In only one year, RaroVideo USA have proven to be one of the finer independent distributors in the country. Their focus on obscure classic and contemporary Italian films of all genres is second to none, and their DVDs are all of excellent quality. I haven't had much of a chance to review them lately, but I just got this batch in and I plan on putting up at least a couple of them as soon as I get the chance!
December 6th RaroVideo USA dropped three very different titles on retailers shelves. First up is Lamberto Bava's (Demons, Macabre) Body Puzzle:
Next is Ricardo Freda's (Lust of the Vampire) Murder Obsession:
And finally, Alberto Lattuada's (Mafioso) Come Have Coffee with Us:
I'm going to try my damnedest to get reviews of these titles up soon, but in their first year, Raro has yet to put a foot wrong, so I can recommend these without hesitation. I'll also hopefully have a review of the Blu-ray upgrade of the Fernando DiLeo Crime Collection very soon! Order links are available below, along with disc specs.
December 6th RaroVideo USA dropped three very different titles on retailers shelves. First up is Lamberto Bava's (Demons, Macabre) Body Puzzle:
Body Puzzle tells the tragic and increasingly morbid story of the lovely widow, Tracy (Gorky Park's Joanna Pacula). Not only has her famous pianist husband Abe died in an auto accident, but someone keeps breaking into her house and leaving severed body parts lying around. A candy store owner is gutted, a poor woman has her hand lopped off in a public bathroom, a young swimmer is castrated, and so on. The investigating police officer, Michael (The Church's Tomas Arana), strikes up a hot and heavy romance with her to keep Tracy's mind off the rapidly accumulating trophies. Michael's supervising police chief (spaghetti western pro Gianni Garko) tells him to keep his mind on his job; soon Michael concludes that Abe's protege and probable male lover, unable to cope with the accident, is responsible for the killings. the clincher is the mysterious link between all of the victims.
Next is Ricardo Freda's (Lust of the Vampire) Murder Obsession:
Director Riccardo Freda, known for mentoring one of Italy's master cult horror film makers, Mario Bava, brings us (for the first time available in the US), one of his sexiest giallos: Murder Obsession which tells the story of a horror film actor Michael Stanford (played by Stefano Patrizi) who, after shooting his film, visits his mother (Anita Strindberg) at their old mansion. The only other person on the property is Oliver (played by John Richardson), the eccentric butler. Michael's girlfriend, Deborah (Silvia Dionisio), and some of their film making friends join Michael at the mansion for a couple of days rest. Michael decides to confess to his friends that he murdered his father (who was a famous orchestra conductor) during a psychotic episode when he was a child, but as a result he is immediately suspected as the murderer when his friends start getting killed.
And finally, Alberto Lattuada's (Mafioso) Come Have Coffee with Us:
So, two blood baths and a sex comedy. Sounds like a fun night!Emerenziano (Ugo Tognazzi) is the middle aged tax inspector looking for a rich woman to keep from working and provide him with food and sex. He travels to northern Italy where he is taken in by three maiden sisters of less than average beauty. He marries one sister and takes the other two as mistresses. The virginal sisters are slowly transformed in to man hungry mavens, each possessing their own individual sexual talents. Emerenziano is felled by a stroke when he tries to get the maid to play erotic games. He becomes a helpless prisoner subjected to the whims of the love starved females in this erotic dark comedy.
I'm going to try my damnedest to get reviews of these titles up soon, but in their first year, Raro has yet to put a foot wrong, so I can recommend these without hesitation. I'll also hopefully have a review of the Blu-ray upgrade of the Fernando DiLeo Crime Collection very soon! Order links are available below, along with disc specs.
Related Links
DVD Details
Body Puzzle Special Features:
- Booklet with essay and liner notes
- Booklet with essay and liner notes
Murder Obsession Special Features:
- Interview with horror film director Sergio Stivaletti
- Cut scene footage
- Fully Illustrated booklet
Come Have Coffee with Us Special Features:
- Interview with film historian Adriano Apra
- Fully illustrated booklet including critical analysis of the film
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