Gothic Fantastico: Four Italian Tales of Terror

Released: 17th October 2022. While groundbreaking director Mario Bava (Black Sunday, Black Sabbath) remains the most well-known purveyor of Italian Gothic horror, many other filmmakers tried their hand at the form throughout the 1960s as part of a hugely prolific and popular cycle. Gothic Fantastico presents four off-the-beaten path titles from this classic period, all of which demonstrate Italy’s ability to expand genre beyond the classic literary monsters that dominated elsewhere.  Gaslighting abounds in Massimo Pupillo’s Lady Morgan’s Vengeance – a delicate tale of romance and mystery, with a sprinkling of sadism and the supernatural – as newlywed Sir Harold Morgan (Paul Muller, Nightmare Castle) attempts to destroy his new bride (Barbara Nelli, Double Face) with help from his sinister maid (Erika Blanc, Kill, Baby… Kill!). Meanwhile, the perverse influence of Poe is used to great effect in Alberto De Martino’s The Blancheville Monster – a tale of family curses and madmen in the attic, as Emilie de Blancheville (Ombretta Colli, Gladiator of Rome) returns home to her brother Roderic (Gérard Tichy, Hatchet for the Honeymoon) and discovers her own family may be out for her blood. Mino Guerinni’s The Third Eye features not only a very early role for Italian cult film icon Franco Nero, but a plot that borrows several elements from Hitchcock, layered with a whiff of necrophilia. Finally, Damiano Damiani’s The Witch takes a more avant-garde approach, when a young historian (Richard Johnson, Zombie Flesh Eaters) is lured to work for an ageing woman, only to be held captive when he becomes obsessed with her beautiful daughter (Rosanna Schiaffino, The Killer Reserved Nine Seats).  Madness, obsession and messed up families are the order of the day in these four lesser-known monochrome gems from Italy’s peak Gothic period, now fully restored in 2K from their original camera negatives for the first time and presented alongside an array of in-depth extras. LIMITED EDITION CONTENTS - Brand new 2K restorations from the original camera negatives of all four films - High Definition Blu-ray™ (1080p) presentations of each film - Original Italian and English front and end titles on The Blancheville Monster, The Third Eye and The Witch - Original lossless mono Italian soundtracks on all four films - Original lossless mono English soundtracks on The Blancheville Monster, The Third Eye and The Witch - Optional English subtitles for the Italian soundtracks - Optional English subtitles for the deaf and hard of hearing for the English soundtracks - Brand new video introductions to each film by Italian film devotee Mark Thompson Ashworth - Image galleries - Limited edition 80-page book featuring new writing on the films by Roberto Curti, Rob Talbot, Jerome Reuter, Rod Barnett and Kimberly Lindbergs - Fold-out double-sided poster - Limited edition packaging with reversible sleeves featuring original and newly commissioned artwork by Colin Murdoch DISC ONE: LADY MORGAN’S VENGEANCE - Brand new audio commentary by author and critic Alexandra Heller-Nicholas - Brand new video essay on the film by author and producer Kat Ellinger - Brand new video interview with actress Erika Blanc - Newly edited video interview with actor Paul Muller - Newly edited audio interview with director Massimo Pupillo - The complete original cineromanzo, published in Suspense in April 1971 - Trailer DISC TWO: THE BLANCHEVILLE MONSTER - Brand new audio commentary by filmmaker and film historian Paul Anthony Nelson - Brand new video essay on the film by writer and pop culture historian Keith Allison - Brand new video interview with author and filmmaker Antonio Tentori - Opening credits for the US release of the film - Trailer DISC THREE: THE THIRD EYE - Brand new audio commentary by author and critic Rachael Nisbet - Brand new video essay on the film by author and filmmaker Lindsay Hallam - Newly edited video interview with actress Erika Blanc DISC FOUR: THE WITCH - Brand new audio commentary by author and producer Kat Ellinger - Brand new video essay on the film by author and academic Miranda Corcoran - Brand new video interview with author and filmmaker Antonio Tentori