Gothic Fantastico: Four Italian Tales of Terror

Released: 10th July 2023. 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 Rodéric (Gérard Tichy, Hatchet for the Honeymoon) and discovers her own family may be out for her blood. Mino Guerrini’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, fully restored in 2K from their original negatives and presented alongside an array of in-depth extras. SPECIAL EDITION CONTENTS 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  Video introductions to each film by Italian film devotee Mark Thompson Ashworth  Image galleries  Reversible sleeves featuring original and newly commissioned artwork by Colin Murdoch DISC ONE: LADY MORGAN'S VENGEANCE Audio commentary by author and critic Alexandra Heller-Nicholas  Video essay on the film by author and producer Kat Ellinger Video interview with actress Erika Blanc  Video interview with actor Paul Muller  Audio interview with director Massimo Pupillo The complete original cineromanzo, published in Suspense in April 1971  Trailer DISC TWO: THE BLANCHEVILLE MONSTER Audio commentary by filmmaker and film historian Paul Anthony Nelson  Video essay on the film by writer and pop culture historian Keith Allison  Video interview with author and filmmaker Antonio Tentori  Opening credits for the US release of the film  Trailer DISC THREE: THE THIRD EYE Audio commentary by author and critic Rachael Nisbet  Video essay on the film by author and filmmaker Lindsay Hallam  Video interview with actress Erika Blanc DISC FOUR: THE WITCH Audio commentary by author and producer Kat Ellinger  Video essay on the film by author and academic Miranda Corcoran  Video interview with author and filmmaker Antonio Tentori