, Barbara Shelley and others, makes this disc worth getting. Very enjoyable and informative, with Lee being the obvious highlight

Blood and Black Lace (1964)

overrated...

[5/10 · 16 October 2001]

Beautiful looking to be sure, but mechanical script and plot seriously limit this films appeal. Bava's most overrated movie. Image Quality: Excellent, only the lack of an anamorphic transfer keeps it from perfection. Colors look very good, always important in a Bava movie. Sound: decent mono Extras: This disc, from VCI, is pretty packed. Tim Lucas's commentary track is loaded with information but focuses a little too much on cast bios. Several trailers are included and the alternate credit sequence is interesting. Two short interviews with stars Cameron Mitchell and Mary Arden offer little.