Disc Reviews

Blood And Black Lace Blu-ray Review

20th Apr 2015

Giallo fans are going to have a fucking ball! They need no reminding, but this Bava classic helped define the sub-horror genre in Italian cinema way back in 1964. And whilst effects work and censorship have chained over the years, Blood and Black lace hasn’t lost much menace – fully deserving of its 18 rating in the UK today.

A masked figure is committing gruesome murders at fashion house and the police intervene to try to find out who the killer is. But to little avail it seems as the bodies start to pile up.

Mario Bava started a trend with unnatural lighting (blues and reds – as to be seen in the likes of Argento’s work Suspiria and Inferno in the 70s and 80s). The camera is always showing the viewer something beautiful to watch, and even when it comes to the murders there is something very evocative in the run and hide technique that viewers are used to seeing in such films.

Arrow Video have put together one of their best packages for this release with a truly phenomenal 2K restoration of sound and picture bringing new life to the film. It’s simply gob-smacking how clean this picture is.

For the extras – There is a decent documentary about the making of the film (where Lamberto Bava, Dario Argento and many others get involved). There is also an appreciation by thr makers of more recent Giallo inspired film Amer. Film critic, historian and podcaster Michael Mackenzie offers a visual essay of the climate of the Giallo genre. There are various other smaller interviews and featurettes including panel discussions, an appreciation of Giallo origins, trailers and even a television episode of The Sinister Image devoted to star Cameron Mitchell.

Frankly it’s all a bit much to take in on one day even for avid fans – but rest assured that Arrow are quite simply getting better and better with what they can get their hands on, improve and create for each of their releases – which is probably why people keep coming back to their releases. We have no argument there – this one is a must for Italian horror fans.